Living with a Purpose

2011-07-18T22:54:00.005-04:00

A couple weeks ago we spent the week with John in Fort Wayne. It was the first time the kids and I had been to Fort Wayne since John started his job almost a year ago. I finally got to meet the people he works with, and saw his office and all that. It was nice to actually spend a whole week him, but I just missed him that much more when he went back this week.

We were able to go to the Children's Zoo 2 days (John went one day) and went to a place called Science Central one day (which I had to find all by myself). The kids had so much fun. One day at the zoo, the day I went without John, of course, I lost Reece. We were at an area of the zoo where you could feed ducks and geese and also sit and play on a fake train. I was in the train with Hudson while the girls and Reece were playing on another part of the train (I could see and hear them). Reece slipped off apparently, so I got out of the train to glance around for him and didn't see him. So I started saying his name, no answer. I started saying his name a little louder while walking around, still no answer. So I found a zoo worker around the corner and told her I lost my son and asked her to say his name on a loudspeaker and by the time I came back around the corner he was there. He said he had been feeding the geese and didn't hear me calling for him. Needless to say, I was relieved AND he never left my sight again!

Now we're back to our usual life at home again. Since my last post (a long time ago) Hudson started crawling in March when he was 16 months old and now at 20 months old - he's finally walking! He's so proud of himself! He still doesn't walk all the time, he feels more comfortable crawling, but he's getting more confident every day. When he does walk, he has a huge smile on his face and says "see, see". So cute.

I had such big plans for this summer - plans of doing math games with the kids, and to read to them and other important educational stuff, but since the day our school was over (late in June), I have not done ONE educational thing with them! I'm SO enjoying not doing anything school related! And the new school year is too quickly approaching!

We still haven't sold our house. In August it'll be one whole year. But God is faithful. We know He has a plan and He's in control and we're still taking comfort in that. His ways are so much better than ours!

Hudson kept hiking up his leg - trying to get up on the water table!

Just What I Needed

2011-02-16T23:32:00.003-05:00

I'm sick right now - fever and a cold. I've had it since Sunday night/Monday morning. I would much rather have this than the stomach flu, but this still isn't fun. To make matters worse, being sick is also making me emotional, also not fun. So I wasn't sitting here in bed needing some encouragement and I just happened to have a book on my nightstand that I was planning on looking through so I could give some encouragement to a friend at church. Little did I know that God was going to use it for me.

It's the book 'Passionate Housewives Desperate for God' by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald. Such a good book. I started flipping the pages and found a chapter called Weary Women. I think I started crying before I even read anything! The chapter started talking about having a set aside "quiet time". I can definitely relate b/c I try and try to get up in the morning before the kids do and for the past 4 weeks it has happened only a handful of times b/c all the kids have been sick so therefore they've been getting up during the night, and now I'm sick. So anyway, Stacy writes "It took me a long time to realize that I needed to serve God right where He had placed me --and I didn't have to be in seclusion to spend quality time with Him. I was in His presence with every diaper I changed, every Bible story I told to my children, every meal I prepared, every toilet I cleaned, and every math paper I graded." She goes on to say, "Christ never snapped at those who cried out for His "quiet time". Sometimes , He prayed aloud right in the middle of those He had come to serve (John 17). He came to reach out His hands selflessly, and we're to emulate Him."

"God will provide us with the rest and refreshing we need. He will even provide us with moments alone with Him at times. But we're not to knock ourselves out trying to get away from everyone to meet with God. We need to learn to find Him in the commotion of everyday life. We must view serving our families as acts of service to God, rather than as acts that "get in the way" of serving him.

A few paragraphs later she says, "When we trust God, take our eyes off our troubles, and simply choose to do what needs to be done, God blesses us. Your burdens will seem lighter as you allow Him to carry you. The hours of sleep may not always be the number you would choose, they will be enough- He always gives enough....Remember this season of caring for little ones is fleeting. When we are in the midst of diapers, minimal sleep, and challenging days of training, it sure doesn't seem like it, but it's true! Relish the precious moments - remembering this too shall pass."

While that is only a portion of the goodness I found in that chapter, that alone is some good stuff. Thank you God!

2011-02-06T23:44:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone is well in the blogging world. Things are pretty much the same here at our home. We're still waiting on our house to sell. It's been almost 6 months already that John has been living in Fort Wayne. We do have an accepted offer on our house right now, but they have to sell their house before they can actually buy ours........so now we're praying that they sell their house!

The kids are all still doing great. They miss their daddy, especially Reece and Riley. But we all know this is just a season of life that God is growing us in (well I know that probably more than they do). Every weekend is like a holiday around here. But it always goes way too fast. Right now we're in a two week stretch that John is gone. It's been a rough one for me (pity party). Even typing this it sounds so silly b/c I know there are women who's husbands are deployed for months at a time, but whew, it's still hard. The kids have all been sick so I've not been able to go ANYWHERE. Can't even go to church. But I'm praying that God will give me the grace to keep going on, and He always does.

One thing new with us is that Hudson involved with First Steps now. He's behind on his gross motor skills (crawling, walking) and even a little bit on his fine motor skills. He's very laid back and he's never been one to really try very hard on anything. He just now, in the last 2-3 weeks start rolling. He's almost 15 months old! 2 different therapists comes to our house and work with him. Their appts are at 8:15 and 8:30 in the morning, so that at least gets me to get my house picked up really well 2 days of the week! But on a serious note, I do hope the therapists help him. I read all these blogs and see other kids, younger kids, that are walking and crawling and my little man is far from it. But again, I would much rather have a developmental delay to deal with than to have to struggle with cancer or something more serious.

That's all for now. It's way passed my bedtime.

