Toes and Toots

Lest anyone think we're a classy family, here's a glimpse of a typical day at our house.  Watch the top one first or the bottom one won't make sense.
My favorite part is Nathan jumping from the coffee table to the couch in the background. That kid is always active!

Summer 2012

My last post was toward the end of the school year, and here it is 2 weeks before the start of the new school year. Summer, where have you gone???
Well, let's see:
We had to have our dining room floor excavated at the end of May to fix a broken pipe,and at the gracious invitation of our church we were able to spend 4 days and 3 nights at the youth building. It proved to be an unexpected and fun "stay-cation" for our family. The kids had a great time playing the Wii on the giant screen and using the playground. The building has several rooms and everyone had their own futon on which to sleep. We also had use of the kitchen and laundry facilities so we really weren't inconvenienced much.


Abby helping at VBS. The theme was Babylon: The Courage of Daniel

The following week the kids and I participated in VBS at the church. Zac, Seth. Abby and I were group leaders and the younger kids were attendees. It was a very fruitful and rewarding (and okay, tiring) week.

On Father's Day Seth and Abby left for Gallup, NM for a week-long missions project, and two weeks after that they spent a week at an adventure camp outside San Antonio. Zac attended Chrysalis in July for three days and returned home a changed kid. :-)
The first week of August Madalyn and Ally went to Lueders, TX for Missions Camp for 3 days. Abby also went to serve as a youth sponsor. In late July Abby and Seth helped in a tremendous way at a small church an hour away. They spent several hours a day for 5 days helping the church with their first-ever VBS program.
Did I mention the best news of all? WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!!!!!! We closed July 27 and are grateful for everything God has done in our lives in the 2-1/2 years that it was on the market. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!!

Simple Truth

After expressing my disappointment (not very kindly, either) to Matt about some interpersonal issues, I saw this quote today. It ate my lunch.

"A kingdom culture of honor is when I can celebrate who you ARE without stumbling over what you’re not." ~ Bill Johnson

I don't know Mr. Johnson but his insight made me stop in my tracks and scrutinize the beam in my eye. God is good to speak to me about my shortcomings.

That's all for now.

So Much to Say, So Little Time

I have many things on my heart to share, but truthfully, I just don't have the wherewithal to write them all right now.  First of all, I have a two year-old from whom I can't take my attention off of for a moment.  Secondly, I have a newborn and I use the time when she sleeps to maintain control of my home. (Keeping up with laundry is a full-time task, as you can imagine.) Thirdly, though this is a new keyboard, it skips letters and drives me crazy. I have to go back through my entries and fill in the missing letters constantly.  That little issue makes writing very frsratig. I mean,frustrating. (that really happened... I didn't skip those letters on purpose.)
So... in a nutshell, the Lord is doing many things in my life, in our family, and deep in my heart. I wish I could share the marvels with you, but I just don't have it in me at this time. I will, however, include some pictures today.
Watch this space for updates. I really do enjoy blogging.

 Much to the horror of perfect mothers: Yes, I bribed Nate with candy to keep him from running out the door of the doctor's exam room, down the hallway and into the waiting area where he would most likely throw a toy at some unsuspecting elderly woman. (It's happened.)

Easter 2012

Dapper in argyle

Happy baby!

Seriously.

Four Men and a Baby

I AM SO BLESSED TO BE THEIR MOM!!!

Our oldest and youngest, with a mere 16-1/2 year age difference

Seth and two week-old Karis dozed off together today. Made my heart melt a little.

At her one-week checkup, Luke asked if he could listen to Karis' heart. Dr. McClatchee gladly obliged.

Nathan loves "his" baby. He is so sweet with her!

Karis Destiny

She arrived beautifully on Monday, February 6 at 1:03 pm, eight days before her due date and two days ahead of my scheduled induction. I have a story to tell about her arrival, but alas...my brain is sleep-deprived so I shall save that post for another day. Meanwhile, here are some pics of our little peanut in all of her 6 lb., 7 oz. glory.

Matt left work to take me to my appointment. He was waiting in the car with Luke and Nathan when I texted him to say that I was being sent to Labor and Delivery. The poor guy never made it back to the store that day!

First picture, silver nitrate and all

My gangsters got to meet Karis later that evening. Grandma and Grandpa arrived at the hospital a short time later after driving from FL.

The new birthing unit at Hendrick Medical Center opened at 8 am Monday. Karis arrived just after 1 pm, being the first baby born there. This pink elephant was a gift from the hospital commemorating her celebrity status.

"No paparazzi, please!"

Ahhh....found my thumb!

