~matthew and melissa king~

my little lovees.

2012-02-09T21:49:00.000-05:00

phew. what a day.

not even that i did that much.

however...

can i tell you that i was *up* and *out of bed*

EIGHT

times in the wee hours this morning between 2:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.

(if you can't do the math, that's like every 15 minutes...and i absolutely

fell asleep after i crawled back into bed each time. :) )

with

EVERY

child...except one.

ya all wonder why i am exhausted all the time.

granted it was not a normal night.

but can i get an amen sista? :)

(doesn't karolina's hair look RED in this picture? totally wild...)

and we finally finished our ~valentine's~ for this year.

i found this awesome idea on pinterest @
http://www.dandee-designs.com/2012/01/friendship-bracelet-valentines-update.html

(so our's don't look quite as professional, but we took a good shot at it) :)

we decided we'd do them for...

kaden's 2nd grade class, kaycee's 1st grade class,

and campbell's preschool class...

kaden and kaycee had a blast...

i did campbell's bracelets for her...was just a bit too tricky for her to do...

(which was actually a trip down memory lane for me,

as i used to make these as a kid...)

so much fun.

and all the creative color combinations... :)

the kids are into doing these little dance shows for us *every* night.

it's kind of hilarious.

i don't know what's up...

kaycee and calli are both wearing headbands of karolina's,

and left her little bald head with nothin' on. :)

i also re-did my picture wall down in the basement.

i can't decide if i like it or not?

i liked it on the picture i copied from :)

will show you another day.

nighty-night.

jump start.

2012-02-03T09:13:00.001-05:00

i got this out of one of my favorite little devotional magazines i pulled off my shelf last night...it's from renew: a devotional magazine for women. and i love it.

i don't know why quiet time has to be so hard for me...well, nix that. i do know why quiet time is so hard for me: a) i can't get out of bed early enough, and b) if i don't get out of bed early enough, then there is really no quiet time in my house, or quality quiet time, until the kids go to bed at night, and by then i am too tired to pull out my bible, and let's just admit it, c) it's not a priority...because if it was, i would *get it done*. what is wrong with me?

why can't i make this a priority in my ~everyday~ life? and well...i guess it's not quiet time i really struggle with. i am quiet before the Lord a lot thru my day, i pray a lot thru my day, it's the sitting down, and resting, being quiet before the Lord i struggle with. the opening of his word, that i struggle with...probably because i have to ~sit down~ to do that part. :( regardless of what i struggle with, and what you may struggle with, i thought there were some really good thoughts in this segment. what do you think??

jump-start your quiet time

enough with the excuses. here are ten ways to revitalize your time with God:

1. begin a prayer journal. a simple spiral notebook will do. keep track of your prayer requests and praises. better yet, write out your prayers to God.

2. study psalm 119 for a month. read six verses each day and write down the blessings and benefits of knowing God's Word.

3. ask a friend to be your study buddy. study the same book of the Bible and meet regularly to discuss what God is teaching you.

4. make a list of everything you are thankful for, from sunshine to God's gift of salvation. refer to this list often, especially when you're frustrated or discouraged.

5. pray scripture for yourself, your family or friends. for example, for salvation, read: isaiah 45:3, 2

Timothy 2:10, for purity: psalm 51:10; for joy: 1 Thessalonians 1:6; for love of God's Word: psalm 19:9-10.

6. incorporate christian music into your quiet time. read or sing the words of a favorite hymn or listen to a praise CD. contemplate how the lyrics draw you closer to God.

7. read your favorite psalm, then write your own paraphrase of it, personalizing the psalm to fit your circumstances.

8. vary your setting. if you normally have your quiet time indoors, try praying while you walk through your woods, or bring your Bible and meditate by a quiet stream.

9. establish a family quiet time. read a Bible passage together and discuss it. share prayer requests and take turns praying for one another. encourage your children to act out one of their favorite Bible stories, complete with costumes and props.

10. listen to God. ask him to free you from distractions, then sit quietly and allow him to speak with you.

so...i continue to try to learn scripture with my kids. there is ~nothing~ i love more than someone praying scripture out-loud. i want to be that person...it is just not there...yet. :) i am also a journal-er. always have been. i don't as much anymore, because this helps with that, but i still try to write on paper, my thoughts...and not just on the bad days, which is sometimes my tendency...but then i think, "what in the world are my kids going to think of me, when i am gone, and they find all these journals, filled with my struggles and ugly thoughts", ha.ha.ha. and that helps me remember to write my good thoughts and blessings in there as well. what motivation. eigh? :) i think i want to try the psalm 119 thing for a month. what a challenge that will be for me.

my neice, piper, at the zoo. the difference in these 2 kids is wild.

piper is only 3 wks older, but seriously. she is crawling. :) and throwing herself

out of her crib. eeeekkkkk. she is ~not~ going to miss a beat. that is for sure.

and this is little lovee...all snugglee, and didn't move the entire time we were at the zoo.

she hardly sits up. let alone crawls. i'll take it. :)

anyway. hope this inspires you, like it has inspired me... happy Super bowl weekend. Go Patriots. they are in it right? :) just kidding. i really don't give a rip who wins. :)

and...most friends i have make fun of me because i am waaaaayyy to young to listen to wdac, or 94.5, but it is on in my house, pretty much all day long. i wonder what is going to happen when the spiritual super giants, like dobson, and kay arthor, etc. are going to pass away. do we have spiritual giants to take over? hmmm. anyway, today and yesterdays programs were AWESOME...carol kent spoke. if you haven't read her books. DO SO. if you haven't heard these programs. DO SO. i am sure they are on focus on the family's website, or it will air again tonight at 8:30 p.m. she shares candidly, honestly and openly about her ONLY son who will spend life in prison, for killing a man. it is a real story about a christian mother who hurts everyday. who did everything she knew how to do to raise her son in a christian home, with christian influences...and wow. what a testimony for all the hurting people in the world. check it out. ~mk.

it's been awhile

2012-02-02T11:37:00.000-05:00

so i guess this will just be a hodge podge post.

since i have last written, pink eye has returned in kaden, so we are treating him *again*, i had to visit the doctor as well, so i was down for the count, for a good 2 days, but some rest and antibiotics has done this mommy wonders. some snow. some 60 degree temps. 100th day of school project. karolina feeding herself *puffs* but refusing cheerios, i guess because they are cheaper. :) bible study started again...a study of david. good news club to start at the end of this month, so lots of recruiting, anyone want to help? :) and organizing for things to run smoothly again this semester. and then throw in some laundry, baking, cooking, cleaning, and fun perhaps, and call it a week.

how do you like karolina's headband? i think it totally rocks.

however, it does clash with her bib. :(

karolina is now trying to throw herself out of the bumbo.

so, being that i accidentally let campbell throw herself out of it, onto the floor,

when she was about this age, (eeeekkkk)

i decided it was time for a high chair.

baby girl is growing up. she is 6 months old now. :(

did a teeny bit of re-organizing.

each kid has their own basket now. labeled basket.

for their own hats, gloves, shoes...

this is supposed to make my life easier. :)

in the past, i only had one basket, so everytime they were looking for their "other" shoe,

everyone's shoes were tossed all over the floor.

