Happy Spring!

This time last week, snow was blissfully falling onto our yard. We woke up to the joyous squeals of children excited to play in the white, fluffy goodness. Today, it was almost 80 degrees. Gotta love the South. With that said, and knowing full well that tomorrow could bring colder temps again (I don't check the weather channel or watch the news), I wanted to take this opportunity, while warm weather is here and say....

HAPPY SPRING!

We snapped this shot before church this morning since the kids' outfits ALL matched (which is no small feat for us) and everyone appeared to be in a good mood.

And, as you can see, we have a new addition to the family. "Baby Callie" is Elizabeth's newest obsession favorite item. It would have been WWIII to get a "family" picture without my dearest grand daughter "Callie." Her "mother" told me that she HAD to be in the picture. *Sigh*...a stick, a grand daughter and a drama queen. Hey, at least Baby D did his part and obliged me with a turned head. Just pretend that you aren't seeing all of Baby Girl's face, and we'll be golden...mmkay?

Pain And Anger

I need to rant. This is the place. If you don't enjoy angry peeved ranting, you'd better leave now.

What in the crap is wrong with Baby D's birth parents? I mean I know what's wrong with them..sorta, but I mean what the crap? They canceled EVERY visit in the month of February (wait...they might have had a visit the first Friday in February, I'd have to check) but STILL. They only saw him twice in January because they canceled all other visits then too.

Last night at 8:00pm, they called the social worker and canceled today's visit? The reason?

"We have some errands we need to run."

WHAT!?!

Okay, lemme make sure I understand you correctly. You've been sick, without healing, for about 2 months straight (although not too sick to file their taxes..but that's another story for another time). Then, when you're finally "well" enough to see your son (the one you claim to care so much about that when the social worker suggests you consider relinquishing your rights, it sends you into a furious rage) you cannot see him because your schedule is so packed with "errands" that you cannot spare TWO FRIGGIN' HOURS to see your baby?

Give me a break. I've been sitting on this all day, and the more I think about it the more angry I get. I'm glad that they are digging themselves into such a hole that on March 16th the judge would have to be blind, dumb and without ANY competent thought what-so-ever to NOT change the plan to TPR (Termination of Parental Rights).

Everytime I think about it I just burn with anger. However, at the same time, I am so filled with sadness for them. Sadness because they do not know what they are missing. Sadness that they don't understand or know a Savior. Sadness because when Baby D is a man, he will have to accept the fact that his Birth Parents didn't do a single thing to try to get him back.

I've felt rejection from a parent and it burns you to your core. It hurts beyond any hurt I've ever felt. To know that I have a parent who knows where I am, that they could have a part of my life, yet they make no effort to really know me, well, it's painful. And it's a pain that my sweet boy will know one day, as he grows into a man.

He doesn't know any pain from them now. All he knows is that I'm his momma, his daddy loves him and he has the craziest siblings, who he loves without fail. But one day, in the not-so-distant future, he will awaken to the realization that they failed him. I pray that when this time comes, that he will know the Father deeply. That he will see the provision that God has made for him and that the pain will be healed by the hands of the One who knows all pain.

Sweet Father, please guard his heart until the time that You can heal all hurts. Guard him Lord until he becomes the man You have chosen Him to be. Give him mercy and compassion for these people who conceived him and allow him to shower them with Your love, unlike any other.

Things That Make Me Go Hummmmm.....

I am still perplexed as to why Noggin would choose to title their new cartoon, "Toot & Puddle." Maybe when they were brainstorming character names, a raging stomach virus was sweeping through the building. Still, every time my kids watch it, I giggle then resist a strong urge to run to the restroom.


I have no idea why Lucas' hair has chosen to take on a life of its own this week and mimic Ace Venture Pet Detective's signature 'do. It was crazy all day yesterday, then after bath last night, it popped right back into its new, altered state.

