Take a Ride

What Do You Sphinx?

2012-01-29T21:18:00.001-06:00

Libby has enjoyed learning about Egypt this year, but after awhile our curriculum got a bit dull. So, I decided to branch out on my own and do some of the things that I thought a six-year old should know about. One of those things was the sphinx, so we looked it up online and read about it and then put a 3-D puzzle together.

I was honestly quite happy with the way things worked out. We just finished reading a book called "Boy of the Pyramids" and in the book he meets Khufu, the Pharaoh. Come to find out, the sphinx guards the entrance to the pyramid of Khufu's son, Khafre. Libby was so excited to hear a name she recognized and can give you both names, although she has to think a bit about Khafre's name. :)

I LOVE homeschooling (most days).

Apparently...

2012-01-29T17:41:00.001-06:00

I need to get my camera out a little more often. This is the last picture I have of any of my children. Albeit, it is only a week old, but you probably think I don't have daughters anymore.

Anyway, it has been a busy couple of weeks (I'm sure you're thinking, "When isn't it?"). We have been getting back in the swing of things with school and dealing with attitudes (mostly mommy's) and being reminded to look for the joy in life instead of concentrating on the frustrating little things that seem to pile up too high if you let them.

On that note, I have a cool post I will share with you later (after I take pics, of course) and another post, for you momma's, that really helped me to put some things into perspective. Hope y'all are having a great weekend!

Habit?

2012-01-23T21:07:00.003-06:00

All of my readers know that I am a reader. I almost always have my nose in a good book. I'm sure my fellow readers already know this, but it is totally a trait that you are born with. I always have been a reader, and probably always will be. :)

Pinky

2012-01-21T21:21:00.000-06:00

Way back when Libby was a little girl, we started calling her pretty pink blanket "pinky". Grace was born and she also recieved her very own "pinky". When John was born, he inherited momma's bear blanket. I have always called it his blanket...nothing else. Alas, as he has heard his sisters call their blankets "pinky" over and over and over, his blanket has received the name "Pinky" anyway. It is rather cute to hear him call "bee-chee" when he desires his blanket, so I guess we'll let it stick. :)

Speaking of "pink"...see John's pretty nails? Oh yeah! He totally did that himeself.

Calling All Homeschoolers...

2012-01-21T08:30:00.002-06:00

For that matter, all parents! Home Educating Family is hosting a giveaway and YOU could be the winner. Trigger Memory Systems has an exciting new flip chart for chores called Clean 'n Flip Chore Chart that they are giving away, as well as Times Tales, their stories to help your children memorize their multiplication table. Both of these resources could be very helpful to you, as long as you have, well...children. Like them on facebook for an added entry.

Just go here to enter and see if your life could be made just a tad more simple with the help of Trigger Memory Systems tools.

Jungle Safari

2012-01-19T18:17:00.003-06:00

This past Sunday I helped with decorations for a baby shower. The theme was "A Jungle Safari" and we had lots of fun with it.

My first attempt at diaper cakes. So easy, so fun! If you are having a baby anytime soon, you know what you'll be getting from me. :)

Momma-to-be with the three girls who put the shower of for her...aren't we adorable?

The cutest little explorer I have EVER met!

Mouse Alert

2012-01-13T19:37:00.002-06:00

I am fairly sure we are going to have to go buy some mouse traps...oh, wait, or just use one of the many Tom and Janet bought us for Christmas a few years ago. (Ha ha!)

Tonight I was making cookies and they kept disappearing off the cookie sheet. Once, and then twice. After they were out of the oven and on the cooling rack, two more disappeared. My only problem is that I'm not sure if they make mouse traps big enough for...

little boys named John.

Mini Co-op

2012-01-12T09:59:00.003-06:00

I am absolutely blessed to have a homeschool co-op here in Dubuque to take a part in. Absolutely love it and love what it is slowly shaping up to be. That being said, a few of us girls decided to take it a step further and meet on the off weeks of co-op to cultivate friendships for us and our children, and to let the kids do some activities that you just need more kids to do.

Last week, when we met, one of their activities was a relay race. They were split into teams of four and had to put on an over-sized sweat suit, give their team high fives, and take it back off so the next kiddo could "suit up".

They loved it...
Well, most of them. You can see by Libby's face that she wasn't too enthralled. She did it, but she refused to smile, or have fun.

And when Lance decided not to participate at all (he's only four, cut him a break)...Stacey jumped in to help!

Grace got a little help when it was her turn...she had fun.

Eve Ellie (age 2) thought that she might like to try it out.
We had so much fun together and the kids got to learn a little bit about teamwork. I am so glad that we have friends to lean on, both close and far, in this homeschooling journey.

Confessions

2012-01-09T23:00:00.003-06:00

I have to admit that although the Bible says to "sing a new song" multiple times, well, change is just plain hard. I miss the hymns I sang as a child. I don't convulse in pain when I hear a hymn. I belt it out as loud as I can.

Our church, growing up, did a magnificent job mixing the old time hymns with the new chorus's (which are now also considered ancient). I was especially privileged to sing under Harry Clendenin, who WILL be leading one of heaven's many choirs along with his wife, Melissa!

Today, though, it seems somewhat hard to find a church that does a good mix. It seems either they sing hymns and shun the new songs, or vice versa. I have struggled to fall into our song service at New Life, which tends to go for the newer songs, for this very reason. It seems like the songs straddle my voice range. I want to sound great (or at least good) when I sing to my Saviour. I don't want anyone to hear me when I screw up a lyric or can't quite catch a note.

I can say, though, that although it is a struggle, I have definitely made progress in this area. I have to constantly remind myself that praising God comes from the heart, not the lungs. God doesn't care whether I am on tune or not. He cares that I am singing the words to Him, not for anyone else. He would much rather hear a person praise Him that can't carry a tune in a bucket, but has a heart overflowing for Him, than a person with the most beautiful voice that is just singing words.

Therefore, I will continue to belt out the hymns that we do sing and fumble through the other songs that are a little bit harder for me; all while keeping my mind and my heart on Christ...because that's where my focus should be anyway.

That being said, here are a few of my favorite new songs that we have been singing lately at church.

Spikes! Yikes!

2012-01-08T09:09:00.000-06:00

Momma decided to have a little fun with John's hair today! After his bath I put some gel in it and blew it dry...all while spiking it.

When Grace saw it she just looked at him and said, "Wow. Crazy." No emotion; almost concern.

Libby giggled and declared, "Spikes! Yikes!"

Daddy, well, daddy doesn't know yet. He he he!

He's still irrisistible!

The Clan

2012-01-03T20:42:00.000-06:00

Grandma and Grandpa Tucker with all seven grandkids.

For Real?

2012-01-03T20:40:00.001-06:00

This is ten days worth of being on the road.

All of this, plus...

all of this...fit in Chris's van. I'm not sure how, but it did.

