Life in our Little World

Soup Night!

2012-02-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

I have been attempting to include at least one soup night on my menu each week. Soups are some of the most frugal meals that I cook. I can stretch a little bit of meat to feed all seven of us, and I can use up a few leftovers in the process. I have been getting a bit bored with soup, so I decided to try to "spice" things up a bit.

Last week I made bread bowls for the first time. I used this recipe with fresh ground whole wheat flour, and Mark and the kids really liked them. That is not too suprising, since none of us have met too many carbs that we do not like! The bowls did make soup night a little more exciting.

The week before, I made some homemade croutons. I usually have a few pieces of bread at the end of a loaf that do not get eaten before they are past being fresh. I decided to cut them up and keep them in a bag in the freezer. The bag was getting pretty full, so I melted some butter and poured it in the bag with some garlic and shook it around. Garlic and butter make most everything taste better! I baked the bread pieces until they were crunchy. We called them croutons and ate them on our soup. The kids were impressed, and I did not feel guilty for throwing bread away. Soup night has at least been a little more interesting around here lately!

Uncle George

2012-02-08T14:49:00.001-08:00

We were blessed to spend time with my Uncle George in December, 2010. We had lunch at Cracker Barrel, and he got a kick out of seeing the kids and playing tractor with Eli. At the time, we had no idea that he was sick. He found out in August that he had small cell lung cancer, and that he did not have much time left. He died on Christmas Eve. Life is so short. Uncle George will be missed!

"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone..." Psalm 103:15

Menu Planning

2012-02-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

I have been really concentrating on menu planning this month. Feeding all of the mouths that live at our house is expensive! It is worth every penny, but I am trying to work on cutting our costs a bit. We usually budget $1000 a month for groceries/toiletries/diapers (gasp!). It sounds like such A LOT of money, but somehow I still have a hard time staying within that amount. This page made me feel a bit better. According to the USDA, a family our size on the THRIFTY plan (as opposed to the higher low cost, moderate or liberal plan), spent 1008.30 to eat in the month of December. That helped me feel better about how much we spend, but I still want to try to cut back on costs, or at least keep them from going up. I try to cook mostly from scratch, and fix fairly healthy meals.

I seem to drop $200 each time I step foot in Walmart. I thought it might help if I simply stayed out of Walmart more often! This month, I decided to try to do a REALLY big shopping trip at the beginning of the month. I planned our supper meals and bought everything to cook them all. I also bought enough toiletries, diapers, Good Nights, kitty litter and food, paper products and cleaning supplies to last the month. After my first big trip, I will just do quick dairy/produce trips into Kroger once each week.

So far, my plan is working well. I am hoping to come in $200 under budget. We are buying 1/4 of a cow this month, so I would like to put some of our grocery budget towards the beef. We will see if my goal is realistic!

Here is my menu plan--

1. Creamy Rice and Chicken
2 Out for Anna Grace's Birthday
3. Breakfast for supper
4. Supper at a birthday party. I am taking bean dip.
5. Salad Bar
6. Bible Study -- Chili
7. black bean & corn chicken taco bake
8. Chicken and rice soup in bread bowls
9. Pinto Beans & homemade macaroni and cheese
10. Homemade pizza
11. Breakfast for supper -- eggs, pancakes and bacon
12. Barbecue chicken and baked potatoes
13. Bible Study-- Mexican Night
14. Sloppy Joes & home fries
15. Terriyaki Chicken
16. Vegetable Beef Stew
17. Homemade pizza
18. Shepherd's Pie
19. Taco Potatoes
20. Bible Study--Finger Foods
21. Enchiladas & Mexican rice
22. Cheeseburger Macaroni
23. Black Bean Soup
24. Book Club-- New Orleans Celebration-- Jambalaya
25. Breakfast for supper
26. Spaghetti Carbonara
27. Bible Study
28 . Tacos/ Mexican Rice
29. Peanut Chicken & rice

Snow

2012-02-08T05:38:00.000-08:00

It is all fun and games until....

I love snow! I always crave one or two really good snow days each year. I guess it is a left over feeling from wanting school to be out when I was younger. It could also be that six years of living in Baton Rouge made me crave the white stuff. My children share my snow cravings. They have been known to go out and play in the frost.

We have had a really warm winter this year, and I have just about given up hope of a blizzard this year. So, I decided to go ahead and post pictures of our one "faux" snow that we had before Christmas. There were only supposed to be flurries, but we woke up to two inches of snow. Thankfully, I decided to post phone school for the morning, because every flake was gone by the afternoon. It kind of felt like we had been cheated of fully enjoying the white stuff. Mark, who is a bit of a snow humbug, thought it was a perfect snow. Maybe we will have better snow next year!

Christmas Tea

2012-02-08T05:21:00.000-08:00

Our girls have gone to a Christmas Tea for the past three years. It is a tradition that they love! They get to dress up in Christmas dresses, eat "fancy" foods and practice their "fancy" manners. They enjoy drinking their tea (which usually has LOTS of milk and sugar cubes in it!). The girls each bring a $1 gift to exchange, and there are lots of "oohs" and "aahs" as they unwrap their treasures. I am thankful for fun traditions and good friends!

Pickin' Pumpkins

2011-11-18T23:04:00.000-08:00

We headed out for our 11th annual trip to a pumpkin patch last month. We have visited patches in three different states, and our trips have changed quite a bit over the years. I remember my very first trip, where I followed Isaac as he toddled around in his little denim overalls. I have snapped pictures of my babies propped up on pumpkins and my toddlers trying to pick up pumpkins as big as them. I have quite a collection of pumpkin pictures that show the growth of our family.

In 2008, we went to pick pumpkins just a couple of weeks before Eli was born. I looked like I was trying to sneak a big ol' pumpkin out under my shirt! The farmer driving the tractor was a bit worried when I got on the hayride. I think he was afraid each bump was going to send me into labor!

We enjoyed our 2011 trip. We picked cotten, explored the corn maze, took a hayride (pulled by a John Deere tractor, which thrilled Eli's heart!), petted animals, played on the playground and spent time picking out the perfect pumpkins. Our front porch now has more pumpkins than I know what to do with, but I love our pumpkin pickin' trips!

Those Johnson Boys!

2011-11-18T22:52:00.000-08:00

Our boys have been keeping us on our toes the past few weeks. The day after Halloween, I left Eli unattended with his bag of candy (not my best mothering moment, but we were having great school time!). Not only did he eat almost all of it, but he also managed to put a candy nerd in his ear! I pulled out the tweezers, but I was scared to death of poking a hole in his ear drum, so we headed out to the E.N.T. It took the doctor a few minutes to get it out, and he discovered in the process that Eli had quite an ear infection. So, it was a blessing to discover the infection, but it would have been easier for him to just tell me!

Last week was Isaac's birthday, and one of our sweet friends gave him two tickets to the Tennessee/Arkansas football game. His friends' dad also planned an exciting day of tailgating. So, it was to be a fun "man's trip" up to Fayetteville, which is about four hours away. Mark, Isaac, his two friends and their dad made the drive up last Saturday. During the tailgating, the boys decided to play football. Isaac was running (wearing Crocs) and tripped and ended up at a walk in clinic with seven stitches! They had a good experience, and were back by the second quarter (the game was pretty much done for Tennessee fans at that point!). Isaac said it was a birthday to remember! He said he learned three things-- doctors were wonderful, you should not run in crocs, and you should respect rocks!

First Day of School!

2011-10-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

We started "tiptoeing" back into school during the third week of July. We just did math the first week, and then added another subject or two the next week. I needed a transition to get back into the groove. We "officially" started full school on August 1. We celebrated with our second annual trip to Daylight Donuts for breakfast!

It is amazing to me that this is our sixth year of homeschooling. It is also my first year to have four official students! We are studying the second half of American History this year, which I am really looking forward to! We continue to use Sonlight as our core for history and literature. We are studying animals in science. This is my first year to use Apologia, so we will see how it goes. Isaac and Bailey are using Winston Grammar and Writing with Ease, and the oldest three are using All About Spelling, which I really like. Everyone but Bailey is sticking with Math U See. I am experimenting with Teaching Textbooks for her this year. It is done completely on the computer, with very little help from me. I am secretly hoping it goes well, so that I can move more of them to it next year. We started the year using the Explorer's Bible study for Bible for Isaac and Bailey. I tried really hard to like it, but we ditched it last week. I really liked the lower level that we used last year, but they did not seem to be getting much out of this level. For now, they are reading through the book of Mark, and I am writing out some simple questions for them to answer. We will see how that goes!

Anna Grace is in Kindergarten this year. We are working through the book, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, and she loves it! We are half way through it now, and she is excited about reading. She does math and handwriting (when her arm is not broken), and listens in on science and history.

I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to teach the children at home. It is not something that I would have envisioned myself doing fifteen years ago, but I love it! There are benefits that I could never have imagined when I started. That does not mean that everyday is perfect. My house is never completely clean, my laundry is rarely finished, and I am not always as patient as I would like to be, but it is a great lifestyle for us!

Civil War Reenactment

2011-10-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

We headed to Piggott, Arkansas to attend a Civil War Reenactment last weekend. We are studying the Civil War this semester, which works out well because it is the 150 anniversary of the beginning of the war.

Bailey wore her prairie dress, Isaac dressed as a Union soldier, and the rest of us went at ourselves! It took us almost three hours to get there, but we ended up having a really good time.

The girls got to attend a Civil War era tea. The two ladies who served the tea were excellent! They taught them all about the tea etiquette of that time period and about different kinds of tea. I was really proud that they behaved like ladies!

The boys had a great time pretending to have battles and then watching the real pretend battle. This was a very small reenactment, but we really enjoyed it. We would like to attend more in the future!

Colorado Adventure-- Fun with Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bill

2011-10-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

I love those precious Kindergarten numbers!

Mark with Aunt Nancy

Isaac the cowboy!

Green and yellow are Eli's favorite colors!

Bailey caught a fish! Uncle Bill helped bait the hook.

Mining for treasures!

We had a chance to spend some time with Mark's cousin Nancy and her husband Bill (a.k.a. Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bill) while we were in Kansas City. They work part time at the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead, which is a really cool place. The children were able to do a lot of hands-on activities, which they loved!

