Christmas picture fiasco

Here is take one and two...I think you all got the final product...I am so proud of my family :)

Hello there

The CA cousins with the ID cousins

Reilley and "Yo" (Uncle Erik)

Marina and Bruce Evans, the family we spent Christmas with

Trevor, Emily, Ainsley, Johnathan, Daniel and Reilley

Bai, Me and Em (we went to a ballet)

Yea...I am really bad at this blog thing. I get on a great role...then life gets in the way and whoosh, time is gone.

I had better start with Christmas. We went up to the mountains with some friends of ours for the Christmas weekend. What a WONDERFUL time. I would do it again, and just may! After that weekend we came home had a day of rest and the went to Disneyland with our Idaho cousins. That was a good time. I will never do it again, but it was awesome. They are awesome family and we really enjoy hanging out with them. They came and stayed with us over the New Year and we spent the day at the Safari Park in Escondido.

January was kind of a blur. Nothing really exciting happened...this is probably why I don't blog all that often, I really don't have a lot to say.

If I do this right, which I won't, the pictures will be under this...but since I am inept, the pics will be first. There is one with the girls on some stairs, with some boys, they are the ones we went to the mountains with. The darker hairs children with ours are our ID cousins...I will try and label them. I love you all..thanks for checking in!! Oh I almost forgot the one of the pics of Bai, Em and I...we went to see "The Truth about the Nutcracker" by the dance company that Emily attends...it was awesome!!

Summary of Advent, or whatever!!

I am trying to think of what we have done, if anything since my last post for Advent...or for whatever I decide to call it at the time :) We did buy a tree, we did put lights and an angel on it. We made some delicious Christmas treats for friends, we watched Ainsley do a performance at her school...candle light carols at church...and I think that is it. It has all been very fun and NO STRESS!!

Sad day today though, Bai and Cor went to their dad and step-mom's today. They will be home in a week...but I still get sad when I have to send them away. I know that they enjoy being up there (San Jose), and I know that Ryan and Glo really enjoy having them...I am just SUPER selfish and don't want them to ever leave me...well not until I tell them to :)

Now we are getting ready to spend 4 days in Big Bear. We are sharing a cabin with another family and spending Christmas in the mountains. I am excited. I am really hoping that it will be "white" for the girls. And Jason, he really wants a white Christmas. I could care less...just as long as I can retreat to somewhere warm and have a hot cup of tea, I will be fine!! I will let you all know how it goes...as I sit here, I have 4 loads of laundry to do, packing, chopping of vegetables, wrapping of presents, goodies to make and the list goes on...but I am feeling quite lazy and would rather sit here, watch the girls play babies and just chill. I will kick myself at midnight when I am doing all that I should be now :)

Oh well, have a Merry Christmas everyone. Please remember why we have Christmas at all. The GOD-MAN came and was born as a helpless babe. He grew up to be a man of power and worthy of praise and honor. HE is GOD. He was born to die, to take upon the sins of the world and save us from ourselves, that we might spend eternity with HIM and the FATHER! What a glorious thing. He didn't come so that this time of year we might drive ourselves crazy with do to lists and inundate ourselves with so much that we forget HIM. Slow down...take a look at Luke Ch 2, read about how he came as a helpless babe, that we might be saved through HIM. I love you all...

Bah Humbug Advent!!

Alright, so I am not good at this. I forget and I get lazy! So this is what I am proposing to do. What ever comes to mind for the evening...more often that not it will be not a whole lot of anything. But...I do have a partial list as of now, and we will do what is on there.

I don't want to lose sight of the true meaning of the season. Jesus Christ our risen Savior. And I am finding that the more things I try to do the more I am losing sight of the reason for doing it all. I don't want to miss the joy and peace of the season. And I am so easily stressed that I have to put these things aside. Not because they are "bad", they are all good things. But am I offering the children the best. Am I focusing and centering all things on Christ? No, I am stressing over what needs to be done...and not just sitting at the feet of my Lord and letting HIM lead all things.

