(Mostly) Good Times

As I go about my daily tasks, I write blog posts in my head. Before I know it, that's old news and I'm mulling over another.  So here are some bits and pieces.
  One of the things I enjoy about rainy cold weather ; somehow work just seems less pressing. I find it easier to make time to enjoy things with the children.

The girls loved this little project the other week:

Really they were very simple. We took some clean baby food jars, slapped on some Mod Podge, covered it with ripped up pieces of tissue paper, and topped it off with some fun glitter and a ribbon. Drop in a flicker tealight candle and the girls had their own safe candle, they had made themselves. Of course the idea came from pintrest. Except, of course, those were cuter, done in Christmasy colors. I just bought more tissue paper and maybe we'll be making some of these for simple gifts from the girls. 

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This :

is the week I was hoping to get some good fall photos of the littles...by the end of the week I was able to but it was still chilly.

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And then there was That Tuesday evening. Madam had been to a Ladies Night.  Gifts, Laughter, and Dainty foods. Friends. A Lovely Time. But Madam was beginning to get a tad worried. Baby was sure to be good n ready for his mommy. She sped thru the murky darkness, rain shining under the glare of head-lights. A CD played and Madam prayed. "Lord, please keep me safe and don't let me hit any deer !"
  And then suddenly, a large black mass of fur, and two beady eyes staring at her. Three smaller bundles of fur strung out behind Mama Bear. A foot on the break, a prayer gasped out, and then an aweful bumping, thudding, going on under the car. In a daze, Madam pulled to the side of the road and retrieved her cell phone from the floor. After pulling her jumbled thoughts together, she carefully put the car in gear once more. Would it still drive fine?  A few more thuds came from below and then all was fine.
  Poor Mama Bear is likely still grieving the loss of one or two of her cubs. Madam was able to drive on home despite internal tremblings, a lost license plate, dented up radiator (in the shape of a small animal), and a few other issues of that sort. Nearing home, her mind suddenly registered the words coming from the CD : "Jesus travels with me !!" Gratitude to her Father, weld within. She didn't loose control of the car on the wet roads, she didn't hit the hunkin' mama, the car was still drivable with neither head-light being broken out !  
The car has been replaced though. With 250,000 miles on it and needing new tires any way, it was no big loss.
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 The next day was one of the most fun I had in awhile. I loaded up my little crew and left around 8 AM. Picked up my MIL n SIL. Christina had a doctor appointment in Eau Claire..about 2 hours south of here, so we made a shopping day out of it. We got to lots of fun stores..Once Upon A Child, Hancocks, JoAnnes, Tuesday Morning,the Mall...The children got tired but did very well. They had fun in the play area at McDonalds and another one at the mall. Hannah's delight was picking out fabric for a school dress for next fall. Hancocks had some awesome sales. I got one piece that was originally around $20, marked down to $3.89 or so. At JCPennies, I got a pair of jeans for approx. $42 off the original price :)
  It was a weary crew that got home around 6pm that evening.
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  I started telling someone that life has slowed down some since summer but then I realized how wrong I was. Revivals begin this week. Tonight is a birthday party for Jacob's dear grandma Laura. Friday my baby will be a year old already. I look forward to getting down to the Women's Seminar at Bethany this Saturday. Thanksgiving and hunting loom on the horizon before the rush into December. 
                                      
 

Monday Morning in October

It's Monday morning. The sun is shining. Three little people chatter and squish their play-dough into crocodiles and ice cream cones and roads. Baby plays with a lone Sunday shoe and tastes a cast-off hair band, before screeching his desire for Mommy's lap.
  Laundry flaps in the cool breeze. Another load tumbles in suds, ridding itself of Last week's grime. The floors and counter tops are littered, the bed is stripped. "Move beds, use up zucchini, wash curtains, clean windows, work in flower beds.." are part of my week's to-do list. Not written down except in my head are "7:30 dentist appointment tomorrow morning, shop, and make chili for sewing-circle on Thursday.."
  After having company for a week, followed by a busy weekend, I'm delighting in this "day-of no-demands-except -that -which-my -family-or I-demand upon -myself."

                                                             Playing McDonalds

                                  Pontoon ride on Grindstone Lake with Jessie and Andrea Heatwole

                                                    My Birthday Girl- Heidi Jo~ 4 years !

