Have you ever taken a photo and then noticed a blooper in it!  I guess I forgot to remove the can of pledge from my desk before we started our impromptu KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION!!

Check out the smile on this child!  He is so proud.  We had a small audience of our former daycare "friends" and I listed a few of Hunter's major accomplishments this year such as learning to read, memorizing basic addition and subtraction problems, greatly improved handwriting, and being able to summarize a story!  WOO HOO!!  HUNTER IS A FIRST GRADER!!

We are really looking forward to beginning his "Classical" education in late August after the arrival of his little sister!  I read the book A Well-Trained Mind and it has given me so much motivation on this homeschooling adventure.  We will continue reading and working out of The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading  over the summer!

CONGRATULATIONS HUNTER!

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!

We got a call yesterday from our realtor that he wanted to show the house today at noon.  It worked out quite well since I had a Dr.'s appt. and would be leaving the house by 8:15.  Everyday I get up and go through my routine:

make beds, take laundry to laundry room and start 1 load, vacuum, dust, empty dishwasher, empty trashes, wipe down bathrooms, clean glass and lastly shake rugs and swiffer the laminate floors.  I am able to have all of this accomplished (normally) by 9:30 a.m.

I do this daily routine so that when we get a call to show the house, all I have to do is light the candles and walk out.  BUT...........I still stressed out and ran around in circles making sure that everything was just so.  That is exactly what I was doing this morning from when I got up at 6:20 until we walked out at 8:25!

I got the boys dropped off at a friends house.  THANK YOU LAURA and MOLLY!!! And made it to my Dr. appt. right on time.  The midwife said that the baby sounded very healthy and was right on target with her growth.  Apparently  being extremely busy with this move has been a good thing because I have only gained 30 lbs!  That might sound like a lot for some, but since I normally gain 50 lbs, I will happily exchange it for 30 something! 

My wonderful friend, insisted that I not hurry back and take some time to myself!  I realized that I had not had even a second alone since DJ left for Illinois three weeks ago.  It was nice to be able to listen to talk radio in the car!  AND to make a quick trip to Walmart by myself.  Of course, I couldn't stay away much longer than a 1 hour appt and quick trip to Walmart.  I just miss those little boogers so much!!  They had a great time playing with Molly though.  We will have to have her come to our house again before we move.

Haven't heard from the realtor yet about today's showing.  Hoping and praying that this might be the right house for the right people.

Thankfully, I woke up Saturday morning feeling more like myself.  Jarrett was kind enough to let us sleep until 7:30, so that was nice.  We quickly ate our Special K with strawberries (Jarrett's fav cereal), and I hopped in the shower while Jarrett watched a Dora video.  We had to leave by 8:30 to pick Brandon up from a lock-in at the church.  He had a great time, but had not slept AT ALL throughout the night. 

They had lots of food for the kids, ping pong tables, air hockey, a movie, and each person drew a time that they would spend 15 minutes or so at the alter in prayer.  Brandon's time was 1:30 a.m.  If you were asleep at your time to pray, then someone would wake you.  I'll have to remember this activity for the next church we attend after moving.  Now that I am finished with school, I am hoping to have a more active role with the children's school and church involvement.

Needless to say, Brandon fell into bed just minutes after we arrived home.  Emily, Hunter and I grabbed a quick picnic lunch and headed to my mother-in-laws for a nice visit out on her deck.  After lunch the kido's enjoyed rolling down the big hill while we spent time weeding her flower bed.  It was a nice visit, but we had to cut it short in order to get Jarrett home to nap.

While he napped, I woke Brandon to have him help me clean and paint the floor in the new upstairs bedroom.  We continue making small home improvements in order to make it even more appealing to a prospective buyer.  We got it completely finished, let it dry, and moved the furniture in.  WOW!  We love it!    We did have a short break when DJ's aunt and uncle came for a visit.  During that time, my little "Picaso" (a.k.a. Jarrett), decided to paint the white walls in the new room with the brown floor paint.  Grrrr.........I was not happy, but I managed to keep my cool, and smile, knowing that one day we would look back at this and laugh.  Little booger!!!

Sunday was another full day as we moved everyone's bed and disturbed the 18 inches of dust bunnies under each one.  I wanted to get everything cleaned before the movers came and saw how long it had been since I had cleaned under beds!  You know...........you can't let anyone know how you "really live", right?  So now I can keep my deceiving image as a mother of 5 that has an immaculate home, bakes all from scratch, healthy meals, and never raises her voice to her perfect little children.  Hee Hee!! 

One last tidbit before I close.  As I was making my bed this morning, Hunter bounced in to the room and made my head spin with this comment, "Mom, did you know that I would rather touch poop, than  eat spinich"?  Normally, I encourage his conversations and love to see how his little mind works.  Today, however, I just smiled and left this one alone!! 

I seem to have misplaced my energy.  I have gone back and retraced my steps, but it is no where to be found.  I had it yesterday..........last seen around 7:30 as the boys and I took the trash out to the curb from the house, shed and garage.  As I continue to purge our belongings, we have lots of "stuff" that is ending up at the curb on Fridays!