They started with mining for precious jewels. The each got a bag of dirt-like stuff, and they rinsed it with water to uncover some treasures. I think this was a favorite for a couple of the girls. I liked it because we read about the gold rush in history, so it kind of felt like school!

The highlight of Eli's day was getting to peddle a little tractor around a track. He chose one of the green and yellow ones of course. While he was busy riding a "Deere", the four older children rode a horse!

Next up was fishing! Each of the children got a fishing rod and a bucket of fat worms. I was a wimp when it came to baiting the hooks, so I stuck to taking pictures. I almost swooned when Aunt Nancy told me that if I pulled the worms into pieces they could fish longer. She is quite a woman! Bailey, Anna Grace and Eli each caught a fish. It was quite exciting.

When the worms were all gone, we headed off to feed the baby goats. Each child got a bottle of goat formula and went into the pen to feed a baby. Isaac loved this part. Anna Grace was a bit intimidated when all of the baby goats charged her, trying to get to her bottle of milk. They were quite the greedy little things!

We ate some yummy ice cream, went on a hayride, played on the playgrounds, saw a one room schoolhouse and saw lots of neat stuff. It was a wonderful day! Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bill are truly a blessing!

Colorado Adventure-- Great Wolf Lodge

2011-10-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

We spent a couple of nights at Great Wolf Lodge on our way home from Colorado. The children had a great time playing in the water! Olivia and Anna Grace both rode new slides that they had been afraid of the last time we were there. We were once again impressed by how well the place is run. It is one of our children's favorite places!

Colorado Adventure-- Pike's Peak

2011-10-01T09:57:00.001-07:00

We were able to see Pike's Peak on our way out of town. It was truly beautiful!

Colorado Adventure-- Manitou Springs

2011-10-01T09:11:00.001-07:00

After we had finished visiting the Garden of the Gods, we headed to Manitou Springs to check out the cliff dwellings. We studied the early Americans in history last year, so I thought it would be good for them to see how it might have really looked. It was amazing to see how many people lived in a really small space!

Colorado Adventure-- Garden of the gods

2011-10-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders...

Monkey see...

Me and my little angels...

Balanced Rock

We said, "Good-bye," to Wes and Rebecca on Wednesday morning and headed to Colorado Springs. We had planned to take the cog railroad to Pikes Peak, but it was so cloudy, that we decided against that outing. We headed to the Garden of the Gods, and it was a hit with the children. They loved climbing around on the rocks, so we spent quite a bit of time playing there.

Colorado Adventure-- The Denver Museum of Science and Nature

2011-10-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

We headed to the Denver Museum of Science and Nature on Tuesday of our trip. We were all a bit tired, but we pressed on.

We spent quite a bit of time in the space exhibit. The children got to practice docking the space shuttle, see how scientist think that water help to shape the planets, and explore a lot of other cool stuff. Eli's favorite part of the exhibit was the cool hand dryer. He kept playing in the wet sand just so he could go back and wash and dry his hands!

Mark took the four older children to an IMAX movie, and Eli, Wes and I explored the museum a bit. Eli and I eventually found a children's discover room to play in while everyone else explored. I was really impressed by the museum, and all it had to offer children.

Tiredness finally overtook Eli (or at least we will blame it on tiredness...) and he threw a fit for the record books. Mark finally had to carry him kicking and screaming out of the building (there was quite an impressive echo), while the rest of us tried to pretend that we did not know that wild toddler. A museum guard followed us to the car to make sure that Eli was OK. Mark told her Eli was OK, but he was not sure about the rest of us! Eli ended up taking a three hour nap and Wes and Rebecca took the rest of us out for yummy frozen yogurt. It was quite a day!

Colorado Adventure-- The Denver Zoo

2011-10-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

We headed to the Denver Zoo on our third day in Colorado. We are studying animals for our homeschool science this year, so it is a great time to visit a zoo. The children had just learned about bears the week before, so they were especially interested in the bear exhibits. The highlight of the day for Eli was the five minute train ride. It was a great day at the zoo!

Colorado Adventure-- Rocky Mountain National Park

2011-10-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

Olivia and Anna Grace checking out the elk!
Estes Park will never be the same!

The Johnson Girls

A new friend

We headed to Rocky Mountain National Park on our second day in Colorado. Wes and Rebecca have been there quite a bit, so they were excellent tour guides! They day we went happened to be Labor Day, so there were lots of other people visiting with us. Thankfully, the park is huge, so the only time the crowds really mattered was in the parking lots.

We started our time there with a visit to the gift shop (otherwise known as the visitor's center) and a picnic lunch. We then took a "hike" around a small lake. The view was absolutely beautiful. I can not believe that you visit a place like that and not know that it was created! I think this hike was my favorite park of the day.

We continued on our drive, and were able to see elk for the first time. There was quite a little herd of them, and we got to watch a couple of males scuffling a bit. We drove on and climbed into higher elevations. Mark was thrilled to find out that our GPS tracks elevation, so he kept us up to date with how high we were climbing. It was really neat to get above the tree line.

The children (and their Mom) were thrilled to get to see moose! We spotted a couple at a distance, and we took a few pictures. Then we drove a little farther, and we got to see one up close. We were all really excited! Wes and Rebecca added to the excitement when they almost hit a deer a few minutes later. That was probably the most exciting moment of the day for them!

I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to see this part of God's creation. He is truly amazing!

Colorado Adventure, Part 2

2011-10-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Bailey and her New Orleans friend

Uncle Wes with his adoring nieces and nephews.

Wes and Rebecca gave us a tour of Denver on our first day there. Our first stop (not counting Starbucks, of course) was the mall that has both the Lego Store and the American Girl store. Isaac and Bailey had both been saving for a long time to make a big purchase, so we made that stop first.

We then headed downtown to check out a beautiful park. Denver has an amazing system of parks and bike trails. It is quite the healthy city. We spent time checking out the scenery before heading into the REI sporting goods store. REI was a really neat place. However, our pleasant visit was interrupted by "The Incident." We will forever remember REI as the place where Daddy got into a fight on the playground. Ask him about it! All in all, it was a good first day in Denver!

Colorado Vacation-- The Drive

2011-10-01T06:51:00.001-07:00

Rest Stop Lunch!

We were all fascinated by the windmill farms!

We embarked on our Colorado Adventure on September 1. Mark worked until lunch and then we loaded up and headed out. We drove 100 hours (or maybe it was only 8 hours that seemed like 100) to Kansas City to spend our first night. By the time we got there, Olivia said, "My bottom is dancing to get out of the car!"

We headed out early the next morning for the biggest part of our trip. I taught the kids the alphabet/sign game and the licence plate game, which I consider an important part of their education. Eli pointed out every tractor and piece of construction equipment in Kansas (there are quite a few, by the way). We had decided that it would be frugal to pack a lunch for some of our meals, so we headed to a "fancy" rest stop for lunch. I felt like I was getting back to my roots (minus the potted meat).

We crossed over into Colorado a little before dinner time, and we all gave a cheer and started looking for a place to eat. We passed up the first exit or two because there was not much restaurant selection. We later realized that was a big mistake! There is very little between the border and Denver! We ended up eating at Burger King in Denver a few miles away from my brother's house. We were all thrilled to finally arrive and see Uncle Wes and Aunt Rebecca.

Eli

2011-05-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Taking Eli's picture can be quite a challenge! Stacy worked had to work hard to get a smile!

Muffins with Mommy

2011-05-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

We had Muffins with Mommy at church a couple of weeks ago. We had muffins, fruit and juice for breakfast right before church. The Daddies helped serve. It was great to eat breakfast with my five blessings!

PS I did not include my picture of Isaac because he said it made him look like an alien creature!

Patches Visits the Vet

2011-05-11T07:12:00.001-07:00

We took Patches for her first vet visit last week. Her vet also happens to be our good friend and a fellow homeschooler, so our appointment was quite a treat. His wife Valerie and their two children gave us a grand tour so we could see all the inner workings of the clinic. Then Dr. Matt let the children "help" with his exam and see him give the vaccinations. He gave them a quick lesson on cat care, and then let them see some x-rays of various animals. Patches and Eli both behaved very well, which was a blessing. We will be visiting Dr. Matt again when it is time for Biology! I am thankful for good friends who care about our children!

Olivia's "Pretend" Birthday

2011-05-11T06:57:00.001-07:00

Olivia's "Real" Birthday is May 15, but we celebrated her "Pretend" birthday with friends yesterday. In honor of our new feline friend, Olivia chose a cat themed birthday party. Our birthday parties tend to be laid back affairs, with lots of food, friends and playtime, and this one was no exception. We had thirty-six people, which included about a hundred children (That may not seem mathematically possible, but if you were here, you understand!). The menu consisted of p,b & j sandwiches, various chips and dip, carrots, homemade bread and cupcakes. Olivia was thrilled with the presents she received, and she loved being the center of attention! I am thankful for our sweet birthday girl and all of the friends that made her celebration special!

The Johnsons Go Feline!

2011-05-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

Patches and Anna Grace our good buddies!

Her favorite spot (which could be due to the crumbs that live under our table!).

Patches loves Eli (when he is asleep!).

After years of putting it off, we officially became pet owners last month! Patches Ruby Johnson joined our family on April 18. The children had been asking for a pet on and off for the past couple of years, but the idea of adding pet care to my plate had been overwhelming! Olivia finally talked us into it last fall, and we told her we would get one after Christmas. She had been asking since January if it was after Christmas, so we finally bit the cat bullet. My friend Melissa's grandmother's cat (how is that for genealogy) had kittens, and we "adopted" our sweet Patches.

So far, cat ownership has been much easier than I had anticipated! She already knew how to take care of bathroom issues (I am hoping she will teach Eli!), and she has been great with the kids. She is smart enough to be afraid of Eli and she hides during playdates, so I think she may fit in well here!

Kansas City Adventure -- The "American Girl" Hotel

2011-02-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

We opted not to stay at the Great Wolf Lodge for our third night in Kansas City. We moved to a cheaper hotel that also happened to have an American Girl Doll package. The package included a doll bed for each girl, cookies and milk for the girls and their dolls at night, and a breakfast buffet, complete with a seat for each doll. It was marketing at its best, and it worked on us!

The children had a great time. Our rooms all opened out into a sitting area near the pool, so we were able to visit lots with our friends. Mark even got in a game of cards with the dads. Everyone was very tired, but very happy. Our Kansas City Adventure was a success!

