if you don’t count last night i can’t think of the last time i went away, overnight, alone.

the cousins & aunts sent out group texts last month with invites for a girl weekend – conference, speaker, slumber party, red velvet … the whole 9 yards.

i talked mom into going – here she is trying to figure out where we were : )

this is really not a fair picture since it chopped out my lovely cousin on one side & aunt on the other.

here they are : )

rex sent me this picture of chady -

which i thought was just dreamy ’til i read his text that said ……

i got this picture this morning –

then this …..

4 of the kids, sick all night, throwing up, one after the other, all over him, all over everything. chad’s 1st true throw up sick … and i was gone.

i’m telling ya, he wore a cape. he was superman for a rough 24 hours.

us girls, meanwhile, had fabulous time.

- – -

it’s a good thing you don’t smell pictures …. my turn for the cape!

i’mnotgettingsick. i’mnotgettingsick. i’mnotgettingsick.
it’s been quite the weekend and it’s only saturday night.
: )

- – -

rex walked around target tonight with a green irish head thingy that said kiss me on his head. he wouldn’t take it off till i obeyed the instructions.

i had to kiss him in the crayon aisle.

true story.

- – -

i wish amie wasn’t in a time zone 2/3 of the country away. the song playing on pandora is reminding me of her & i’d probably call her up and talk if it wasn’t for the whole time zone difference.

- – -

regan was the first of our kids to have a walker …. so somehow babies in walkers are still a new ish sight to me.

it slays me every time. he flat out moves in that thing.
he’s darling & looks like such a dork at the same time – lol.
amie will understand how darling & dork can be used in the same sentence.

granted the hood isn’t helping his over all look : )

but as his little bit of hair shows, it was actually pretty windy that afternoon.

head down bud, you’ll make it!

i love him. to death, i love him.

- – -

i should ….
be in bed
or taking a shower
or finishing up school work for tomorrow
or as rex thoughtfully pointed out tonight … maybe its time to remove the chipped finger nail polish off the last few of my fingers

but i’m still up because life takes work.

doesn’t it!

more & more i marvel at that. he works all day. i work all day. he comes home, we say hello & kiss & then we work our tails some more ….

we just do it together then : )

and sometimes we say hello, kiss & then say good bye ’cause someone has to be somewhere.

he’s in bed … he was up at 2am this morning. and he still managed to take me out for burgers & milkshakes & a parent meeting about upcoming events. (on top of the bit of irish at target)

’cause [gasp] we’re parents! and our kids are doing more now than taking naps in the afternoons : )

he takes really good care of me.

- – -

1. she was put out with the pig tails i put in her hair ’cause & i quote ‘cowboys don’t wear pigtails’
2. she got over her bad cowboy hair & shared her ‘horse’ with benny
3. the 3 youngest in a new wagon … i don’t know why its posting blurry
4. chady adding his own accompaniment
5. lacy sock, shiny shoes, skinned knees. i heart 3 year old girls.
6. her first bike ride … again blurry ??
7. taming the mane – wowzers, it goes big quickly
8. the boys
9. cousins –
10. they were reading during school …. out loud, loudly : )
11. the beauty that is almond blossom
12. a family picture … sorta … not really … but kinda
13. poor benny on sunday morning – daylight savings was rough
14. this was before he found the kiss me ones!

- – -

i think we’ll be in the same bed for like an hour & a half tonight … time to get back to all those ‘i shoulds’
and then we’ll start a new day!

hello brown eyed ben -

- – -

jack likes saturdays.  it’s the day he wears his camo pants because & i quote ‘i can play all day’ apparently camo pants don’t work on school days.

he was crushed this morning when he realized rex was working. now he has to wait all the way till next saturday to work with dad.

he just came in & asked when dad was coming home. after all its 11:37am, its in the afternoon & its wAy past 4 o’clock!

: )

he & ben have been planning on buying a horse & turning the front grass into its pen. before that they were asking for old towels so they could be indians.

saturdays are an important day of the week to jack.

i like them too. i like to make muffins on saturdays. we read tons of library books this morning while they baked, just ’cause we could & didn’t have to get anyone to school.

getting to school on time is important to sailor and she works very hard to make sure it happens. they get an extra recess every 5th time they’re there on time.

she likes to be on time in general …. working around 7 other people makes that tricky sometimes – poor child!

molly had been wearing sailors clothes the last 2 days saying she is sailor. sailor’s shirts, sailor’s sweaters, sailor’s flip flops & her own princess skirt.

she looks like a little brown headed sack with legs sticking out since sailors clothes are obviously way too big on her.

i’m not sure how she managed a perfect ring of thin mint chocolate around her lips ….

i think it’s darling …. i have no idea what having an older sister is like. molly makes it seem really great.

there are spring flowers sitting on the table from my mother in law. i’ve given up on having a little bowl of candy sitting with them.

it’s obvious the kids get their self control from their mom dad – the bowl is always empty : )

the little girls are whispering under the covers in our bed. they have their babies. its the 3rd morning in a row for an unmade bed. i think they’re feeling pretty motherly.

