March Life in Pictures

~  Just a Few Moments of My Month   ~

I was working merrily along in the kitchen, getting far more accomplished than usual, when it hit me: The tots are QUIET. Have been quiet for a little while now. Any mom of tots knows that this means you must investigate right away. Case in point: 1 entire box of Strawberry Shortcake band-aids applied to 1 little tot's ankles. Mama keeps a straight and serious face, but inwardly thanks God it was just band-aids and not the Vaseline or the Desitin!!

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I've been on a sewing spree lately. I really do love creating if I just have the time to do it. Time is rather scarce, as always, but a couple of little things I did get done are these ...

A skirt for Christi from my left-over curtain scraps.

Curtains for the nursery.

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A gorgeous sunrise after a snowy night. March has been a most odd yet delightful month this year! We went from many inches of snow to vibrant green grass in less than 2 weeks time. I'm loving it!!



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Sometimes moms do crazy things just to make their kiddoes smile .....

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This little rolly-poly, handsome fellow is just pure joy in this household. I wonder how we ever made it without him!!

He just turned 5 months old this week, and is a solid 20 pounds already. My arms feel about like jello by the time I lay him in his bed at night. He loves his siblings, noisy toys, rice cereal, his softest blanket, and his Mama!

He does *not* like a quiet, boring house, applesauce, sleeping on his tummy, ladies Bible study, or any type of bottle.

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Such delightfulness! Poking tiny little seeds into fluffy soil and planning our first garden here on the farm. I'm sure we're over-zealous right now, but we cannot help but imagine blueberry bushes, raspberries, apple trees, grape arbors, mint tea, tulip beds, lilac bushes, a large strawberry patch, and much more. We've been tilling a large section, and also doing another section with "lasagna gardening". I'm so excited to see how it all turns out.

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A parting shot. This little missy has hair that will go completely curly at the first sign of heat or humidity. Her smile is healing up after a dozen or so stitches a couple of weeks ago. She was standing on a stool by the sink, helping me wash dishes when she got too far off the one corner and tumbled off. She caught the corner of her mouth and it was so deep and nasty looking. We went from Dr.s office to Urgent Care to ER to the specialist where we finally got an excellent Dr {father of 5!} to fix it up. She was such a trooper!!! I promised her a reward for her bravery, and she had only 1 choice: a fancy princess dress. So a fancy princess dress it was and she was just delighted.

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And that, my friends, it a couple of snapshots of my month. Glad you stopped by!

Makin' it Mine

Step by step, putting my personal touches around a house that we can call our own.

Ugly, bare window, meet fresh, happy fabric.

See, I knew you two would get along well with each other!

Motherhood, Honestly

I've always wanted to be a mother. I seem to have an overwhelming drive to nurture. I used to daydream of my future children. My sisters and I had all sorts of unique and beauticious names picked out for them. I always figured I'd have lots of girls, and maybe a boy or two. I was quite sure I'd always have completely angelic children because I'd train them so perfectly, and they'd have snappy, prompt obedience. And by all means I would keep a spotless house. That was a no-brainer. However other moms-of-many could let their houses get so disturbingly disarrayed was beyond my imagination, especially since they had so many little helpers. And I'd always have a husband-pleasing meal ready at the end of the day.


Enter reality. Motherhood actually came to me at the ripe old age of 19. Actually, I was 20 til he was born. And I loved it. Such delightful little outfits and a sweet-smelling newborn and adoring little eyes and hands reaching for me. The dishes could wait a few minutes while I rocked a baby, and I'd catch up while he napped. And then number 2. How he loved to pitch things out the windows or down the toilets. Or dump the pancake syrup. But the boys would both nap, and I'd catch up with the mess. Then a few more years, and a couple of beautiful girls. How I love the little hair bows and frilly dresses. Teaching them how to rock a baby or bake cookies. But the pair of them can wreck a room faster than you can imagine as they pull out dress-up clothes and tea sets and doll babies and diaper bags of little clothes and Mama's shoes and some graham crackers for their party. Add in a couple more bouncing boys and my chaotic mix is complete. My days are delightful and yet dream-shattering all at once. Spotless house? Not so much. I'm pretty much in heaven if the dishes get washed every day, the floors swept every other, and bathrooms cleaned on the weekends. Angelic cherubs? Well, they are gorgeous enough but my flawless training hasn't happened. They do squabble at times. Scribble on walls. Spill Kool-Aid on the carpet. Forget to brush their teeth or finish their Math lesson. And shocker of all shockers: sometimes we just have hotdogs or french toast for supper!