and of course they forgot to pick them up. :)

so far. this is a great invention. a great idea. found somewhere on pinterest. :)

these 2 are kind of 2 peas in a pod right now. calli loves karolina.

loves her so much, she wakes her. wakes her in the morning. and wakes her at naps...

gotta keep your eye on calli. plain. and simple.

they were helping me with laundry this day. :)

calli is a rock star at speech.

she loves it. and is really speaking much. much. more clearly.

it's amazing.

kaycee wanted me to take a picture of her 100 day bead project.

nice. :)

(canvas by: aimee weaver)

and one of my good friends had this canvas done for karolina's room.

i. am. in. love. with. it.

i wish her nursery wasn't ugly brown paneling. it would look much cuter...

someday. :)

kaden has had some rough spells. some crying and fit throwing because he is the *only* boy and can never have any fun. more than by yourself. boy fun. oh.my.word. it is so old already. so, we had one of his little friends over and they were outside the whole time, trying to kill some things and had target practice... :)

my sister and i squeezed in another trip to the Philly zoo this week. my pass will expire in april, so trying to fit some more visits in before that happens. :) GREAT investment in my opinion, even though matt has politely refused each of our zoo trips.

(love their blue feet protectors, right? i have no idea what they do...they were only on some of the flamingoes, and some of the penguins...wierd?)

how can one ~not~ believe in God. like how in the world did these flamingo's come into fashion

in ~any~ other way. they are like the strangest. beautiful. how in the world can they

possibly be comfy sleeping on one leg? for real?

campbell and nephew jaiden...he only goes to kindergarten every other day. we caught him on an "other" day...lucky for him. :)

and campbell and calli with my neice, reese...

and an update on matt. would be. his knee does not feel great. he is doing another month of therapy, and then will most likely be released from care. his strength is good, but not great...he did get kicked by a cow a couple weeks ago...that surely did not help. :( but he has been a trooper, and fairly good about doing his therapy...however, i am glad he is seeing someone else for that. it does surely help with his follow thru. :) at this point they are saying no surgery is indicated. which has been an answer to prayer, but he is still not happy because he doesn't feel normal. understood.

i guess that's all for now. i had to laugh. some ladies from my prayer group were busting on facebooker's the other week. for posting about what they do in a day. hmmmmm. it's totally okay. i just kept my mouth shut. one would assume they don't read my blog. good thing. :)

and i apologize...it seems most of my pictures are always of karolina.

one...i think because i am determined that we will not have less pictures of her, being that she's the youngest, and that's what everyone always says happens...and two...they just change so quickly. it's crazy. so...all that to say happy thursday to ya. off to get calli to speech.

this little light of mine.

2012-01-24T08:07:00.001-05:00

isn't this song beautiful?

i heard it yesterday, and i think it's my new theme song.

i think i change my life verse and theme song every other week. but i am in love with this one.

take some time to sit down and listen to the words.

my computer is getting re-built today

so i don't have access to my pictures,

hopefully, i can post them later.

happy foggy rainy day in the northeast. :)

pink eye.

2012-01-19T07:52:00.004-05:00

so. you will get this update because when i don't post on my blog, i am told people don't know what's going on in my life. that's how bad of a friend i am. :) texting and posting. you got it baby.

small group is officially somewhere else tonight.

will continue to un-germ today. and the next. and the next.

that horrible picture of kaden, posted yesterday, has multiplied over night to ~both~ of his eyes. :( so. he will not be going to school today either. i guess i will do a little preventative eye drops today in the others, just in case. that is why they give you more drops than you need for 5 days, correct? so the woman with 5 children can treat all 5 children without going to the doctors 5 times, like my doctor prefers. :) i do like my doctor most of the time, but the not calling prescriptions in is a lot of huge rediculous in my mind.

enough of that. happy thursday. it's jammie and slipper day at school today. i think we should participate from home. only sounds "right". :) guess i will have to clothe for calli's speech class. shucks. :)

this morning.

2012-01-18T10:35:00.003-05:00

this morning i spent some time playing with my camera. that is why i am still in my pajamas and it's 10:18 a.m. yikes! kaden is home today with a horrible case of pink eye. i guess it will be a miracle if someone else in the family doesn't get it, but for now, i am using lots of clorox, and doing lots of laundry. :) he can go back to school tomorrow.

we discovered some kittens at our house last night. this momma cat is pregnant ALL the time. seriously. and she moves her litters all over the farm, so we never really know where they are...or when they arrive. :) so this morning, as i was getting everyone breakfast i sat karolina in her bumbo, and she played with her toys, and watched the kittens play.

one of our friends might want a couple kittens, so i tried to take a couple extra pictures for her to see them.

and this last one, well...this is his eye looking better. he couldn't even open it this morning, it was that swollen. started him on drops last night, so hopefully it will look a little better until tomorrow comes. :) karolina is looking at him like "you've got to be kidding me." :) here's to healthy households !!

poor rabbits.

2012-01-17T13:25:00.001-05:00

(from left to right: nathan bromley, mark fiscus with joy, kaden, and matt)

mark enjoys bringing his hounds over to our farm, to help us learn how to hunt rabbits.

kaden told me she found 12 rabbits, and we shot 2. :)

(the one kaden is holding isn't entirely in the picture...my fault). surprise. surprise. :)

the big 34...

2012-01-14T22:57:00.001-05:00

i can honestly say it really rocks when your birthday falls on a saturday. i feel like i started partying yesterday, and we are not quite finished until tomorrow. yeah. totally rocks. i am loving 34 already. i have high hopes for a great year. thanks to my friends and family who rock as well. all the phone messages and cards and presents, ya all know i do love presents...i can't help it is one of my selfish love languages. :)

(matt's phone pic)

we went to delaware tonight for dinner, to some place matt went to with a bunch of guys

on a motorcycle ride the other week.

he said it was really good, so we thought that's where we would go for my birthday.

we got there a little before 6pm...and there was already an hour and a half wait, for our

family of 7. so we got back in the car and came back to chili's for dinner. :)

it was delicious.

my sister and mom were here for a little bit yesterday, and megan told campbell the "directions" for how my birthday morning should un-ravel. and i must say campbell totally delivered. she was instructed to let mommy sleep as long as she wanted, and to sneek downstairs and play in the basement until mommy woke up. then she told campbell to make me some breakfast and take it to her mommy in the basement. i heard her little whisper this morning..."yeah...she's awake, but let's still go to the basement" as she tiptoed past my bedroom. i got up maybe a half hour later, and went to the basement and sat by the fire. kaycee was instructed to bring mommy a banana, and she followed thru, and then campbell brought me a bowl of honey nut cheerios. she poured the milk and everything! she was a jem all day. maybe party because she knows her birthday is now next (coming in march), but still, she was a total riot.

(matt's phone pic)...campbell was delighted with her corn on the cob.

the biggest joy of year 33 was of course the healthy pregnancy and arrival of karolina grace. i was blessed to be a mommy all over again, to another precious being. wow. i am overtaken often by the wonder of it all. yeah, overwhelmed of course that somehow i am the mom of 5 children...but how did i get to be so lucky? i am sure i will not be feeling so "lucky" come another 6 years or so, :) but for now, i feel very blessed and yes, very lucky. my little almost 6 month old, started some cereal last night before bed. she loved it. and i think it made a difference. she's had a bad cold, and has been waking up to eat about 3x a night for the past 1 1/2 wks, so...last night, she whimpered around 3am, settled herself, and then woke at 5 am, i nursed her, and she slept again until 8am. a full night's rest is a glorious thing. it really is.

i am challenged to find a verse i want to claim over my life for this 34th year. which is a gift. really. what do i hope my life radiates? my love for Christ? my love for my family? integrity? purity? devotion?

there are several verses i fell in love with, and want to cling to this year...

the Lord your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with his love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

and then this one seemed to apply as well... :)

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.

Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace

for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11

(and this isn't just for me in training my children, but me re-training my eating habits as well...) :)

and then...

a wife of noble character who can find?

she is worth far more than rubies...

her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her.

Proverbs 31:10, 28

who doesn't want to be called noble? worth far more than rubies. call her blessed? what a high calling.

*******************************************

we did infact make it to the farm show this week.

traffic. tons of people.

but fun.

and if you ever take a group there.

don't meet in front of the butter sculpture.

really. it's that neat. but you block the view from everyone else who wants to see it.

there really are much better places for you to catch up with your group. :)

what else do i hope to accomplish this year?

maybe have a cleaner house? i think that was on my list last year.

and i didn't make it.

i really do need to try to put myself on some kind of a cleaning "schedule" but that

seems so restrictive to my social life. :)

be a good mom.

that looks different to me ~every~ day. ha. :)

learn about my camera...which i am really trying. it's so much fun to explore.

get to be my regular size again.

complain less. rejoice more.

hmmm. my list could go on and on and on.

that's going to be all for now.

and this pic pretty much stinks. but it was soooo cold out this week.

too cold for me to get closer.

but kaden flew a kite for pretty much an hour.

wow.

good night.

my eye is twitching.

i am tired. :)

a new year. a new beginning.

2012-01-09T13:31:00.000-05:00

well...i was hoping to put off a post until i had something grand or profound to say. but it's just not coming. i am hoping to look back on 2011 and come up with some highlights, but that hasn't even happened yet...and then, hope also to look forward into 2012, and come up with some high and lofty aspirations i hope to achieve. sarcasm sort of intended, but part truth as well. :)

life continues to be. just be. karolina is fighting some snots and a nasty cough. she rightfully got from her snotty sisters campbell and calli, who don't stop kissing her, even if they do have a cold. they are on the mend. i am complete-ly thankful we have had a great winter so far...we have not battled sickness like we normally do...this is only january, i know, but i have high hopes. :) i am in love with these warmer temps...if only they would stick around now and again all winter, it would be much more bearable for me. :)

kaden and kaycee have started basketball and cheerleading, respectively, so my ante has been up'ed. i was hoping their practices would be on the same nights. that would have been a total dream, i know. all these moms always told me my life would get busier as my kids got older, i don't know that i agree totally, it's just busy with different things, that's all. a lot more time in the car, that is for sure. so instead of throwing laundry in when i feel like it, it is thrown in around my car trips... :) but then i have "down time" at the practices and games to read, or text, or color with campbell and calli, or snuggle karolina, so yes, we are coming into a new stage for our family. but fun, none the less. :)

life has also been swallowed up by phone calls and doctor appointments for my precious man. we are trying to do therapy for his knee for a month, before the surgeon decides whether surgery is "needed" or not. it's funny. there are lots of surgeons out there. lots of specialists. and each recommendation we have gotton has been for a different one. and we have gotton a lot. :) so, we are forging ahead, making our own path. no surprise that a "king" would do that, is it? :) again. part sarcasm. part truth. i was delighted to know that the exercises i had given matt to do, were the same ones the therapist had given him. yay. me. :) but still push him out the door. i do think it does him good to hear direction from somone other than his wife...and he is doing a fairly good job following thru on his therapy, at this stage of the game.

so. i have spent the first week of the new year trying to keep up with the normalacy of my life (this would be laundry, cooking, cleaning, packing lunches, helping with homework, etc.) and trying to tear down Christmas as well. it doesn't happen as quickly as it once did. calli is very good at destroying rooms, one by one, so i am also disciplining a lot in this new year. :) and teaching, teaching, teaching to clean up as we go. sometimes it feels as if i am starting from square one, but hopefully she is retaining "something". :) calli is also doing speech once a week, and i can already tell a big difference. i am amazed. and she LOVES going to school...for this i am also very thankful.

my good friend (thanks, precious!!) got me a little present. the devotional, Jesus Calling,
by Sarah Young. it is so good. i am going to share today's reading with you...i think each one of us can take something from it.

{I AM WITH YOU AND FOR YOU. when you decide on a course of action that is in line with My will, nothing in heaven or on earth can stop you. You may encounter many obstacles as you move toward your goal, but don't be discouraged- never give up! with My help, you can overcome any obstacle. do not expect an easy path as you journey hand in hand with Me, but do remember that I, your very-present Helper, am omnipotent.
much, much stress results from your wanting to make things happen before their times have come. One of the main ways I assert My sovereignty is in the timing of events. if you want to stay close to Me and do things My way, ask Me to show you the path forward moment by moment. instead of dashing headlong toward your goal, let Me set the pace. Slow down, and enjoy the journey in My Presence.

(romans 8:31, psalm 46:1-3, luke 1:37...all for furthor reading).}

how often i think that things should happen when i think they should. why would i think that? rediculous. but i continue to do so. anyway, this reading brought rest to my soul...for a new beginning. new thoughts. oh, the things i will learn this year...i wonder. :)

there ya have it. a quick synopsis of my life for now. hope to have a more exciting post soon. and maybe even some pics. we might even make it to the farm show later in the week. could be fun. :) ~mk.

kaycee agnes turns 7!!

2011-12-30T22:08:00.001-05:00

i can hardly believe it.

my kaycee turns 7 in almost exactly 2 hours.

you got it.

we hit december 30th at 11:54 p.m.

they asked if i could hold on for a few more minutes to make it a new years eve

baby, and i politely declined.

(i think i was polite) :)

kaycee was 8 days late.

matt's back was broken, and healing.

he was in a brace.

but healing in month 2 out of 4 1/2 if that helps put things in perspective. :)

kaycee is a lot like me.

she is: extreme-ly sensitive, a people-pleaser, a go-with-the-flow kind of girl...

by that i mean, she does not like attention drawn to her. at all.

she loves the arts. dancing, singing, drawing, painting, music.

she hates gym. and pretty much all sports.

she likes to read.

she is a great help to me. she does what i ask of her, and usually so without complaining.

she is a total pack rat...she does not inherit this from her mom. :)

she loves to play school with her sisters.

(she does my job for me in this regard...she teaches them A LOT.)

she is a joy to us.

we seek wisdom in raising her.

mainly because of her quiet spirit.

i worry a lot about kaycee because of this...

but trust the Lord has created her just as he wanted.

to teach her mom a few things no doubt... :)

regardless...happy birthday big 7 year old.

we love you.

a few shots from over the years...