I tossed and turned last night, unable to really get comfortable.  I guess I have reached that stage of pregnancy.  And today, I had to drag myself out of bed at 6:30 to see Brandon and Em before they got on the bus at 6:45.  It is a very gray, rainy day.  Maybe that is the problem.  Nevertheless, I have pulled all the "tricks" I know in an attempt to find energy.  I had 1 cup of coffee (oops, it's decaf since I am pg.  Guess that won't work), showered, took pre-natal vitamin and drank water.  Not sure what else to do, other than to listen to my body and take a lazy day off.  Naptime at our house is 12 noon.  Only 3 1/2 hours to go...............................

Jodi

Ok, so my picture posting is not going well.  It is one of those things that DJ would help me with if he were here, but since he isn't, I'm on my own!  I'll keep trying though!

Yesterday we had such a great day.  Jarrett got up early (6:20), we got a jumpstart on our daily chores.  I was officially finished with everything by 7:45!!  We woke Hunter, had breakfast, and then headed out back so I could mow and the boys could play on the swings and in the sandbox.  Hunter was such a big help with his little brother and I got the mowing down rather quickly.

Later that afternoon, Jarrett and I  napped while Hunter played quietly by himself.  I woke up feeling refreshed after the much needed rest and Hunter and I had a great school session making a calendar to mark our moving days and work on his reading and grammar.

When Em and Brandon got home around 3:00, we loaded up and headed to our friends house in the next town.  They had invited us to come for water balloon fights, fun on the playground and pizza for dinner.  Brandon decided that he would stay here since he is so much older than the little ones, and he could practice his guitar while talking on the phone to his friend.  The kids had a great time getting wet and running around the yard.  While the children played, I got to "shop" my friends yard sale before it actually opens.  I left with an entire rubbermaid container of baby girls clothes.  We are now set for the baby through her first year!!  YEA! 

We had a GREAT time with our friends and hope to have them over for a day of fun before we move!  Little Molly actually came today for a playdate.  She LOVES Hunter even though he is 3 years older than she is.  We love everyday we get to spend with her!

Well, the kids have tired of the fort we built earlier and are ready to move on to playdough, so should go. It is gray and rainy today, so we are having some indoor fun.   Hoping that everyone has a great day!!

Jodi

I thought it would be fun to post several pictures that I have taken over the last few weeks, but I can't seem to figure it out.  The pictures are so big, and I have yet to figure out how to make them smaller.  I'll try to take time tomorrow to learn how to do this.  For now, I will just post my entry because I am frustrated and tired of messing with the pictures! 

We continue to work each day toward our move to Illinois during the first week of June.  I just can't believe how much "stuff" we have accumulated over the last 5 years that we have been here.  I have gotten to know the people that run the  local thrift shop on a first name basis, and our trashmen must dread coming on Fridays because we have three times as much trash as normal.  The man from the moving company came today to assess our household contents.  It made me take an even harder look at what we will be taking with us. 

Brandon and I spent this afternoon mowing and doing the trimming around the house.  Our riding lawnmower had a belt break last week.  This late in the game, we are not going to fix it.  We weren't planning on taking it anyway, so we will just have to live without it for the next few weeks.  Bran and I figured that if I mow the front yard, he can mow the side yard.  Then we will take the next day to mow in front of the barn and behind the fence.  The backyard will be the third day!  Ugh!  Lots of push mowing, but on the bright side, it is good exercise and maybe I won't gain as much weight during this pregnancy as I normally do.  I have gained as much as 50 lbs. during past pregnancies.  I am hoping for 30 this time around!

We have decided to wait to purchase a home after ours sells rather than making double payments.  It just isn't worth the financial risk.  So DJ has been busy looking for temporary housing for us.  His company will pay for us to stay in a hotel for three weeks once we all arrive, so that will give us a little more time.  It's scary though --moving without a house to move into. 

Well, I have a little one to get to bed!  Hopefully I'll have some pictures to show off soon.  Wish me luck!

Good Morning!

I have decided to try REALLY hard to update regularly in order to journal our move, and keep DJ updated since he is already living/working at the new location.  I think it will be a bit easier for me to make regular posts now that I am OFFICIALLY finished with my online classes.  Woo Hoo!!!  I just may hold the record for the longest time taken to complete a bachelor's degree.  I started straight out of high school in 1990, and now.............. exactly 17 years later, I am finished!!!

Our first week here without Daddy has been a bit of a blur.  We were all exhausted from spending the week in IL with him when we returned home on Sunday evening.  The kids were great though and we all worked together to unload the Expedition AND get everything put away where it belongs.  We started laundry right away and the house was in "show condition" again within 1 1/2 hours of our arrival.  It was so nice to have everything done and I had a very peaceful night of sleep that night.  I think we all did!

MONDAY was a day of staying home and recovering from the long trip.  I was able to complete one of my finals and the little boys enjoyed playing with their toys.  We went outside to start mowing the lawn, but hit one obstacle after another.  Isn't this just how it goes when the man of the house is away?  The battery was dead in the mower.  Lucky for me, the charger was right beside it and I was able to figure out how to get it going.  We mowed for a while and got the front almost finished, when it ran out of gas.  At that point, I decided to take a break.  Nothing is ever too easy around here. LOL!  When the big kids arrived home from school, I went to get gas for the mower.  Brandon helped me gas it up, re-charge the battery and once again I was off..............until...........it started throwing sparks and smoking.  That was enough for one day.  I parked it in the garage and announced to little Jarrett that we would just HAVE to get a new one!  He made sure to tell daddy that night on the phone that "mommy broke it, get a new one".