                                                             Her Candyland Cake

                                         With 2 siblings, 2cousins, n two 2nd cousins to celebrate

Redoing Great-Grandpa Mahlon's Roof

A Little Bit of Our Trip

 The morning we began our trip was bright, beautiful, and cool. Before leaving we finally got our pontoon-plane rides over the flowage. We totally loved it !

 Our first stop, 5 hours into the trip was for supper with the couple my husband is working for. This is his hobby collection of antique show cars. The house was lavish and gorgeous. I was soo glad we ate outside..especially when my baby decided to puke..and puke ! We spent the night just on the south edge of Chicago.

 This was a beautiful spot on Lake Erie where we stretched our legs and enjoyed the sun, wind, and waves for a short bit before continuing on to PA and these dear friends. I totally enjoyed our picnic, long walks and talks, and hanging out with Travis and Donna !

From there we had a pretty drive east about 3-4 hours before arriving at the campground where we met my family. Campfire meals, laughter, lots of little people to watch, sunset hayride, mile hike to the bottom of the canyon (and back up, huff-puff ),local visitors, and just special quality time with family for the last time before Marlins headed to Kenya.

                                                      Us eight siblings all together..a bit of a rarity !
  We left the campground, Monday forenoon and found a laundry-mat. I got some kind of sting on more arm which ended up getting swollen and red (about 10 inches long) and achy. A few days later I got it checked out but was so upset with the Dr. bill I never got the prescribed meds. Loisann made a charcoil poltice for it and that took out the stiffness and some of the swelling. Two days at my parents, entailed some shopping, more laundry, and a swimming party that was wonderful ! ( friends, sisters, and a real true swimming pool...not a mirky lake ! ahhh, bliss !)

 Thursday morning we headed for Virginia. At a park, we met my "spice" firend, Ruby Showalter and her 2 cuties. We had lunch together and then the littles splashed in a pool while Ruby n I gabbed. Somehow we always take right up where  we let off, even if its been a couple of years, and we never run outa things to gab n laugh about ! From there we had  a little family time and went to "The Big Yellow barn" and "Route 11" chip factory before going over to Brian Highs. Their whole family and Brian's girlfriend came over for supper. I was sooo tired and it was bitter sweet being there for the first time since Elaine died. I coulda bawled. But finally the children were in bed and just a few of us were around the campfire and we had a lovely visit after all.  The next night we were in Indiana where we spent the night with Moine and Rhoda. We sure enjoyed their hospitality and visiting with them. The children hit it off real well too :) We both have 2 boys n 2 girls.

 As lovely as a trip as we had, it's always great to be home again after 10 days. We arrived home happy n sleepy around 10 pm, Saturday night.

  Until next time ~ Jan

Bits n Pieces of My Life

  Amazing..I'm back at trying to blog. I believe it's been nearly 10 months since I last blogged. Don't worry, I'm not about to try to cover all that elapsed time in this post. I'm just going to jump in and write random thoughts and happenings as they come to me.

  A couple weeks ago was our week of summer bible school. My husband was in charge of it this year and I really enjoyed being involved. Mixed up schedules, way early suppers, late nights, grumpy children, were all part of the week but so were all the fun that VBS includes..singing children's motion songs, just observing the children and loving on them a bit, washing up a sweet lil 5 yr.old who wore the same set of clothes 3 nights in a row (my guess is she also slept in them), entrusting my baby into the arms of a live-wire girl of 12 or so which really seemed to make her trust me more in return. One evening she carried him into the church and plopped down in her row, announcing, "I had a baby!"
                                            There were trying times too, rowdy children, crying child, stolen candy and cell phone, keeping my 2 year old reasonably quiet while he played in the entryway, trying to send a "child" bigger than myself back outside when he's snooping through classrooms during recess, fussy baby...But all in all we had a good week and the program went better than I expected.