(meg...i think she looks like you in this pic)

and...we did have an ortho appointment today for matt's knee.

the surgeon we saw was much more encouraging than the report i had gotton from our family doctor.

this doc did not make a big deal out of his mri at all,

nor the 2 x-rays he got today,

so...we are going to try physical therapy for a month,

and then he will re-evaluate him.

hoping NOT to do surgery, but we'll see.

assured matt he will be able to play hockey again. regardless.

but not before the 2-6 month window...

so that is great news.

thank you for praying for him.

perhaps it is a miracle. :)

kaycee with my parents, richard adn debbie, posing with the birthday bear.
my parents bring him to birthdays, he is a pretty loud singing bear. matt was
more than happy to send him on his way. :) but the kids love him...

blowing out the candles, with poppy in the background...
she picked out a flag cake for me to make...pretty easy.

this isn't so good. obviously. but kaycee got a look alike american girl
doll this year. she has her ears pierced, which means kaycee gets to get her
ears pierced for her birthday. she has been waiting a loooong time for both... :)

i love this pic...

the headbands we made for kaycee's birthday. they got to pick out the flower
petal colors, as well as feathers and buttons, and i did the rest. :)

and just for good measure...i think she is teething...

Make It Your Mission…

2011-12-29T09:37:00.000-05:00

one of the things i love about nursing a baby is the quiet it ~forces~ me to have.

not just during the middle of the night feedings,

but during the day, when i have things to do and places to go,

and i have to ~stop~ and feed her when ~she~ is hungry,

which doesn't always coincide with convenience in my schedule.

it makes me stop.

be still.

it helps me to pray over my babies.

speak blessing into their lives.

i have been thinking over 2011.

what did i like. what did i not. what surprises did we have.

part of that thinking was because my sister-in-law's mom died last week...

after fighting a 2 year battle with cancer.

sitting in her funeral service watching and listening to her children and grandchildren

speak of the awesome mom they had,

with tears streaming down my face no doubt...

but that service has caused me to stop and ponder a little more this week.

what will my children say about me someday?

what will my children say about me tomorrow?

and not even just my children, my friends, my family...what will they remember?

i came across this blog post this morning

and it ~resonated~ with me.

her words are perfectly written.

they drove the point home.

if you are looking for some inspiration for the new year as a mom,

check it out...

Make It Your Mission…

and now onto some pictures of our Christmas vacation so far...
we had fun times with family.
we spent an hour on Christmas morning at church...
i was maybe a little appalled, or surprised at how many churches did not hold services...
isn't Jesus why we celebrate in the first place?
and now we are too busy and tired to go to church on Christmas...really?
i know it makes for a busy day, but seriously??
i was kind of saddened and shocked by that.

i am *thrilled* to let you know matt got me a nice camera for an early birthday present.

*thrilled*.

i love.love.love it.

so much to learn. so little time.

it was fun playing with it at my family Christmas dinner.

mainly because all of my siblings have really nice cameras, so they could

*advise* me a teeny bit. :)

*********************************************

so, the pictures above these words were taken on Christmas Eve with my old camera,

and the pictures taken below these words,

were taken with my new camera.

karolina grace~ 5 months.

my nephew~ silas mark.

my son~ kaden rockwell. :)

karolina. again.

my mom. deborah arlene.

cousins: campbell meg with reese deborah with her sister: piper...

my neice: piper erin...she loves to stick her tongue out. :)

kaycee agnes with cousin piper.

and sleepy, sleepy karolina...

so you can see i had so much fun,

playing with all kinds of settings and modes, and oh my.

we'll see if we can figure something out.

if nothing else i will try to stop chopping heads off. :)

off to fold some laundry.

happy thursday.

matt's knee.

2011-12-28T16:36:00.001-05:00

we had a great Christmas.

i hope to post pictures soon.

i got an early birthday present,

so i am playing with my *new* camera,

and have no idea how to get pics off of it yet. :)

spoke to our doctor this morning, and the results of Matt's MRI yesterday are not good.

he has a severely torn ACL, and partial tear to his meniscus,

and probably a bone fragment floating around as well. :(

(the family doc and myself, if i count, really did not think it was so severe...

we were thinking it was a medial ligament because

his knee is really not showing much laxity,

which usually appears with an ACL tear.)

so, i spent some time on the phone today,

and after maybe 5 phone calls got a consultation for this Friday...

it's not with a doc that was recommended, so i am not sure how i feel about that,

but being that this happened on the 17th, we are just thinking sooner is better than later.

i hope we don't regret that decision...

he has good days and bad.

he still does not walk real great, go figure, eigh? :)

thankful we went ahead with the MRI...

would love.love.love your thoughts and prayers as we go ahead with what is next....

chickens come again next week, so...

things should be interesting, anyway. :)

hope your Christmas was Merry and your New Year looking brighter

than the start of ours? :)

wishing you...

2011-12-24T14:36:00.001-05:00

a very, very Merry Christmas!!!

photo credit: Ang Stoltzfus.

it's been a little bit of a crazy week,
for a variety of reasons...
i am looking forward to some rest and relishing in the reason we celebrate.

that reason is the birth of Jesus.
the great plan of God that is still unfolding as we go about our daily tasks...
may you feel his love, peace and comfort as you take time out of your schedule
to celebrate Christ-mas.

Goose anyone? :)

the hustle and bustle...

2011-12-19T11:35:00.003-05:00

of the season has hit our home.

which is not a bad thing.

i love.love.love Christmas.

the decorating. the coziness of our home.
(if you can look past the dust...i for one CAN, but i know some people can't...)
:)
family gatherings.

shopping on the computer, so i don't have to go out and get cranky with people who butt in line.

ha. :)

we had our first Christmas dinner on Saturday.

i think karolina had enough, what do ya think? :)
and i cropped everyone else out on the below pic because they had their eyes closed...
she got a second wind. :)

where matt was occupying the children playing dodge ball,

and unfortunately landed on his foot wrong, hurting his knee.

it is looking like he might have torn his ACL or MCL, he kind of has symptoms of both, :(

but it's too swollen to get an MRI just yet.

he is living on ibepruefen pretty constantly, and not sleeping real well.

the complication to the story is that he flew out this morning for michigan

to pick up a truck he purchased, and needs to drive 15 hours home.

eeeeeekkkkk.

it is his left knee, so he is able to drive, just not comfortably.

so...if you think about him today, please pray for him...

~thanks~

me on the otherhand, i am busy cleaning and doing laundry

and wrapping presents and planning our menu for Christmas Day.

i love when we can stay here and not run around on Christmas.

all of Agnes' great grandchildren...
we watched some old home movies and played some fun games.
then we headed home to elevate matt's leg. :)

oh and i forgot to post this picture earlier.

my floor looked like this for maybe a week???
i really was crafting some of each day of that week, but that really is no excuse.

then throw in the horsee's, trucks, teething rings, and blankee's and ya have a little bit of everything.

i know some of my friends come away from blogs feeling depressed and like they cannot ever
achieve what blogs typically show...
so i want you all to know, you should never leave mine feeling that way...
because behind every fun thing i have done to decorate there is a mess like this left behind..or a meal
gone uncooked/served, TONS of laundry un-folded, getting wrinkly, which puts me more
behind, because now i have to iron it...the list goes on and on...

maybe this will inspire you?
ha.ha.ha. :)

campbell's merry christmas program.

