Tonight I had the pleasure of having a mini-date with Brad. We had a meeting to go to at 7:30, but my neighbor got here at 6:30 so we could go to dinner first. We met at Outback and Brad had already gone in and gotten us a table and ordered our food. He knows me so well!!! Coconut shrimp, diet coke, 9oz sirloin (medium rare), yummy mashed potatoes, and steamed veggies! MMMMM!!! I love me some steak! Then we headed to the Roger's house and had a wonderful time of fellowship with coffee and dessert! I needed this evening so much. I sang Natalie Grant's song "I believe" the whole way to the restaurant, to the Roger's, and home. It is such a powerful song with a great message of Christmas.

I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping! YEA! Hopefully I'll be able to finish up this week. Brad's birthday is on Thursday. I got him Wii Sports Resort. Shhhh...don't tell him! I know I'm safe posting what I got him because he never reads my blog. Maybe if he realizes I post sensitive information he will come check it out. ;-) I'm going to hit the sack. G'nite-

Creative Writing by Haeley

I gave Haeley a creative writing assignment today and she did a pretty good job. There were definitely some punctuation errors, but I think she did a good job on the content. Her assignment was..."If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be? Why ould you want to visit there? What would you take with you? How would you get there and would you take anyone with you? Why or why not?" This is what she wrote:

If I could go any place in the world, I would go to Tokyo, Japan. I would visit Tokyo because not only did my mom live there , but I also love the food, houses, designs, basically everything. I also like things from Japan, such as dolls, pajamas, and other things. To get there I would fly to San Francisco, California. Then, catch a boat to Hilo, Hawaii. After that, I would catch another boat to Tokyo, Japan. To prepare I would bring: shirts (long and short), capris, pants, underwear, my flower jewelry box with my favorite jewelry, hygiene bag, and all its contents, small snacks, portable drinks, and money, as well as something to do on the way. If I could, I would bring my dad. We don't get to see him much, only on holidays and weekends. So, I would be able to spend time with him. Tokyo, Japan, here I come!!!

The part in there about her taking Brad made me smile but also made me sad. His job requires so much of his time that he hasn't had a lot of time at home lately. I pray that changes soon.

Hillsong - At the Cross - With Subtitles/Lyrics

This is such a beautiful song. I love it.

I think I will post this on my bathroom door.

Dear Kids,

Don’t be alarmed, the world isn’t coming to an end. I am simply taking a shower. It will take about 30 minutes and will involve soap and water. While I’m in the shower, I’d like you to remember a few things;

1. The large slab of wood between us is a door. Do not bang on the door to hear my voice. I promise that even though you can’t see me, I am on the other side. I’m not digging an escape tunnel and running for the border, no matter what I said earlier. I didn’t mean it. Honest.

2. Believe it or not, shouting "telephone!" through the closed bathroom door will not make the phone stop ringing. Answer it and take a message. Since the amazing mind-reading mom has the day off, you’ll have to write it down. Do not use your brother and the laundry marker. We can’t send him to school with telephone number-tatoos.

3. Water makes me wet, not deaf. I can still tell the difference between "nothing" and a child playing the piano with a basketball. I can also hear you tattling at the top of your lungs. I’m choosing not to answer you. Don’t call your dad at work and tell him I’m unconscious in the bathroom. He didn’t appreciate it last time. He won’t appreciate it this time, trust me.

4. No matter how much I would like it, water does not make me forgetful. I remember who you are and why you are grounded. No, you can’t go to Albert’s house to play. No you can’t go to Albert’s house to use the bathroom. If someone is in our other bathroom, you’ll just have to think dry thoughts and wait. Unless you have 4 feet and a tail, do not think of going outside to water the lawn. I know the dog does it. The neighbors don’t feel the need to call me when the dog does it.

5. Unless the house catches on fire, stay inside and keep the doors locked. Do not go outside and throw rocks at the bathroom window to get my attention.

6. Do not set the house on fire.

7. Call me if there is an emergency. Emergencies are:

Dad has fallen off the roof

Your brother/ sister is bleeding

There’s a red fire truck in front of our house

Emergencies are not:

Dad has fallen asleep on the couch

Someone on T.V. is bleeding

There’s a red pick-up truck in front of our house

One other thing: Being forced to use the last roll of toilet paper for a towel does not make me happy. It makes me sticky with little white polka dots. In the future when the tub overflows, use a mop to clean up the water instead of every towel in the house... For my sanity’s sake, lets pretend it was the tub, Okay? No, I don’t want to hear the real story....Ever.... Especially not while I’m standing in the pool of water you missed.

8. Be good. Entertain yourselves. Yes you can do both at the same time.

Try coloring, playing a game, or paying that big stack of bills on the coffee table. I’ll be out soon. Maybe.

Love, Mom

Naps?

I was so stinking tired today and thought I would try and take a nap while Justin was napping. Didn't really happen. The dog was barking, the kids were screaming and I had enough! I "woke up" grumpier from my "nap" then when I attempted one in the first place!!!! Ugh! And, I still need to go to the grocery store if we want to eat for this next coming week. At least Brad is now home from work----it's been a long weekend. He had to work yesterday and today. =(

A new school year---a new blogger?

