Maturity in their Youth?

The rate and quality of return on investment in terms of the success of our childrens' lives, across a broad spectrum as adults, is directly proportional to the amount and quality of teaching given and appropriate expectations placed on them as a child.

Offensive. The very nature of our family is offensive to some. Evident by the overwhelmingly irritated looks or staunch stances of those we pass. Those we perhaps prevent from getting their needed items from shelves that many children may be blocking. Those that stare in disbelief as they see us coming and seemingly run for cover before we arrive at a table next to them. Some hearts are changed by observing if they dare stay long enough. At lunch this past Friday a disapproving elderly couple sighed in disgust and dared not even glance our way as we all filed in and the children found seats. By the end of the meal they were praising the children individually for their behaviour, appearance and character. Their hearts had been softened as they watched. Some never change.....perhaps due to their own ideas of what a family should be or preconceived notions of how large a family should grow. I look at others with so many more children than we have and am, at times, amused that we are considered large. Even so, disgruntled people grunt, sigh and make obnoxious noises as we continue to "offend" and shatter their beliefs and ideas of what a family should be.





It is on that note that I lead into a rather sensitive topic that has seemed to spark vast amounts of curiosity and seemingly offend some as to the nature of how we parent. I suppose I never really considered how we are watched or how the blog is read and truly never dreamed that anyone would dare be attentive enough to our ways to try and glean tips or pointers. I am extremely humbled by this, and honestly, taken aback at the thought that anyone would want to model themselves after us. I feel as though I am still a very young person, immature and unfinished in most areas of my life; grappling at the feet of the Father and floundering around trying to do my best at this challenge in life called parenting. Though Brad and I fall so entirely short each and every day of the week we both know that our children are taught by the Lord and their peace is great. It is clearly and undeniably stated in Isaiah 54:13. This verse even goes so far as to state that they are not taught about the Lord but by the Lord. Many days this verse has comforted my parenting heart. "All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children." Isaiah 54:13







Rarely do I use this blog to talk to the readers . It's normally used for the purpose in which it was originally created, which is simply a journal of our lives and daily experiences on this crazy comical road of parenting. The joys, the trials, the emotions, the busyness, the routine......the very fibers that make up my own life. But today, I seek to speak to those that have taken up an offense or expressed curiosity in one area of our life. I have been asked personally quite a few times and, recently, received emails asking why we do not allow our children to call me "mommy". I have never been known as a person who sugar coats things and, honestly, my blunt and forthright nature does not really even know how to do so. Watering down the truth and trying to be politically correct has never been a strong point of mine....and hopefully will never become one. The day you seek to appeal to the masses and be on everyone's side is the day you lose your passion. Focus turns from uninhibited passion for the truth and heart of God to people pleasing and making sure you are well liked by all. Jesus Himself was offensive to most. Had He been everything to everyone He surely would not have been nailed to the cross by the hatred that swung the hammer. He was not concerned about being well liked and accepted but more concerned about the hearts of the people and those that believed in who He was.





All of that to say.....this may, and probably will, offend. In some ways I suppose it already has.....but it does not bother me. These are deep seated convictions for our family. God has been faithful to reveal Himself to us through these convictions as we parent and seek to raise our own children in His image and likeness.





It is true that our children are not allowed to call me mommy. Some acquaintances of ours have been rather shocked by this, expressing concern that our children are not being allowed to be children, while others, some of whom we have never even met, have voiced complete disagreement and have been offended over the lives our children are not being allowed to live. If it had not been for the last few asking why we do this I am quite certain I would not even attempt to explain myself. But since there have now been more than a few that have asked I just figured I would pen it and put it boldly in black and white for each family to draw their own conclusions. It is also an awesome part of our testimony and how faithful God has been to show us when something needs to be changed as we pray our way through the years of our growing children.