This is the dead driver after 11 hours (that includes two eat and gas stops and one potty stop) on the road.

We won't show you a picture of what I looked like after putting all of this away!

Such a Cutie!

2011-12-22T18:38:00.000-06:00

Better Late than Never

2011-12-22T18:32:00.000-06:00

Mom asked me to take a picture of the girls in their soccer shirts and hats way back when soccer season was going on. Well, soccer has been over for two months and I finally followed through. Anyway, my mom made these hats for the girls and they love them! I love them too, but I love this picture even better. :)

Merry Christmas to Us!

2011-12-21T20:03:00.003-06:00

It didn't really feel like Christmas because there is no snow on the ground, but we had our Christmas tonight anyway. :)

Daddy got a cross stitch from mommy.
Libby has wanted a scrapbook so she can scrapbook with mommy, so here it is.

Grace is on a REALLY BIG Polly Pocket kick right now, so her Christmas present made up for her birthday present.

John loves anything with wheels on it...so he was thrilled!

And...I really did make it on time!!! Here are the girls matching aprons. :)

Gracie Day Festivities

2011-12-20T22:29:00.000-06:00

Here is the cake daddy bought Grace. We were going to do the actual celebrations in Ohio with my family (don't worry, we still will), but when I asked Chris to pick up a mini-cake (Cars, if possible) he heard Cars or bust. So, he went to Hy-vee and asked about a Cars cake. They told him that although there is supposed to be a 24-hour notice, they could whip one up for him in about 15 minutes...so, here is Grace's birthday cake. :)

The excitement is mounting as we sing to her.

Finally, she gets to blow those candles out...and she is officially four...no, really, we had the cake right about 9:58 when she was born. That being said, when she woke up today I told her it was her birthday and she was four. She responded with, "No I not. I three." It didn't take her long to get excited about being four though. :)

God beat us all out on birthday gifts. He gave Grace snow for her birthday. I won't even post a picture of the book we got her. It wasn't as enchanting to her as I had hoped. In fact, she liked Mater better. Such is life!

Happy Birthday, Grace!!!

2011-12-20T09:20:00.004-06:00

Is she really four already? Wasn't it just yesterday that she was sleeping in a borrowed crib in the front room with me? I remember people asking EVERY big storm...you going to go in to have the baby during this storm? Nope, she was still 8 days late. Such a precious little girl!
One year old! Finally in our new house and she is finally giving daddy a chance. She didn't like him much the first year.

Two years old! Look at her pretty little scraggles of hair. She is beautiful enough to wiggle her way into every one's heart, though!

Three years old! Momma's little princess. She loves life so much and is always up to something! ;)

Now? A big four years old! She is absolutely a darling! She loves to learn and knows all of her alphabet and how to count to ten now. She also knows how to spell her name. Our favorite new game to play together is "beginning sound match". She is still so full of life and loves to see if she can tick her sister and brother off just to get a rise out of momma. Her favorite way of annoying them? Copying every sound they make...funny, I remember doing the same thing as a kid with the same results. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRACE!!!!!

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth!

2011-12-19T20:43:00.000-06:00

I have been dying to post this for two or three weeks now, but I had to wait for her to lose the darn second tooth. She did it finally! A great big thank you to Aunt Judy for the cold wash cloth idea. That evidently gave her more courage to yank and twist that tooth right out of there. We are up to four teeth gone and one happy little girl!

And, if big sis is getting her picture taken then, of course, Grace needs her cute little mug shot, too! See all that wild hair?

Guck

2011-12-19T16:57:00.002-06:00

Definition: Usually it is either "truck" or "stuck", sometimes it can be "duck" or "yuck". It is a close relative to GOOK, meaning "book" or "look".

This definition brought to you courtesy of John.

Where Do You Call Home?

2011-12-17T12:49:00.003-06:00

Thought I'd share this with everyone. These are friends of ours who adopted three baby girls (they aren't babies now) from China. As life would have it, they ended up living in China for John Deere for three years. Anyway, this is the story of the adoption of their third baby girl, Kate, in pictures.

Yeah! Go! Ball!

2011-12-14T17:08:00.004-06:00

We have been using marbles as a reward for the kids. They finally filled it up and, after much debate, decided on bowling for their prize.

John was so patient, and only tried to climb out of his stroller once...but he REALLY wanted to have a turn, too.

At one point the girls were off playing so he got to roll one of Libby's balls. He was so cute! He was so excited that after he pushed the ball off the steering rack he started jumping up and down and cried out, "Yeah! Go! Ball!"

The second time he bowled...well, if you look in the background, you can see why he got to bowl.

His enthusiasm was seriously SO cute!

The best part of the night? I actually beat Chris for once! The sad part? Oh yeah, this was with bumpers. Ha!

Almost Four

2011-12-09T08:21:00.000-06:00

Here is Libby at almost four.

Here is Grace at almost four.

Speaking of...

2011-12-09T08:18:00.000-06:00

Here is the picture of Libby when she cut her hair, too. Although you really can't tell in this picture, we did have to go to the beautician to fix her hair. Who needs a beautician when you are already beautiful though, right?

Career Day?

2011-12-09T08:16:00.000-06:00

Ok, it is a rite of passage...every (or at least most) little girl tries this. The difference is that Libby did this when she was almost three and and had a brand new baby sister (plus, she had hair to make look not quite right); Grace, on the other hand, is almost four, and well, a few extra snips from mom and we were fine.

Yep, Grace cut her hair. You see that one cute little flipped up lock in the top picture? That was the only one left, so I cut it off, too, after these pictures were taken. The sad part is that when we were putting the girls to bed I thought Grace's hair looks shorter...eh, it's probably just extra messy today. After we prayed with them I went in to our bathroom and found some straight smooth locks laying on top of my masses of icky ones. Oh, yep, Grace's hair DID look different!

We just laughed and went to bed. Seriously, she looks just as adorable as ever. It will just be another couple of years before we get it cut again. ;)

Normal

2011-12-03T13:11:00.002-06:00

What does the word "normal" mean, anyway? According to dictionary.com it means "conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural. "

That being said, I'm normal! I like to put my best foot forward. I like people to know and see the good things that I do. I am a bit atypical in the fact that I ultimately want the things I do to bring glory to God, but for the most part, I'm normal.

I'm also normal in the fact that, although I like to put my best foot forward...that is certainly not the only foot I have. I have a not so great foot that I like to keep hidden, and only those closest to me have to deal with. That being said...this has been a rough week for me. I have just been down, and sometimes, downright cranky! Not for any reason, in particular, just having to deal...well, with me, I guess.

I know this is just a fact of life (especially as a woman), but it never makes it any easier to deal with. So, when you have one of those frustrating days...just remember, you are normal...and I will do the same today as I ride the tide of my emotions.

Christmas Time is Here!