We went camping last week..just our little family. Just nearby. It was nice but would've been better if we wouldn't have had to feed the mosquitoes. They were dreadful and my poor babies would wake up at night crying and scratching. We were home some inbetween. Jacob had off work on the Fourth but worked Friday while I stayed at the campsite with the children. It looked like a long day when the tots were whining and scratching but it actually went pretty good the rest of the time. We did a scavenger hunt, read stories, played tag and ball, walked to the lake and splashed there-in, walked back, rested/ napped and then The Grandparents came over for supper.
 We returned home before noon on Saturday. Jacob made a water slide for the children and they had lots of fun in that. The thermometer read 95*s.

The other day I asked the children what they thought the best thing will be about heaven. Heidi thought the best is that there are no mosquitoes there !    One day she prayed, "Thank you for this food and thank you for everything. Amen"   I'm like, "That was a short prayer!" "Yeah," She says, "That way I can eat my food quick." I had to laugh when she asked me one day if people ride on a camels hips. Of course she meant humps.
    And my baby is just growing so fast. He is now 8 months old. Has four teeth. Sometimes if i ask him if he wants to go up, he'll lift his chin or roll his eyes upward and make himself stiff. Then I'll hold below his knees and lift him into the air. I'd kinda forgotten about the patta-cake game till a day or two ago. Now if I ask him if he wants to play it, He'll put his hands together all ready for the fun.

 

 Yesterday I made a 5 gallon batch of laundry detergent. It was a good feeling to get that off my list and be set for awhile with that. I also made one of Jacob's favorite pies. Cheese custard. Served with cherry pie filling and coolwhip, it disappeared all too fast.
 Today I was trying to get Mahlon to "go potty". In an attempt to help things along, I turned on the spigot. As if he knew what I was doing, he says, "Mom, that's not gonna work." :}  Later I had him trying again but after a bit let him get up. To my chagrin, he soon went..but on the pile of books by the potty instead. Aarg..I just do not relish this part of mothering !
 Hannah continues to read, and Read and Read. I was a bookworm too. Growing up, It became my escape when life was rough. I hope I can teach my children to instead, escape to their heavenly Father. I read too many "Christian romance".  It's my desire to stock our shelves with reading materials that teach and build-up. There are so many great books out there, but it takes money..or friends :) I just read this bookwhich I borrowed from a friend. It's a small book but packed full of inspiration. I want to get myself one and some for friends.
 And now I need to see if I can whip this place back into shape and get supper underway while the little people sleep. Earlier THIS is what they were up to :

I wondered what they were playing. Turns out Hannah's in the hospital having a baby. Guess that makes me a grandma ! Until next time, ~Jan

Baby Four

 I lay there, eyes smarting as I watched the screen in the darkened room. The woman spoke again.
  "There's one kidney..there's the other one..Now I'll measure the head..awe, there's a little foot..see that? There's the four valves of the heart opening and closing..there's the brain...the bladder..."
  And my soul whisper's to my Father, "I will praise Thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." [Ps. 139:14]
  My mother heart stirs and I can't wait to get this newest little one into my arms. I'm so in love already!
 A soft giggle comes from the ultrasound technician, "He or she is a strong one !..is pushing hard against the doppler."
 I speak for the baby, "Back off ! This is my territory!"
   " How ?" I wonder, "Can people ever claim there is no God? How can people ever try to justify murdering such a precious little soul, claiming it's really not a person?" It's a horrid thought and I turn my attention back to the screen. I'm so grateful for the woman's explanations on what the black and white shapes are. And I think..she's having just as much fun as I am, checking this little one out.

  The bulky machine beside me belches out some papers and I'm soon leaving the room clutching 2 photo's from my Baby's first photo shoot.  A softly rounded head, tiny nose and lips..so perfect.
   And I Can't stop SMILING :)

Husband's Handywork

      Before we were married we talked of making a log bed. We went as far as pulling some logs from the woods and drying them out.Then it kinda got dropped.  The other week, Jacob says to me, "what would you think of making a log bed?" And before the week was over, there was one in our room. :)

 Yup, when my husband puts his mind to something, he goes at it like his life depends on it !   It was rather fun..going along out to the woods, looking at various cuts. (Loggers are presently busy in Grandpa's woods, so we mainly inspected pieces in their discard piles.)
  I wish I would have gottten a picture of Jacob peeling the logs by hand. It's fascinating.
  The children just loved being out in the garage while he worked. They played for hours in the shavings and with the little cut-off pieces. It was a wonderful spot for Imagination.

