.........an entire bottle of red nail polish, intruders, naked kids running around in the front yard and a gob of green, runny poop that was prone to leaving a trail behind it's depositer. That's what my day consisted of yesterday. Nothing like bringing it home and getting right back down to reality.
The whole commercial size, industrial strength Pine Sol thing actually took place 5 nights ago but the piney clean smell still lingers so much so that the headache that accompanies it still lingers. And I am still mopping up soapy floors. How exactly does one go about cleaning up soap anyway???? I have learned through this endeavor that it is a life long task. Aubrey, in all of her Aubrey ways, was scaling the utility room room cabinets to get purified water as she knocked over the monstrous bottle of Pine Sol. It hit the hard floor with a thud and succeeded in breaking open the plastic lid that contained its aromatic, piney fresh contents. We have all but ridden ourselves of chemicals and switched completely over to natural cleaning products...except for the Pine Sol which neither Brad nor I could bring ourselves to part with. Suffice it to say that it will probably be a long while before any of us are ever wanting to smell its lovely scent again. It poured forth saturating the entire floor and then snaking its way along right up under the washer and dryer and water softener. Given the limited amount of space in there moving any of them was out of the question. Brad cleaned up what we could but the smell still lingers strongly throughout the house and sits in its aromatic state under the washer and dryer. On a good note, the house smells fresh and clean everytime you walk through the door despite the shape it happens to be in and the devastation that may have been hurled upon it in a rush to get out the door on time. But the headache from smelling Pine Sol 24/7 can be unbearable on some days. And today happened to be one of those days.
As our morning went through its routine I quickly realized we are down to nearly nothing worthwhile in the house to eat. Certainly nothing healthy and no fruits and veggies around and no eggs to concoct something. We have gotten a little lax in really focusing on the health end of the spectrum. Many trips to Sonic and Cici's and a bunch of boxed stuff around here to hurry things up and relieve me while the exhaustion of being pregnant kind of sets in. I was left with pancake ingredients as my only option left to feed 6 hungry children ready for breakfast. After mixing them up, the pancake stuff that is, and getting everybody fed....with a shortage of syrup, I might add.....we moved on to tackle the day's projects. Grayson was off to mow and Evye now had dishes and clothes since Grayson would be tied up outside for a large part of the day. After an unusual, seemingly infinite, amount of whining on both of their parts to say that my patience was being tried and tested was putting it mildly. After an absurd 3 hrs of labor on their parts their jobs were kind of nearing completion. Grayson had finally succeeded in making his way to the front to mow as the doorbell rang. I figured it was him finding yet another reason to avoid the task at hand. But, in he came reporting that there were 2 people here to ask about the house. I must say that in small town west TX people do not know what it is to call a phone number. They stop by and ask...never once noticing the phone number on the sign. Hurriedly pulling Garrett and Gavin out of the tub they were playing in I set off for the front door despite my lack of a bra and makeup and dawned in oversized pajama pants with a massive red t-shirt. I was met by a couple that indeed wanted info on the house. He wanted to see the back of the house so I told him he was welcome to walk around but to come back if they were truly interested and they were welcome to see the inside at around 5 this evening. That would give me time to pull the house together and have everyone make their beds and GET DRESSED. We have done amazingly better maintaining a constant state of neatliness but it was still far from showable in my perfectionist mentality. They began walking around back as I headed back inside. The wife looked at her husband pleadingly and asked if she could just see the inside. I jumped in and said "Oh, you are welcome to. Come back at 5 tonight. It really is not ready to show and that will give the children and I time to get everything in order and have naps over with. She insisted the neatness did not matter. I assured her it DOES matter a ton and that we have many small children. As she walked back toward the front door I grew a little more firm as I insisted they visit us again tonight to take a tour, we were not ready at the present moment and they could come back this evening. She WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR!!!! AND HE JUST FOLLOWED!!!! One of the older ones brought it to my attention that Garrett was running around in the front yard completely naked and had been the entire time I was trying to deal with these people. And indeed he was as naked as a jay bird. I instructed Evye to diaper him and get him dressed. As I turned to man the naked baby, tune in to the diapered one I held in my arms.....and had been holding since this whole escapade started......and the many children milling about my legs I took my arm off the wall that barred off the house. With that the couple marched right in and continued to make their way through our home. I was appalled. What people in their right mind ignore what someone has said and then continue to walk right in and take a tour themselves???!!!! And she was barefooted!!!! Ugh! Now.....our floors would never in a lifetime meet OSHA standards but some foreign person's barefeet walking all over the floors my baby crawls on was just disgusting. Where had she been that morning and had those barefeet now walking through my house been in her goat pasture before arriving at my front door? What was on the bottom of her barefeet that were walking all over the floor that my baby was about to crawl on?????? And who knew if she had any fungal thing going on down there. Even a podiatrist tells you to keep your shoes on in his office....at least til you are up on the table and have your feet dangling high above the floor. Being embarrassed was soon overcome by complete and total disbelief and then anger. I now had strange people walking through our home and Brad was 30 miles away on shift. And then she proceeded to go around and beat on the walls! Not sure just where that was going and why she even bothered. Was she making sure it wasn't a mobile home or something??? It was a little disturbing to have a strange, uninvited, barefooted intruder of a woman now beating on our walls. At that point I was really glad we have nothing on our walls since surely it would've been hammered off by the time she got done wit her blunt force blows. By that time I was mad enough that I showed them every nook and cranny we have. If they wanted to see it that desperately than they were for sure going to see every square inch it had to offer. So, still in my pajamas with unclothed children following me around, no bra and no makeup on my part, I led them through our home, feeling far from generous.....and a little violated. After the grand tour was over he offered us a laugh-worthy 55,000 less than the asking price. After seeing the outside and falling in love with the workshop we upped it to a mere 30,000 below our asking price. Trying to be as kind as I could given the situation I said there was no way we would even consider it and we were firm on our price, as it is more than fair and actually much less than what we have already put into it. And they walked away. I stood in the green wet grass, gazing in disbelief as they walked away, that someone had actually just walked through our home completely and totally uninvited and my children stood unclothed in their underwear alone in the yard. My headache didn't seem to help matters any.
Not long after, an entire bottle of red nail polish was broken on the kitchen cabinets. Anyone ever attempting to clean up nail polish....red, no less......is in for a long hard scrubbing session. More detours in our day. I had Grayson and Evye scrubbing with me. Thankfully it easily scrubs off of ceramic kitchen sinks....though tile counters are much different. The house now smells as though we have just Pine Sol-ed the Wal Mart nail salon. So much for Tylenol even coming close to making a dent in a headache.
The rest of of the day was followed up by the finishing up of clothes folding, cleaning bathrooms and tending to a very sunburned Grant....who developed blisters by mid afternoon from yesterday's long day in the pool....despite the generous amount of sunscreen applied. And, of course, miraculously coming up with a dinner plan despite the lack of groceries still remained. So much for the needed trip into town. I was glad to dismiss that idea...though I came close to packing everybody up and going at 8 this evening. It sounded blissful. The Saturday crowds would have died down and we would have, almost, the entire store to ourselves. The children love getting out at night and tend to be night owls such as I have always been. It didn't seem to matter that their bedtime is a consistent 8 pm every night. A town trip wasn't seeming too formidable at the moment. They all are flexible enough and love to go enough that I knew they would love it....except for maybe Gavin who is deeply in love with his bed come bedtime. Given Grant's pain and the fact that the trip would have gone way into the wee hours of the night where the children were concerned I wisely opted against it and put them to bed. Just as I gave instructions for Grayson to help with the teeth brushing, Aubrey to pick up and Evye to dress everyone in pj's I discovered a dried muddy texture on Garrett's hands....and smeared across his chubby little tummy. Dismissing it with the fact he had been outside with Grayson as he had watered the plants I sent him off for pj's. Remembering that someone had said he had a dirty diaper I called him back to me...since I cannot smell these days....and laid him down. As I went to lift his leg I firmly planted my hand right in the green that was now running in plops down his leg. I neared puking and removed myself long enough to get a grip. I went back to changing him and, once cleaned up as best as possible, sent him off to the tub for Evye to bathe...since bathing the younger ones is her absolute favorite thing in the world to do. I proceeded to backtrack and brainstorm about the things he had been on and the stuff he had touched. I sprayed and disinfected....NOT with Pine Sol.....all of the areas I spied poop or knew he had touched. He came out smelling much better and alot like baby wash and shampoo from the small scents my nose could pick up.
