Note to self........

Do Not attempt cutting little girls' hair unless you are an expert. Yep.....that is what I woefully taught myself today. After lining up the boys and going down through the line with the clippers I decided I had been so entirely effective at homemaking lately and I've become such an expert on boys' hair that I'd have a go at the girls. I mean.......how entirely hard can at be to cut a straight line across already long hair. Well......apparently much harder than I ever gave it credit for. So, Aubrey's hair is now about 4 inches shorter. It started with a trim and due to uneveness I just kept cutting more and more sideways trying to even it out all the more. I did want to give it a very decent trim......and incredibly decent trim I did. Alright....maybe not decent, but incredibly short trim I gave it. It's not so bad looking now but it's dry and her hair is so wavy so it just kind of waves all of the unintentional layers right into her very blond blends of now very different lengths. It is quite the unintentional layering effect. Evye's now begging desperately for me to do her's but I have to get back up the courage to start chopping off her hair now. I figure it took at least 3 haircuts of trial and error on the boys before ever getting their spikes down so this is only the 1st on the girls. 2 more trim/cuts/machete chopping episodes and I'll be good to go.



Numerous comcial picture taking attempts







Piggy Backing

An Airborn Pro

Just Being Garrison

Bruiser

I forgot to add last night in my stupor and longing for the bed that for Aubrey's birthday we made a trip into town and did our Wal Mart and Sam's shopping and the all famous trip to Cici's. I think I'm forever bonded to that place just due to the overwhelming comments and compliments that we are showered with each and everytime we go. If I'm ever in need of a parenting boost we just head for Cici's. It's works like a charm everytime. Monday was no exception. Heads turned as our little parade made its way down the isles. One family that consisted of a father and 2 adult children just sat and stared for what seemed like hours. People don't quite seem to understand that since TV at home is so extremely limited that our children are absoluetly mesmerized by the fascination that it is elsewhere. Cici's never fails to have forbidden cartoons, NASCAR or football on. Any of which will get their rapt attention and hold them captive. During the entire time the children stare they discuss how bad and awful the forbidden cartoon is. And, of course, they feel it their duty to watch it to inform us of every evil character that is displayed. But with that attention getter the children are always incredibly well behaved, raptly glued to the barage of commercials that's soul purpose to give every child the "greedies". They do remain entirely conversational throughout it all though. They talk among themselves and always speak when strangers approach. They help each other with refilling plates or drinks and it has become a routine of what everyone's part is while we eat out. This time instead of leaving Gavin down in the floor in his carseat I took in the Bumbo. I hate putting him in highchairs just yet since they always seem so germ infested so I figured it wouldn't be much to carry in the Bumbo and plop it in a real chair. So, there he sat up in a big chair with the rest of us. It looked pretty comical and he stayed delightfully happy since he was now in the big middle of all of the activity......his most favorite place to be in the world. He talked and played while pulling off plates, sunglasses and keys and chewed on napkins and straw wrappers.....in general just putting on his usual little show for everyone. Grayson and Evye wowed the onlookers with their willingness to help and do whatever was needed, Aubrey got the attention for being the most independent and absolute loudest, Garrison, Grant and Garrett for being our triplet set and Gavin with all of his budding contagiously happy personality. I think Garrett won the award for the most admired due to his LOUD, entirely social way of interacting with anybody and everybody. So, the father and adult children gushed over them and before leaving once again stated how entirely beautiful they all are and how amazing their manners and behavior are. Somedays it just does my heart good to hear it because I know that everything we work so hard for at home is finally paying off and they really are getting it.....though sometimes at home it looks a bit bleak somedays. As we were finishing up an older, like around 85 year old, man walked by. He posed the whole twins/triplets question of the girls and boys and then of course we went through everybody's ages. He loved on them and talked to each one of them, even going above and beyond anyone's call of duty by shaking Garrett's tomato pasted, greasy little hand. He asked where we lived and knew our town well. He told stories of how he and his late wife used to fish down at the river and how they burned up the roads just living to fish. He told tales of the monstrous fish they caught and what the river was like back in the glory days. Definitely safe to say, those days have passed. He then said he is #4 of 13 children in his family. When I asked what is was like and if he would've changed it, liking or disliking it, he said there was nothing he would ever change. After telling stories of how close he and his 12 siblings were and how they never lacked for companionship he then said, "I'll put it this way. I was raised with 12 other kids and I personally raised 3 myself. And I know that the 13 of us never fought like the 3 I raised did. There's something to be said for large families We're still close to this day." I always think it is so amazing to hear these older people's stories. We run into so many that are more than willing to share what it was like growing up in large families. Some will say there were 9 in the family while more than a few have said there were 12 or 13. And upon being asked what it was like or if they would have rather been raised in a smaller family they all say it was the best experience and most amazing thing of their lifetime. I hope that we give that to each one of our children as they grow and more siblings are added to their little lives. I hope that we can instill in them the same values, the same love and appreciation for family that the older generation has. I love what these dear old people are to us. They are like daily inspirations that the Lord sends our way each and every time we are out. My heart sinks when I think of each one as they pass away and their story dies. I know that in each and every old person there is a lifetime of humorous, sad, comical, bitersweet life sagas. I heard once that with every elderly person that dies an unwritten book dies with them. I think of this man and the many that have crossed our path and I think of all of the incredible stories he could tell of growing up in his family and what all he has done in his life, where he's been, what he's seen what stories he could tell of he and all of his siblings. Some old people I feel I could just sit and listen to all day long. This dear old man proved to be one of them. I felt honored that he thought our family was so wonderful and I was humbled that it reminded him of his own dear family.