Having a snack at their little "table".

This scriber he borrowed from someone was a very expensive little helper that I found a bit intriguing.

 He was eager to get it set up in our room. But it was like an elephant to move ! Wow !

The children seemed to think it was a new playground !

  And here's the finished product. Didn't my hubby do a beautiful job? (May I brag?)  I'm proud of him !!

God is Good and Two Year olds are...terrible?

  God is good. All the time. I'm so grateful for all the little reminders He sends my way. Finances are very tight right now and I realize I could let myself get in a slump, worry, and get all stressed out of shape. Believe me, I'm as normal as they come and it's not always easy. But there have been so many times in the past God has shown Himself faithful to meet our every need. It's a good thing to have to lean harder on Him. It's a good thing to realize what you can do without, to learn to be more thrifty, to dig deeper in the freezer rather than running to the store. I want to buy treats for my children but then I stop and realize that my time spent playing with them, a gentle spirit, and laughing together means more to them than an ice cream cone that drips everywhere while mommy nags and scolds.
   The other day I went to the store and I Really wanted to buy yogurt or cottage cheese, but no, I was going to do my part to save and not spend on extras. Then God gave me a gentle hug. I was talking to one of the managers in the dairy department [yes, my father-in-law]. He was down on his knees marking something on some  containers and then he held it up and asked, "Do you want cottage cheese for $.99 ?" :)  At first I wasn't sure what to say. Cottage cheese is usually, what? Close to $4 ? I decided to take it, not feel guilty, and to accept it as a gift from a Father who cares. Mmm, it was even the kind we like. I'm trying to not be to selfish with it and share it with my family :)
    It reminded me of something that happened the other week. Heidi's feet are catching up in size to her sister's feet. She had outgrown her Sunday shoes so she was sharing Hannah's foot wear..one would wear sandals and the other would wear shoes, and sometimes they'd switch back n forth. But Hannah's feet are growing too and she was soon going to be needing bigger ones herself. I wasn't finding any at garage sales, and didn't want to spend on new ones.  Then we were at my in-laws and Mom said that she had been  going through her closet, Once in a while, she'd buy things and stick them back for gifts but now she had cleaned out some of that and was going to be getting rid of it. Was there anything I could use ?  :) You guessed it. There was a cute pair of black Sunday shoes in exactly the size Hannah needed. Another God-hug !
   Ok, different subject. Is there anyone out there who had a number of children and never went through "the terrible twos" ? What's your secret? I'd heard that if you train your child right before that age, there's nothing like "The Terrible Twos ".  Well, either, we're not very good parents or that philosophy was just for select few.  Hannah hit that stage early..like at 15 months. She was very independant and strong-willed. Later when things were going more smoothly again, someone else with a daughter her age, said they didn't really hit that stage till their daughter was three or so.  Our second daughter was a lot more laid back and I didn't think we'd gave too much trouble with her..and then she turned 2 and it was like her personality did a flip..yup, it's the "terrible twos" with her. Our son, now 17 month seems about our easiest child yet, and I'm curious how it'll go for him, if each child seems just a little easier than the ones before. Hhmmm...on the other hand maybe it IS us as parents, just still learning the tricks.
  I think, though that there's just something about that age where they are learning to try  to figure things out on their own and they take extra time and patience to simply be taught how to respond to difficulties that get in their path. They need extra hugs and affirmation, and time on Mommy's lap to be reassured that their world isn't spinning out of control when the doll clothes don't go on right at first try or their nighty gets on upside down when they were determined, " I tan do it Myself !!!"
 There's also something so fun about two year olds. mine has a great imagination and I love hearing her express herself. Heidi Loves to help me and the other day when she was done with a job, she says sweetly, " Thank you, Mommy, for my help!"  Another time she says, " My nose hurts, Mom!"
 I ask, " Why does your nose hurt?"
 She replies, " Because I don't have to go potty !"
    I think I need a sister close by to have tea and talk for awhile. I'm rambling on. I only have around 14 weeks till baby dear arrives and the nesting instinct is strong but I'm not sure what to do about it because we're waiting to hear back from a guy about buying our house. I'm tired of the wait. But meanwhile I need to get some baking and ironing done. Have a good day counting your blessings.