In the past few years we have seen a growing trend among homeschoolers (specifically the older children) calling their mothers "mommy". The name itself is as innocent as any other ordinary word in the dictionary and if looked up has the exact same meaning as "Mother", "Mom", or "Mama". It is merely a different way of addressing the person in the maternal role and can be likened to the difference between addressing children as "child" or "kid". The former sounds drastically better with much more dignity to it while the latter is crass and a bit removed....though hysterically funny when used appropriately. But as the trend in the homeschooling movement grew, especially with older girls in the family, Brad and I began to notice that it wasn't the name but the attitude and behaviour in which it was being used. These girls seem babyfied and immature as they use the word "mommy"....and even more evident, and sad, is the fact that they want to be viewed in this manner. Brad and I have talked at great length about whether it was even appropriate to require a specific name for our positions in the household. We feel it is. Just as we require yes ma'am and no ma'am, yes sir and no sir, to show respect when speaking to all elders we also require maturity of them in their speech befitting of their age. We also require respect of the authority that God has given us as do the majority of all other families we know. We both believe with all of our hearts the many verses in the Bible that instruct young people to be mature in their youth. Paul says in 1 Cor 13:14 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." Brad and I firmly believe that it is our responsibility to raise up mighty warriors and not watered down versions of Christians that seem to know nothing of life and still clinging to their "mommy's skirt tails". We strongly believe that we need to raise up Godly children that can move mountains in His Kingdom and children that will be heard and taken seriously....convincing and persuasive in their speech.




This dates back to my own homeschooling years when my brother and sister and I were turned loose into the world and were so very ill prepared for what lie ahead of us. We lived in a bubble that seemingly sheltered us from the traps and snares that lie in wait. But as we grew our wings and tried to fly we were found to be woefully unprepared. I was so untrained and naive that at the age of 21 (a very young 21 I might add) speed/methamphetamine was presented to me in powder form and I had absolutely NO clue what it was. With very little pressure from someone else I tried it. My sheltered and protected childhood had left me with little knowledge of what dangers exist in the real world. And with such little knowledge there was no defensive training against such traps and hidden dangers. Don't misunderstand me, I am deeply grateful for my parents and their yearning hearts to protect us from the world that we live in, but I also know from a very personal experience that if your children are not adequately prepared to stand up and fight for what is right (and possibly their lives), based on a strong Biblical foundation, they will fall prey to a whole host of bad things. How on earth can we raise warriors that are prepared and seasoned for battle when we as parents have left them ill prepared and under equipped for the realities of life and what is out there? Does anyone honestly believe that a battle hardened Marine would call her mother "mommy"? (Notice I used the possessive her) How can they be expected to go out into the world and be God fearing missionaries when there is such immaturity and ignorance that is allowed (and even fostered) to exist in the youth today? Especially among our homeschooling families. Obviously I am not advocating the use of anything illegal or harmful in order to procure knowledge of how bad or wrong something is. What I am saying, however, is that it is our role and responsibility as parents to provide knowledge and wisdom, require maturity, and to facilitate understanding of a world that is lost and hurting. No one is going to take a missionary, nurse, police officer, firefighter, midwife, or even a homemaker seriously if they call their mothers mommy. There seems to be such an extreme of this that it is unhealthy and, honestly, completely unappealing. These children have been so caught up in perceived "cuteness" of innocence and falsely led to believe that acting babyfied is what appeals to others and speaks of their virtue. I believe that they have missed what God has instructed in His Word. Proverbs is full of scripture that instructs His people (and us as parents) to teach our children maturity and wisdom and that He blesses those that are mature in their youth.





Brad and I have also talked very deeply about the responsibility of raising up Godly, mature women with healthy expectations of marriage. It is our command to raise them up to be of such character that they are taken seriously in whatever field God calls them into. We feel that when the time is right and God brings a husband along for our daughters we will be able to present to him a mature woman. Not a little girl that is still calling me "mommy" seeking to identify with her 3 yr old self. I do not know a man (Obviously, a real man. Not some perverse, vile, pitiful excuse of a human being) alive that would find that attractive in any way. By the same token, if we met a grown man calling his mother "mommy" we would strongly discourage our girls from any kind of relationship until he has matured.






Neither Brad nor I want our girls at any age to be seeking attention through "cuteness" and immaturity. These thoughts between us have led to many deep conversations about where to draw the line....when to let a child be a child and take comfort in "mommy" and when to require of them a maturity that allows God to build inner character. As we searched through the Bible the recurring theme we found was to continually instruct sons to be wise and mature in their youth. We both eventually concluded that it is our responsibility to teach them from a very early age. Being a mature young man or woman does not suddenly happen overnight. It's a process that takes time to develop; beginning at birth. It is a mindset.....a building block and foundation they need to be raised with. Maturity is not only required but also expected of them. Of course, there are normal things that children do such as childish play and childish comedy but, overall, they need to be raised with the expectation of always acting in a mature manner, again, befitting of their age. Learning to act in ways that are a testimony so they can minister to a world that is lost and dying....not be stumbling blocks for the world in its perception of homeschoolers as weak, wimpy, and clueless. What the ministry needs is men and women that are of a strong, sound mind and body and anchored in good common sense by concrete character.


