What are you doing?

I just love it when my dear husband calls and asks this...because, I never have the time or energy to tell every little minuscule task I have performed today...and it never fails, when he calls I am doing nothing in particular at that time and can't think of anything of interest to share with him that I have done...so my answer is always the same..."nothing"...so he thinks that is what I am always doing...nothing. So just for good measure (mostly for my husbands benefit) here is what I am doing today (in no particular order): feeding breakfast to, dressing and taking kids to school, laundry, starting the dishwasher, changing diapers, fixing lunch and snacks, putting kids down for naps, vacuuming up the sea of cocoa crispies that magically appeared on the floor in princess4's room, taking snuggle breaks, trying to keep a fire going, trying to chase a loose dog/horse back through the gate while keeping goats from getting out of the gate, answering at least a dozen "why?" questions asked by a 2 year old, trying to figure out which is the best website host (did I mention this same dear husband is now selling Amsoil synthetic oil - just for fun, on top of his other 2 full time jobs - and I have been forced into the role of secretary, another role I am not very good at), trying to teach a 4 year old that it is not OK to pinch you brother, making light bright pictures, trying to teach a 2 year old that it is not OK to hit your sister, wondering if j6 put on clean underwear, and contemplating the meaning of life, oh and of course reading a few blogs as well as writing one...I could go on but you are getting bored so I will stop. That is what I am doing!

yawn

we have pretty much been in our pj's for two whole days...not the same ones mind you...we have bathed and changed into different pj's...but nevertheless we have been in pj's for 2 days and I am starting to get a little tired of it. ( Below is a picture of princess4 still in pj's @5pm)

It started yesterday because we didn't have anything we had to do all day so we just laid around all morning, playing and watching TV then we took a nap yesterday afternoon. Then it hit...yesterday evening princess4 started throwing up and j6 started complaining he didn't feel well. So we spent most of the night and early morning hours in the bathroom. As of now, princess4 is the only one who has actually vomited and she hasn't done that for 12 hrs. But I am just waiting and wondering when the next round will start and with whom (not very optimistic, huh). I think this is one of the few things I dislike about motherhood...having to clean up after sick kids...I mean...it makes me want to say "I want my mommy"...but wait...I am the mommy. So for now I will just leave my pj's on and try to get a little rest before the next round starts. By the way - princess4 is really feeling much better now, I just told her to look sad like she was sick for the photo, and she did...she is all about the drama!

Excitement on the hill

Last night we received a call that two escaped prisoners were on the loose and thought to be in our area. The car they had stolen was off the road in the ditch not far from our house and they were to be considered armed and dangerous. Well, as you can imagine...that sent me into a tizzy...I was ready to head for the hills...but wait...we are already on the hill...so maybe we should head for town...except I don't want to open the door and step outside for fear someone might be waiting for me to open the door and step outside. So what should we do??? My dear hubby very calmly goes outside to lock everything up...while I (with phone in hand ready to dial 911 when the bad guys get him) proceeded to cover the windows with blankets. smart, right??? that is just what hubby thinks when he gets back in (the bad guys didn't get him) "What ARE you doing?" were his exact words I think. "I am covering the windows, I don't won't those armed and dangerous bad guys looking in here at me, do you?" was my reply. It made sense to me and made me feel a little better, so he knew better than to question me any further, he just helped me finish covering a window and then went to bed, where we just lay in the dark and waited for the bad guys to come get us. We saw several search vehicles drive by with search lights on and a while later (it seemed like an eternity but really was a very short time in the scheme of things) got the call they had found them on the dirt road that curves around and comes up beside our house (boy, am I glad they got 'em before they got me!) So that is the most excitement that we have had for a while around here and I am glad it is over! I am probably making it sound worse than it really was but I was SCARED!!

my prayer today...

Lord, love my husband through me...amen

Hmmm???

I am kinda having a blogger block...not that there is a shortage of things to write about going on here, it's just not coming to me right now. The boys are gone for the evening and it is just us girls here so we are doing girly things!

painting fingernails and toenails (yes, that is neon green), playing beauty shop, and pigging out on chocolate and popcorn for dinner.

We had a nice week with one snow day (for everyone-daddy even stayed home), I subbed a couple of days this week, we went to a couple of basketball games-GO BULLDOGS!! Princess4 and I went with Grandma to a baby shower for daddy's sister who is expecting her 3rd baby in about a month. nothing overly exciting but trust me, still never a dull moment here on the hill. Maybe something will come to me to write about in my sleep! until later...love from all of us here on the hill...OH WAIT-I just remembered something-Friday evening was eventful with frozen water pipes when we got home and another dead goat ( I am starting to think I am not cut out to be a goat farmer??)...not happy events, but never the less, events that happened here on the hill this week, just thought I would share! ta ta (nothing like leaving on a happy note, huh)

I Hate Packing Peanuts!

Why you ask??? Because a two year old and packing peanuts do not mix! Need I say more?!?! If you were to see my house right now, you would know why. UGH!! Calgon take me away!