TUESDAY was a beautiful day!  The boys and I left the house in the late morning and went to the post office.  They had made a couple of pictures for daddy, I made him snickerdoodles, and we had his mail from the previous week to drop by the post office.  We then stopped by and had a nice visit with DJ's grandmother.  She is such a wonderful woman and I never tired of talking with her.  We share many of the same beliefs and ideas, which reminds me that I was born into the wrong decade!  After we left grandma's we headed for a "healthy" lunch a Burger King , and took it to the park to eat.  The boys then ran around and played on the slides and swings for over an hour.  When they were completely exhausted we headed for my doctor's appt.  Baby is doing very well and growing normally.  My midwife gave me a list of midwives in the area where we will be moving.  Not a large list to choose from, but hopefully we will find someone we really like.

WEDNESDAY  was another day at home.  Our favorite friend and former daycare girl, Molly, spent the day with us.  The kids all love her and they enjoyed the chance to see her again.  We will miss her (and her family) terribly when we move.  That morning we made playdough, read stories, and then spent time out enjoying the windy, but sunny day.  Molly and Jarrett napped, while Hunter and I completed his school work for the day.  We don't do much this year for Kindergarten, but next year his school work will take most of the morning and part of the afternoon.  I can't wait!!! 

Brandon has really been going above and beyond this week.  He his been such a huge help to me by taking over the "man" jobs.  Even though he bought a new PS2 gave on the trip, he has not taken the time to play it for more than 30 minutes the 1st night we arrived back home.  He has been working hard on getting his homework caught back up, and also fixed the mower for me and completed the mowing, helped Hunter, Em, and I move the yard sell items to the front of the house, AND put the table together that I hoped to sell.  Even though bedtime was 9:00 for him, we was up until 10 every night without complaining, getting things done that we had to do.  All of the children have been such a big help and blessing this week!  I am one lucky mama! 

THURSDAY

I was up early today to get the yardsale items layed out and ready to go.  It was a chilly, cloudy day.  Jarrett was up with me at 6:30 and Brandon and Em helped until the bus came at 6:45.  We had a good sale and were able to get rid of most of the clothing, and many smaller items.  What we didn't sell we loaded up and dropped off at the thrift store that evening.  I then treated everyone to burgers and fries at a local restaurant we have never been to.  It was good.......overpriced, but good.  Emily then walked next door to her dance class and the boys and I ran to Advance Auto to get a fuse for the truck. It blew on the trip, so I couldn't charge the cell phone from the truck anymore.  After picking her up we returned home just in time for a very, very, very yucky poopy diaper from Jarrett.  He was a mess from the waist down, so he had his bath and got ready for bed.  It happened again 2 more times before he fell asleep and I thought he felt very warm as well.  During the night he had several yucky diapers, and vomited once.  Poor baby was miserable with tummy cramps and tossed and turned all night.  At 2 a.m. I was thowing in another load of laundry and praying that he would get some relief and allow us both some much needed rest.  The next morning my quick internet research reveled that he had rotovirus.  Two children in our area were recently hospitalized with this virus with concerns of dehydration, so I was very concerned.  Fortunately he continues to drink gatorade, so he is staying hydrated.

FRIDAY was more of the same for Jarrett.  Grandma made a run to walmart for us today for diapers.  I had only 1 left when she arrived!!!  She also brought strawberries for him because it is one of his favorite foods.  During the late afternoon, he did eat 1/2 chicken sandwhich and 5 strawberries.  Yeah, perhaps he is on the mend.  Friday night was a high fever though when he went to bed at 8:30.  Brandon, Em and Hunter enjoyed a late night watching Disney channel and playing computer games.  I was able to finish my LAST final!!  Whew!

SATURDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY JARRETT!

Our little guy turned 2 today!  We woke up fever free and feeling very well!  We had a late bacon and egg breakfast (his favorite) and then let him open his gifts.  He received a talking Lightening McQueen car and book from his mommy, daddy and siblings, a golf club set, baseball bat and ball, and large bouncy ball from Grandma and Grampa W, and a gift card from Grandma and Grampa J.  Emily had made him a very elaborate Happy Birthday sign that we hung on the door, and Brandon made his birthday cake!  Jarrett started feeling badly again by early afternoon, so we snuggled up on the sofa and watched a movie.  He then took a long nap.

While Jarrett napped we had a gentleman drop by and want to see the house.  I'm not sure why he didn't just call the realtor, but he was a very nice WWII vet that had grown up in this area and currently lives in Pennsylvania.  So I invited him in to walk through.  He seems interested!  YEA!!!!  We'll see if he brings his wife back though.  All I could think of while he was here though was, "Does my house smell like the virus we are battling"?  AFTER he left, I lit my candles and started the potpouri burner just incase they came back that evening!

