We've adopted!

It has been almost a year since we lost our dear old Molly.  I think about her often.  I don't think we ever really realized what a big part of the family was until she was gone.  Sometimes I think I hear her, breathing heavily as she did in her senior years; or stepping onto the front porch. {She sounded like a person because she weighed as much as a small adult human!}  I was never afraid of intruders - she never would have allowed one!  Her bark was definitely worse than her bite.  She was very cautious about men.  Grown men would refuse to leave their trucks when she stuck her nose up toward the driver's window.  She hated the garbage man.  Think about it, 1) a man 2) stopping by our house during the day when her kids were playing right there in the yard 3) taking away something that "belonged" to us!  I have to laugh when I remember his face!

One sunny morning when I was having my morning prayer time... something triggered a memory.  I don't remember what it was, but I shed a little tear, thinking about Molly.  So I prayed... "Lord, You know we want another dog.  You know we have tried to get a puppy and it just never worked out.  I ask You to bring us the right dog at the right time... and with a shock collar... all for free."  Looking back, part of me believed it was just too much to ask.  But not too much for our God!

A week or so later, Tyler came home from work and asked what we would think of taking in a 1-year old American bulldog.  {Ummm, a bulldog?  I was thinking more like German Shepherd.}  His friend at work had her as a house dog and couldn't keep her any longer.  She had outgrown the house and was bored there.  She was chewing up everything in sight!  He couldn't keep her in the backyard because she could jump the fence!  We agreed to adopt her.

Meet Lucy!

{Shock caller and everything!}

She came to us on Memorial Day!  She is sooo sweet, and loves the country.  She hasn't destroyed anything since she's been here, she is having too much fun following all these kids around!  She has had to adjust to not being allowed in the house, that was tough at first, but she is learning.  She especially didn't like the day it rained off and on all day!

The cats aren't thrilled with her, but they have "put her in her place" a few times.  Today she killed a raccoon! That was funny to me since Molly {the brave dog that she was} was scared to death of raccoons! LOL

******************************************

Leah's birthday was Saturday.  She turned THREE!!  {Wow! Where does the time go?}  Two months before her birthday we started asking what she wanted for her birthday.  And do you know what she said?  Get this... A Christmas tree!!  That's right, she never got over us taking the Christmas tree down in January!

So I told Jordyn.  I knew the garage saling queen would come through for us on this one!  Sure enough, someone a friend found a PURPLE CHRISTMAS TREE at a garage sale for $.25!  So Leah got just what she wanted for her birthday.  Jordyn decorated it with water balloon "Christmas balls" and a "Happy Birthday Leah" garland!  She loves it!!

Spring Cleaning Week 1: Kitchen Results

Things went really well this week.  The kids helped me a lot and did a very good job!

Ta-da!  My clean kitchen, with Leah posing.

No more clutter!

Clean cupboards inside, outside and even above!

All the drawers were dumped, washed sorted and organized.  I threw away every lid that didn't have a container, and every container that didn't have a lid.

********************************

It feels so good to have a clean kitchen.  I can't wait to get the whole house done!  It will take about a month... for the upstairs, anyway.  {The basement is a whole other world!  There won't be any "before" pictures of THAT!!}

We also managed to continue with the morning Bible time.  That is not always easy, since the kids are not really used to it yet.  Some days {like today} they were more interested in bothering each other than listening!  {Sigh} Satan is always at work!

June 5-11

First thing Sunday morning Peter lost his first tooth!  By the time his Tuesday softball game, he had lost its neighbor!

Speaking of teeth...

Corah got her braces on her top teeth on Tuesday!  This is phase one of a two-year process. {Isn't she so cute!

