Rodeo in the works...

While at the park yesterday, we saw so many cool things. Some of the horses from the rodeo that will be taking place this week were cooling off in the river. The kids were so in love.

Aubrey was enjoying the cool air coming off the river. Isn't that a pretty view?

As we walked down the path we came across an area set aside for local artist. Some of the art work was so beautiful.

Above: Daddy showing the little man how to skip rocks. (He really is good.)

Below: Mommy thinking she is going to show him up. (never gonna happen!)

The little man really posed himself. He posed and turned around and said, "Take my picture."What a ham!

projects, family and play...

I promised a picture of the finished skirt. Well, I love it. Aubrey loves it and

she is wearing it to church.Cadi came over after church and spent the day with us. I figured what better time to get a photo of all of the kids. Aren't they awesome?! When people see them, they are always amazed at how many of them there are, but it doesn't seem like that many to me. Well, most days at least.
"No pictures Mommy!"
Since we have a daughter who is in college, we truly understand how quickly they grow up. He is already getting so big. I love and cherish the time I have with this little boy so much.
These kids are so used to having their picture taken. If mom isn't pointing the camera, dad is.
We spent the day walking along the river. It was so amazingly beautiful. They are getting ready for the rodeo next week so there were horses and paintings and lots of sites to see. I will post again tomorrow to show you some of what we saw today. It was really hot. As we walked along the river we came to a slow running spot and we waded in. That water was freezing. Our feet turned red immediately. It was a blessed relief from the heat, though.

My dad called tonight. (I didn't know if he wanted his face on this site so you get his back.) What a pleasure it was to get to chat with him. I love to hear him ask about the kids. He seems so genuinely anxious to have us come out there. It makes me smile.

See ya tomorrow!!

Wonderful weekend...

I finally kept my word to Aubrey and finished her skirt. It is way cute. I will take a picture before church tommorrow and show you how it turned out. She was so proud. (me too) Then I took some of the same material, that I absolutely love, and made a cute purse for...me. At least no one has claimed it yet but me. That could be because I am hiding it until I get the chance to use it at church in the morning.

I started with completely different straps, that I refused to take a picture of because they were so ugly that I wanted to cry. I ripped those puppies off and made some new ones. Now, I love them.
The kids played in the sprinklers, again. This is our afternoon ritual since it is so hot and you can only keep the kids cooped up in the air conditioning for so long.
The kids ate lunch and took a nap. I know that a lot of mothers look forward to nap time. I am no exception. Nap time is like a little taste of heaven! I get to refresh and hopefully get some sewing or scrapbooking done. A lot of days it is just full of folding laundry.

My lovely Miranda went out to bring the garbage cans in and the oh so friendly garbage men had dumped the cans and left a lot of garbage on the ground. She didn't even fuss. She just cleaned it up and put the cans away. Thanks Miranda. You're a gem!

Chey got the job of turning our way, way ripe bananas into banana bread. Yummy! She made three loaves today. Thanks for fattening us up, Chey.
This afternoon we are just hanging out in the backyard giving Daddy a chance to take a nap in peace. I would love to go over to the park later and get some great photos of the kids. Maybe it will cool off enough.

My Aunt is having surgery this wednesday to have her foot amputated. She has the mrsa infection and has not been able to get rid of it during the entire last year. She is in extreme pain and the doctor said she could lose the whole leg if they don't do the surgery now. Keep her in your prayers.

Have a great weekend!!

Favorites

"Am I your favorite daughter?" she asked. "Yep." I answered. They are all my favorite daughters. Every moment I get to spend with them makes me love them more and more. Yes, Miranda. You are my favorite daughter... and so is Cadi, Chey, Syd, Aubrey, Lily, Ari... and Bry is my fav little boy. I am the luckiest mommy ever!!

Meme's

So I have been checking out this site that has meme's or lists of questions to be answered so people can get to know you better. I thought we would throw one in here occasionally. Sometimes I will answer and sometimes... maybe I will convince one of the crew to answer.

This one is all me.

On the Boards
1. What types of board games do you like to play, if any? I don't play board games very often. There always seems to be something else that needs doing. Now that I think about it, I will have to remedy that situation. If I were to play, I like chinese checkers.
2. How often do you play board games? I can't remember exactly the last time I played a board game. It was over a year ago.
3. What is your absolutely favorite game? My favorite game is skip-bo. That isn't a board game, but heck... that isn't what the question asked, right?!
4. Describe your Monopoly strategy. What strategy? I just roll and buy.
5. Do you feel that board games are becoming obsolete with the rise in computer and video gaming? The kids play computer games all of the time. They will break out the board games, but we are probably more a card game family. Bampa is famous around here for golf (card game) and slap.

Lazy summer days...

Don't you remember those lazy summer days... The days when you would lay in bed until your mother told you you had missed half the day, the best part of the day and were you going to lay in bed all day?

