Vacation Pictures

Cade found his favorite Christmas tree... and was so upset that I wouldn't let him have it!!

I think this one looks a little better!

We came a little closer to converting Uncle Richard to a Cowboys fan! He did promise to try not to hate them if Mamaw would promise to never buy Bubby another present that needed assembling!

Wagon full of boys!!

Niagara Falls... can you tell it was COLD?!?
Please ignore how horrid I look in that picture, I can't be responsible for my expression in temperatures that frigid!
Doesn't Jake look like he's having fun??

And Sledding!!
I don't know why all the pictures are of the kids backs.... I'll blame the cold for that, too!!

Friday

My internet is fixed..... WooHoo!!! I can barely function without internet access.... it's pathetic. So to make up for the last few days I've spent most of the day today just aimlessly surfing..... even more pathetic.

Still no vacation pictures though 'cause I just don't feel like wading through the gajillion pictures on my camera to find the good ones from vacation. If anyone wants to come steal my memory card and take it to Wally World to get my pictures developed I'd be eternally grateful. There are pictures from over a year ago still on there.... it's to the point now that I'm putting it off because I know it's going to take forever to print them off, but in the mean time I'm still taking more pictures. This is why I should never have a memory card that holds a million pictures!

The boys spent the night with my mom last night, so Brian and I took advantage of the alone time to do our Christmas shopping. Sometimes I feel guilty that we don't get them a lot, but when we're able to do ALL their shopping in about an hour.... and for around $200, total.... it pretty much takes care of my guilt. I'm excited about what we got them this year, I think they're really going to like it. The craziest thing is Travis asked for cologne and hair gel!! Yikes, I'm not ready for him to be caring about stuff like that!! We got him some, so Christmas morning when the whole county reeks of cologne..... it'll be coming from our house. The whole 'less is more' concept just flies right over his head!

I guess that's all for this Friday. I've just about got everything back in order from our trip. Brian is out cutting firewood, if I was a good wife I'd be helping him. But since he said "I don't care" when I asked if he wanted help.... I'm not. So in order to not feel like such a slacker I better get off my rear and at least look like I'm doing something useful!

Finally Home

I'm having internet problems, so no pictures yet.... but we had a great time on vacation.

It was wonderful to see my sister and her family again. Her baby is not a baby any more and it was so hard to say bye to him. I tried to sneak him in the back of the car but he decided he wanted to stay with his mom and dad!!

My boys got to go sledding for the first time... they had a blast, except for Jacob who spent most of his time crying in the car because he was cold. I can't really talk 'cause I was right there with him... I did manage not to cry from it but just barely!! Seriously, there is just no sense in people living in that kind of cold!!

Travis spent most of his time playing with their dog, Heidi. That boy really wants a dog. He was so good with her, so we'll see... maybe we can talk daddy into it.

We saw Niagara Falls and the Erie Canal, and Lake Erie from a distance. The boys were awesome on the drive, I was so proud of them. And, praise the Lord, we all made it home in one piece.

My Firstborn

I looked out the window the other day and this is what I saw


This child just constantly amazes me. It's such a joy to watch him grow up..... and also a little bewildering and very scary.

As far as he's concerned there's nothing he can't do..... and he's usually right! I'm having a hard time letting go and letting him grow up, but he's fighting me tooth and nail so it looks like I don't have a choice.

This summer he started going fishing, all by himself, and driving the tractor to help out around here. A few weeks ago he started cooking his eggs in the morning, all by himself (I do make him wait until I'm in the kitchen to do any cooking that involves the stove!).


And, as of Saturday, he can change a spark plug on Brian's truck..... all by himself!!



There's just no telling what he's going to be up to next. He wants to go deer hunting.... alone. And he wants to run a chainsaw.

Neither of those will be happening any time soon....those are two fights I'm determined to win!!

Reading the Classics

It's no secret I LOVE to read. I'll let the dishes pile up and the kids run around in the same clothes for days on end if I have a good book!

But.... I like to read fluff, mind-candy, senseless stuff that takes no effort and I can read with the TV blaring and the kids screaming.

