Image Map

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The One Where I Was Attacked On My Front Porch

It's been a bit of a long day here. How else can I explain going out to check the mail at nearly 9PM? I was shaking my head at the dead trees that had been postmarked and stuffed into my mailbox when I opened the storm door.

And it attacked the back of my head.

No, not the door. The 'whatevertheheckitis!'

A soft, yet firm thunk squarely in the back of my head put me on high alert. I yelped, hopped in the door, and took note of the flutter of wings. Thinking it was a bat, I tried to slam the front door so as to keep the surely rabid thing from getting into my house and attacking me.

It didn't work.

I jumped around, all eight months pregnant of me, and squealed a bit. Finally the thing lit on the lamp. When I realized it was just a little ol' bird, I went for the camera.


Because how else was I going to prove that there was a bird in my house?

I snapped a few pictures, opened the back door, and texted Joshua to let him know we were being invaded. Then I went to work trying to shoo the birdie out the door.

It didn't work.

After about fifteen minutes or so, Joshua, Sarah Grace, and Elizabeth arrived home from church. As they made their way up the back steps, I warned them that there was a bird in the house.

Really, no need for any more squealing. I had done plenty of that already!

The girls took note of the bird, asked a few questions, and went on upstairs to get their pajamas on. Joshua took over the efforts to get the bird out of the house.


The bird would go from perching on the ceiling fan (don't judge me for the dust) to perching on one of the door frames. And then he went into my dining room. I was not pleased. At all. Thankfully, it was short lived.

I got on the phone with the across the street neighbor to inquire as to whether or not they had a net. The bird didn't seem to notice the WIDE OPEN DOOR LEADING TO SAFETY.

Finally, by choice or by chance, the little bird flew out the door. I hurriedly shut and locked the door behind him, apparently afraid he just might choose to turn the doorknob with his little bird claws and come back into the crazy house.


This is the only bird in-house at the moment. A position I hope he keeps!

Soooooooo... what have YOU been up to this evening???

Monday, March 28, 2011

My Spring Mantle

Finally! I found the missing camera! It was only missing for a week, though I must confess to getting myself pretty worried over it. Sunday at church, one of our ladies said she would pray for us to find it. It never occurred to me to pray about finding our lost camera. I just kept thinking that it would surely turn up before we take our trip to receive Babe Five. But I tell you, I prayed. I mean, how could I not if Mrs. C was going to be doing so? For my camera.

So, praise the Lord, the camera is found! And I can finally show you pictures of my Spring mantle.


I just love having a mantle to decorate. I never would have thought that I would get into dealing with a seasonal mantle but, in all honesty, I am loving it. I had just a generic something up there, then for Christmas, I gussied it up in stockings and greenery and candles and such. It never really was completed, but then it was time to take down the Christmas stuff. I had a ball decorating for Valentine's, though I don't have photo proof of that mantle.

I got to thinking towards the end of February that it was time for a different mantle. I hemmed and hawed and finally saw Myra's beautiful wreath and decided to do something like it. After that, the ideas just fell into place.

I pulled out my blue Mason jars and tied some jute and green ribbon around the mouth of each. I popped a bit of fake foliage in a few of them and was pleased.


Then I ran across the pitcher at a thrift store and was tickled, as I had been looking for something like it for a while. Finally, I snagged the green picture frame on clearance at TJ Maxx, and had to have it. I put a picture from our ultra-sound in it. It just seemed appropriate, since this is a Spring mantle, and this is the biggest and most exciting event on our Spring Schedule.


Then, a few days before St. Patrick's day, I saw this cutesy garland and had to try it. I've been toying with the idea of a garland for a while now, and this one was just so easy looking that I had to try it out.

I will totally admit to sitting on my couch and gazing at all that green up there. It makes me feel happy, especially now that we are back to gray skies for a week or so. And my eyes keep finding their way to the picture of our Babe.

Oh, sweet child of mine, who will you be?

Care you to take a guess?

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Happy Campers

This past Friday, Joshua took off work and readied himself and the supplies. Just after lunch, he loaded up Thomas, Sarah Grace, and Elizabeth for an overnight camping trip to Buck's Pocket.



Upon arriving, they worked to get camp set up and then did a little exploring. Thomas found an old tire that he deemed necessary for the camp-site as a place to keep their shoes. Joshua says it was actually pretty hard work, wrestling the tire from across the creek in some bushy area. He was pretty proud of Thomas for working hard and not giving up, even though by the end, you can see the weariness on Thomas' face.


The crew went hiking and there is a picture in here that I am afraid to ask questions about. It's my three oldest children barefoot and wading in a creek. In March. I refuse to ever again acknowledge this.




Joshua is incredibly brave. This is not his first camping trip with the kiddos. He takes them out at least once a year. Just him, the tent, the food stuffs, and some kids. He has taken Thomas and Sarah Grace, even when they were both in diapers. And he cooks real meals over the skillet. Not just PB&J sandwiches. The man is a saint.