On Tuesday night, our friends let us watch their 3, very cool kids. Emily and I have always talked about the remarkable similarities between their 3 and our oldest 3. Bailey and Elizabeth are hardcore nurturers and the ideal big sisters. William and Ashlee are affectionate, passionate children with a zeal for life (although I doubt William has quite the dramatic tendencies that Ashlee does). The most similar are Jonathan and Lucas. Both boys are incredibly independent, high energy and hard headed determined. When they first arrived, I was busy getting dinner prepared so I pulled out some playdough and they 6 kids quietly sat down and played (I'm telling you, these are 3 VERY good kids...and then our 3, which at times are questionable). The funniest part was that the kids paired up with their "personality twins" and worked diligently together. It helps that our kids adore them and that they are awesomely patient with ours.


Bay and Biz














William and Ash












J-man and Lucas




















It's hard to believe that my littlest boy will be NINE months old tomorrow. Time has flown by! Baby D now has TWO teeth and started army crawling last week. So I don't understand why yesterday, in the middle of the G.A.L. visit, he decided it was time to pull up, onto his knees. Seriously dude! You JUST started crawling. Let's only accomplish 1 milestone a month, mmkay?

Baby Girl is doing well, and her plan still remains TPR (Termination of Parental Rights). Right now, we are just waiting and waiting. With that said, someone PLEASE tell me why it could take up to a year for the courts to get their ducks in a row so that she could legally be free for adoption?

Yeah, that's what I said.

------

What makes you go hummmm??

Snow Day #2...A.K.A. "The Blizzard"

**I tried to upload a picture slideshow using various sources, but they were all taking too long and I'm ready to go to bed. So, you will only get a few pictures. Anyone know of a good slideshow hosting site that doesn't take 18 years to upload 1 picture?**

You may rembember me posting back in January, when we had snow. Everyone was all excited because, for us southerners, that first snow was a biggie. In all actuality, it was a mere "dusting." Well, this weekend, we experienced what even (some of) you northerners might consider a substantial snow. On Sunday night, it started snowing. By the time we woke up on Monday morning, it had snowed almost 6 inches! Needless to say, the kids were SO excited and ready to go play, play, play. Our day consisted of free snow play, sledding, building snowmen, sledding, having snowball fights, sledding and making snow angels. At the end of the day we had cold hands, red cheeks, tired legs (from climbing sledding hills 15 bazillion times) and hungry tummies. It was a fabulous day that provided many memories that I will treasure forever.

My cuddle girl after a trip down the hill on the sled.

Lucas and Daddy sledding. Yes, he has on a pink headband, but I don't think he really cared!

Daddy and Ash. I don't know why she kept begging to go because she couldn't see a thing!

Me, Lucas and the Masked Mystery Munchkin

Elizabeth flyin' solo. She could have stayed out all day. Mean 'ol Mom made her come in and warm up and nap before heading out again later.

My beautiful snow bunny!

The Best Cuddle Place

Last night, we let Elizabeth stay up a little later than the other kids for her "special time." I asked her what she wanted to do, and her response was,

"Just spend some time with you. I will help you clean up the kitchen if you want."

So sweet. And, I almost took her up on it.

After much deliberation, she chose to watch TV and cuddle. We settled the TV upon National Geographic on a program about rehabilitating dogs. No, not Cesar Milan because I do adore him, but DogTown or DogCity or some such. I couldn't really pay that much attention because for the duration of the show our sweet, hazel eyed, curly headed daughter TALKED AS LOUD AS HER VOICE WOULD ALLOW.
"Why does that dog only have 3 legs?" "Is he okay?" "Where is his other leg?" "Why is he there?" "Are those people nice?" "Are they going to show the dog with 3 legs again?" "How many times does he have 3 legs?"

Yes, loads of questions, all of which Luke and I were unable to answer because we could not hear the TV over the sound of her voice.

Finally, we realized that the TV was on more for "background noise" and cuddled our sweet baby girl. We asked her who she wanted to cuddle with and she replied,

"My heart can't decide. You see, I want to cuddle you both, but there's only 1 of me, so I can't."

"You've got two arms, we can each cuddle one." Luke said.

"Yeah, but I've only got 1 tummy and that's the best cuddle place."

Oh, our sweet baby girl, she's growing up so, so fast.

