Pictures of Forest

These are photos of the last few weeks. His biggest events in life are a bath and sleeping. Sometimes he watches a cute baby praise or baby einstein movie. Oh to have such a mundane life. (sigh) I post these and reflect with a considerable pause and a great deal of humility. My heart is heavy but oh so thankful. I stop and think so many things. I don't deserve this precious boy. I miss Phoenix so much. I can't believe Ava is still here. What a blessing. I can't believe my other 2 are so big. I can't wait for the pain of this life to stop and joy of eternity to begin for all of us, but, if it all brings us closer to our Saviour and makes us more like Him. OK. Here we are Lord, make our hearts a living sacrifice.

Bear Patch

Tonight, Parker was awarded his Bear Patch for Cub Scouts. It has been a crazy year for everyone in our den. (and that is an understatement I promise) It really is amazing that any of us were able to be there and that we actually managed to get them to their patches. ((sigh)) I'm so glad we went to Day Camp this summer. Turns out we got almost all of our achievements done then. I can't say enough about scouting. Parker just LOVES it. We have been to camp outs, done Rain-gutter Regattas, Pine Wood Derbies, soap carving with knives, flag ceremonies... on and on. So many memories in 2 short years already. I am so proud of him! Each February, they have the Blue and Gold Banquet and the boys get to be awarded in front of a ton of people. Friends and family and all the cub scouts of Pack 32. We got to watch the Webelos graduate to "Arrows of Light". On they go to Boy Scouts now! It was a moving ceremony. (although- sorta new age-ish) Everyone is so light hearted and full of support for these boys. In the middle of it all, there are many small kids running around under our feet. I just love it. Yes, it is all on a shoe string and not very fancy...but that makes it even better. OK, sorry about the commercial. It was a fun night.

and yes, I know... can we say haircut? (: I'm gettin' there.

Gotta love Monday

OK, I have from 8:30-10:00 on Mondays to clean the kitchen after breakfast (if I managed to get breakfast by then) and jump through the shower before Forest is back up and ready to eat again. That really isn't long enough, but I can make it work, IF I don't have interruptions. LOL
Mommy: I'm heading to the shower right after I clean the kitchen so you guys get started on your schoolwork,OK?
Everyone: OK
I begin cleaning...
Rachel: Mommy, I need your help.
Mommy:OK (I head over to help with math)
Parker: Mommy, I need your help.
Mommy: OK (I head over to help with grammar)
Tim: Christy, can you come look at this real quick?
Mommy: OK (I head over to look at the computer)
I begin cleaning...
Rachel: Mommy, I need your help.
Mommy: OK (I head over to help with math, again)
Parker: Mommy, I need your help.
Mommy: OK (I head over to help with math)
Tim: Christy, can you come look at this?
Mommy: OK ( I head over to look at the computer)
REPEAT process 5 more times...

Later in the bathroom...

Mommy turns on shower...baby starts crying. (:

((sigh)) I may not be appreciated... BUT, I AM NEEDED.

(:

A Square Peg in a Round Hole?

I love having friends that I can discuss the "deeper things" in life with. Recently I had some conversations that got me thinking about some of these "deeper things". I used to do that often but my life has been consumed with school and various dance practices, soccer practices, cub scouts etc.to the point of not having time to slow down and reflect. My husband is constantly talking about the necessity of pulling away and letting God speak.
My guess is, He is constantly whispering in His still small voice, but I am rarely listening. I am lately being reminded of the importance of this in many different ways. When everything seems to be pointing to the "same truth" in life, do you think maybe God's trying to say something? In my case, He's saying "LISTEN!" It's easy to just think, well everyone else is doing such and such...It must be good. Hmmm...I know that is not how I should be making my decisions. BUT, when you're surrounded by good, Bible believing Christians... it seems easy enough... wouldn't God want us all to do the same thing??? Well, Yes, and No. There are certainly some absolute truths laid out in His word that apply to us all. No doubt. But, then there are the decisions in life that aren't spoken to specifically in His word. What do we do about those? Well, I know one absolute truth, "You can't fit a square peg in a round hole." "Is that in the Bible?" you say. No, but God created this universe and in it are some absolute truths that He didn't bother having people write into the Bible... like E=MC2 etc. Like, water can be in 3 forms, solid, liquid, and gas. See where I'm going? OK... so it follows that it IS absolute truth that You really can't fit a square peg in a round hole. You just can't.
That applies to life in many ways. In my case, What if I'm a square Christian standing around a bunch of round Christians? Do I jump in the same round hole that everyone else is jumping into? I could I guess, but then I would shave off my edges and become round... not the square that God made me to be.