This was Elizabeth's first camping experience. I think she's a fan.


All of these adventures were crammed into Friday afternoon and evening. The story goes that the kids stayed up until 9:30 or so and enjoyed making s'mores before they were bundled off to their sleeping bags. The plan was to break camp after breakfast and then spend the morning hiking about and what not, eat lunch, and then head home.

However.

It rained. A lot. Joshua wound up carrying the children to the truck at about 6 in the morning while be quickly wadded up all the wet stuff and tossed it into the back of the truck.

Then they got home and we made it through lunch before we all fell asleep for three hours. All of us. It was beautiful.

P.S. - The camera is still lost. These pictures are courtesy of Joshua's iPhone.

Friday, March 25, 2011

My OB Is A Self-Proclaimed Temptress

I am officially 33 weeks and some change. I am measuring about two weeks ahead. Which means, well, nothing. Maybe it just means there is a whopping big baby in there. Maybe it means there is a normal size baby in there. It's not so much the size that concerns me...

It's the Who?

As in , what gender? Is this our fourth girl or will we have our Bookend Boys?

You people, yes, you... my family, my friends, my Twitter Peeps, strangers who eyeball me suspiciously if I catch my breath oddly... y'all have yet to quit asking if it's a boy or a girl. It's hard for a girl to have a spine when most everyone gasps and proclaims, "Oh, I could never be surprised! I need to know!!"

Well, this is our third surprise. Thomas and Elizabeth were the other two. I did okay (I think) with Thomas. I felt the pressure of suspense with Elizabeth. And with this one?

Y'all! My OB has waltzed into my little exam room at every appointment since The Big Ultrasound (which I apparently didn't post about!) and grinned and giggled as her eyes shine and she reminds me, yes, even taunts me, with her knowledge. The last question she tosses at me before she dances out the door is, "Are you suuuuuuure you don't want to know?!??"

Today... today, my spine bent to nearly breaking with the combination of her pressure and my big belly. Today, I sighed. Today, my answer changed. Several times. "Yes, I want to know.... no! Wait, not really." "But at least then I would know what color blanket to get... but, no."

Back and forth and back and forth and back and forth.

She giggled like a school girl and asked if I would like the answer in an envelope.

"Yes!"

She pumped her fist and ran from the room!!!

I giggled, too.

She and her office cohorts took much glee in secretly talking in lingo that I didn't understand, but that they have obviously long since perfected in order to drive those around them to the brink of insanity.

I giggled and grinned and stood there with my heart flip-flopping about in my chest.

I made my next appointment.

And then I turned back around to see my doctor shrouding the truth of my precious unborn child's gender between several sheets of paper. Folding them over and then holding it up to the window to be sure I couldn't see through. At last satisfied, she stuffed the information into an envelope and licked it closed.

Then she used fifty-eleven rolls of tape to secure it with.

I kid you not. The nursing staff all stopped what they were doing as my beloved doctor danced her way to me and presented me with this envelope with all the pomp and circumstance of a knighting ceremony.

And I giggled.

I took the envelope and tucked it into my day-planner.

It's still there. But here is the proof that I haven't opened it yet. I realize it's hard to tell, but have I mentioned the loss of our camera yet? My iPhone just isn't cutting it for this shot...


That dark rectangle is the envelope held in front of the screen before this post is published.


Forget the guitar case and the text books....I was trying to show you the massive amounts of tape on this thing!

What do y'all think? Should I open it? Or should I let the entertainment continue?

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Changing of Seasons

Spring is in full bloom. I have lamented the lack of buttercups in our yard but resolved to remedy that for next year. Next Spring, I intend to have hundreds of buttercups and tulips gracing our yard, ready to be picked and bundled into bouquets by the sweet hands of my children.

The weather is warming up and my girls are reveling in the wearing of sundresses and sandals, while Thomas is thrilled to be in shorts.

I have tossed the doors and windows open wide for the purposes of airing out and freshening up.

And I am on a full-blown decorating and rearranging kick. Of course, this could be due to the whole nesting syndrome.

For I am in full bloom, too.

Oh yes, change is in the air!

In just six-ish weeks, our family will grow by yet another set of feet. Precious little, soft baby feet. I am anxious to meet this new gift, to know if the Babe is a he or a she. For Joshua and I to settle on a name. To kiss a fuzzy, newborn head and inhale the scent of heavens perfection in creating life.

Changes are just around the corner. Adjusting to being a family of seven rather than six. New schedules and different demands. Reassuring each of the treasured children that are in this home that their place in my heart and their Daddy's heart has not been altered, but that our hearts have simply grown to accommodate another blessing.

