What We've Been Doing...

I feel like I have been ignoring my blog.  It's not intentional, it seems as though we have been extra busy lately.  Here's a little run down on what's been happening the past few days.

I haven't told you, but I am training for a new job.  A friend of ours approached me about doing some Search Engine Optimization work for/with him.  This is a whole new area of learning for me and I have done countless hours of reading and research on the subject.  He meets with me every Thursday and gives me new information and tasks to complete.

This is me, looking perplexed at my computer.  As mind boggling as it has been, this is an exciting adventure for me.  The best part is that I may be able to attend some conferences in the future. I am hoping to know enough by December because there will be one in Chicago, which isn't too terribly far from home.  Why does this excite me so?  Well, adult conversation, no cooking, no cleaning, quiet hotel room, no whining/fighting children for a few days.  All the things The King enjoys weekly, I may be able to experience a few times a year.  The job can be done from home when I find the time, so it's really perfect for our family schedule.

We have been hosting "Homeschool Presentation Day" at our house this year.  We would meet once a month and Friday was the last time we met for this school year.  Here is a photo from the first meeting last fall.  The kids (all ages) have the option to present anything they'd like for the entire group.  It's a great way for them to get used to speaking in front of a group.

We helped some friends move on Saturday.  We also inherited some of their cats (not the one in the photo) since they have no permanent address at the time.  There has been a lot of growling and arched backs around here with their three and our three getting to know each other.  Hopefully they will find a farm place soon so their cats can go back to normalcy.  I don't think they like being a part of our family.

Here I am with Jouster on Mother's Day.  See the corsage?  He bought it for me.  He pulled it out of the fridge on Saturday night and showed it to me early, thinking I might want to coordinate my outfit to match the flowers.  I just about cried.      

Mother's Day and my birthday were back to back this year.  How lucky am I to have two days in a row of special treatment?  Yesterday I celebrated my 41st birthday.  The King and the younger five children took me to The Cities for a shopping day.  I had fun.  The girls had fun.  The middle boys had fun.  The King and Prince Charming, not so much fun.  They are two peas in a pod and don't enjoy shopping at all.  I think The King has been secretly training the little guy to dislike shopping as much or more than he does.  Prince Charming kept saying (through tears), "Wet's go home now.  Wet's GO!"  Oh well, I was able to squeak about six hours (driving time included) out of both of them.

Then we came home and had a little birthday celebration.  My favorite birthday cake is Angel Food.  Plain.  No frosting.  Nothing on top.  That's what I prefer--every year--and have since I was a little girl.  If it's not purchased or made from scratch, it must be made with a two part mix.  That's the kind I like best.  My family doesn't have the same love for plain Angel Food as I do.  Being the loving wife and mother that I am, I do allow them to ruin theirs with strawberries and whipped cream!

That's what has been happening around here.  What have you been up to?  

Golden Birthday for the Girl Who Made My Bitter Waters Sweet

A little over five years ago, my mother died.  I was pregnant with our sixth child.   Talk about poor timing.  What was God thinking?  How could He take my mom then?  Couldn't He have waited to take her home AFTER my baby was born?  How could I deal with death when I should be excited and anticipating the birth of a child?  It did not make any sense to me.

The months leading to my little girl's birth had been a roller coaster.  I was making frequent trips back to South Dakota to visit my dying mother.  The baby was transverse and my doctor was concerned my water would break on one of my six hour road trips.  With a transverse baby, the concern is that if your water breaks, there is nothing blocking the birth canal and the umbilical cord can exit the birth canal, depriving the baby of blood and oxygen--causing brain damage.    Our doctor was familiar with the route and knew that hospitals were few and far between.  He wasn't thrilled I needed to travel, but didn't tell me not to.  He understood my need to be with my mom.  He advised me to get out of the car and walk around every hour, and continually stressed the importance that I would need to get to a hospital ASAP for a C-section if my water broke.  But God protected us from that concern.  The pregnancy continued on and I made it through the funeral and the weeks following. 

Then in God's perfect timing, exactly three weeks after mom died, our daughter entered the world.  It was the most bittersweet time in my life.  I had never known bittersweet until the moment I held that baby in my arms and looked her in the eyes.  She was the spitting image of my mother.  Everything about her reminded me of my mom.  Her squinty eyes, her cute little nose, even her feet, ankles and toes were exact replicas of my mother's.  I couldn't decide if I should cry tears of joy or weep tears of sorrow.

My husband stood at my side with his arm around my shoulders.  My doctor stood on the other side, holding my hand.  All three of us were admiring this creation of God.  It was as though the world had stopped for a moment.  The birthing room was silent.  No one was moving about.  I whispered, "I wish I could call my mom and tell her."  My doctor replied, "I am sure she knows."  He patted my hand and then said,  "Congratulations mom, she's beautiful."  Bittersweet.  That's the only word I can use to describe that moment in time.

We named our daughter Mara Grace.  Mara means bitter.  In the book of Ruth, after Naomi's husband and sons had died, Naomi, along with her daughter-in-law Ruth, left Moab to return to Bethlehem.  Upon her arrival, Naomi told her people to call her Mara...because her life had been made very bitter.  