Kansas City Adventure-- The American Girl Store

2011-02-17T06:55:00.000-08:00

Posing with "The Doll of the Year"

Bailey and her good friend Mary Anna

The girls were very excited to visit an American Girl store for the first time (The dads and boys headed to Toys R Us instead). Bailey has been collecting catalogs for a long time, and she has most of them memorized. She was excited to get to see the dolls and their "stuff" in person.

The girls spent the month of January doing jobs around the house to earn money to buy a new outfit for their doll. We went on a Saturday afternoon, which happens to be a very crowded time to visit! The store has a salon where you can pay to have your doll's hair styled, for the low price of $10-$25, but our girls opted to spend their money on doll clothes instead. They made their purchases and spent lots of time looking around. They are already making plans to visit the American Girl store in Denver when we visit Uncle Wes and Aunt Rebecca later this year. I am glad we do not have a store near us, so that it stays a rare treat!

Kansas City Adventure-- The T-Rex Cafe

2011-02-17T05:57:00.000-08:00

After we checked out of the Great Wolf Lodge, we headed to the T-Rex Cafe for desert (we ate lunch in our room). It was a fun place, with LOTS to look at. Most of us shared Hot Lava Cakes-- they were big enough for at least four people. The food was good, and the atmosphere was great! I highly recommend it!

Kansas City Adventure-- the Water Park

2011-02-16T19:48:00.001-08:00

I was very impressed with the water park at the Great Wolf Lodge. I had been a bit apprehensive about keeping up with all five of them (especially Eli) around all of the water, but it ended up being a great experience. The life guards were wonderful, and there were a lot of them. They were very focused on their job, to the point that they would hardly talk to anyone so they would not be distracted. We still kept a close eye on the children (especially the littles), but we had lots of help.

There was a shallow area with small water slides for Anna Grace and Eli, which kept them happy for long stretches of time. There was also an activity pool, a lazy river, a tree house with lots of opportunities to get wet, and several big water slides. Isaac was initially very hesitant about going down the big slides, but before too long, he had joined Bailey and their friends in trying them all out. A bell rang every five minutes to announce that a giant bucket on top of the tree house was about to drop a whole bunch of water. The bell brought the adventurous children running to the bucket, and the more timid children running quickly away from the bucket!

It was really nice to have the hotel right there so that I could take the little ones back to the room when they were tired. I don't know if I ever want to go to an outdoor water park now -- I'm spoiled! I highly recommend it!

Kansas City Adventure

2011-02-16T19:23:00.001-08:00

Several weeks ago, we embarked on an adventure to Kansas City. Mark and the children had never been to the great state of Kansas, so we packed our bags and headed that way. We went with four other families for a long weekend of fun.

Our first stop was a visit with Mark's cousin Nancy and her precious family. Having the wisdom that comes with being a grandparent of small children, she suggested that we meet at a fine dining establishment -- Chuck E. Cheese. We had a great time visiting with them and earning tickets and eating pizza at the same time.

Afterwards, we joined our friends at the Great Wolf Lodge to stay for two nights. I had never heard of the Lodge before, but it was quite a joint! It is a combination hotel and water park, and there are twelve of them around the country. The Sunday after our visit, it was on the television show "Undercover Boss", so apparently it is quite a popular place. It is typically an expensive place to visit, but we were able to get a good deal because one of our nights was during the week, and there was a special going on. It was still more than we usually pay for a hotel, but the price also included the whole day at the water park. We took breakfasts and lunches to eat in the room to try to add a bit of frugality to the trip.

The Lodge also had a pajama story time for the children, which our littles enjoyed. There was lots of "lodgey" kind of things to look at, which gave us some good photo opportunities.

To Be Continued...

Anna Grace's New Friend

2011-02-16T18:57:00.000-08:00

"Why is there a doll in my suitcase?"
Anna Grace meets her new friend.

A few years ago, I made the rule that the girls in our house had to be seven years old to get an American Girl Doll. That is how old Bailey was, and it seemed to work well. I wanted them to be old enough to take good care of them. Last year, I broke my rule and gave Olivia one for her sixth birthday. She has taken very good care of her. In fact, sometimes I have to encourage her to play with her because she is afraid of messing her up!

A couple of weeks ago, I broke my rule again and gave Anna Grace one for her fifth birthday. There were several reasons for this rule breakage. The girls are in their A.G. book club, and all of the girls have them (I know, I know, I gave into peer pressure.). Her favorite doll was being "retired" at the end of December (I know, I know, I also gave into marketing). Besides all of that, I really liked the doll too!

She had no idea that she was getting it. Her birthday was February 2, but we were heading to Kansas City the weekend before, and one of our destinations was the American Girl store there. I wanted to go ahead and give her the present before we left. I brought out suitcases for the girls to pack for the trip. When Anna Grace opened hers, there was an Elizabeth doll inside. At first, she was completely confused. She thought it was Bailey's doll. We finally convinced her that it was her very own. She was thrilled! It was worth every penny!

A Neat Video

2011-02-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

This is a really neat story about showing grace to other people!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52AOPQvCTv4&feature=related

Something Is Missing!

2011-02-14T20:16:00.001-08:00

I forgot to mention that Anna Grace lost her first tooth on February 1st, which was the day before her fifth birthday! It had been loose for a few days, and she was terrified! It turned out not to be nearly as painful as she had imagined. She lost her second one a few days ago. She is growing up way too fast!

A Sweet Surprise at Church!

2011-02-14T19:43:00.000-08:00

Our minister, John Mark, had a very "sweet" object lesson in church yesterday. He was speaking about God's grace, and he had a smoothie up on stage with him. He asked if anyone in the audience would like it. Several teens volunteered, and he gave it away. He talked about how it would have been a painful act, but he knew there was more where that came from. He then gave a smoothie to everyone in the congregation. He went on to preach about how God's grace is like that. He has more than enough to meet our needs and we can trust Him. Whether it be our time, money, forgiveness, or whatever, his grace is sufficient for us. We can be generous with those in need, knowing that God is faithful to meet our needs. What a great lesson!

American Girl Book Club

2011-02-14T19:10:00.000-08:00

The girls made rag dolls out of yarn and strips of fabric. They have been "begging" for extra scraps of fabric ever since!

What a smile!

Writing with a feather was not quite as easy as it looked!

Felicity learned the proper way to serve tea in one of the books. The girls learned about the tax that was placed on tea and how it helped lead to the Revolutionary War.

Anna Grace took her writing very seriously!

The girls are in an American Girl Doll book club that meets a couple of times a month. Each of the historical dolls has six books set in her time period. We just finished reading the Felicity series, which takes place in the Colonial Period. During our book club meetings, we do activities from the time period, as well as sample the foods that people in that time ate. We also try to talk about the major events that were taking place in American History at that time. The girls really love it. It is wonderful when fun and education come together!

Mark and his Princesses

2011-02-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Some wonderful ladies at our church organized a magical evening for Fathers and their Daughters earlier this month. All of the little girls had been buzzing with excitement about the upcoming night with their Daddy! The evening began with a Daddy/Daughter Dance for preschool girls and was followed by a Father/Daughter Ball for the older girls.

Mark and Anna Grace headed out on the town first. Each little princess was greeted at the door and handed a magic wand. A talented lady from our church took pictures of the girls with their daddies. Steven Curtis Chapman's "I Will Dance with Cinderella" was the first dance of the night, and it was followed by classics like "The Hokey Pokey" and "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes." The little girls ate lots of sugar and had a great time!

After the little girls finished up, I dropped Bailey and Olivia off at the church. They spent the evening dancing with their daddy and their friends. They were served dinner, and our minister John Mark gave a talk that challenged the daddies to bring up their daughters in the Lord. He also challenged the girls to honor their parents. The girls (and their daddies) were positively glowing when they got home! Apparently, Mark was quite a dancer. I got to hear all about it at church the next day! I am so thankful that Mark loves his children and is doing all he can to be a Godly dad. I am also thankful for our church. I am truly blessed!

Happy Birthday Anna Grace!

2011-02-10T05:27:00.000-08:00

A Happy Day!

Her grandparents called with birthday wishes!

Our big five year old!

Anna Grace celebrated her 5th birthday last week (I am not sure how that is possible, it seems like just yesterday she was two!). She had been looking forward to her special day for a long time. She had six families over for lunch to help celebrate. She chose the menu (which seemed vaguely familiar -- it was the same as last year!). We had pizza, Sun Chips and orange soda, with cake and ice cream for dessert of course! She had a wonderful day! Happy Birthday Anna Grace!

Our Little Chef

2011-01-22T17:00:00.001-08:00

Bailey made dinner for us tonight. She chose the menu from her kids' cookbook. We had Tex-Mex Baked Turkey Burgers and Chili Fries (which is a fancy way to say frozen fries sprinkled with chili seasonings). The meal was a hit, and Bailey was very proud!

Tex-Mex Baked Turkey burgers

1 1/4 pound ground turkey

1/4 cup bacon pieces

1/4 cup pasta sauce

1/2 packet chili seasoning

Cheese for topping

Buns

In a large bowl, mix turkey, bacon, pasta sauce and chili seasoning. form into patties and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Living the Dream

2011-01-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

I was flipping through my calendar one day this week, contemplating the upcoming year. I started to panic a little bit when I thought about the fact that I will be turning forty this year. For so many years, that seemed so old! Now, as it is quickly approaching, it does not feel old at all. Sometimes, age twenty just seems like a few days ago. I have heard it said that the days drag and the years fly, and that pretty much sums up my concept of time these days.

I started to worry a bit that my life is passing by too quickly. I also began to think a bit about what I want to accomplish during my short time here on Earth. In the midst of my stress, it dawned on me that I am truly living my dream life. That is not to say that my life is perfect, it is just that I am truly doing what I have always wanted to do. For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of being a wife and mommy, and here I am living the dream. God has truly blessed me, and I am so very thankful!

2011-01-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

I have never been a great flu shot mama. For most of my mothering years, we have only gotten flu shots when we just happened to be in the doctor's office at the right time and they offered us one. I have done better the past couple of years. The fall that Eli was born, we took the whole clan in for the sole purpose of getting shots. It was a nightmare! Last year, I discovered this wonderful thing called a flu mist. The children just sniff, and it is over. I vowed that we would make sniffing an annual event! Fast forward to this year. Flu mists were on my to do list, they really were. It just never happened. Mark and I would discuss it, and then forget about it a few minutes later. We had great intentions...