The never ending day was summed up when all of the children were eventually bedded down and I was greeted by the stink of a lifetime upon entering the utility room. Wisely assuming it was the towels I emptied the washer to go ahead and start the towels before I headed to bed. I picked up the towels only to expertly dump the entire contents of a bowl of cereal out everywhere as the milky curdled stink puffed out aromatically to mix with the Pine Sol heady scent already present in the room. It didn't take much to sum up that some unknown person in the house never found it within themselves to remember that they had spilled an entire bowl of cereal by not sitting at the table with it and resorted to cleaning it up with a kitchen towel instead of the paper towels that tend not to stink as royally.
So, on that lovely note....I think I'm going to bed.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The 1/2 Way Point
"How baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, she's measured from head to toe.) She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). " Info received from BabyCenter.com.So...once again I am falling miserably behind in my blogging attempts. Brad and I have both noticed the children each needing their own individual time even more so lately. So...with that I have taken his shift nights and turned them into "date nights" for them. I rotate from Grayson on down to the boys. The plan was to give Garrison and Grant each a night of their own but they seem to think it is not a party at all and there is absolutely no fun involved if the other is not present. So, on that note, I doubled them up and they share a date night with me...much to their delight and utter contentment with having me completely to themselves and a late night up with both me and each other. It has been fun and some much needed downtime for me since I tend to go non stop right up until bedtime. But...it also cut deeply into any and all computer time. But I'd rather raise my children and have them know beyond everything in the world that both Brad and I are here for them rather than ever publish my life history 30 years from now. So.....I suppose date nights, total exhaustion and time with Brad are reason enough for my sporadic entries these days.
But I found myself in the middle of utter chaos this morning as realization dawned that today marks the 20 wk milestone. How in the world is that possible???? I am starting to feel her move consistently but it still hasn't seemed to sink in that I'm 1/2 way done. That's actually a really attention getter of a thought. Once again I have nothing ready...as goes the story of my life with the last few pregnancies.....but on the other hand we have everything coming together. We are more orderly and more minimalistic than we have ever been. As Brad and I took on the playroom project a few days ago I was surprised to find that we actually own very few small toys. We are now down to only a bucket full of small cars and baby toys that can be kept within one of the ends of the entertainment center and in the playroom we have only 1 small wooden toy box full of misc items. Other than those we now have the 3 larger than life horses that the children play with daily, the stick horse collection, their large assortment of guns, pistols and rifles in which they play The Lone Ranger, Davy Crockett and John Wayne with, the many fold away camping chairs that are used for anything and everything, the vast array of large Tonka trucks, the parking lot of outside riding cars, bikes and motorcycles we have going, a rubbermaid tote of baby dolls and their clothes and then the air hockey table, which is actually getting used now due to the new a/c in the playroom. The journey from where we started to now is amazing. I think had someone actually tried to tell me 8 years ago that your children could happily survive on these few things alone I would've dismissed them as never having been around active children. Life is good though. I am so thankful for many children and the joy and companionship they bring to each other. I am thankful for incredibly active children that love being outside and that when inside are working and pitching in to make the house run and not sitting idly by watching TV, playing video games or staring at a computer screen. I sat contemplating yesterday just how we make it work since I couldn't really come up with how we transitioned from an overrun play area that drove me to insanity to this...and the children being happier now than they were then. I looked out at them and everyone of them, plus 3 more friends from around town, were jumping and splashing wildly in our little rectangular blow up pool and running and laughing crazily all over the yard trying to outdo each other on Slip n Slide tricks. They bounded from the trampoline to the water area no less than 50 times and both kids and dog were everywhere, running happily around bathed in sunlight, water and activity. Gavin stood looking through the glass door squealing gleefully and jumping up and down at the sight of all of the activity that he will be a part of in all too short of a time. I realized that children just naturally gravitate to whatever it is you give them and provide them to do. They have naturally been propelled more outside due to the limited number of things to do inside now. And when they are inside we utilize that time to get things done so they are constantly in motion and never have time to grow bored from no "indoor" activities or toys. They are doing school work, folding clothes, doing dishes, picking up, cooking, taking trash out and every other thing that makes a house run smoothly with this many people living within it. It is interesting how life has changed and transitioned and our hearts have been moved to minimize and get down to the true simpler things of life. What I found necessary for babies, toddlers and young children 8 years ago has now been changed drastically and our younger ones now just fall quietly...or not so quietly...into their own play world with each other and only a horse under them and pockets stuffed full of little die cast NASCARS and toy guns or they fall into sink right behind their older siblings and whatever it is they are doing.
So...I moved on to contemplate whether we could've lived this way 8 and 10 years ago. Since our younger ones at the time had no one to follow and no other active things going on what would they have done with so very few toys? But I truly think it is completely possible to live life so minimally with only younger children or an only child. Because I have so incredibly come to see, they make out of life what they have. Is giving only 1 or 2 children an entire playroom's worth of toys setting them up to become dependant on "things" and learning to rely on the stuff to make life unboring? I don't know. But I have seen with our younger group that they do not rely on anything to come up with something to do. Aubrey, Garrison and Grant make rock people families out in the shade of the carport while Garrett....well....he sees fit to throw the little families all over the yard, much to the older 3's dismay. They utilize anything and everything and implement it into their play. So..in a way I feel as though I have given the younger ones a gift of imagination that the older ones were somewhat deprived of. If I had ever seen the older 2 playing rock people my 1st thought would have been to want to go run and get some little Fisher Price people to "enhance" their play. I Evye showed an interest in coking I wanted to go buy her a toy kitchen and toy dishes and kitchen equipment. Now...I think in terms of what better way to learn that playing with the real things and learning by cooking with me and actually using them in real food? If they showed an interest in trains then suddenly their world was swamped in toy trains in order to further that interest and learn about what we could from it. I am not against learning about their little interests at all these days. In fact, when one of them shows an interest in something specific right now we utilize the internet. I have yet to make a trip to the big town library but the public library was a huge asset before we moved here and I just haven't ever taken the time to register at San Angelo's yet. We find printable coloring pages and info sheets on the web and then read books about it all. But I have learned now that instead of saturating their worlds in toys for every interest that their rock play, dirt play, stick gun play, sword play, garden play and bus driver play are actually far better than anything I could ever buy them. Granted we did not have a ton of money to buy the older ones tons of things with. But specific toys were always requested for birthdays and holidays and I always felt a little like I was depriving them if they had an interest that we could not "fulfill". How sad it is that American society sets you up in such a way that having "things" and "educational stuff" is the only way that your child or children will ever be highly intelligent and content and the only way that you will ever produce a Baby Einstein...or Einstein at all.