First outing...Mommy's birthday lunch and shopping for baby girl clothes

Three days old

Waiting for Number Nine

Thought I'd give a quick update for those I don't talk with regularly. I'm 37 weeks along, having contractions every day and hoping to hold off delivery until February. I haven't gone early in any previous pregnancies, so I'm not overly concerned. I'm pretty sure I'm going to birth a spider monkey, however, because this baby is much more active than any of my others. I guess he/she can't wait to come meet the fam!
I absolutely love my doctor. She is great! She is very committed to her Christian walk and it is evident in her office, her website, and her bedside manner. If it weren't for the awkwardness of she being my ob, she is someone I would want to befriend.
As for the rest of the clan, we've had our ups and downs since moving here almost 6 months go. The West Texas weather is crazy.  70 today, 50 tomorrow, 28 in the morning...rain, drought, snow, sunshine...we get it all. Half the kids have head/chest colds right now and I'm trying to stave it off myself. The home we're renting has several issues, which complicates things further. Drafty windows, doors that don't close completely, plumbing problems that have resulted in mold all contribute to the ten of us constantly battling sickness. I'll be thankful when the weather stabilizes this Spring and our immune systems can relax a bit.
My broken foot is healing well. I was able to wear a regular shoe yesterday for a short time which is encouraging. I refuse to wear the walking boot to the hospital when the time comes, so I'm glad I have an alternative now. I think I'll avoid wearing heels to church again anytime soon, though. haha
Seth turned 15 last week. 15!!!! He's patiently waiting for his bday gift to arrive: a PS3 game system. We shopped around on ebay for a while and found the one he wants, and he contributed almost half of the cost. He's a good kid and he's hungry for the Word of God. It blesses me to see him reading his Bible regularly and attending youth group on Wednesdays. He enjoys studying theology like his dad. The past few weeks the two of them have watched a dvd series by John Piper together.
Guess that's about it for now. Don't know if I'll post again before Baby C or K arrives, but I will definitely post pics of our new bundle afterward. Have a great weekend, y'all!

A Day to Forget...Seriously.

Yesterday was MLK Day which meant the kids had the day off from school. I looked forward to it for several reasons: 75 degree-weather  ensured a trip to the playground; meeting Zac's "friend" for the first time; and celebrating Seth's 15th birthday a day early (since Matt has to work late on his actual birthday.).  As well, because I broke a bone in my foot on Sunday, I figured I'd be able to stay off of it while the kids took care of things around here. That was the plan.
Here's how the day actually played out:
Abby made breakfast for the kids after Matt left for work. Anticipating that Zac's friend Vanessa would be coming over after lunch, I assigned chores for the kids and myself. All went well for a while until, as they typically do, Zac and Seth started fighting. Someone shut off the other's video game and retaliation ensued. It ended with a broken window on our French door that leads to the sun porch. Just great.
After that chaos, Abby made lunch for everyone. Fast forward to the playground. Since I have a bum foot, I allowed Zac and Vanessa to take Ally, Madi, Katie and Luke to play. Nate fell asleep just before they left so he missed out. (I found it surprising that he went to sleep much earlier than I anticipated.  More on that in a moment.) Zac called me after awhile to say that Luke had fallen and hurt himself. It turned out he fell 8 feet off a structure!  He hurt his back but other than that he's okay. He's still complaining of back pain today but it's not bothering him too much and he runs around as usual. Hopefully he will feel fine in another day or so. I'm thankful that an 8-foot fall didn't produce more severe consequences.
When the gang returned from the playground, Zac somehow leaned up against his bedroom window and shattered it. Broken window # 2. In a home we rent, nonetheless.... oy vay!
I started to prepare Seth's birthday meal and realized I had forgotten to buy ricotta cheese for the lasagna. Phooey! I decided to start baking his cake while I tried to figure out how to get by without the cheese. I hadn't even gotten the cake mix opened when Nate woke up from his nap and immediately started throwing up.  EVERYWHERE! The vomit was an unusual color and just kept coming. Abby jumped in to help with clean up, Ally took care of the food that was cooking on the stove, and Madalyn ran outside to warn Zac and Vanessa that they might not want to come in the house.
 Nate continued to vomit repeatedly for the next three hours, sometimes acting as if he was convulsing. Matt came home and assessed him, and we decided he needed medical attention. No fever present, no one else feeling sick, and Nate's ashen, lethargic appearance led us to realize he had likely ingested something poisonous at some point during the day.
Abby took over dinner prep (lasagna became enchilada casserole), making it the third meal she prepared that day, while Matt, Nate and I headed to the ER. On the way we called Matt's folks to let them know what was happening and ask for prayer. We checked Nate in and the nurse advised us that it was a very busy night so be prepared for a long wait. We went to the crowded waiting room and plopped down on the few chairs that were empty.
After 30 minutes or so Nate started to perk up. He smiled and responded to us when we spoke to him; his cheeks began to gain some color; and he grabbed his sippy cup to guzzle his drink. I had a bowl in hand ready to catch the vomit that I assumed would come up, but surprisingly--- he didn't throw up. He eventually got up from his seat, wandered around and asked for another drink. Matt and I were surprised and relieved, but not yet ready to take him home without being seen by a doctor. We called Matt's parents again to update them and they continued to pray for him.
We waited another hour or so, by which time Nathan was pointing to the exit and asking to go home. We spoke to the triage nurse who agreed that he looked much better and gave us some advice to follow; then we headed home.
By the time we brought him in the house, Nathan was completely fine and even scarfed down a peanut butter sandwich.  He seemed insatiably thirsty, but otherwise acted like a typical 2 year old. He slept all night, woke up happy this morning, and except for a few putrid, unusual-looking messy diapers, has been 100% normal. We will never know what caused him to become so violently ill, but we know for sure that God healed him.We are truly grateful.
Just to remind me of what a truly wretched day it was, while the kids were getting ready for bed I dropped a glass jar of strawberry jelly on the freshly-mopped kitchen floor. What a mess! Happy to say that because Matt jumped in to clean it up for me, the thrice-mopped-in-one-day floor has never looked better.