Sunday morning, Olivia had a slightly scratchy throat and some congestion. She was her usual perky self, so we went on to church, without giving her symptoms much thought. Later that afternoon, Anna Grace went from acting normal to lethargic in a matter of minutes. She said her throat hurt and she had a fever, so I took her to a walk in clinic for a Strep test. It was negative, so I assumed we had some type of a virus. The next afternoon, Olivia' s fever was over 104, and we had a positive flu test! We all immediately started on Tamilflu (to the tune of $420) to try to stop the flu in its tracks. By bedtime, four of the children had a fever.

Thankfully, Olivia and Anna Grace have perked up some today, and everyone else is acting pretty normal. We are quarantined for the week. I sense some cabin fever and lots of TV watching in our future. I have learned a valuable lesson. We will be standing in line for flu mists next year!

Happy January

2011-01-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

I am going to ignore the fact that I have not posted since October, and just jump right into January. It is that time of year again, when I want to change everything in my life, from the state of my cabinets and closets to the state of my body. I wanted to get it in writing (or typing) so that I will remember! This year, I am including a couple of things that involve my own personal interests, which I often push to the bottom of the priorities.

Kim's 2011 Tweaks/Projects

Read through the Bible -- Our church is doing it together, so I am hopeful that will make it easier!

Attend church more-- I am always at the church building on Sunday mornings, but a majority of the Sundays I have spent working with the children. I want to be more balanced this year.

Lose twenty pounds-- That makes the list every year!!!

Dust off the treadmill and use it three times a week.

Have a garden again this year, and kick it up a notch (which probably means weed more).

Create a small herb garden in the back yard.

Learn to knit-- I bought a cheap kit at Walmart, and I am on my way.

Learn how to use my sewing machine -- I have had it four years, so it is time...

Finish Eli's first year scrapbook -- That will give him one less thing to talk about in counseling when he is thirty...

Scrapbook our Disney trip.

Get back to blogging -- I don't want to forget this precious time of our life.

Give all of our cabinets, drawers and closets a once over (that should be a monthly goal, but here we are...)

Redo Eli's room-- We have not changed a thing since we moved in. It is mint green and there are still flowers hanging from the ceiling. It does not match his personality!

Start painting the trim in our house. The people who built the house and lived here first were not so much into finishing touches...

Travel Hopes--
Travel to Colorado to see Wes and Rebecca.
Travel to Louisiana to see Baton Rouge friends.
See the Stuarts when they visit from the other side of the world.
Go on a weekend trip with some homeschool friends.
Get away for a night with Mark.
Spend time in East Tennessee.
Explore the great state of Arkansas.

Wow, it sounds like I am going to be busy! Have a wonderful 2011!

The Johnsons at Epcot

2010-10-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

We headed to Epcot on our first full day in Disney World. Mark and I had spent some time reading The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and the Tour Guide Mike website, and we had a tentative plan for each park. We even had spreadsheets (We are Disney Geeks!), although we managed to leave a few of them at home! We got off schedule first thing when we saw Daisy Duck signing autographs. We immediately got in line, and a new obsession was born! We were prepared with autograph books and clickable Sharpies. The children loved it!

After meeting Daisy, we headed to Soarin', which was my favorite ride. Everyone except Eli rode the ride. There were very mixed reviews. Bailey loved it, Isaac and Olivia were a bit alarmed, and Anna Grace came out in tears (the fireworks at the end did her in!). We spent time checking out The Seas with Nemo and Turtle Talk with Crush. Eli loved looking at the fish. After lunch, Mark took the older children to Mission Space and Test Track, while I took the three younger ones back for a nap (I think that I got the better end of the deal!).

We ate supper at the Coral Reef, which was very yummy! I had read some complaints about how loud it is, but since we are a bit loud ourselves, we fit right in! The children loved the smoothies, and the food was delicious. It was my favorite food of the week.

After dinner, we stood in line to meet Mickey Mouse and all of his pals. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Donald were all there. Eli was not patient enough to wait, so my dad stood in line for him and got autographs in his book.

Afterwards, we walked around the World Showcase. We got a nice overview, but we could have spent a lot more time checking out the exhibits. I read a quote that Epcot really stands for "Every Person Comes Out Tired" and I agree! There is a ton of walking! The highlight of the night for the children was getting to meet Aladdin and Jasmine.

The Johnsons Head to Disney!

2010-09-28T12:34:00.001-07:00

We had planned to go to Disney World back in the fall of 2008, but we were blessed with the birth of Eli instead. Needless to say, we put our trip of for a couple of years. We decided back in January, that this would be the year that the Johnsons would visit Mickey at his house. We invited my parents and Mark's mom to go with us, so all ten of us geared up for a very memorable trip!

When we started, I had no idea how much time and thought goes into planning a Disney trip. I booked our trip in March through themagicforless.com, which I highly recommend. Disney offered free dining if you stayed at one of their resorts and bought tickets for the parks. Our free dining package included a snack, a counter service meal and a sit down meal for each day. I was very thankful not to have to "brown bag" our trip!

We chose to stay at a Value (cheap) resort -- The Pop Century. My frugal side would not allow me to go any higher than that! It more than met our needs. We had three rooms to house the ten of us.

I made reservations for our sit down meals 190 days before our trip. It was a bit of a stretch to think about our meals six months in advance -- it is a big enough challenge to plan our meals at home a week in advance! We wanted to have lunch at Cinderella's Castle, which books up months in advance. We also chose the Coral Reef at Epcot, the Crystal Palace character meal with Pooh and friends, and a meal at the O'hana restaurant at the Polynesian Resort.

We left when Mark got off work on September 10th and drove to Birmingham. That allowed us to get six hours of our fifteenish hour trip out of the way. We had been counting down the days for the past six months, and we were all excited that the day had finally arrived. We got up early the next day and made our way to Orlando. We hit construction, bad weather and Florida Gator traffic -- the trip seemed to take forever! We were so glad to finally pass under the magical Disney World sign!

To be continued...

My Brother's Wedding

2010-09-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

Lovely Liv
Beautiful Bailey

Mark and His Lovely Mom

Our Little Man

A Sea of White and Khaki!

My brother Bo and his love Lindley got married a couple of weekends ago. I am thankful that we all had the opportunity to be there. Lindley has been a part of our lives for quite a few years, so it is nice to have her as an official part of our family. I look forward to seeing them grow old together!

The children were very excited about going to the wedding! We go to a very casual church now, so we do not often dress up. In fact, I had to go and buy "dress up" clothes for the boys. Bailey and Olivia had the very important job of handing out the programs, and they took it very seriously!

I did not get any pictures that did the bride and groom justice -- I look forward to seeing the professional photos. They were a lovely couple!

Warriors Path State Park, Continued

2010-09-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

The Wardrobe

The Lamp Post

Mr. Tumnus' House

The Beavers' Lodge

Father Christmas' Sleigh

The trail ended with the white stag and another wardrobe to exit.

Warriors Path State Park had a trail based on The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It led you through the major scenes of the book. Each scene had a button you could push to hear the story. Isaac and Bailey have listened to the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre version of the story over and over, and all of the children have watched the movie numerous times, so the trail was a huge hit. Bailey keeps hoping that the next time we go back there will be a Prince Caspian Trail!

Warriors Path State Park

2010-09-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Mamaw is a jump in with both feet kind of Grandma. We love her!
Bailey has become quite a young lady!

WEEEEEEEEE!

Eli's favorite part was the water fountain. Here he and Anna Grace see how many germs they can come in contact with!

Mark's Mom took us to Warriors Path State Park while we were visiting with her last month. It was the best park that I have ever been to! It was designed so that all children, even those with disabilities could play. The rolling slide was the first thing that drew the kids in. I think that Anna Grace and Eli would have been content to hang out on the slide the whole time we were there. The rest of the play equipment was topnotch as well! There was a very shallow creek for the children to wade in, and a tree house overlooking the park. I have a feeling that the children will be asking to go back there whenever we go to visit Mamaw!

GrandBob's Little Helper

2010-09-02T06:18:00.001-07:00

Eli loves his GrandBob! He followed him around while we were at their house. I am so thankful that my children have a close relationship with their grandparents despite the miles between us!

Eli Meets Taco Bell

2010-09-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

We stopped at Taco Bell on our trip home from Tennessee. I ordered chips and cheese for all of the children. Eli loved the cheese dip. He really gets into his food!

Family Time

2010-08-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

We love Uncle Wes and Aunt Rebecca!
We can now "officially" call Lindley "Aunt"!

Eli loves Uncle Bo!

The children and I spent ten days in Tennessee visiting our family this month. Mark had to work, so he joined us for the last few days of our trip. We had a great time staying with my parents and Mark's mom and visiting with family. My brother Bo (in the real world he is known as Bob, but that childhood name is stuck in my head!) and his love Lindley got married on the last day we were there. I am so glad we could be there! My brother Wes and his wife Rebecca flew in also, and we loved being with them. Family is precious, and I am so thankful for the time I can spend with mine!

I always underestimate how tiring it can be to be on vacation with the children. Eli displayed his fit throwing talents (he is an expert two year old, even though he is only 22 months!). It was nice to get back home and get everyone back into a "normal" routine and back into their normal beds! It takes several days for me to catch up.

Keys to a Good Night's Sleep

2010-08-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

A Special Blankie + A John Deere = A Good Night's Sleep!

Hair

2010-08-12T04:44:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how much time, effort and money is put into hair! People all over the world have an opinion on what makes hair look good. People all over my house have opinions on this very same topic! This week, the girls have been into having their hair braided (started by last weekend's prairie party). Anna Grace brushes and brushes her hair trying to make it straight. Olivia likes wearing hers in a ball on top of her head. Bailey has started fixing her hair by herself. And on and on.

Recently, Isaac has started to have an opinion about his hair. I guess it is a sign that he is growing up (or maybe he is just trying to drive me crazy...). He inherited his mom's curly hair, and it is bugging him (I feel his pain). He has decided that he wants to grow his hair out, especially on top. He has visions of flipping his bangs over to the side. Isaac is a pretty compliant guy, so I have been trying to give him his independence. I did finally put my foot down and took him to get a trim yesterday. Our hairdresser, Tyler, is a great guy, so I thought that he would be good to listen to what Isaac says and still give him a good haircut. After Isaac was in the chair, I remembered the fact that Tyler has long hair, and that he might side with Isaac on this one. He did trim him up on the sides and in the back. He then did something that thrilled Isaac's heart. He pulled out a flat iron. Isaac came out with straight bangs on top. He said, "This is my hair dream come true!" I suspect that I am going to have a hard time getting Isaac in the shower!