I am more thankful now than ever that our children do not have any idea what Hannah Montana is even remotely about and that they have come to think on their own that the name Bratz is reason enough alone to shun the product. I am thankful that they see advertisements promoting the new cartoons that are newfangled and off enough to take one look and know that they hold nothing of life importance. I dearly love the fact that Grayson and Evye have an intense desire to know the presidents by name, face and date of office. I love that they love geography and long to know each state and country. I love the fact that I have the freedom to teach them curriculum based entirely on world and US history born from looking at these places from a missionary's perspective. I love that they truly know not just who George Mueller, Christopher Columbus, Laura Ingalls Wilder and Gladys Alyward are but what they contributed to world and US history . I love that they will know not just what George Washington Carver did so that they can pass a test but they will know the story of his life and what it took to make him who he became. I treasure that they will take these values, ethics and morals, these role models far into their adult life. I dearly treasure that they are being raised to be able to tell the difference between what will impact your life and what is just time wasted in meaningless hours spent in front of a TV and worthless shows or hours spent in front of video games. I love that Brad and I can teach them what enriches and makes the heart of the Lord happy as they pursue their interest and then what grieves the heart of God as they waste their life away in worthless time consumers to fend off boredom. I love that they play outside endlessly and the boys love to hunt and fish and ride bikes and that they are constantly active. There is not a day that I ever take their activity for granted and that they are constantly running, jumping and swinging from ropes...or the ceiling fans. There is not a day that I ever take their work for granted and the fact that I can teach them how to do a job well and thoroughly....the fact that they do dishes, they fold clothes, they are completely capable of doing wash, emptying dirty clothes baskets, trash, they sweep, vacuum, mop and pick up toys...toys which usually they didn't help string out. I love the fact that even a 2 year old and 3 years olds know what it is to help and that they are heavily involved in the older ones' chores. I love that they are all busy.
So often these days I wonder why so many people stop...so many church going people stop.....at just 1 or 2 or 3 children. I have seen more now than ever that the good stuff doesn't ever really begin to kick in and the rewards start to be reaped until you grow as a parent and your younger children grow and mature as you raise them. I have so incredibly seen that this is an ever evolving life long journey, life changing journey, as we parent and become convicted about certain things and then just learn from other things, past mistakes, watching other parents and working our way through this. So many people stop before it ever really gets good. How sad it is to me that some people will never know this joy and fulfillment that comes with growing with your children. Had we stopped at 2 would we have ever pared down on toys and clutter, things and stuff, expenses and financial splurges? Probably not.....because we would've never needed to. But as we have grown and our family size has grown, our first few children have grown older, we have had to change and mold our way into the new shape we have come to be and that the Lord seeks to shape us into. How much we would've missed. We now have complete and total financial freedom from all but a small amount left on our house. Would we have worked THAT hard to rid ourselves of debt or worked to live within the Lord's will where money and finances are concerned had we not been a little forced and propelled in that direction? Chances are.....no. But we are here and we are free. We have grown and changed over time and the blessing and rewards that are being reaped are unspeakable......and most evident in our very own children.
So....here I sit 20 wks along and quite surprised by this milestone that snuck up upon us. It somehow causes reason to reflect on where we have been and where we are now as I seek to ready the family for our newest arrival. I realize just how far we have come in 10 short years from 1st baby to 8th baby. And I can't help but wonder what the next 10 years hold. To think of Grayson being 20 just hurts the heart. How can this beautiful child that I held and tucked into a crib not so very long ago be so tall and boyish and adult like and be so close to that grown age? How is it that 20 wks can go by so fast and so unnoticed? 20 wks ago Gavin was just a mere 6 months old. Here is he at 11 and we are planning his 1st birthday. 20 mere weeks is so short of a time but yet so much takes place, so much changes....and you never even realize it went by. It seems a bit surreal that I am going from the 1st 20 wks of this pregnancy into the last 20 wks. Time is such a strange and complicated thing.
But I found myself in the middle of utter chaos this morning as realization dawned that today marks the 20 wk milestone. How in the world is that possible???? I am starting to feel her move consistently but it still hasn't seemed to sink in that I'm 1/2 way done. That's actually a really attention getter of a thought. Once again I have nothing ready...as goes the story of my life with the last few pregnancies.....but on the other hand we have everything coming together. We are more orderly and more minimalistic than we have ever been. As Brad and I took on the playroom project a few days ago I was surprised to find that we actually own very few small toys. We are now down to only a bucket full of small cars and baby toys that can be kept within one of the ends of the entertainment center and in the playroom we have only 1 small wooden toy box full of misc items. Other than those we now have the 3 larger than life horses that the children play with daily, the stick horse collection, their large assortment of guns, pistols and rifles in which they play The Lone Ranger, Davy Crockett and John Wayne with, the many fold away camping chairs that are used for anything and everything, the vast array of large Tonka trucks, the parking lot of outside riding cars, bikes and motorcycles we have going, a rubbermaid tote of baby dolls and their clothes and then the air hockey table, which is actually getting used now due to the new a/c in the playroom. The journey from where we started to now is amazing. I think had someone actually tried to tell me 8 years ago that your children could happily survive on these few things alone I would've dismissed them as never having been around active children. Life is good though. I am so thankful for many children and the joy and companionship they bring to each other. I am thankful for incredibly active children that love being outside and that when inside are working and pitching in to make the house run and not sitting idly by watching TV, playing video games or staring at a computer screen. I sat contemplating yesterday just how we make it work since I couldn't really come up with how we transitioned from an overrun play area that drove me to insanity to this...and the children being happier now than they were then. I looked out at them and everyone of them, plus 3 more friends from around town, were jumping and splashing wildly in our little rectangular blow up pool and running and laughing crazily all over the yard trying to outdo each other on Slip n Slide tricks. They bounded from the trampoline to the water area no less than 50 times and both kids and dog were everywhere, running happily around bathed in sunlight, water and activity. Gavin stood looking through the glass door squealing gleefully and jumping up and down at the sight of all of the activity that he will be a part of in all too short of a time. I realized that children just naturally gravitate to whatever it is you give them and provide them to do. They have naturally been propelled more outside due to the limited number of things to do inside now. And when they are inside we utilize that time to get things done so they are constantly in motion and never have time to grow bored from no "indoor" activities or toys. They are doing school work, folding clothes, doing dishes, picking up, cooking, taking trash out and every other thing that makes a house run smoothly with this many people living within it. It is interesting how life has changed and transitioned and our hearts have been moved to minimize and get down to the true simpler things of life. What I found necessary for babies, toddlers and young children 8 years ago has now been changed drastically and our younger ones now just fall quietly...or not so quietly...into their own play world with each other and only a horse under them and pockets stuffed full of little die cast NASCARS and toy guns or they fall into sink right behind their older siblings and whatever it is they are doing.
So...I moved on to contemplate whether we could've lived this way 8 and 10 years ago. Since our younger ones at the time had no one to follow and no other active things going on what would they have done with so very few toys? But I truly think it is completely possible to live life so minimally with only younger children or an only child. Because I have so incredibly come to see, they make out of life what they have. Is giving only 1 or 2 children an entire playroom's worth of toys setting them up to become dependant on "things" and learning to rely on the stuff to make life unboring? I don't know. But I have seen with our younger group that they do not rely on anything to come up with something to do. Aubrey, Garrison and Grant make rock people families out in the shade of the carport while Garrett....well....he sees fit to throw the little families all over the yard, much to the older 3's dismay. They utilize anything and everything and implement it into their play. So..in a way I feel as though I have given the younger ones a gift of imagination that the older ones were somewhat deprived of. If I had ever seen the older 2 playing rock people my 1st thought would have been to want to go run and get some little Fisher Price people to "enhance" their play. I Evye showed an interest in coking I wanted to go buy her a toy kitchen and toy dishes and kitchen equipment. Now...I think in terms of what better way to learn that playing with the real things and learning by cooking with me and actually using them in real food? If they showed an interest in trains then suddenly their world was swamped in toy trains in order to further that interest and learn about what we could from it. I am not against learning about their little interests at all these days. In fact, when one of them shows an interest in something specific right now we utilize the internet. I have yet to make a trip to the big town library but the public library was a huge asset before we moved here and I just haven't ever taken the time to register at San Angelo's yet. We find printable coloring pages and info sheets on the web and then read books about it all. But I have learned now that instead of saturating their worlds in toys for every interest that their rock play, dirt play, stick gun play, sword play, garden play and bus driver play are actually far better than anything I could ever buy them. Granted we did not have a ton of money to buy the older ones tons of things with. But specific toys were always requested for birthdays and holidays and I always felt a little like I was depriving them if they had an interest that we could not "fulfill". How sad it is that American society sets you up in such a way that having "things" and "educational stuff" is the only way that your child or children will ever be highly intelligent and content and the only way that you will ever produce a Baby Einstein...or Einstein at all.
