Birthday in the Backyard

Yesterday marked my baby's fifteenth birthday. Can it be? Fifteen years ago today I was waking up in the hospital with an unbelievable joy, realizing that I had a baby! Keely has been a delight and a joy, and I love how our relationship is growing and changing as she does.

While at Aldi grabbing a few things for her birthday dinner, I couldn't resist picking up some water guns for the boys.  Even a thirteen-year-old can appreciate a baby pool as a refilling station.

Earlier in the afternoon we spotted this baby redheaded woodpecker flopping by our front door.  We decided it was injured as it was sortof rolling sideways, and tried to help it.  He was beautiful and we enjoyed seeing him up close.

Unfortunately, he did die a few hours later.  You can see in Lily's eyes that she sees it coming.  She is our tender-hearted animal lover.

My little Eli is Daddy's biggest (smallest?) fan.

Happy birthday, my dear daughter!  I love you and am so blessed to be your Mom!

First Day of Spring Break

Can I just say....YAAAAYY!!  All you homeschool Moms out there know that you get just as excited about breaks from school as your kids do!  And I should qualify:  breaks from 'normal' school.  I have some sneaky ideas to get school in this week disguised as fun.  Shhh.

Baby feet!

Last night as I was getting my boots to head to church, I pulled a toy out of one and thought, I love being a Mom.  I am trying to see each day with thankful eyes, loving these little people and accepting their messes as part of the small, small price of having a house full of people to share life with.  The Lord is so good to me, so faithful.  All last fall I felt like I was drowning under the weight of homeschooling, of mothering, of homemaking.  I am so very happy to say that the Lord has lifted me out of that difficult funk, and is granting strength and grace each day.  I still struggle, but He is helping me and walks with me.  Praise and thanks to Him!

Baby eight and baby one are good friends!  She won't like me calling her my baby, but she still is, in my mind.  :)

Today, we are going to do a lot of whatever strikes our fancy....or at least that's the plan.  The girls want to try their hand at sewing some clothes for their American girl dolls, and I would like to get some kids in the kitchen to do some baking with me.  I confess, I have to 'gear up' for kids in the kitchen.  I often feel so pressed for time that I don't allow helpers as much as I should. But today, we will bake.  I still keep a list on the inside of one of my cabinet doors to remind me who has had a turn as a kitchen helper.  It's right next to the list of whose sheets I last washed.  Lists are my friend!

We had a wonderful visit with my Mom-in-law last week.

I hope you enjoy your day, too.

Still here!

This is by far the longest time I've gone between blog posts!  It's okay, though, and I am enjoying the approach of laying 'secondary' things down for a while when life gets too busy and more important things are pressing.  Instead of giving you an exhaustive list of what's happened at our home since November (which would probably be too tedious for anyone, anyway!),  I'll just hit a few high points and share some photos.

Keely's Challenge group competed in a small science fair. Keely worked on her project from the beginning of December until mid-January. She did a great job and we were so excited when she won second place!

We have a slew of birthdays around here during December and January. Annes is now five, Joe is seven, Sam is three, and my little Elijah is one. Sniff. After Christmas, Kevin and I decided to change the girls' room assignments. We have done this several times, to allow different girls to get to know particular siblings better. We also try to consider the dynamics that exist between particular pairs of sisters. Sometimes we try to avoid pairing a struggling older sibling with an impressionable younger one, sometimes we take the potential conflict head-on to help facilitate growth in a rocky relationship. This latest pairing is Row and Lily, and though we have had some bumps, these two are having a blast together. I'd say having a blast together about 67% of the time, bumps the other 33%. :)

To those who say I have to always have a baby in the house, I admit it. It's true. This is our new baby, Bella. She's been equal parts fun and work, but the kids might tilt that ratio toward the fun! She's a sweet doggie, and the kids were delighted and shocked when we presented her as a late Christmas present!

We had some extensive sickness here lately, and now that we are all better, I recognize that the illnesses were a blessing in the sense that I am just happy to be able to carry on with normal life and homeschooling, instead of struggling with the stress and weight of it all. Hope you are all well, and are keeping your eyes on our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Fall Photos

 

 

 No fall decor is complete without...Mater. 

  I'm glad I got a picture of Sam's addition to the centerpiece.  I came through the dining room later and he was gone. 

  Last Saturday was our church's fall party.  Here's my artistic friend Mary Jane getting ready to paint some faces. 

 Sam gets ready to exit the bounce house.

  Hay scramble!

 Oh, and as you can see, Keely took most of these pictures.  Thanks, Keels!

 Our pastor, Wade, on the left, and Kevin playing a friendly game of beanbag toss. 

Chili cook-off tasters hard at work!  

I love hanging out with our church family!  We are truly blessed with such wonderful friends in Christ to walk with. 

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

We made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go to the pumpkin patch last Friday, then went to the local cider mill for our annual cider doughnut and cup of cider. This year we had it chilled instead of hot, because it was such a warm day. 

I think the fall color peaked about two weeks ago, but there are still some colors to enjoy, and a growing pile of leaves to play in in our backyard.

We marveled at the variety of colors, shapes, and sizes of the pumpkins and gourds. Aren't you thankful the Lord made such beauty for us to enjoy?  He could have placed us in a grey utilitarian world, without the capacity to appreciate or create beauty.  But that's not who He is. 

Eli's fine baby hair was really blowing in the wind, which looked hilarious. 

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.

Stanley Horowitz

Photos and a Few Words

 Annes enjoyed this juicy peach at our neighbor's house a couple of weeks ago.

 I love to hear Keely play piano; I only wish I knew how!

Lily began violin lessons a few weeks ago, and was so excited to receive her very own instrument from my parents!

We enjoyed a fun time at the local children's farmstead with my parents during their quick visit.  Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day!

It's funny, but I feel my online time is shrinking and shrinking. And it's not a bad thing. I'm not on Facebook or Twitter, and blogging has become an afterthought. I have prayed about if I should make more of an effort to keep up with things here, and the Lord is directing me to let it lie for now, I think. I do miss hearing from you in your comments, but I am finding that my real-world days are so full, and honestly, often stressful lately, that blogging is not even occuring to me most of the time. So, I will share some recent pictures of the kids for Nana and Grandma and T-Pa, and whoever else might be interested! I am working hard to figure out how to successfully homeschool five children and a preschooler, and give time to a two-year-old and nursing baby, as well. The Lord is good, and I know that I must not grow weary in doing well, for in due time there will be a reward (Galatians 6:9). I am trying to wait on the Lord, and trust Him to show me what to do--whether that be make some changes to our homeschool, or to simply press on for the present! 
It's time to go tuck in a tired little guy, so I'm off for now...Blessings to you.