2011-12-02T07:45:00.001-06:00

Whenever we put the Christmas tree up, I always think of the song from Charlie Brown's Christmas...Christmas Time is Here. So, it is here now.

As we put the tree up, Grace was worried about where the snow was, Libby was worried about the precise placement of each ornament, and John was worried about mommy taking the "vehicle" ornaments away from him to put on the tree.

John has an airplane ornament in his hands. He made all the appropriate noises all night long to go along with his airplane.

Peek-a-boo, where are you? Do you see a cute little boy in this picture? Not to mention, two cute little girls!

From our family to yours, Merry CHRISTMAS!!!

"Momma & Me" Journal

2011-11-30T19:59:00.000-06:00

Ok, first things first...I can't take credit for this idea. Totally got the idea from my friend, Sara, who totally got the idea from a website.

That being said, I LOVE this idea! I made it up today and laid it on Libby's bed and absolutely adored the response I got back. I typically won't be telling you what my daughter writes, but today she asked if she could spend some time with me. I decided to invite her (not via the journal) to make brownies with me, which led to her wanting to do a tea party. Already, the journal has helped me spend some quality time with both of my daughters! I can't wait to see what conversations are held thorugh our book. I also can't wait to start one with Grace in a few years!

If you would like to share this treasure with your child, I got the first letter and front page idea from http://mama-jenn.blogspot.com/2010/11/mama-me-journal.html .

Left Overs of a Tea Party

2011-11-30T19:48:00.000-06:00

Spending time with my children is something I try to be intentional about. One of the ways I try to spend extra special time with them is having tea parties with my girls. My original intentions were to do one every month. That hasn't happened, though. It usually happens every other month. That being said, we squeezed one in tonight. :)

I love spending time with my girls, and I am going to continue to try to make it a once a month thing. Next year, it is going on the calendar...end of story!

IT IS FINISHED!

2011-11-27T17:28:00.003-06:00

Yeah, I still need to get in the sewing room and take care of business in there. {Blush}

That being said, though, I have completely FINISHED John's scrap book!!!!! Yes!!!!!

Sharing!

2011-11-24T17:49:00.000-06:00

I was so proud of John the other night! He had some yummy pizza...

and he did such a great job sharing!

So cute!

Snapshots

2011-11-24T17:45:00.000-06:00

Yep, this is what I have been concentrating {or trying to, at least} lately. Way back in May Chris bought me my cool sewing machine and I made an apron for myself. (Which I did wear to make the Thanksgiving meal today!!) I had all intentions of making the girl's both aprons, as well...but, when the spare minute (what is that?) came around, I inevitably headed off to scrapbook instead. (I am six pages from being DONE with John's baby book!!) So, my goal for December is to get those aprons done for the girls.

Adjustments to the Behemoth

2011-11-24T17:33:00.000-06:00

Chris decided that the air flow was having too hard of a time making its way up the tiny tube, so he added a few extra tubes. Quite interesting!

Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T17:30:00.000-06:00

This year, Chris and I decided to stay home for Thanksgiving. We invited some friends over and had a nice, relaxing day together.

Well...the relaxing started after the meal was prepared. I was up at 5:30 cooking and getting everything put together, while Chris cleaned. I was a tad bit leary about the turkey because it was a Butterball Oven Ready turkey. Other than that I knew it was an A+ meal. Wow! Can I tell you what a delicious turkey it was? It was the absolute perfect amount for our two families, as well!

This is our Thankful Tree. The poor tree looks a bit like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, but it suited our purposes. :)

So, You Have a Dyson?

2011-11-22T21:16:00.000-06:00

Dyson makes the claim that it has the "strongest suction" in the vacuum world. While this is true, they forget to mention that there are more pieces to the puzzle in the effectiveness of a vacuum. My husband, being an engineer (and a clean freak!) sold our Dyson LONG ago. He searched high and low, and we ended up with a Miele. It is a good sweeper, but it still doesn't fit Chris's standards. His issues are with the air watts. An air watt is a measurement of air flow times suction. Yeah, I don't get that either, but Chris does.

In our household we try (by no means are we always successful) to run with the rule of "you can't complain unless you are willing to do something about it". Well, Chris finally got tired enough of sweeping constantly and the floors not being cleaned to his specifications. So, he decided to do something about it. He created his own vacuum. He took a Shop Vac and hooked it up to our Kenmore head. It is a work of art, I tell you, but it certainly slurped up a whole lot more than it should have. *Blush* I guess we have a new means of vacuuming around here now.

I told him he should make this more packageable and start selling it. If Mr. Dyson can do it, so can Chris. Right?

7 Hours

2011-11-22T09:18:00.001-06:00

How long does it take to make a few new friends? How long does it take to get to know other friends a bit better? How long does it take for little girls to connect? How long does it take to make 100+ meals that are ready to pop into the freezer for a crazy day? About 7 hours.

Yes, I've been at my freezer cooking again! Seriously though, seven hours, five women, five astounding little girls, an awesome football game if you are a Hawkeye, a not so awesome football game if you are a Boilermaker (sorry Janet and Judy), and 25 meals in my freezer (ok, make that 24 now that one is sitting out to be eaten tonight)...you can't beat it!

Um...why is it that we didn't do this bit at the beginning, girls? I guess I look like I've worked hard all day. :) Also notice the two lovely ladies in their aprons...seriously, why did I not EVEN think to take mine? I worked so hard to make it, and then I forgot to wear it. I'm wearing it when I make my thanksgiving meal!!!

Five precious little girls! Seriously, I think all five of us were a bit worried how it was going to turn out bringing our munchkins...but they played SO well together!!!

Last, but certainly not least...my freezer full of good food to pull out, let thaw, and pop in the oven. No prep work necessary. Sweet manna from heaven for a momma!

Letters

2011-11-20T13:33:00.002-06:00

I love watching my kids learn! It is just so thrilling to see each step they take. They don't have to have learned something perfectly for me to get excited, I just enjoy each morsel of knowledge they gain.

That being said, John and I skipped church today because we weren't feeling the greatest. Once daddy and the girls left, I pulled out the letter magnets and pulled a few out for John to explore. It wasn't long before the whole bag was dumped on the floor and he was picking them up and feeling them and just playing with them. I told him what some of the letters were and made simple two letter chunks (such as -at) and then added different beginning letters to them. As soon as I pulled the letters out he started saying "B...B...B" and would pick different letters up and repeat "B". It was so cute!

Of course, he is only two, and he is a boy...therefore, he was throwing them across the living room in about five minutes time. So, I had him help me put all the letters and put them back in the bag.

Over all, it was a fun learning experience and I can't wait to do it again with him...and Grace, for that matter.