It reminds me of my favorite line from Charlotte's Web. Fern's mom had gone to see the family doctor because she was worried that Fern was spending too much time with the animals and claimed that they talked to her. The doctor wisely said, "There is a name for this. It is a childhood phase, and sadly, it passes all too quickly."

Apples!

2010-08-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

A friend gave us a bag of apples last week, and we decided to make some applesauce. It was a totally new experience for us. We usually just have to open a jar to eat applesauce! We borrowed a Pampered Chef corer/peeler/slicer (which is a really neat doo-dad!), and set to work. Isaac was my right hand man -- he loved working the "heavy machinery". He did let Olivia take a few turns as well. It was a bit of adjustment for the children, who are used to the pretty apples that come in a bag at Walmart, to sort through the small, holey apples. They even discovered a worm or two. We were all amazed at how much the apples cooked down, and how little applesauce we actually ended up making. The applesauce was yummy, and making it was a good experience for us all!

The High Dive

2010-08-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Bailey has a bit of an adventurous streak in her. She loves the roller coasters and fast rides at Amusement parks. She has also developed a love for the high dive at the pool. Now that she has had swim lessons, we have given her a bit more freedom in the deep end. We went to a church pool party last week, and she spent a lot of time in line for the high dive. It has been a LONG time since I went off one myself, but I can still remember that feeling in the pit of my stomach looking down at the water. I kind of got that same feeling in my stomach seeing my little girl up their looking down. Bailey is growing up before my eyes!

Anna Grace

2010-08-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Anna Grace was watering our plants with water from the wading pools. Every time she passed by my chair, she wanted me to take her picture. I ended up with four or five pictures of Anna Grace carrying water. She and I are quite the opposite. I have no desire to have anyone take a picture of me in a swimsuit. Aah the joy of being a little girl...

Our Littlest Water Soldier

2010-08-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

Eli loved our water fight. He was not the least bit afraid to get water in his face! His favorite part was throwing water on Mommy and Daddy!

Friday Night Water Fight!

2010-08-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Refueling Area

Friday nights are Family Night at our house. We had nachos for supper, and then the children wanted to have a water fight with their Daddy. Being the great daddy that he is, he agreed. I kept a camera in my hands, so I was exempt (a pretty good strategy, if I do say so myself!). Isaac filled up our wading pools, and they were all set!

Each of our children have different water fight personalities. Isaac took it very seriously! He was very focused on dumping as much water on his daddy as possible. Bailey preferred to act as a refueler, helping all sides in the war. Olivia acquired a high tech weapon (also known as a pool noodle, that she used to blow out water at her dad). Anna Grace splashed around most of the time. Eli walked around with a measuring cup of water. He ended up dumping it on his own head most of the time. He did not get the memo about not getting the picture taker wet, so I ended up with some wet legs!

We had fallen into a rut of watching television most Family Nights, so it was nice to do something different. Cheap fun and the grass got a drink at the same time!

Johnson Men

2010-08-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

I snapped this picture of the men of our family during Bailey's birthday party. They wisely chose to stay outside with the other dads and brothers during most of the party. There was too much "girl stuff" going on inside!

Bailey's Birthday, Observed

2010-08-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Little Party on the Prairie

The Birthday Girls

Quilt Cookies

The Birthday Cake

Yummy Food

Bailey turned eight back at the beginning of July. We had a family celebration then, but we celebrated with friends this past weekend. Her friend Mary Anna turns eight later this month, and they both like American Girl Dolls, so we decided to have a combined party for them. The girls both have a Kirsten doll, so we had a prairie party. Thirteen little ladies came to help them celebrate.

As the girls came in, they each decorated a square sugar cookie. We put all of the cookies together, to make a cookie quilt (which was eaten later, of course!). The girls then made handkerchief dolls and decorated wooden spoons. Next on the agenda was square dancing, which was a hoot to watch! Mary Anna's great uncle played the fiddle.

The girls had worked up quite an appetite, so it was time to eat! The menu included corn on the cob, sandwiches, chips, strawberries, raw veggies and dip. For desert we had the birthday cake (decorated beautifully by Mary Anna's mom Melissa), cookies, old fashioned candy and homemade peach ice cream (my favorite food of the night!).

The girls recieved lots of nice presents, and had a great time with their friends. Best of all, they made wonderful memories they will treasure for a very long time! Praise God for friends!

Swim Lessons!

2010-08-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have not been a good swim lesson mom! In fact, it has been one of those things that made me feel a bit guilty, so I pushed it to the back of my mind! I enrolled Isaac and Bailey in swim lessons several years ago, when Anna Grace was a baby. I dutifully drove across town every afternoon during rush hour traffic for a week. We had a thirty minute lesson, which we shared with our friends Jadon and Jonas. Bailey and Jonas refused to get in the water, so Isaac and Jadon had some personalized attention. While they were in class, I got to chase Olivia and keep Anna Grace happy. I think the experience scarred me, because after that, I shuddered every time I heard the words swim and lesson in the same sentence.

After that I kept putting swim lessons off. My friend Tanya gave Bailey unofficial swim lessons two summers ago when she came to visit. Last winter, the children started asking to take them. It was easy to promise back in January when there was snow on the ground. It started to get warmer, and I kept procrastinating on calling. Taking five children to a pool everyday for a week made me feel tired!

Finally, I called and set up lessons for the last week in July. Our lessons were about 25 minutes away in Cave City. Our teacher was a sweet college student who was great with the kids. We were the only people at the pool, which was nice. There was also a fenced in baby pool, which was perfect for Eli to splash in while the others were in the big pool. We had a private lesson for an hour. Anna Grace got the first fifteen minutes, and she worked on beginning things like putting her face in the water and floating. The others had forty-five minutes. The worked on a couple of different strokes, as well as tredding water and diving.

Overall, the swim lessons were much less painful than I had anticipated. The children learned a lot, and had lots of fun. Maybe I am over my swim lesson phobia!

School Pictures...

2010-08-08T18:11:00.001-07:00

How did he get to be in 4th grade?!?

Our sweet 3rd Grader!

I love that snaggle tooth smile!

Our little Anna Grace is in Pre-K!

We started back to school last Monday. I wanted to get a jump on our year because we have a couple of trips planned in the next few months. Our first day went well. Olivia and Anna Grace had been asking to do school for several weeks, so they were very excited to start! Isaac and Bailey were not quite as excited, but they worked hard, without much complaining. Even Eli was relatively quiet on our first day! I bought him some Bristle Blocks as "school work", which entertained him for about half an hour (which is like five hours in Eli time!).

The rest of our week was good, but challenging. I seem to go through an adjustment period during the first few weeks of school. I have to figure out to juggle our school work, housework, cooking, etc. I also have to figure out how to keep the littlest one occupied -- schooling with a toddler is hard work! Usually, after a couple of weeks, we get into a routine, and life gets a bit easier (or maybe I become numb). I know that this toddler phase passes all too quickly, so I try to be patient with my little man.

Even though it is challenging at times, I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to homeschool our children. It is truly a blessing! One week down and quite a few to go!!!

Donuts!!!!

2010-08-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

Today was our first day of school, and we wanted to start things off right. We headed to Daylight Donuts for a yummy back to school breakfast! We all had plenty of sugar, and left happy. Thankfully nutrition was not in my lesson plans for the day!

Kim's Dirty Little Secret

2010-08-02T17:19:00.001-07:00

I have a little secret that I am keeping from my family. Everyone has been a bit tired and grumpy the past couple of evenings. It has been wearing on me and making me a bit tired and grumpy too! I took matters into my own hands and set our clocks about ten minutes fast. This may not seem like a big thing, but I get to put my sweet, sweet children to bed ten minutes early. Some nights, ten minutes seem like an eternity! I did not even tell my sweet husband.... Shhh! Don't tell!

Family Adventure Day

2010-07-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

Eli thought the ketchup for his fries was soup. He ate it with a spoon!

The trail at Crowley's Ridge Nature Center

We had fine dining at Sam's!

We have had a busy summer! It seems like our weekends have been packed with activities or yard work, and we have not taken much time to have fun together as a family. I was ready for a change of pace, so earlier this week, I announced that Saturday would be Family Adventure Day (FAD for short).

Our FAD started before we even left the house. The lots (which are several acres each) across the dirt road from us have not been mowed in over a year. Someone came with a tractor to bush hog the "jungle" today, which was very exciting to the children. So, we spent some time watching the tractor do its job. It was pretty impressive to watch (especially if you are a one year old or his daddy!). We then loaded into our big blue bus. To make our adventure more exciting, our battery was dead. We all unloaded and watched the tractor some more while our hero (Mark) got it working again. Then, we were off!

Our first stop was Lake Charles State Park. This was not a planned stop, but Anna Grace had not heeded the advice to use the bathroom before we left. We were close to the middle of nowhere, so we pulled into the state park and visited the visitor's center. While we were there, we decided to drive around and check it out. It had two lakes, one for swimming and one for boating, and a campground. It was small, but very scenic.

We then drove on to the "big city" of Jonesboro. Compared to the last three cities we have lived, Jonesboro is small, but compared to our current town, it is huge! It usually takes a little over an hour to get there, but we took the scenic route, so it took about an hour and a half. The next stop on our adventure, was Fuji Japanese Restaurant. This may not seem very exciting, but it is a treat for us. There is not one in our town, and it is not cheap to take all seven of us there. My birthday is in a few weeks, so we celebrated early. Eli and Anna Grace did not like the fire during the cooking, but everyone enjoyed the food. Isaac took a bit and said, "Family Adventure Day is great so far!" It was very yummy! I was very proud of how the children branched out a bit and ate veggies that are outside their normal tastes.

After lunch, we headed to Crowley's Ridge Nature Center. The children and I have been there a couple of times, but it was Mark's first visit. The children were eager to show Daddy around. We watched a movie about how the ridge was formed, then we explored the nature center and took a short hike. It was hovering around 100 degrees, so our hike was very short! At one point, we were looking out the window at an area where they have a small fountain and food for the squirrels and birds. A raccoon appeared and started eating. It was the first time the children have seen a raccoon (not counting the dead ones on the road!).