2011-01-24T22:09:00.001-05:00

I tried to update my picture for my blog but it's too little and now I'm too tired to mess with it.

My babies

2010-11-10T23:24:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday one of my "babies" turned 6! Riley Sage is full of energy, loves to talk, loves to play around with any kind of musical instrument, has a blast with her little sister, and is always trying to keep up with whatever Reece is doing. She gets distracted very easily - I'm always giving her time limits (you have 4 minutes to brush your teeth) because if I don't, she'll totally forget what she was supposed to be doing! She's very loving and cuddly and loves to give and receive hugs. She's a wonderful daughter! I remember when I was pregnant with her, I was only 8 or 9 weeks pregnant and I started spotting. John was out of town and I called to tell him and I was crying. I got in to the doctor right away and was fully expecting Dr. Frances to tell me that I lost the baby, but he did an ultrasound and she was fine! One of the sweetest things I'd ever seen. So thankful that God let me keep her!

Tomorrow- 11/11 is one of my other baby's birthday - Hudson's 1st! He is so funny. He's very large. All of my kids have been pretty big, but he's the biggest. He eats table food but he'll still eat fruits and veggie baby food. He only takes one bottle in the morning. So he drinks whole milk from a sippy during the day. He gets up pretty early, 6ish, but he drinks his bottle and goes back to bed til about 8. He takes a couple of naps during the day and goes to bed around 7 or 8. He's pretty easy to take care of.

He doesn't crawl, he has no interest. When I lay him down on his belly he just puts his head down. He'll pick it up if something interests him, but for the most part he's content to just lay there. He doesn't pull himself up -he likes to sit and play with his toys. He absolutely loves anything with wheels. As soon as he sees a toy with wheels, he starts making the motor noise for it - it's hilarious. He does not like to be by himself. If I or one of his siblings leave the room, he lets us know very quickly that he's not happy. He's a very good baby though. He adores his siblings and they adore him. We love our Hud - it's been a wonderful year watching him grow and getting to know his personality. Hopefully many more years to come!

A Mother's High Calling

2010-10-27T23:22:00.003-04:00

I stole this from my SIL's blog - but I don't think she'll mind. Thanks Tonya

Mother: You have a mission field

Our first and primary mission field is our children. God values our children. Jesus became indignant when the disciples didn’t embrace the worth of children in God’s expanding kingdom (Mark 10:13-16). God tells us that children are his blessing to us (Ps. 127:3). And he places great importance on our teaching our children to love and serve him (Deut. 6:7-9).

Don’t feel guilty over making your children your primary ministry investment in their early years. Your availability, sensitivity, affection, and unhurried attention are irreplaceable.

There are no neutral moments in a young child’s life. Someone is going to be influencing your children, inculcating values and imprinting standards on their impressionable young minds. Let it be you!

Accept your calling from God to serve your family. As a mother, you are helping to shape the souls of your children for Christ and ultimately influence the world. Your children are your gift to the future.

Stay on mission

Does this mean you will never invest in others outside your family? Goodness, no. But if you are a young mother, stay on mission. Use your primary ministry of mothering to serve Christ now. Don’t let anything diminish your unique role as a wife and mother. It is not godly guilt that would call you away from a wholehearted investment in your little ones for his sake.

“Don’t feel guilty over making your children your primary ministry investment in their early years. ”

This season in your life is just that—a season. And each season is a divine calling from our creator and king. Organizing a new event at church is important. Teaching your little boy to be kind to his sister is also important. But which one can best be done by you during this season? Serve God well by ministering to your children first. Very soon they will be grown and gone, and you will be unable to recapture the teachable moments you have now.

Mothers, listen to Psalm 78:4-7: “We will . . . tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders he has done . . . that the next generation might know . . . so that they should set their hope in God.”

Excerpt taken from Jani Ortlund .. to read the entire post, visit here.

Life

2010-10-21T22:42:00.004-04:00

It's been awhile - as usual. We're keeping very busy around here. Life with John gone during the week has taken some getting used to, but we're managing. I miss him terribly! We went from talking several times a day, having lunch together, and being together every evening...............to just talking before bed and we're usually too tired to talk! I am so ready for our house to sell! But I know it's all in God's timing. I just have to patiently wait (but it's still hard).

The kids and I are finishing up 8 weeks of school. It took us a few weeks to figure out when and how to get all of our school done, but I think we've got a good routine going. I try to read the bible to them during breakfast (or right after if Hud needs to eat too). Then the kids finish up the morning chores (but my goal is that they have them done before breakfast). Then Reece and I usually do school for awhile then we'll take a break and I'll do school with Riley and then I teach them their Spell to Write and Read together. During this time I pick up around the house if at all possible, feed and take care of Hud and talk to Brie and change her polly pocket's dresses for the hundredth time. I also have little workbooks that I got for Brielle from Amazon that she can do when we're doing school. She loves them. She's been learning how to use scissors too (she's already cut her hair). Then we have lunch (very simple lunches) and I read to them during lunch (after I've scarfed mine down). Reece and I usually have a little bit of school to do after lunch and then he gets his "wii time". It's a busy, full schedule from morning til nite but I wouldn't have it any other way (well I would prefer my husband to be home during the week and to have a cleaning lady, but other than that).

Reece is doing well in school. He's learning cursive, which he loves and he's started typing lessons, which he also loves. There isn't really anything that he just doesn't like, his attitude is actually pretty good now. He does still like his "wii time" though, but his desire for it seems to have abated - and I'm very thankful for that!

Riley flies through her school. She likes school but she'd just as much rather play with Brielle. My two girls have become very good buds - nice for me when Reece and I are doing school.