What a relief. Let's see what's in store :)

Advent day 7

So it was Wed...and Em and Ains were at AWANA. I am getting down about all this. We are not being consistent and it seems like all of the sudden everyone is going in different directions. Tonight Em has ballet, Bai is babysitting and Cor is at his girlfriends basketball game.

I will not quit though. After ballet we will pick up cookie decorating candy and finish our cookies...I will let you know how that goes.

Advent day 6

For day 6 we did sugar cookies...I did them from scratch, that was fun! And they turned out so good! I do have to cook them for less time, I like em' kinda doughy. No sugar cookies with brown edges :) The girls did really good...even Rei!!

I am just really loving the family time. Last night the older two weren't here, so I missed them during the "fun". But nonetheless it was great.

I pray that the LORD is glorified in all that we are doing. I am really hoping that I am bringing it home for the children. I so long to instill godly character and morals in them. Now I understand that "Advent" activities is not the only way it will happen, nor do I think that this will round them out perfectly! I know that it is a daily blessing to bring them to the LORD and to talk of things of the LORD in all we do!!

Advent day 5= FAIL!!

So I am a failure..well I don't entirely think that..I just failed last night for Advent. I just don't have a complete plan for things to do. So last night..we did absolutely nothing. In my defense, it was just Em, Ains and Rei home. Yea I know, we should have done something exciting and waaay fun! I am just not that mom! Yikes!

We could have read a story at the very least. But no..zippo nada, we did nothing. Tonight however...we are gonna, oh wait, I will fill you in tomorrow :)

Pardue Advent day 4 :)

Ok, I am naturally NOT a planner. I tried it once and didn't like it!! So with this Advent idea, I had to sit down and think of 24 different things to do each night...with the help of a friend...I got 14!! So needless to say last night, I had no plan. I was racking my brain all day to be honest..and there isn't much there in the creative department, so around 3p.m. I came up with a bike ride...to enjoy the creation that GOD has blessed us with, to look at the changing leaves and to just enjoy HIM out in the fresh air. I got some grumbling and complaining from Corey and Bailey...but they were forced to go :) We ended up doing 4mi, what a beautiful day...it was quite cold, but it felt so so so good to be out there and be moving!

We came home from our ride and made a nice dinner, with the nice dishes and had sparkling cider. We read our Advent story at the table and chose secret Angles for the rest of the month. We are all challenged to do some nice things for our chosen. It is going to be interesting to see how this goes. Some of us are natural servants, and some of us...not so much. I am so excited to see how the LORD works through all of this. It is sad, but we don't serve one another enough around here...I mean in little things. Filling a water bottle, getting a blanket for someone..offering some of what we have (sharing), it is a shame and hard to watch us all be so selfish and self driven. So often we are so caught up in what we have to do or what we would like to do that we "forget" that we are not autonomous people. We live with 6 other people...we cannot only be concerned with self. So here we go...let's see how this plays out.

Now to see what I can come up with for tonight...

Advent Day 3

So for day 3 we made snow globes. It was fun, the older children and I also made "gift tags". I forgot to take a picture of those :) Anyway, the globes were fun, we used old baby food jars, glitter and some ceramic "Christmas" decorations! It is just so great to have time together as a family doing something fun. I am really thinking, hoping actually that we will continue to do things like this through the whole year. Each night I am reminded of how much time we spend together doing nothing...now I am not saying that we need to be doing things all the time but I do want to be doing things that bring us together and bond us. Now I am sounding corny!! Oh well! I love family time and so enjoy having my older 2 be involved with what we are doing. Just when I though that I had "lost" them!!
I realize that you are reading these the day after they are done...at the time of writing this, we have completed Advent day 4...you'll have to wait until tomorrow though to hear about it...let's just say, I had nothing planned and had to make something up..the kids were not too pleased with this one!! Until tomorrow my friends!

