Thursday, October 25, 2012

Thankful Thursday

1.  Cold front.  I may be wishing it away at tomorrow night's football game when it's in the 30's and my little ones are all freezing!  But for today?  I love it.

2.  Going to try this recipe for the first time, tonight.  Yum!  Maybe Son (#3) will make us some chocolate chip pumpkin muffins when he gets home from school.

3.  Somewhat "final" diagnosis for Daughter (#6), yesterday.  Not serious.  Although it has a rather vague cause and treatment. The Lord knows.  Trusting Him for direction.

4.  A clean house.  The kids all pitched in a got it done, yesterday afternoon.  It was a zoo, but they worked hard and accomplished an amazing amount.

5.  The blowing leaves, the pots of pansies and mums, the cloudy sky.  Ahhhhh. . . Fall.

6.  Sweet friends who check up on us (Tuesday's post was just for them!) and pray for us.  We are so blessed.

7.  Coffee date with two of my boys on Tuesday.  I love them.  Even when they rope me into taking them to the pet store.

8.  Watching my girls play school together in the afternoons.  Watching the big kids play games together in the evenings after the littles are in bed.  Brings me joy.

Time to get my little home schoolers some hot cocoa and get in the shower.  I may or may not have completely missed getting a shower, yesterday.  Ugh.  And I may or may not have said (in the past), "I will never be one of THOSE moms who doesn't even take a SHOWER every day."  And now I have eaten my words, once again.

Not the first time.  I'm sure it won't be the last.

Thank you, Jesus, for giving me another day to seek You, adore my husband, love on my kids, care for our home, cook a warm meal, fold fresh smelling clothes. . .

Blessed.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Life at the Troops. . .

It hasn't crossed my mind to post anything, lately.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe my creativity is stalled out.

But this blog is how I keep up with those of you who love and pray for us (and aren't on Facebook - ha!). . . so I figure an update is in order.  So for all of the Aunts AND the rest (that's you, Sara!). . .

We celebrated Daughters's (#7) EIGHTH birthday on the 13th.  My precious baby girl.  She's not so little, anymore.  Thankfully, after a rough illness and a tough transition back into school?  She's doing great.  Talking on the phone to her BFF every afternoon.  So cute.  I have pictures of her birthday.  Somewhere.

Last week was Fall Break.  We packed up and headed to the farm, in spite of multiple commitments in "town" each day.  Lots of driving, but the quiet moments out there were worth it.  Such a beautiful time of year!  And I didn't take one. single. picture.  (sigh)  Football was Thursday night last week, and son played well against a tough team.

On Thursday I finished a 10 day raw juice fast.  It was hard.  But good.  Glad I did it.

The kids had a friend's birthday on Saturday, so the younger five had pizza at Grandmother's and Granddad's house so the coach and I could have a date night.  Ahhhhh.  There are not words for how much that refreshes, encourages, and strengthens me.

I LOVE Fall.  I love the leaves on the ground (even though the Coach can't wait to rake/mow them!).  I love the pansies, mums, and ornamental kale that Son (#3) planted for me. I love the colors.  I love the cooler weather (not the wind - but we have that ALL year!).  It's my favorite season.

And this week?  Started at the hospital, yesterday morning, for Daughter's (#6) scope (EGD).  She was under general anesthesia, but all went well.  The scope was clear, the doctor and anesthesiologist were great, much to be thankful for.  We are both tired, today.

Yesterday was Daughter's (#2) first basketball practice of the season, and Son's (#3) last Jr. High game.  Not just for the season, but since he's an 8th grader. . . his VERY last Jr. High game.  Next year he'll be a freshman.  How is that possible?

All is well.  It's a busy, busy time of year, but we are enjoying it.  I'm grateful for the Lord's grace and strength.  Every moment of every day.

Now to get back to an abbreviated day of homeschooling from the sofa. . . while Daughter (#6) catches up on her rest.  I can't believe it, but I think ALL of the troops will be home for dinner tonight!  Yay!

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Monday This and That

The sun is out this morning.

As much as I LOVE dreary weather, I'm grateful for the cheer of the sunshine, today.  We need it at the troops!

SO blessed to have my mother walk in, this morning, fold four loads of laundry, take the kids on a walk to look for leaves (while I put the laundry away and start dinner), iron four shirts, and remind me that I have the most wonderful husband.

Because I do.

Our playroom has been converted into a "nursery".  Over the weekend, we pulled all of the Bitty Babies out of storage and the girls have been playing non-stop.  Complete with a laptop to play iTunes and keep track of the babies "schedules".

Little Man just came in a said "I think this baby needs an antibiotic."  This may or may not be a result of the fact that we had some sort of doctor's appointment every. single. day. last week.  Yikes.

I am so very grateful for the Coach's help with Daughter's (#6) lesson planning.  And checking each evening to make sure the work is done.  Why didn't this occur to me the first time we home schooled?  Or the second?  He IS the teacher!

Friday night's football game was COLD.  Really too cold for comfort.  But homecoming was fun.  For those of you who haven't seen on Facebook, yet, here is a picture of Son (#1) as the Junior attendant.  This girl is a sweet friend of ours and it was fun to see them out there, together.  I have no idea how she handled the smell (since homecoming followed a very intense football game!).  Bless her heart.



I wish we had taken a picture with all of the troops, but alas. . . they are never all in the same place at the same time at football games.  I'm lucky if we get out of there without leaving someone behind!

Here are the Coach and I with our boy.  Love them both so much.



It seems like over the last few months, the Coach has had to carry more and more of the work load around here.  He's taken over the finances.  The bill paying.  Now the homeschooling.  Even helping with the majority of the discipline issues that arise.  All things I used to be responsible for.

I don't know why I can't seem to handle it all just now.  But I'm grateful for a husband who steps up and makes sacrifices to keep things going here at the troops.  On top of a job that is several full-time positions rolled into one. . . and coaching football and basketball. . . and teaching Sunday School.

And when I feel guilty that I need so much HELP to make it, he just smiles and says, "We're a team."

I love him.


Other than that, there's just the learning obedience part of life, the learning to get along part of life.  Lots of clothes to wash and food to cook and dishes to wash and messes to clean up. . . and a WHOLE lot of laughing (with some tears thrown in along with way).  

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

So I shouldn't grow weary.  But I do.  How grateful I am for these verses, too. . . (from last year's BSF Isaiah study. . . )

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, [that] the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? [there is] no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to [them that have] no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint."

Thankful that MY GOD does not grow weary.  

Happy Monday!