Makin' Baby's....Food

Although most of my readers probably already know HOW to make baby food, I thought I'd do a baby food making post. The reason(s) being:

1) I couldn't think of anything else.

2) I'm thinking of finally doing a Part 2 to this post, and making my own baby food is ONE way I help save our family money.

3) Because it's my blog and I can.

4) This little guy needed some (half) face time, and as you can see from the dirty highchair, hims likes some baby food.

So, here goes:

Today's lesson will be on how to make baby carrots. With baby food reaching an alarming $.69 a jar, it not only disgusts me to spend that kind of money, but I also can't help but wonder what extra "stuff" they put in it to make it stay the color that it should be (AKA..baby bananas, why aren't they brown?).

Anyway, I start with plain old carrots (or any other fruit/veggie I can find on sale).


Next, I dice the carrots as small as my knife and patience will allow. Smaller cubes means faster cooking time.

After cubing, I steam the carrots in AS LITTLE WATER AS POSSIBLE. I do this because I know that while cooking, the water gets all the good stuff, vitamins, minerals, etc. Then, I can just blend the water right in after they are cooked and I can keep all the goods from the "juice."

When the carrots (or whatever) become fork tender, I place them, a few tablespoons at a time into the blender. I blend after every few tablespoons so that I can get the desired consistency. For Stage 1 baby food, add LOTS of water. As your child progresses through the stages, you can make it lumpier and thicker. Baby D likes his food THICK, so if it's too runny when you go to feed them you can always add some rice (or oatmeal) cereal to thicken it up.

Once pureed to the consistency of your choice, I put my baby food into ice cube trays. Each cube holds about 1 tablespoon of baby food. Baby D will eat as much as 6 cubes at 1 meal!

I cover the ice cube trays in tin foil or saran wrap and freeze for at least 36 hours.

Once the cubes are frozen, I pop them out and bag them in zipper freezer bags.

Yeah, I'm just like a cooking show. I already had a bag of Sweet Potatoes prepared, so that's what you're getting to see.

When it's time to feed your little person, just pop a few cubes into a microwave safe dish, and microwave on high about 10 seconds per cube. Be sure to test the temperature though before you feed your baby so that your little one doesn't get burned.

And there you have it. This is my small way of helping ease the cost of our ever rising grocery bill. What are your secrets to making your grocery bills cheaper?

The Potty Is Alive, With Sound of Flushing!

Potty training is one of the things I never really thought about before I had kids. Sure, I knew kids had to learn to use the potty, but the nitty gritty of potty training never crossed my mind. I never thought I'd pick up large chunks of poop off the carpet without totally gagging. It never occurred to me that cleaning up pools of pee pee would become a daily ritual.

I never thought I'd be so FREAKIN' excited to hear another person pee pee in the potty, much less "puuweep." Such was the case just this morning. I came from our bathroom, walked through our bedroom and heard the sound of liquid going into a potty. Usually, this means Elizabeth has gone, all on her own and is doing her thang. But this morning, I heard such noise (more boldly than I'm used to) and saw Elizabeth and Ashlee resting in our bed, watching cartoons.

I quickly scanned the room looking for Lucas, then I realized that the sound of the pee pee could only come from him (plus, I was tipped off by the velocity in which his stuff was hitting the water). Peering around the corner of the bathroom, I saw the greatest site ever...my 2 (almost 3) year old son, standing in front of the potty, peeing like a champ!

What made this so awesome is that he, for the 1st time, DIDN'T come and find me and ask me to help (or to hold his "wenis.") He did it, all on his own!

Now, if you're not a parent of a potty training aged child, or if you've never been through such years, this may seem like the stupidest post ever. But can I tell you that when Lucas came back to me just 2 minutes later announcing that he needed to "puuweep" it made my heart sing.

Folks, just so you really understand, this brings my daytime diapered people down to TWO, yes TWO. Only two people who now require me to change their diapers every 2-4 hours. 3/5 of my children are now going to the potty on a regular basis. I'm blown away, super excited and a little sad that my babies are getting so big.

