A crummy night's sleep

  We have just recently gotten the boys a set of (much needed) bunkbeds and dresser. They are absolutely loving it. It's everyone's favorite toy now. But my story goes back about a week before we got the bunkbeds....

      I got up one morning, a little later than I had planned, and was getting the older 3 started on school when I suddenly realized that I hadn't seen Isaac yet that morning. So I head into the bedroom to wake him up, but I can't find him anywhere. I'm looking everywhere...on the floor, under the bed....still nothing. (Let me pause to explain that the boys were still sleeping on a sofa bed at this point.)I'm starting to get worried when it occurs to me to check up under the head of the bed. (Inside the couch, if you will.) Sure enough, there he was curled up with his pillow and blanket. He has this thing about sleeping on the floor. I have no idea why, but he loves it. He was fine so I just let him sleep until he woke up. Well, I was telling Ed about it on the phone that night (he was at work) and he thought it was so funny. He wanted me to ask Isaac if it was fun sleeping under the couch, so I relayed the message and Isaac replied, " Um, no ma'am it was kwummy". It tickled us so much to realize he meant that literally. Crumby. Little boy's room...under the couch. Yep, definitely crumby. 

We're still family...

This past week/weekend we have gotten to spend time with Aunt Sarah's family who came down for a visit. It has been so much fun reconnecting again. Talking  90 to nothin and everyone trying to make themselves heard over the 10 different conversations that are going on. =) The thing that I love is that no matter how much times passes between family reunions, once you are together, it's as though you are picking up where you left off. I felt the same thing when I went to Wyoming for Phoebe's wedding. It's always so refreshing to catch up with what's going on, and fun to play the "do you remember?" game.  I feel so blessed to be a part of such a large, yet close-knit family. Especially knowing we have the added bond of being family in the Lord too. So many people don't have that, and the older I get the more I realize what a blessing and privilege we have.

 I know all of you have been wondering when I was going to write again....well, I have plenty of excuses...I just can't think of them all right now.

  One thing is, John and Angie have moved up their wedding date to May 1st. While we are excited for them, it has definitely upped the busyness factor. We ( as in my little family) have 4 people currently in the wedding. Ed is a groomsman, Lela and Lyssa are flower girls, and as of last week, I am a bridesmaid. Lots of sewing to do! Not to mention I still haven't gotten the girl's easter outfits completed. 

 Oh and besides the family reunion last week, was a local biannual kids consignment sale that I have started helping with. It's alot of work but it really pays off because it helps me keep my kids in clothes. Nice clothes too. I have only known about it since last year and this was my second time to consign (my first time to volunteer).  This time I was able to sell as much as I spent on new spring clothes. Yay! I'm so thankful, it was a real answer to prayer.  I'm really excited to have found out about this because it has really helped me be able to shop wisely for the kids. I can find nice name brand clothing at garage sale prices. And the sales are held at the beginning of spring and the beginning of fall.

 Anyway,.... that's just a little bit of what is going on here.

I know it's not as much of an update as you would like but I'm out of time and I really need to start school.

More later.....=)

Quips and quotes

 Lyssa asked at lunch today....."Mama, does 'cowcium' come from cows?" =)

 Well, she was on the right track anyway. I told her it came from milk and milk came from cows, but it's pronounced CALcium.

 Meanwhile Isaac asked Levi to scratch his back... (let me detour to say, Aaron started this trend awhile back with constantly asking everyone to scratch his back and then he returns the favor; he especially loves it at night. Anyway, Isaac picked up on it)... so Levi, after a second of rubbing with his hand, grabs a fork.

 Yeah, you can guess the rest...Isaac was sitting there with a grimace on his face and we were laughing so hard we could barely tell Levi to stop. 

  If I could get down even half the stuff that the kids come up with it would be hysterical. It's always something.

  Oh, another one of their latest pranks is they figured out that butter knives make a really cool sound when you use them in a pretend sword fight. I had to nix that one fast....I could never find a knife when I wanted to butter anything but I mysteriously found them in the laundry, under the couch, in the girl's room, and in the boys belt loops... basically anywhere they weren't supposed to be. Not to mention, (for me anyway) it didn't seem safe, I think mostly just because the word knife is part of the name. Ed thought it was funny, and wasn't overly alarmed.  Guess it must be a guy thing. "Let them be boys."

 And the girls?

 Well, they are busy being girls...attitudes and all. I think I have had to deal with attitudes more than any other one thing lately. They can be best friends one second and best enemies the next. And of course the tone of voice, the body language...you would think they were grown or something. I shouldn't be dealing with this yet! They are too little! Right?

 I used to think that once you were grown you knew everything....I laugh to remember that now. I think once you're grown you realize how much you don't know. Raising children being the most thing that you don't know how to do. =)

 Every day is an adventure, and if I can just remember to see it as one and to laugh more.... Hmmm, maybe I would make some progress.

Late night posts

These late night posts seem to be the only kind I can do these days..if at all. I'm sure you have noticed. =)

  I just got done browsing a new blog that Ed put me on to...it was pretty neat. It's a husband/ wife photography team w/ 4 adorable kiddos. They run a home business, they also homeschool, homebirth, and are libertarian party. Plus, from what I can gather they are Christians.  Anyway, I've added them to my sites I like to visit. It never ceases to amaze me how many other people there are out there "like us". Know what I mean? Sometimes you get to thinking you are the only one....but it's not true. I just thank the Lord for His grace... and that He is so much bigger than we are. 

 In other news....the past couple weeks have been pretty crazy. We've spent time doing some work on Mom and Dad's house (did I already mention that?) and this week I made a birthday cake for Angie (John's fiance'). Her birthday was Thursday and we wanted to have a surprise party. I offered to do the cake as I enjoy doing it for birthdays. I'm nowhere near professional, don't get me wrong, but I like it and I figure it's good practice. I actually made fondant this time and worked with that, which is a first for me. It was really fun. Ed helped me with it alot too. he has such good ideas, and, of course, he usually is good about knowing structurally how something will work out, or ,what to do if....

 I'll post some pics of it for you who are interested.

  I also wanted to say that I'm working on a video of the house as I know several of you have asked to see pics of how I have decorated things, and....

   one other project, I'm going to be trying to put together a slide show of us over this past year. 

 So that will be coming soon. Hopefully!

Romance 101(G rated)

With Valentine's Day almost here you can find lots of books on romance right now. When I was at Books a Million getting us a coffee the other night I picked up this book called "1001 ways to be Romantic" by Gregory Gordec . I started reading it this morning and it is such a fun read. I do want to make a disclaimer right off...he is not a Christian writer and I don't agree with everything in his book...that being said, he has some really fun and cute ideas.

 We actually put one of his ideas into practice last Thurs. afternoon. Here's the deal, you each take $10 and go on a "Mall Wide Trinket Hunt" for the other person, then you meet up again and swap. I added a picnic lunch in the back of the truck and we had one of the most fun (and inexpensive) dates ever.