2011-12-13T09:18:00.002-05:00

just a couple pics from campbell's preschool christmas program. it's always a hoot to watch the little sing...

here's the little peanut with her daddy. i am glad matt has a camera phone, as i do not.

because guess what? i forgot my camera. again. hmmmmm.

okay. the other picture will post later.
i was interrupted this morning during this post.
i was blogging, and doing Christmas cards, as my pics were loading,
and discovered campbell and calli were hiding "eggs".

and coloring them too.
my fresh eggs. not hard boiled.
eeeeeekkkkkkk.

now i am updating quickly because i was just upstairs tucking campbell in for her nap,
and read her a story as calli sat at the kitchen table to finish her sandwich from lunch.

i came down to find little pieces of bread all over the stationary jumper karolina was in,
and karolina smacking her lips together.

with calli holding up her sandwich to me saying...
"i shared with karolina."
can my day get ANY better? :)

my head is pounding. i know it's because i am tired.
would LOVE a nap.
but i guess i will go for a run. :(
(do you know i hate running.
i should have had a lot stronger willpower with food when i was pregnant.
i do this every-time.
ugh.)

however, i am in love with the new jumper karolina is getting for christmas.
she is the only one who got her presents early.
found it for $15 second-hand of course,
but it totally rocks, and she loves it. yay...
okay. off to run, and then a nap?
yeah. right. :)

a sneak peak...

2011-12-09T09:06:00.001-05:00

this is ONE of my most favorite pictures we DID NOT use on our Christmas card.

love.love.love it of karolina, and kaycee is just hysterical.

********************************
i look at my family. and i smile.
i take it in. we are not promised tomorrow.
i am so thankful for today.

so much tragedy in our neighborhood right now.
4 young kids in our school left to celebrate Christmas without their dad.
he was killed in a motorcycle accident sunday.
another local family grieving the tragic loss of 3 of their 10 children in a car accident...
ugh.
i don't want to think about what could be around the corner, ya know?
but chose to stay blessed in this moment...
and pray for those who are saddened by the grief and loss that overwhelms them right now.

************************************

thanks scott, ang, addalie and jyla for making our pics a reality this year.

we appreciate each of you!

you should not expect to get our actual christmas card in the mail until the week of 12/18...

but it is so much fun running to the mailbox to see whose cards you get, eigh? :)

i ~think~ i am done decorating, but still have a pile of things to make in my spare time. :)
winks and smiles.

our * Christmas* tree.

2011-12-07T21:50:00.001-05:00

i love.love.love Christmas time.

love it.

cookies are in the oven now.

just watered the tree.

now i need to water my ferns.

and then i am off to bed.

there is ~always~ one more thing to be done, ya know?

so. i am back in commission.

computer is up and running.

$31. later all updates are installed and actually working, so...

some pics from getting our christmas tree

from a few weeks ago.

one of the stipulations before matt left for deer hunting at the cabin was...

we needed to get a real tree. here. in the stand.

and then.

he could leave. :)

we actually cut our tree down this year.

a first for us.

i have ~no~ problem at all strolling into home depot and buying the cheapest tree i can find...

none.at.all.

but this year, we decided to go another route.

a whole 2 miles from our house route. :)

our family is too big now to all fit in our farm vehicle...
so we packed up the yukon, parked it, and moved into the farm truck.

karolina promptly fell asleep, so she missed out on all the fun. :)

just for some perspective...

this is when i asked them to look like they loved each other. ;)

the perfect tree.

for free.

thanks charlie and tom !!!

confusion on the web.

2011-12-03T08:05:00.001-05:00

okay. so. yes. i am confused and trying to educate myself. :) i tried to "post" the other day, and my computer will no longer let me "post" or even "open" my blog. hmmmm. it says that my browser won't allow access to blogger anymore. isn't that great? :) so now i am educating myself on what a browser actually is, and which one i want to switch too. (this is a trial run on google chrome, for those of you who are laughing at me)...it's a bummer my kids aren't old enough to teach me what's up, but surely that will come in handy some day. for now it looks like re-entering lots of my favorite sites, etc. sounds like a major headache to me...i guess i needed another headache? i have been doing a lot of decorating, have lots of pictures to share, because i have been doing ~lots~ of copying off of pinterest. the best site ever in my book. it's a bummer i can't join since i don't use facebook. probably better that way because it is a huge time sucker for me. :) my sister did so wisely suggest that maybe the Lord is trying to tell me something...and possibly my blog is something i am supposed to "lay down" as i referenced in a previous post. i shudder to think, as my blog is a great outlet for my "thoughts", but she could infact be right. guess that means i need to pray about it, and see if i can glean some "direction" :) so...if you don't hear from me in awhile, that means i am lost in computer jargon and you should come help me find a new browser. :) smiles. ~mk.

Steven Curtis Chapman: Do Everything - Official Lyric Video

2011-12-01T08:49:00.000-05:00

a little encouragement for ~today~

i think it's my new theme song. smiles.

(please press pause on my music at the bottom of the screen before pressing play here.)

psalm 105

2011-11-24T08:31:00.001-05:00

what a beautiful Thanksgiving morning

here in eastern pennsylvania...

give thanks to the Lord,

call on his name;

make known amoung the nations

what he has done.

sing to him, sing praise to him;

tell of all his wonderful acts.

glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

look to the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.

~psalm 105:1-5

i hope you can take some time today to reflect

on all you have to be thankful for.

even if times are "tough" if you live here in america,

you are one of the richest in the world...

happy thanksgiving.

a visit to pappy and grandma's.

2011-11-18T18:28:00.002-05:00

so 2 weeks ago i made it a priority to visit my grandparents.

i did visit my mom's mom.

and never got to my dad's parents.

until today.

these are the grandparents that i grew up knowing well.

we lived closest to them.

and now.

it is such a blessing to live so close to

each of our parents.

the bond that children and grandparents have is so

fun to watch transpire...

and well. the ~free~ built in babysitting is a blessing too. :)

but i watch my children making memories with

their grandparents, just as i did with mine.

it's kind of bittersweet as i watch my grandparents age.

and think ahead.

(this picture is classic of how i would have acted when i was campbell's age...shy.shy.shy.)

(there is plenty of loving baby genetics that i inherited from both sides of my family...) :)

(my grandmother can hardly see anymore, but it was precious to see her with karolina...)

(and calli wasn't so sure about pappy either...until we broke out toys, and klondike bars...) :)

we had a busy day. we then

visited my mom at her work...the new holland re-uzit shop,

(where i found some great toys to put away for chrismas and birthdays.)

yay.

then we got some teacher gifts (in the way of food)

and some soft pretzels.

and then found our way home.

but...

i am beat. and now it's craft time.

eeeeekkkkk.

i try not to do craft time too often. :)

my son.

2011-11-17T07:42:00.000-05:00

a friend asked me last night if i felt like things were "normal" now?

"yeah"...i said. "they just feel really, really busy.

like i can't ever catch up."

it's not necessarily a "bad" thing.

i am involved in a lot of good "things"...

but Bible study, yesterday, was about sacrificing some things to the Lord...

even really "good" things.

so. now i am thinking on that a bit.

all that to say.

my 8 year old son came down this morning.

and met me at the desk in the office.

i was paying bills, sifting thru the mess, and looked up.

to find him standing there.

with the same shirt on as yesterday.

i said, "honey. go change your shirt.

you can't wear the same shirt 2 days in a row."

he casually said, "it's not 2 days mom.

i've worn this shirt all week."