Well here we are in our second year of homeschooling. There were days that I didn't think I would make it through our first. There were days that I wanted to throw aside the leading of the Lord and put the kids back in public school. I am so thankful that I have listened to Him and kept my children home and continued this journey. This past summer was full! We had a vacation to VA at the beginning, then family came back with me, then we have a month to ourselves before the vacays began again.

Haeley and Jasmine went to VA for 2 weeks with Mom and Dad and had a BLAST! Then I went and picked them up in Beckley, WV and dropped the boys off and they went to VA for 2 weeks. Brad had a business trip in TX and flew from there to Norfolk, to pick up the boys. The day all 4 of my boys got home Brad's brother and his family came for Labor Day weekend. We went to a drive in and did a lot of just hanging at the house. It was some much needed time I think. Justin and Zeke got along wonderfully!!! It truly amazed me what about 9 months of maturity has done for their relationship. Zeke, Dory, and Reese have all gotten huge and I am blessed to be their aunt. :)

The day they left we started school! We are using Switched on Schoolhouse for Haeley, Jasmine, and Gabe. Justin I am using a little of this and a little of that. Benjamin sits in on some of it, but I am not too concerned with him. The older three are doing pretty spetacular in most of their subjects. I'm really proud of them. Homeschooling Justin scares me a little. With the older three when we made the decision to homeschool they already knew how to read, write, and do basic math. With Justin it is my responsibility to teach him all of that and to be honest, it is a little overwhelming and scary! We are working on the letter "A" right now. I'll post pictures of our lap book when we finish it. My sis-in-law, Summer (Zeke's mom), has started homeschooling Zeke this year too. It's a little hard to believe that they are both in Kindergarten. It makes me sad to see how quickly they are growing.

Our church is going through some growth right now. Our pastor and his family have moved back to TN for a postion at a church there. I am very grateful for the time that they were apart of our lives. Carrie was my very first friend in IN and we went through so much together! We were pregnant at the same time and delivered with in 2 weeks of each other. Benjamin and Anna Grace had been together since they were born. I pray that the Lord works mightily in this new endeavor that they have embraced. Our church now is in the process of putting together a pastor search committee. I believe whole heartedly that the Lord has an amazing man ready to come and take over leading and shepherding this church.

I got a new camera in July that I adore. It is the Nikon D40. I love it!!!! I have wanted a DSLR for a long time and I am so thankful for my wonderful husband who bought it for me!! :) It is still my hearts desire to move back to VA in the future. I miss our family terribly and this past summer has really left my heart longing for closer distances between all of us! Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." I pray that the Lord's will is for us to move back to our family. I love our church family and I am so thankful for all of our friends and "family" here, but there is nothing like being with your FAMILY.

Sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I will truly try to do better!!! I hope all is well for y'all!

Where I've been

(I took this pic with my iPhone)

No real good excuse---just not been in the blogging mood. We were in VA for a couple weeks and then my sister in law, Melissa, and niece, Kayla, came back to IN with us for about a little over a week. When we got back we had VBS and it wore us out!!! Melissa and I were beat on a daily basis! Luke was supposed to get here on Friday of Father's Day weekend, but he surprised her and all of us and showed up a day early. It was so great getting to see family both in VA and here. I've missed it terribly!

While I was gone, Brad got bored and decided that we needed another project and he took down the wall between the spare bedroom and our bedroom. He has built us a new closet and is also expanding our bathroom. We are going to move the laundry room upstairs into our old closet. Then we are going to knock out the wall between the laundry room and library and the library closet. Once we do that we will turn the back area into the playroom and guest room. Then I *think* I'll turn the current playroom into more of my schoolroom. We have a LONG way to go to get from where we are now to where I want it to be. We'll get there.

We went on our first family canoe trip at Sugar Creek. Luke, Melissa, and Kayla were with us. It was a BLAST. Haeley and Gabe learned (finally) how to work together and were able to make it down the section of the river relatively problem free. Jas and Kay were in a canoe together and after a bit of a rocky start they got the hang of it and did wonderful! Benjamin and Justin went between Luke and Melissa's canoe and mine and Brad's. It was so pretty and we got to enjoy being on the water. I can't wait to go back. We really enjoyed ouselves, except my camera and Luke's watch met the creek. Luke couldn't find his watch and after leaving my camera in rice for 3 days I have given up on it. :( We are on the search for a new camera.

The day after Father's Day we went to the Creation Museum in KY. It was really interesting and thought provoking on many parts. There was one part of it that really shook Gabe up and he still has had nightmares and scary moments since. I know that he will get through it, but it kills me that he has so much fear. Just last night he slept with Brad and I because he was so upset...gut wrenching sobs coming from him. We prayed with him and for him. I pray that this passes.

We had a gentleman at our church go home to be with the Lord on the 26th of June. He had been battling pancreatic cancer. He passed on his wife's birthday. It was a difficult time. We had his homegoing service on Wedensday the the 1st. It was a beautiful service. Brad was a pallbearer and the kids and I sat in the back. They did really good in the service. I had all of them with me and it was a good thing at times because they helped keep me from getting real emotional. ;-) We are blessed to have known Steve.

