A Leap of Faith....

 

Have you ever wanted to reach a goal, a very HIGH goal, and you KNEW you could do it with diligence on your part, but you were too afraid of the results IF you achieved the goal?

 

Sounds rather convoluted, I know, but that sentence pretty much describes what I've been going through for the past 6 months, and much more intensely for the last week.

 

 

I normally keep this blog pretty light & even humorous, but today, I have a lot of rather deep things on my mind. 

 

Goals, dreams, destinations...they are exciting & new.  Some of them, we know exactly what to expect when we arrive.  Some have promise, but no definite outline.

 

For instance, at the end of 4 years of high school, you graduate.  A wonderful, exciting goal.  Also, a scary, confusing time. 

 

What comes next? 

 

What do you want to be when you "grow up"?

 

A wonderful time of accomplishment can also be rife with fear & uncertainty.

 

 

On the other hand, planning a trip to Disney World, is a pretty sure bet of good things to come!  No fears, no worries (except how to pay for it). 

 

These are both lofty goals & great achievements, if reached, but the emotions involved can be very different.

 

I guess, I should stop beating around the bush & just come out & say what's on my heart....

 

 

God, Jesus, the Church....have all been in my heart & a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember.  I have loved the Lord for as long as I can remember.  I don't ever remember a time where I didn't WANT to have Him in my life. 

 

However, a walk with God requires taking steps.

 

So, I've done the baby steps....I gave up the biggies that displeased Him.  I quit murdering, drinking, carousing, smoking dope....hey, those were no problem. :)

 

I have reached a place where things that bothered me as a younger person, no longer even phase me.  That's growth, too.

 

I feel that God has been asking more of me.  He wants MORE of my heart, MORE of me.  I have known this for a while now.

 

 

But, I'm scared.

 

Yeah, probably sounds crazy, but I'm being honest here.

 

Will He take care of me?

 

Will He catch me?

 

Will He make serving Him comfortable? (prolly not!)

 

Yesterday, we said goodbye to a wonderful friend.  I don't believe in making saints out of people after they pass, but this man was truly good.  He had many qualities in his life that I envy (whoops, one of the big 10....).

 

He never complained-even when in extreme pain.

He always made God his first choice, even when it would have been easier to stay home in bed.

He gave his all. Always.

He was selfless.

 

Um....I miiiiiigggght pull one or two of those out of the hat a couple of times a year, but not consistently by any means.

 

Sigh.  And therein lies my problem.

 

 

See...I don't like to suffer.  True story.  I like ease.  I like things my way.

 

Then I read about Job.  Sigh again.  I really don't think sackcloth and ashes are for me.  Boils???  Noooope.  Losing my stuff....well, I could deal with that.  Losing my kids?  There's the kicker.  THAT'S what I'm afraid of (I may be just a teensie bit MORE afraid of getting them back doubly!!).

 

Seriously, I know that serving God is a very rewarding life.  I also know that I cannot live in such a way that I benefit from the blessings, but never share in the burdens.  I hate to cry.  I have cried more in the last few years than in all the rest combined.  God created us to be emotional beings, but I just don't enjoy hurt.

 

 

Here's the bare bones of my dilemma:

 

Go on farther with a mighty God, knowing that trials, sufferings & heartaches may (most likely will) be interspersed (liberally) throughout my blessings, but that

the quality of the blessings will outweigh the trials.

 

 

OR

 

 

Sit right here on my white picket fence with one leg on each side leaning more to the side that feels most comfy for the moment. 

 

I have never thought of myself as a "fence-sitter" Christian.  And maybe I haven't always been.  There have been moments of total devotion. 

 

But somewhere along the road, as it has become more bumpy, the storms more fierce, the sorrows more painful, I found me a nice smooth section of fence & climbed right up there & made myself at home.

 

Deep in my soul, I know which side I will climb down on, but the jump from where I'm sitting to where I need to be is pretty steep & I'm afraid.  Fear is NOT of the Lord. 

 

This, I know. 

 

However, from where I sit....it's pretty scary.