Natural Shoppers

2011-11-20T13:27:00.001-06:00

My friend, Jenny, came out last weekend and we went shopping together. She saw this gorgeous purse, but decided to be a good girl and not buy it (even though it was priced really well). When she mentioned it to her husband, he told her that she should have bought it and that she should have me go snatch it for her. So, I did!

Adorable purse

Adorable girl holding adorable purse (and look at that pose she struck)

Another adorable girl holding adorable purse...and cars

Artists at Work

2011-11-11T15:05:00.000-06:00

Following on the heels of the last post, I thought you might like to see the diligent little artists at work.

The Next Pablo Picasso...

2011-11-11T15:03:00.001-06:00

or two! This week our task was color.

Therefore, we turned this...

into this...

and this.

Our finished plate looked like this. :)

Caught!

2011-11-11T14:05:00.001-06:00

It's no secret...I love to read! I have many, many books and I still have to watch myself because I want to buy more and more. Chris is just waiting for the day he can start a nice toasty bonfire with them all. ;)

That being said, I am so thrilled that all of my munchkins enjoy books right along with me. Libby has been a little on the sad side that she has to do some of the reading herself, but give her a book of her choice and you can't stop her! Grace enjoys the snuggle time while reading a book together, and John absolutely loves his board books about vehicles!

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

2011-11-10T17:49:00.002-06:00

So, with all of the snow outside, John had fun with mommy's sunglasses.

Look at how cool I am!

Grace is ready for some sun, too!

Let it Snow!

2011-11-09T12:14:00.003-06:00

Tis the season for snow! We managed to make it through October with NO snow to momma's contentment. The girls, on the other hand, have been begging for some white stuff. They got their wish this morning.

At about a quarter to seven Libby was exclaiming quite excitedly to the lump on my bed (a.k.a. me) about the snow that was coming down. I just wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. She was going to have none of that, though! So, I slowly, but surely rolled out of bed (eventually) as she excitedly got dressed to go play in the snow. I didn't become thankful I was awake until I heard another little voice from the girls' bedroom utter the words, "It snowing! It Christmas...it Christmas...it Christmas!" That was too precious! So, Grace was dressed in a jiffy and ready to play with her sister.

Of course, John had to get in on the fun! He wasn't sure what to think of it. He liked that he could play in it, but he certainly didn't like how cold it was...especially coming down in his face.

Mommy's hair kept dripping once we came in. It was kind of funny.

Libby was just cold and miserable and wanted hot chocolate!

Grace was still quite charmed, though!

And, our snowman was quite happy with the chilly temps. ;)

Words

2011-11-07T20:34:00.003-06:00

I am awestruck by the power of words! When Edward Bulwer-Lytton penned the phrase, "The pen is mightier than the sword" he wasn't kidding. Words have the power to uplift someone to higher realms than they ever thought imaginable and words can drag others to the depths of the ocean blue.

I have been on both sides of these words. I have phrases that run through my head from years ago on down days. I have to remind myself that the truth of who I am comes from God and not those belittling words which were spoken in haste about a raw situation. On the other end of that deal, I have a special note from a teacher in high school that I love to sit and read, and re-read, on occasion just to remember how much potential I had...and, honestly, still have. Words, my friends, are powerful!

On a daily basis I am reminded to put thought into my words as I deal with my children. I am reminded that James 3:5-6 says that the tongue is small, but can set the whole body aflame with its boasts as I lash out at my children in a moment fraught with anger. I am constantly trying to remind myself of 1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Sometimes I am doing the encouraging part, but sometimes it is a struggle.

This takes me back to my thoughts. Luke 6:45b says, "For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." This is so true. So what is on my inside? When one of my kids bump me the wrong way, what spills out? My aim and my hope is that Jesus flows out. I am human, so I fail miserably sometimes, but I try to let my thoughts run along the lines of Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

The power of words, one way or the other, is staggering. I am so thankful that God left us with an entire set of words to guide us in our choice of words to ourselves, and others. I am blessed to have His Words to guide my life. I sometimes take my Bible forgranted, but whenever I take the time to dig in...I am always amazed!

The Arts

2011-11-04T14:28:00.000-05:00

Let me preface this post with the fact that I have been desiring to use the Atelier program for art for a LONG time now! It is a pricy program, but so worth the money!!! A few months ago it went "on sale" at a bulk homeschool website (basically even though I am only one homeschooling mom, all of us together make an army). It was the lowest price I have ever seen it, so I got permission from Chris and made the purchase. I decided to be a bit daring and I bought level 2 in hopes that my friend (and fellow homeschooler), whom I knew had level 1, would be willing to do a switch with me. Thank the Lord, she was!

So, today was our first art lesson. My intentions were for Libby to do the program, but Grace was so excited about it that plans quickly changed and I grabbed her a marker and some paper, as well. Today's lesson was on "line" so the girls made a catepillar and filled in each circle with different types of lines. Libby was a tiny bit disappointed that she didn't have the chance to use color, so I promised her that sometime next week we will do this activity all over again, only this time using "color" rather than "line". I think both girls are looking forward to another chance to make some art!

Here is my "art" project for the day. We are having friends over for dinner and I thought that rolls sounded so yummy...but there were none in the freezer. Well, I have had a couple packets of yeast just sitting around here for awhile, and I have always wanted to try my hand at making bread from scratch, but just haven't taken the time to do so. With those two things in mind...I just decided to do it! First of all, I didn't realize how EASY making bread is. Secondly, it turned out SO delicious! I don't think I will ever make bread in the bread maker again. Seriously, anyone want a bread maker?

Psalm 23

2011-10-31T19:31:00.003-05:00

The best part of Libby hiding God's Word in her heart? I am learning, too! :D

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T19:29:00.000-05:00

The Looters

The Loot

I don't remember so much chocolate when I went trick or treating. It's a good thing I can make up for it now. Ha ha! Seriously though, John owes me...I ended up carrying him the whole time. While I heard several complaints of being cold, that certainly didn't cross my lips. :)

Big Shoes to Fill

2011-10-30T09:57:00.000-05:00

I am glad the camera was close by for this fun picture. He seriously walked almost all the way across the house in my shoes. He, of course, kept tripping and falling, but he'd get back up and go again!

Oh. My. Goodness.

2011-10-28T15:11:00.004-05:00

"Mom, come quick! I found a sundew in our backyard!" called Libby. I grabbed John and headed outside to see Libby's "sundew". I was fairly sure she didn't find one in our back yard because I don't think our backyard is the proper habitat for a sundew, but I wanted to support my daughter's enthusiasm by checking it out with her. Sure enough, Libby's stickly "sundew" was really a burr, which are suited perfectly for our backyard.

What is a sundew? A sundew is a carniverous plant that DOES have points on it, but the end of the points have dew (or as Libby likes to call it, goo) on them. It is a sweet smelling dew that attracts insects, but it is a super sticky dew that traps insects. Once an insect has landed on the sticky dew the plant tells it to produce extra dew that engulfs the insect as the plants tentacles wrap around it to digest it.