Our 4th of July was nice and wet. It rained and rained and rained!!! The week before was so cool I was wearing jeans and (light) long sleeved shirts. I *loved* it!! We had some friends over and I made ribs and some other things---my mind is blanking on me now. :) We've had a couple pool days this week and the kids have really been in heaven. Tuesday I went with my girlfriend Sarah and her 3 boys. While we were there Sarah's middle boy Ethan (4) was teaching Benjamin how to swim with water wings on. My heart melted watching the two of them. At one point Ethan said to Benjamin, "Do you need to hold my hand?" It was so sweet. We spent almost 6 hours at the pool!! Today though Sarah backed out on me and left me to my lonesome. ;-) She wasn't feeling well so they didn't come. We had a good time today and Benjamin was even more confident in his water wing swimming! We stayed today for a good 5 hours. The kids were WORE out today. They were all in bed by 9. Haeley was falling asleep. Benjamin was asking if it was time for bed yet....they were tired.

Haeley got her new glasses this week. Unfortunately they were the EXACT same prescription as the ones she got and lost last year. She looks very cute in them. We had the rule though---if they are not on your face they are with Mommy. We can't afford to lose these as well. Justin has been amazing Brad and I over the past several weeks. We have seen a tremendous maturing in him. He is controlling himself and making a real effort to make better choices. PRAISE GOD!!! I'm so thankful for that!!! Jasmine is Jasmine. Tonight at dinner Haeley was really excited about the new bathing suits that I got her today. We are eating and she is describing all the little details to Brad about these suits. Jasmine is sitting there eating with this "look" on her face. Next thing you know she looks at Brad and rolls her eyes as if to say, "Oh Brother...here she goes again!" Brad and I both saw it and started grinning and Jas was grinning from ear to ear too! I am so blessed by this family!!

I'll end on this....last night we were working in the garden. Brad had tilled up a section and Benjamin came out. Benjamin starts commenting about how he likes the dirt. He's walking through it and says, "I like the dirt Daddy. I like it because it's brown. I like brown things. Daddy, Daddy, poop is brown too. So, I like poop." hahahahaha....

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!!

Enjoy!

Kids Message to Daddy

Enjoy it Baby!! =)

Kids Playing in the Ocean

The kids loved being in the ocean!!! It was great!

Lazy Day at the Beach

Oh, how I miss it here. It's amazing how much you take for granted. For years I always took the beach for granted and really didn't want to go because it was always an option. Now that we don't live near the beach I once again am mesmerized by the greatness of the ocean. It truly is amazing how God has formed everything. Amazing. The kids had an absolute blast at the beach! Benjamin even got to the point where he would go into the water without holding my hand the whole time. Justin was all over the place. Gabe was a little fish. He came to me at one point and said, "I don't like the disgusting stuff in my mouth!!" I said, "What disgusting stuff?" He said, "The water!" It made me chuckle. I told him to keep his mouth shut and he wouldn't have to worry with the disgusting stuff in his mouth! ;-) Jasmine loved being in the water and also in the sand. Haeley loved it too. (I loved it and would have loved it a little more had I not lost my drivers license.) Here are a couple pictures---I'll upload some video in a bit too.

Haeley's Message for Daddy

Jasmine's Message for Daddy

Gabe's Message for Daddy

Justin's Message for Daddy

Benjamin's Message for Daddy

We love and miss you Honey!!!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

We are in Virginia Beach for the next couple weeks!!! YAY! Although, I miss Brad terribly. No "yay" on that one. I love getting to visit with family, but being away from Brad is hard. The weather is beautiful! Couldn't ask for prettier days. Last night we went out with Jenn to Tijuana Flats. It was my first time eating there. It was pretty good---not what I was expecting though. I didn't realize that it was a fast food type Mexican. I have to admit, though, Los Rancheros still wins hands down on the flautas. ;-)

The kids have been doing pretty good. Unfortunately they have gotten into some sort of poison something or another...It's either poison ivy, oak, or sumac. Matthew has it really bad. He wound up in the doctor yesterday for it. His back looked like one big hive. He's got it on his belly, and face too. Gabe has it pretty bad, but not nearly as bad as Matthew. Justin's got it too (a lovely spot on his rear end), and Haeley also has it. So far, Jasmine, Cullin, and Benjamin seem to be in the clear. I pray that it stays that way! Not the way I want to spend this vacation...

Oh! When we were driving out here the fog had gotten really bad. It was dark and foggy and I was getting real nervous as I was driving. I started praying and telling God how nervous I was. I prayed that the fog would be lifted and the way made clear for us. I kid you not, the fog immediately lifted. God is so good!

Tim Hawkins - Cletus Take the Reel

Tim Hawkins has become one of my new favorite comedians---he cracks me up! Check out some of his stuff. :)

So after all that...

Tuesday I awoke and was really sore. I wound up going into the doctor and she said that I indeed had whiplash. My neck, shoulders, and back were really tight and hard. It was not pleasant. She prescribed some muscle relaxers but said I couldn't take them until Brad got home. I hadn't planned on taking them till he was home though. We hit CVS on our way home and got the meds and a couple other things. Once we got home we did some school and then it was time for supper so we could leave for soccer practice. Soccer was good---Justin had fun and then I needed a pick me up to get through the rest of the evening. Got my pick me up,went home, put the babies to bed, and then headed to bed myself. Wednesday was somewhat of a quieter day and Brad got home!! The girls and I got a ton of laundry folded and put away! YAY!