 

 

Will You catch me???

 

I hear a whisper in my soul......

 

 

 

 

 

 

"YES!"

WWK (Walmart With Kids)

Worst.  Decision.  Ever.


My question to my older daughter & her resulting answer was the beginning of the ruin of my day.

"I must go grocery shopping today,

do you want to go or stay home?"

 

 

Her answer:

 

 

"Go."

 

 

"No problem, we'll all go", I said.

 

"It will be great", I said.

 

"I got this", I said.

 

 

Oh, and I have to get this done in one hour because I have to meet someone at 11:15 (I got this, remember?).  I have my handy-dandy list which I made according to the pre-created menu for all meals in June .  Very tidy.  In & out.

 

Problemo numero uno:

 

The grocery list which I have created based on the WalMart closest to my house & the route I ALWAYS take while in the store (OCD much?), is completely null and void at a different WalMart.

I chose to go to a different location because of the meeting that was taking place at 11:15....

 

Problemo numero dos:

 

I took kids.

 

 

 

So, in order to make you feel better about your life, here's how my trip went:

 

 

Unload kids.  Assign a portion to the elder sister (the easier ones, I kept the problematic ones).

 

Enter store.  Tell elder sister to take a portion of the list & meet me by the milk when she's done.

 

I rush through my area before heading to the meeting place.  Leaving kids standing where they were (touching merchandise I SPECIFICALLY told them NOT to touch), because I will ONLY say, "Come on" once, then they have to hunt for me.

 

Then, my phone rings (I don't like to take calls while shopping, I don't shop & solve world problems at the same time very efficiently, so I have to stop what I'm doing & listen....), it's eldest daughter.  The cat is shooting diarrhea all over her room like a water sprinkler, and she is beyond frustrated.  So, I navigate clothing racks, help elder son choose new swim trunks & swim shirt from the "Cheap" rack, give him dirty looks as he looks at the "privileged folks" racks, point vehemently at the cheap rack & motion decapitation if he doesn't comply, while talking calmly to the particularly emotional person on the phone & trying to figure out the digestive tract issues of a kitten.

 

Problem solved, cheap swim clothes chosen....on to the dairy dept.

 

Tell elder son to get 2 gallons of 2% milk.  He gets one.  Really????

 

Tell lil guy I can make 15 gallons of Jell-O for the price of the pre-packaged ones, and NO I do not care that those are more fun.

 

When did cheese go up??  $3 for Parmesan.  Guess I don't need it.

 

No, we are not close to the bakery.  No, we cannot buy a free cookie.

 

Yes, honey, I would be very embarrassed if my kid screamed like that in the store.

 

PLEASE, stop practicing to scream....I WILL spank you...even though that kid got away with it.

 

You stay here with the basket, I'll walk over here & get what I need.  HEY!  WHERE ARE YOU GOING????

 

Hey you, Run back 2 aisles & get a container of salt.  Not gourmet.  Just plain ole salt. 

 

Where will I be? I'm turning left from this aisle.  ( I turn right.  Hee hee hee.  Took him 5 minutes to find me.)

 

What time is it?  OH!  We have 20 min to finish up & load up & I'm nearly done!  Yay!

 

No, I don't know what that mystery package of stuff is on the ethnic food aisle.

 

Oops, forgot the pancake mix....run back please...I'll be in produce.  For reals.

 

No, they don't have cuties.  Yes, we can get belly button oranges instead. 

 

Stop smelling every single package of strawberries.  They ALL smell good. 

 

Am I worth a $3 carton of blueberries?  Ewww...they have mold on them.

 

I need 8 ripe avocados....is that too much to ask???  These could be stones!!

 

Ok....we are done....to the registers.

 

I am very picky with the bagging process.  She does it wrong.  She is slow.

 

No, you can't have any gum.

 

No, you cant have the cute package of Kleenex.

 

No, you can't have beef jerky.

 

Yes, please get the van pulled up, that would be great.

 

OOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!! I ram my arm on the empty DVD display by the register.  My arm goes numb.  My fingers begin to tingle.