The last stop on our adventure was Sam's club. The children love to go to Sam's and eat the samples. Saturdays are prime sampling days, so we had quite a meal! We did not buy much (which is very rare for us!), but the kids enjoyed it. It was a very full day, and everyone was ready to head for home!

Our very first Family Adventure Day was quite a hit! I hope there will be many more!

What was your favorite part of Family Adventure Day?

Isaac-- "All of it!"

Bailey-- "I liked all of it. I really liked the movie."

Olivia-- "I liked the Japanese food the best. My second favorite was the movie at the Nature Center."

Anna Grace-- "Going to the Nature Center."

Mark-- "I liked the Nature Center."

Kim-- "I loved making memories with my family! The food wasn't bad either!"

Every Boy Needs...

2010-07-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

Boots!

Eli loves shoes! He is going through a phase now where he walks around the house wearing everyone else's shoes! He especially loves to wear his sibling's boots. Since 75% of his siblings are girls, the boots he wears are usually pink. I decided it was time to buy him his very own pair. I was shopping at Target today (which is a luxury now that I live over an hour away from the closest Target, but I digress...), and I found a cute pair. I tried them on his feet to see if they would work, and he loved them! He did not want to take them off. Thankfully they fit, and he has been proudly showing them off all day. He loves the fact that he can put them on all by himself. He does not quite have the concept of which feet are the right feet, but that does not bother him one bit. Good-bye pink boots!

Van Woes

2010-07-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

We had quite a stressful morning! I had a few things to do at church this morning, so I took our van (which is our third vehicle) and went a little early on my own. I was almost to church when Mark called to let me know that I had Anna Grace and Olivia's booster seats with me (aaahhh!). I had taken the girls to the tea party in the van because Mark was running errands with the boys in our big blue "bus". So, I was a bit frustrated, but I turned around and headed back home. About half way there, the van started acting strangely when I stepped on the accelerator. I was able to continue on for a while, and then eventually had to pull of into a parking lot. Mark had to come and get me (without car seats), and he was able to drive it the rest of the way home. We did eventually make it to church, quite a bit later (and a lot more stressed) than I had planned. Oh well, these are light and momentary troubles...

Tea Party!

2010-07-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

Our girls were invited to a birthday tea party (the girly kind, not the political kind) this morning. Our sweet friend Eleanor turned three today, and her mom Stacy planned a wonderful party for her. The two older girls wore their dresses from my brother's wedding (thank you Aunt Rebecca!) and Anna Grace wore won that Mamaw had sent (thanks Mamaw!). Each girl was supposed to bring her favorite doll. Anna Grace brought Bitty Baby, Olivia brought Josefina, and Bailey brought Felicity.

The first activity of the day was to make a hat, picture frame and mirror for the doll guests. Stacy then handed out hats, fans, boas, purses and gloves for each girl and did a photo shoot. She is a gifted photographer, so I can not wait to see the pictures she took! Right as the picture taking was coming to an end, the doorbell rang. The birthday girl opened the door, and Snow White was there. Apparently, she was in the area, and dropped in for some tea! The girls had fancy snacks, followed by birthday cake and ice cream. They had a wonderful time. There was lots of laughter and lots of pink fluff flying in the air. Happy Birthday Eleanor!

Olivia's New Friend

2010-07-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

Olivia received a new friend for her birthday. I had said before that I was not buying any of the girls an American Girl Doll before they were seven. I ate those words and bought Josefina for Olivia for her sixth birthday. We are going to be in an American Girl book club this year, and I decided to bite the bullet and get her one. I was a little worried that she would not take good care of the doll, but that has not been a problem at all. She has cherished her new friend. Olivia is growing up.

Working From Home

2010-07-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

Mark in his thinking cap!

This is what happens when Mark tries to work from home. I wonder why he does not do it more often? He gets lots of help!

What Have We Been Doing, Part 3

2010-07-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

Visiting
We have been blessed to visit with lots of friends and family the past few months. Our friends, the Boyds, started our visiting season off in May. They travelled from Alabama to spent a couple of days with us. We had a great time catching up with them, and the children loved running around with their three boys. Our time with them was much too short!

We travelled to Baton Rouge for the Memorial Day holiday. Despite the fact that we moved away from there almost three years ago, we still cherish the time we get to spend with our Loiusiana friends! My friend Laura has a great talent for serving huge, delicious meals, and we were blessed to be able to eat her yummy cooking upon our arrival. Our dear friends, the Callahans, opened their house to us (which is not small thing when you have seven in your family!), and we loved spending time with them. I was able to sneak off to the outlet mall with Connie and Maryellen, and scratch my bargain shopping itch. We spent the last two nights at the "Morris Family Resort" swimming, fishing and bonding with the Stuarts and Butners. Our time in Baton Rouge seemed much too short! Unfortunately, I did not spend much time taking pictures!

Mamaw came for a visit for the Fourth of July, and she brought two special friends with her. The children were thrilled with their visit, and Bailey was especially happy that Mamaw was here to celebrate on her birthday! We loved our visit, and the time flew by!

My parents came for an extra long visit last week. We are used to only having them here for a couple of days, but this time they were able to stay for almost a week! It was wonderful! My mom helped me do a bit of "summer cleaning" and my dad helped in my flower beds and the garden. Mark and I were able to slip away on a date, and my mom and I snuck away to do some shopping. We all loved spending time with Nanna and Grand-Bob!

My friend Laura and her two boys are here right now, and we are having a great time visiting with them. There has not been a lot of sleeping going on, but there has been lots of bonding! I have really enjoyed my chats with Laura, and the older kids have loved playing hide and seek in the dark!

I am truly thankful for visits with friends!

What have I been doing? Part 2

2010-07-22T13:10:00.003-07:00

Playing in our Pools!

We decided to "splurge" and get two new pools this year. I shelled out a total of $25, and we have most definitely gotten our money's worth! The thought of taking all five of the children to the public pool, is quite overwhelming to me, so they have had back yard fun instead. We really know how to have a good time!!!

What Have I Been Doing? Part 1

2010-07-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

I have a hard time jumping back into the blog world after a lapse. I keep thinking that I should blog, but then I think, "No, its been too long. I have too much to catch up on!" So, today I decided I should just jump back in. I decided to simply answer the question, "What have I been doing?"

Gardening--This is my first year to have a "real" garden. By that, I mean that someone actually came on a tractor and plowed a portion of my back yard, and I actually planted seeds and plants down in the ground. The past couple of years, I have done square foot gardening, but this year I decided to kick it up a notch and put some of these 3+ acres to use. It was lots of fun to work in the garden back in March and April when the temperatures were mild. I was a bit ambitious, and planted 36 tomatoes (it turns out that is a lot!), peppers, onions, green beans, potatoes, corn, zucchini, squash and cucumbers. I started thinking sustainable thoughts and feeling all farmerish.

Then, June came, and it turns out that Arkansas moved a bit closer to the Equator. "Farming" is not all that much fun when the heat index is hovering around 100! I pretended that the garden was not there for a week or two, and a lovely crop of grass moved in. Mark suddenly developed an interest in the garden when he realized there is heavy machines available. He started talking about buying a tiller, and I started thinking that I never wanted to say the word garden again. I made myself get back out there, and I ended up pretty pleased with our first year. We had lots of cucumbers, zucchini, squash, tomatoes and peppers. We had one "mess" of beans (I have no idea how three rows of beans only makes one "mess". There is some weird garden math at work!) Just when I was getting tired of figuring out what to do with squash and zucchini, they died, and I did not mourn their loss too much. I made tomato sauce and froze 12 quarts, which made me feel a bit like Ma Ingalls stocking up for the winter.

Even with the heat, I really enjoyed my first "real" gardening experience. Mark found a great deal on a tiller, so we are officially committed to trying again next year!

Our Houston Trip, Part 2

2010-05-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

We hit the beach in Galveston the day after we visited the space center. It was Eli's first time at the beach, and he loved it! He was not afraid at all. In fact, I really wished that he was a bit more afraid of the ocean! The seagulls really enjoyed meeting Eli. The hovered around quite a bit after they figured out he was a messy eater!

The other children had a great time splashing in the waves with their friends. Isaac and Bailey ventured out quite deep, and I had to keep bringing them back. Anna Grace and Olivia were content to splash around closer to shore.

The children ended up sunburned (my nomination for Mother of the Year award was yanked away!!). It was the first time we had been to the beach that we were not actually staying at the beach. We have always gotten up early and done our beach time in the morning before the sun was most intense. This day we were there from about 10:30-2:30. I put sunscreen on them in the morning, but I did not reapply enough. The water really pounded the sunscreen away! Isaac's face was especially fried! Oh well, a lesson learned! Overall, it was a wonderful day!

Our Houston Road Trip

2010-05-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Houston with three other homeschooling families. Isaac and Bailey's co-op class studied space this semester, so we decided to take a "field trip" to the Johnson Space Center.

We headed out on a Thursday morning to travel the 550ish miles. It took us approximately 50 hours (or 12, I can't remember!) with all of the bathroom stops. We had a picnic lunch at a park in Atlanta (Atlanta, Texas that is!). The children had a great time travling with their friends. We seemed to trade children at about every stop. We hit Houston at rush hour, which is quite a shock to our small town selves. Olivia said, "There sure are a lot of cars in this town!"

We hit the Space Center on Friday with about 2,300 public school children (I am not exaggerating this time!). The children immediately jumped on the giant playground. Isaac was disappointed that he was too tall to play on the play structure. He really is growing up! We spent the day touring the center, and doing quite a bit of waiting in line. We saw some really neat things. Eli was not too interested in the movies or exhibits, so Mark and I took turns entertaining him.

One of my favorite parts of the day was seeing the origianal Mission Control. I have seen it in movies and on television several times, so it was neat to see it. I now have a better appreciation for the huge amount of time and effort that have been put into the space program. I was also struck by the lives that have been lost. I enjoyed seeing the Saturn V close up. Our two youngest girls really enjoyed looking at the fake green grass that was under the Saturn V. They completely ignored the rocket, and marvelled over the plastic green carpet!