Each of our children take solace and comfort in me as their mother but the attitude that usually accompanies the word "mommy" has been taken out of our family element. Brad and I found it interesting to "people watch" or rather "people listen" and take note of the attitude with which mommy was spoken...both by ordinary people with children in tow and fellow homeschoolers at bookfairs and other places where masses of those types have gathered. In the vast majority of all cases the older girls were using the word "mommy" in severely immature ways and in a tone of voice equivalent to fingernails on a chalkboard. Seemingly wanting to bring attention to themselves and their supposed "cuteness" and placing upon a pedestal their girlhood innocence. When facades were put aside and they began seriously inquiring about something or carrying on an adult conversation they amazingly transitioned to the word "mom" or "mother". In contrast, the little ones, when using this term, were whining about something. When the "I wants" were put aside and a little one was truly speaking of something that interested them the word "mom" or "mama" was generally used.



Brad and I have both felt deeply compelled to take a Biblical look at the subject and have reached our own conclusions and convictions. The reason our children are not allowed to call me mommy is because of what has been revealed to us personally as parents. To us it is a very serious matter of our children being mature and being raised up to be wise and mature in their youth. I do not have any mental images of Christ running around like a wild banshee, climbing on restaurant tables or whining out "mommy". I cannot see Him at the age of 12 running out from the temple just having finished teaching calling out, "Mommy, Mommy...I am here!" Neither do I envision Him calling out to her at the age of 14 or 16 "Mommy, may I.....?". No, He ministered to the lost, healed the sick, inspired and filled people with awe by His love, wisdom, maturity, and knowledge. On the other side of that, I do not believe that He never laughed. As with all things in life there must always be a healthy balance. I don't believe He went around pensive with a constipated look on his face calling out "Mother" to a distant and far removed person. I think He was both full of life and laughter with a maturity that was required of Him in every way while he maintained a very special relationship with the woman chosen to give birth to Him. This is the very thing we seek to instill into our own children. Wisdom, knowledge and maturity with a strong relationship with us as their parents.




There you have the whole story in writing....as offensive to those that it may be. But when all frills are gone and it is boiled down to the bare truth it is a very real matter of raising our children by Scriptural principles and taking the Bible at face value. It means what it says in every regard. And when we are instructed as parents to teach our sons and daughters to acquire wisdom and understanding and to be mature in their youth then I know that I will be held responsible for that in every way. I don't feel it is a testimony to the Lord in any way to turn grown children loose into their fields of calling as the world laughs at their naivety and childishness. I also feel that this leaves them to be in the very precarious position of being at the mercy of a predatory world with little to no training or preparation as to how dangerous it really is. The same predatory world, in fact, that so desperately needs Christ. And who has been charged with bringing Christ to the lost, sick, hungry, and the dying? We are. They are to be in the world...function well within it...but not of it. There is no choice, this is where the work is and this is where the Harvest is taking place. We must be in this world. How can they function well within it when no one can take them seriously? And how can we expect people to be inspired and impressed by the children the homeschooling movement is producing when they are walking around calling their mother "mommy" at the age of 16 and 18 years old? We need to raise up children into adults whose ministry will be taken seriously and have the ability to comfort others, relate to them and deal with them without being dismissed as immature, naive and weak. Are our children missing out on their childhood because we have rid our family of the "mommy" word? That's a laughable question at best. Have my children been robbed of a personal relationship with me because they are not allowed to relate to me as "mommy"? There again, laughable at best. I firmly believe that teaching character, values, boundaries, respect, self control, ethics, principles, and maturity begins at birth. The innocent life you hold only minutes after giving birth is completely and totally blank....a slate waiting to be written upon. Teaching for life begins at that moment.