 

I am NOW officially in a bad mood. 

 

It took me longer this time.  Is that progress?

 

Now my neck hurts from my arm injury.

 

I yell at kids in WalMart.  I feel like I fit in.

 

We load up the groceries in the recesses of the van, because I need the back for the 11:15 meeting.

 

All in!  Let's go! 

 

Why are the interior lights on? 

 

Son, close the back hatch.  Hellllloooo....open it, & reclose.  STOP BANGING ON THE DOOR!!!

 

Fine, I'll do it.  Done.

 

I am now soaked with sweat, mad, hurting, $200 poorer, hungry & just plain exhausted.

 

But, we make the meeting.  I am now the proud owner of 2 old, wood-framed windows ripe for some adorable craft/decorating project & I scored them for a mere $6 each!  Boo-ya.

 

Now, I am home, the cat is loudly protesting his confinement to the carpet-less room, the groceries are put away, the boys are gagging me with the smell of the sardines I let them talk me in to buying.  DISGUSTING.

 

I have cooled off...some.  My arm hurts.  I'm still hungry.

 

Thanks for reading, I feel a bit better for having written it down.

 

 

 

 

 



What Did You Expect?

THE FOLLOWING IS A SAD, BUT TRUE STORY.  NAMES HAVE BEEN WITHELD TO PROTECT THE GUILTY:

This morning, I took my kiddos to school per usual.  I was planning to make a stop in the classrooms to see if I might be of some assistance, but made a pit*stop at the restroom first.  I wasn't in there 30 seconds before I heard one of MY kids outside the door...

"Mooooom...Mom....MOMMY!!"

"Get away from the door!", I snarled.

REALLY????  I can't even get a minute's privacy in a public restroom either????  Geeeezzz Louise!!!!


Expectations.

We all have them.  Some are realistic, and some are off*the*charts*ridiculous. 

Seriously. 

Think: someday I'll be Mrs. Justin Bieber Michael Buble & he'll sing softly in my ear every night as I drift off to sleep. 

Yeah.  No.  Not realistic.  At. All.

Having a neat, orderly home at all times in the midst of raising teens toddlers.  Not realistic.

Never being late for church & yet still having well-dressed & perfectly behaved children.  Not totally realistic, either...but I'm working on it.

Having a well-balanced meal on the table each day...now, that's more like it.

Sometimes, we set our goals for ourselves pretty high....and, sometimes, that's a good thing.  I think that having something to work for & look forward to is healthy & gives life purpose.  However, I also believe that the goals we set for ourselves should be set through prayer & even consulting with our spouse. 

I know I have been guilty of consulting with my latest issue of Homeschooling Family or Better Homes & Gardens, and setting my expectations based on the fabulous things that I see there.  Then, when I fail to live up to my goals, I feel like a failure. 

Whaaaat??  I can't get my 8 kids to behave perfectly in public, while all lined up in age/height order according to eye color & shoe size????  If Michelle Duggar can do it with 32 kids, I can do it with 8!!!!  I'm such a loser!

I am overweight, my hair is dull, & don't look just like Julia Roberts???  She is older than me!  I am such a slob!

Ugh....I can't make my dinner, curtains & tablescapes all coordinate with my blouse like Sandra Lee????  I can never have company again!

These are all silly examples, but I'm guessing you're a smart enough person to understand my point.

First of all, I would like to point out that real life is messy.  Kids play.  Food gets dropped.  Puke gets spewed. Dishes get stacked.  Laundry overflows.  Schedules get altered (or forgotten).  Weight gets gained.  Life happens.

What we should expect is the grace to be able to take each percieved setback & see it for what it is.  Ask yourself this question: If I am upset about this situation, what should I be doing differently?  In other words, analyze WHY you feel frustrated/angry when things don't go your way go as expected. 

Are you throwing a fit?
Are you being realistic in your expectations for yourself, your kids, your spouse, your friends/family?
Will life suddenly end if you have to change your thinking?
Are you being selfish?

Yes, this is a pop quiz.

Yes, these are trick questions. 