(may i remind you it's now thursday...)

yep. i am not overwhelmed. :)

(just clearly in denial)

life is normal.

but i did't notice my son has been wearing the same shirt to

school all week long. eeeekkkkk.

in my defense, he did say,

"the kids didn't know either. i wear a different sweatshirt overtop."

ha.ha.ha.ha.

i totally *cracked up*.

****************************************

on another note.

my husband has come full circle.

i sneekily took the picture.

he was not happy about it. :)

i, however, am delighted!

it really does take awhile to paint all their nails.

i was happy for the help. :)

and it shows all of you, he really does have a softer side...

goin' on a fox hunt.

2011-11-11T08:05:00.003-05:00

so the other morning we put in peeps, and our friend kendall, brought 2 of his 3 kids, austin- who goes to preschool with campbell, (and seriously, they are like best friends), and elise...who also seems to like campbell. :) it was such a beautiful day, so they stayed and played until around nap time...i thought they would play outside...but i think they were in the basement most of the day. :(

oh well.

they were occupied and happy.

some days that's all that matters around here. :)

sometime after i popped out of the shower, and before lunch, my man called and told me to go check out a fox hunt that was just starting a few roads over. hmmmmmm. so, we loaded up and went. it was kind of a sight. me, i mean...with my vehicle that was making a loud sound...(scheduled to get fixed "the next day")...and these 4 kiddos, munching on their apples.

we head on over, and i hop out to see a ton of horses trotting along the woodline, and this man, well, there were people everywhere looking, but there was a man standing close to where i hopped out, so i started asking what was going on. seriously people. i know i am getting much more like my husband. there was a time in my life where i would have ~never~ conversed with a stranger eating his crackers, watching horses, but i did. i learned that the "dogs" are not dogs...they are "hounds" my terminology was completely off, and i might have offended him. ooops.

tried to explain it to the kids a bit...but once the hounds took off, then the horses took off, and jumping in and out of the truck, 3 more times, trying to get a glimpse of excitement on 3 different roads, we headed home...and i was only able to get one picture.

(this was only some of the horses...and the hounds were in front of the man with the red jacket...i forget the technical name for him? oops. but he was the leader of 'the hunt'.)

fun. but maybe i will wait until the kids don't need help getting in and out so much, til i go next time. what a learning experience though, and neat thing to watch...it was hilarious, watching these older folks hop in their cars, and head on over to another road, hop out with their binoculars, listening for the hounds, hopping back in their cars, heading to another road...wild. :)

and my 8 year old son ate 6 packets of oatmeal for breakfast this morning.

is that even allowed?

Pumpkin Olympics.

2011-11-10T09:42:00.004-05:00

i guess it's fair to say that we live in the country,

here in atglen, pennsylvania.

and it helps to have creative people (jeff and rhonda)
around to give us country folk some good 'ol

fashioned unique ways of having a good time.

sunday was the pumpkin olympics at one of the

neighboring pumpkin farms.

this is the first year that i have actually made it there.

i usually stay home with a napping child or children,

but this year, we just skipped naps. :)

well. besides karolina. i mean.

she slept the whole time in the front carrier i was wearing.

a highlight at our neighborhood parties,

is always the barrel train. matt drove the train most of the

day. it just never gets old for the kids...even the older kids...

you can't see this real well. but on the above left side of the pic,

is a giant sling shot...slinging potatoes into the field. and the right

is the 'pumpkin chunkin' machine. 4 people actually sit on a high swing,

and the momentum and weight of the people,

swinging down on the swing, sling a pumpkin

f.a.r. into the field, and you watch as it smashes to pieces...

(none of my family took part in this...)

pumpkin basketball...seriously there is every kind of game you can imagine.

just with pumpkins encorporated.

kaycee on lower right,

our neighbor, and friend, courtney, front and center,

and campbell left...

kaycee and courtney putting together a large wooden

pumpkin puzzle...

a piece of sunshine for this rainy day.

4 year old campbell...

a group shot watching the pumpkins roll down the big hill.

with some friends...

a glimpse of truckloads of extra pumpkins from the season,
being "let go" down the hill. they smash into pieces,
and then the cows get to eat them.
very much sounded like a stampede...

and well.

i had to throw this in for good measure,

since she slept the whole time.

karolina grace at 3 1/2 months old...

a visit.

2011-11-04T17:32:00.002-04:00

kaden and kaycee had the day off school today.

was wondering what we could do that was fun.

debated. debated. debated.

i have one friend whose grandma just died. :(

i have a cousin who lives in colorado who just came in for a visit,

and probably has more pictures with my grandparents and

her baby, in her couple day stay, than i do with mine,

over a lifetime...and i am the one who lives c.l.o.s.e.

(that made me feel kinda bad)

so...

we went to visit grandma shank.

(my mom's mom)

she lives at fairmount homes now, and

has moved recently into the dementia unit.

that is a hard thing to watch.

when it's someone you love.

hard. hard. harder to understand why?

we had fun.

i am beginning to get the picture...that i look like a circus.

me and my 5 kids. :)

i live in this dream-world.

that because my kids are ~fairly~ well behaved,

that we look like an ordinary family when we go places.

but the more pictures that i look at,

the more i realize, that ~my~ normal, is

anything BUT other's normal. :)

grandma was actually having a very good day.

the last time i visited, it was very clear that she did not know who i was.

she has ~always~ loved my husband, and the fact that we are farmers,

and didn't remember we lived on a farm last time...

but today, she got a funny look of recognition on her face.

we spoke of family. potty training. farming.

steers and chickens.

(my grandparents raised steers, pigs, and chickens on their farm...

my grandmother worked very, very hard...)

we visited for awhile.

walked the kids around...those people love.love.love.

to have children visitors...

especially a smiley, quiet baby like karolina. :)

then i asked my mom if she would like to take me to cosco. :)

ha.ha.ha.

she obliged, and my dad even came too.

sure they are glad they don't have to grocery shop with me everyday. :)

we had fun.

thanks for a great day.

wonder when their next day off school is. ;)

and for anyone who cares...
i did not get my bathrooms cleaned yesterday, OR
my laundry folded. :)
looks like that won't happen again today either. :(

maybe i can put it off a few more days,
so we can fit in a visit with my other grandparents. :)

niagra falls.

2011-11-03T09:26:00.003-04:00

so we went to the king cabin this past weekend.

missed all the snow here.

for no snow there.

was kind of a bummer...

oh well. ya can't win em all, can ya?

matt's mom always asks me what the highlight of my trip was.

this time, it was seeing a bear.

in my 11 years at the king cabin, i have never seen one.

this time one big bear ran out in front of us,

in the middle of the night,

on the way to the cabin...

the kids were all sleeping, which was a small bummer,

but not really. :)

he sure didn't move very fast...

i had just got done telling matt he was driving too fast.

we were seeing deer everywhere,

and i was sure he was going to hit one.

he said, "if i hit one, i want to hit it right."

sounds like my man, right? :)

and then we see a bear right in front of us.

eeeeekkkkk.

arrived at 1 a.m. sat. morning.

and then it rained/wet snowed all day sat.

nothing stayed on the ground, so it was a

coloring/polly pocket/play dough kind of day.

sunday we took the 3 hour car ride to niagra falls.

and 3 hours back to the cabin too... :)

did stay on the american side because we had no passports, etc.

which was totally fine with me.

that helped the kids with missing the snow.

at least they got to see a big waterfall. :)

we had a great time just being a family of 7.

eeekkkk. doesn't that sound crazy...

here's some pictures of our time at the falls.

calli is not looking real happy in any of these pictures.

she had a good day.

just pulling some three year old attitude i guess?

we had these people we didn't know keep coming up to us,

asking if we wanted them to take our pictures...

so they were always trying to get her to smile.

i guess she didn't like that. :)

so that was pretty fun.

we then left around 10 a.m. on monday morning, to come home...