'Tis the Season...

Snow on Dec. 5. This past week it hit 70 degrees. Today it's 50 and thunderstorms. Weather in West Texas is schizophrenic.

We had our annual cookie-making palooza last week. As the teenaged boys get older, they are less productive in the activity.  They each made one big cookie and then plopped down to watch football. Abby on down, however, had a great time.

This has nothing to do with Christmas.  I just think it's funny. Apparently, Nate found a new place to store french fries. Yummy.

Cold weather makes it tempting to sleep in.  That is, unless you have 2 squirmy children climb into your cozy, warm bed in the middle of the night. At that point, I usually surrender to the couch.

These two lovely ladies did a wonderful job and maintained stamina through endless practices and 6 performances of our church's production of The Living Christmas Tree. Just don't ask Madalyn to partake in the choreography.  It ain't happening.



I Know, I Know....It's About Time

It's been much too long since I posted. I've somewhat lost my inspiration and desire to write. I open the blog daily to see if any blogs I follow are updated and then hang my head in shame over the fact that it's been nearly 2 months since my own update.
We've celebrated 4 birthdays here in Abilene.  Matt had a birthday two days after we moved.  His mom and dad were here to celebrate, which made it very special.
Abby turned 13 on Sept. 11, making me the proud mom of 3 teenagers. She loves 7th grade, earns all As and Bs and serves on the student council of her middle school. She's a beautiful young lady and I'm so proud of her.
Luke's 4th birthday was October 4. He wanted a Star Wars cake, so with a little help from his birthday gift (light sabres) I somehow pulled off a decent lit-up cake. 
Little man Nate is now two, having had his birthday earlier this month. We...ummm...never really got around to celebrating it.  He doesn't know the difference, right? Next year he'll be old enough to appreciate a cake with candles and gifts, but this year he's just excited to be strong enough to open the refrigerator door. (Good thing we have an alarm that alerts us when it's been open too long!)
 Ally, Madi and Katie have all taken up running.   Every Wednesday in their P.E. class they run laps around the track at school. 5 laps equals 1 mile, and every five miles is awarded a ribbon. Ally is on the cusp of earning her 20-mile ribbon, Madi just earned her 15-mile ribbon, and Katie is working on her 10-mile. They take after their mom.... I can't wait to be able to start running again!
My pregnancy has been great thus far.  I'm 27 weeks today.  That means Thanksgiving will be the beginning of my 3rd trimester. I chose to be surprised by the baby's sex.  I honestly have no inclination whether this is a boy or a girl I'm carrying.  It's the tie-breaker, it's our last baby, and it's actually kind of fun not knowing. Don't even ask about names.  I have NO IDEA what this child will be named! Matt is still a little sore that I wanted #8 to be Nathan rather than Joseph, so when he suggested that he choose this baby's first name (whether boy or girl) and I choose the middle, I agreed. If he/she ends up being called Boschembechler Matthew, don't blame me. haha
Other news: Seth got fitted for contact lenses last month. What a difference it's made for him! He'd seen an eye doctor two years ago who agreed that he needed glasses/contacts, but told us to wait until Seth was at least 14. I wish we hadn't taken his advice, but I'm glad he can see now. Next up: braces.
Guess that's about all for now.  we have been  attending a church for several weeks.  The kids all like it a lot, which is so important to us. They have several programs in which our children can be involved. It's been close to 10 years since we've been part of a church that had a thriving children and youth program, so we are quite pleased about this one.
If I don't post again before the holidays, I hope you all have a wonderful season that is merry and bright.