God is good about throwing curves in our way when we have mapped out a perfectly straight path for ourselves.  That is a necessary ingredient in making life more interesting.  More importantly, how we handle these curves determines whether or not we are growing up & maturing or if we are still spoiled little kids throwing a tantrum because we didn't get our way.


Say, you have all of your self expectations within normal range, you handle life's curves with suave & finesse.  In other words: you got it goin' on.

Let me ask you this:  What are your expectations of others?

Hmmmm.....?

Parental Blackmail

If you have missed me, well, I am baaaaaack!!!  Hahaha...

I vowed to myself not to apologize *again* for not writing on here for an absolute eternity.  So, I won't .

To me, Blogging = Fun.  So, if I sit in my comfy red chair, pull out my laptop & proceed to ignore all of my other responsibilities pour my heart out to the great internet void, then I have that nagging feeling of "shouldn't I be doing something useful?".

My solution: block time on my calendar each week to devote to doing this & then it isn't a waste of time, it's what I'm SUPPOSED to be doing. :)

 

Problem solved. 

 

I hope.

 

 

 

I have had such an eventful summer....I'm sure....but I can't remember any real specifics, & I don't really want to talk about that anyway.  Let's suffice it to say, Summer 2012 was crazy busy & we were all glad to slow down & get back to school! 

 

 

One thing I do know for sure, is that, behavior-wise, the kiddos were MUCH better than in past years!  Yay!  In the interest of keeping it real, I will confess that I was totally DREADING the summertime. Seven kids in the house....all day long...every day....for 12 weeks.  Nope, not a recipe for quiet & meditation.  About 3 weeks before school let out, I began formulating a plan. 

 

I've never been real big on rewarding expected behavior.  I mean, breathing is reward enough for being an obedient child, RIGHT? 

 

Apparently not. 

 

 

I had a plan for sanity.

 

 

Heee heee heeeeeeee.....

 

 

Here it is in a nutshell:

     1. There was a chore sheet. 

I just picked up some grid-type thingies at the local teacher's supply store (in fact, all of my supplies came from there) and some small stickers to coordinate.  I wrote the chore down the side & the day of the week across the top. 

 

I kept it simple:

     Make bed, brush hair, put jammies away, set table, etc...

     Do chore = get sticker

     Simple

 

     2. There was a behavior/character system.

This was the BIG DEAL.  This was what I really wanted to work on. 

 

Again, in another nutshell:

  They each had a large star with their name on it. 

  They had an assigned number of smaller stars affixed to the large one with Velcro.  The older they were, the fewer chances stars they had.

  Bad behavior/character = star removal.

  Star removal = loss of privileges.

  Loss of privileges = incentive to do better next time.

 

Yay me!!!

 

     3. There were prizes!!!

This is the part I lifted from some other source that I cannot recall at this moment (the point is that it didn't originate in my skull).

 

  I found a box & put "Milky Way Store" on the side of it (It was all an outer space theme).  Each item in the box had a monetary value (using garage sale stickers).  I picked up all kinds of stuff that I don't normally buy:

Gatorade

Beef Jerky

Air Head Candies

Chocolate milk (that nasty stuff that doesn't have to go in the fridge)

Toys/Magazines

Coupons for privileges

 

You get the point.

 

Now, for each star they had left at the end of the week, they received a dollar amount which they turned around & spent in the Milky Way Store.

 

Brilliant, I tell ya!  Brilliant!

 

 

4. Consistency was rewarded, too.

  

There was a larger goal as well.

 

There were 12 mind-numbingly long weeks of summer & if they achieved "Stellar Behavior" for 8 out of  12 weeks, they would be able to go to the water park. 

 

Not 7 weeks.

 

Not 6 weeks.

 

EIGHT weeks.  Firm.  No negotiating.

 

Two didn't get to go. :o(

 

I will be honest here, I tried everything I could think of to make it possible for those two to be able to go, but to no avail.  First, it wouldn't have been fair to the others & Second, well, it would make me a big fat liar. 

 

Yeah...