***********************************

I love "no school" times.  There are just soooo many things I'd rather do than school!  But taking sick kids to the doctor and changing 300 diarrhea  diapers isn't on that list!  But, being the mommy, that is what I did Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Mary had all the symptoms of strep throat, but with a test and a culture, neither showed up.  She is on antibiotic and is better, but was not comfortable to eat for 4 days!  Leah, on the other hand, had diarrhea for two days for no apparent reason.  Her poor little back-side was so sore, I had to spray her off each time with the shower hose. {I love that thing}

Thursday was a very special day for Leah {despite the diarrhea}.  It was her second birthday!  We went to Grandma & Grandpa Dale's house {Pa-ka & Ma-ka as Leah would say, sort-of backwards *cute*}  They would be here by breakfast time on the kids' birthdays if they could drive!  So we take the party to them!

Leah & her cake

Leah & Mommy... Love the expression on her face!

Good cake!

Grandma and Grandpa are soooo kid crazy!  They enjoy our visits so much.  Being older, they thought they might never meet my little ones, so every visit is extra special.  I am very thankful they have lived to their ripe old ages!  Dad will be 91 this week, Mom is 85!

 Mary, Grandma Mary, Leah

Me & my Momma

Friday was the first day of the NICHE Conference. {Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators}  I LOVE going to NICHE and now that Corah is getting older, she can go with me!  We have such a good time together, one-on-one, can't beat that!  I so appreciate the encouragement and education I get there.

When we got home, I got to find out everything that Daddy did while I was gone.  I heard about how the kids drove him nuts {hmmm, welcome to my world!}, but he also moved the boys into their new room! {Jordyn moved out and they inherited her room}  Exciting!  And then "the news"....  "Dad painted our room... CAMMO!" {hide freaked out feelings}  "Oh, really?  SHOW ME!"

OK, well that wall is 90% doors.  They LOVE it!  And then Mary said, "Now wait 'til you see your bathroom!" {Oh, no!......  OK, its not cammo.  just some dots like that only tan.  ONLY tan.  Not sure what he was thinking, but the whole room needs paint, anyway, so... oh, well!

Saturday night EVERYONE was home!  Tyler {and his girlyfriend} and Jordyn, plus all of us.  I was beat from NICHE and all the guys {+girlyfriend} went fishing.  I collapsed on my bed and put in a "Love Comes Softly" video.  *Sigh* Chick time.

Leah Marie

Leah Marie made her early appearance into our lives nearly two years ago now.  After her prolonged infancy, she caught up very quickly!  The next thing we knew, we couldn't keep up with her!  Now while I am cleaning up the mess she made in the kitchen, she is in the bathroom putting on my make up... or climbing to Mary's top bunk... or falling off of it!  And her talking!  Oh, my!  She is always surprising us with words and sayings that seem advanced or one who is not yet two.  Take Sunday, for example!  While feeling exasperated from trying to keep her "out of trouble",  I said to her, "Are you Charlie Troublemaker?"  At which she tilted her head to one side, scrunched up her face to show she was thinking very hard (pointing finger on chin), all while saying,"Ummm..."  Then suddenly popped up her head and said brightly, "Probably!"

Little Leah got her name because she was so, well, little!  4 pounds, 9 ounces was really good for a preemie, but smaller than normal.  She was like carrying around a little doll.  I remember once while doing my Walmart shopping with her on my shoulder, holding her there with my left hand while I did everything else with my right hand.  She was a whopping 5.2 lbs when we brought her home.  Her weight wasn't even noticeable.  Now she wakes me up every morning by climbing in my bed and "whispering" [very loudly], "Mom, eat!"  From that moment until she finally drops for a nap, she is always into everything, and screaming at me when I try to stop her.  I struggle with my anger at some moments, so I pick her up and kiss that sweet baby cheek and my anger disolves into a love so overwhelming, so deep and wonderful... it is the love only a mother can feel.  I am so blessed to have all these children!  They are loud, messy, sweet, irritating, fun, demanding, adorable, provoking... all at the same time!  There is only one love that is greater than a mother's love, and that is a Savior's love.  He loves ME when I am loud, messy, sweet, irritating, fun, demanding, adorable, provoking...  And He forgives me.  There is no greater love.  I know that without HIS love, my love for my children would be nothing.