Mother's Day

I have no pictures to post of this spontaneous...and somewhat insane.....road trip we committed ourselves to but the day that resulted was rated far above the usual fun we have. With all of my entire family living 3 or so hours northeast of us and all of the big life happening there we make fairly regular trips up that way and see them often. Midwives, children's resale stores and anything somewhat out of the ordinary are found up there. Brad's parents live 3 hours west of us and not much is there. So it is that our trips west are not as often as trips northward since there isn't much errand running to do out that way. We see his family often these days as we all rendezvous as his grandparents regularly. So, rarely do we head that direction. We had thought of doing this last year and honestly, I'm not sure why we didn't or what happened but this year it all came together and Brad was off. Due to Brad being on shift Saturday the plans included me waking at an ungodly hour of the morning and readying everyone for a surprise visit to his parents' church to say Happy Mother's Day in person. It did cross my mind as I stood bleary eyed trying to make something out of the reflection that glared back at me in the bathroom mirror at 5 am that this was a bit insane. Here it was Mother's Day and instead of sleeping in and being served breakfast in bed I was awake 2 hours earlier than normal and working my butt off already. With church clothes having been gathered and organized the day before and play clothes packed into a small bag, diaper bag loaded, the children were awakened at 6 am and went through their early morning....VERY early morning.....routine. 5 pair of blue jeans laid across couch, 3 pink polka dotted, newly pressed dresses hung from hangers. Boys wore dark shirts for the trip there so no breakfast smears and smudges ruined church attire. Five crisp and clean white shirts hung at the back of the van waiting to be donned when we arrived at church. Easily slipped on with the jeans and nice boots they already wore made breakfast on the road and cleanliness issues easy and saved the white shirts from inevitable chocolate milk drips and smeared granola bars. With van loaded and children church ready we pulled out at 7 am as the sun began working its way high into the sky. We met Brad at the station, took a bathroom break...yes, only 32 miles into it.....and continued our way westward. With happy, excited kids munching on our road trip breakfast packed the night before, the younger ones finally succumbed to sleep as we rolled along on our 3 hour journey. Once unloaded the boys quickly changed shirts, got hair gel-ed and girls smoothed out wrinkles. Much to my delight we arrived perfectly on time, before the first sounds of the song service had even started.



Somehow we had managed to pull it off and everyone involved had managed to keep our surprise under wraps. With squeals of delight from Brad's mom the children greeted her. Suddenly the hours of preparation became entirely worthwhile in only seconds. But, as with everything, I was in for my own surprise when we discovered that they routinely occupy the front row of the church. I'm thinking this sweet church probably does not have a lot of other large families within so our family filing in and filling the front pew created quite the spectacle. Brad and I work hard on instilling manners and good behaviour in the children but this seemed to loom as the test of a lifetime as this front row pew sat glaring menacingly at me. Before arriving I had visions of filling up a row near the back and close to a door in the event that a quick escape was needed with a wiggly toddler, crying baby or anything and everything that seems to pop up during the most quiet portion of a service. Filled with new determination I just figured this was our new challenge and this is indeed what we work so hard to reap in our children's lives. That they have the ability to not only sit through a service quietly and with respect for the fact that they are in church but to occupy the very front row without disturbance if it is asked of them. The children spoke politely when they were greeted and in general just brought joy to those around them filling both Brad and I with joy, pleasure and gratitude that what we work so hard to teach them does indeed come back hundred fold. With Grandma filled with excitement and pride the children took off with her to greet the church.

Waiting for them to awake

As the service began each child sat quietly in their place. Except for a few foot fights between Garrison and Garrett all went exceedingly well as we filled up the pew with quiet, still, non wiggling children. Gavin got a bit vocal as he played happily with his little fan club that sat behind us doting over him so he had to be quieted several times. It only took a grin and smiled quiet command with index finger over pursed lips a few different times to quiet him. Ivye grew fussy in her hunger at one point so she nursed awhile. Upon finishing I handed her over to Brad as I got everything back in order. As all road trips go and completely par for the course, Brad tapped me lightly and smiled as he comically brought attention to her gassiness while the preacher continued on. I thought of maybe giving him a little forewarning but then thought better of it. Of course, nothing would ever come of the fury she seemed to be unleashing on his leg as he bounced her up and down. Suddenly and without much warning baby was jet propelled by strong arms from leg to air as she dangled above and began to drip....preacher continuing on, baby held high for all of congregation to appreciate our current predicament. You'd think after 8 kids you'd be prepared for this scenario since it is, afterall, very much a church scenario......but, nope. So, I quickly grab the nursing blanket, the only thing I could wrap her up in to refrain from leaving a poop trail out the sanctuary doors. Holding her like a ticking time bomb at arms' length we quickly make our exit. Gavin had trailed along behind so as Brad heads to the bathroom to get cleaned up I lay her out in the church floor and begin the mini waterless bath that was required. Grateful for our huge tub of wipes I clean her up and she looses the bloomers in the deal. Amazingly, the dress went unscathed. Gavin ran the hallways happily as I worked. Once she was dressed and clean again I was met by several people in the hall that wanted to talk. Gavin continued running and by the end of the visiting the service had nearly ended. With Ivye now in her wrap we entered back in quietly and finished up the service with the rest of the crew.