 

I'm sure this is all clear as mud, but the long & short of it is this: It's September & I'm still reasonably sane!  I chose not to continue this little system past the summer & all the kiddos were bummed.  Does this mean success????  Come next June, I'll put up another excessively tacky bulletin board in my hall, holler for a meeting & lay down the summer's rules. 

 

Hey, I'm not ashamed to say it.

 

I essentially blackmailed my kiddos to be good.

 

It worked.

 

:0)

 

If you would like me to email you copies of the "rules", I would be happy to do that.  Just leave me a comment with your email address.

 

 

Wonder-FULL Wednesday: When Mom is Feelin' Poorly

This will be a short posting...basically because I feel funky.

So...the question for today is:

HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR HOME WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL GOOD?

ANSWER:

AS GOOD AS POSSIBLE.

I am terrible at asking for/accepting help when I need it.  I can alway rationalize that I am ok & that it's probably not as bad as I think (read: I'm probably being a drama queen).

As mothers, we carry a huge load. 

Seriously, our homes kinda just run to the ground when we are gone or otherwise out of commission.  It's not that the family doesn't KNOW what to do or SEE what needs to be done.

They.  Just.  Don't. Do. It. 

Sometimes I alternate between being aggrivated about having to tell my peeps everything & just telling them, and getting over it.

Ok, so when I'm not feeling up to par...

1.  I ignore the idea as long as possible, hoping that it's a figment of my imagination.

2.  I pass out hints that I'm not feeling great, hoping for some divine (or otherwise) intervention.

3.  I finally accept that I can't do it all, crawl to my bed & hope for the best.

Sometimes I get help from outside the home & sometimes I just dump it on my older girls, feel guilty, try to assuage my guilt by throwing privileges or gifts at them when I feel better.

When all is well & the sun is shining in my part of the world, I just clean up the mess...and thank the good Lord that I rarely don't feel good.

A Calgon Moment

THE SCENE:

Cooking dinner @ about 6.

Kids are all outside playing.

Backdoor flies open.

In runs Ella Grace (age 3) hair a-flying.  She makes a *mad dash for the bathroom.*

Meanwhile, my dad knocks on the patio door...he is delivering the 18 or so eggs he just robbed our hens of so that we might have fresh scrambled eggs for breakfast.

As we admit him, we hear screams coming from the bathroom.  I send daughter #1 to assess the situation (although I'm fairly certain what has happened).

I return to my conversation with dad...

Back door flies open as #1 sticks her head out & screams at  #4 to come pick up her clothes & shoes off of the bathroom floor (this is pure, unmitigated hypocrosy in it's finest form, to say the very least).  As #4 comes in...#1 is rubbing her oversight in (loud enough for me to hear) by telling her that E.G. didn't quite make it to the bathroom in time, & lost it.....on her clothing & (yes) her school shoes.

In the meantime...the rice is burning.

My dad is laughing.

Daughter #1 informs me that the dog ran through the bathroom....right through....yeah.  But...it's all ok, cause she just put her in her kennel.


Are you needing *Calgon* to take you away just reading all of this???

Seriously, this is rather normal around here, if complete & utter chaos can be considered normal in any way. 

You might wonder, "How does she handle all of that?"

Well, today....fine.  I just instructed #4 to clean her stuff & the rug up...put it in a basket & put it by the washer.  Then to mop.

But, wait....before you think I have nerves of steel & a halo to match...let me tell you that by Wednesday or Thursday....this scene may very well make me want to curl up into the fetal position in the back corner of my closet.

*SIGH*

It is times like these, though, that I think....

I really should blog this stuff...

people will get a real kick out of it.

What to do....

I confess, I needed some quiet time tonight, so I sent the fam to church minus mom...I hope God understands. <Sorry, Sir>

As I sit here in my totally quiet house (with no worries about WHY it is quiet or guilt because it is 1 a.m. & I am STILL up), I hear...the refrigerator humming....the clock ticking....a dog's bark. Some people need alcohol or a massage to relax. Not me. I need good ol' peace & quiet.