Since John isn't home to help during the week, the kids have started helping me out a lot more. They pick up around the house, help me feed Hud, empty the dishwasher, wipe off my counter tops in the kitchen and bathrooms, they sweep my floors, empty little trashcans and help me fold towels. They really are a big help, but they are only 7 and 5, so they don't really do the jobs as well as I'd like. But it does help to get things of my mind a little bit.

Like I said, we're managing. I'm definitely looking forward to life with my hubby again. This trial has made me appreciate him more though and has made me realize that I can do a lot more than I ever thought possible. But it's good to know that I'm not doing in my own strength, but God's. I've become a lot closer to Him through this, and that's all that matters.

New School Year

2010-08-17T22:47:00.004-04:00

School has official started at the Newlin home! Riley is now in kindergarten, and very excited about that, and Reece is in the 2nd grade. We're still trying to figure out our schedule but everything has gone pretty well so far. Riley woke up Friday morning (we started Thurs.) and ran into my room and said she was ready to do math. She's loving it thus far and I'm having a hard time keeping her occupied. She keeps wanting to do more. Hopefully she'll keep the good attitude and the love of learning! Reece is not quite as excited though. His favorite part of the day is his "wii time" in the afternoon and school kind of gets in the way of that. But we're working on that.

His first day of 2nd Grade

First day of K

Brie and Hudson are doing well too. Hudson is always right with us. Brielle is right with us for the most part too. When we do our read alouds I try to include her - everyone usually gets a snack and colors or something. Reece and Riley usually play with her if I'm not doing school with them. I got her some sticker books from Walmart for $1 so I've been doing those with her everyday so I make sure I spend some one on one time with her. But all in all, it's good to be back in the routine of school. The only thing I haven't figured out yet is when I'm supposed to exercise. I had been doing in the afternoon when the 3 younger took naps and Reece had his coveted wii time - but now we do school then. So that still needs figuring out. I could wake up early in the morning and do it, but who wants to do that?

Here's Brie enjoying homemade milkshakes - celebrating the beginning of another school year

To go along with our new routine of homeschooling, we also have to adjust to not having John around during the week. He started a new job, which means..............................we're moving! .His new job is in Fort Wayne so we'll be starting a new chapter in our lives. I'm excited though - we've prayed for a long time and this is the door that God has opened up for us. God is good! We're in store for a lot changes, so if you think about it, say a prayer for us.

And here's my chubby bubby before his haircut

After - he's not even the same kid!

2010-05-15T23:39:00.007-04:00

I don't have much time to blog, but thought I'd post a little.

Here's my fat baby. His bumbo seat is purple - but I'm borrowing it from Tonya - so we can't complain about the color.

We watched the Eaton kids for a little while about a month ago - and they wanted to watch a movie. Mia, Riley, Brielle, and Kaci. For some reason, Riley turns her head when she watches TV. It is so strange! Does anyone think Brielle and Mia look alike? I do!

Doing one of their lessons

Reece at his birthday party. He's 7! I can't believe it. I remember so well taking that pregnancy test. I could not wait for the day that John and I could actually start trying to have a baby. When we got married, we were both in college renting a tiny apartment - so the timing was off. And then I graduated and got a job (at a lawyer's office) but John was still in school so we still couldn't try. Then John graduated and the timing was right and it finally happened! I had been feeling a little off, a little different, it was that time of the month and there was nothing there. So I took the pregnancy test and it was positive! I thought I was going to faint! I walked out to the garage where John was and he was rummaging through some boxes and he thought by the sound of my voice that someone had had a wreck or something. I told him the test was positive and he couldn't believe it. Now here we are, 4 babies later!

I don't have very many pictures of all the kids together - this isn't the greatest, but it'll do!

Update

2010-04-03T00:30:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! It's been awhile! The last time I posted Hudson was 2 weeks old and now he's almost 5 months old - so I've not been blogging much! But I have 4 kids and I homeschool - so you all understand that I have NO time to blog. But I enjoy reading other blogs so I thought I'd try to update mine a bit.

We're all doing great. Hudson is the best baby ever. I prayed when I was pregnant that he would be a good baby and God answered my prayer! He goes to bed around 9ish and sleeps til 4 or 5 then eats again and goes right back to sleep til 7 or 8. He only cries or fusses when he's hungry or when he's ready to sleep. I'm very thankful! He's a little porker though! He eats 7 ounces or so every 2.5 hours - which is alot! He's a fat baby but I can't get him to slow down. I'm trying baby food to get him to drink less formula but he's not too fond of it yet -but we'll see. I'm just glad he's a good baby.

Reece is doing great in 1st grade. He's such a joy to homeschool. I'm so blessed to be able to spend so much time with him when he would normally be gone all day under someone else's care. He's a great big brother too - very caring and sensitive. He has his moments when his sisters set him off - but for the most part he handles them well.

My girls are great. Brielle follows me or Riley around all day. She will not do anything without one of us close by. Riley handles it well - but sometimes she's just doesn't want Brielle to play with her stuff! They're fun and girly and imaginative. I love watching them play. I'm so blessed to have these children!

John and I are also doing well. John still has his insurance office and involved with our church. He also teaches Reece science in the evenings. And me, well I take care of all of us. It's a tough job- I'm never, ever done, but I love the life God has blessed me with.

That's enough for now. Here are a few picts.

Cousins

Doesn't Hudson look funny??

Brie at her 3rd b-day party

Hudson in the hospital when he had RSV and pneumonia

Happy Easter everyone!

Hudson Luke Newlin

2009-11-23T15:22:00.008-05:00

I'm no longer pregnant!! My baby is here!

My little bundle entered the world a week and a half ago, Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 9:30 p.m. God blessed me with a quick delivery (I had him within an hour of arriving at the hospital) and a healthy 8 lbs and 6 oz baby boy.