So now, enjoy some pictures, courtesy of the our new "easy to go potty" look. The twins are in just undies so that potty access is easy, and Elizabeth, well, she was too concerned with getting paint on her clothes....she's a little OCD.

Oh, one last thing...if you invented flushable wet wipes, I owe you, BIG time. Email me and maybe I'll hook you up with some socks or something.

**Even as I typed this post, both Lucas and Ashlee went potty all by themselves. Sweetness!**

Bizzy And The Jett

We have these friends, good friends, the friends that just "get you." Until 17 days ago, they were the only good friends that we had left, that were still not parents. 17 days ago, they welcomed their 1st born, a precious son named Jett.

Elizabeth and Britt are ultimate "girlfriends." Seriously. I have never seen a 24 year old and a 4 year old "get" each other the way these two do. Maybe it's the common presence of curls, maybe it's the "girly-girlness." Maybe it's because Britt (aka "Girlfriend") is one of those people that kids automatically adore. Either way, Elizabeth, Girlfriend and Ashlee are tight. And one day, I'm sure Baby Girl will be right in the mix, girlfriendin' it up as well.

Elizabeth knew that Girlfriend was having a baby. She has watched Girlfriend's tummy grow, we had talked about Girlfriend's week long labor, complete with contractions that would stop her mid-sentence. We had said that Girlfriend's baby was coming, very soon.

Well, Girlfriend had her baby and one week later, Luke and I left for the mountains. Needless to say, this cut in on Elizabeth's Girlfriend time. So tonight, being the good girlfriend that she is, Girlfriend (and Matt) brought over their new baby boy.

We had hoped it would be a surprise, but when I told (spelled to) Luke that "B-R-I-T-T and J-E-T-T and M-A-T-T" would be coming over tonight, Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks and said,

"Girlfriend's coming over? Is she bringing her baby? Is she bringing Jett?!!"

Apparently, my 4 year old can spell J-E-T-T. Who knew? She was the happiest girl in the world tonight as she perfected her mini-mommy skills on this sweet baby boy.

Technically, I only received permission to post this one picture:

So Matt, close your eyes as I post 2 more, because Jett, in all his cuteness, deserves more than just one picture on ANY blog that he graces.

Oh little boy. This is the first of many, many, many sessions with your new Littlest Mommy. Prepare yourself my boy, prepare.

PS-If you haven't figured it out yet, "Bizzy" is Elizabeth's nickname. Lucas and Ashlee gave it to her when they were first learning to talk, and it's just sorta stuck.

Love, Without Condition

Our week in the mountains was one filled with relaxation, remembering why I fell in love with Luke (that very first time) and rest. However, there was one predominant theme throughout the entire trip. I remembered why I fell in love with my God (that very first time) all over again.

I remember the first time I truly understood that I was important to the Creator of the universe. I can't tell you where I was, or what I was doing, but I remember the humbling, earth shattering feeling. I realized that this God, the One that made the heavens, stars, earth and everything within it loved me, with abandon.

He chose to love me, before I was ever lovable, and sacrificed more than I will ever comprehend just so I can spend eternity with Him. Just typing those words makes tears well up in my eyes. He cares so much about me. This week I was reminded of that time and time and time again.

During my quiet time one morning, He made sure I understood just how much. I was flipping back through a notebook that I keep that is partially full of notes from sermons and Bible studies. I found some notes from Romans Chapter 8:31-39. It grabbed my heart, once more. Since I stink at journaling (hence one of the purposes of this blog) I did not date this original "journal" entry. My guess, from other notes and such, is that I originally wrote it around Thanksgiving of this past year. Here is what I wrote (Edited only with brackets so that you can follow my jumbled mess. It's a little all over the place):

Although I am so full of sin, this sin that makes me feel as if I'm unworthy to even approach the Throne [of God] and ask for forgiveness~I know that since I have the spirit within me - there is nothing that I can't humble myself before God and make right. There is nothing I can do or have done to deserve it anyway [God's forgiveness], so I should approach, repent and be cleansed. Because God gave his Son, why wouldn't I think that there is anything else He would spare to give me all I need (v 32).