Mara is also mentioned in the book of Exodus, but spelled differently, and this is the real reason for going with that name.  Don't ask me why we chose to spell her name Mara instead of Marah, those months after mom's death are still just a blur in my mind.   I think we took a vote of all our family members and hospital visitors and 'Mara' won out.  

The Israelites had left the captivity of Egypt and had traveled in the desert for three days without finding water.  Then in Exodus 15:23-25: When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.)  So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"  Then Moses cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a piece of wood.  He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

You see, I was bitter.  I was angry that God had taken my mother from me.  Then just three short weeks later, he blessed me beyond measure.  With a child who, every day of her life thus far, has reminded me of my mom.  Not a day goes by that I don't look at her and see my mom.  For that I am so very thankful.  God knows what He's doing.  He is SO good and gives us what we need.  Don't ever doubt that. 

Happy Golden Birthday Maiden.  Mara Grace.  It is by God's grace through your birth, beloved child, that my bitter waters were made sweet.  Thank you, Lord.  She is a true blessing from you!

  

Happy Birthday!

We celebrated Duchess' 7th birthday today. 

 

The only items on her birthday list were Tootsie Rolls and an American Girl Doll.

She really wanted Sonali, "Because she is Indian just like me."

She was very surprised to see that she actually got what she wanted.

She 'just knew' we couldn't afford Sonali.

Tonight she said to me, "Am I in a dream?  I can't believe I got Sonali for my birthday.  I must be in a dream."

I feel the same way about you, my dear.  I can't believe you are part of our family.  Am I in a dream?

Happy Birthday Duchess.  We love you!

A Very Happy Birthday

I'm a little late in posting this. The weekend before last we celebrated my Mother In Love's 75th birthday.

For over thirty years she has (and still) runs her own restaurant. She is famous for her pies. That's why she has a pie themed cake. Hoards of people flock to the cafe every Wednesday for pie day. It's not an exaggeration to tell you that she bakes the best pies in the Midwest...possibly the whole world. I'm sorry to tell you that she has been interviewed to death by the media and will no longer be doing pie interviews.

A gathering with The King's family would not be complete without food...lots of food. So much so, that as the last of the dishes from a meal are washed and dried, the next meal is already being prepared. Oh, and the food is always ever so tasty. What else can you expect from the offspring and spouses of a famous restaurant owner?

The birthday girl cannot stay out of the kitchen. Never. There is a magnetic pull between her and any kitchen. You'd think that after all those years of preparing daily specials, flipping burgers, and rolling out pie crusts, she'd welcome any opportunity to stay away. Here she is helping her oldest daughter prepare one of our many meals for the weekend.

Half the weekend I couldn't find my camera. Thankfully this Sister In Love is rarely without hers. Thank goodness we have someone to faithfully document the family history through photos.

Here is the oldest granddaughter (one grandson is just a bit older) with her daughter...the first great grand child. One of the draw backs of marrying one of the youngest children in a large family is that you become old before your time. I became a great-aunt at the ripe old age of 26.
The younger ones had fun with a pinata. "Okay everyone, line up from youngest to oldest."
And when those little ones were unable to knock the pinata down, we called in for back up. Jouster gave it a good whack and knocked it to the floor. Do you see the pinata expert crouching down behind me? He was ready to make his move to gather candy.

Prince Charming got more than his little hands could hold. I realized as I was typing this that he is the youngest grandchild (not including the great grandchildren here). I wonder if he will ever lose his position?

Some of the older cousins had time to get reacquainted.
And spend time hanging out at the house reading.
While some of the younger cousins (the fan club) enjoyed watching their 'dult' cousin perform some worship music. Don't be surprised if you see her on stage one day. She is a talented young lady! Just so you know, a 'dult' cousin is one who is already an adult. They are the ones who provide my younger children with playmates...Yeah! But family gatherings can sometimes bring on the tears. Maiden was a little sad that all the other girls her size drove uptown together while she was stuck riding with Prince Charming.
We made Grandma a photo album with pictures and messages from the grandchildren and great grandchildren. If I remember correctly, Grandma has been blessed with 29 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. Only 9 of the grandchildren are married thus far...the number of great grandchildren is only going to continue to grow!Then the girls had to compare their pages with each other.
And no visit with Grandpa would be complete without a Grandpa Dollar. Here the kids are lined up to receive their $. Every time the grand kids visit Grandpa or Grandpa visits the grand kids, he gives them a Grandpa Dollar, a real dollar bill. The more times you see Grandpa in a year, the more dollars you get. Hmm...I wonder who really benefits from this tradition?
We all got to meet Grandma and Grandpa's new dog, Poochy. Prince Charming was quite smitten with him. (As were most of the grandchildren.)
A family photo at the end of a grandios weekend. After seeing this photo do you even have to question why I married The King? I had to be a part of this royal family. I am so blessed and thankful for them. God is good!

Happy Birthday Char! We love you!