I am more thankful now than ever that our children do not have any idea what Hannah Montana is even remotely about and that they have come to think on their own that the name Bratz is reason enough alone to shun the product. I am thankful that they see advertisements promoting the new cartoons that are newfangled and off enough to take one look and know that they hold nothing of life importance. I dearly love the fact that Grayson and Evye have an intense desire to know the presidents by name, face and date of office. I love that they love geography and long to know each state and country. I love the fact that I have the freedom to teach them curriculum based entirely on world and US history born from looking at these places from a missionary's perspective. I love that they truly know not just who George Mueller, Christopher Columbus, Laura Ingalls Wilder and Gladys Alyward are but what they contributed to world and US history . I love that they will know not just what George Washington Carver did so that they can pass a test but they will know the story of his life and what it took to make him who he became. I treasure that they will take these values, ethics and morals, these role models far into their adult life. I dearly treasure that they are being raised to be able to tell the difference between what will impact your life and what is just time wasted in meaningless hours spent in front of a TV and worthless shows or hours spent in front of video games. I love that Brad and I can teach them what enriches and makes the heart of the Lord happy as they pursue their interest and then what grieves the heart of God as they waste their life away in worthless time consumers to fend off boredom. I love that they play outside endlessly and the boys love to hunt and fish and ride bikes and that they are constantly active. There is not a day that I ever take their activity for granted and that they are constantly running, jumping and swinging from ropes...or the ceiling fans. There is not a day that I ever take their work for granted and the fact that I can teach them how to do a job well and thoroughly....the fact that they do dishes, they fold clothes, they are completely capable of doing wash, emptying dirty clothes baskets, trash, they sweep, vacuum, mop and pick up toys...toys which usually they didn't help string out. I love the fact that even a 2 year old and 3 years olds know what it is to help and that they are heavily involved in the older ones' chores. I love that they are all busy.
So often these days I wonder why so many people stop...so many church going people stop.....at just 1 or 2 or 3 children. I have seen more now than ever that the good stuff doesn't ever really begin to kick in and the rewards start to be reaped until you grow as a parent and your younger children grow and mature as you raise them. I have so incredibly seen that this is an ever evolving life long journey, life changing journey, as we parent and become convicted about certain things and then just learn from other things, past mistakes, watching other parents and working our way through this. So many people stop before it ever really gets good. How sad it is to me that some people will never know this joy and fulfillment that comes with growing with your children. Had we stopped at 2 would we have ever pared down on toys and clutter, things and stuff, expenses and financial splurges? Probably not.....because we would've never needed to. But as we have grown and our family size has grown, our first few children have grown older, we have had to change and mold our way into the new shape we have come to be and that the Lord seeks to shape us into. How much we would've missed. We now have complete and total financial freedom from all but a small amount left on our house. Would we have worked THAT hard to rid ourselves of debt or worked to live within the Lord's will where money and finances are concerned had we not been a little forced and propelled in that direction? Chances are.....no. But we are here and we are free. We have grown and changed over time and the blessing and rewards that are being reaped are unspeakable......and most evident in our very own children.
So....here I sit 20 wks along and quite surprised by this milestone that snuck up upon us. It somehow causes reason to reflect on where we have been and where we are now as I seek to ready the family for our newest arrival. I realize just how far we have come in 10 short years from 1st baby to 8th baby. And I can't help but wonder what the next 10 years hold. To think of Grayson being 20 just hurts the heart. How can this beautiful child that I held and tucked into a crib not so very long ago be so tall and boyish and adult like and be so close to that grown age? How is it that 20 wks can go by so fast and so unnoticed? 20 wks ago Gavin was just a mere 6 months old. Here is he at 11 and we are planning his 1st birthday. 20 mere weeks is so short of a time but yet so much takes place, so much changes....and you never even realize it went by. It seems a bit surreal that I am going from the 1st 20 wks of this pregnancy into the last 20 wks. Time is such a strange and complicated thing.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
New Camera.....New Pictures!
So, we opted not to go with the state of the art camera I had picked out. We have saved and saved for it and budgeted it in but when it came right down to it I decided that the one we ended buying was more than enough for me and traveled in a much friendlier manner than those with the huge lenses and bulky box like builds. So, we opted for the next version down...which I must say I'm still figuring out what all it does and has so far impressed me by it's ability to take great pics. I need a class on what I can do with it though. I have decided that once we reach FW again it will be much easier to really take a photography class and get educated....literally! So.....for now I am self taught and can hardly wait to see what all it does and move along as I learn. And I eagerly await the day I can take a class and better my abilities of photographing the children. This has been a desire that has been years in the making. Pics without the stamped dates were taken by the new camera. The ones with the dates were taken during the trip to FW and pre new camera here.
Eyes that almost match the wall
Playing around with it seeing what it will do
My clean cut baby. So.....I got tired of all of his little wispies and couldn't quite figure out how to trim it up with just the scissors. So, with clippers in hand I set to work. It was a sad moment when I ended up with a pile of baby soft red baby hair in my hands. More than I ever expected came off even trimming it up with a 5/8 blade. It really highlighted his Grant-like hairline though. He looks like such a little big boy now. Bittersweet moments in time. I have to admit though that he looks a ton better and like he's kept up and trimmed up instead of having all of his little baby hair flying all over the place and looking kind of girlie.
So..it's really hard to do an over the ear trim with a baby that finds it hysterically funny to have his hair cut.......and will not hold his head even the slightest bit still. I think he laughed the entire time the clippers were going.
Still the best bed buddies in the world.
On the move....before his hair cut. This is just like looking at baby pictures of Grant. Brad and I still find it amazing the resemblance between them all yet how each of them hold their own individual look.
Deep in the thoughts of play.
Pulling up on everything
Forever on the move...from bed to bed and room to room. Notice Garrison balanced perfectly on the bedrail...right before falling off on the floor side.
Daddy's audience as he moves the sprinkler around the yard
This is one of their most favorite things to do. Gavin laughs contagiously as Garrett pushes him around the house rather recklessly. Since the stroller has seen it's better days it folds up on them quite often and deposits Gavin in the floor on a regular basis. Garrett puts it right back together, asks for Gavin to be put back in it and they are off again.
Look what I figured out how to do!!!! Yes....Grayson came in to discover him crawling around in the floor butt naked having the time of his life. Who wouldn't????
Daddy's audience as he moves the sprinkler around the yard
This is one of their most favorite things to do. Gavin laughs contagiously as Garrett pushes him around the house rather recklessly. Since the stroller has seen it's better days it folds up on them quite often and deposits Gavin in the floor on a regular basis. Garrett puts it right back together, asks for Gavin to be put back in it and they are off again.
Look what I figured out how to do!!!! Yes....Grayson came in to discover him crawling around in the floor butt naked having the time of his life. Who wouldn't????
Who would've guessed that sunscreen acts just like hair gel????
Getting ready to meet up with all of the cousins to go swimming.....Grayson and Evye were out blowing up pool toys when this was taken
Sleeping at Granny's....where Garrett should've been
..........where Garrett was
So..it's a little blurry but too sweet not to post. Just some of the random joys of twins. All day long Garrison had driven the tractor and Grant had driven the dirt bike around. This is how I find them parked on their bed.
