One Down, One to Go

Look who is potty trained.

Using that finely honed mother instinct,
tailored by years of experience,
along with lots of classes and therapy
on attachment issues,
we waited until he was ready.

Great job, Trey!
You d' man!

Target to the Rescue

Brilliant!

Found this sweet cubbie at Target (pronounced Tar-zhay).

I clobbered the hats and mittens dilemma for this winter.

9 kids = 9 cubbies

Now,

if I can get everyone to use it,

I will be ecstatic!

Clamming - Summer Fun

Long overdue are a couple of posts about our summer get-away with very special friends who invited us to their cottage on the coast of Maine. Who invites a family of 11 to spend a few days in vacation land and expects it to be relaxing? Some really great people, that's who. They were determined to show us a good time and we got to experience clamming. She warned me that we would get dirty. I can do dirty. But clamming defines dirty in a whole new way.

Kloey has the right tool for the job.
We had to hike through the woods to find the mud flats.

Our host demonstrated how to find the clams.

Even the little people were in on the action.

A mass of enthusiastic workers disperse while trying to beat the tide.

I think she has done this before.

She was willing to put her back into it.

Those little buggers are down there somewhere.

Dig with the hands.

I have all the right equipment.

Twilight on the coast. It is amazing how fast the tide comes and goes.

We couldn't see anyone or any houses. It was idyllic.

Not hard to imagine the Indians looking for food.

He saw some action.

Did I say dirty?

Mom, you gotta take my picture. That was wicked fun.

The evidence in one of the buckets.

My hunter-gatherer.

Silly boy. Love the moon in the background.

Thank you for a once in a lifetime experience. I love watching the kids try things for the first time. Hearing their giggles and glee made all the laundry worth it.

I didn't personally try any clams, but I heard they were good.

Number Our Days Aright

Teach us to number our days aright,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

About 20 years ago my very wise dad was visiting me.

He said, "These are the best days of your life."

I soooooo did not believe him.

I was in my late 20's with 2 kids and completely stressed out or so I thought. We had a mini-farm with horses, sheep, chickens, and a big garden. Back then I somehow found time to have girl's nights out, quilt, cross stitch, bake bread, and cultivate a huge garden along with lots of involvement at church. Cloth diapers and hanging out laundry were my contributions to the environment.

Somewhere in the midst of that time, God whispered, "Follow me."

"Follow you where?" I pondered and prayed.

It has been a wild ride ever since.

God answers prayer abundantly.

I had no idea.

No idea how wonderful life could be.

No idea where allowing God to lead would take us.

Guess what? My dad was right. Those were some of the best days of my life, that time of new life and learning to nurture what we had created. I wish I had enjoyed them more.

Which is why I ask God to number my days aright.

I want to live each day like it is the best day of my life.

Having kids with an age span of 19 years got me thinking. I asked my older kids, "Did we laugh this much when you were little?" Did I enjoy all the antics and silly moments? Did I realize how fleeting those moments were? We all say how fast the time goes, but as the oldest turned 21 last month, I can testify: Time flies!

Every day is a gift from God to be used for His purpose.

He has a plan for each of us, written in his book.

This is what we cling to as our family faces some major changes in the next month.

Someone will leave.

We will grieve, each in our own way, yet together.

Live for today. Hope for tomorrow.

Moving Day

Friday is moving day. Topsy turvy goes the house. Beds here, there, and everywhere. Yahoo. We used to change bedrooms in an afternoon, fueled by the adrenaline of a new placement coming within hours. This time, I put it off for a year.


It is time.


The precipitating event which broke the proverbial camel's back was a wonderful gift of a queen size bed.

We.Are.Blessed.

• Lindsey gets the bed, the top of the heap with all its responsibilities does have distinct advantages. (editor's note: clip art above for effect)
• Jerrod gets the double bed since his six foot frame has been hanging off of a single far too long.
• The girls go downstairs into the big room with Lindsey which will more than likely help along the beginning of the construction of a new bedroom/guestroom for that fancy queen size bed.
• And finally the little ones will move into the girls vacated room, leaving Jerrod and Erik where they are but in a double instead of a triple. Someday they will fix those holes in the wall, right?

In theory this is all good. But moving means dust bunnies must be corralled, clothing organized, and bedding washed.

Times eight?

Are you kidding?

I feel a blog post coming on...

Attitude of Gratitude

Looking back is fun.

I scoffed these from Lindsey's facebook so

she gets some photo credit.

THANKFULNESS

I am working on my attitude of gratitude. So true that the more we concentrate on thankfulness, the lighter the weight of the world becomes.

In July I posted on my facebook:

Jennifer is thankful for potty training (3 in diapers), air conditioning, baby pools, taco salad, baby hugs, happy kids, popsicles, hard-working husband, content teenagers, back rubs, looking back and seeing progress, the greatest commandment.

And last week I posted this list:

Jennifer is thankful for allergy doctors, newborns, friends on the phone, a faithfilled husband, my children's antics, taco salad, a safe (bus) van, books on CD, the sweet kids who bagged my 14 paper bags of groceries, and bedtime.

My prayer is to be thankful always for everything I have because I know that it all comes from God.

I am grateful for:

• 9 beautiful children in my care
• a warm house
• plenty of clean water
• disposable diapers (so shoot me)
• friends to spend holidays with
• plenty of food (feel guilty about this)
• mountains and mist
• sunshine in the morning
• dark meat and stuffing
• quiet relaxing afternoon with 13 kids hanging around
• baby laughter
• photographs
• teenage boys who got up at 4:30am to put the turkey in
• daughter who spent 2 hours in the car to spend 2 hours at home today

The list is endless. Everyday I purpose to pause and reflect on the goodness of God in my life. May my cup always be half full, overflowing with praise and thanksgiving for all He has done.

Early Literacy

Early literacy.

Little did I know.

Check out the pictures,

And my two cents below.

Brothers, reading together.

Never too early to start.

Even colors are exciting.

I think she caught on by watching her brothers.

Two and seventeen sharing a story.

Warms a mother's heart.

I am a reader. I read all the baby books. I heard the experts tell me to read to my kids. I did. Then the others came along....at age 2 and 4 and 5. They missed those early years, filled with neglect and refining of sheer survival skills.

Guess what? Reading is important to later development.

There are things we cannot make up for, cannot change. I grieve that lost part of their childhood, that life and learning are harder for them than they needed to be.

And I read to them now, as much as I can.

Bedtime?

Sometimes, being an older parent pays off.

I mean, do I really need to sweat the small stuff?

Cinderella and The Boys

Jerrod and Erik are in the production of Cinderella

with the local theatre group.

What a ball, literally.

"The Prince is Giving a Ball!"

The magical carriage. Jerrod is the far horse!

Erik is so charming!
An old New England building houses the theatre.

Jerrod and Erik in their finer duds.

We are so proud of them, onstage and offstage.

These sisters wanted to pose with the lovely stepsisters.

On a whim, the girls and I decided to go to the show again this weekend.

What a fun day out together.

Orphans

A glimpse of large family strife.

73 living the single life.

That's all I have to say.