We had Jarrett's favorite dinner that night, chicken strips, homemade fries, corn and cream gravy for dipping.  He was feeling well enough to eat, but Hunter didn't come to the table because his "tummy hurts".  OH NO!!!    After dinner we all called Daddy on speaker phone to light the candles and sing Happy Birthday to Jarrett.  Daddy was shopping downtown, but stepped out of the store and sang along with us. What an awesome daddy to stand downtown on a Saturday night and sing to your 2 year old!  We LOVE YOU daddy!

30 minutes later, Hunter threw up and ALMOST made it to the toilet!  I started more laundry!  He also started running a fever, so I kept him downstairs to sleep on the sofa.  During the night though, BOTH little boys ended up in my bed.  It was a very tossy, turvey night to say the least.

SUNDAY so far has been a good day.  Of course, it is only 9:30 a.m.  The little ones woke up at 8:00, so it was nice to sleep in.  Is it still called sleeping in if you were awake half the night????  They both woke up fever free and feeling good.  We snuggled in bed for a while and then I got up to make a cup of coffee.  I returned with 2 children's books; one about moving and one about making new friends.  They both listened intently and then Hunter and I had a nice discussion about what it will be like to make new friends once we get to IL.

And that is a wrap for this week.  Long enough, don't you think???  Hello?  Hello?  Are you still here?  Still awake?  LOL!  Today I would like to have some fun time with my older kids.  It seems that we have had lots of working time together, but not a lot of playtime.  Perhaps a family hike would be nice if it warms up.  Or Em and I both love doing our nails together.  That would be a good naptime activity!

Have a good day!

I didn't think we would EVER do it, but we are leaving our beautiful 43 acres and heading for Illinois.  We have until June to sell our home, buy another and move in before our baby comes in August!!!  Thank goodness DJ's company is moving us!  I have never had the luxury of a moving company coming in and packing for me and loading it all up.  When we came here from Kansas, DJ drove the very tightly packed U-haul and I drove the mini-van with three children, a dog, and 27 fish!  THAT was a fun 18 hour trip!!

We are all very excited and a little nervous too. We are also having a hard time finding more than 1-2 acres in the area we are going to.  That will be a big adjustment after having 40+ and hiking almost year round! 

The older kids are excited because the schools seem quite nice and have many opprotunities that they have not had here.  Since Hunter is homeschooled, he only cares about the library and it seems very nice as well.  I feel like pioneers - moving out west!  :)

Enough chit chat!  I have lots to do. 

When you hear the word homesteading, what do you think of?  Me?  A few things come to mind - gardening, muck boots, animals, family, teamwork, being aware of what we feed our families and put into our own bodies..............and that is just a few.  What I DON'T think of is 10 degree days, 3 feet of snow, having to cross country ski to my chicken coup, and wondering if I will ever see that green stuff called grass again!  Oh yeah, and I don't think of bad attitudes -- like the one that I have now!!    I was doing a pretty good job of keeping my positive outlook UNTIL, this gardening seed company had the nerve to send me a catalogue in the middle of February and during a blizzard.  Are you kidding me???  I can't even BEGIN to think about my garden!!

I remember a few years ago when I had 8 full-time daycare children, we had a beach party in February!!  They all brought sunglasses, bathing suits, and flip flops.  I brought in a kiddie pool and filled it with sand, cranked up the heat, and we had a wonderful day sipping lemonade and playing on the "beach".  Silly as it sounds, it did wonders for all of our attitudes!  So, I guess I have reached the point that I will have to do it again.  Starting tomorrow, I will get up and put on my bikini and go about my daily routine.  Of course, when the UPS man comes to deliver DJ's birthday present he might think I have lost my mind.  I guess he won't be far from the truth. 

We woke up this morning to the ground covered in snow and it is still falling.  I think we are expected to receive just over an inch total, and it is so beautiful!  It is days like today that I am VERY grateful to my hard working husband who values our traditional roles and allows me to stay at home with the kiddos.  My daycare mom had to get her little ones out early this morning to bring them to me.  I wouldn't trade places with her for any amount of money in the world!

It has been a very mild winter for us so far.  Usually by this time we have already had a couple feet of snow.  The funny thing is that our forcast for Friday is rain and 60 degrees!   This is the first year that I am actually prepared for snow days when all the kids are home from school.  By that I mean that we have projects planned and ready to complete.  Brandon is going to work on a geneology project and Emily will complile a family cookbook.  I think it will be fun for them and it is something they will be able to keep forever.  I don't have anything ready for Hunter yet, but since he is homeschooled, he will have to keep up with his regular work.  I think I might buy some fleece  and let him make a no-sew blanket.

Speaking of Hunter, I need to go and get him out of bed so he can start his morning chores.  He will stay in bed until 11 or 12 if I let him!  Can't say that I blame him on a day like today though.  If I didn't have other children, I would just curl up beside him and sleep too!

 6 year old Hunter has officially begun his formal "laundry training".  Yesterday, he completed from start to finish his first load of laundry.  He tends to be a bit of a complainer, so I was concerned about the amount of time it would take to complete the chore.  However, it went surprisingly well!

I think it helped that he needed to wash his new "Doodle  Monster", the stuffed animal that you draw on with a marker and then it washes off.  He willingly loaded his laundry into the machine, placing the Doodle monster on top.  I then helped by measuring the soap and he started the machine.