Thursday we laid low and had a bit of a relaxing day. I made pizzas and brownies for supper. The girls played at their friends house and Brad cut the grass. So we put the kids to bed and we were watching "Transformers". The kids had been in bed for a little over an hour. Justin came to the top of the stairs and said, "I'm scared." Brad turned the TV off and simply put his arms out for Justin. The little guy came running down the stairs and jumped into his Daddy's arms. Brad just held him ... Read Moreand let him talk about his fears. He then reassured him that everything was okay and carried him back up to his bed. I just sat there watching as my little five year old needed to feel that safety and security in his Daddy's arms. It was a special moment.

Today has been a little busy...breakfast at iHop, Target, Starbucks, home, lunch, school, laundry, kitchen clean up..supper fixing...the usual...and now it's time for bed. G'nite!

Busy Bee

It has been quite a week here. Mondays are always my busy day. We start with gymnastics at 11 and then whatever errands need to be done we do that and then we have gymnastics and karate again at 6:30. This past Monday was busier than usual though. Sunday night Gabe got his fingers smashed in a door at church. By Monday morning he was still having pain and didn't have a whole lot of feeling in his fingers either. So we added a doctor appointment to the to do list. Our schedule went a little something like this:

11-Gymnastics
12-Lunch and drop off bag and VBS materials with Sarah
1:10 Doctor appointment for Gabe then home
2ish School
5 Supper
6:30 Gymnastics/Karate
7:45 Meet Pastor to give CD of sermon

All things considered it was going to be a full day. Brad also had to leave that afternoon for a business trip in VA. We got through the doctor appointment. Gabe had some blood built up underneath his index finger nail and our doctor had to burn a hole in his nail to let it drain. He instantly felt better. As we were leaving I decided that I wanted a cup of coffee. We headed towards Starby's and we were a stop light away from our pediatrician's office. We were stopped and the light turned green. Traffic was moving to the left and right of us, but our lane hadn't started moving. It was about that time I felt a jolt and the truck lurched. It took a second for it to register that we had just been rear ended. The man came up and apologize and we moved off of the road and onto the shoulder.

I immediately started shaking and getting nervous. I could feel some pain in my back, but my concern turned to the kids. Justin and Jasmine bonked heads, but besides that they were all okay. Their bellies hurt and they were all a little shook up and scared. I tried calling Brad, but his flight had just taken off. I called 911 and they went through the line of questions about the accident. They wanted to know if there were any passengers and I said, "Yes, I have my 5 children with me, but they are okay." That part didn't matter (and I'm thankful for that too). They sent a fire truck, ambulance, rescue truck, and 2 police cars. All was well with the kids and I had signed a waiver refusing medical treatment at the scene. We got squared away and the officer poked his head in the window to tell the kids he was glad he was okay. That was Justin's que...he says, "Do you think you could show us how you fire off your gun?" The officer didn't hear and wanted to know what he said. I reluctantly relayed the question. He laughed and said, "I think I might get in trouble for that....I don't think I've been asked that before." I said, "That's because you have met my kids before!"

We were able then to leave and I decided I was really going to go after that cup of coffee now! I deserved it! The bumper on the truck is dented and we have an appointment this Monday for an estimate. Once we were home I took some Motrin because I was really feeling some pain in my back. I got a hold of brad and let him know that we were all okay but told him what happened. Then we just hung out for a little bit. The kids played outside until it was time for supper. Then off to gymnastics and karate. I threw in a trip to the Christian Supply Center so I could get Chonda Pierce's new dvd "This Ain't Prettyville". Then we met our pastor and I gave him the cd and we were homeward bound. Unfortunately both the little boys fell asleep on the way and I had to carry them in the house. Ugh! I got the kids to bed and then I tried to settle down.

I was tired...and the evening just went downhill from there. From strange noises at the door and a growling dog...to seeing things...then finally drifting to sleep and awaking for an unknown reason...to little cuddle bugs visiting and not wanting to go back to sleep but talk...but to then finally find sleep only to have the husband's alarm clock awake me (and remember the husband was gone). It was a long night.

Sonshine Soccer

My little man has started playing soccer. He's doing great! He loves it and this past Saturday he scored 5 goals!! I'm so proud of him. He's enjoying making new friends. It does however make our Saturday's even busier than ever. His soccer game starts at 9 and then Gabe's Karate is at 10:15. We have to drive separately and Brad leaves a little early to get Gabe to Karate.

I love watching all the little kids play. He gets right in and knows what he's doing playing the game. He gets so excited and a little embarrassed when he scores a goal. It's funny. And he keeps track of how many goals he's made. The game before last he made 2 but came close on quite a few others. He said as we were leaving, "I only got 2 goals today, but I came really close on a lot didn't I?" I love watching him progress weekly and truly enjoy himself.