(v33) God himself gave me the right standing with him. Although I feel so far from Him right now, I am told that nothing, nothing can separate me from His love (v 38-39).

As I stood in awe of the beauty of untouched nature this past week, God reminded me again, just how much He cares for me. Tiny, inconsequential, speck of the universe...ME

I watched water rush over rocks and sticks and dirt. I saw that each rock, both great and small, was perfectly placed so as the water rushed over it, true beauty was shown. I saw tiny buds of life beginning to form on frozen limbs. I witnessed the peace of a roaring stream and I allowed my soul to get lost in the majesty of a forest.

You see, this same God who so carefully placed each rock, drop of water, tree and branch, He also, with the same care, placed me here and crafted me with even more delicacy. His love for me poured out so richly, so that I too can reflect His majestic glory. As I soaked in all of The Maker's craft, I was reminded of Matthew 6:26.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Yes, He cares for me so much. And if He took this much time to carefully design and create the beauty of nature, how much more must He love me? The answer was breathtaking. Each rock and stream so meticulously placed for our pleasure. His love is so abundant and I am so humbled.

And, the most surprising part yet?

He loves you, and me, just the same, whether we choose Him or not. His love is not conditional. He is beckoning us to love Him, to the best of our sinful ability, so that He can reveal Himself to us piece by piece, drop by drop and moment by moment.

In the peace of the woods, I thought about this post. I thought about the words I would say, hoping to convey the love that I saw, so elaborately displayed for all to see. And, I prayed. I prayed for each of you, reading this, that you would be touched to your core. That you would taste and see for yourself. That you would realize, if you haven't ever before (or maybe realize all over again, as I did) just how much He loves you and that He is beckoning you to come and feel the power of a love, without condition.

Sneak Peek: Vacation Pictures

We are back. It was beautiful, snowy morning when we drove down the mountain, on our way home. The snowiest day that we had seen, which made it bittersweet to leave. We were thrilled to see the kids, and each of them provided heartwarming smiles and squeals when we saw them.

I have a big post coming, with many, many more pics, but it may take me a few days to get everything reorganized and my thoughts gathered. In the meantime, enjoy these few. I promise there are MANY more where these came from.

Mountain Photography: 101

In our quest for breathtaking mountain views (and free internet) we found a place to pull over on the side of the road, hoping to enjoy God's amazing creation and each other's company.

We decided it would be a perfect place for a photo opp, and instead of the regular camera-at-arms-length self portrait, we thought we'd try to prop the camera on top of the car. It is with our new self photography skills that we offer you the following photography tips, incase you're ever in need.

Tip #1) Ensure that the camera is zoomed all the way out, before you take your first picture:


Tip # 2) While recovering from hysterical laughter after viewing the previously pictured...er, picture, make sure that you remember to RE-set the self timer.


Tip #3) Get the zoom right, and even though you can see the hood of the car, realize that this is as good as it's gonna get.

Tip #4) Realize that the beauty of God's magnificent creation is the best subject on which to focus the camera.

36 Hours of Cold Weather Heaven

We've been on our Mountain Vacation almost 36 hours, and already we are feeling relaxed. This morning, we slept until 11am and I woke up, for the first time in a LONG time before Luke, all on my own, feeling refreshed and ready to face the bitterly cold temps. Yes, a seriously cold 37 degrees F. Yes, I know some of you Northerners consider this summer weather, but us thin-skinned southerners think we are facing blizzard-like temps. Especially my fair skinned, red-headed husband, whose self deemed "Cold-Meter" says it's too cold if he "can see his breath."

Yeah, I'm serious.

We checked into our precious little condo, consistent of 1 room (plus a bathroom) that holds the bed, kitchen and "living area" all a quaint 300 square feet. It is seriously the cutest thing I've ever seen. Here are a few quick pictures to tide you over. I don't know how often I will be able to post, as we are currently at a delightful little italian bar and grill eating lunch and stealing using their WiFi.

Our delightful mountain bungalow (do they call mountain places bungalows?) and my Man.

Whilst taking the above picture my back is to

the kitchen.

Before going in for some lunch, we snapped this quick picture of the slopes we are about to ski on.