We hung out for awhile meeting people and being introduced. We eventually made our way to lunch then headed back to his parents' house for some lazy afternoon conversation and for younger ones to nap while older ones played. All too soon it seemed the sun sloped westward and began melting onto the horizon. Still not ready for the day to come to an end we loaded up and set out for dinner on the town. It seemed that as quickly as the day had begun it was now over. Children with full, contented, ice cream filled tummies gave hugs and said good byes accompanied by many pleas to do it over again tomorrow. After 15 minutes of nothing but hugs and good byes, and I'm quite certain at least 15 different rounds of each, eventually all were loaded. We set off into the sunset splashed sky as one by one children started to drift off, lulled to sleep by the flat plains we traveled and the hum of wheels turning on the west TX asphalt. Brad and I love these times on the road after busy fun filled days, van full of sleeping children. We talked, uninterrupted, late into the night hours as we traveled barren highways in the dark. We talked of the day, how amazing the children were, the fun and success that it was, of our families, the past, the present, the future and everything in between....laughing about it all...lighthearted and more in love than we have ever been.




Both Brad and I could not have been more proud of the children today. As I said, these are the things we prepare them for and expect of them but when out and about and put to the test it is always an amazing thing to see. What we have worked so hard at for so many years begins to take wing and fly. No longer is it like talking to brick walls or spanking concrete but lessons, character and behaviour emerge and they bring joy to not only us but those they meet. It seems at times that it takes years to get to this point....which it does.....but sometimes it seems as though those years may never end. Instead of ever drawing closer to the destination it begins to seem continually out of reach, at times. I know and am reminded each and every time we are in town and showered with compliments that we are indeed getting somewhere but somehow the whole sitting on the front row of church through an entire service is the test of a lifetime in my head. That to me is like potty training or teaching a child to read.....major milestones for each and every one. It does get easier with each and every one but it is still no less of a milestone when reached. So, the fact that not only did they wake at 6 am and spend 3 hrs on the road in church attire and then move from a van seat to a church pew and sit for another 2 hours and continue to behave, not only well but exceptionally well, and still inspire people with awe is huge to me. It is an encouragement to me. I have no doubt that they are well behaved and amazingly happy kids but to have the people around confirm that and affirm you as a mother is perhaps one of the greatest compliments, accomplishments and encouragements that could come on Mother's Day for me. And, even more so, I loved that we were able to bless his parents, surprise his mom and be something that they indeed could proudly introduce as their heritage and take great pride in.



Surely these are indeed the things that make up life.



And to my sweet Mother who I will see in less than a week.....Happy Mother's Day! I miss you dearly but we will do our Mother's Day celebrating this weekend. I cannot wait for another trip up that way and some quality time to have some fun and go party a little....with all 8 in tow! To great summer days spent at the pool....I'm ready to get wet and so are they!

The End of an Era

The bunkroom crew

So it begins. Children grow....things change. Life is change. Somehow it seems so much more harsh...this thing that comes like a thief in the night to steal away your young ones, turning them into older ones seemingly overnight. I watch them grow...changing, morphing, going into cocoons like baby caterpillars and emerging as my beautiful butterflies. It doesn't seem to make it any less real. And it surely does not seem to pause the quiet, rhythmic swing of the pendulum that hangs as our guardian of time staunchly ticking away the minutes on our kitchen wall....unforgiving and merciless in its vigil.

Gavin stands proud is his new bed showing off the new sleeping arrangements...and yes, those are a sz 3T jeans Garrison is wearing. Contrary to popular belief, they are not knickerbockers.

These babies of our's.....they grow. Like seeds planted and well watered......lots of days filled with sunshine....lots of rain, fertilized with the absolute love we sow into their loves, they flourish. In flourishing comes the bittersweet of both joy and agony as they transition from sweet babies to curious and mischievous toddlers to bright and well mannered children capable of bringing joy, humor and laughter into the mundane of everyday life and then into the God fearing adolescent people we have prayed so fervently for them to become. But a mother's heart is a tender thing....it holds her young ones close even as they outgrow her arms.

What I came in to discover at naptime.