The kids absolutely adore him - a little too much sometimes! So far, we're all adjusting well. I'm still getting used to the feedings during the night - but the feedings are much better than tossing and turning and being miserable when I was pregnant.

Here is a picture right before I went to the hospital (after Christmas shopping in Evansville)

Lark Ranch

2009-11-03T00:32:00.002-05:00

Some pictures of our visit to the Lark Ranch.

Creation Museum

2009-11-01T01:20:00.008-04:00

Our church recently went to the Creation Museum in KY. We had a great time learning fascinating facts about the Bible - the creation account in Genesis and Noah's ark and the global flood and all kinds of different things. If you've never been, you should schedule a date and go - it would be well worth your time.

This is Reece and Brie in the Garden of Eden. Animals hadn't been affected by the curse of sin yet so Adam and Eve could be with the animals and the animals wouldn't harm them.

Riley in the Garden of Eden

Enjoying the beautiful outdoors at the Museum. I had to put my camera on a little fence in front of us and turn on the self-timer - it was quite a challenge to position the camera so that we were actually in the picture!! As you can see from Brielle's face, she apparently saw something pretty cool right when the camera snapped.

This was definitely Reece's highlight of the day. This was either a python or an anaconda, I can't remember.

Outside again - Riley showing some of her sass

I'd like to think they were taking in the beauty of God's creation - but they were probably seeing how far they could get their feet in the water before I figured it out.

I thought this was cute.

You can't tell from this picture - but this is a rabbit at their petting zoo.

Hope you enjoyed!

A few Random Pictures

2009-10-09T15:53:00.010-04:00

A picture of my little princess napping - isn't she adorable??

Riley coloring her picture - and no one was allowed to mess up her "area" if she got up.

Reece at the Washington Park one day for a homeschool group get together.

Brie and Daddy at the Park too.

Since our cat Gracie ventured onto the road too much - our newest additions.
Cutie and Bella

My birthday was yesterday - and my beloved surprised me with a bouquet of pink roses, my lil birthday cake, and new bedding set for our bed (that I had requested).

Also for my birthday, Mom took me (and the fam) out to eat at La Carreta. The kids ate pretty much nothing else but chips and dip. It was sooo good!!

And a belly shot of me at 32 weeks.

2009-09-28T16:19:00.003-04:00

Well - it's been awhile! But it always is for me and this blogging stuff. We've been doing well. Reece lost his first tooth last Friday. It had been loose for a little while and we were on our way to Evansville and he looked at me and said, "Mom, I'm gonna pull it." I didn't believe him, but he did! He was so excited!! His smile is too cute now.

Riley has been enjoying preschool. She recently brought home an "All About Me" book that she created and she proudly carries it around and looks at it constantly. She loves to wear dresses everyday and always wants to color or paint or cut out something.

Brielle is getting to be such a big girl. She talks and sings all the time and when we're in the van she is always asking me "What's that Mommy?" as she looks out the window. She's very girly! She already tries to pick out what she's going to wear everyday - and it usually involves something pink. She loves shoes and puts on multiple pairs throughout the day. They're all growing up so fast! I'm so thankful that God has allowed me to stay home with them to enjoy them while I can!

I've been trying to get things ready for our new baby. Reece and Riley were sharing a room and Brielle was by herself but now the girls are sharing a room and Reece is by himself (until 'lil Newlin arrives). It was quite an undertaking getting their rooms switched, with all their clothes and toys and furniture and all that - but it's done now. I still have quite a bit that I want to do, but (Lord willing), I still have time.

My pregnancy has been going very well. I'm 32 weeks pregnant already! It has gone by so fast! He's a very active fellow and the kids love to feel him moving around. I feel great and I still have a lot of energy. I'm still able to sleep well at night - and I'm hoping this holds out for a lil while longer! God has been very good to me!

I have a lot more I'd like to post about but it's late and I'm tired!

Tae Kwon Do

2009-08-28T16:56:00.002-04:00

My guys recently started Tae Kwon Do. They have to wear these white uniforms called do boks. They are so handsome!!

Preschool and Homeschool

2009-08-28T15:53:00.007-04:00

Reece and I officially started homeschooling again last week. 2 weeks are pretty much done and it went really well! We read a little bit this week of ancient Egypt and he's fascinated right now with Egypt and their culture, with the pyramids and the mummies. Here's a picture of Reece on his first day (of the second week).

(He's in a Tae Kwon Do pose.)

Riley started her preschool on Monday. She goes MWF from 9:00 to 11:15. She loved it! She was a little worried that she might miss me too much (how sweet!) but I told her she'd have so much fun she wouldn't even think of me. I was right - she had a great time. She'll also be homeschooled next year but I wanted her to go to public preschool like Reece did. Here's a picture of her on her first day too.

I'm not sure what the look on her face is all about!

And Brielle - she's content if she's wherever I am or if she's holding our cat.

2009-08-09T22:36:00.005-04:00

Just thought I'd post a lil something so if anyone actually reads this blog you'd know our family is still alive.

We have our first pet!

Our neighbor brought home this kitten and she (the kitten) wandered out to where my kids spotted her and played with her all day. When our neighbor came home she wanted to know if we wanted it - and so - we took her. After some serious family discussion (ok it was a small argument) we named her Grace/Gracie. The kids are ecstatic - they just love her. When we get home from going somewhere they all have to go check on her (outside). Brielle even holds her and sits with her and talks to her. They're just so funny.