Grant adamantly choosing to wear Garrett's shoes everywhere. I must add...these were Garrison's and Grant's shoes last summer. They grow so fast. Sentimental moments.
Bathtime with tons of brothers. Far from boring whether they're in there with him or just enjoying it from the tub side. Never a lonely moment here....or dull or lifeless or quiet. How boring life would be without them all......for him and for me!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
A Successful Father's Day
There was no better way to liven up our day than with the incredibly successful showing of our house. We all seemed so caught up in the preparations for it that we all kind of lost sight of the fact it was still indeed Father's Day. The children and I have worked hard to pack stuff up and get this place in HGTV worthy order. And, above all, we have prayed endlessly for this process to go well. Admittedly, I did not cope so well yesterday and by the end of the day was apologizing to all of the children for my own behaviour and lack of self control. The comment that still just amazes me that we get on a regular basis from strangers is the "Oh! You must have more patience than me!!!!" or "You must have the patience of a saint!" Those 2 very comments were heard while in town only 2 short days ago. Ummmmm......no lady. I probably have less than you do. People never believe me when I tell them that.
So, desperately lacking on the patience end of the spectrum yesterday, I laid awake in bed last night pondering the day's events and regretting so many of my harsh words and actions. It is just a house and these are my children. Either the Lord will sell this thing like He has so many of our other things or we will stay here and change the course of our actions according to whatever He chooses to do next in our lives. As we have sought so hard and fought so mightily to get out of all debt He has been faithful to reward and bless us in every endeavor....and I mean EVERY endeavor. Why my faith wobbles now is only due to the fear of the past repeating itself.....a fear I have not yet conquered in whole quite yet.
Brad arrived home with an a/c unit for the playroom, giving me the ability to now work and clean instead of sit and cry out of heated and irritated frustration. He spent the morning installing it and cleaning out the shop with Grayson while Evye put away the last of the clothes, did the dishes and then Grayson mowed. It enabled me to tend to the last minute odds and ends of what I did not have the patience for yesterday. Half an hour before they were due to arrive the house looked as though it was new and the only evidence of 7 children within it was the many beds we have going. The children were sent to the newly air conditioned playroom to finally play and were freed of all responsibility.
Just as promised the couple and their teenage son arrived and proceeded to fall in love with the house. But then, what is not to love about our little piece of heaven? Just as we were not so long ago, they are wading through the process of being hired and waiting for word to go ahead and move their lives here. The house showed well but it has a way of selling itself. It is hard not to get my hopes up. Now the confusing part comes of trying to figure out the never ending process of "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I have forever wondered what exactly that means. And to this day still am a bit lost in trying to muddle through that part of it. So, if we begin to hope and begin to have faith that this is it... what happens if this is not, after all, the will of God and does not pan out at all? Or is it simply hoping that this will work but knowing and possessing the faith that if it does not we are being protected from things we cannot see? The faith that He ultimately is in control of this entire process.
As it drew to a close it was peaceful.....much like what life has been since stepping out into so many uncharted areas. They loved it and now the waiting game begins. It became even more evident that God is indeed involved in this, whether it be sold to them or not, since they will not need it until October giving us more time to settle housing issues in FW and giving Brad less commute time. And it gives me time to not go so crazy in my attempts at packing this place up and getting it ready to go. And it seemed absolutely unbelievable that these people are from this tiny town and are longing to return home. So, needless to say, they do not have to be sold on the town or worry about the distance of our little town from the big town. They graduated from the school and know more people than we do. It definitely seemed to boost my confidence that when we finally got to a place and are settled and at peace with this whole process that God has the room to work mightily in our lives. It is still a long way from being sold but the fact they said they want it gave me great hope. And it reassures me that despite the fact we have 9 people living in this 3 bdrm home we can still live minimally enough, organized enough and clean enough that it does not hinder what people see when they come. I do not want to be the stumbling block. And I think it personally hinders the testimony of a large family and of you as a person in general to live in disorganized dirtiness. If you cannot maintain a reasonable standard of cleanliness it is time to re-evaluate and pare down.
But, so are my thoughts on personal cleanliness, organization and keeping up with my God given responsibilities within the home.
It definitely made everything we have done worthwhile and has definitely allowed me to see that we are being blessed in our coming in and in our going out. I am continually amazed at the wonders God is working on our behalf.
Grant was growing a little tired of the picture taking.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
It Has Begun
I have decided that showing a house with 3 small children and newborn twins was undoubtedly hard. But I've come to the conclusion that trying to show a house with 7 young children is infinitely harder. Despite the fact that Grayson is now 10 and Evye 7 it only evens the odds a little. I've had the two of them scrubbing walls, floors and picking up stuff all day long and it's just now starting to look as though we have done something. Granted, it sounds as though we live in a pig sty but after decluttering to the extent we did everything stays pretty much nice and neat with just a pick up needed throughout the day. But, it's the stuff and the projects still waiting to be dealt with and the inner bowels of the closets and the endless going in circles trying to figure out just what needs to be done now. It doesn't help that I have a major sinus infections that has been growing worse. All of the stirring up of dust and moving of things, getting boxes down and packing stuff up has taken it's toll. Today the fever hit and to try and stay on track and think of everything waiting on me was overwhelming while trying to feed everybody and keep them on track. Garrison and Grant went into demolition mode and decided it was a good day to go around and experiment. It didn't take long to fun lovingingly break about 4 things in the first hour of the day.
Gavin is now holding his own between everybody and can get from room to room in record time. He is pulling up on everything and just follows the crowd. He seemed to think the burst of activity was quite the source of entertainment and fun.
We returned home from Fort Worth to try and collect the needed remaining items for the home improvement projects and then set to work. There wasn't much of a chance of even coming up for air. We spent 2 entire days of our week in town and in the time we were home we were working. And then being sick and pregnant doesn't leave much energy left to work with. Ugh!
And once again I stand amazed at the interest generated in a house in tiny, small town west TX. We are seriously in the middle of nowhere. Brad and I have prayed fervently that the Lord would work wonders and do this quickly and provide us with a place to go. I'm not sure how well I will cope with the stress of having the house on the market for month after month. I've already been reduced to tears more than once today and it is only the 2nd day into it. The sale of the Suburban, trailer and everything else we have sold here has been nothing short of a miracle and has undoubtedly been an act of God on our behalf in each endeavor as we seek to pare down and minimize to more clearly follow Him and focus on what He truly desires out of life instead of being so burdened by the "things" of life. And so I have begun to pray that the sell of this house will be just as much of a work and a miracle in our lives....and that we would be exceedingly blessed for acting out of obedience for what we feel He is calling us to do. In the day and a half that we have had the sign in the yard we already have 2 showings for it for tomorrow. So, we shall see what God has in mind and how He moves within our lives.