Both Brad and I knew and were at complete peace that we would know the time to separate out our huge bunkroom of children. And we both knew that the Lord would be more than faithful to show us the time to do so. For almost 9 years of his 11 Grayson has shared a room with his much beloved Evye. And Evye has never known what it is to sleep in a place without him. Our humble two bedroom apartment allowed our first two children to share a bedroom from the very beginning. As our family grew, as well as our accommodations, we continued to add children that eventually outgrew the new nursery, compliments of a 3 bedroom home. Each grew into their place in this bunkroom of our's. Since we have never lived in anything larger than a 3 bedroom house as each baby graduated out of the nursery he or she made the huge celebratory transition to the "big room". And each one was greeted with just as much excitement and enthusiasm as all of the ones that went before them as their bunkroom begin to fill with more and more children that added to their every night parties.

What they had been doing before I opened the door.

As Ivye began to need the big crib the debate began on whether to move her up to share the nursery with Gavin, give the nursery over to her and just move Gavin's crib over to the bunkroom and transition him up or to finally....and tearfully....make the separation between the girls and boys. As Grayson grows older and modesty of all family members becomes a greater focus, along with appropriate behaviour even amidst your own family, Brad and I both knew somewhere deep within that this was the time....the hour had come.

Garrison and Gavin still standing proud....Grant just being himself. And yes, he wore it all day long.

After I had pulled a rare all nighter with Garrett and Ivye due to severe storms that electrified the skies all through the night I opted out of church a week ago. Brad took Grayson to church with him and played bass despite our absence and as Evye watched the younger ones I caught up on a few hours worth of sleep and then the children and I set to work. We scooted out beds, cleaned from top to bottom and started the disassembling of all beds involved. The toddler bed once again found its way out of the attic. With eager helpers to dust and wipe it down it soon found its new place in the newly deemed "boys' bunkroom". With Brad and Grayson home not long after, they finished putting together the bunkbed the girls and I had moved to the new "girls' room". I suppose reality started to seep in about the time Brad took apart Gavin's baby bed. Since we had 2 in the nursery and he was now graduating up to his own big bed there was little use for 2 cribs in there. Crib rails and pieces sat in stark contrast to our bright yellow hallway as my heart tried to wrap around the fact that times have indeed changed for us...never to be the same again. What has changed very little for us throughout our years of parenting was now changing for good......hands of time that cannot be turned back. Issues of parenting younger childhood years transition gently into issues of parenting older children years......things to think about, to consider, to take to heart concerning all of the different ages we now parent, things to consider as we parent this boy of our's that needs to learn the importance of modesty, character and appropriate behaviour, the importance of having it modeled and set as a standard within his own home.


Wooden bunkbeds stood erect, towering over this new place they occupy. Girls filled with dreams and ideas of paint colors, overjoyed by a new project to take on, a new place to organize and make their own. Boys lament the absence of their sisters, the companionship of their fun company. Sisters grow a little sadder as reality sets in and they see the forlorn faces of their buddies. Bedtime approaches and the crowds finally fill with excitement. Grayson and Evye, being the creative and ingenious people they are, discover that this must be exactly why God meant for them to own walkie talkies. First night in, they lay in their newly separated rooms radio-ing back and forth about all they see out their windows, the passing skunks and armadillos, our wandering cats, what their fellow siblings are doing, relaying messages from the younger ones. Excitement of the first night "alone" settling down, the old walls began to heave and sigh as it bedded down for the night and bedrooms finally grew quiet.

Entirely excited about her new accomplishment!

Once more, the pages of time have turned and we have settled into the new normal. The third bathroom, the itty bitty-ist of them all, that was rarely ever put to any use has found new life serving as the girls' new bathroom. With priming paint out plans have been made to drench their new bedroom walls in nothing less than Evye pink, of course, and their new bathroom walls in Aubrey purple. 3 growing girls now occupy what used to be our nursery. 5 boys now wrestle and tackle rowdily as they fight off sleep in their boys' room. They have agreed on a hunting wildlife theme. They unanimously agreed on a dust colored brown with hunter camo to accent on beds. Their larger bathroom is now being transformed into a hunter's paradise.....complete with camo shower curtain....once we get around to that part. It made the separation of them all a little more exciting and gave them something to be amazingly thrilled with and to look forward to.

On the very fast move these days.