THEN the fun began!  Hunter and Jarrett were both glued to the machine as they watched the Doodle monster swirling around, tossed from side to side.  Hunter excitedly noted which of his "doodles" had been removed.  This went on for 25 minutes!!!  They giggled, whooped and hollared in front of the washing machine!  Who knew that doing laundry could be so much fun!  If only we could all see the joy in our chores the way these two little boys did! 

Friday

Friday night we had 2 basketball games, so DJ brought pizza home after work. It was also my birthday and it was such a treat to not have to cook OR clean up a mess in the kitchen!  Both boys did very well in the games.  Hunter spends more time focusing on the scoreboard and keeping his teammates informed about who is winning than he does trying to get the ball.  It is also a major battle to get him into tennis shoes before each game.  He wants to wear his "flips" and swears that he "can't move his toes" when he has his tennis shoes on.  We just bought him another pair that is 1 size too big and he still complains!   His compromise is that he will wear his muck boots.  Ugh!  Can you picture him on the court in his black gym shorts and muck boots??

Brandon is showing increasing talent on the court.    I'm alreading dreaming about a basketball scholarship to WVU.  We'll see if he keeps interest in the sport though.  His Friday night game was against the coaches and the coaches won!  It was fun to watch though.......especially because DJ was playing against Brandon.  You should have heard the conversation in the car after the game!  They were both giving each other such a hard time!

After the games we headed to DQ for a treat and then home to watch a movie.  I didn't make it through the movie though and went to bed around 10:00.

Saturday

We were pretty slow starting the day, but once we got going we got quite a lot done!  DJ, Brandon and I worked on the new bedroom upstairs and have it ALMOST ready to paint.  We have about 1 day of work on drywall before it will be ready.  Our goal is to have it done by next weekend.  We will seee!  Emily and Hunter helped out by sorting through our many tubs of clothes that are waiting for children to grow into them and also by playing with Jarrett.  He is very onery and in to everything!!!

About 8:30 Saturday night, DJ and I took the kids to his parents house to watch movies and we headed to Walmart to get groceries and finish the grocery shopping. After dropping off the kids, we realized that we didn't have the cell phone, so we ran by the house to get it.  We both knew where it WAS earlier in the day, but it wasn't there now.  Still unable to locate it, DJ called from the home phone and we both listened.  It would appear that a certain little 19 month old had found the phone, turned it to vibrate mode and placed it in a spot where he could  find it later.  Question was..................where was that spot??  We could hear it vibrating, but couldn't find where it was coming from.  It would have been quite a sight for someone else to see:  two previously sane adult, on their hands and knees with ears to the floor, looking puzzled as the floor vibrated from the ringing phone that was no where to be found.  When suddenly, "ding" a lightbulb came on in my mommy head............Jarrett was on his riding toy right before we left.  I opened the "trunk" of his car and there it was. At least we know for next time where his secret hiding place is.  I bet we will look for keys in this location more than once over the next few months.

SUNDAY

After our late night, we slept in until 9:00 and missed church.  Hunter didn't even get out of be until 11:30, just in time to get ready for his friend Haley's birthday party at the bowling alley.  DJ took him while Brandon and Emily and I stayed home to make Sugar cookies, Fantasy fudge and Peanut butter fudge.  The kitchen smelled sooooo yummy.  Hunter had a great time at the party and just minutes after they returned, it was time to take Emily to her small group bible study.  So we all loaded up, dropped her off, had a not-so-healthy DQ dinner, and ran to the city before having to pick her up again!   WHEW!  What a day!

TODAY

Hunter has about 2 hours of school work to complete.  He will finish on Wednesday for the rest of this year.  Woo Hoo!  The break will be nice for mom too!

I have an art project for him to do today and will let my daycare 2 year olds and Jarrett try it too. It involves pinecones, glitter and glue, so I might be sorry for getting the little ones involved. Then we are going to roll out and decorate some of the Christmas cookies that I mixed up yesterday.  Should be a full day ending with yet another basketball game.

Merry Christmas!!

Wow!  Has it really been one month since I have visited? 

I finished my last final for this semester on Wednesday evening.  Grades come out today.  I'm afraid I have messed up my 4.0 by receiving a B in my Government class.  Grrrr..................

Midterm reports came out yesterday for the big kids.  I am very proud to report that Brandon has an A in math.  Not just an A, but a high A!  Yea Brandon!!!  We are soooo proud of him because this is the class he struggles in and he has been working very hard!

Brandon and Hunter continue to keep us hopping with their basketball schedules.  They are both making great progress and are reall assets to their teams.  A visit to the doctor this past week told us that Brandon is currently 5'11" and if he continues at the same rate, he is estimated to be 6'4".  Wow!!  So now I am talking to him about basketball scholarships!

Emily is doing great in her dance class.  They are learning all kinds of crazy flips and things that make me very nervous to watch.  She has a sudden interest in make-up since she received a large kit as a gift.  I remember going through this phase all too well at about the same age. 

Jarrett is so much fun at 19 months.  He LOVES to play ring-around-the rosey, dance and jump.  He is learning to count to 5 and also learning his colors.  Of course the BIG news is how he is potty training himself.  I never would have started this early, but he tells me when he has to go (sometimes)  and we go.  Most of the time he tells me after he goes.  But.........it is a great start!