Pardue "Advent" day 2

So for night 2 we watched "A Christmas Story". Jason loves this movie..I could truly take it or leave it. I had forgotten all the inappropriate language in it. Yikes!! None the less we watched...as a family! It was so nice to have everyone together and enjoy our time. God is so good and has blessed me beyond measure with these children and amazing husband!!

Starting something new...

Corey enjoying the decorating

Reilley almost couldn't contain herself

Ainsley proud of her creation

Reilley...silly little girl!!

Emily Rose...all ready to go!

After talking with a couple of friends...I realized that I don't do anything spectacular, great or otherwise to celebrate the month of my Saviors birth...I have been enlightened to the "Advent" celebration. So this year we decided to start something on the 1st of Dec through Christmas eve. So last night we decorated gingerbread houses and had cocoa. And had a small time of devo with the children..it was really, really nice...

Be patient in affliction

Isa 55:8-9"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

At the end of September I found out that I was pregnant with baby #6! Holy moly was I shocked!! Jason and I were not planning on another baby...right now...but evidently the LORD had different plans. Now after 5 pregnancies, I know how I should be feeling, how I should be hungering and how I should be sleeping :) All of these things were out of whack! I just wasn't feeling right about this pregnancy. Mind you it took me 4 weeks to be OK with it, and OK with the LORD having blessed me with another awesome child!!! I was fighting with the LORD on whether or not He knew better than I did...well we all know the answer to that! But in my flesh, I was fighting!

On Oct 30 I was 8weeks along. I was still not sick, not even feeling "pregnant" actually. Which is bizarre because at 6wks, I am down for the count until week 12! In any case, Halloween night at around 11p I just couldn't sleep. I could feel the LORD nudging me to just get up and spend time with HIM. So reluctantly I got up and picked up my Bible and went to my closet (it is the quietest place and most warm at 11p). The Lord took me to Psalm 145:17-20 "The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call in him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy." He also too me to Psalm 37:3a, 4, 5a,7a. "Trust in the LORD and do good, Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart, commit your way to the LORD, Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for HIM." For 45 min I sat and just read these over and over. HE had given me HIS peace. I was finally happy and excited to be carrying another reward from the LORD.

Tues Nov 1, I had my first dr. appt. I was praying the entire morning before, because even though I had peace about being pregnant...I wasn't feeling like all was okay. As I sat (butt naked by the way) waiting for the dr, I had a sense of HIM being there with me...and as the dr. proceeded to do the ultrasound I had a sinking feeling. I was watching the screen and before the dr said a word...I knew. There wasn't a heartbeat. The US showed me to be 6wks not 8 and that could be the reason for no visible HB. He told me to come back in a week and we would check it out again. That was the LONGEST 7 days of my life. I have never been in closer communion with my Savior as I was those 7 days. John 14:27"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." Is where He had me next. What an amazing GOD I serve. What an amazing LORD who LOVES me! Psalm 146:1-2 "Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my GOD as long as I live." I could do nothing but praise and worship HIM in all of HIS splendor and Glory!!

The morning of Nov 7 came, awful slowly! As I was waiting to be seen the LORD had me in Psalm 25:4-5. "Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God and my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." Again HIS peace was surrounding me and comforting me like never before!! As I sat on the table, (this time half naked, haha), I actually had a smile on my face. I was singing praise in my heart and my soul was rejoicing in the LORD!! The US showed what I already knew to be true...my baby was already with the LORD. His/Her soul had gone on weeks before and was already snuggling in the arms of my JESUS.

Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." This is where the LORD has me now. As I sit and write this I am cramping and waiting for this to "pass". I know that my baby is with the LORD.

I am so much more in love with the LORD and so much more at peace with what HE has in store for me. Will we have more children...only the LORD knows. My life is 100% in HIS hands. And I am at such peace with that. HE is good, all the time. I love HIM and I know that HE loves me, that is why HE brought me through all of this...