When the peeps headed out the door, I immediately began pondering what to do with my QT *quiet time*. Of course, my first thought was to clean up this house!!! Then, I thought,

"Why? I can do THAT when it's noisy!"

.....although, it has absolutely NO staying power whatsoever, so why bother?

Then, I thought of that new school year chore/responsibility list I need to work on. *YAWN* BOOOOOOORINNNNGGGGG!

How about some sewing?
hmmmmm....interesting...maybe so.

First things first....food. I sent my family out the door without dinner.

///GASP\\\

Well, they did eat a late lunch....

Any-who...I was hungry so I went to the fridge.

Hmmm....what's in the takeout container? Ewwww...soggy nachos from 2 days ago (WHY did we even bother???). Better chunk that.

Well, look at those moldy green beans....to the chickens.

Those leftovers have been in here more than a week....to the chickens.

Now....look at all these dishes on the counter that I've just emptied out....better put them into the dishwasher.

Oh! These dishes are clean.

Better empty the dishwasher.

Now, re-load.

Messy counters....wipey, wipey, wipey.

Now, what did I come in here for?

Oh, yes, food.

Uh....not much in here. Guess I'll have a Lean Pocket. That sounds good...really, it does!

So, two & a half minutes later, my gourmet-pamper-myself-silly-meal was scorching hot; the tab on my Diet DP was popped, the laptop was warmed up & I was ready to go!!

For the last hour & fifteen minutes, I have....totally wasted time. Oh! Don't get me wrong...I've enjoyed EVERY single, cotton-pickin' minute of it.

But, every now and then....when I'm waiting for the newest page to load up...I look around.

Why are there little men on the floor in the kitchen?

A Lego by the fridge? Really?

A quilt in the hallway (I vaguely remember a fabric fort in the recent past).

The lid to a plastic tote by the front door (ummmm....couldn't even venture a guess).

A Hot Wheel car just pierced the bottom of my foot as I adjusted in my chair.

Ya know, it is becoming more & more difficult to keep my fannie in this chair!

Should I be aggrivated because I cannot allow myself to chillax guilt-free & not worry about the things that drive me nutso?

Or

Should I be proud of myself for being aggrivated about the things that need to be done & I am just sitting here typing away in cyber la-la land?

No worries...I won't toss & turn all night weighing the pros & cons of these two points.

It is what it is.

Maybe that is something I have learned so far in life:

"Relax...the clutter will still be there when you finally get around to it. Have no worries....no one will beat you to it!!!"

It's the best of both worlds!!!

I can relax AND still have all the work I could ever dream of!!!!!

Yay me!

Wonder-FULL Wednesday: The Basics

So, today, as I was doing one of the many things I do many times a day, one of my girls asked,

"I wonder how many pizzas the Duggar family has to order for pizza night."


I thought about it for a minute, & then figured they would order 6 or 7, probably. As I continued about my business, I began thinking about large families & how, in today's world, they are an oddity. Although the Duggars are UBER-large, we are considered large in our own right. However, where the Duggars have been very public about their lives, we are not, unless asked.

Which we are.


A. Lot.

For instance, last night, I took the kiddos to grab a bite to eat at a place that was cooler than home, and the waitress asked, "Are you the mom?" To which I replied, "No, the red-head is". ROFLOL

No, I didn't (but I did chuckle while writing that).

I actually said, "Yes." (duh)

She then began asking some of the same questions we hear sometimes daily.

If you know me personally, you probably know that I am not a forward person. Hopefully, I am not unfriendly, I just don't usually put myself out there, if you know what I mean. My hubby & pretty much ALL of my kids are forward enough for the entire family! LOL

One thing I have had to deal with, emotionally, as my family has grown in number, has been the amount of attention we draw when we go out & about. I don't enjoy being in the spotlight. I don't like to feel scrutinized. As I have mentioned before, I have perfectionist (read: pride) issues, so if the kids don't look, act, behave just right, I become somewhat panicky.

I know...it's a personal problem.