(i am usually NOT a proponent of missing school,

but the kids had a half day on monday...)

and on our way home we ran into the weigh station for those

who had shot elk...

it was amazing.

these animals are monsterous HUGE...

for real.

if you are faint of heart please don't look at the pictures to follow.

there is blood...

and large dead animals.

enough said.

*******************************************

do you see that huge crane?

this elk weighed in at 574 lbs.

and that is gutted...before they weighed all his "insides"...

guessing an elk might weigh between 900-1000 lbs.

holy moley...

now on with today.

my little angel of a girl, karolina, has decided to get up 4x

for the past 2 nights.

trying to chalk it up to a growth spurt?

not sure what's up.

but. i am over it. already. :)

thankful for a baby who has ~almost~ slept thru the night

since the day she was born.

party on at my house today.

as some of our cousins are here to play.

and do their school work. :)

karolina and my niece rae, are sleeping now,

so i can finish my post, and pay my bills, and fold some laundry.

all before i tackle the showers,

which are DISCUSTING,

and red up before small group arrives tonight.

makes a girl tired, ya know? :)

have a *great* thursday.

kids have off school tomorrow.

don't know what we might do...

something fun? :)

david's song.

2011-10-27T08:13:00.006-04:00

you will have to press pause at the end of my blog, to be able to hear this song.

it got at my heart.

at the end of the day.

i may not have all the laundry folded.

shoot. i may not even have my bed made, and i insist that my children do...

there is always dirt on the floor and more toys to put away.

always.

but how did i love?

how did i love my husband?
how did i love my kids?
how did i love on my friends and family?

how is my heart?
really.

how is yours?

a day in pictures.

2011-10-26T19:40:00.006-04:00

i can always figure out when it's been too long since i have posted.

my mom calls, and leaves me a message...

saying she doesn't know what's going on in my life anymore,

because i haven't blogged.

( she is rolling over and sucking on her fists ~all the time~
cooing and laughing....loving it.)

(everyone is toting her around these days. hmmmm. :) )

(would love to know what big brother is thinking right now...)

(happy days, wouldn't ya say? :) )

(however, kaycee did go to the nurse today for a tummy ache...

i guess it got better, because i never got a call...just in time for our

mountain trip for the weekend...)

and can i say i don't know how in the world single moms do it?
i have been feeling a lot like a single mom these days.
i am very thankful for a husband who has a strong work ethic. i am.
but that doesn't mean that i don't miss him, even when
he is working so hard for us.
i guess i should just shut my mouth and be grateful.
but it's still hard.
he is very, very busy...with chickens (who thankfully aren't here now),
real estate, and a fixer upper house, we purchased
with a business partner
(to sell again...)
and then fills in his fun things,
like playing hockey and hunting.
makes a girl tired, that's all...

looking forward to a quick trip to the moutains.
to reconnect.
yay.

i haven't ever carved pumpkins before.

i am not a big halloween fan to be honest.

but i helped in kaycee's classroom and the kids had so much fun,

i thought we should come home and try it.

they loved it.

i even roasted the seeds tonight.

and get this.

forgot i put them in the oven.

yep. they totally fried. totally.
did i mention i can't find time to exercise or sleep? :)

and just look what matt brought home for dinner.

we were tickled. :)

his first ever bow kill...

( i LOVE how calli is "petting" the dead deer...poor guy.)

and tell me that i will miss this...

because quite frankly it's driving me banana's for the time being...

why in the world is it so hard to keep the butter in the middle of the

butter dish?

and Good News Club started at the PLC last week.
there were about 60 kids.
this week there were 72.
awesome.
but i need more helpers...
anyone??? :)

randomness. and catch up.

2011-10-18T00:03:00.000-04:00

so. if i haven't mentioned before, i will mention it now. this 5 thing is really kickin' in full gear here. i can't seem to catch up on anything. except laundry. and that's a really good day. :) most of the time it has to sit a day or two before it's either a) folded, or b) put away. still trying to enjoy the here and now, because i know it's flying by me faster than ever before.

and no wonder i keep up on the laundry. do you see the cuteness i found in my laundry basket this weekend?

is karolina sleeping thru the night, you ask? no. not really. she really likes to get up and eat at 3 a.m. sometimes 4:30 a.m., but mostly 3 a.m. i have decided it's most of the time okay with me. she's only ever gotton me up once, since she's been bitty...and before i know it she'll be one, and nursing will be gone forever, so...i enjoy. and when i get up in the wee hours to nurse, that means i don't get up for real, when it's still dark outside. yea. that's called sleeping in for me. the 7 or 7:30 a.m. get out of bed. pretty glorious. :)

so, she may not be sleeping thru the night, but she did graduate to a bumbo this weekend. yay karolina. she was watching the eagles...

i am nursing myself back from a horrible case of poison ivy. i guess i thought since i didn't get it ~at all~ this summer, that i wouldn't get it now. so. i pulled some out of my flowerbeds. ooops. and did that in short sleeves and flip flops. ooops. i take calli to the doctors tomorrow for her 3 year check up, and am going to try to pay the doctor off to prescribe me something. we'll see how that goes... it's really bad on both forearms, so everytime i hold karolina, to nurse, or burp, or anything really, it gets irritated all over again. it's very gross.
enough said.

and what happens when your 3 year old doesn't want to take a nap...you ask?

she draws pictures of people on her wall.

like the real wall. not the painted chalkboard side of the wall.

i actually think they are pretty good.

well. and then she loses the fight.

and can't even stay awake to read the bunny book.

and i will leave you with this.

mainly for my sis, meg, because she makes fun of me for dressing

them "matchy" on sunday mornings. oh well.

i love them.

maybe a family picture soon?

matt was in the shower. and i was still in my jammies.

unwilling to put a smile on because of my poison. :(

i am off to bed. good night.

calli turns 3!

2011-10-15T11:17:00.004-04:00

calli turned 3 on tuesday.

she is the fourth child. the third daughter.

she is spunky. full of attitude. she has a lot to say, although we don't

always know what that is. :) she is loving. determined. outgoing.

precious. creative. she loves to color. and paint. and play play dough.

she loves her sisters and brother. will wrestle like a champ.

and will dance too. she loves to sing...although may have inherited her mom's

singing ability...she is a bit sneaky. and tricky.

oh. and she loves. loves. loves to talk on the phone.

our house will be so interesting come, say, 10 years or so? :)

we love you calli ann.

we cannot wait to see what God has in store for your life.

we are thankful we have you.

life.