Onto another topic (hopefully a more important one)- I'm 24 weeks pregnant now. I've gained 15 pounds so far - I feel like a small whale but I try not think about that part of it. I don't have a belly picture right now and I'm too tired to take and upload one. But I'll try to sometime soon. The baby's moving around alot - Riley was able to feel him kicking tonite and she thought it was so neat. Brielle pulls up her shirt and says she has a baby in her belly - she even said that he bit her! I don't know where she got that from!

I made my first homemade bread a couple weeks ago - with the help of a bread machine of course! It tasted good but didn't look so good!

I've since tweaked my recipe and and it looks much better!

And for my final thought - two verses that we've been trying to explain to our children - Phillipians 2:3-4 - Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

We're having a..............................

2009-07-06T14:59:00.006-04:00

I went to the dr today for an ultrasound - and we're having a......................................................boy!! Everything looks healthy. I saw him moving his arms around and saw his little feet kicking me. I saw and heard his little heart beating - it was just so amazing!! I think about him quite a bit and feel him moving but don't ever get to see him, so to actually get to have a glimpse of him was great. He was turned over on his belly pretty much the whole time so it was rather difficult to get a good look at his "stuff". But the ultrasound tech wouldn't give up and he finally gave us several different good looks.

He's measuring a little over a week bigger than my due date so they're a little concerned that I might be having a large baby. Makes me a little concerned too b/c I'd prefer to not have a c-section. But I'll just have to wait and see what God has in store for us. Here's the little guy.

@ 17 weeks

@ 19 weeks (looks quite a bit bigger to me!)

Update

2009-06-10T15:47:00.009-04:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile - sorry! I just can't find the time to do it! But I do have an update on what we've been up to.

Three weeks ago my mom, the kids, and I flew to Massachusetts to see Taj and Tonya. John wasn't able to go b/c of work. We flew out on Tuesday and came back home on Saturday nite, so it was a short trip but well worth it. Our adventure actually started Tuesday morning trying to make it to the airport on time. We ended up picking up Mom at her house instead of having her come to our house which took a big chunk out of our time that we weren't expecting and Riley got sick in the van so we had to stop and clean that up. But God allowed us to make it in plenty of time. Our flights were great (all four of them). The kids did really well. I had packed dvd players and a DS and toys and snack - the kids were so entertained they weren't ready to get off the plane! On our very last flight coming home, Brielle fell asleep sitting up before we had even taken off. She was worn out!

Once were there we spent most of our time just visiting them. On one of the days, we took a train into Boston for some sightseeing but it didn't turn out quite like we had expected. We had what seemed like 40 kids (it was really only 10-12) with us and it felt like 110 degrees AND my mom was just recently released from the hospital so she couldn't exactly walk very fast. But we did have a nice picnic lunch and the kids were able to enjoy a playground - you can't beat that! The best part of the trip for them was the train ride anyway.

On the train

On another day, we drove about 45 minutes (I think) to the ocean and again had a picnic lunch and the kids played in the ocean. The kids had a blast. We didn't bring swimsuits b/c the day before it had been really cold, but the day at the beach actually turned out to be really warm. The water was still cold but at least the air was warm. All in all - it was great spending time with my brother and his family. They're always so encouraging to me - they try to please God with their lives and how they raise their children. I'm very thankful for them!!

Birthdays

2009-05-12T15:18:00.003-04:00

Today is the birthday of both my mom and dad. We spent the morning with my mom and ate lunch at Applebees with her. We had great food but what was even better was spending time with mom outside of the hospital! She had been in the hospital for over a week and she just got released yesterday - so praise the Lord. But I haven't talked to dad yet because he works nights and sleeps days so the kids sang him happy birthday.

9 Weeks

2009-04-29T21:42:00.004-04:00

I had my first ultrasound today - and everything looked great! The baby is only about an inch long and already has a heartbeat!! We saw the baby moving around already too. God is just amazing!

Here's a picture of me at 9 weeks. I can't believe how big my belly already is!! I was actually a little concerned that I was carrying twins!!

Haircut

2009-04-23T15:25:00.004-04:00

Tuesday, Riley was in the kitchen finishing up her morning chore of wiping off the bar after breakfast. Usually, I stay in the kitchen until the kids are done with their cleaning but I was not feeling well so I had moved into the living room. She was taking forever so I peeked in at her and she had her washcloth in her hand but she was not wiping off the bar - she was playing or something. So I had to talk to her about being diligent and all that. So I went back into the living room and sure enough she was still taking too long - our bar is not very big!! Then I saw her put her scissors away, and I thought, "Wow, she actually put something away, good girl." Because she usually wipes all around the things on the bar instead of just putting them where they go. So after a few more minutes I went in there (again) and I saw a little strand of her hair on the barstool and I said "Riley, what happened?" and she said, "I'm sorry." And I looked down and there was hair all over the floor!! She had cut her long blond hair!! So, needless to say, our hairdresser got us in and Riley has a lovely new do! I actually love it!

Reece's 6th Birthday!

2009-04-22T22:36:00.004-04:00

I can't believe my little boy is 6!! Time has flown by so fast. He's getting so big that I can hardly pick him up anymore. God has blessed me so much with this little guy!!

Anyway - his birthday was Friday the 17th. We started the day off trying to eat some good healthy donuts from Wal-mart but ended up throwing them away b/c they weren't fully cooked. But it wasn't too bad, the kids didn't seem to mind. For lunch, I let Reece pick what he wanted to eat and he chose mac & cheese and corn. Since the donuts weren't any good, I got the kids some slushy drinks from DQ and unfortunately for Reece, he didn't like the flavor he picked (which was cherry). But again, he didn't really care. It was a beautiful day so he was content playing outside with his sisters.