As Grayson and Evye grow into a new age of life and Gavin leaves babyhood behind so does everybody's sweet baby "I-thee" grow. Only a few short days after she permanently graduated up to her "big bed" she amazed everyone with her ability to pull up. Once crawling was mastered she quickly moved on to bigger and better things in life....which now include pulling up and "walking" things across a room as she pushes and walks behind. She continues to amuse and delight everyone with her tenacity at life. We celebrated her 6th month birthday yesterday as we celebrated Mother's Day. She was also growing more and more agitated with her infant carseat so it only seemed fitting that as she made the big graduations from travel crib to big crib and begins to pull up, walk and sprout teeth that being bumped up to a big carseat fit in well. After the busy-ness of playing fruit basket turnover with the bedrooms I set to work on washing and putting away the infant carseat and washing and readying her new big girl seat, adjusting straps and tailoring it to her tiny little self. Aubrey graduated up to a normal booster, Garrison, being a full 3-4 inches taller than Grant, was bumped up to Aubrey's 5 point harness booster...much to Grant's dismay, Grant moved over to Garrison's, Garrett bumped up to Grant's, Gavin moved up to Garrett's which therefore freed a seat for Ivye. How's that for mixing things up?

Her big girl seat...and we were so excited that day to find that she had grown enough hair to actually clip a bow into that we just stuck the first in that we could find. So, it's in the St Patrick Day green category of colors and doesn't match at all....but hey, we got it in!

Perfect baby crawl posture

It's always a big change to have one graduate from the crib. But this time around it seemed compounded by the fact so much change accompanied it. Sweet Baby Gavin has very little baby left in him anymore. He is swiftly becoming a happy toddler that easily keeps up with the siblings before him. How amazing and exciting it is to watch them grow but oh how the heart twinges to see the baby fade. He did remarkably well throughout the transition of everything considering the fact he is one to not venture forth easily on uncharted ground. Dear Gavin loves his comfort zone and all that is familiar to him. After only a couple of nights of fussing, pointing and repeatedly taking my hand and walking me back to where his crib once stood he finally came to terms with the fact that this was his new room, his new bed and that he was fully expected to be at peace with it. Naptimes were a little easier then bedtimes those first few days. As the sun set on his 3rd night in his new surroundings he finally ran excitedly to it and clambered up. Flopping down on his pillow he grinned as he was showered with hugs and kisses and fell asleep happily only a few minutes later.

So, once again change is at hand. So very often it seems as though it should be Grayson graduating up to a big ole bed and Evye making the transition into a big crib. I treasure who they are becoming and marvel over what God is raising up in them. I am blessed daily with their obedience and respect, their ability to get the jobs at hand done, their intelligence, their willingness to incorporate the little ones into their play, to help them, to always maintain a watchful protective eye on them. Every once in awhile I look at them as they grow from their younger days into these tall children of mine and I see that baby I cradled not so very long ago. They are growing into these people that I have prayed so fervently for. They bless me. God has indeed been very, very good to us.

These are the children God has given me. God has been good to me.

Genisis 35:5 (NCV)

The Birds of the Air

Then God said, "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness: and let them rule over.......the birds of the the sky.....And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the birds of the sky." Genesis 1:26, 28

Well....I think we've done a pretty good job so far at being fruitful and multiplying but apparently there was more left to do like subduing some birds. So....we definitely subdued this one. I think in some form he kinda subdued us too. So, this would be what your windshield looks like after nailing a 15 or 20 pd vulture when you're doing 70 down rural highways. After taking this one out Grayson asked me what other animals I have planned to take out next since we have successfully nailed a buck and vulture at this point with the van. Since we caught the buck at an angle he only did headlight damage but the vulture proved to be a little too heavy for a windshield. Talk about the shock of a lifetime.








It was early morning since Brad and I had planned to meet in town for a grocery day after he got off shift. It meant the children and I needed to be there around 8...or at least that's the goal each time we do this. Usually it's a little closer to 8:30 by the time we get there. But we've got the system down and are able to get breakfast down everybody and get them town ready and be on the road about 7:30 or 8 each town day. The girls were set on wearing their Easter dresses and matching so this morning included braided hair and a little more fru-fru stuff that I usually skip.







So, we hit the road and Brad and I were brainstorming over our day and how to organize the errands. We came up on a deer that had been pleasantly ground up all over the highway and a fairly large group of vultures hovering around. This is everyday life here so I honestly thought nothing of it. We have had several close calls with the "birds of the air" but only ever managed to hit a dove and some other mysterious breeds...nothing too large. But since these beasts fly rather slow if they don't get up and going pretty fast they are right at windshield height. Lovely. Our close calls have always consisted of them being a little farther down the road so they clear the van by the time we get there......obviously, this one didn't. And you can't really dodge them by swerving since we drive a large box that just happens to have an engine in it and upon swerving is a little top heavy and prone to rolling. Over and again Brad has drilled into me....."DON'T swerve! Just hit it." So, I happily did as told and this was the end result. I will admit that by the end of the shock and making sure everybody was unharmed that it was kind of fun. The big thud and the sight of a large black bird bouncing off the vehicle was actually quite thrilling.