One thing is for sure...we have tongues wagging in this small west TX town. Once more we are the talk of the town and everyone is shocked by the overnight appearance of the sign in our yard. Most people do not understand it...but then most people do not understand anything we do here. Sometimes as I gaze out of our windows while standing at the kitchen sink or rock Gavin as the sun sets and cast orangy pink hues like waves rolling across the billowy summer clouds I even wonder what we are doing and why we are leaving. But I know the all too familiar feeling of God moving and when He is impressing upon the hearts of His children to listen to His voice and heed His urging, waiting to see if His children will walk in obedience. I cannot imagine what we will turn down or what we will miss if we choose to stay here out of our own comfort...whether it because it is just easier to stay due to the vast amount of work that is involved in moving 1/2 across the state or just because we are comfortable here and prefer to never leave. It is an on- the-edge-of-our-seat faith walk...but isn't that what the Christian walk is supposed to be? Ultimate trust and blind faith in what we cannot see but what He already knows and desires to use us for and to do within our own lives. It is a journey, a stretching of your inner self to see the heights and depths you can go to because of who He is within you. Maybe if I didn't trust so implicitly in Him than I would be holding so much more tighter than I am at this point. And at one point I was. I held on to it so desperately and the idea of what was and the dream that we have been given here in our perfect little doll house with our pastures, goats, cats, dogs and donkey and the prairie winds that forever prevail that I could not see beyond it. I could only see the here and the now and the arriving of what has been so achingly longed for since girlhood days. But yet I have come to the realization that, though we walk a road that requires the very fibers of our being, the very depth and breadth and height of us. the very all of us, we serve a God that longs to give us the desires of our heart as we act in obedience to His word. So after having willingly released the death grip that I held on this dream I venture forth into this new territory of our lives, with complete uncertainty as to what the future holds or where it is we are going. There are no guarantees that we will end up in a place like what we are leaving but I venture forth with the promise of a God who loves us more than we can ever imagine or comprehend and that has plans to prosper us and give us a future and a hope. That when we will call upon Him and come and pray to Him He will listen to us. We will seek Him and find Him when we search for Him with all of our hearts. And that not only will we find Him but He will bring us back from all of the countries He drove us and He will once again bring us home from the place from which He sent us into exile. That we can count on in every way. And I live on the promise that while I have not exactly felt like we were in exile for these 2 years here it is a journey that was started many many years ago as we began the searching and wandering of our hearts as we looked in many different places to find the answers to life. It is the coming to an end of a period in which we were shaken and turned inside out and then finally driven away to find what it is we truly search for so that we can return home and do the serious work of what He is calling us to do and live in complete fulfillment as we live within His will.
So, despite the sinus infection and the colds that the children are fighting off and the seemingly overwhelming and daunting task that lay ahead of us as we ready the house to sell and the uncertainty of where it is we are going and the possibility of Brad commuting yet again for a time I press forward determinedly because I know that we are walking down roads we have never seen and more in touch with the intimate moving of the Holy Spirit more than we have ever been before. And I press forward knowing that there are abundant blessings at the end of this. There is a restored and loving family that eagerly awaits our return and longs to embrace each and every one of the 9, almost 10, of us. The years that have been taken do not compare to the years of restoration and healing that lay ahead as we fall more in love and closer to each other than ever before and establish relationships that most people will never know within a family.
So it is that Brad and I prepare our fields in preparation for the rain that the Lord is going to send and the harvest that is going to be reaped due to our obedience.....despite what we cannot see.
Gavin is now holding his own between everybody and can get from room to room in record time. He is pulling up on everything and just follows the crowd. He seemed to think the burst of activity was quite the source of entertainment and fun.
We returned home from Fort Worth to try and collect the needed remaining items for the home improvement projects and then set to work. There wasn't much of a chance of even coming up for air. We spent 2 entire days of our week in town and in the time we were home we were working. And then being sick and pregnant doesn't leave much energy left to work with. Ugh!
And once again I stand amazed at the interest generated in a house in tiny, small town west TX. We are seriously in the middle of nowhere. Brad and I have prayed fervently that the Lord would work wonders and do this quickly and provide us with a place to go. I'm not sure how well I will cope with the stress of having the house on the market for month after month. I've already been reduced to tears more than once today and it is only the 2nd day into it. The sale of the Suburban, trailer and everything else we have sold here has been nothing short of a miracle and has undoubtedly been an act of God on our behalf in each endeavor as we seek to pare down and minimize to more clearly follow Him and focus on what He truly desires out of life instead of being so burdened by the "things" of life. And so I have begun to pray that the sell of this house will be just as much of a work and a miracle in our lives....and that we would be exceedingly blessed for acting out of obedience for what we feel He is calling us to do. In the day and a half that we have had the sign in the yard we already have 2 showings for it for tomorrow. So, we shall see what God has in mind and how He moves within our lives.
One thing is for sure...we have tongues wagging in this small west TX town. Once more we are the talk of the town and everyone is shocked by the overnight appearance of the sign in our yard. Most people do not understand it...but then most people do not understand anything we do here. Sometimes as I gaze out of our windows while standing at the kitchen sink or rock Gavin as the sun sets and cast orangy pink hues like waves rolling across the billowy summer clouds I even wonder what we are doing and why we are leaving. But I know the all too familiar feeling of God moving and when He is impressing upon the hearts of His children to listen to His voice and heed His urging, waiting to see if His children will walk in obedience. I cannot imagine what we will turn down or what we will miss if we choose to stay here out of our own comfort...whether it because it is just easier to stay due to the vast amount of work that is involved in moving 1/2 across the state or just because we are comfortable here and prefer to never leave. It is an on- the-edge-of-our-seat faith walk...but isn't that what the Christian walk is supposed to be? Ultimate trust and blind faith in what we cannot see but what He already knows and desires to use us for and to do within our own lives. It is a journey, a stretching of your inner self to see the heights and depths you can go to because of who He is within you. Maybe if I didn't trust so implicitly in Him than I would be holding so much more tighter than I am at this point. And at one point I was. I held on to it so desperately and the idea of what was and the dream that we have been given here in our perfect little doll house with our pastures, goats, cats, dogs and donkey and the prairie winds that forever prevail that I could not see beyond it. I could only see the here and the now and the arriving of what has been so achingly longed for since girlhood days. But yet I have come to the realization that, though we walk a road that requires the very fibers of our being, the very depth and breadth and height of us. the very all of us, we serve a God that longs to give us the desires of our heart as we act in obedience to His word. So after having willingly released the death grip that I held on this dream I venture forth into this new territory of our lives, with complete uncertainty as to what the future holds or where it is we are going. There are no guarantees that we will end up in a place like what we are leaving but I venture forth with the promise of a God who loves us more than we can ever imagine or comprehend and that has plans to prosper us and give us a future and a hope. That when we will call upon Him and come and pray to Him He will listen to us. We will seek Him and find Him when we search for Him with all of our hearts. And that not only will we find Him but He will bring us back from all of the countries He drove us and He will once again bring us home from the place from which He sent us into exile. That we can count on in every way. And I live on the promise that while I have not exactly felt like we were in exile for these 2 years here it is a journey that was started many many years ago as we began the searching and wandering of our hearts as we looked in many different places to find the answers to life. It is the coming to an end of a period in which we were shaken and turned inside out and then finally driven away to find what it is we truly search for so that we can return home and do the serious work of what He is calling us to do and live in complete fulfillment as we live within His will.
So, despite the sinus infection and the colds that the children are fighting off and the seemingly overwhelming and daunting task that lay ahead of us as we ready the house to sell and the uncertainty of where it is we are going and the possibility of Brad commuting yet again for a time I press forward determinedly because I know that we are walking down roads we have never seen and more in touch with the intimate moving of the Holy Spirit more than we have ever been before. And I press forward knowing that there are abundant blessings at the end of this. There is a restored and loving family that eagerly awaits our return and longs to embrace each and every one of the 9, almost 10, of us. The years that have been taken do not compare to the years of restoration and healing that lay ahead as we fall more in love and closer to each other than ever before and establish relationships that most people will never know within a family.
So it is that Brad and I prepare our fields in preparation for the rain that the Lord is going to send and the harvest that is going to be reaped due to our obedience.....despite what we cannot see.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Baby Ivye Elise
THe 17 wk sonogram reveals sweet girl, Ivye Elise, will be joining our family in November!! I find it hard to believe I'm already far enough along to find out what this wee one is. It seems like I should still be around the 10-13 wk mark. But I am now 17 wks along and my midwife opted that instead of waiting until my next appt at 23 wks we would go ahead and do the u/s now. I was excited but not anxious and counting down the days and hours like I have been with all of the others before this one. I suppose I know my body well enough now that I pretty much trust it and just pretty much knew this is indeed a girl. Admittedly, I was hoping for another little boy. I don't think one can ever fully understand the absolute fulfillment and contentment that comes from watching the little ones play together. I love their rough and rowdy ways and I just love raising boys.....but so far most of my experience has been a little overwhelmed with mostly boys, I suppose. I think I didn't even feel anxious today since it was the 1st time ever I went in and truly looked forward to whatever gender it revealed. We would all.....ok, well, most of all of us......would gladly and excitedly embrace another little girl after 6 entire years since the last one but another little boy would be welcomed with tons of open arms into a world of playmates, cousins and friends all very close to his age. So.....there wasn't exactly the feeling of waiting with baited breath.....but a feeling of absolute peace and excitement over whatever the day revealed.