After naps, we headed to Gatti's to celebrate Reece's birthday there. He had so much fun. We invited our usual, Grandmas and Grandpas, and we also invited our pastor and his family. So Reece and Riley enjoyed their friends and Brielle even got to play with her buddy Jordyn too. He got lots of presents and had lots of cake so it was good day for him. I was happy too b/c I didn't have to get my house ready for the party!

Outside

2009-04-08T16:28:00.006-04:00

A week or 2 ago, we were outside playing and Riley wanted to practice cartwheels. The only reason I'm not laughing hysterically is because I was eating chips and I was afraid I was being too loud for the recording.

Reece is going to start t-ball pretty soon so we got him a tee to practice from. The kids have had so much fun playing with it. One day when the kids were playing, I was inside and I looked out and saw Brielle trying it - too cute!!

Guess What????

2009-04-08T08:24:00.002-04:00

I'm pregnant!! I'm about 6 weeks along - so still a long way to go and anything could happen - but we're excited!! God is so gracious!

I'm already feeling nauseous and tired but with my other pregnancies that usually went away by 12-14 weeks. So, if you get time, you might say a quick prayer for me to get through the days with my active 3 children when I'm not feeling so active.

That's all the time I have right now.

Swimming

2009-03-25T16:00:00.007-04:00

Two weekends ago, we went to a homeschool convention at Evansville at the Holiday Inn. John and I took turns swimming with the kids while one would go to the convention. It was a lot of fun. The hotel room was a suite, which we thought that meant the bedroom was separate from the living room, but when we got there it was just one big open room. When it was time for the kids to go to bed, we tried to separate the room a little bit because John and I had big plans of staying up late and doing some of our required reading for our biblical counseling training that we recently started. We put chairs in between our bed and the kids bed and made a makeshift wall with a blanket draped over the chairs. It worked really well but John and I were both passed out before the kids were so, it was pointless. But we tried!!

Bird Nests

2009-03-25T15:33:00.008-04:00

Grazzin and Mia (my niece and nephew) recently made bird nests for Grazzin's science - well my kids saw them and wanted to make them too.

Being the typical boy that Reece is - he covered his eggs in the bird nests so that no other animals would come and eat them.

The nest was made out of chow mein noodles and melted chocolate, which I didn't think sounded so good. But it was delicious - kinda like a chocolate doughnut!

The kids had a blast making them and eating them. Thanks Tonya, Grazzin, and Mia!

Dancing

2009-02-25T00:37:00.006-05:00

The kids were in rare form last night so I have a few videos.

Chore Charts and a New Schedule

2009-02-24T23:50:00.004-05:00

Several months ago, I bought some generic chore charts to keep track of the kids' chores so they could have a visual reminder of what they're supposed to do everyday. I never got them out of the package until yesterday - and that was only because Riley found them and thought they looked neat (they came with star stickers).

Since she was so excited about it, I decided I would write their chores on there and actually use the chart. I wrote on Riley's, under Caring for Myself - Make my bed, Brush teeth, Put pj's away, and Put on new clothes. She had a few more throughout the page, like wipe off the bar after breakfast/lunch and use dustbuster after breakfast/lunch. But I didn't have anything written down in the Cleaning My Room section. She and Reece's were pretty much the same but Reece had a few more than she did because she takes FOREVER to get her stuff done and Reece can handle a little more than she can. So in his Cleaning My Room section I had written down, Put Animals Away and Sleep Toys Away. Riley wondered why she didn't have anything in her section and I told her that she doesn't sleep with anything so there's nothing for her to put away and so she let it go.

So this morning -Reece and Riley woke up to their alarms at 7:30, an hour earlier than we usually start, because I decided they needed to get up earlier to get all of our stuff done (including homeschooling) and hopefully I wouldn't feel rushed throughout the day. Well, the kids were supposed to do their "morning stuff", as we call it while I took a shower. They had 30 minutes to get it all done, which is PLENTY of time!!! I reminded Riley that she needed to be done with her stuff when I was out of the shower. So at 8:00 I started making my coffee (which has melted white chocolate chips in it - yummy) and I asked Riley how she was coming along and she runs into the kitchen and says "Mommy, I brushed my teeth! I have to put a check mark on my paper!" She still had on her pajamas, had not brushed her teeth or anything! I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time! The rest of the day did get better but I don't think we did any better with time like I was hoping.

We wrote the chores down on their charts last night before bed - tonite after she had been in bed for 30 minutes she came in my room and said, "Mom, I'm sleeping with animals tonite. You need to write on my chart to put my animals away." I couldn't believe it - I laughed so hard at her!

Potty Training

2009-02-24T23:08:00.005-05:00

Now that Brielle is 2 - I decided to start potty training her. I started on last Tuesday but she didn't do very well. So that night at Reece's soccer game, I talked to a friend of mine about potty training and she gave me some good advice that I had forgotten about. She said you have to spend a lot of time in the bathroom - and she was right! Wednesday was a different story! I had just forgotten how often I have to put her on the toilet. We took books and baby dolls in the bathroom with us and I gave her candy when she "went' and it was great! She's had a few accidents, especially doing #2, but overall she's done so well! She wore panties to church Sunday and to soccer tonite and to a basketball game after that and so far so good!!

I have to post a picture!!

Here she is in her panties - isn't she cute??

Bible Lesson

2009-02-22T00:09:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted in 2 weeks and now I'm going to have 2 in 1 day!

In our Bible reading to the kids, we're currently in the book of Exodus. Here's a little clip of the kids acting out part of the story for that day (and Brielle is trying to be part of the action too).

Brielle Turns 2

2009-02-21T22:47:00.009-05:00

My baby is 2 already!! Last weekend (Valentine's Day) was Brielle's birthday and we had a little party for her. She started the morning off with a pink heart donut and we sang Happy Birthday to her.