Mark and I enjoyed the center, but we agreed that our family would get more out if it in about five years. There is not a lot of "hands-on" activities, and our children (especially the younger three) lost interest in the movies and displays. It is worth a return visit if we are going to be in the Houston area again. We will probably check and see how many school groups will be there before we decide to go for sure. Their system does not seem to be equipped to handle large crowds.

Olivia's "Pretend" Birthday Party

2010-05-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

We had a birthday party for Olivia last night. Her official birthday is not until Saturday, but a week night worked out better with every one's schedule, so we had it a few days early. Anna Grace called it her pretend birthday.

We had twenty six people over to help us celebrate. Olivia wanted to eat pizza, red chips (Doritos), orange drink and Sprite for supper, so that is what we ate. I was happy because it required very little preparation on my part! After we ate supper, we had princess cake and ice cream. Olivia loved her presents, and the children had a great time playing. I enjoyed chatting with the adults!

We will have a small celebration on her actual birthday and Olivia will get her presents from us and from her grandparents. I am very thankful for friends to celebrate with. I am also thankful for my Birthday Girl!

Family Night on the Farm

2010-05-11T06:11:00.000-07:00

The girls have been in a Little House on the Prairie book club this year. Each month we have read one of the books in the series and then met with the club to discuss the book, do activities and eat snacks from that time period. We have really enjoyed it. Isaac has enjoyed it to, because he gets to play with all of the boys while the club meets.

The last book we read was Farmer Boy, which is the story of Almanzo Wilder's (Laura's husband) childhood. One of the other mothers in our book club lives on a farm, and she was willing to host a family night on the farm. So, Saturday night we loaded up the family and headed to the farm!

We started our night with a cook-out (much of the book was about all of the good food they had to eat). We then went out to call the cows in for dinner. The cows were pretty shocked to see all of us standing around waiting to watch them eat. One of the bulls got a little riled up, so the children got a first hand view of why you should stay away from an angry bull!

Bailey got a long splinter in her hand, and was pretty upset about it. Thankfully, one of the dads is a vet, so he was able to take care of her. What a blessing!

The children then rode on a trailer pulled by the tractor and headed to the barn. They got to see chickens, goats, a peacock and a turkey. I suspect all of the animals will need some therapy after being invaded by our crew!

We finished off our night with a ride around the farm. We stopped at the top of a hill overlooking the farm, and the children looked for lightening bugs in the dark. The temperature had dropped, and the lightening bugs had burrowed down in the grass, so the children dug for the bugs instead of chasing them. We sang songs on the way back down the hill. It was a wonderful night. We were exhausted, but happy on our way home. It was the perfect way to end our book club!

Tractor Dreams

2010-05-11T05:56:00.001-07:00

Eli's favorite place to be these days is on a tractor (lawn mower), especially if his daddy is on there too! Mark took Eli for a little ride on Saturday afternoon, and Eli fell asleep on Mark's lap. He looked so cute, I had to snap a few pictures. He was probably dreaming sweet tractor dreams!

Our Little Graduate

2010-05-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

Olivia graduated from kindergarten on Friday night. Our co-op had its end of the year program, and our class of three kindergartners received their diplomas. We are proud of our little scholar!

Future Presidents???

2010-05-06T05:45:00.000-07:00

Olivia is Growing Up!

2010-05-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

Olivia lost her very first tooth while we were in Houston last weekend. It had been loose for a while, and she had been dreading the moment it would come out. She was convinced it would be painful. Much to her delight, it was much less traumatic than she had thought it would be. Someone left her a couple of dollars under her pillow. Olivia was one happy girl! I told her that I was a little sad that she was getting so big. She said, "Mama, I still have lots of teeth left to lose!" I love that spunky little girl!

2010-04-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

We bought Isaac a swing set when he was a toddler. We spent a lot of time looking at options and deciding which one to buy. We decided to go with an inexpensive metal one. Many minutes were spent pushing our little man in a baby swing and then on a "big boy" swing. Over time, three more little ones joined him on the swing set. We moved it across town and then to a new state. By the third house, it was still working well, but it was starting to look a bit more rusty. When we moved here, we decided it was time to buy a new one. Some of the bolts were stripped, and it had seen better days. The various pieces laid in the yard and on the patio for the past year. I set aside some money and started looking at new swing sets. One night last week, Isaac said, "Why don't we just put the old one together?" Mark decided to give it a try. He had to improvise a bit, but he was successful in putting it together. The children are thrilled with the results of his labor! Eli has joined them in their swinging. We have definitely gotten our money's worth out of this swing set!

Fishing Rodeo, Part 2

2010-04-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

While the older children were fishing, Eli was trying out three new delights-- "Jumpy Things" (The Johnson family term for inflatables), cotton candy, and snow cones. He thoroughly approved of all three! I also caught a picture of Anna Grace winking over her snow cone! What a happy day!

The Fishing Rodeo Part 1

2010-04-21T14:11:00.001-07:00

Fishing is not something that we do very often. In fact, we are downright inexperienced at it. I think that it is one of those things we might enjoy after we are out of the toddler stage. Mark's company hosts a "Fishing Rodeo" at the company park each April, so we get a small taste of what fishing is all about.

Last year, Isaac fished for about five minutes before he became bored with the whole experience. The company also has inflatable slides, face painting, cotton candy, and other temptations that lure children away from the fishing. This year, he hung in longer and was rewarded with a catch! Olivia borrowed the pole and caught one also. They were both thrilled with their fish. They were blissfully unaware that there were prizes for the biggest fish, and that their sweet little fish were some of the smallest ones. The thrill of the catch was enough of a reward for them!

Bailey Is Growing Up!

2010-04-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

Bailey has been asking to have her ears pierced for a while now. When she first asked, I told her that it hurt, and she stopped asking for a while. A couple of months ago, she decided she still wanted to do it, even if it hurt a little. I decided she was really ready. I took her while we were visiting my parents a couple of weeks ago. Having a mall nearby is a luxury right now, so we decided to take advantage of it.

Bailey was very excited, and she hardly flinched when the big moment came. The lady instructed us to clean them three times a day. I had some doubts as to how that would go, but Bailey has taken care of it on her own. She remembers so much better than I do (I should put her in charge of dispensing antibiotics!). Our sweet girl is growing up!

Toddler Training

2010-04-13T19:46:00.001-07:00

It is amazing how much I have forgotten about childhood stages between each child. Eli has reached a particularly "challenging" stage, and Mark and I often ask each other, "Were the others like this???" You would think that by the time we arrived at our fifth child, we would have this toddler training thing down pat! There are days when I am worn out by the time Mark gets home. I can totally understand the temptation to give up being consistent and just give him what he wants, but we continue to try "fight the good fight" and try to teach him to obey. Sometimes it feels like the main goal of this stage is just to keep them safe!

A Few of Eli's Favorite Hobbies--
--Eating toothpaste -- Eli can sniff out a tube a toothpaste a mile away. No fluoride deficiency here! Deodorant is also quite a prize too, although thankfully he has not eaten any yet!

--Playing in the toilet -- "Close the bathroom door!" is heard constantly at our house.

--Pulling things off the counter-- Eli is tall for his age, and he uses his height advantage to reach further up on the counter. Cups full of liquid are his favorite, although he has snagged a knife and a pizza cutter. Thankfully he has four older siblings to help us keep him safe!

--Eating his sibling's food -- My other children have learned that any time they leave food on the table, it is fair game. Eli has the philosophy that the food is always tastier on someone else's plate!

--Throwing a fit -- Eli hates to be told "no" or have something taken away from him. He usually throws himself to the ground. He has at least learned to hold his head up when he hits the ground -- tantrums hurt much less that way!

--Running the opposite direction from wherever you want him to go!

Thankfully, the Lord gave toddlers the ability to be completely precious at times to balance out the exhausting moments. Despite the challenges, I would not trade being a Mamma for any job in the world!

Anna Grace

2010-04-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

Anna Grace received a dress up outfit for her birthday that included a headband with a big pink flower. She wore that lovely blossom everywhere we went for several weeks. She is definitely a cutie pie from her pink bow to her pink cheeks to her pink tennis shoes! Children are most certainly a blessing from the Lord!

Family Night in the "Country"

2010-04-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

Eli is holding his miniature tractor in his hands.

Eli's first ''hobby" is sitting on Mark's riding lawn mower. He calls it a tractor (his first two syllable word). He brings me his shoes at least once a day and says "tractor". He loves to go into the garage and spend time sitting on the lawn mower.

Friday nights are family nights, and this past week, Mark decided to take Eli on a "tractor" ride around the yard. The other children joined in. We sure know how to live it up on a Friday night!

The Germ Family

2010-04-12T05:26:00.000-07:00

We have been bombarded with sickness the last three months (doesn't that sound like a Mark statement?!). We have had two stomach viruses (one lasting almost two weeks), two earaches, Strep Throat, and now Anna Grace has some type of a fever virus. Last week marked the first time that all five children have been on an antibiotic at the same time. Praise God for insurance! I think that it is starting to drive us all a little crazy! The children have missed lots of time with friends (and so has their Mama!). I am thankful that all of our sicknesses have been very minor, and I am praying that healthy time is coming soon!

Dog Update!

2010-03-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give a quick update on our dog situation. Our neighbor's grandson really wanted the dog. His dad finally said yes, and the dog was gone! I think that Mark and I had more of a twinge of sadness than the children did. I am very thankful for the way it turned out -- God answered my prayers!

A Dog????

2010-03-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

I am not a dog person. I know many people who are dog people, and I am fine with that. I am not a dog hater, I just don't feel very comfortable around them. I have grown to like dogs a little more since moving here. Our neighbors have dogs that think they belong to us during the day while their owners are at work. They have been really good for our children, who have learned a lot about interacting with dogs. Our children have overcome their fear of dogs, and they are enjoying being around them. In fact, it has been like having the best of both worlds -- the children can play with the dogs, and I do not have to take care of them. I have heard some people say something similar about being grandparents!

Well, in the last day or so, another dog has adopted our family. We do not know where it came from, but it thinks it lives here. We think that it might have been abandoned, which apparently happens quite often around here. It is hungry, and it keeps scratching to get in. So, now what do we do?

To Be Continued....