So, in an effort to be a more well rounded reader, and so I'll have a clue when the boys start reading the classics for school, I've started reading a few classics myself.

Because I am pretty clueless I just logged on to my Paperspine account, clicked on classics and selected books I'd heard of. Seemed like a good method to me!

I started with Jane Eyre... tried twice and still can't get through it! I did watch the movie though and it was pretty good.... once I turned on the captioning and was able to tell what they were saying.... so I may try again.

I just finished Lord of the Flies. As a mom of boys, it was a hard book for me to read. I alternated between feeling like the characters just needed a hug and a bath and a whooping, and feeling that I really needed to get down and pray for my boys! Unfortunately, it was not hard to believe at all, I see that pack mentality play out every day in my house. Throw in a few extra boys and it's even worse. In my experience, you can take the most level-headed boys and put them in a group without close adult supervision and every bit of common sense they have flies right out the window!! Things they wouldn't dream of doing on their own, they don't think twice about in a group.

Right now I'm reading Pride and Prejudice. I like it, even laughed out loud a few times, but I have to have a quiet house and no distractions to be able to follow the dialogue. Definitely no TV watching while I'm reading!

I'm still reading my fluff books in between the classics, but at least now when I see a list of "Books Everyone Should Read" I'll be able to check off a few!

Later I'll blog about what makes a classic.... right now I'm thinking the main qualification is that the book is hard to follow and the dialogue is difficult to understand!!

Feeling blue......

Ever just have one of those days when you feel blue? No reason you can put you're finger on..... just go through the day feeling blue??

Jake had one of those days today!!




Please ignore the torn tablecloth and the breakfast dishes on the table..... he's blue and I'm lazy!!



God's been dealing with me lately about laying things down. I've tried to ignore it but everywhere I turn He's right there gently reminding me.

I don't mean big sinful things that we all know are wrong..... just the little things that can take up our days and before we know it a day, or week.... or longer has gone by and we haven't spent any real quality time with Him.

We had a visiting preacher a week or so ago. The theme of his message was that to many times we ask the wrong question. We have an issue in our life and we ask "Is this a heaven or hell issue?" or in talking with others, and not wanting to offend we'll say "Well, I don't think it's a heaven or hell issue".

And truthfully, it's probably not. But, is it helping us in our walk with God? What we should be asking is "Is this pleasing to God?"

There's nothing really wrong with me spending the evening playing games on the computer.... but is it pleasing to God? I don't think it's displeasing to Him.... but there are plenty of ways I could spend my time that would be more pleasing to Him.

I'm thankful for the freedom I have in God.... but I pray that I don't abuse it. I'm thankful for His mercy and grace..... but please Lord don't let me take them for granted.

Only my second post and I'm already feeling the pressure!!

I was going to talk about reading with Cade... but the video is taking forever to load and I'm impatient.

I know I'm going to have to start taking more pictures. I was looking at my camera today and I still have pictures from last Christmas on there. I can't even remember the last time I had any developed.



Or, I could just put up old ones like this.....

Cause that's what we do out here when we're bored... we dress up the farm animals!!


They enjoy it.... or at least tolerate it!









Or maybe this one.... in case you can't tell, that is
a RAT!! It's like someone thought "How can I make a rat even more disgusting?? Oh, I know, I'll make it hairless!!"

YUCK!!










I'm sure I'll think of something to talk about! For now I'm just thankful for the great day we had today..... and that the Cowboy's pulled it off in the end. Oh, and that Buffalo didn't!!

Why "Like Herding Cats"?

Well, if you've ever watched my crew in action you'd understand!! Trying to get them out the door or organized to go anywhere is like herding cats! Just when you get one heading in the right direction the other two take off.... up a tree or under the bed... you just never know. As I always say, it's never boring around here.



Recently the boys decided they'd had enough and decided to move out on their own.

It only lasted one day, and I confiscated the blankets before they could get them filthy, but they had a blast.

Unfortunately it rained soon afterward and cardboard houses don't hold up to good to rain.

They're adding on to the back porch now. I haven't checked it out today but I hear the drill running and lots of banging. From what I've gathered it's going to be a room for Mamaw and the cats!