Thank you for reading my story...thank you for your prayers...they are coveted and so much needed!! I love you all :)

And it went beautifully!!!! :)

What a good time we had!!! Here are the kids with all of their parents! I could not have asked for a better evening!!! Thank you LORD for being in control and for watching over all of the events, hearts and attitudes! We danced, we did Wii party dance, we ate and we laughed... A LOT! Thank you Jesus! And now we start to think about June, when Corey graduates...whew!

John 14:1

"Do not let your hearts be troubled; believe in GOD, believe also in ME."

I have been a born again Christian for 8yrs now and this verse hits me to the core every time. I am a natural worrier. I worry often about things that need not be worried about. According to GOD'S word, I shouldn't worry at all, about anything...Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to GOD." But I do, I am human and I have flesh...still!! In any case, reading the John 14:1 I am convicted. I let my heart be troubled, far too often. And I shouldn't let it happen. I have the HOLY SPIRIT living in me...what ever comes my way, HE has ordained and HE will give me strength to overcome!!

So do you want to hear what I have been troubled over lately? I am planning a good size party for Corey and Bailey. They are going to be 18 and 16 respectively. I am NOT a party planner or attender! I will probably have too much food, not enough drinks and not enough places for people to sit. There will however be plenty for them to do...pool, ping pong, jumpy, Bocce ball, board games and a trampoline. For goodness sake if they get board, they must be boring people:)
The other cause of my "worry"...it is a multi-family party...meaning my ex and his wife, their parents and the kids' uncle will be here..we haven't done a "mix" party since they were 10 and 8 I think.

So that's it...silly as it may sound!! I know that the LORD will prevail and be glorified in and through it all!! (FYI the party is tomorrow from 4-10)

Misc..

My BaBy boy...18 in two weeks!!

Saftey first!!

Enjoying her tea

The girls enjoying their tea...

Bai feeding the baby!!

Oh my crazy kids, more homecoming!

I cannot love them more :)

Emily Klein and Bai

Corey ruining another picture :)

Love them!

Homecoming 2011

Corey and Keisha

Da' boys

Da' girls!!

Da' gang!

Bailey and Maddie :)

What an amazing group of young people. I could not ask for better friends for my children...they had such a good time!! And looked fantastic to top it off!

End of summer fun!!

Emmie Rose 10

Reilley enjoying the hose

Ains riding her bike :)

First Date with Reilley!!

What a blessing tonight was. The older 4, Corey, Bailey, Emily and Ainsley all went to the Calvary High School football game...we have close family friends Austen Taylor and his brother Trysten that play for the team, at any rate, they all went and it was just Rei and I for the evening. :)

Our first stop of the evening was the ever beloved Baskin Robbins! She had a small scoop of chocolate chip and I had 2, yes 2 regular size scoops of Chocolate chip and Pralines and Cream (absolute favorite). She sat like such a big girl in her chair and small cup of ice cream. She proceeded to eat the entire scoop, on her own, with minimal mess making! Then decided that mine needed help to be eaten, so she joined me in my bowl, with her spoon!! Good stuff, she made me smile so much, she was so very happy with her Iye Iye (she calls it).

Next stop (hold on the heavens are opening and the angels are singing...aaaaaaaahhhhh) Barnes and Noble. Oh what a joy this was, she devoured the books, looking at anything and everything she could get her hands on...her interest was caught quite a few times by some babies...which were actually children her own age :) So cute! The store has a toy section now and so we played there for a bit, and the best part of all of this, I didn't have to fight with her to leave! She is an amazing little girl. I said we were all done and she said "ok bye bye". And to top it off, I only did $26 dollars in damage :) 5 books in all!!!

Last but not least, home and tubby time was our last stop, as I write she is happily splashing and playing in her tub! Very intently playing with a squirt bottle actually...I sense danger for this computer!! Over all, not a bad night, not a bad night at all!! It was quite a blessing actually. My GOD is so good to give me these little glimmers of joy! Yes I have HIS joy and to the full always, but I don't always "feel" it! Tonight, I felt it! I needed it too. Jason is gone until next Thursday on a business trip, he left Monday, blech!! Thank you LORD for these wonderful children that you have blessed me with and have entrusted to my care! may I honor and glorify you in all I do!