Why the excitement over a carniverous plant that most people have never heard of before? Well, Libby studied this along with three other carniverous plants (venus fly trap, bladderwort and pitcher plant) just last week. They sounded pretty cool, but for the information Libby gained...well, she thought a burr was a sundew. I showed her some pictures on the internet and life went on. Next science lesson!

Today, though, it all became real for her (ok, maybe I was just a tad bit more excited than her about this). We went BACK to the museum we went to yesterday (you can only buy a two-day pass...might as well get our money's worth). I knew we had missed a few exhibits, and I knew one was entitled "The Animals of Halloween". No big deal...until I saw inside one of the exhibit boxes about six each of sundews, pitcher plants and venus fly traps! So cool!

Now Libby knows exactly what a sundew looks like and how different they are from burrs. I love the timing on when she had the opportunity to see the plants! Seriously, I didn't know there were carniverous plants besides the venus fly trap until last week either. What was the likelihood of us having the chance to see them right now? God is so amazing...not only in the He designed this earth and its plants, but in His timing, as well!

Turtle

2011-10-27T16:50:00.005-05:00

We went with some friends to the Mississippi River Museum today. The kids had an absolute blast and John learned some new words. He is just now hitting that period of language development where he is gaining all sorts of new words. I absolutely love this period and was happy to catch a bit on camera.

Pumpkin Time!

2011-10-27T07:15:00.000-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa Tucker bought each of the kids a pumpkin while they were in town. We let the pumpkins sit for awhile so that they could maybe make it until Halloween night before they rotted. (I don't think the spider web is going to make it, but the others might.) Then, our friend, Megan, helped us carve them while she was here.

A bat for Libby.

Grace thought she needed a spider...talk about taking FOREVER!!!

A cute little face for a cute little boy.

Fall-Time Sledding

2011-10-25T21:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, the kids wanted to go sledding today. So, they did. These will be fun comparison pictures once winter gets here!

What is wrong with these pictures?

2011-10-25T21:41:00.000-05:00

No shoes...flip flops...it is almost November! We are loving this warm weather. Trying to soak it up some before it goes away.

Finders, Keepers

2011-10-20T10:03:00.003-05:00

A few weeks back Libby read a story called "Finders, Keepers" from her reader. (Side note: The Pathway Series of readers is absolutely amazing! If you want to train character qualities in to your children I highly recommend this series...it starts with the First Steps Reader and climbs up from there.)

The story was about a boy who decided the rule was "finders, keepers" when he found the pen that dropped through a hole in his brothers pants. He thought he was something special until he bragged about it that night and his dad asked if he was so sure about the rule. He was confident that it was ok to play by that rule...then his dad pulled his (the confident boy) knife out that he had left on the front porch. The boy wanted it back, but his dad told him that it now belonged to him (the dad) and he was choosing to give it to the brother who had lost the pen.

Libby and I talked a little bit about how each of the boys felt at different points in the story and how the finders, keepers rule compared to the golden rule. It was a good discussion and then we moved on.

Now, mind you, I have always had a bad habit of forgetting to empty my pockets before doing the wash. I have been doing well for awhile, but what with all the company we had at the beginning of the month...I fell back into my old habit...TWICE! The second time it was Libby who found the money in the dryer as she was getting an outfit. She was quite proud of herself for the money she had gained and did quite a bit of bragging about it to me. I kept my mouth shut waiting for her to remember her story...she didn't.

Then, this morning (at least two weeks from the incident) she was excited that she had MORE than she originally thought from "the dryer money I found". I knew that she KNEW that she was wrong to keep the money because she was still not taking ownership of it. I also knew that it was time to gently nudge her in the right direction on how to handle the situation. I asked her if she remembered her "Finders, Keepers" story. Her face immediately fell. I asked how that story compared to our situation. She told me that the rule was wrong, but also defended herself by adding that she didn't know to whom the money belonged (ok, so she didn't use those exact words). I asked her if she had at least TRIED to find the owner, to which she admitted that she hadn't. We talked again about how the finders, keepers rule was wrong. She didn't even make a move toward her money bag so I got up and went to do some housework. I knew, now that I had pushed the envelope, that I had to think of a concrete discipline if she chose to keep the money, but didn't have to worry about that for too long. It was about half an hour later when she came into the laundry room (isn't that ironic?) and said, with a pout on her face, "It's hard to do the right thing," as she handed me the money.

I am so proud of her! She IS right...it IS hard to do the right thing! But she chose to do the right thing anyway. What a lesson that can be to even me!

I am so happy to say that because of the way I handle the kids money some of that money REALLY was hers. So, I was able to commend her on doing the right thing. We talked a little more about the golden rule and how she would have felt if it was her money in the dryer and I had found it and kept it. Then, it was my honor to be able to tell her that PART of that money was hers and she could keep that money in her money bag.

I think that our next task is to set up three jars so she can learn to save and to tithe and then she can spend a little bit of that money as well.

Happy Birthday, Big Boy!

2011-10-16T17:20:00.001-05:00

Well {sigh}, my baby boy is two! I can't believe that I don't have anymore babies running around the house. Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration...John has been out of the "baby" stage for awhile now. Still!

I have to admit, I am enjoying the fact that I get to SLEEP at night. Anyway, this little boy is just a bundle of energy...plain and simple! He does things SO differently than his sisters ever did. Can I just insert right here that people that believe that boys and girls are "trained" to be that way because of cultural influences are absolute nut jobs? Please forgive me if you hold to this belief, but from experience, I have to disagree! Okay, off the soap box and on to an example. For the kids birthday, I always put streamers in their doorway and balloons to correlate with how old they are turning in the hall outside of their bedroom. The first thing John did was yank all of the streamers down. The girls were appalled! They have always tried to leave thiers up as long as possible. Too funny!

Even at his birthday party...he was ALL BOY!

He saw his cake (or, at least the tractor).

He tried to get to his cake.

He tried even harder to get to his cake.

Finally! Victory! I have my tractor! Candles? Fire? Who cares? There are WHEELS on here!!!

Happy Birthday, John!

Facing Your Giants

2011-10-13T13:24:00.002-05:00

I was recently asked to speak at a ladies event for our church. We had a spa night and an exceptional turn out of about 65 (give or take a few) ladies. Can you say nervous? Anyway, here is the speech that God laid on my heart. It is a subject that affects all of us, so I thought I would share.

I wanted to share a little bit about myself. I grew up in a small town in Ohio. My parents, my grandparents, and my great grandparents all grew up in church and learned to love God. Therefore, I did, as well. At the age of five I gave my life to the Lord. That was only the beginning of my walk with Jesus, though. Around the age of 20 I began to struggle with thoughts of doubt. Did I really become a Christian way back then? Am I really going to heaven? While, we are on the subject, is being a Christian only about having a "get out of hell free" pass? As I wrestled with God I came to the conclusion, that, yes, I really did become a Christian way back when. And, no, being a Christian is not ONLY about having a "get out of hell free" pass. It is at this point that my relationship with God really began to develop. The journey hasn't always been easy but God has been faithful.