Easter Pic

I know that it has been almost a week since we got to celebrate our Lord's Resurrection, but I couldn't let it go by without posting a picture of the family. Church was wonderful. My friend, Debbie and I sang "I've Just Seen Jesus". I don't think we really did the song justice, but what a message and to think about that time. Can you imagine what was going through everyone's minds when they saw Jesus on the 3rd day. I can't imagine. I can't wait for the day when we can all say "I the Lord...seated on the throne...exalted...." It was not without it's excitement. Let's see Benjamin went to church with dog poo on his shoes and we didn't know until he got into his Sunday School.....I guess it had dried and then he stepped in water and it magnified it's "scent"....then he got a hole in his pants. That kid...I tell you what. We attempted a couple pictures, but with our five kids....yeah. 'Nuff said. :) So, here's one of all of us and one of just Brad and I. At the spur of the moment we had some friends come over for Easter Supper. It was really nice. The kids had a blast and Brad and I really enjoyed getting to visit with some other "adults". We had ham, sweet potato souffle, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, broccoli casserole, rolls, fruit salad, cake, tea, and coffee....Mmmm...

The little things in life

It's definitely the little things in life that make me smile. Yesterday I went to buy the girls mattresses but the store was crazy and would only take credit cards and checks, not cash---and I only had cash. (Benjamin just brought me a tube of his toothpaste...) I went to another store and wasn't impressed there so I ran across the street to Lowe's. I was picking up an organizer for on top of the fridge and I checked out the clearance aisle and found a bistro table and 2 chairs sitting there. It was marked down to 200 bucks, but I talked them down to 170. :D So sitting up on the deck off mine and Brad's room is our nice little bistro set (and he doesn't know yet). He's on a business trip and due home this evening. I hope to be able and surprise him with it. It's 53 out right now and I know that it will be chilly by the time he gets home, but maybe I can have some cups of hot chocolate waiting us.

I'm sitting on the deck right now and Benjamin is with me. He brought me a present too! He was so proud of himself. He came running out on to the porch with my makeup bag. He said, "It has all that you likes!! Open it!" He's so funny. He and I were laughing at Emma because she was chasing a bag out in the yard. The little things...Let's see, the things to make me smile today:

Serenity (in case you didn't know, that's my Espresso Machine)
Haeley is so proud of her sunflower seeds that she has planted. All together I think we have 40 some sunflower sprouts.
Listening to Benjamin sing his "ABCs"---he's actually gotten better at them too!
Getting to see Justin wanting to learn and watching him try and make better choices. He's really trying to control his temper and not lash out. I'm trying to teach him that even when other kids push his buttons he has to control himself.
I love listening to Gabe and Justin beg Jasmine to draw things for them. As far as they are concerned she is the best artist that there is. (And she's pretty good if I do say so myself!)
Having a husband that loves me beyond what I deserve. He really is such an amazing man. He works so hard to provide and take care of us. I don't know what I did right to get him.
Seeing Spring start to bud--I love it! My lilies are taking over and I can't wait to see them bloom. It's gonna be so pretty!

Okay, signing off---gotta get some stuff done.

Trials...

The book of James has been one of my favorite books for years. Since I heard Ginny Owens song "If you want me to" verses 2-4 have meant a lot. But then I started reading on and the whole book is full of wisdom and comfort for me. There are times when we face trials and we don't know why, but I know that if I cling to the truths that are in the Word that I will be able to push through.

James 1:2-8
2. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3. knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4. And let endurance have [its] perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8. [being] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Another passage that I have loved for years is Proverbs 3:5-6. What an encouragement to read, " 5. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. 6. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." I will freely admit that I do not always trust in the Lord. I put my trust in circumstances and people. All things that can and will let me down. If I place my trust in MY Lord, what a peace and comfort that will bring. It is my desire to serve the Lord more each day and to place my trust with Him. I love you Lord.

What Haeley thinks of me

1. What is something Mommy always says to you? Yes and No

2. What makes Mommy happy? Um. Coffee or soda (not so much the soda)

3. What makes Mommy sad? To yell at us, because you don't like to yell at us

4. How does Mommy make you laugh? Justin

5. What did your mommy like to when she was little? You like to be pulled behind a speed boat on a tube. (SWEET!)

6. How old is Mommy? 27

7. How tall is Mommy? 5'11"

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to watch on TV? Uhhh...I don't know what it's called.

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around? Uh....go on her laptop

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? A person who know how to pull behind an awesome outfit with a hairstyle and make-up

11. What is Mommy really good at? Cartwheels and round-offs

12. What is Mommy not very good at? Yelling

13. What does Mommy do for my job? You're a cook

14. What is Mommy's favorite food? (she's scrunching her face up like a rabbit thinking) Starbucks chocolate maybe?

15. What makes you proud of Mommy? How beautiful she is

16. If Mommy was a cartoon character, who would I be? Yoshi

17. What do you and Mommy do together? Shop

18. How are you and Mommy the same? We both like short hair

19. How are you and Mommy different? Mommy doesn't want me to have short hair; I want to have short hair

20. How do you know Mommy loves you? She gives me cool things

21. What does Mommy like most about Daddy? That he's strong and handsome

22. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go? Starbucks and VA to visit your parents

What Jasmine thinks of me

1. What is something Mommy always says to you? To get dressed

2. What makes Mommy happy? When I obey you

3. What makes Mommy sad? When something bad happens

4. How does Mommy make you laugh? When one of asks us like a really weird question to ask

5. What did your mommy like to when she was little? Ummm.....I don't know

6. How old is Mommy? 27

7. How tall is Mommy? Ummm....like 5 feet or something. 5' 10"

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to watch on TV? Ummm....like "Days of our Lives" and this other show (In my defense, I've not watched "Days" in weeks)