Everyone has to pull their own weight around here :)

I have three slaves...er I mean...helpers. Pictured above is princess4 painting a hay feeder for daddy (needless to say there was more paint on her and the floor and her brother than the feeder when she finished but she was a great help). This same helper was "helping" me take pictures this week and dropped my camera and it is officially broken (HP says they can't fix it but will send me a new one for $100, but I think I will shop around a little more). You just can't be mad at her because she is so darn cute! and who lets a 4 year old take pictures anyway?? I guess that would be me. She has done it several times before, always with much success, she really does take pretty good pictures, I may have a budding photographer on my hands, and she is usually very careful. It was just an accident and accidents do happen. So no, she wasn't in trouble. My other two helpers went with me to Aldi's last night (while princess4 was with Whitney). Usually when we go into the store the first thing I do is put j2 in the cart but last night we decided to give him a chance to be a big boy and help with loading and unloading the grocery's in the cart. The more help the merrier right??? well, we knew what our budget was and daddy was adding everything up as the boys and I put it in the cart, j6 and I were very careful to tell him the price of everything we put in. He told us when we had reached our limit (allowing for tax) and we headed for the check out. It was a great team effort! After the clerk had scanned all our items she gave us our total and we were $3 dollars over, daddy and I shot each other a look because we both knew he was very careful and precise at adding and had allowed plenty for tax, but just shrugged it off and paid the extra 3 and went to box up our loot. As we were boxing I came across a box of rice I didn't remember telling anyone to get. I said to daddy "did you get this rice?"..."nope" was his response. Then I picked up a box of splenda I knew I didn't need, then another box of rice. By this time we are both laughing and the clerk is looking at us like we are crazy. Of course you can't be mad at this little helper either, because he is also so darn cute, and it was his first time on the job. So, had we not let j2 be a helper last night we would have been under budget but wouldn't have had a good laugh! p.s. any pictures I post for a while will be taken with my phone so please excuse the graininess (is that a word?)

Happy Birthday Mom/Gram!

Today is my Mom's birthday! Happy Birthday! We love you!

A long one sorry!-but cute pix

I feel so blessed to be living this life. I so often take for granted all the "little" blessings and I am frequently 'too busy' to take note of all the precious moments with my kids that are slipping by so quickly. One of my goals for the new year is to spend more time doing the things that really matter and taking time to count my blessings. That is another reason for this blog. When I stop to write about what is going on here on the hill it helps me think a little more about all of the blessings the Lord has bestowed on me through my children and otherwise. In my quiet time I am starting through a guided prayer journal. I have been through this one before but I really like it so I am going to use it again and just use a different notebook to journal in. It is called The Busy Mom's Guide to Prayer by Lisa Whelchel (who by the way played "Blair" on the tv show The Facts of Life). It includes 20 days each with 6 categories-praise, self, husband, children, personal influences, and reaching beyond. Each category begins with a scripture inspiration and a section for praying The Word and then prayer prompts that just give you an example of a prayer that helps to get you going. Once I get through the 20 days I just start over at the beginning again. It works because your prayers for each of the categories will be different each time even though you are given the same prompts because the circumstances of your life change every month (or mine do anyway). Below is an excerpt from today's prayer guide for "Self"-

Prayer Focus-Role as a mother

Scripture Inspiration-"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deuteronomy 6:7)

Praying the Word-Dear heavenly Father, write Your Word on my heart so that Your wisdom simply flows from my mouth throughout the day that I might teach my children Your ways.

Prayer Prompt- Thank you for the privilege of being a mother and for the precious gifts You've entrusted to me. Let me begin by giving them back to You; they are safer in Your strong and loving hands. Anoint me to teach, train, and love my children beyond my human capabilities. Make me the mother You've specifically created me to be for these particular children.

I will probably share more excerpts as a particular one touches me. Now...about the pictures above...don't you just love them!! We had our family picture taken this fall an I am finally getting them framed and put up.

Jill Steward http://www.thejpeg.com/ took them and we are very happy with the way they turned out! If you are looking for a photographer definitely give her a call!

Now on another matter. All of the Christmas decorations are down now (yeah!) and I am displaying 3-8x10's (1 of each of the kids) on top of my entertainment center. I bought three new black frames-because the pictures are black and white and I like the way the black frames look with the pictures but I don't like the way the 'setting'-(if you will) looks-i.e. I don't like the way the top of my entertainment center looks right now. It just needs something, maybe one of those berry garland thingies (I really think it would look better if the living room were painted a different color-just kidding hunny-just had to put that in there for my hubby-yes he does read this-yes I really would like to paint the living room in the future but looking for a quicker and cheaper fix right now) I just don't know what it needs, so I am asking for help. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Below is a picture of the 'setting' then a close up of the three kids pictures just so you can see how cute they are {wink}!! So please send your ideas my way! Thanks! Again, sorry this was so long!

Abbey

recap

a quick recap of our week-Daddy was home, j6 was home three days still on Christmas break, j2, princess4 & I were home (like normal). Our days were filled with watching movies, eating, playing, we went out to a movie and dinner as a family, cutting some firewood and playing in the snow, and checking on the goats to make sure they weren't having any more kids. (they didn't-I told you they wouldn't while he was home). The kids stayed at Grams on new years eve, giving Daddy and I a nice evening home without the pitter patter of little feet. We just sat like bumps on a log and watched movies then went to bed early. The last night of Daddy's mini-vacation Whitney watched the kids and we went out to dinner just the two of us using a gift card we got for Christmas, yeah!!! a cheap date!! We really had a nice week but I am tired now! I am semi-caught up...oops...spoke too soon, princess4 is "making something" on the kitchen table (and chairs and floor) which looks like a bunch of crackers crumbs to me but she says it is something good to eat. yummy??? and j2 is in the bathroom with the water running-not a good sign-how I long for the days when he couldn't reach the door knob. Until later...

Whew!!!

Daddy has been home for 4 days and we are all exhausted!!! It has been nice to have him here don't get me wrong, but nothing seems to get done around the house when he is home, so today we are trying to catch up on house work and laundry. j2 has been a big helper today but is thoroughly enjoying his nap as you can see. {{Yawn....}} I would love to join him but I have tooo much to do. Dad will be home in roughly 4 hours and I hope to be semi-caught up by then. That's it for now. I will post more later (hopefully) about the goings on that went on here on the hill over the last 4 days. But for now...back to work!