Oh yeah, can you say Tylenol for dinner?

Packing, Packing and More Packing

The eve of our vacation is finally here. With it comes mountain of work. I have to pack separate bags for each of the babies, get everything ready for school tomorrow morning AND pack my own bag. Luke's on his own and my Mom so graciously has allowed me to skip packing for the big kids because they will still be here!

Whew! This is a lot of work. But 18 hours from now, it will all have been totally worth it. Now, enough time on here...I gotta PACK!

I am hoping that I will be able to at least post once while on vacation, but if not you can always follow me on Twitter. Look out snow...here we come!

Friday Night (Hi)Lights

If you follow me on Twitter, you will already know that Friday night we camped out in our basement with the "Big Kids" (that's Elizabeth, Lucas and Ashlee if you're wondering). We had a fabulous time.

Elizabeth came up with the idea on Wednesday afternoon when she asked,

"Mom, can we go camping tonight?"

I thought about it, and said,

"I don't see why not, but it will have to be inside. Maybe in the basement? How about Friday night?"

A huge grin spread across her precious face. The rest of the week she played "camper" with Lucas and Ashlee. That night we confirmed it with Luke. Then, she threw in a curveball...

"Can we sleep in a tent?"

So, we did. We set up a tent in the basement and had our own little camp out. And the best part? Running water, no bugs, power...this is my kind of camping.

The excitement built as Paw Paw (my Dad) came over Friday afternoon and set up the tent in our basement.

Please pardon the hodgepodge attire and clearly self-dressed children you see pictured. We have come to the age where "me do it!" has superseded my desire to battle them to wear appropriate clothing while at home. Hey, at least they are clothed, which is a major accomplishment for us...as you will see soon with a post I have in the works. And when we go into public I at least make sure that each child matches, sort of. Now, that does not mean that we all wear the same season of clothing. For example, this morning Elizabeth clearly wore a springy sun-dress to church, while Ashlee adorned more of a fall/winter dress. But hey, everyone was clothed and no one had a melt down.

Anyway, back to the campout. The kids "helped" Paw Paw set up the tent.

Then, it was time to test it out.

Earlier in the day, while helping Ashlee go to the potty (which she is doing by herself now, only requiring diapers at nap and bedtime...YIPEE!), my nose reminded me that bath night could not be pushed off one more day.

In an effort to distract them from the tent, we went back upstairs and took baths. Luke gets off work late on Friday nights. I wanted him to experience some of the excitement and so I banished the kids from the basement until Daddy was home and could escort them downstairs. I should have known that this would only INCREASE the excitement, and by 7:30 when Luke got home, they were about to bust.

We made hot dogs, the camp out food of choice, and ate downstairs. We played for a bit in the tent, and then it was MOVIE time. The kids snuggled up into their sleeping bags and we all settled down (onto a very hard basement floor) and enjoyed the show.

Once the movie went off, it was game time. We made silly faces, wrestled, went on "Bear Hunts" and played made up games, all within the confines of the tent. Then it was time for outside the tent fun. We played floor puzzels and attempted a very bad game of Chutes and Ladders. (Note to self: Do not play counting games when 2/3 of your gamers cannot count in sequential order.

"two...five....eleventeen...three!" was Ashlee's favorite move.)

Anyway, we decided it was time to begin to settle down and have a snack, so we tuned into our second movie of the night and enjoyed some popcorn.

By the time our second movie went off, Ashlee was long asleep and Lucas and Elizabeth were desperate for some Z's themselves. Luke and Lucas retired to the tent, while Elizabeth and I slept on the pullout sleeper sofa. Ashlee didn't move a muscle and snored the night away in her sleeping bag on the floor. We ushered in Valentine's Day (yes at midnight) as we tucked ourselves in and slept under the glow of the stars hallway light.

It was, without a doubt, the BEST campout I've ever been on. And although my back still hurts beyond belief (from a very uncomfortable night on a sleeper sofa) and my kids were up 4 hours past their bedtimes, it was so worth it. I know we all made memories that we will laugh about for a very, very long time.