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around? Party

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? Being a good Mom and how much coffee you can drink

11. What is Mommy really good at? Being a good Mom

12. What is Mommy not very good at? Mmmm. Forgetting about coffee

13. What does Mommy do for my job? To take care of us

14. What is Mommy's favorite food? Um. Japanese food (YAY)

15. What makes you proud of Mommy? Um. The food you make

16. If Mommy was a cartoon character, who would I be? Queen Esther

17. What do you and Mommy do together? Shop

18. How are you and Mommy the same? We're both girls

19. How are you and Mommy different? Um. You're taller than me.

20. How do you know Mommy loves you? Because you say it every night and how you say it I know you mean it

21. What does Mommy like most about Daddy? Um. That he's a really really hard worker.

22. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go? Starbucks

Fun Fun Fun!!!!

(Outside of DQ)

I'm sleepy, but I'll give a quick recap on the day. Brad had to go out of town and I wanted to do something fun with the kids since I get the bum rap of just being "mom" and not doing the fun stuff like Daddy does. Whatever. ;-) I decided that I was going to take the kids to see "Monsters vs. Aliens" or to Chuck E. Cheese. I really wanted to take them to the movies, but after I read this I decided it wasn't the right movie for my kids. =( I was really bummed, because I really didn't want to go to Chuck E. Cheese. I've successfully avoided it for many years. I didn't tell the kids we were going because if it looked too busy I was going to go to plan B. It didn't look too busy so away we went. I knew once I pulled into the parking lot that I was committed to going so I knew I had to really be ready. As I was pulling into the parking lot I heard Haeley saying to Jasmine, "Slap me. Slap me! I can't believe it!" Hahaha. It was so worth it.

They were so excited and then frustrated that we had to wait in line for a couple minutes and not get into it all right away. This was Benjamin's first trip to CEC. We had pizza and lemonade for dinner and then away to the machines!!! Haeley came in with 150 tickets, Benjamin had 110, Gabe had 86, Justin 81, and Jasmine had 69. They got their prizes and then I was done with CEC!!! As I was driving home, I wanted to add a final touch to our fun....Mmmm....Dairy Queen. The kids thought we were going to a furniture store! The rain had let up and it was in the 50s, so I thought we would go to the window and eat our ice cream out at the tables. Unfortunately, the wind was BITTER cold and we lasted all of 5 minutes...that was from the time we ordered, got our ice cream, and made it back to the truck! The kids had so much fun and I LOVED getting to spend that time with them.

And the BEST part of my day...Justin. He had an AWESOME day. Seriously, awesome. He displayed such compassion towards his sister when he accidentally hurt her. He really was concerned that she was okay and apologized and asked for forgiveness without an attitude. Then a little later, he was supposed to be picking up his toys out of the foyer and I asked him if he had done it yet. He said, "No Ma'am. I'll do it right now." And he did it! He didn't talk back today or give me a hard time! I'm so proud of him! OH! And last night at gymnastics he got his first "rip". In other words, he got his first blister from doing the bars. It has ripped away and is now healing nicely. He is so proud of it too, he's been showing it off to everyone that will look. ;-) Okay, I'm going to put some pictures on here and go to bed!

(These are of Justin being very dramatic with his 'rip'.)

What Gabe thinks of me

Here are Gabe's answers

1. What is something Mommy always says to you? Umm. No when I ask you to play Gamecube.

2. What makes Mommy happy? When I obey

3. What makes Mommy sad? When I die

4. How does Mommy make you laugh? When I do stuff funny to you

5. What did your mommy like to when she was little? Read books

6. How old is Mommy? 26 I think

7. How tall is Mommy? 54 feet

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to watch on TV? NBC news. I mean, NBC

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around? Be on your laptop

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? Cause your best the Mom in the whole wide world

11. What is Mommy really good at? Being the best Mom in the world

12. What is Mommy not very good at? Nothing

13. What does Mommy do for my job? Love us to death

14. What is Mommy's favorite food? Coffee (Me, that's not a food, that's a drink) Gabe: China food, Chinese food

15. What makes you proud of Mommy? When you say we can play Wii

16. If Mommy was a cartoon character, who would I be? I think you would be Daisy (Mario Kart)

17. What do you and Mommy do together? Play Wii together

18. How are you and Mommy the same? Our hearts

19. How are you and Mommy different? That you have a big bottom (He gets no dessert for a year!)

20. How do you know Mommy loves you? Cause you always like pray with me and you love me to death

21. What does Mommy like most about Daddy? That he's crazy.

22. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go? Starbucks

What Justin thinks of me

This is what Justin thinks of me...I'll post the other kids' responses over the next couple days.

1. What is something Mommy always says to you? Tells me to um...umm...umm...mmm..do your ABCs

2. What makes Mommy happy? When there's something that you don't tell me to do and I do it.

3. What makes Mommy sad? When I bite

4. How does Mommy make you laugh? When I um..the day when we were kinda fighting a little, like play fighting playing and you kept on tripping me and I was laughing.