Forces of Nate-ure

I just discovered Nathan giving himself a bath.  He dumped out Zac's Axe Bodywash all over himself and then turned on the bathwater and climbed in.  Thankfully he doesn't know how to close the drain, so the water didn't accumulate...but it was still a soapy mess nonetheless. (Where was I while he was doing that? I was cleaning up Luke's vomit. Ugh.)
Nate is a force to be reckoned with. We have to keep the front and back doors locked or he'll wander ouside. Every morning the girls take down their bunkbed ladders so he won't climb them while hs sisters are at school. He's even emptied the kitchen trash can, put in a new liner, and attempted to drag the full bag to the back yard....without anyone asking for the trash to go out. He got ahold of Matt's phone and called Grandma the other day, much to her delight. He is potty training himself.  Seriously!  He's not even two years old yet!
He is a sweet, content, happy child; as well as curious, daring, and fearless. He both delights and exhausts me. I love my Nater Tater, but I'm sure glad he wasn't a twin. 

The story behind this photo: during the UM-ND game, the Wolverines were down 14-0.  The boys thought that perhaps putting their Michigan towels over their heads would encourage the team to play better.  Nate got in on the action by throwing a teeshirt on his head and then plopped down between his big brothers. It seems this silly superstition worked, because Michigan came back and won 35-31.

He's constantly fascinated by the color of my toenails. In this case it was red, but he is equally enthralled by blue or Espresso brown.

I should buy stock in Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I'd earn back all the money I spend on them.

He wore himself out tearing apart his just-made bed.

His antics remind me of someone else I've raised....hmmm...

We play at the playgound every.single.day.  He is not afraid to try the big-kid stuff, like monkey bars.

P.S.
 I kid not...as soon as I finished the above post, I checked on Nathan to see what he was doing.  He had apparently loaded his diaper, then stuck his fingers in it and smeared it all over the tile floor and himself.  He's just received his second bath of the morning and it's only 9:30 a.m.  Yes, this picture shows him covered in poopies. Quite proud of himself, isn't he?

School

Katie (kindergarten), Madi (2nd grade) and Ally (4th grade) attend Stephen F. Austin Elementary. 

The school is only two blocks from home, so we enjoy playing at the playground quite frequently.

Abby (7th grade) attends Mann Middle School.

Seth is a freshman at Abilene High School.  He hates getting his picture taken.

Ah hah! Caught him off-guard!

Zac is a junior at Abilene High. My little boy is all grown up!

Getting Settled

And.....I'm back.  Hello, readers! It has been a busy three weeks here in Abilene! Week one was spent moving and spending precious time with Matt's parents; week two was spent enrolling 6 kids in school and chasing down shot records; week three saw the commencement of the school year.  All has gone well albeit a few minor hiccups along the way.
I confess that I was a bit skeptical of this house when we first moved in.  There are glaring issues with damage from previous tenants, along with the fact that this 50-year old home has shifted off its foundation somewhat.  But overall I'm very happy here.  The layout of this house is perfect for our size family. The landlord has been most accomodating in getting things repaired. I think they're just happy to have a family live here instead of college students who own 5 dogs. Yikes! (As I write this, the "tub guys" are getting ready to reveal our refinished bathtub! We've had only one bathroom to use for three days.  Think about it: 10 people, one bathroom. Let grace abound!)

My last look at our house in OKC.

Our first stop in the 5-hour drive: lunch!

Home sweet home!  I have always loved Texas!

We have a great screened-in sunporch! It also served as temporary storage as we got boxes emptied.

We have a big fenced backyard where the kids made a rope swing.

 

If you know Matt's mom, you won't be at all surprised to know that she vacuumed our driveway.

But she definitely made sure to spend quality time with the kids.

Moving Right Along

It's been a summer of surprises and anticipation so far, but now we are seeing the unfolding of God's plan for us.  Matt has spent the summer in Abilene getting acclamated to his new store. The kids and I have been here in OKC without our husband and father and without a vehicle.
However, this time next week we'll be together for good in Abilene!  We found a great house that's walking distance to Matt's store and the younger girls' school.

We've had our fill of this heatwave in Oklahoma City.

Did I mention that the air conditioning has been getting worse and worse and eventually quit on us?   This was the house temperature at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday.  Can you say "stifling"?

But after several phone calls to various a/c repair places, I found one who could come Wednesday to fix it. Thank you for favor, Lord!

So while we waited for the house to cool down, I took a few kids to our favorite grocery store for the last time to buy enough supplies to last just until we move.

And today, after sleeping in a cool home, we woke up ready to work and get this place packed up!

We're in for a busy weekend. Matt will come home from Abilene on Monday to get the moving truck.  His parents will arrive Monday evening, and we'll pack the truck on Tuesday.  Then...

Goodbye, Oklahoma!  Hello, Texas!