The really funny thing is: when the kiddos are really acting up (in my book), is when someone will compliment us on our well-behaved kids! HA!! I think that may be God's way of telling me to lighten up sometimes.

Having said all of that, it occurs to me that there may possibly be someone out there in blog-land that has a question or curiosity about something pertaining to large families. I am, by no means, saying that I have ALL the answers, but I AM willing to answer according to what we do or how we work, and, if necessary will point you in the direction of the source of my answer...as I usually do NOT have original ideas!

So, I have come up with a few tidbits of information that you may *or may not* find interesting about our life...

The Basics

We have 8 children, 5 girls & 3 boys.

Ages: 17, 15, 11, 8, 6, 5, 3, & 2

I spend between $400 & $500 every two weeks or so at Wal*Mart, & 98% of that purchase is food.

I spend $120 or so every month with a company called Melaleuca for all of our cleaning & personal care products. This company has safe, highly concentrated products which last me a long time.

We enjoy eating out, but that is pretty much our main form of entertainment.

Our bill is usually between $30 & $35 at a place like McDonald's.

We love Mexican food, & frequently go for fajitas, which costs us about $60.

*we tend to choose our restaurants based on ease of getting a table for 10...

having "call-ahead seating" is a great plus!!!*

Our home has 5 bedrooms & 3 baths.

The 3 oldest girls share a room which has one twin & one set of bunks in it.

The 2 youngest girls share the smallest room.

All the boys share & have 2 sets of bunks, although we have removed the lower bed from one of the bunks & put dressers under that bed to save space.

I have to share a room, too.

The 5th room is kind of an all-purpose room. It has our rather extensive library,the family computer, and ALL of my sewing machines/supplies in it.

We won't talk about closets :/

I do not currently homeschool, although I did for 8 years. We have access to a wonderful private school where 6 (SIX!!!) of our kiddos attend. This year, we will have 3 graduates! One from High School & 2 from Kindergarten!!! :D

This may be enough for now. I cannot anticipate what things

others may be curious about as this is just our normal life & therefore

hard to see as unusual. (ok, maybe a little bit)

I would like to begin having a post on this topic every Wednesday...maybe calling it "Wonder-FULL Wednesday" or something cheesy like that. So, I would like to hear from you! You can ask me pretty much anything, and I'll probably answer it, too! Please sign your question with your name & an alias you'd like me to use when responding on my blog. I look forward to hearing from you guys!

You may contact me at:

photographer (at) kidshots (dot) net

It's a GREAT Life!!!!!

Last week held some pretty good days! My girlies were finally home from their travels in parts north. I really enjoy having them around, they are fun (oh, and they can run to the store for me, too :).

I got some (ok, lots) sewing done.

Sewing = joy :)

I am working on tote bags. I have a thing for bags. I look at them anytime I see them in the stores. I wonder why? They are fun for me, and I can't quite put my finger on the why of it. So, I have acquired a great pattern, mixed up some adorable fabric combos, dug out the embroidery machine to personalize them...put a sweet price-tag on them...and am selling 'em like hotcakes! :) I am shooting for some dining room chairs. Three years of white plastic folding chairs in lieu of wood is long-enough, dontcha think??

Anyway, if you want one....let me know! I can make them with lotsa pockets, pencil pockets, cell phone pockets, money pockets, bottle pockets...you name it....

One other project I completed this week ('cause I kinda had to) was a ~man~ tie & vest for B-man to wear in a wedding. He was the ring bearer, and he ROCKED it! I told him he would, and he agreed...his wording was, "Duh, mom, it is called the ring BEAR!" Hahaha...Bear is a nickname we frequently use for him. He took his job VERY seriously, too.

I also took my Dad out to lunch for his birthday. His choice: Indian food.

Oooooookaaaayyy.

It was HIS birthday, after all. So, we had, chicken-something, veggie rice whatchamacalit with some yogurt sauce of some sort...and DIET COKE which really brought it all together nicely. :) I have now had Indian food. Mark it off the list of things to do before I die...now where on my list did I put that exactly? Hmmmm....better pencil it in & mark it off!