Since the sono appt had been scheduled for Wed Brad came into town for both the appt and the sono. But after we found out they couldn't do it on Wed it was changed to today. Brad had to come and go all in one day so he missed the sono. Really disappointed about that and not being able to imagine finding out without him there I decided just to take all of the children with me. The plan had been for Mother to go and find out with us but her orientation was changed from Wed to today. She was there for the 1st one I had at 11 wks but we were all still disappointed about today. But instead Madison, my 14 yr old niece, joined the children and I and was there to hold Gavin and watch Garrett while the u/s was done. So.........in we all went, all 9 of us. I couldn't help but feeling like we looked a little too reminiscent of the Duggar's as we all filed in to the waiting room and then all filed into the little sono room. The children were excellent and got the attention of the entire dr's office. By the end of it they had the receptionist, dr's and nurses all talking to them and asking questions. We all sat quietly talking and laughing as we waited. Finally we were called back and the children all gathered around to watch and see what secrets the screen held. Baby's little head was perfect and her profile looked a bit like each and every sibling she already has. Aubrey stood by saying determinedly and non stop, "I want a girl in there. Hey, dr.....I want a girl to be in there. I want a girl baby to be in there." When he finally made his way to gender prediction he announced "And..........it's a girl!" Evye sucked in her breath sharply out of sheer joy and Aubrey just exclaimed over and over that it IS a girl baby and that it IS Baby Ivye. I thought Grayson was going to cry. He bit his lip in an effort to hide his disappointment...which, of course, led to a long heartfelt talk all the way home. Garrison and Grant remained pretty quiet in the excitement of it all and I really didn't think much about it. Garrett drew near to the sono machine to get a better look at both baby and buttons and knobs. They all saw her heart beating and all saw her move, kick and stretch. After measurements were taken and a good overall look at her was done to make sure all things were in place all too soon it was over. She measured ahead at a full 18 wks when technically I should be 17 wks tomorrow. It estimated my due date around Nov 10th. Jean has it down as the 16th and I came up with the 15th. I know very well the day I got pregnant so I am still counting on the 15th since I know she is definitely not due any earlier. My guess is the 20th since I typically go right at 5 days over. As we all got up to leave Garrison asked to see the boy baby. I bent down and showed him the one pic of her profile we got and explained that it was a girl baby and there is no boy baby in there. He pointed to the top of the pic above her head and said repeatedly, "Noooooo............the boy baby's up here. See.....the boy baby's way up here." I gave up trying to explain right then and there and we all went to leave. The funniest reaction came from Grant...and a very unexpected one it was. As I walked out the door to make our way to the receptionist desk Grant was left behind and just started to wail. I turned back to him asking what in the world was wrong. He sobbed brokenheartedly looking at the tech, "But I want a boy baby!!!!" The tech laughed and so did I. I made the mistake of thinking he was still way too young to care or even remotely understand what his Grayson induced desires meant. But he understood all too well what had just taken place. Not exactly knowing what to say to comfort him I knelt down to him and told him too that God had given us a baby girl that he could hold and love and play with. He continued to sob and then tell the tech his woes. The tech laughed and said, "Sorry, buddy. Wish I could help you there." I told him maybe we'd have another boy baby next year and then told him to tell the tech we'd see him in a year. The tech laughed and told Grant he'd see him next year and that he's rooting for him. The receptionist was once again amazed at how quiet they had been the whole time and how well behaved they all were. They each got a piece of candy and she asked which side had "won". As everyone seems to say these days...."Well, it's a good thing!!! Y'all definitely need another one." But then I'd still be happy with 10 more boys. People don't seem to get that. Oh well. Evye beamed and glowed like it was Christmas and Grayson looked like somebody had just shot the dog.
Once in the van the vote was a unanimous one when the topic of her name was brought up. Up to this point we knew she would either be Ivye Elise or Lillye Katherine. and Baby Ivye she quickly became....and pretty much always has been.
I had agreed not to tell Brad until we got home. The deal was to show him the gender pic and let him see for himself. But seeing as how we walked out with only her profile pic that plan was kind of ruined. So...it was either wait 2 whole days just to tell him what we could say right now or just go ahead and spill the beans. I held it for an hour but then thought it was too funny the reactions to it that the boys had. I knew he'd get a good laugh out of it so I told the story of Garrison's adamency about there being a boy baby on top and then Grant's melt down over the results. We both had a good laugh over it.
So it is that we will bring a little girl into the family after years of tons of little boys. By the time she arrives it will have been almost 6 yrs since the birth of the youngest little girl. Aubrey will be 4 months shy of 6 and Mercy will be only 3 months shy of 7. And between Jackie and I there have been 7 little boys that have come since then. I think it's safe to say she'll be holding her own. I hope she'll have the relationship with her brothers that Scott and I still have to this day. And I hope that she'll grow up looking up to Evye and Aubrey, growing with them, so that oneday when the time comes they'll all be raising their children together and have friendships in each other like Jackie and I do. I hope that all of their own children as cousins will be like siblings, as Jackie's and mine have grown to be.
When Mother, Jackie and I took all 16 children swimming yesterday we laughed the rest of the day and all of today about the comedy of it. The children so filled up the bed of Mother's truck that it was overflowing with kids and overran into Jackie's van and the inside of Mother's truck. There were kids packed into the bed of the truck, hanging out the windows and sitting in our laps as we drove to the pool. When we arrived and everybody eventually congregated to the kiddie pool at one point it was so filled with kids that it looked like the entire community had gone swimming all at the same time. Our 16 kids alone so filled up the huge rectangle kiddie pool that it was bursting at the seams with laughing, playful, entirely wound up children that were having the time of their lives.
We did manage to scare one mom with her 3 kids off, I think by sheer mass of people. I felt bad for her 3 children, 2 of whom were 3 yr old twin girls, since they were loving the fun of all of our kids being there. The other 2 families that were left were amazed by the children, how polite they all were, how easily they all played together and how incredibly well mannered the whole group was...despite the fact there were so many. In fact, they fessed up that they stayed just to watch us for awhile. Jackie headed over to talk to them in an effort to let them know we were not there to run them off, that we were not running a daycare, that these were all of our children and if they bothered them in any way to let us know. They were so impressed by the group of them and the older ones they had gotten to talk to that they invited us back anytime to swim with them even when Mother was not available to swim with us. It was incredible and humbling once again to feel like I fall so short sometimes as a parent and then to turn around and be told on numerous occasions on this trip how absolutely incredible the children are. After so many months of not wanting to return to this area due to how negatively large families are looked upon and how very unforgiving the comments usually are, compared to small town west TX, I was encouraged and uplifed this entire trip. Maybe it's because the children are getting older and they do behave incredibly well most of the time or maybe it's just because I have become accustomed to dealing with it all...from good to bad to just nuetral bystander comments.
It makes me excited. I journal these types of days and events because they encourage me on the bad days. I can read back through and know that what I do and what Jackie does and what I try to instill into my own little bunch is not for naught. It is indeed sowing seeds..some of which are just now starting to sprout..some of which are now being fully reaped. And I know that on the days when it is a seemingly constant battle of continually having to redirect and/or correct attitudes that it is very evident in the long run. And it is not me and it is not Brad raising these children but the Lord who gives us the wisdom, strength, grace and mercy to continue doing this despite our many, very mortal faults. I stand in awe. And I am amazed that we have been given yet another little life to raise into one of God's mighty warriors for His Kingdom and that we have been given the chance yet again to know the absolute joy and all consuming love of yet another baby.....sweet Ivye.