Stomach Virus, Day 5

2010-03-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Stomach viruses are never fun, especially when lots of children are involved. This particular virus has been more long lasting than most that we have endured. Our whole family has had symptoms, some worse than others. Eli has been hit the hardest and the longest. He started showing symptoms on Wednesday, and is still dealing with it. It has wreaked havoc on his little system. Thankfully, we have been able to keep him hydrated, and he still has some energy left.

We are all ready for this to be done! A secondary virus has set in -- Cabin Fever! So far, I have skipped a lunch play date, a girls' night out, church, and two baby showers. The outlook for tomorrow's homeschool co-op is not good either! It is probably good for us to slow down for a few days, and spend time together at home.

I have kicked the natural cleaners to the curb for a day or two, and the smell of Pine Sol fills the air. I am not sure how many of the germs are gone, but the house smells clean! I needed to blog about this so that I can look back and be thankful for good health, when the last of this virus is gone!

Queens of the Wood Pile

2010-03-13T15:39:00.000-08:00

We have a Hardy Wood Stove that heats our house. Obtaining wood has become one of Mark's hobbies. We have all pitched in and helped stack wood over the last couple of weeks. I snapped a shot of our three girls "relaxing" on top of the wood pile.

Mark and His Munchkins!

2010-03-13T14:12:00.000-08:00

The children love playing outside with their Daddy!

The Long Winter

2010-03-12T09:36:00.001-08:00

The children and I have been reading through the Little House on the Prairie series, and we just finished up The Long Winter. Parts of January and February felt like a very long winter here in Arkansas! We had several snows and lots of freezing temperatures. We had the biggest snow that our children have ever seen at the end of January. Isaac and Bailey had lots of fun playing in it, but the younger three did not stay out too long. We had a couple of more snows after the big one, but the children were no longer impressed. I do not even think they went outside!

Mark and I had to spend a little time thinking through our emergency preparedness. Our area of Arkansas is known for ice storms and losing power. The thought of being without heat for more than a few hours, made me shiver! We bought a propane heater to huddle in front of if the power goes out. Thankfully, we have not had to use it so far. We are considering buying a generator before next winter. We have all enjoyed the warmer weather the last couple of weeks. We are definitely ready for spring!

Life in a Castle

2010-03-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

Look Our World -- Olivia has a weapon!
Paper Making

Sir Isaac

Eli's favorite part of the day was finding

unattended cookies on the floor!

We took a field trip to learn about what life was like in a castle. It was put on by one woman who was very talented. She taught the children about medieval clothing, armor, food, medicines, songs and so much more. The children also got the chance to make paper. The moms were getting a little restless and felt like there was a bit too much sitting and talking and not enough doing. The children, on the other hand, loved it. I think that they had a longer attention spans than the moms!

Eli's First Haircut

2010-03-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

So far, so good!

Are you sure about this Mom?

This isn't so bad!

The "After" Picture

Eli, being the fifth child, had his first haircut a little later than some of our other children. He had grown quite a head of curls! It was starting to get in his eyes, so we decided that it was about time for his hair to meet some scissors! It is funny how much older a haircut makes them look!

Back in the Saddle/ Germiness

2010-03-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

WOW! It is March, and my last blog post was December and it still says "Christmas" on it! Where does the time go???? I decided to write a quick post just to break the bloggy ice, and try to get back in the swing again!

The last three days have been challenging! A yucky stomach virus (is there any other kind?) has hit our house with a vengeance. I had to call Mark yesterday and ask him to come home from work. Our three littlest ones were all sick at the same time!!!! Isaac and I were hit with yuckiness during the night, and Bailey is under the weather this morning. Mark is our lone holdout! He is at work this morning, and I think that I saw a bit of spring in his step as he left. I think he was happy for a break from all of this germiness. Oh well, this is light and momentary (I keep repeating this to myself!).

Let it Snow!

2009-12-29T19:19:00.000-08:00

Olivia liked the idea of snow much more than the actual stuff!

We could not find Eli's coat, and he had no boots, so he borrowed Anna Grace's.

I am sure that he will love looking back and seeing pictures of himself in pink boots!

"Snow is cold Mommy!"

Bailey loved making snow angels with her Daddy!

Mamaw (Mark's mom) was thoughtful enough to schedule over six inches of snow to cover her area just in time for our visit to her house! The children headed out to play as soon as we arrived at her place on December 20. Isaac and Bailey were the biggest snow enthusiasts, spending hours playing in it over the next three days. They especially loved the times that their Daddy joined them! Olivia enjoyed it initially, and then spent most of her time inside. Anna Grace ventured out once, and then decided it was "too freezing", and that was enough for her. Eli liked it in short spurts, and then toddled for the door. I think that I spent more time getting the younger three ready to go out in the snow than they spent actually playing in it. Despite the mixed reviews from our children, I am really thankful for the snow. It was beautiful, and snow right before Christmas really helps add to the excitement!

Congratulations Bo and Lindley!

2009-12-29T19:06:00.001-08:00

One of the most exciting moments of our Christmas season, was when my brother Bo (Bob to most of the world) asked his precious girlfriend Lindley to marry him! He asked her in front of all of us on Christmas Eve while we were finishing up opening presents. He was a bit sneaky -- he hid the ring in an empty gun case. She was very surprised and very happy! We look forward to officially welcoming her to the family sometime soon! Congratulations Bo and Lindley!

Home Again!

2009-12-29T17:15:00.001-08:00

Five VERY tired children (and way too much stuff) on our way home!

We travelled home from East Tennessee yesterday, following a visit with our family. We spent lots of time visiting, eating, taking pictures, chasing Eli, and just spending time with people we love. It was truly a blessing! I am going to write about some of the highlights of the last month or so over the next few days, but for now I am enjoying the prospect of getting back to "normal". The time from Thanksgiving to Christmas was filled with special family traditions, parties with friends, yummy holiday eating, lots of presents and good times with family and friends. I cherish that time, but by the end of December, I crave normalcy. I am ready to get back to our routine. I am ready to take down the decorations, and put away the presents. I am even ready to eat healthy for a while! I love the Christmas season, but I love starting a new year too!

Meal Plan Monday (a little late!!)

2009-11-17T04:43:00.000-08:00

I am trying to get back to better meal planning, so here goes....

Monday: Shrimp Alfredo
Tuesday: Refried Beans without the Refry, tortillas, Mexican rice
Wednesday: white bean soup (made with a ham bone) over rice & corn bread
Thursday: pork chops & cream of mushroom soup in the crock pot
Friday: Crock-pot Spaghetti & home-made bread (We have book club in the afternoon, and company for supper, so I need a crock pot meal!)
Saturday: barbecue chicken & baked potatoes (company)

Refried Beans without the Refry (from http://fortheloveofgrub.blogspot.com/)
1 onion, chopped
3 c. dried pinto beans
2 T. minced garlic (I use more and I do not mince them, they get blended at the end)
5 t. salt (I use a lot less)
1 3/4 t. pepper
1/8 t. cumin (I use a lot more)
9 c. water (I use half chicken broth)
Combine all ingredients in crockpot; stir. Cook on high for 8 hours. Strain, reserving liquid. Mash beans, adding reserved liquid to desired consistency. I use my food processer, and the garlic and onion gets mashed in with everything else.

Crock Pot Spaghetti (from my sweet friend Allison)
2 Lbs. hamburger meat, browned and drained
1 cup chopped onion (I use minced onion. I have an onion detector in our house!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans tomato sauce
6 cups tomato juice
1 package (16 oz) dry spaghetti
1 package Italian dressing, dry

Combine all ingredients except spaghetti in crock pot. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours (high 3-5 hours) Turn on high during the last hour and stir in dry spaghetti. Stir a couple of times to "unclump" noodles, especially just after you put them in.)

A Day in the Life of Eli (or why I am always tired!)

2009-11-12T13:59:00.000-08:00

Our little caboose!

Pea gravel is so much fun!

Eli enjoys laundry much more than his mom!

Eli loves mealtime!

Eli is growing and changing everyday. He is such a cutie pie, and I wanted to write a little bit about the person he is today. As impossible as it seems today, I know that someday I will have a hard time remembering the details of this phase of our life. So, here is a day in the life of Eli...

I usually hear a little voice calling out to me around 6:00 in the morning. I am not sure what the words are that he is saying, but I totally understand the message -- "Come get me!" Either Mark or I usually goes and gets him and brings him back to our room for a little pre-breakfast bonding. I think this is one of his favorite times of the day. He gets both Mommy and Daddy's undivided attention, and he eats it up!

We then head to the kitchen for breakfast. He usually eats scrambled eggs, banana and either toast or cheerios. He eats with great gusto, and when he is finished, he lets me know! Extra food goes on the ground and the yelling begins.

Then he begins his day of getting into everything possible. He is really at a cute, but draining age. He recently learned to climb onto the couch, but he has not learned how not to fall off. He also loves climbing up the stairs, which keeps us on our toes. We just bought a six foot gate to try to keep him safely on the first floor! Some of his other favorite activities include: eating crayons and other treasures left on the floor, turning off the computer when Mommy is using it, sneaking into the bathroom or his sisters' room, throwing folded laundry out of the basket, and many other adventurous activities.

The other children are great with their little brother. They help me keep an eye on him, and yell if he is in trouble. He loves to follow them around, and it grieves him to no end if they leave without him. I think he has no choice but to be a people person!

Eli usually starts to fuss a couple of hours after he wakes up. I put him in his bed with toys for a few minutes. Sometimes he goes to sleep, but more often he just plays and talks. This little break lets me get school started off on the right foot, and Eli usually comes out of his bed in a better mood than when he went in! He takes a nap for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and that gives me some cherished quiet time. The other children play in their rooms, and I relax.

Eli loves his daddy! He often throws quite a fit when Mark leaves for work in the morning and puts on a great big smile when he comes home. "Da" was the first word that he said consistently. He loves to spend time with Daddy in the evening.

Eli heads to bed around 7:00. He is a great sleeper. We rarely have to get up with him at night. The house is much quieter and calmer after he goes to bed!

Eli is a lot of work, but I could not imagine life without our little man!

Favorite Foods:

Eli loves scrambled eggs, cheese, green beans, bananas, spaghetti, anything sweet, apple juice, and anything that somebody else is eating!

Favorite Activities:

Getting into everything, riding in the car, taking off his pants, unloading cabinets and drawers, splashing in the tub, playing in the grass, dancing to music, chasing the neighbor's dogs (thankfully, they are smart enough to never let him catch them)