Enough catching up for now.  Now that my classes are over, we are ready to begin the cleaning, baking and wrapping that go along with the month of December.  Brittany will be here next week and we are all looking forward to seeing her again.  The kids didn't get to spend any time together this past summer, so it will be fun to have all 5 of them together for a week.

Merry Christmas!

WHEW................it is REALLY busy around here now!  Both older boys are playing basketball, Emily is in dance, Emily and Hunter just started 4-H and I am hoping that Brandon will want to join next year. Hunter is wanting to join wrestling club in January, but we are not real sure about that yet.  Wrestling is a huge time and financial commitment and he is only 6.  Hmmm..............how did we suddenly get so busy?  I think it will be much better after basketball ends because 4-H meetings are only 1x per month and the activities are completed here at home. Dance is only 30 minutes 1x per week, and that gives me just enough time to run errands. 

I am really looking forward January because it will be my last semester of college!  WooHoo!  I will FINALLY graduate in May.  I am sooooo looking forward to the amount of time that I will have when I no longer have papers to write and assignments to do.  I might even have free time to learn to sew, and read for FUN!  I almost forgot what it was like to sit down and peruse through a magazine.

Our BIG news is two fold:  First, I just have to share Jarrett's latest accomplishments.  He has used the potty several times in the last week!!  Now he loves to go and asks quite often.  I don't mind at all when we are at home, but I sure dread having to go visit every public restroom once he discovers them.  Ewwwww..................

Second BIG news................DJ and I are trying to decide if another child is in our near future.  The kids are all for it and have been asking for sometime (especially Hunter).  We would both feel the desire to have a large family, but we want to be sure that it is "fair" to the children.  There are so many benefits and especially since we have started homeschooling, I feel the desire even heavier on my heart.  The only "downside" to a large family that we see is financial.  Of course, we already have 5 children and have every need met.  So............we continue to discuss it, pray about it, and know that ultimately it is God's plan for our lives, not ours.

One last thing to share:

Actually it is a warning to parents who excitedly teach their children to read.  I'm wondering.............do they really need to learn to read before they are....say 18 years old?  Hunter is able to sound out just about any word now.  He loves being a reader and reads everywere we go.  So.....imagine this:  We were in Lowes and he had an "emergency" and had to go NOW!  I ask Brandon to please take him while I get Jarrett into a cart.  They were in there for quite a while and when they caught up to us Brandon's face was beat red and he was holding back a good belly laugh.  Hunter ran up and announced that a "Naughty Boy" had been in the bathroom because he wrote "very bad" things on the bathroom wall.  He then explained to me how he sounded them out and was quite proud of himself.  Ugh!  Why didn't it occur to me that now, not only can he read quality material, but he can also read material that was not meant for a child's eyes?  So that is why it took Hunter so long during this emergency..............he had to read every scribble on the wall.

We experienced our first snow of the year on Monday!  Sunday night we were out until 7:00 wearing light jackets and Monday we broke out the hats, coats, gloves and snowboots!  The kids were thrilled!  Jarrett was fascinated by the pretty, white flakes blowing from the sky, so after my daycare kids left I took him out for about 10 minutes.  He had a huge smile on his face inspite of the cold wind.

DJ's cousin is getting married on Saturday, so we have been busy preparing for that.  Emily is an attendant in the wedding.  We were lucky enough to get a dress for her on ebay for just a few dollars!  Gotta love a bargin!  We will try to find shoes tonight at Wamart.  I REALLY need to get busy, as I have promised 100 leaf shaped sugar cookies by Saturday.  I think I will start mixing the dough tomorrow and bake and decorate on Friday.  DJ is taking the pictures for the wedding and we are all excited about that.  He did shoot a wedding last year, but it was very small and informal.  This will pose more of a challenge, one that he happily embraces.

Hunter's 6th birthday is on Halloween.  We are having an outdoor party for him on Sunday with his friends and their families.  Please pray for nice weather!!  The kids are going to have field day races and go hiking with the dads'.  The moms' will stay by the fire and entertain the little ones playing on the outdoor playground and in the tent.  Right now the forcast is a high of 54 and sunny! 

That's it for today.  I have chores to do and littles to interact with.  Hope everyone has a very blessed day!

Is it REALLY Monday morning again??  I just read this weekend that during the last legislative session in WV, they formally named the day after Thanksgiving, Lincoln’s Day.  Hmmm……..are they trying to honor the former President, or simply justify taking that Friday off??  Well, I have decided that if they can busy themselves with this type of “work”, then they should really start working on changing the work week to TWO days per week and the weekend to FIVE!  Now that would be an impressive bill, don’t you think?

One reason that our weekend went by so quickly, was that we kept busy.  Very busy.  Our house was filled with the hustle and bustle of FALL!  We kicked off the weekend with our Friday night homemade pizza.  I have worked hard to “perfect” both the crust and the sauce, and I think it is finally accomplished!  Everyone loves pizza night!  Infact, it was one of the foods that the kids said they missed most when they were at their dads this summer.  Brandon even called to get my “secret recipe”.  How flattering!