But I *think* I'm coming to be okay with a different dream. It's been a journey ... one of giving up my reputation and some of my high ideals in order to really mother my offspring. They don't need a perfectly spotless house; they need a relaxed, peaceful home to grow and flourish in. They don't need to snap to attention at my word and fear the slightest misdeed; they need the security of knowing they can make mistakes and learn from them. They don't need a five-course meal 7 nights a week; they need a calm, non-stressed Mama who can let them be creative and put the supper on the table.


I know many times I fail. Sometimes in the midst of releasing my ultra-strict ideals, I fall into the other side of the ditch of too sloppy, too messy, too loose. Sometimes I expect too much of myself, or of my family. Sometimes I end the day in tears. But every day, I love being a mother.


Wow. Not quite sure where all of that came from. I was just planning to say that I love being a Mommy, and show off a few pictures of my sweet crew...

{Jo, age 10}

{Micah, age 8}

{Christi, age 5}

{Jenna, age 3}

{Taylor, age 2}

{Gabriel, 4 months}

March Madness

Or goals. We have been in our "new" place for over 7 months now, and my kitchen cupboards which were taken apart for painting & cleaning, are still in pieces. I was so certain that within a couple of weeks I would have all the painting, glazing, varnishing, sanding, and re-assembly completed. Wrong. Somehow "life" just takes over and all my best intentions slip to a back burner, and then just fall off the burner altogther. So last week I decided, March is coming. March is the month when I will at least TRY to get those cupboards conquered.

Enter March 1. I spent much of my day {in between mothering, of course!} staining. I can't wait to see {and show you} the finished product!

The Little Things

It's the little things that count, I think. That add up to make lifetimes of memories. The small, almost un-noticeable, trivial details that seem to make a difference to the little lives around me.

Like putting on endless coats, boots, hats and mittens.

Like filling dozens of sippy cups and water glasses.

Like taking a few minutes to play a couple rounds of UNO with the 5-yr. old.

Like coloring Strawberry Shortcake pictures with little girls.

Like fixing a favorite meal of sweet-n-sour chicken over rice.

Like teaching the 8 yr. old to make carrot cake.

Like whipping up fruit smoothies for everyone before bed.

Like saying "I Love You" and giving genuine smiles into shining eyes.

Like snuggling my 4 mo. old with his favorite soft blanket when his eyes are drooping.

Like baking pretty cupcakes with the 3 yr. old.

But how can I not spill over to those around me when my amazing Father pours out those little things {and not so little!} to me so often?

Like helping us find the error on our tax forms that saved us thousands of dollars.

Like restoring my milk supply when I ran out after the Babe was so sick for a week.

Like surrounding me with such sweet friends who bless me so often.

Like whispering such utter peace when my heart is in turmoil.

Like giving me a hope and a future. I have so much, both right this minute, and to look forward to. I am so, so, so very blessed.

I thank God for little things!

Caramel French Toast

Our breakfast this morning, which was a huge hit. And since I am not having any sugar, I didn't take one bite. just had eggs. stuck to my decision. sneaked just a tiny taste. Ahhh. Heavenly! I thought I'd share it with you.

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c butter

2 T light corn syrup

In a small saucepan, bring these 3 ingred. to a boil. Remove from heat and pour half of caramel mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Place 6 slices of bread on top of caramel.

Mix together 1/2 c. white sugar with 1/2 t. cinnamon. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the bread, and then pour the remaining caramel over top. Layer 6 more slices of bread over the caramel.