Seriously, though, I don't really spend much time with my dad one on one, so at least once a year, I take him out. When I started doing this several years it was actually kinda awkward, and that was just WRONG! He IS my dad, after all, it should not be hard to talk to him. In all fairness, he isn't really the *chatty* sort. However, we have found our nitch. We have some common interests, and I have found in him a place to go for info on all things botanical. If he doesn't know the answer...he just fakes it! LOL!!

After our lunch, we went to a mutual fave....Barnes & Noble. We both love to read, and WHO can afford those books? We sit & thumb through books that we probably will never own. It's great!

This last week held another special date: Sam. I took my oldest boy out on the town. First stop, the library...then fajitas...then ice cream. Could a date get any better??? I don't think so, either!

I could keep boring you with the details of my life, but let me sum it all up with:

GAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! I L.O.V.E. MY LIFE!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by & humoring me in my ramblings :0)

Food for Thought

Do you like to eat?

I know...dumb question, but the other day, my pastor made a comment that really, um irritated (?)...no...convicted (probably) me.

He said, "I don't care much for food or what I eat."

Really?

People feel that way?

He seems so normal....

In all honesty, I think the reason it struck me is because of envy (great trade one of the 7 deadlies for another).

I have had a love/hate relationship with food since childhood. I love to eat it & hate to stop. LOL I was a....uh....chubby kid. You know the one. Clumsy, jiggly, bad hair. Yeah. That was me. I also talked too much & was clingy, but that's for another post. I had some self-esteem issues as a result of my appearance. So, I sought comfort in a nice cold bowl of Blue Bell ice cream. Great results.

Somewhere in my earlyish teens the chunks gave way to curves & I felt pretty ok about me, although I was still fat in my own eyes. Oh, what I wouldn't give to be that fat again. I was a blimpy 120 pounder when I said, "I do", and thought I should have been smaller. Unfortunately, one of the things my new hubby & I had in common was a love for good food. As a result, we have struggled for most of our nearly 20 years of marital bliss with our weight.

Right now, I am paying Weight Watchers every month to send me reminders to track my meals. I don't. I buy Lean Cuisine meals....and Blue Bell. I get so very aggrivated with myself when I "fail".

For the last year, we have been going to WW meetings & were doing very well. However, I marveled at nearly every meeting at the number of people who were in that room discussing how we all could manipulate the system to get as much food as possible each day & still lose weight. It seems so....messed up. We spend our time & money to discuss how to do something in moderation that is NECESSARY for our existance!!!

I am a stress eater. I have a large family. Figure it out.

However, I am truly of the frame of mind that overeating, and gluttony are sins that are not really addressed. Yes, there are worse sins, but self-indulgence is blatantly against the self-sacrificing message of Christ.

I don't murder.

I don't commit adultry.

There are many of the "biggies" that I don't partake in. Yay me.

Yet, I still have sin in the camp. Yep, right under my "tent" dress, there is the obvious result of my sin. It is, at times, humiliating. I have even wished there were something medically wrong with me, so I could blame my weight on that. No luck.

Is this post depressing? I don't mean for it to be. I am being honest. In our world of "foodies", junk food, drive thru, & Cheetos...it's no wonder we are an obese nation. Our lives are crazy busy, so we eat to survive while we live a life that's killing us.

One of the few things in my home that mean something to me is a little sign in my living room that says, "Simplify".

That's it.

Nothing else.

It's not a suggestion, it's a command.

If my life were more simplistic, I would have more time for relaxation which would, in turn, reduce stress, which should then cause weight loss...at least for me.

I am feeling more & more convinced that I need to put some real focus on this. In past weeks & months, I have let myself slip.

It is summer, after all.

I've stayed up too late, slept too long, skipped breakfast, ran around town, skipped chores, forgotten dinner....and gained weight. Again.

I saw something today that hit home, I think it was by C.S. Lewis (or maybe Albert Einstein...anyway, someone smarter than me). It said,

"Insanity: doing the same thing over & over again & expecting different results."

That's it!

I'm insane.