- – -

didn’t i just say how i loved the sound of training wheels on the drive way? all last week she did circles around & around – it was little girlish & spring time & country & beautiful.

this week though, i saw her out on her own with an old bike of the boys & she came in all excited and said ‘i.did.it!!’

ben helped her take the training wheels off her strawberry bike & just like that sister went & taught herself how to ride a bike.

ahh ….

today her skill level has improved enough to carry a purse full of girl treasures.

- – -

a chad commercial –
he was tickled over the sounds he was making with his tongue … till he found his thumb.

- – -

we chose a walk over naps yesterday. it’s been completely gorgeous lately. we are surrounded by hundreds of acres of orchards & this time of year they blossom ….

when you’re not in an orchard, there’s acres & acres of open fields –

they were tigers sneaking up on the girls

- – -

the whole missing naps only lasted so long …. he was tired & slept all the way home : )

- – -

- – -

it’s actually really after 4 now, lotsa interruptions!
rex is just about home.

the few bites i had of chad’s broccoli lunch have completely worn off. i’m thinking a batch a cookies would bring smiles a few faces around here.

so i think that’s what we’ll do next.
~

 

chapter one is called ‘i write’

i don’t read other blogs. i don’t just surf facebook.

i just write. i have an entire package of thin mints that i’ll honestly probably eat till they’re gone.

i have music playing ’cause i like music playing when i write.

rex just asked if i needed anything …. i really was hoping the black socks would convince him to rub my feet : ) he likes my black socks.

so here’s the deal ….

oh, hold on, i can’t type ’cause he’s actually rubbing my feet & it feels too incredible.

…. where were we : )

i have a new blog …. i actually think i have several
my ridiculously.seriously ridiculously smart brother in law came to my rescue. i’d signed up to so many i didn’t remember passwords or user names or emails. i have my own .com place and didn’t know how to work it. he is just that good & helped me archive years of posts. i have no idea what he did. he set everything up & now i’m suppose to pick one & figure it out. and then he’ll do whatever he still needs to do & wa la, it will all be set.

and here’s the problem – in case you didn’t know there was a problem! i have this whole vision in my head of how this new blog should look, cause its new, it obviously needs a new look. so on top of just not having tons of extra time lately i’ve held off waiting for some spectacular inspiration to hit.

i will provide links, promise.
but the inspiration hasn’t hit : )

rex wants to know if i’m cramming – that was his word – cramming everything i’ve missed into this post.
i said yes.
so here we go.

i woke up the other morning to this. she was ready to run with the kids.

this is a blurry, unattractive picture but a happy moment : )

just because she was cute.

he ransacked my purse & found chocolate –

cowboys must have long sleeve button up shirts

if we’re adding the elk & deer the ranger saw, then we should draw them too. i drew the ranger.

those never made it to instagram : )

- – -

i’ve had real parent moments this week.

like 3 nine year old little girls in the back of the car – talking & giggling & being friends. i drove down the road speechless really over the fact that one of those 9 year olds was mine. it felt like i was playing house … surely i’m not old enough myself to be her parent. their conversation was hilarious – they were discussing how high the high heels were that some of the college girls at church wore. super funny.

next – i sat on a baseball field this week watching jack at practice. like on a real team. it was such a real parent sort of thing to do.

he plays for the bulldogs & he is super excited. i brought chocolate orange sticks & his younger brother & called out ‘way to go jacky!!’ as he hit the ball when he was up to bat.

real parent moments are also wiping snot off 3 year old little faces & changing diapers & driving kids to music lessons & pouring milk into bowls of cheerios & doing loads of laundry & taking kids to school. but i guess the others are just proof that life is not all babies anymore.

but lets talk about babies now : )

chapter 2 –

remember these …..

i can’t even say he turned one last month, it’s been that long! but 1.28.13 was his first birthday. it’s embarrassing in light of the party his sister had when she turned one to say he spent the morning in the nursery & the afternoon with grandma & that evening his mom & dad left him again for a tax appointment.