That is what I want to talk with you about tonight. God's faithfulness. I originally thought I would be speaking on spiritual beauty tips or something equally as relaxing. God had other plans though. As I asked for direction, He asked me why women would NEED a spa day. Some of you just want to escape reality for awhile. God then took me to Deuteronomy so that I could send you home with something useful.

Deuteronomy 7:9 says, "Know therefore that hte LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands."

What does this verse say? It says, "God is faithful". HE can be counted on. Why? How do we "know therefore" as the verse says? Well, let's go back a few verses and find out.

Deuteronomy 7:7 says, "The Lord did not set his affections on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples."

The same is true of us. He didn't set His affections on us because we were strong and have it all together. In fact, 2 Corinthians 12:9a says:

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"

God chooses the least of people. He chooses the people whose lives are falling apart. God is choosing you! Why would he choose you, you ask? Let's read Deuteronomy 7:8 to find out.

"But it was because the Lord LOVED you and kept his oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharoah Kind of Egypt." (emphasis added)

God didn't only reddem the Israelites from slavery. He redeemed YOU from slavery. Let's look at 1 Peter 1:18-19. It says:

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb withough blemish or defect."

Does your life feel empty? Are you tring to fill your life, yet you don't feel full? God died on a cross just so you could live life to the full. He shed his blood...for YOU! He has already chosen you, now you just need to choose Him! Why did He do that? Why did He die to redeem you from slavery? Let's check the first part of Deuteronomy 7:8 out again: because the Lord loved you!

So, what does all of this have to do with you? Would you like to know what the context of these verses are? Moses is getting the Israelites geared up to go out and take the land God promised them...through battle. God has a promised land for you, too, but you have to fight for it...or better yet, let God fight for it for you as you concentrate on "loving him and keeping his commands."

Forty years previous to this passage the Israelites chickened out. god told them the land was theirs, all they had to do was trust Him...love Him. The checked the land out and decided that it was very nice, BUT there were giants in the land and they just didn't trust God to take care of their giants. Therefore, they wandered in the desert for forty years. Now, God is giving the next generation a chance. Same promise, different people.

What giants are you facing right now? An unexpected pregnancy? Maybe the opposite, you'd give anything to be pregnant, but month after month...nothing. Financial issues? Sickness? How about cancer? That seems to affect everyone in some way anymore. Who knows...maybe right now your "giant" is simply three letters long: P-M-S!

When I first moved to Dubuque I had some giants in my life. My husband and I thought that God wanted us here, but the road wasn't easily paved. First of all, I wanted another baby, but I wasn't getting pregnant as easily as I had the first time. Add to that some familial problems. Then, our house in Indiana wasn't selling That was a major time of growth for me as I had to trust God's plan for my life...it certainly wasn't my plan! Eventually I did get pregnant and our house did sell. Then, a friend put her house, in the same town where we struggled to sell our house, on the market. It sold the next day for their asking price. Selfishness welled up inside of me and I pounded out an email to my friend asking why God would let her house sell in a day when ours had sat on the market for a year? It was one of those emails that I should have never pushed the send button. I was very humbled when she wrote back and reminded me that we all have our share of problems. She had three miscarriages before she finally had a live birth. We both had different "giants" to face, but we both HAD "giants". EVERY ONE has either faced a "giant", is facing a "giant", or will face a "giant".

The question is - do you trust God? Do your trust Him to win the battle for you? Are you tring to fight your "giants" by yourself? Or, have you just plain given up? You are just wandering around in a desert of self-pity.

Dear, sweet friends! God never promised the battle would be easy. Never! You do have to suit up and get there! BUT...He NEVER meant for you to fight the battle alone. And, He CERTAINLY never meant for you to feel the need to run and hide! He wants so desperately to be there by your side. He wants to fight this battle with you, FOR you! All He wants in return is for you to "love Him and keep His commands" in the middle of this mad world.

He has already chosen you. Will you choose Him? Will you choose to take Him in to the battle with you by loving Him with all your soul, all your heart and all your mind? Becoming a Christian isn't about rules and regulations. It's about taking Christ's nail-scarred hands and journeying through life with Him, becoming more and more like Him. If you would like to begin that journey with Christ, please contact me. Because, you see, this is just one night...tomorrow it will be back to reality, but with Jesus, your reality can look different.

CrAzY kIdS!!!

2011-10-13T13:22:00.000-05:00

Farm Festival

2011-10-13T13:20:00.000-05:00

Every year our neighbor hosts a farm festival. They have all sorts of stuff to do and it is VERY kid friendly. We always enjoy going over to see what all is going on.

This year, he had some "farm equipment" out for the little ones to play with. John LOVED it!

The train ride is ALWAYS a favorite!

This was John's first year to enjoy that aspect, so he went as many times as his sisters would take him.

As for the hay ride...who can resist that? Especially when grandpa is holding a yummy bag of caramel corn!

All Boy!

2011-10-13T13:14:00.001-05:00

When God decided to bless this momma with a boy...He made that little boy ALL boy!!! John is SO different than his sisters have EVER been. Sometimes I just wonder what in the world I am supposed to do with such a little rascal!

Here is a picture of BOTH grandmas trying to dress him. Yes, sometimes I only get to WISH I had a second person to help me dress the little squirt!

He was having a blast running around with the trash can on his head. He would run right into the wall and then laugh as hard as he could.

Birthday time! Open this baby up for me!

What boy doesn't like a dump truck?

Loose Teeth and Guest Bloggers

2011-10-12T19:09:00.000-05:00

I lost a tooth. Yes I did. I am proud.

While the cat's away...

2011-10-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the cat is only sleeping...or is that the grandpa? Either way...

The Libby will play...with grandpa's iPhone. She is obsessed with the crazy thing!

But, who can resist telling this pretty face? Of course she got her way!

Another Progress Post

2011-09-29T16:39:00.003-05:00

I am so content with teaching Grace. I was a little nervous about it, but I had no reason to be on edge. I love to see her eyes light up when I work with her! I love to give her high fives when she gets something! I love to give her encouragement when she is almost there, but not quite! As of today she has A through H down pat and 1 through 10...most of the time. :) Love it! Can I tell you how much I love homeschooling?

The Waiting Game

2011-09-29T16:39:00.000-05:00

We like count downs at our house. Living so far away from family, we have plenty of chances to make new countdowns. We have done everything from clothespins on a clothesline (for Grandma Tucker, of course!) to a turkey losing feathers. This time, however, we have a MEGA countdown going on! Grandma and Grandpa Tucker, Grandma and Grandpa Woods, Grandma and Grandpa Great Great, AND Hannah are ALL coming!!!