Evening Walks with Daddy

And on a long overdue Gavin update......he is now eating smashed up bananas, applesauce, smashed up sweet potatoes and a myraid of other things I have found to be easily squished with a fork. All of the above mentioned I have successfully mixed with oatmeal, rice and barley and we have only managed to buy baby food once and that was for quick and easy travel meals for the retreat. He still ended up eating freash bananas and pureed apples with oatmeal. He is loving it all and eating like a pro with no mess at all. Of course, he has yet to feed himself! THe messless days won't last forever....and in fact are probably coming to an end here pretty quick! Both he and Garrett have successfully transitioned to their new beds in their new rooms. Garrett LOVES being in the bunkroom while Gavin loves the crib. The last 2 mornings I have gone in to be greeted by an already awake, gleefully happy baby laying there playing with all of his crib toys that dangle from the canopy. He is like a little ray of sunshine for everybody. He is sitting up now completely unassisted. It's so hard to believe we're already to that point with him. Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday he was so new and so little in my arms. He plays with toys, he grabs and reaches and manages to pull anything and everything within reach to his mouth, he eats the big stuff now and now he has graduated to sitting. Brad and I were talking the other night about how fast it has gone and in probably less than 6 months he will be walking. The 1st 6 months have flown by and I'm sure the 2nd will too. It's hard to think of him walking. I still remember the exact outfit Gartrett had on when he took off for the very first time. It doesn't seem like it's almost time for another one to find his little wings and fly. And Gavin loves sitting up and being in on everything. So, I'm sure crawling and walking are not far behind.

Aubrey's Birthday

Headed to the river

Watching the river

And wanting out....well, at least one of them

Making a double stroller into a triple. This would be what happens when you require a 3 year old to walk 2 miles. So, it's a little blurry but still a funny picture.

Sleeping hard

..........in a big boy bed

Most of the time

DO NOT turn a 22 month old loose in the house with a banana

Playing outside after our trip to town

This would be PE time. I glanced out just in time to see them huddling up to plan their next big play. Somehow they all manage to be on the same team while playing football. I haven't quite figured out who exactly is opposing them.

Playing and Sleeping Hard

A van shot....so it's a little crooked but you get the idea. It looks like we only have 3 kids in this thing. They're so spread out you have to work to find all 7 of them.

The cleaning of the van. If I ever doubted its largeness I will never do so again. I might as well have just cleaned the entire house. We took every carseat and every bench seat out and I sarted scrubbing. It's so big that I was able to get the vaccum cleaner up in there and just push it around like I was vaccuuming the house! There was even enough headroom to stand 1/2 upright in there. But the wide open spaces quickly became the most popular place for rowdy kids.

The Underwear Twins

Homemade Laundry Soap!!!!!

Yet another spontaneous project....right in the middle of the other 79 projects I have going I had this little irritation with some tree branches in front of the window. So.......I just grabbed the little pruners and headed out to cut the few obstructive branches down. Hours and hours later, long past dusk and nearing complete and total darkness we had managed to wipe out the entire side of the house. Spontaneity at its finest. The children loved chopping stuff down though. The big ones cut, the little ones drug it around and the goats ate it. Now I really kind os wish we had taken some before pics. But..........I didn't exactly know ths is where it would end either.