Since the sono appt had been scheduled for Wed Brad came into town for both the appt and the sono. But after we found out they couldn't do it on Wed it was changed to today. Brad had to come and go all in one day so he missed the sono. Really disappointed about that and not being able to imagine finding out without him there I decided just to take all of the children with me. The plan had been for Mother to go and find out with us but her orientation was changed from Wed to today. She was there for the 1st one I had at 11 wks but we were all still disappointed about today. But instead Madison, my 14 yr old niece, joined the children and I and was there to hold Gavin and watch Garrett while the u/s was done. So.........in we all went, all 9 of us. I couldn't help but feeling like we looked a little too reminiscent of the Duggar's as we all filed in to the waiting room and then all filed into the little sono room. The children were excellent and got the attention of the entire dr's office. By the end of it they had the receptionist, dr's and nurses all talking to them and asking questions. We all sat quietly talking and laughing as we waited. Finally we were called back and the children all gathered around to watch and see what secrets the screen held. Baby's little head was perfect and her profile looked a bit like each and every sibling she already has. Aubrey stood by saying determinedly and non stop, "I want a girl in there. Hey, dr.....I want a girl to be in there. I want a girl baby to be in there." When he finally made his way to gender prediction he announced "And..........it's a girl!" Evye sucked in her breath sharply out of sheer joy and Aubrey just exclaimed over and over that it IS a girl baby and that it IS Baby Ivye. I thought Grayson was going to cry. He bit his lip in an effort to hide his disappointment...which, of course, led to a long heartfelt talk all the way home. Garrison and Grant remained pretty quiet in the excitement of it all and I really didn't think much about it. Garrett drew near to the sono machine to get a better look at both baby and buttons and knobs. They all saw her heart beating and all saw her move, kick and stretch. After measurements were taken and a good overall look at her was done to make sure all things were in place all too soon it was over. She measured ahead at a full 18 wks when technically I should be 17 wks tomorrow. It estimated my due date around Nov 10th. Jean has it down as the 16th and I came up with the 15th. I know very well the day I got pregnant so I am still counting on the 15th since I know she is definitely not due any earlier. My guess is the 20th since I typically go right at 5 days over. As we all got up to leave Garrison asked to see the boy baby. I bent down and showed him the one pic of her profile we got and explained that it was a girl baby and there is no boy baby in there. He pointed to the top of the pic above her head and said repeatedly, "Noooooo............the boy baby's up here. See.....the boy baby's way up here." I gave up trying to explain right then and there and we all went to leave. The funniest reaction came from Grant...and a very unexpected one it was. As I walked out the door to make our way to the receptionist desk Grant was left behind and just started to wail. I turned back to him asking what in the world was wrong. He sobbed brokenheartedly looking at the tech, "But I want a boy baby!!!!" The tech laughed and so did I. I made the mistake of thinking he was still way too young to care or even remotely understand what his Grayson induced desires meant. But he understood all too well what had just taken place. Not exactly knowing what to say to comfort him I knelt down to him and told him too that God had given us a baby girl that he could hold and love and play with. He continued to sob and then tell the tech his woes. The tech laughed and said, "Sorry, buddy. Wish I could help you there." I told him maybe we'd have another boy baby next year and then told him to tell the tech we'd see him in a year. The tech laughed and told Grant he'd see him next year and that he's rooting for him. The receptionist was once again amazed at how quiet they had been the whole time and how well behaved they all were. They each got a piece of candy and she asked which side had "won". As everyone seems to say these days...."Well, it's a good thing!!! Y'all definitely need another one." But then I'd still be happy with 10 more boys. People don't seem to get that. Oh well. Evye beamed and glowed like it was Christmas and Grayson looked like somebody had just shot the dog.
Once in the van the vote was a unanimous one when the topic of her name was brought up. Up to this point we knew she would either be Ivye Elise or Lillye Katherine. and Baby Ivye she quickly became....and pretty much always has been.
I had agreed not to tell Brad until we got home. The deal was to show him the gender pic and let him see for himself. But seeing as how we walked out with only her profile pic that plan was kind of ruined. So...it was either wait 2 whole days just to tell him what we could say right now or just go ahead and spill the beans. I held it for an hour but then thought it was too funny the reactions to it that the boys had. I knew he'd get a good laugh out of it so I told the story of Garrison's adamency about there being a boy baby on top and then Grant's melt down over the results. We both had a good laugh over it.
So it is that we will bring a little girl into the family after years of tons of little boys. By the time she arrives it will have been almost 6 yrs since the birth of the youngest little girl. Aubrey will be 4 months shy of 6 and Mercy will be only 3 months shy of 7. And between Jackie and I there have been 7 little boys that have come since then. I think it's safe to say she'll be holding her own. I hope she'll have the relationship with her brothers that Scott and I still have to this day. And I hope that she'll grow up looking up to Evye and Aubrey, growing with them, so that oneday when the time comes they'll all be raising their children together and have friendships in each other like Jackie and I do. I hope that all of their own children as cousins will be like siblings, as Jackie's and mine have grown to be.
When Mother, Jackie and I took all 16 children swimming yesterday we laughed the rest of the day and all of today about the comedy of it. The children so filled up the bed of Mother's truck that it was overflowing with kids and overran into Jackie's van and the inside of Mother's truck. There were kids packed into the bed of the truck, hanging out the windows and sitting in our laps as we drove to the pool. When we arrived and everybody eventually congregated to the kiddie pool at one point it was so filled with kids that it looked like the entire community had gone swimming all at the same time. Our 16 kids alone so filled up the huge rectangle kiddie pool that it was bursting at the seams with laughing, playful, entirely wound up children that were having the time of their lives.
We did manage to scare one mom with her 3 kids off, I think by sheer mass of people. I felt bad for her 3 children, 2 of whom were 3 yr old twin girls, since they were loving the fun of all of our kids being there. The other 2 families that were left were amazed by the children, how polite they all were, how easily they all played together and how incredibly well mannered the whole group was...despite the fact there were so many. In fact, they fessed up that they stayed just to watch us for awhile. Jackie headed over to talk to them in an effort to let them know we were not there to run them off, that we were not running a daycare, that these were all of our children and if they bothered them in any way to let us know. They were so impressed by the group of them and the older ones they had gotten to talk to that they invited us back anytime to swim with them even when Mother was not available to swim with us. It was incredible and humbling once again to feel like I fall so short sometimes as a parent and then to turn around and be told on numerous occasions on this trip how absolutely incredible the children are. After so many months of not wanting to return to this area due to how negatively large families are looked upon and how very unforgiving the comments usually are, compared to small town west TX, I was encouraged and uplifed this entire trip. Maybe it's because the children are getting older and they do behave incredibly well most of the time or maybe it's just because I have become accustomed to dealing with it all...from good to bad to just nuetral bystander comments.
It makes me excited. I journal these types of days and events because they encourage me on the bad days. I can read back through and know that what I do and what Jackie does and what I try to instill into my own little bunch is not for naught. It is indeed sowing seeds..some of which are just now starting to sprout..some of which are now being fully reaped. And I know that on the days when it is a seemingly constant battle of continually having to redirect and/or correct attitudes that it is very evident in the long run. And it is not me and it is not Brad raising these children but the Lord who gives us the wisdom, strength, grace and mercy to continue doing this despite our many, very mortal faults. I stand in awe. And I am amazed that we have been given yet another little life to raise into one of God's mighty warriors for His Kingdom and that we have been given the chance yet again to know the absolute joy and all consuming love of yet another baby.....sweet Ivye.
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