SATURDAY

I tried to get a headstart with my cleaning early Saturday morning, but little Jarrett thought he would get a head start on Mommy time.  Actually the entire family was up by 8:00, which is rather unusual around here.  I got a little bit accomplished before jumping into the shower.  I had very little water pressure during my shower, and quickly discovered that we were without water due to a water main break a few miles away.  That left us without water until late afternoon.  So much for the mountain of laundry that I was going to tackle today. After my shower,  DJ left to go help his dad get some lawn power parts from a nearby town.  Jarrett cried and cried, wanting to go, so we quickly got him dressed and he went to spend some one on one time with Grandma.  Emily and I headed to town for a weeks worth of groceries. When we got back we popped in some fish sticks for lunch, and I ran over to pick Jarrett up. 

During Jarrett’s afternoon nap, DJ and I were able to get away for an hour by taking the 4 wheeler over the hill to spend some time on our back 40 acres.  Deer season started this weekend and we wanted to make sure our make-do fences are secure and that our property markers are clearly defined.  Everything looked good and it was GREAT to get away.  Brandon did a wonderful job keeping an eye Jarrett as he napped; Hunter and Emily did a wonderful job keeping themselves quietly occupied.  They kids only used the radio to call us one time and that was just to “check on us”.  How sweet!

I spent the rest of the day cutting up apples and drying them in the dehydrator.  Everyone LOVED dried apples.  I love it too, because it is such a healthy snack!  I also baked 2 loaves of cinnamon banana bread.  MMmmmmm………….the entire house smelled so yummy!

DJ spent all of his afternoon and evening cleaning out our storage area.  I can’t believe how much “Junk” gets thrown in there with the hope of someday using it again.  He didn’t get it all finished, but it sure looks much better than it did!  Emily spent Saturday night with a friend.  She has made friends with a little girl that we all really like.  She comes from a good family with loving and watchful parents that seem to share our values and morals.  It is so nice to be able to let her go and not have to worry, or even worse to have to tell her no she can not go to a friends home.

SUNDAY

We missed church again.  We have got to get better about this!  The kids miss going, too.  DJ, the boys and I spent about an hour getting the house back into shape.  The boys had some time playing playstation, DJ enjoyed watching football, and I busied myself in the kitchen making a stew for dinner and more dried apples.  Brandon and Emily had small groups in the evening.  While they were at small groups, Hunter, Jarrett and I went to a school playground to play.  We had a blast going down the slides, swinging and just running around enjoying the mild temperatures before winter strikes.  DJ got to spend some time home alone working on his reloading.  It was a nice evening for everyone.

Today it is back to work as usual.  Brandon and Em are in school, DJ went to work, I have daycare, and Hunter will be doing his school work this afternoon while the little ones nap.  I need to get going and make some Italian bread for tonights spaghetti dinner.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

JODI

We are really enjoying Fall around our little homestead!  Yesterday, Hunter and Jarrett, along with my 2- daycare 2 year olds walked out to the apple tree.  It was so much fun to shake the branches and then hurry in to gather the apples.  The kids reacted as if they had just broken  a pinata! (much healthier than candy, huh?)  So today Hunter and I will prepare an apple dessert during the little ones naptime.

Hunter is studying trees and leaves in school right now, so the apples just seemed to fit.  We also have activities centered around one of my favorite stories The Giving Tree.  Hunter continues to excell in school.  His reading skills are moving right along thanks to a wonderful program that we started using:  www.tampareads.com .  I would highly recommend it!  We just finished reading Charlotte's Web and we watched the movie yesterday.  He has chosen the Chronicles of Narnia to read next.  I'm not sure if it will be next or not, because we don't have it.  That might make a great Christmas gift though!

Today we are going to DJ's parents after school so the older kids can do some lawn work for them.  They are learning how to barter for items they could not otherwise afford.  It has been an excellent life lesson.  Brandon now has a mountain bike that he really wanted and Emily got to go to the Festival a second day and have an all day ride bracelet.

Not sure what is for dinner tonight, but DJ has requested something very light.  He is trying to get in tip top shape before his PT test.  The three months of little activity after he hurt his ankle is really catching up with him.  I should work with him on this.  I could stand to lose a few pounds myself!

Have a great day!

J

It is that time of year again.  When we really know that Fall is here.  We had to turn on the heater Friday night because it was expected to dip down into the 30's.  We have all been busy with the Buckwheat Festival.  The town pretty much closes down including the schools for this four day event.  It can be very educational though, if you make it that way.  It can also be quite costly! 

Brandon and Emily are old enough to go and run around with their friends, so they each got to do just that.  Brandon went Wednesday night to ride the rides and he will go to the car show with a friend tomorrow.  Emily went Friday with a friend and Saturday with her cousin.  Of course the older kids also spent some time walking around with us as a family as well.  Hunter enjoyed riding with his sister and little Jarrett was carried in the backpack most of the time.  He did get to enjoy a teddy bear sucker both days though.