Later on we had family over and had cake and ice cream and of course she opened lots of presents.

I know I already have one video of singing Happy Birthday to Brielle but here's another one when the guests were there. She's just too sweet!

Brielle has been such a blessing to us - I'm so thankful to have had 2 years with her! God is good!

Lesson Learned

2009-02-03T15:13:00.002-05:00

You better get comfortable - this is a long one!!

John and I went on a date over the weekend (ate at Mi Pueblo - yum) and I was flipping through the radio stations and heard Taylor Swift's song "Love Story". I know this song is old but I rarely listen to the radio and so this was the first time I had heard it. So I came home and played it on Youtube and I just thought it was the cutest song. There were some parts that I wasn't crazy about - like when she says she's sneaking out to see Romeo when her dad had told her not to- but in the end her boyfriend got permission to marry her and it's very climactic so I just loved it. Anyway - I played it for Reece and Riley and Riley just thought Taylor was so cute and she wanted to see it again. So over the course of the last few days she's watched the video probably 3 times. Each time I kinda knew she shouldn't watch it but my desire to hear it was more important than doing what God wanted me to do. I kept telling myself that it's an innocent video and that God probably doesn't mind her watching it because she's probably not getting anything out of it anyway. So today I was playing it and John said he didn't really think Riley should be watching it so I shut it off but Riley had already heard it. So she went about playing and I could hear that she was singing the song to herself but I couldn't hear what she was saying and then I heard John say "Riley, go tell Mommy what you're singing" and I wanted to puke. She comes in and says she was singing that she wanted to go live with her boyfriend!!!! She didn't even know what a boyfriend was before that crazy song! We rarely watch tv, we don't talk about boyfriends/girlfriends - so from this one song she was singing that she wanted to live with her boyfriend!! I was and still am so disgusted with myself. So I had to explain to her why God probably doesn't like the song because Taylor disobeyed her daddy and that I shouldn't have played the song for myself let alone her. But there is a point to this post, not just so that you know how sinful I am. Please - just be aware of what your kids are hearing and watching. They are getting more out of it than you think.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." Colossians 3:2

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Deuteronomy 6:5-6

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Cor 6:19-20

Dance

2009-01-28T23:53:00.008-05:00

Recently, I posted Reece and Riley's soccer videos. Before soccer started, we had been planning on signing up Reece and not Riley because she wanted to do a dance class instead. I would much rather her be in dance because it's more girly and it's at a local church and they have a little "bible study" and it's free. Well, the day came to sign up Reece (for soccer) and Riley started saying she wanted to play soccer. I tried to gently persuade her and talk her out of it but she was insistent so I decided if she wanted to play soccer then that would be fine. I admit, I was disappointed. But, I wanted to let her do what she wanted and not what I wanted. So we went to the first soccer game and she did fine but there's only one other girl on her team -so not much girliness happening. Then the second game came and went and when it was over she said, "Mommy, I don't really like soccer, can I do dance instead?" And then I was torn. Do I let her quit soccer and do dance? Would I be teaching her that it's ok to start something and not finish? All these decisions!! Well, I ended up letting her do dance. I don't know if we're done with soccer, but we skipped it last week and went to dance instead. We'll see what happens. Here are some pictures.

Isn't she just adorable?

Playdough and Homeschool

2009-01-28T23:21:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures of the girls playing with playdough. Nothing profound or overly cute - but I like pictures that show what we do every day. I don't remember what Reece was doing, probably playing the Wii since we were on a homeschool break. I usually do school with Reece, then play with the girls. We do that off and on all day. Unfortunately, my time with the girls tends to be shortened because I end up throwing clothes in the washer/dryer or wiping of the bar, or putting something away and then our time is up and I've got to to do school with Reece. I have a hard time finding the right balance. Anyway, back to the pictures.

BTW - Riley picks her clothes everyday and this is her favorite outfit. It's a dress but she'll say "Mommy, is that shirt that sticks to that skirt clean today?" She's so funny.

Sometime later, the kids were doing school so I had to break out the camera again. Riley doesn't usually do school with us, but when it's something she's interested in, then she's all about it.

Homeschool Group

2009-01-28T22:35:00.011-05:00

Last Friday, Reece, Riley and I headed to Huntingburg for our Homeschool Group. On this particular day, they were having craft day. Several tables were set up and each table had a different craft. The kids always enjoy these days - but especially Riley.

Our first "craft" was decorating cupcakes and of course eating them!

Then Riley wanted to decorate a snowman and Reece wanted to do a different craft and both needed my help so I was going back and forth. I don't know why I didn't just make them both do the same thing - but I didn't. It wasn't too bad, but would've been way easier staying at one table.

Here's Reece doing his snow scenery. He always looks so serious!

Then here they are doing their last craft together. Riley did another craft in there somewhere but I didn't get a picture of that.

7 Children!!

2009-01-20T00:44:00.003-05:00

We had our pastor and his wife Lessa and their 4 kids over Monday night for supper. They have Andrew who's 7 (I think), Lexi who's 6, Daniel who's 4, and Jordyn who's 2 (and # 5 on the way). After the meal, Pastor King, Leesa, and John had a meeting at church so I volunteered to watch their kids. Me - with 7 children!! But the night was actually a breeze. Jordyn and Brielle were best buds all night and they were the 2 I thought would give me the most trouble. I painted their fingernails and they got out baby dolls and strollers. They were so cute! The older ones played the Wii, the Smartcycle, and were on the computer so they were well entertained! It's a good thing because it took me most of the night to clean up the kitchen - it was a disaster! Anyway - here are some picts.

I'm a mom so I have to point this out - Brielle has on her pajamas already because she ate yogurt at supper and got it all over her clothes. I didn't want to get another outfit dirty so she has her jammies on.