but when all that was done he had his first ever cupcake & we sang happy birthday.

he liked it.

years go fast don’t they?

i love this boy. i love how he’s only 13 months & i’m still his favorite person. i love how he crawls as fast as he can to keep up, his little hands slapping away on the hardwood floors. i love how he puts his lips together & breathes loud & fast out of his nose. i love how he talks. i love how he carries random things around with him, a ziploc bag, a dirty sock, a little toy, a spoon. i love how he smiles when i say good morning to him.

i love how just when i think he’ll probably never fall asleep in my arms at night, he does it again & i just sit & hold him ’cause the years go fast.

i love how he doesn’t walk yet, he hasn’t had a hair cut & he is still nursing.
you can’t keep having babies just because you love babies – but he’s a fabulous way to go out ; )

- – -

chapter 3.

3 things i’m in love with right now.

1. the sound of training wheels on the driveway. seriously i could close my eyes & just listen to it. it means so many beautiful things.
2. the smell of almond blossoms – the breeze is blowing in the smell right now. yes, it’s 12:27am & we have the window opened in our room. it’s california and it’s march.
3. this song - listen to it. especially these lines – ‘where sin runs deep, Your grace is more. where grace is found is where You are. where You are, i am free.’

do you know how deeply true that is! ahhh –
where sin is, grace is more. where grace is Jesus is. where Jesus is there is freedom.

give grace.
give it to your husband, give it to your kids. give it to others. give it to yourself.

chapter 4.
instagram.

- – -

chapter 5 – last saturday was the first run of the season.

mom & chady stayed warm together

- – -

chapter …. what number are we on? this one is called boys.

jack had a birthday ….. [cough] back in january. we don’t usually do big parties, but rex got this idea & he is very good at making idea’s happen. so jacky had a party this year : )

they survived : )

- – -

would you like 3 words to describe the boys right now? cowboys. baseball. camo.

see : )

 

- – -

chapter, next.
is called go outside. fresh air is good for you. for you children. for your health & theirs.
we have an incredibly small house & an incredibly large piece of land. 

- – -

we balanced the camera on the applesauce – memories are worth remembering.

the end : )

my mom doesn’t ask why i haven’t posted because she has a slight idea of the 20 million other things going on in my life.
my sister does ask why i haven’t posted because she’d like to know about the 20 million other things going on in my life.

but then rex goes & says he really does check every day to see if i’ve posted.
so here’s a little something – i mean, look at this ……

life is so beautiful.

- – -

it’s dark & his nose is smashed – but i still like.

i stayed up tonight. i cleaned the kitchen. i picked up dirty laundry. i wrote in homework notebooks. i found enough quarters to pay for the jobs i want done tomorrow. i took the last clean towel from the cupboard for a hot shower.

rex bought a new bath towel for me before christmas. it’s the only towel we’ve bought in almost a dozen years of married life.

the rest all came from bridal showers years ago. they look more like what you’d use to dry your car with after washing it …..

anyway i took the last one.

he did bring home new socks & a chocolate cake tonight.

i made soup & lit a candle.

sailor, jack & benny went to the ‘beach’ ’till they all came running back saying there was a dead coyote in an irrigation box.

i have used the atm machine 4 different times in the last two days. we ran out of checks …..

he says he would trust his life to me in nearly every area – except my ability to use an atm …. and order fast food.

it.is.not.my.fault.

when they give you three options $20, $40 & $60 but there are 4 buttons on the machine – seriously how are you suppose to know if it starts at the top and goes down so the last button means nothing or starts at the bottom and goes up so the top button is void!

exactly, you don’t know.
: )
you guess.

in my case, i always guess wrong.

it just means i end up paying extra $2.49 & $3 fees ’cause i meant to get $40 but pushed the $20 button instead.

he doesn’t get it.

that & fast food menus truly stress me out – don’t believe the subway commercials entirely. not all sandwiches are $5 this month, apparently the premium ones are $6.

who knew ….

he does, however, trust me with the kids : ) i had an official chaperone sticker last week. we got free passes to the aquarium & i convinced him to take the day off & come with us.