So, we are waiting slowly, but surely for all the leaves to fall off our tree and bring some wonderful visitors...and, no, I don't mean snow flakes. ;)

Is this any way to treat a king?

2011-09-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

Couldn't resist playing with this picture in Picnik. ;)

Poor Fluffy Boy

2011-09-29T16:25:00.000-05:00

If Fluffy Boy wanted to know what it was like to grow up in a house full of girls...and one baby boy who is no less a terror than his sisters...he now knows. It certainly is entertaining, but not a whole lot of fun...for him, anyway. The kids seem to love it!

Yesterday...

2011-09-25T18:04:00.000-05:00

...all my troubles seemed so far away.

No, seriously, a lot can change in a year! These are pictures from last September. My babies are growing up!

S'mores are yummy...

2011-09-23T18:38:00.000-05:00

...brownies are, too!

Visitors from Afar

2011-09-23T18:34:00.000-05:00

Miss Amanda came to visit us for awhile. The girls were thrilled, and John...well, not so much, that she brought her adorable daughter Emmalyn with her.

With all the territorial wars going on John thought that he needed to be attached to Amanda. Of course, Emmalyn thought that was quite ridiculous since it was her momma, and thought that she needed to be attached to Amanda, too.

All the kids enjoyed playing with her. I am fairly sure she got the short end of this stick. ;)

By the time they left, John and Emmalyn thought maybe they could be friends. I'm sure we'll have to start all over again next time we visit with each other.

Dentist Appointment

2011-09-19T19:06:00.000-05:00

So, Libby had a dentist appointment today. Well, we obviously don't look in her mouth often because the dentist told us that we needed to be working furiously to get her SOLIDLY IN PLACE baby tooth to fall out since, as you can see, there is a tooth coming up BEHIND it. Any suggestions?

Family Vacation

2011-09-19T17:11:00.001-05:00

What is that? We certainly don't take the time for those. Oh, but wait! It is time! Our FIRST family vacation! We went to the Mall of America and had a little fun!

Seriously, I highly recommend it. Libby could have ridden ALL the rides if she so chose and Grace could ride about half of them. The ones that Grace needed an adult for...that person (me) was allowed to ride for free. They had tickets, which were kind of pricey, or you could buy a wrist band for all the rides you wanted. We chose to do the wrist bands, and we chose to do them after 5:00, because they were only $20 a pop then. So, $40 equaled 4 hours of fun and almost 3 times the savings had we bought tickets.

This ride was both girls favorite. It made me chuckle a bit because when Libby was Grace's age she rode something similar and CRIED the entire time. She loved it this time around! So did Grace!

Libby had fun on the bumper cars. Being the little Chris that she is she was most amused with how they ran when she could watch from afar. She thought the sparks they created were the best.

I rode quite a few of the rides with Grace. Unfortunately, she was short enough that there were some rides she just wasn't allowed on...including the roller coaster (very tame!) that Libby dared to attempt. Poor thing! We'll wait a few years before we go back because it will be awhile before Grace reaches the "proper" height.

And poor John? He got to watch. He did an outstanding job! And...although we didn't get a picture, mommy did take him on one ride at the very end. He totally deserved it!

My Son

2011-09-17T17:25:00.000-05:00

While I was in highschool I became friends with Jeremy. We, for whatever reason, started calling each other mom and son, and it just stuck. So, this is my son, Jeremy...holding his girlfriend's purse. ;)

Church Sign

2011-09-17T17:20:00.000-05:00

Score!

2011-09-17T17:18:00.000-05:00

Libby made her first goal today in soccer! Woo hoo!

Progress

2011-09-14T17:10:00.003-05:00

I learned a LONG time ago...NOT to compare Libby and Grace. God made these two beautiful girls wonderfully and fearfully and He made them VERY different!

This year Libby is frustrated with school from time to time because instead of me basically "reviewing" everything she already knows...she's learning. How frustrating to actually have to TRY to learn new things. Science is still her favorite subject, but by golly, I have to actually LEARN what binomial nomenclature means (it means "assigned two names" by the way). I might even actually learn HOW the apple tree produces apples rather than just getting to observe it. It's been fun to watch, though, because seriously...it takes her two to three times and she already has the "lingo" down. She gets so frustrated, but doesn't get that other children her name would probably never get some of the things she does. Math is still her least favorite (she cries some) yet she doesn't really have to work at it at all. How interesting! Yep, it is definitely quite interesting having to teach the girl who has always "taught" herself and just taken mom along for the ride.

Then, you have laxidasical Grace who just takes life as it comes. Learn? Oh, I'm supposed to do that? I remember being SO frustrated with her when it took her EIGHTEEN MONTHS to learn her colors...in the meantime, she knew her shapes, and I hadn't even tried in that area. I learned right then and there that she would learn "it" whenever she was good and ready. In the interval, I can just work with her and have fun with whatever "it" is I would like her to know...eventually. That being said, she counted to 5 (with one-to-one correlation) for the first time today. Yea!!! She also has the letters B, C, D, F, O and P down pat. I am so excited as she is starting to put it together.

Yep, God made my girls quite different...and I am SO thankful for that!

This Ain't Your Grandpappy's Equipment

2011-09-14T17:10:00.000-05:00

I was quite amused with this picture. Look at all those buttons and the humongous remote in this thing. I've been on big equipment before...but this stuff? The people who spend this kind of money...well, they aren't ready to let a city girl "try it out".

Equipment Time

2011-09-14T17:07:00.000-05:00

We spent 45 minutes chasing kids from one piece of equipment to the next. They would have spent longer if we hadn't shooed them out. I think John could live there and be quite content.

Posers!

2011-09-14T17:05:00.000-05:00

Most pictures were tough to get while the kids were having a blast. This one...well, it was exceptionally hard to get. As soon as Chris would get John's attention...well, you see Grace's face.

John was too excited to even try to stay still for this shot.

We tried to get just John with the big tractor...we had a little Vanna that wasn't going to be missed in the shot, though. ;)

And, our little Diva again. She was having fun posing. Do you think they'd sell more equipment with her as their model?

Mom and the Girls...

2011-09-14T17:00:00.000-05:00

On the boy's day out! Actually, the girls enjoyed our John Deere Pavilion trip just as much as the boys. ;)

5-Year Anniversary

2011-09-11T21:40:00.001-05:00

Chris has officially been with John Deere for five years now...and we've never been down to John Deere Pavilion in Moline. So, we took a family trip today. :) Pictures to come!

Done!

2011-09-10T08:34:00.000-05:00

They wore themselves out! We went to a restaurant to eat some lunch and they were both GONE! Libby and Ganion rode with my aunt, and she said that Ganion was almost asleep...unfortunately, he made Libby his pillow and she said NO WAY and kept him awake. :)

Crazy Boy!