6 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. cinnamon

Beat together well and pour over the bread. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over all. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the moring, uncover and bake for 30-35 min. at 350*. Enjoy!

Pampers Box Remodel

I always thought that disposable diapers come in such fantastic, heavy-duty, strong boxes. So when I saw an idea {on a friend's blog} of how to make them into something useful, I tucked the idea into the back of my brain, and began saving those boxes. That was months ago.

Then the other day I was flipping through my scrapbooking paper stash, and inspiration hit. I grabbed a couple of those boxes, chose some complementing sheets of paper, and started creating.

Now I'm thinking of about a dozen places for more! The bathroom closet shelf that currently holds 128 various tubes and bottles of lotion, toothpaste, baby rash ointment, hair gel, and tylenol. The under-the-sink shelf that has an odd assortment of scrubbies, scrapers, dish soaps, steel wool, and vegetable brushes. Or even the girls' dresser with their dozens of pairs of socks and panties and tights!

What would you put in yours?

February Ramblings ....

~~ It is truly sad how far down the list of priorities this blog has slid. slidden? fallen. I do think of the most delightful ideas to post, but actually getting them typed out, well, that's another story. But I keep reading these other super cool blogs, and love it, so I'm reminded to at least make an effort.


~~ This past week has been a long string of caring for sick little ones. Monday the littlest man wouldn't eat, slept all day, and coughed horribly. I was pretty sure he had RSV. Tuesday the Dr. diagnosed him with RSV and started steroids and breathing treatments. Friday morning at 5 I was laying in bed listening to his gaspy breathing and my heart kinda dropped. I knew he had pneumonia. So off we went to the ER. After lots of tears, blood work, x-rays and more, they confirmed RSV and pneumonia. Added one more med to the mix, and wow, what a difference! Today I have my cheerful, smiley baby back, who is playing with his toes and trying to roll over onto his fat, pudgy little tummy. I am so thankful!!

~~ Tomorrow is one week since we are back from our 2-week trip out east. Lots of fun and good memories, a wedding, and meeting new friends.  But the highlight was the week at a cabin with the Gehman family. Wow. How I do love & cherish my siblings!! I feel sorry for those who have no/very few siblings. There is just nothing like spending time with people who understand all your weird quirks, love you just because you're you, and share the same history and perspective on life. We ate delicious food, changed diapers, played games, fed babies, watched movies, rocked babies, played ping pong, mixed up bottles, sang hymns in 4-part harmony {love that tradition!}, nursed babies, and laughed until the tears rolled down our faces. The only thing missing was : Brothers!

~~ While at the cabin, I was greatly inspired by my sis {namely, the gorgeous Rachel!} to continue my weight loss attempts. She lost 40 lbs in the last few months, and looks sooooo good. I always feel kind of "stuck" while nursing a baby, because to a certain degree I have to eat fairly well or I quickly lose my milk supply. But I am so tired of my own lame excuses, and so together with my mom & another sis, we decided to give up all sugar and flour for 3 weeks and see what happens. At only 3 days into this venture, I am already amazed at how much there still is to choose from, and I barely feel cheated at all. Plus, it inspires me to cook healthier for the whole family. And the sweet side note - 5 lbs down in three days feels pretty good too.

~~ Valentines Day is fast approaching. I suppose I should be a model mother and have a splashy meal all planned for all the kiddoes complete with pink heart-shaped jello molds and red strawberries dipped in chocolate. But alas, I must be honest and report that we planned a pizza party for the young crew with the most excellent baby sitter ever, and Mr. Handsome is scheming for a double date with some good friends at a fancy restaurant. I can't wait.

~~ My time in the evenings between all-the-children-are-asleep and I-really-need-to-go-to-bed is much too short. So I will run along now and get some goal charts ready for Monday morning's back-to-school schedule. Til next time,
~Lou

2012

So many things to blog about

So few moments to sit and ponder them

So many little ones around my knees

So few years to love on them

So many longings in my heart

So hard to keep all my priorities straight

So many rich blessings

So few hours of sleep

Be back soon!