Blessed Snow

2009-01-20T00:27:00.005-05:00

The kids were so excited to wake up to snow this morning! When Riley saw the snow, she talked in even more of an exclamation point than she usually does. She was getting ready to run into her and Reece's room to tell Reece (who was still asleep) and I told her to let him sleep til his alarm went off. She waited maybe a minute and when I started reading the bible again, she jetted out the door and I could hear her across the house yelling to Reece that that it had snowed. Too funny!

Brielle didn't get to enjoy the snow. She was eating breakfast when they went out and they were out maybe 10 minutes. And I just didn't have it in me to go out - I DO NOT like being cold!!

Out of the mouths of babes

2009-01-19T23:08:00.008-05:00

A couple of nights ago, John was reading the bible to the kids while they were eating supper. He's reading through the bible in a year and we're in Genesis. He started telling them about Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah and how God was going to destroy those cities because of their sin. He went on to tell them that God was going to spare Lot and his wife and daughters but they were not supposed to look back at the city as they were fleeing it. Reece had remembered the story from being told previously so he started telling John about what was going to happen - and he said that Lot's wife did look back and she was turned into a chunk of sugar (not a pillar of salt!) We had a good laugh!

Riley Singing

2009-01-16T10:07:00.006-05:00

Not mentioning who (Taj), someone complained that I haven't updated my blog lately so I'll try to do that now. I'll eventually post the rest of my Christmas pictures sometime - just not anytime soon (since I know everyone is just dying to see them!!)

This morning as I was reading the bible, Riley came to my room and wanted to read with me. So she went and got her bible and then covered up with me and we read our bibles together (which I absolutely loved). While we were reading she started to sing songs from her bible. I was cracking up so I recorded her. You have to turn up the volume to hear what she's saying - but when it's turned up then I'm that much louder, so sorry about that.

Soccer

2009-01-16T09:24:00.010-05:00

Reece and Riley started playing indoor soccer recently at the Jasper Skate Palace. Riley is in the 3-5 year old age group and Reece is in the K-2 age group. They both have fun (Reece more than Riley) but as you can see from the video Riley still has quite a lot to learn. This first video is of Riley and her team. She's in a green shirt with gray pants. The video is small but I don't know how to make it larger. Hopefully you can see her.

This next video is of Reece's team - his team is in yellow.

First round of Christmas Pictures

2009-01-07T00:40:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted any Christmas pictures yet so I'm going to attempt to do that. We had our first Christmas party with Taj & Tonya at my mom's house the first week of December. And as usual it was great - but time with Taj & Tonya always is! The kids loved opening their presents but I think they had more fun just playing with Grazzin.

That was on a Saturday night and then on Sunday after church we had Christmas at my Grandma & Grandpa Eaton's house. Reece didn't enjoy his presents on this occasion quite as much as he did at my mom's. It was my fault though. Grandma had given me the kids' money for their presents and when I was buying them I knew he would like them when he was at home. I was afraid his initial response would be of disappointment, and I was right. I can't even remember what he opened - a movie and stencil kit maybe, but Grazzin had opened something really fun and Grant, his cousin who's a year older than him, opened a new DS game and other cool stuff, and Reece was like, I don't like this! I felt bad, but he soon forgot. He did eventually enjoy his presents at home (away from his bad cousins). Anyway - Brielle slept through much of the event, I don't even have pictures of her. Riley liked her stuff - but she's fairly easy to please. It was good to spend time with family that we don't get to see often enough.

As you can see from my pictures, I am in desperate need of a new camera. But it's not in our budget right now (thanks Dave Ramsey). So hopefully you can look past that terrible color and poor quality of my pictures and just look at the important stuff!

2009

2009-01-02T00:09:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!! I cannot believe it's another new year. We spent our New Year's Eve at our pastor's house with the church family (probably doesn't sound like fun but it was!!). We had a lot of unhealthy food and good fellowship with others. Our kids actually lasted the whole evening. I knew Reece and Riley would do fine, but I wasn't too sure about Brielle. But she did it. The kids went to bed at 1 am! That's almost child abuse! But they made up for it in the morning - they woke up at 11:00. It was very odd to eat our first meal of the day at lunchtime. I had wormed up some mashed potatoes and corn for John and after Riley had a bowl of cereal she said "Mommy I want some mashed potatoes too." I thought it sounded gross but for her breakfast/lunch she had cereal and mashed potatoes and corn. But she was happy!

Can anyone tell me why my pictures are so small? When I make the slideshow bigger, it goes over my profile and the stuff I have on the right side of the blog! Any help would be appreciated.

Gingerbread Houses

2008-12-20T22:44:00.008-05:00

We made our first gingerbread houses today! I've meant to do it before with the kids but I never got around to. But now I can finally say we did it! I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I bought one of those kits from Wal-Mart. I wanted to do a homemade one but I was afraid I wouldn't take the time to get the individual ingredients. So I just bought a kit. The kids had a blast though. They definitely enjoyed eating the icing and the candy. I eventually had to ask them to stop eating the icing because I was afraid we were going to run out! Needless to say - they skipped their naps today - a bit too much sugar. I took some pictures, but I'm not sure I know how to get them on here.

I don't know if you can see it or not, but Reece's house was broken when we pulled it out of the box. Which, I didn't know it would already be assembled, I thought that was part of the fun. But anyway, he wasn't too upset about the break when he was able to put the icing on the broken part and "glue" it back together.

Blogging

2008-12-18T22:43:00.004-05:00

I'm totally new at this blogging stuff. I've been reading other people's blogs for awhile and I must say that I've been envious of how well everyone blogs. But anyway - this is my first attempt so bear with me.