Waiting around at the station.

So, we talk and suddenly a shotgun sound echoes everywhere. The notorious sounds of glass cracking and splintering.....we have lots of experience with this sound......and pieces falling and hitting paper like soft snowflakes are heard in the silence. I screamed when contact occurred and since we were on the phone as it happened Brad was fully aware that we had done something not so grand. I pulled over when I realized I was covered in little tiny pieces of glass and that it had blown some ways back. Grayson sat in the front with me but most was contained on my side. We checked to make sure it hadn't shot as far back as Gavin...who sat in the middle strapped in his carseat directly behind us...and found that he went untouched by the flying glass particles. I got out and brushed off what I could with only a few minor ones clinging to my shirt. It felt a bit like being bathed in insulation. The windshield obviously hadn't fared so well so the debate began on whether to continue into town...as we were not even to the 1/2 way point yet. Now determined in every way since I had successfully gotten every kid up and ready and more than presentable and was not about to think of turning back home after all that work we continued on. As the speedometer crept back up into the 60's so did the glass that started gently falling out. I finally figured that if I did a consistent 60 mph that the glass was fairly stable and we'd make it. But at speeds of 70 mph it started making scary ominous sounds and chunks started to fall out. With visions of the windshield caving in I kept the speed at 60 all the way into town. It was a long drive, to say the least.

Waiting on Daddy to take care of the business end of it. I think our front windshield now compliments the 2 huge deer dents in his door nicely.

With the day's plans now more than a little altered we met Brad at the station so I could wash the remainder of glass off and he could survey the damage. Not entirely drivable at this point. It was kinda funny since once we got a good outside look at it there was a small feather sticking out of the glass proudly blowing in the breeze. The mental image of a cherry topping off a sundae couldn't help but float through the head since it looked a bit like that in every way. The children were highly entertained by watching the ambulances leave the bay on several calls so they didn't seem to notice the time it was taking to try and deal with this. With plans to leave town on Saturday for a day trip to Lampasas we were a bit in need of a rather immediate fix. None seemed to exist. With Brad seeing more dollar signs every time he looked at the window the mood seemed a little more somber than what the day had started with. We headed to the only place we could find only to find that they could not get to it until the next morning. So it was that we drove the van around like that for the remainder of the day in town and then crept the 32 miles back home that afternoon. We headed back into town yet again the next morning to leave it with them from, supposedly, 9 to 1. Of course, since it is an ancient, giant, mammoth vehicle unforeseen problems arose and we were stuck in town until 5:30 that night waiting for it to be returned.

Watching Daddy spraypaint mile markers. Quite thrilling.

Honestly though...I have never driven a vehicle with a cleaner windshield than what I had that evening as we headed back home once again. Of course, it lasted all of 2 minutes after we got out on the highway since the bugs felt so entirely obligated to do suicidal dives into it all the way home.




Still spraying mile markers





After the excitement had ended we piled everybody up on Sunday after Brad and Grayson had returned from church and took off to go find our dead bird. I am quite certain that is about the most redneck thing to do ever......but thrilling none the less. I wasn't quite aware that it was a mere 58 degrees and drizzling that late afternoon or I probably wouldn't have been so bent on making a party out of it. Since Brad was in need of remarking his mile markers for running he took his spray can and we stopped all along the way to mark miles and half miles. So we sat in the drizzly cold anticipating the lovely dead bird that awaited us at the end of the journey. As soon as we had taken a few pics of our prized trophy the remaining 8 of us piled into the cab of the truck and blasted the heater throughout. We enjoyed the pretty overcast view from the inside the rest of the way home. Just another day in the life of.

All of that for this thrilling pic. I thought it'd be a little more grand than this. It was so cold and he stunk so bad that we didn't try to get any closer ones.....not that we really wanted to.

More markers

And more markers

Hanging out while we wait

The roads we run...looking towards home

The roads we run.....looking towards the 2 mile bend

The beautiful views we have to keep us running

So, to sum up, I think we'll be steering clear of all vultures for awhile....literally.