Due to the fact that most rides cost 2.50 or more to ride, we purchased each child an allday riding ticket for ONE day only.  This $16 bracelet was certainly the way to go!!  A family with 3 or more children could easily spend over $100 for fun and food in a day.  Well..........not this family!  We set a budget of $65.00 and we did it!!!  It was hard to do, but we did it.  And the kids didn't leave feeling like they didn't have fun!  Hunter REALLY wanted a $5.00 carmel apple.  He eyed them both days we were there.  So on the way home, we took our remaining cash and purchased 6 apples, and more than enough carmels for $9.00!  He and Emily helped make them and they are enjoying them as I type!

Hunter did a mini unit on Farming this week.  It was fun to visit the pigs, sheep, cows, and goats at the festival.  I was able to find three families with dairy goats for sale and DJ agreed to build me a shelter for them.  I am hoping to buy three in the Spring.  We also found Pyrenees (sp) puppies for sale.  They are $250 for males and $350 for females so I need to research to see if that is a good price or not.  Hunter really wants a dog to call his own and I really want a working farm dog.  We don't have that much money to spend on a dog right now, but perhaps there will be a puppy left when we are able.  If not, there will always be another liter.

On to my exciting news of the weekend..............A very sweet lady who makes goat milk soap was selling her products at a stand.  I stopped to talk to her and told her I was planning to get goats next spring and really wanted to make soap!  She offered to sell me her business!  I am very interested and plan to contact her next week.  She does not have her own goats, but buys milk from a local farmer.  What a fun family business!  And......I LOVED her products!  We will see what happens on this one. 

TOMORROW

After church we are going to help a friend of DJ's move back into his house.  He was away for several months, but has a uhaul full of furniture ready to move back in.  I hope to get home early enough to fix a big pot of chicken noodle soup and relax a little before starting another week.

Last night Hunter left town with his grandparents for 5 long days!  This is the longest I have ever been without him in the almost 6 years he has been on this earth!  Sigh......................    I am sure that he will have a wonderful time visiting his Uncle Greg and family.

This morning was far to quiet.  I don't have my daycare kids today, so Jarrett and I slept in until 8:15.  That was a treat!  Then we headed out to get cheese for the pizza tonight and some heavy duty trash bags to clean up the mess made by a very troublesome raccoon!  After getting it all picked up, we headed to the transfer station to drop it all off.  One month of trash - 10 large bags cost only $9 to dispose of!  This is a big improvement from the  $30 a month we were paying to have it picked up curbside.   I hope to reduce our trash to only 3-4 bags  a month as we continue to recycle.  I still see cardboard, steel and aluminum being tossed into the trash can rather than the recycling bins.  They will get the hang of it though!

This evening I am taking Brandon, Emily and 2 of their friends to a concert.  It is at our local Civic Center.  The band is one that Brandon has heard before and he knows the guitar player.  They play heavy metal Christian music! This could make for a very interesting night.  I might need to borrow DJ's earplugs since I am now officially "old" and will have less tolerance to the loud music!    Actually I am really looking forward to it.  It is fun having teenagers around!  And I especially like having them and their friends with us rather than at a home that may not be supervised!

DJ has drill this weekend.  I have several hours of homework to complete.  Brandon and Emily agreed to help me get Hunter's new room finished for him before he comes home on Tuesday.  Brandon is really ready to do this since Hunter has been sharing his room!!

Well, time to get a snack on the table before the kids get home with their friends!  Hope everyone is well and has a great weekend!

Jodi

Well, my time away from the computer is getting easier.  I guess I am adjusting well and it feels good being more productive with my time. 

My garden this year was a total flop.  The okra grew about an inch and stopped, I got one squash and one zuccini (see, I can't even spell it, let alone grow it), and my beans.......well, I got one picking which amounted to  1 quart and 1 pint total.  BUT............I have a plan that is already in motion and next year WILL be better!  I have started composting, and I have decided to get that disgusting horse manure that everyone keeps telling me I need.  UGH!  It just turns my stomach to think about growing our food under such "conditions".

Inspite of my poor harvest this year, we have been abundantly blessed by our friends and neighbors.  We have been given a great deal of corn, several squash, a few cucumbers and even swiss chard, which is new to me.  My favorite gift, however, is the 2 bushels of peaches given to us by a neighbor.  This woman and her husband are both just a wealth of gardening information.  I have visited with them both several times about their various gardens and orchards.  They really inspire me!  Oh yes, and DJ's grandmother made us the BEST blackberry pie.  Brandon and a friend went blueberry picking last week.  I didn't know what to do with them, so I froze them to use later.  The kids and I worked this afternoon processing the food we have been given.  Hunter felt very grown up getting to cut the ends off the beans and snap them.  Brandon helped remove the peels from the peaches and half them.  We then canned the green beans, corn and peaches. We also used the seal-a-meal to freeze some peaches and corn on the cob.

I am hoping to start sharing eggs with my very generous neighbors very soon.  Those pesky chickens are certainly NOT being generous with the eggs.  Infact, they are not laying at all yet.  They are 5 months old, so I really hoped to have SOMETHING by now.  Any experienced chicken farmers that can give me some helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.

Gotta run!  Tomorrow is busy.  The older kids do not have school.  They cancelled it because we are supposed to get a great deal of rain from the hurricane on the coast.  DJ is off work and hoping to spend some extra time with the kids while I take care of the daycare kids!