We have a "rule" around here that the kids need to be up, showered, dressed, blah, blah, blah by ten o'clock in the morning. You can see by the photo what they think of that.

Sometimes I miss those lazy summer days.

Magical Days of Summer...

Have you ever been so impressed by one of your kids that you just know that God put them here on the earth to accomplish something really great? That is how I feel about this kid. She is so amazing. Besides being kind, sweet, helpful, compassionate, understand... and the list really does go on, she is teaching herself to play the guitar. I am learning right along with her. I love to sit and listen to the music that comes out of this young lady. She is better than she realizes. Yep! We spent another day at the lake. I can attest to the fact that it completely wears the kids out and makes them have a really great sleep at night. Maybe that will mean I will get a good sleep as well. Cheyenne usually avoids the camera, but I caught her at a weak moment. Isn't she beautiful!

Sydnee is growing up so fast. She still loves her mommy, though.

Brysen is getting more and more fearless. Today he kept sticking his face in the water. He would come up coughing, but with a huge grin on his face.

"Come in the water so you can throw us, Dad!!" I think I heard this call about 500 times...

No Joke!

...and once again... How amazing is this little two year old boy? He is working on potty training, but I think I need to start leaving out the "working" part since he pretty much has it. I really wondered if going back out to the lake would mess things up, but no way... This little guy is becoming a man!
Today really felt like magic. We are usually so busy running around. This day felt like one of those magical lazy days I remember from childhood. It was perfect.

golf anyone?

The hubby couldn't wait to get our son a toy golf set. He was so excited. Now, I don't really get this game. It seems so slow, quiet, and... well boring. My son has taken to this game, however. He can't wait to hit that little ball. He runs outside and heads straight for the club. I know it isn't just a guy thing. I am aware of a lot of females who enjoy this game. Maybe it is more about getting outside and walking along the beautiful course or getting some alone time. I don't know. Maybe it is going out and beating the snot out of a little tiny ball. Maybe there is a secret to this game that I just won't be able to decipher until I give it a try. I think the hubby may need to teach me. If it means a little quiet time, I could go for that once in a while.

Charge!!!

Charge into the day. Charge into play. Charge into every single thing you do. I could learn a little something from this young man. Sometimes I hold back and worry about what others will think, say or how they will respond. I want to charge ahead and live this life to the fullest.

20 Years, and counting...

Who would've thunk it?

At the end of the month we will celebrate 20 years of wedded bliss. Now, don't let me confuse you, we worked hard for this. I have to tell you, though, I would not have changed a minute of it. This man loves me. I love this man. We have created an amazing family.

God is truly good!

Love this bag!...

I really love this bag. I found the tutorial on Sew Mama Sew! and thought I would give it a try. It didn't look to trying for my limited sewing skills. Glory Be... I am so excited about this. My sixteen year old daughter immediately claimed it as her own and now I will be making one for all of the girls in the house. Myself included!! Thank you and Amen!

The directions were so easy to follow. Can anyone say... Christmas Presents!!

Visits...

My daughter came for dinner tonight. I miss her so much now that she is living in the dorm. Who would have thought that with eight kids you would miss one so very much? I miss her every day. Thank goodness for nights like tonight when I can enjoy her so much.

Busy days...

Good breakfast. Not really nutritious, but filling.

Yard work.

Mowed, raked, cleaned and it looks fabulous!

How cute is our little man out there using his own wheel barrel? I just love it.

Hot days!

I know I complained during the winter and the amazing amount of snow we had up here, but this heat is getting old. You can't spend every day at the lake. Sometimes you have to do a little laundry.

Laundry.
Okay, so sometimes I get behind and with a family of ten, that means trouble.

One day can create more laundry than most families see in a week. Yikes, this is a major project. I really want to see the end of this chore before bedtime. Good luck on that one!


We turned on the sprinklers and let the kids cool off and get some outside time. It is to easy for the kids to gravitate indoors when the afternoons get this warm. We had fun playing on the swings and trampoline. One of our daughters decided rock jumping was the new olympic event. How cute!

Lunch.

Most of the kids like peanut butter and banana sandwiches...Our little man said, "No, thank you."

More play time.

More laundry.

Blessed is all I can say.

I wouldn't change a thing!

Me time...

I am sitting here bright and early this morning. None of the kids are up. The hubby is at work, since he gets most of his day out of the way before the sun rises. I am contemplating the multitude of things that must get accomplished today.

*laundry (about 8 loads)
*breakfast
*potty training
*puzzles
*mow back lawn
*get medium girl to summer school
*clean entire house (visitors coming tomorrow)
*eyebrows (my third born has been begging me to help her clean them up)
*talk to brother (daily chat session)
*and the list goes on and on and on and on

We have a two hour meeting every monday and a three hour meeting tomorrow. I always feel like these two days are wasted. Crazy? Yes, but... Yeah, crazy!