 

 

we love this little town on the coast. we spent our honeymoon there. it’s totally different almost 12 years later with half that many kids : ) we go back every so often – sometimes with them, sometimes without them.

we honestly like it best without them. but the aquarium is a cool place.
this time we discussed what type of invertebrates jelly fish were & didn’t leisurely stroll the downtown streets.
somehow we let ben wear a black hooded sweatshirt – nearly impossible to keep track of him in dark, barely lit exhibits & we only lost regan once …. she was happily sitting on the floor with nice security guard in the red blazer.

this weeks field trip is a graveside service tomorrow afternoon.
we weep with those who weep this weekend with a funeral for a friend whose now enjoying heaven. his family, his wife, his young boys are still here & hurting. yay for heaven. for Jesus. for hope. for godly men who leave examples worth following.

- – -

happy smashed nose kissing.
happy showers with old towels.
happy chocolate cake eating.
happy rejoicing in victory over death.
happy atm disasters avoided.
happy weekend.

- – -

 

 

so i’ve tried posting all month.

i’ve tried writing out thoughtfully deep thoughts.

i like to write but sometimes i’m ridiculous and it takes way too long.

is it killing you the way regan is standing with her pants unsnapped & her hands folded, too? ’cause it’s killing me : )

it’s taken way too long.

the short version of a decently long story is homeschooling & i don’t always get along. like 65% of the time don’t get along.

ok …. 71% ….. last wednesday 92% …..

: )

i wanted to write more about that but it’s not working and in the mean time everything else about our life is going unnoticed.

rex took me out to dinner.

he left a super great pair of superman panties on his pillow when he left for work.
he prayed for me.
he bought dark chocolate.
he hired help.

and we’ve got our head above water again.

i know who goes before me. i know who stands behind me. the God of angel armies is always by my side. the One who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine. the God of angel armies is always by my side.

my strength is in Your name, for You alone can save. You will deliver me, Yours is the victory.
 
whom shall i fear. whom shall i fear.

and nothing formed against me shall stand, You hold the whole world in your hands. i’m holding onto Your promises.

You are faithful. You are faithful. You are faithful.

great song – its my anthem of the year so far.

time to move on.

- – -

ben was showing chad what he had to look forward to at the barber
we have a library rule – you carry your own books : )
the dishwasher was broke for 5 days ….
he fell asleep on my shoulder – i kissed him over & over & over
my favorite of this group …. we stopped so jack could go to the bathroom & then 4 more crawled out. i smiled & waved & stayed in the car with chad – he didn’t think it nearly as funny as i did : )
we had too many carts at the grocery
field trip to the aquarium –
she thought she was being so helpful : )
she really did make duct tape collars for her chickens to tell them apart
the boys
if i’m brave enough i’ll say this next time i’m asked
my other favorite – i heart white oneies

- – -

i know who goes before me. i know who stands behind me. the God of angel armies is always by my side. the One who reigns forever, He is a friend of mine. the God of angel armies is always by my side.

- – -

 

he turned one today.

- – -

it’s really pretty hard … but i’m ignoring all the updated posts that are showing in my news feed.

must.post.first : )

my fingers are thawing out while i type – jacky went with me on a run this afternoon. it was rain not sweat that was dripping off my nose by the end of our loop around fields & orchards.

don’t be impressed …. it’s only the second two miles of the year.

he rode his bike & talked my ear off. he spider webbed conversations like a girl would, barely finishing a sentence before he was on to the next. then interrupting himself noticing shot gun shells or old tires in the bottom of the canal.

i wanted to record the whole thing – it was beautiful.

so hi! do you miss us? i miss us : )

i’ve gotten the ‘hey you should post sometime’ text from amie …. so that means it’s been awhile.

the other day i wanted to sit & post – monday was a holiday. rex was home. the kids had the day off school. it was a ridiculously gorgeous winter day. they were all outside, working & playing even little chady … cause he’s that big now.

he turns 1 next monday. one whole year.

so he’s big enough to cruise around in the walker. it’s especially thrilling when the little sister friends push him from place to place or benny ties ropes to the front & pretend he’s the wagon or the horse or the pirate ship.

i was inspired to take pictures …. even though the post never happened. i found my lost lens, too. that was a bonus.

these are all from other members of the family from last sunday morning when we rallied to make it to the donut shop before church.

- – -

i love this one,  she’s singing at the top of her lungs les mis …. ‘do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men – it is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!!’

she carried around one of the pipes rex was working with in the field, skipping & singing away.

i love …. love.love.love 5 year old girls. her especially.

more working with dad – they even loaded chad, walker & all, up into the truck for a ride out back.

he humors me, when i sit like a wallflower & snap pictures while he works.

i’m still slightly aghast at the color my hair looks in these pictures – molly said she wanted to take my picture.

i also cut bangs last month – in case you hadn’t noticed ; )

 

she’s a beautifully, hilarious little fire cracker – with a personality unlike any of the others before her.

she told me the other day ‘you not we mother, you is we mom!’

i cannot bring myself to correct her misuse of pronouns yet.