2011-09-10T08:32:00.000-05:00

These are pictures of my (might as well call him) nephew, Ganion. He has LOTS of energy and is ALL boy. ;)

Grace and Her Friends

2011-09-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

Grace was completely content to be with someone the whole time.

This is my cousin's son, Anthony. He worked REALLY well with Grace.

Libby at the Lighthouse

2011-09-10T08:26:00.000-05:00

John's Lighthouse Experience

2011-09-10T08:25:00.000-05:00

Cat Work: Sad but Funny

2011-09-10T08:19:00.002-05:00

Being that our cats are outdoor cats, they are learning outdoor cat ways. So, the other day we found two special presents at our front door: a grasshopper and a teeny tiny shrew. I showed the shrew to Libby (hey, it was kind of cool...I've never seen a shrew before!) and she got reallly excited. So, she brought a clear container to put the little guy in and then wrote out a title for her presentation. Thus, Cat Work: Sad but Funny.

Lighthouse Fun!

2011-09-07T11:33:00.000-05:00

Ganion, Libby and Grace had an absolute blast at the Marblehead Lighthouse. We let them check out (ok...they ended up playing in) the water first. We figured if (yeah, right...more like since) they got wet, we would let them do the water thing first and then go check out the lighthouse.

Progressive Pictures

2011-09-07T11:29:00.001-05:00

Hi mommy! I love you!

This is getting boring. Why can't I be out there with my sisters?

I am SO bored! Will you pay attention to me now?

Freedom! Finally!

Aunt Steph's Place

2011-09-07T11:24:00.000-05:00

After a long road trip(yes, I am just now blogging about our Ohio trip almost a month ago), we made a pit stop at Aunt Steph's place. The girls were beyond thrilled to find a pond to swim in, and enjoyed time with Aunt Stephie.

On the Road Again

2011-08-29T13:30:00.001-05:00

We are back from our trip to Ohio, and momma has had a week to fall back into routine again. Time to bless grandparents with pictures and friends (and grandparents) with stories. :)

All three kids slept for part of the way to Ohio. Obviously, John woke up before Libby and didn't enjoy where she'd made her pillow. He kept his hand there to prop her head up for a good fifteen minutes.

Blessed!

2011-08-11T08:59:00.000-05:00

That is the only word to describe how I feel to have these three beautiful, healthy children! So glad they are mine.

More John No-No's

2011-08-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

First of all, this child knows he is not allowed on the table. He will sneak on the table when something is just so delectable that he can't resist it though...like a barrel of markers!

Secondly, the markers are supposed to be out of his reach at ALL times. This is a rule that is getting harder for Libby to follow as he is getting more and more mobile.

Thirdly, there is a reason for rule number two. John is NOT to have markers under ANY circumstance. He likes to do art on himself (which is forgivable) and sometimes the walls and tables.

Oh, but he knows he is being photographed today, so he needs to let everyone know what an obedient little boy he is. So, for today, he puts the cap back on immediately.

Everybody Loves John!

2011-08-09T17:54:00.000-05:00

One, Two, Three

2011-08-09T17:51:00.000-05:00

One Little Monkey

Two Little Monkeys

Three Little Monkeys

Lasik

2011-08-09T17:49:00.000-05:00

I can officially see without glasses or contacts now. So far my eye sight has been wonderful...and we were able to use the HSA money to pay for it. I have to admit, I am feeling a little guilty because this was obviously NOT a necessary surgery. None the less, it is done and I might as well enjoy the hassle free days!

Here are pictures of the three of us girls wearing the glasses mommy had to wear for the first full 24 hours. :)

St. Louis Funnies

2011-08-08T17:33:00.002-05:00

Before we leave St. Louis behind in bloggy world, I MUST post some funnies from the girls. Otherwise, I'll forget. :)

Daddy: Are you hot or cold?
Grace: Yeah, me too.

Grace: Where's Grandma?
Me: In St. Louis.
Grace: (looking around) I can't find Louis.

Me: 419-497-2105 (an old phone number that I actually remembered)
Libby: (recites our phone number) Did you forget?

On the carousel trying to hold on to Grace.
Grace: Just ride. I will hold on.

Grandma: Grace, do you have to go to the bathroom?
Grace: My pee not go out.

Mommy: Grace, where did the peanut butter go?
Grace: In my tummy.

Libby: (about a game) I'm not going to play. Well, maybe I will.

Kidding with Grace about stopping the car along the side of the road to go potty.
Grace: I don't want to go pee in the grass.

One. Long. Day.

2011-08-08T17:14:00.000-05:00

The girls decided they were tired after all of our fun at Six Flags. They were so tired they just.couldn't.walk! So, daddy got to carry them...both!

Splash Pad

2011-08-08T17:04:00.003-05:00

Our town is in the process of building a splash pad, but we have never had the opportunity to actually play at one before. Can I tell you? All three of my kids had an absolute blast! They all got wet and loved every minute of it!

Taxonomy

2011-08-07T20:49:00.005-05:00

Libby is studying Botany this year. We are using Apologia's program and are both looking forward to learning together. After learning some of the necessary vocabulary, we got to take on our first project together. A taxonomy chart. Of shoes.

Libby's response to the activity is: It was a really fun project!

Six Flags Fun

2011-08-05T18:38:00.000-05:00

I have to admit...I was REALLY worried about taking three children (yes, even with four adults) to Six Flags. Seriously, was it even going to be worth the money?

I had NOTHING to worry about. We spent 6 1/2 hours there with no lines and had plenty to keep us busy. Grace enjoyed the rides she was able to go on. Libby enjoyed all of the rides she was able to go on except for one. (It was a roller coaster that spun in circles while it went on the track.) John was even able to enjoy some of the rides. His favorite, though, was the train...of course!

I just love this picture! We were trying to get a picture with all three of us girls, but all Grace could do was stand there and stare at Scooby with her mouth wide open. You could just see the amazement of seeing him in real life. I hope that some day she will stand before Jesus with the same look of awe on her face.

Heart Warming

2011-08-05T09:16:00.000-05:00

No, seriously, you don't understand HOW heart warming these pictures are to me. Grace and John don't get along...they just don't! They are usually pushing each others buttons, swatting at each other or screaming and crying. When Chris put their seats next to each other in the van, I thought I was going to cry just at the thought of it.

They did really well (for the most part) together. Then, they started to PLAY with each other. I HAD to take a picture to remind them that they COULD get along. :)

I love all three of my little munchkins, and the prayer of my heart is that God will bind them together in a way that they will always love each other and want to be there for each other.

In the meanwhile...they are upstairs fighting, so I gotta go!

Gifts from Grandma

2011-08-03T13:43:00.000-05:00

Grace looks so good with her brand new head band.

And, John? Yep, he still loves head bands too!