Projects...

So I have never claimed to be an extraordinary crafter, sewer, etc. I will say that I get so much pleasure out of creating something. For me, the pure act of making something for someone is so satisfying. These are a few of the projects I have been working on this summer.

This is a little skirt that I made for our three year old. She gets a lot of this type of skirt since she would live in them day and night.

This is a simple bag I made for my ten year old to carry her Bible and pens to church.

I made this shirt for our baby. What an adorable thing. I love this and just whipped it up one morning when we had some extra time. I love this.

Sum, Sum, Summer Time...

Oh my, isn't my little man delicious!? We spent Friday out at the lake just hanging out and having a really good time. I had a touch of the flu so I had to fake my way through a lot of it, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Cadi didn't have to work and did not have classes either. That meant she was able to join us at the lake. Yippee!! So, I was able to spend time with all eight of my wonderful babies. How blessed can one woman be?

Cadi has been struggling with one of her roommates in the dorms. This young lady is, sadly, really struggling with a lot of issues. She is only 18, but comes in drunk every night. She tried to take a kitchen knife and attack one of the roommates the other night. Needless to say, this mom is going to be on the phone first thing monday morning and get ahold of someone to let them know what a serious situation this has become. I feel for this young lady and what her examples must be, but I won't let it put my child in danger. I would rather Cadi come home than to have to live in a dangerous situation like this. Pray for us as we battle this one.

We call them the medium girls. They are our little sand monsters every time we head out to the lake. They had the best time. I get so much joy out of watching these young ladies have the kind of growing up years that I so desperately desired. They are full of love and compassion for others. They are happy, fun loving, sweet, nice and helpful. (most of the time)

I know that sounds like a proud mama talking... and you are right.

This was so my kind of day. It seems like we spend so much time working, driving, going, doing and not nearly enough just being. I love to watch these little munchkins grow and learn. They get how to relax and just be. They don't bring the weeks nastiness with them. They just enjoy the moment. What Bliss!

The trick for me is to learn to be in the moment with them. Even in the midst of the busyness, I don't want to miss those little moments when they just want to be with mommy. More than anything, I want them to know that Mommy just wants to be with them too.

photos

So our main computer that has almost all of our photographs on it crashed a week or so ago. I had no idea how much that was going to cramp my style. Until the hubby gets it going again, I can not access those pictures. Oh well... I guess it is a lesson in patience for me.

I am suffering from a major headache today. That probably stems from the very busy day of helping a little boy learn to use the potty. He is so sweet and smart. By nighttime, he had used the potty almost 40 times and was seriously taking advantage of the "I get an m&m when i go." policy. However, when I got that young man out of bed this morning, he was still dry and he immediately remembered how to handle the potty seat. What a guy!! He fills me with such joy!

We should be grocery shopping today since the cupboards are getting mighty light. I think, instead, we will be heading out to the lake for a day of swimming, picnicing and general relaxation. I will hate that once I am playing catch up with all of the chores that a family of ten can generate in one day, but we need the time to create memories. I want these kids to remember fun times, happy times and loving times. I can get a little crazy about a clean, well functioning house. That is when my sweetheart reminds me that they will only be small for such a little while. (We have already learned that with our oldest, who moved into a dorm a few weeks ago.)

I made a quick little bag for Sydnee. She wanted something to carry her Bible and some pens in for church. She did a lot of the sewing and I just guided her. I am so proud of this little ten year old. She enjoys creating new things.

All of my little people amaze me and fill me up to overflowing. I am so lucky!

Away for awhile

This is a photo of some of my Dad's property in Missouri. Wow! So beautiful.

I have been away from the blog for awhile due to a thousand different things. Three of our foster kids went home and we found out last week that they are now back in the system due to abuse and neglect. It is so frustrating for us since we warned the caseworkers that this was going to be the situation. I feel so bad for the kids. They will not be returned here since we are working towards an adoption at the moment.

Cadi graduated from high school in May. That was a huge adjustment since she moved into a dorm a couple of weeks later to attend the summer session at her university.

Chey is still struggling with her classes, but we have come to expect that. School is not for everyone.

Miranda continues to be amazing. She has been babysitting and learning to sew this summer. What an amazing young lady.

Sydnee has been playing with some old makeup that her sister gave her. She looks like a clown most days, but it is fun to watch her trying to grow up.

Aubrey is going to summer school, but will be done in another week.

Lily just wants to be at the lake every day.

Brysen is struggling with potty training. Or maybe it is mommy that is struggling. I can't figure that one out.

Ari is learning to talk and we all know that that is a double edged sword.

Mark and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary at the end of the month. What an amazing feat in this day and age. I love that man so much!! It would be a huge lie to say that every day has been wonderful, we are human after all. However, we have worked hard to make a good family and a loving marriage. He is a wonderful man and he makes me better than I could ever be without him.