So... I'm gonna hit my knees and find my square hole. Maybe I've found it... I just want to make sure I'm hearing right. Maybe I'm surrounded by a bunch of square Christians. I have a feeling I'm surrounded by some square, triangle, round and octagonal Christians. All called to serve the same God, in different ways. All I'm saying is, I need to take more time to listen to what He has for ME.(and my family) I'm sure it will be exciting to hear...

Roman History and a "hair-do"

We have been studying Greece and Rome this year. Of course, we have discussed all kinds of boring details about their form of government etc. However, my 8 yr. old son just keeps taking it back to questions about war and battle. Of course... That's my boy. (: So... when I heard that Charlie Daniels would be speaking on the Romans and ESPECIALLY the Roman "warrior", I knew we had to go. He had the helmet and dagger and sword to show us. Parker just lit up when he realized that he would get to touch them. It was fun. Rachel enjoyed it too. Forest was happily (and cluelessly) snoozing in his stroller.

After the Roman fun... we headed to Tulsa for some memory making with their cousins. I love watching them all play together. Rachel has moved into a more "baby-sitter" like roll with them and Parker is around to stir up excitement. They instinctively think that if he looks at them, he is going to chase them. So, at times, the excitement is too much and it turns from giggles to tears real fast. (: I wish I had it on video. It's hilarious. They do all play well together though. I love visiting with my sister in law too. She is so creative and fun. She's always able to laugh about even the hard things. I'm so lucky to have a great family. Anyway, as you can see in the picture, Rachel was doing hair. They even let her put on their make-up. Then afterwards daddy called (my brother Joe) and Jossie (the 2year old sitting in the floor) grabbed the phone and held it out and said "Daddy, don't I look 'boo-tiful'??"
(: Ohh, classic. It was adorable. I love them dearly. Hope you all have a good weekend.

Fish Oil

OK, I know I have told almost everyone I know about the miracle that "fish oil" has been in my life.(really it's Omega 3) Well...guess what I did??? I missed taking it for 2 days. YIKES!!! I am telling you, it was like a scene from a horror movie. I just stopped talking and smiling and spent the whole time trying to keep the lump in my throat from jumping out and screaming at everyone. It wasn't the days I missed that were bad. It was the following days. I took my vitamins but my body had to get stabilized again I guess. Man, O Man, I won't do that again. I hope no one is walking around feeling like I felt. It was not pretty. Every single thing I thought about overwhelmed me. I just wanted to crawl in a hole and tell everyone to leave me alone.

Anyway, I'm back to normal now and feeling so much better. My poor family. I'm so sad I didn't find Omega 3's sooner in my life.

By the way, I'm about to get Rachel her own blog...she has taken over mine!!! (AND...they don't USUALLY get to play video games ALL day.) Just had to defend my parenting skills a little there. (:

Ice,Ice and more Ice

Today it's all slick and Ice is everywhere, on days like this we sit at home and play video games almost all day. I personally think it's kind of fun staying home rather than having to do school. Parker and I usually go outside and eat all the icicles off the table in the back yard. Sometimes if the ice is slick enough we get a lid from one of the boxes upstairs and go down the drive way, but today the ice in our backyard is all bumpy and weird looking. Forest is being a pill today and crying all the time, this morning we put on baby Einstein and he loves watching movies and especially that one, he also likes to watch praise baby, it's really fun to watch him smile at the t.v. When we watch movies on movie nights at home he also enjoys watching those. My dad is actually going to the office this morning and I wonder how the roads are. We canceled our Home school deal this morning so mom said I don't have to do school, THANK GOODNESS. although I LOVE going, I'm still enjoying my self.