Soon, so soon, I look forward to showing off the Babe and sharing our adventures as an even bigger family. Soon, so soon, I will share the new change of season and all it holds!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Black Eyed Peas and Bread

As I mentioned, I can't find the camera! Which means you are reduced to less than great images from my phone. Apologies to my friend Ashley, who knows more about photography in her little finger than I will could aspire to know in my entire life.

Anna sustained her first black eye. The details are fuzzy, but it happened in a room full of two-ish year old children. Details don't matter. Kids that age are targets for bruises of all sorts. She is not at all bothered by her shiner, and was more than willing to let me snap pictures to document it. In fact, I couldn't decide which one I liked better soyou get two pics for the price of one!

And doesn't she make it look rockin' adorable to have a black eye??



In other news, I have resigned myself to being The Ugly Bread Making Queen. When the army of men who prayed over our house before we moved asked all their blessings on our home, I forgot to mention to have them exorcise the Bread Whammies. And so my family is relagated to lumpy, dense, but very tasty bread. I don't get bent out of shape anymore. I have accepted my fate.


So, if you've a hankerin' for brick bread or Black Eyed Sweet Peas, c'mon by! No invitation needed!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Somewhere Out There...

...is a camera with some pictures on it. Not just any pictures, but some that are blog specific. You know the kind...I only grabbed at the camera to entertain you or to show you proof of something.

But I can't find the camera. It was laying in the middle of the floor just the other day, dangerously underfoot, and I stooped my pregnant body to pick it up. Then I put it somewhere safe. From little feet. And then, I forgot where I put it. Super safe, though.

Or not. I may find it in the freezer...

My brain faileth, but the entertainment around here is in no short supply. And we all know that when I run out of things to say, I resort to Kids Say the Funniest Things. It's a bloggy tradition that the grandparents live for and the rest of you Mamas giggle and think of what your cuties said recently. Win-win, yes?

If I haven't mentioned it before, our Anna has an incredible grasp on the English language. She has three teachers incessantly chattering around her, and it boggles my mind the phrases she uses correctly. At 27 months. (Is there too much Proud Mama in that comment? Some of it's fear... she will soon be able to out-think me!)

However, her age still shines through.

"Mama?" pause as she looks at me expectantly.

"Mama...?" again with the looking.

I look back.

"Mama?"

I raise my eyebrows.

"Mama?"

I tilt my head to one side and look interested.

"Mama?"

Body language is lost on this one. It's all-out-conversation-or-I-will-repeat-myself-ad-nauseam.

"Yes, Anna?"

"I love you." She grins and, again, with the expectant look.

"I love you!"

"No, you say, 'I love you, too, darlin'" comes the slightly furrow-browed instruction when I miss my standard reply.

I giggle and give her what she wants. Then she comes to 'give love' with her sticky hands and crazy mop of curls.

And it's okay that I can't find the camera. Because this exchange will be a treasure beyond pictures one day. A memory to warm my heart.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Friday Night Wrasslin'


Just hanging out on a Friday night. Who needs cable when there is this kind of entertainment to be had?

Friday, March 04, 2011

When I Look In The Mirror I See



....freckles. They have been a bother to me since somewhere around sixth grade or so when I first really took notice of boys and became interested in make-up. (If you wondering, make-up does not cover this kind of freckle density) From my forehead to my toes, freckles. They don't bother me much these days. I have long since made peace with the way the Creator sprinkled me, and the freckles, they are just old friends

I see a crooked smile, a slight scar on the bridge of my nose, and a mole on my chin. I see hair that used to be red and has been changed over many pregnancies. I miss the red, but I wouldn't trade my precious children for that burst of color.

I see a belly that is rounding out in the final weeks of pregnancy and I wonder about this life who is growing inside. Who is it? What will this child be like and what will they see when they look in the mirror?

I see a woman where once a very awkward girl used to be. A soul saved from Hell, and an odd peace that stole it's way into my life when I finally set my pride aside. Where there was once uncertainty of my role in the world, there is assurance and contentment in the wonderful role of Kingdom Child, Help-meet, Motherhood. Where there once resided...

Times up.

Wow. Five minutes flies fast! Check out Gypsy Mama's site for other folks who took up the prompt for this weeks Five Minute Friday. And make sure to check out Robin's site. It's from her that I have followed the Five Minute Friday posts and finally decided to leap in!

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Still Remembering...

We'll be back to the regular, relatively new fluff come Monday. Until then, however, I am enjoying pulling from the past. Today, we shall review the wisdom gleaned from experiences past.


Twas The Night Before Day Light Savings Began

Originally posted March 16, 2010

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soooo...how will we handle things THIS year? Who knows?!?! How will YOU handle things this year? Any interesting ideas to share??

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Friends and Family

Another repeat, but one that is a happy place for me. Plus, the last pre-children picture of Lora and I in existence. Our combined families now total 14 (soon to be 15!!)

On New Babies

Originally posted May 13, 2009