Plenty To Do But Not What We Did

I had SO MUCH to do today. Pay bills, mountains of laundry, an empty refrigerator requiring a shopping list and a store run, a bathroom to paint (procrastinated on that for about 3 months), never mind getting a tree and doing something about Christmas.

INSTEAD of looking in and focusing on the "what we need to get done around here", we looked out and I can honestly say my empty soul was filled to the brim.

We loaded the "bus" and headed up the road.

First stop, drop Jerrod off at his job. His first job. So proud.
He was not inclined to humor his blogging mother. Someday, he'll be sorry.
Did I say we loaded up the van with bunnies?
Next stop was the nursing home with two of our rabbits.
This sweet lady thought she would be keeping this cute bunny.
They loved stroking the rabbits. This is our bunny Hop. His ears were straight up and at attention.
All I could think of was oreo cookie every time I looked at this rabbit.
The kids carried the rabbits around to visit the residents.
We went in most of the rooms. There were 2 or 3 groups of kids so some people got multiple visits.
Cora got to borrow this fluffy bunny. She was in love with him.
Trey wanted to climb in the cage. He is having asthma today but I am still glad he went and got to brighten a few people's day.
They couldn't get enough of touching the soft silky bunnies.
The boys got to play with the bunnies too. This is big for Micah, he is not a small animal fan.
See what I mean?
The residents were so sweet.
Our 4-H rabbit club posing with Doris. She is 101 years old. 7 kids and 7 bunnies with a couple of sidekicks.
She was an amazing lady. She loved up on Trey and Micah. Reminded her of her own two boys. One had died in the same nursing home. I guess that happens when you are 101. She was amazing. Did I already say that?
Erik enjoyed sharing Tula. In her other life, she only lives in a cage.
Sharing.
Near the end the kids put all seven bunnies on the table.
Us moms suggested keeping the males and females apart, bunnies that is.
Meanwhile, Bob was at a friend's house helping to put a floor down.
Bob is a good friend and a man with a big heart for helping others. Never mind that this FRIEND has helped us out tremendously on many occasions.
After the nursing home, we went to Stuff-Mart and bought our gifts for the Tag tree at church. We had taken 6 tags and enjoyed picking out clothes and toys for kids that do not have as much as we do. Micah and Trey didn't fully grasp the concept when we would not let them play with the tractor and preschool toys but the seed of giving was planted.

No tree yet, so the kids decided to surprise Dad and go get one from the neighborhood. My only rule? Ask the landowner, please!

Off they go. Guess the cat did not want to be left out.
Sizing them up and choosing the right one.
Cutting.
Trey's turn on the saw.
Micah lends a hand.
A pose. I LOVE Erik's boredness with the photographer who was Erika on the tree cutting excursion.
Paul Bunyan....our manly man.
Our little man.
I'm thinking this is taller than the house.
Paring down.
Our tree has three tiers, top, middle, and bottom.
Most everyone agrees that this is our best tree ever.
We got busy with homemade ornaments.
Water balloons, string, and glue.
The finished product. It actually worked.
Our beautiful heartfelt tree.
A day of giving yet we received so much more.

SO MUCH MORE.

A-DAY - Hooray!

The call came today.

We have a date!

Trey will be adopted and officially become a Peterson before Christmas.

He arrived at our house on March 17, 2008, a scared little eight month old.

Now an integral part of our family, he is a little man, full of life and thrilled to have a special day all for him to become a Peterson.
These brothers will be together FOREVER.

God had a plan. It was written long ago.

Thank you, Jesus, for letting us be the tools in your hands.

To save the lost.

To care for the brokenhearted.

To love the widows and orphans.

To be the change.

Reconfiguration

We successfully moved all the beds around and just about everyone is much happier. It works for now. The girl's old room has turned into the "nursery" for the littles.

Trey is thrilled with his beautiful big boy bed which was a generous gift from a home school friend.

I did something I thought I would never do. I put a two year old in a toddler bed. A second home school friend gave us this crib that converts to a toddler bed. To say he was thrilled is beyond words. These same friends gave us a crib that Micah slept in for the first two years of his life.

On the other wall is another crib. Also gifted to us from the first home school friend aforementioned.

Here is an exquisite little bureau that has a mirror and matching white desk recently given to us by some generous empty nesters who were down sizing. It has all the baby clothes.

Hoping for a taupe coating of paint. Some cute curtains and rug to go with the blue denim curtains across the closet and a Noah's Ark quilt on the wall will complete the decor. Trying to keep this room on the minimalist side.

Once the move was complete, it took only one night to convince me to go to Stuff-Mart and buy the boys a CD player with lullaby music. They are settling in nicely.

We are so blessed with friends who are willing to support us by sharing their furniture with such love!

The Tornadoes

We had a productive day at kitchen table school.

Math was practiced and grammar was learned.

Meanwhile the two tornadoes had their way with the house.

I think I may need to rethink their free play time.

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.