Anyway I hope none of of you have to go anywhere.
RACHEL

A cold night

Well, it was a long day of school and running and MAN was it cold. So, when we finally got to settle in for the night, this is what happens. Yes, that's my kids teaching their 3 month old brother all about Nintendo DS. All I can say is, at least they aren't playing 4 square or running and screaming through the house. It has been a LONG WINTER. My last nerve is almost frayed and the warmer weather has GOT to be around the corner. These kids need to play outside!!! (:

Let's just hope and pray that we don't get whatever is going around. That's not what we need right now. We prayed for everyone that we have heard about being sick in the last 48 hours. Hope everyone is on the mend. Good night.

A Post from Rachel

Hello everybody this is Rachel,
I really wanted to have a blog where I could go and type about my day so my mom said I could share hers.
I am eleven years old I have two brothers, one is eight and one is almost three months. I do dance at stage art productions and I am going to start soccer in the spring. I have a hairless cat and his name is Aslan, he thinks he's the center of attention.(: I am home schooled and every week the home school group gets together on a Thursday and does a school together with all the home schoolers, it's really fun. I also do piano lessons and I am in book two and I am learning left hand. I have ten webkinz and I have one build a bear.
I was also going to tell you if any of you all have build a bears you can play with them online! but if you don't have your birth certificate then you can still get on but you can do almost nothing. My friend told me that it's as good as webkinz! I got on and got my birth certificate out and apparently my birth certificate didn't have a code, if yours doesn't have a code you have to go to the build a bear workshop at the Tulsa Woodland Hills Mall and ask for a welcome pass. I would bring your build a bear. anyway I'll stop talking about build a bears.

Not up at 5 a.m.

Just to clarify...my blog time is off. I was typing at 7:30a.m. not 5:30a.m. I'll try to fix it. Trust me, I would NOT feel like singing and dancing at 5:30a.m. (: YUCK.

Forest

Well, I guess the biggest thing people want to know about in our lives is little Forest. He is doing great. I will post more pictures of the rest of the kids later. I have to get some taken. Long story but somehow when I switched computers...all my photos are permanently locked up and I can't transfer them anywhere. We've tried all kinds of things. This is a picture of him sleeping happily on his first trip with the family to Big Cedar. While he was sleeping, daddy,sister and brother were horse back riding. It was great fun for them. I'll try to post a picture soon.

Have I said that I am a morning person?? I am SUCH a morning person! I wake up and I feel like singing and dancing! BUT... after 7p.m. I can barely form sentences. Isn't that sad? I'm sure it will get better. With nursing and not sleeping as much as I need to, I just don't have a ton of extra energy. (I guess). Maybe I'm making excuses? Today is not my favorite day. We have lots of running to do. I don't like dragging Forest around everywhere but I think that is just how it will have to be. I must go now so I can get the kids to their dance and tumbling this morning. Yes, Parker does tap too. He tolerates it and it is good for his coordination. I don't think I'll be able to talk him into another year of it though. (:

Not too funny

Well, I am beginning a blog page so I can just do "normal entries". I long to not be sad every time I post on my blog. However, I am hesitant. I have read many blogs and I feel very inadequate. I do much better at my sad story than I do just rambling about every day life. I find it quite boring. I hope you don't. So many of you have so many insights and funny stories. ((sigh)) Oh well, I guess I'll just be me. I also need to learn how to bring my blogging skills into the 21st century. I can barely do e-mail. (:

Right now, Daddy is rocking baby to sleep. Older kids are in bed and the naked cat and I are hanging out on the computer. (literally) He sits on it because it is warm. (I guess if I were naked all day every day I would be looking for a warm spot too.) At this particular moment I am trying to figure out how I have gotten myself committed to so many early mornings. ??? There must be a way out... I will keep thinking on it. One of the reasons I liked to home school is because we weren't rushing out the door in the mornings. What happened to that? Hmmm???

By the way, Like the title of my page? I thought that fit our family. We are all nature lovers and also... a little crazy. Especially the boys. Anyway...