Soccer season!

Today marks the first day of our (Corey's) season. I look forward to this day from the minute the last game of the season is over...does that make sense?? As much as I complain about the heat and packing up for games...I would not change it for anything...I get so much joy out of watching Corey play the game he so much enjoys. Yes there is a bit of vicarious living going on...I never played sports, I was never good at anything, so to watch him play and do very well at it...is very pleasing to me.
I do think however, that this is his last season. He is going to be 18 in Oct. And our league only goes to U19...we'll see. There is an adult league he can play next year..but will it be cool for his mom and family to come and watch? Not to sure!
I just really don't want any of my children to grow up and "fly". I want to keep them all here and under my wing. I know that the LORD has them and will protect and guide them...but will they listen???
Off to pack up..whoo hoo!! GO T.U!

Corey "flying"

We borrowed a single man trampoline from a friend....and Corey thought he could fly if he jumped hard and high enough :) He will never grow up...

Reilley's dress up and first haircut

Post Haircut...these got out of order...can't figure out how to fix it

Sitting so still for Aunty :)

Cutie

Super Baby

Sunday Afternoons!!

What a joy it is to find all of my (minus Reilley, she was napping) children at the table coloring! It was glorious! They were getting along, not bickering, no tattling...nothing, just quiet peaceful coloring! So wonderful! GOD is so good! Now to get them to do it more than once a year :)

Ch 1...

I posted a few weeks back about a book by John MacArthur that I was reading about parenting biblically. To be brutally honest, I haven't picked it up since that week...I did however finish Ch. 1 and found some applicable principles. They are quite simple...and God has already given them to us in His word...

I think I mentioned Deut 6:6-9...we need to constantly teach our kids the truth of God's word. We need to discipline them when the do wrong Prov23:13-14 and we need to NOT provoke them to anger Col 3:21. Do we as parents really need more than this?

I also liked what he had to say about our children's influences...it needs to come from us as parents...not from peers. "God has solemnly charged parents with the duty of raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is not the parent's prerogative to delegate that duty to others. Parents must involve themselves in their children's lives enough to insure that no other influence take precedence." He goes on to say later in the chapter that "children are taught what they become if the become something other than what the parents had hoped for, it is usually because they have simply learned from those who were there to teach them in their parents absence....in other words, the parents, not the kids,-and not even the peer groups-are ultimately to blame for the parents' diminishing influence in our culture." How seriously are we taking our charge from the LORD to come along side HIM to mold and train up our children??

I have a lot to think about. I do plan on finishing the book. When time permits :) I want a change of attitude in my first ministry...being a wife and mother. I so desire to do this job well!!! I long to hear "well done my good and faithful servant." So I press on!!!

Stay tuned...I hope to give another chapter review next week...Lord willing!

Grocery Shopping

I am not sure why I do this to myself...but I go to 3 different stores to do my bi-weekly shopping. First on the list is Wal-Mart, they have rather inexpensive groceries...next is Costco. With a family of 7, it is a must. Last stop Trader Joes. After today's excursion, I am wondering if it is all worth it? Am I really saving any money, time or gas? These stores are not exactly close to one another. I don't know. I have a budget for my groceries...but could I be saving more $$ if I just hit one store for it all? Another concern is the type of food I am feeding my family. I have come to a realization that I do not want to give them corn fed beef or chicken. I want free range meat. And I want more organic "stuff", this is where Trader's comes in...I just want to give my family what is best for them. And I want to be a good steward of the money that the LORD provides for our family. I know this may not seem like a "major" issue...but my brain is working...if I stop at one grocery only...I will be compromising what my family eats...on the other hand...am I being a poor steward of money by spending $7 for 2lbs of chicken??

Not to mention the time it takes for me to get all this done...I left at 9a this morning and got home at 12:45p. Almost 4 hours to grocery shop? Really???

Ok LORD you tell me...is it all really worth it? Am I doing the right thing?