5. What did your mommy like to when she was little? Ummm..I don't know.

6. How old is Mommy? 4

7. How tall is Mommy? 6 feet (I'm 5'4")

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to watch on TV? The news

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around? Cry.

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? I don't know.

11. What is Mommy really good at? Wii on Mario Kary cause of how much stuff you got

12. What is Mommy not very good at? Going on a race against God

13. What does Mommy do for my job? To give us kids healthy stuff

14. What is Mommy's favorite food? Ice cream (It's not)

15. What makes you proud of Mommy? When I'm cleaning my room and you just come in and help me.

16. If Mommy was a cartoon character, who would I be? Peach (Mario Kart)

17. What do you and Mommy do together? Play Wii sometimes and watch movies

18. How are you and Mommy the same? Cause we have the same type pants

19. How are you and Mommy different? Cause you're bigger than me and I'm littler than you

20. How do you know Mommy loves you? Cause when I say, "Could I have a snack?" You don't let me have it right now because you don't want me to get sick.

21. What does Mommy like most about Daddy? Cause he goes to work to get us money so I can buy my own toys.

22. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go? Starbucks, because you need coffee to live!

Slacker Alert

I'm such a slacker. I will freely admit it. I've not posted on here in over a week! What's wrong with me?!?!? Last Friday the girls and I went to see Natalie Grant, Chris Sligh, and Meredith Andrews in concert. Oh. my. word. It was INCREDIBLE!!!! We were about 4 rows from the stage. Got some great pics! Meredith Andrews has got such a beautiful voice and a heart for the Lord--and she's from NC. =) I've already bought her CD. Chris Sligh is fantastic. Seriously. He is a trip and then some. The girls got a kick out of him. They didn't leave singing any of his "serious" songs...they left singing, "Rock stars need money...they can't live on bologna sandwiches..." He really has a great voice and is an awesome songwriter too. Now onto my favorite.

Natalie Grant.

Oh. My. Word.

I know that I'm gushing here, but she so deserves it! I love Natalie Grant. Love her. Jenn introduced me to her years ago. She has such a beautiful voice. She's a very real person. I've been to concerts before where the performers where just that---performers. But that's not how it was at this concert. Natalie came out before each set and introduced the artists. She shared from her heart and shared some about her journey. We had to leave a little early because Haeley was tired and her ears were hurting. I went out with Haeley and then I got Jas and we all stayed in the back for the rest of the show. What I didn't realize was when we left it wasn't over. She did an encore and sang, "In Christ Alone". I was disappointed when I found out we missed it. Oh well, can't do anything about that now.

More later...gotta run.

Praises and Prayer!

I totally believe in the power or prayer. I believe that it was nothing but God's mighty hand that brought the many praises from today. At church this morning we had a new family join. There were 3 kids and the parents. I love it when we have new families, but the bigger blessing was having the opportunity to sit in with the 2 older kids (11 and 16ish) and assist Cindy in leading them down the Roman Road. These kids were so open and honest and really desiring to have that relationship with Christ. As all 4 of us held hands we prayed and both of these precious kids prayed to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior! What an amazing start to our Sunday!!!! Our Lord is so good. He continued to reign down showers of blessings today. Our pastor went and visited baby Colten and his family up at the hospital this afternoon. Baby Colten does NOT need surgery!!! He will have to stay in the hospital for about a week yet, but Praise God he doesn't have to have surgery!

And another praise...I think Justin is finally starting to get ahold of his emotions and handle himself better. We don't seem to be having as many outbursts and when we do have them he is getting quicker to apologize and make things right with everyone. This afternoon on the way to church he got mouthy and told me "Oh Whatever!" He was really snotty about how he was talking. I said, "Justin do you need to say something to me?" He said, "Yeah." I said, "Okay...are you going to say you're sorry?" He says, "No." I said, "Okay, then I'm going to pull over and wait until you have calmed down and are ready to apologize. When you are ready you let me know." So we pulled over into a parking lot and waited. We had plenty of time to spare and I was completely prepared to stay there as long as it took. I think we sat there for about 5 minutes...then I heard, "I'm sorry Mommy for talking ugly to you. Do you forgive me?" Of course I told him yes and then that I loved him. Some days are better than others with him and I'm praising God for the little victories that we are having with Justin. Okay...going to bed now...g'nite.

Still need prayers

Okay, I just got word. Baby Colten has been transferred to another hospital and is going to have surgery Monday. He has some sort of blockage in his nose. Please continue to pray.

Prayers...

I'll keep this short and blog more later, but I'm asking everyone that reads this to lift up a friend of mine, Angie and her family. Angie was pregnant and due April 10, but she had the baby last night. It was a really fast delivery and the baby is not breathing real well. He's in an oxygen thing (I know, I'm so technical) to help him breathe. Please lift this family. Thanks. I'll update as soon as I can.

The Front Bathroom

Okay, so we still have to put the door on the bathroom and I need to paint the mirror, but you can get and idea of how it looks. :)

Don't you just love the toilet? ;-)

What a morning!