‘we go to we house.’
‘to babysit we, mom?’
‘we not make we bed, mom?’
‘and daddy bring it home for we!!’

‘well death is another word for dying’ molly explained to regan as the ambulance passed our car with is sirens blaring

‘i’m done with school, mom. farewell!!’ ben proclaimed.

‘i’m temperature-ing the water, mom. i filled it wiht cold water & now i’m temperature-ing to see if its getting hot. maybe i should put a heater by it.’ ben, the wanna be scientist said.  mom, the detective now knew why the carpet was soaked.

jack told rex ‘dad i think ben will find a girl ‘wildy-ish’ or he won’t get married’

he also asked me ‘mom were you 71 when you got this house or 17?’

we’ll come back & do some birthday posting soon. he’s no longer 7.

- – -

 

rex told me the other day it was probably ok & that we didn’t need to read about this part of our lives ten years from now …. ‘i’m sure we’ll just remember’ he said.

that was his not so subtle way of bringing up the lack of updated posts here : )

seems to me it’s either have something to read about in 10 years but not be able to read it or not have it to read & be able to read something else!

ie – school started : )

but here we are with a bit of time, so we’re going to give ourselves something to read about.

- – -

it was back last summer when chad called & pitched this invitation to come to texas for christmas.
he had selling points like …..
“think how great it’d be’
‘i’ll cover the yard with inflatable blow ups’
‘we’ll get a big tree’
‘you can just buy reindeer antlers for the dogs & nothing for us’
‘lisa will bake enough sugar cookies for your kids to get sick on’
‘chad & amity can celebrate their 1st christmas together!’

we smiled & nodded over the phone to be polite, said it sounded like lots of fun – but really didn’t plan on even giving it a second thought.

but my mom was all over checking for great flights & mapping out routes from here to there. my dad was even willing to make a road trip of it …. like drive in a big van with all of us all the way there.

‘it’d be an adventure!’ he said

and we thought …. sure til about bakersfield : )

amie could just fly straight there & we’d all be together.

just like that.

just like that, we decided to go!

 

everything’s bigger in texas, they say, so this post is texas sized : )
some of my favorites …..

she wore boots & he carried the sign & we completely overwhelmed their baby & i almost cried ’cause already it was so totally worth it. 

we rented the biggest vehicle we were legally allowed to drive so we could all be together, brother boy made it extra festive with his santa hat.

we went to matt chandlers church – it was one of my favorite parts

so was the christmas eve service a couple nights later.

everyone got new christmas pants : )

i’m not sure how they could have been more armed – quite the christmas for 6 & 7 year old boys!

it SNOWED! it seriously snowed on christmas day.

she played santa clause on chrismas morning –

my favorite family picutre : ) ’cause it’s loudly colorful & there was still snow & ben doesn’t have a shirt on & chady looks like a christmas elf & it was freezing & we were together.

little cousins on the gym floor – it still slays me that there are two little babies in our family.

she’s fiercely competitive, my sister in law – we played one handed with babies in the other arm …. i won

we stood on a piece of history, on the x right out in the center of elm street where jfk was shot.

at the memorial

well i just like this one ….

my littlest boy ~

they really are great –

ahh, it really was that cold! i know, the rest of you are rolling your eyes at that – amie did too. snow & cold temps are common place when your from places like ohio, but! when you’re not … and you only have to be in them for a day : ) they make already great trips even better.

a family picture –
mom likes it when we do the ‘same pose’ & since a few years ago amie suggested we all stand like dorks lined up tallest to smallest, we’re now obligated to repeat it every time : ) little chady was especially excited.

- – -

- – -

- – -

- – -

- – -

 

us all getting together means there will be a family picture. and a family picture is always an event : )

we missed the great overcast lighting in the morning, certain ones had no idea what to wear, it was cold, we didn’t have a tripod, etc, etc ….

but we still all group up, look when we’re suppose to look & smile …. or at least some of us do.

good times : )

- – -

- – -

when you just can’t beat the timer -

- – -

by the time we got to ‘let’s take a rodgers picture’ it was pretty much over ….

it looks like i’m ready to death grip one of them, doesn’t it …. really it was a you stand here motion, honest : )

- – -

 
we forgive you for not having your yard covered with inflatable blow ups. thank you for an incredibly wonderful time.