Happy Birthday

Jouster was eligible for a 12 hour pass the day before his birthday. His only request: "I just want to be home for my 18th birthday." So, we picked him up at 9:00 a.m. and had him back by 9:00p.m. This is our traditional 'kid photo' for birthdays. It was good to have him home.
He's letting his hair grow out, and experimenting with some chin hairs. We got him a Culver's Turtle Cake for his big day. He used to work at Culver's and was happy we thought to get him one. The birthday person of honor chooses his/her meal and sits at the head of the table with our special birthday plate. Jouster had no requests for a meal. "Anything homemade," was his choice. We had barbecued dutch oven chicken, fresh bake whole wheat dinner rolls, peaches and cream, baked potatoes, and corn. He was thrilled with his birthday dinner. We were thrilled to be able to be with him.

Happy Birthday, son. We love you!

What's Been Happening Around Here

A lot has happened in the past month. I'll fill you in.... (Warning...VERY LONG POST!)
The Haircut

Before. I was getting pretty shaggy and felt a little frumpy.

It's not good to feel frumpy when you are about to turn 40. Thus, a rash decision to get rid of the hair:After.

Prince Charming was scared of me the night I came home with my new look. He wouldn't even let me hold him. He was so frightened of me, he went to bed that night without nursing. I wanted to cry. He was fine the next morning. I wish I could say the same for myself. I had haircutting remorse when I looked in the mirror the next day. (I'm over it now.)

Quilting Weekend

My friend Rapunzel and I spent a weekend sewing at her house. We are part of a block of the month club at our local quilt shop. Neither one of us had started the project this year and it needs to be done by the first weekend in June. If we bring in our completed blocks, we will get the border fabrics for the quilt. If it's not complete, no fabric.

We cut the first night and sewed the next day. We ate a lot of fun snacks, watched some HGTV, and listened to some great Christian radio. Rapunzel was a little disappointed in my sewing/quilting skills. I admit, I was a tad rusty. The last time I used my machine had been with her at her cabin...14 months prior. My poor Bernina was feeling a little neglected. It was fun to sew again. I won't wait 14 months again!

Maiden is 4

May 5th Maiden turned four years old. She is such a joy in our lives.
Since she has a Cinco De Mayo birthday, we have no choice but to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Yummy!
And then back home for some cake and gifts. The girl in the background that is not part of my family is Jester's "Good Friend and Running Partner". She hangs out at our house quite a bit. If I didn't know better, I would think she's his girlfriend.

I am 40!

I turned 40 on Mother's Day this year. The King made my day very relaxing. I didn't have to do any cooking, cleaning, or diaper changing. What a fine day! It would have been perfect if Jouster had been with me as well. I did see him the day before and for that I was very thankful.
Surprise!!!

Two days before my birthday, some very special people in my life nearly gave me a heart attack by having a surprise party for me. You shouldn't do that to people my age.

I hope they have all repented for their sins. Those planning the event (all proclaimed Christians) were secretive and deceitful in the days leading up to the big party. I can't believe I was oblivious to all the planning that went on behind my back. I did get a tiny bit suspicious just minutes before the surprise when we pulled into the driveway of our friends house so The King could 'pick up a book' on our way to go out and eat. "Why don't you just come in and say hi with me for a few minutes?" I thought, "Hmm...what's going on?" But when I looked up and down the street, I saw no vehicles. "Good the coast is clear, no surprises for me." I hate surprises. The King is on the far left of the photo. Doesn't he look proud of himself? And me? I am taking my "You guys are in big trouble mothering stance." The King knows I hate surprises. I think that's why he's got such a big smile on his face.

Now they are all singing, and I am about to cry. You all did this for me?

I am so blessed with great friends and family. Even if they are deceitful and can't be trusted.

See the lady in the blue shirt at the right of the photo? She was the most tricky. She called me the day of the party to throw me off. We had tried to plan a double date with her and her hubby for that evening, but things weren't working out. She told me on the phone, "I'm getting the kids bathed, we're thinking about leaving today (a day early) for my in-laws. I feel bad that we didn't get to do anything for your birthday." (She was going to be gone for the whole weekend for Mother's Day.) Oh, she is one smooth talking lady.

Even my Sister in Love and King's Twin had rehearsed what their children were to say to me on the phone 'just in case' I called their house when they were gone.

See why I'm concerned about them repenting?

Here I am (the short one) with the Ladies who planned it all. Thank you. It was a great evening and definitely made turning 40 a little less painful.

Colorado

I flew to Colorado for a week to help my sister with my nephew's graduation. I was in Windsor and flew home a day before the big tornado. I had just had a conversation with my niece on Monday about how "Colorado doesn't get tornadoes". I guess I was wrong. My sister's yard furniture was destroyed and were still without electricity the last time I spoke to her.

Weavermom: We will have to get together on my next trip out there!

Jouster

Jouster has been having a hard time in treatment. He tried to get kicked out of the program (by running away a second time) so he could come home. The King went to the facility and talked with those in charge and with Jouster. They said he could stay. He was very disappointed. He thought for sure he wouldn't be allowed to stay.

For now, he is staying and has committed to finish High School there. I am praying that the amount of time it takes him to finish school is close to the amount of time he has left in the program.

That's all for now.

Blessings,