My oh my. We managed to get quite a bit accomplished this morning. I awoke to find that we didn't have enough breakfast for everyone. I had cereal for two...we fed the little boys and then everyone got dressed and we headed out the door. I hit the healthy Dunkin Donuts for the kids and then we ran to Starby's for me! From there we went to Plainfield and hit a couple stores. I got new shoes for Haeley, Jasmine, Gabriel, and Benjamin at Stride Rite. Gabe was wearing shoes that were 2 sizes too small and Haeley's were right about the same. We found out that Benjamin's right foot is 1/2 a size larger than his left. He's now in an 11W. Jasmine's foot is 1/2 a size larger than Haeley's. I was lucky to be able to get them shoes from Stride Rite because they are on the end of the children's shoes and can wear both children's or women's. Haeley, Jas, and Gabe's shoes were all clearanced and then an extra 25% off. Benjamin's were just on sale. Thankfully, Justin didn't need new shoes yet!!! YAY!

Next we hit Children's Place so I could get the kids a new pair of jeans. They were 2 for $28 which isn't too bad nor is it too good...Unfortunately we didn't get ANYTHING in Children's Place because apparently they don't sell slim sizes anymore. I know that I have bought slims from in there, but they said the only place to get the slims or huskys are online. Bummer. I decided we would check out Old Navy...so down the strip we went. I found jeans for Haeley, Jasmine, Gabe, and Justin. Benjamin doesn't need any he's got a ton of pants. I did find a tank top and a short sleeved cardigan for me though! Whoo hoo!!!

Away we went for haircuts and a carwash. We got Benjamin and Justin's hair cut and they look mighty handsome. Justin has been begging to get his haircut and he was thrilled to get his hair cut. Benjamin did wonderful! I was a little concerned that Benjamin was not going to do well, because he doesn't usually like people messing with his hair. When we went in he said, "I want to sit in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!" Justin picked the "digger" looking vehicle and he did great as well. Justin always does great getting his hair done though. Then we headed to Mike's Car Wash and got the truck washed and cleaned out and away we went home. So now, it's 1:30 and I'm pooped, but I've got a ton I have to get done on the house today. Which means I'm going to get off here and get busy!

Love Languages

I decided yesterday after another day of me practically pulling my hair out with the sibling rivalry (I put Gabe and Justin in a time out from each other that lasted for a good 5 hours) that I would browse my "Five Love Languages for Kids" book. Oh how I'm glad that I did. I gave all the kids (except Benjamin) the assessment to see what their love language was. It was interesting and enlightening all at the same time! We've been having problems with Justin and his anger for quite some time now and there was a whole chapter devoted to "Love and Anger". I sat out in the garage with Brad last night as he worked on the engine for the Comet and I read the chapter aloud. The book had A LOT to say and it opened mine and Brad's eyes up a bunch on dealing with Justin. I'm hoping that the sleepover will help to alleviate some of the tension that has been building up between the kids.

Justin's primary love language is quality time so I sat down with him yesterday and we played Go Fish and then Memory. And let me tell you---that kid has got a MEMORY on him!!! My word! It was a little embarrassing for me as my 5 year old was kicking my tail on memory. He's good. He loved it though. After we were done, my sweet Haeley wanted to know if Justin wanted to play with her and he ate it up! I loved watching them play together and get along. As the evening went on though, I was noticing a little bit of a sadness in Gabe. I pulled him on the couch and we talked about the day and the way the boys had been talking to each other. He and Justin were missing each other and they apologized for the way they were treating one another. After that, all was well in the Smith household. We then had 5 little "puppies"...they were acting out the parts of the "Buddies" from "Space Buddies" and all the other "Buddy" movies. I love my babies!

A little crazy? Maybe.

Last night I thought it would be fun to let the kids have a sleepover in Gabe's room. Yes, all 5 of them in Gabe's room. Gabe's got a big lot bed with a full size bed on top and a twin pullout on the bottom. So Gabe and Justin claimed the top, Haeley claimed the pullout, Benjamin claimed the futon between the loft and the closet, and Jas took the floor between the pullout and wall. It was going really well until Justin said he was going to throw up. So out of the bed he came and into the bathroom. He didn't throw up, but Brad told him that he couldn't go get back in bed with Gabe because he didn't want him to throw up on any of his siblings. I completely get that, but the little guy was so upset!! So he came into our room where I held him in my arms and rubbed his belly until he fell asleep in my arms. What a precious moment that was for me!!! My little boy may be 5, but he'll still cuddle with his Mama. Here are some pictures of us getting everyone situated...


And then here they all are in the morning sleeping soundly. Justin wound up in our bed. ;)

My boys

You're as pretty as....

I love my kiddos. And I love the things that they say to me. Sometimes I scratch my head after and give a little, "Eh?" Last night I had one of those moments. I was in the school room/dining room writing on the board when Justin came in. Here's the conversation:

Justin: Mommy?

Me: Yes?

Justin: You're as pretty as a toilet.

Me: What???

Justin: (laughing) You're as pretty as a toilet.

I then go into the kitchen and tell Brad that Justin told me I was as pretty as a toilet. He started laughing. And I mean laughing. Then the conversation goes like this:

Brad: Benjamin, tell Mommy what I told you to tell her.

Benjamin: MOMMY! You're as pretty as a toooilet!

Brad is then laughing pretty hard and he says, "I told them to say that you were as pretty as a TULIP!!!!"

So there you have it folks. I'm as pretty as a tulip....or as my boys would say...a toilet. Lucky me. :)