2011-10-10T15:31:00.005-04:00

some are wondering where i have been. why the lack of blog posts?

well...i can honestly say, that having 5 children has settled in. not in a bad way. just it is normal now, and i am whizzing around on a daily basis. i haven't hung out laundry on the line, since karolina has been born, nor used a single coupon. hmmmm. don't know that those are good things, but i am not taking the time out to do them, as i used too...i finished my coffee from breakfast time, at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon, and realized i never had breakfast at all this morning. one would think i could be skinny, acting this way...always takes me awhile... :)

(i had to laugh...i love this picture of campbell. she is sandwiched...

on her left is a pregnant belly, due in 2 wks, and right, is me...post pregnant belly... ;) )

karolina will be 3 months old next week, i don't know how? i don't know where in the world the time went, but yeah...she is up more and more each day, (which means less time to get things done), but with that comes being more alert, smiling, and cooing and laughing. very fun. still a snuggler which i love.

school is back in full force and i am finding my evenings are sucked up by homework, dinner, and caring for my family...

(campbell is 3rd in from the left. standing beside her friend molly.

molly's sister, lily, is in kaden's class at school...)

i am feeling very, very busy, just keeping up with the mundane tasks a stay-at-home mom deals with daily...that would be cooking, cleaning and laundry...

and then add in all the other stuff that fills my life, and well, blogging is getting squeezed out. there just isn't enough time. that's all.

these are all pics from campbell's field trip, that i went along on...

thanks rhonda...

campbell standing beside the scare crow they helped to make.

hope to post some more pictures soon, as calli turns 3 tomorrow.
did i mention how fast time is moving? :) ~mk.

just another day.

2011-10-05T15:26:00.002-04:00

you know they say, that by the 3rd and 4th kids, there are never any pictures.
hmmm. i have tried to be intentional with this...i have tried to keep baby books for my kids, and have nice photo albums for each of them...to document life. and stuff.

i get kind of funny. i know life isn't fair, but i do try to make it as "fair" as i can. :)so because i went on kaden and kaycee's preschool apple orchard field trip, well, it would only be right that i went on campbell's. when i asked her if she wanted me to come, she politely said, "no mom. i would like to be brave. you don't need to come." well. hmmm. i almost cried. :) (you know i am always on my high horse about letting my children go...this might have been a good time for me to practice, what i preach...) so then i told her that i really wanted to come, and that i went along with both kaden and kaycee on their field trips...she thought for a minute, and then decided i could come along. yay. for me. (thanks mom for watching karolina and calli, so i could go...)

so, i was prepared. directions out, wallet out, cell phone out, camera out. coffee ready to go. and off we went. and i left the camera on the table. can you believe it? i got my coffee, and left my camera. ugh. so...hopefully one of my friends will pull through and send me some pics...so i can document ~her~ first field trip, just like i documented her other siblings field trip to the orchard. :)

all that to say. here are some pics i took today...when i got home of course.

(karolina grace...11 wks old on sat.)

(calli- 3 next wk. eekkk. with karolina...)

so fun.

2011-10-04T16:09:00.003-04:00

isn't this so fun?

can you totally see me running down to check this out as i get ready in the morning? i totally will. just me. love.love.love some of them.

what did we do without the internet, anyway? :)

this world.

2011-09-30T07:18:00.059-04:00

so...i am being deeply challenged in the beth moore daniel Bible study i am partaking in. i heard this song on the radio yesterday, and started singing, (this in itself is scary...i ~cannot~ carry a tune gracefully, but it didn't much matter, as it was just campbell, karolina, and calli and myself, :) ) and getting teary...

how we are in the midst of our own Babylon, right here in america, can be overwhelming...and how am i being Jesus in it, AT ALL? hmmmm. by that i mean, she talks about how over-indulgent we are here in america. we have it all. if you drive A car, then you are considered one of the richest people IN THE WORLD. we have more shoes, sweaters, jeans...more choices of coffee than some people have in food...for pete's sake.

and our discussion in small group last night was interesting too. i did not win. i lost. but still don't agree with the winners take. :) we are studying nehamiah.

it was thrown out there that this man (neighbor of mine, no names, though :) )would take it upon himself to shoot someone who was willing to harm his wife and children. he was insistent that he believes God has given him that duty, and whatever it takes to get that done, is okay.
not only was that statement surprising to me, from someone who grew up in a very conservative household, but didn't sit well with me either. we talked about praying in that instance, and while he agreed that God could intervene, that he probably would not wait for any intervention...like an answer to his prayers. then i said, that that person he was shooting, yeah, made a really bad choice, but that that is someone's son...he just disrupted someone else's family system, by the choice he made. well, that didn't matter to him, so much. he wasn't even sure he would feel bad...initially anyway. well, then i threw out there that God allows really bad things to happen in life, and well, sometimes he uses those really bad things to draw others to himself. uses a really horrible "thing" he allowed to happen for something beautiful. and well. the reality is, that sometimes really bad things happen to really good people, and we will never know or maybe even see, the "reason" God "allowed" it to happen, and that is a very, very painful thing to many who have gone thru tragic events in life. it felt like this guy heard what i, or then, we, were saying, but was so set in his thinking, that that was that. that gets frustrating, you know? and i know it's only my job to keep friends accountable, it's ultimately God's job to get thru to him, but, it was an interesting night. i did finally leave the room when they started going back and forth with the old testament, vs. the new testament, because i was getting frustrated. :)

all that to say, i don't think i could ever shoot someone...he than brought up our policemen, etc., and i guess it's really gray for me. i am thankful for all of our service people who's job it is to protect me and my family, and i am thankful for them, just rejoicing it's not my job, or my husband's. :)

it does seem to be really trendy? right now to be wearing a gun...down this way anyway. that also scares me a bit. surprise. surprise. i don't know if it's the threat of our government taking "our gun rights" away, or just this God given
"responsibility" to protect their families, well, and anyone else who might need protection, i guess? it makes me uncomfortable, to say the least, which i think is interesting, because aren't they wearing guns to make me feel "more" protected? i don't know. anyway...thanks for listening to me ramble on about my thoughts. :) do love that you listen to me ramble. :)
anyway, rock out to the song. i need to jump in the shower. will post more later. my sister and i and partial kid loads, :), are heading to the philly zoo today.

update: zoo was fun. however, as we were driving home, my 3 year old neice, reese, started crying in the back seat. when asked what was the matter, she tearfully told us that she didn't want to go to the zoo, she just wanted to go to campbell's house to play. meg and i looked at each other, and chuckled...well...if nothing else, the new mommies got a workout, and had fun being together, and talking a lot...now...i am looking into free aquarium tickets. :) anyone in?

homecoming weekend at octorara. made it to the homecoming parade last night, and will make an appearance this morning sometime, although missing the alumni hockey game this morning. :( oh. to be in shape. someday. just not this day. :) and then will freeze my hiney off at kaden's baseball game, while my husband has an ice hockey game of his own this afternoon. happy weekend.

karolina grace. 9 wks.

2011-09-27T09:27:00.000-04:00

we've decided to encourage reading at a young age...

karolina's dedication.

2011-09-25T20:49:00.001-04:00

So...for those of you who know me, you know that i was born
and raised in the Mennonite Church, as was my husband, Matt.
Matt and I continue to go to a local Mennonite church...
infact, the same church that Matt grew up at.

Today, was a special day,
in that we dedicated
Karolina Grace
to the Lord.

I am going to explain what that means, right off the certificate,
because, well...it says it perfectly, for those of you who are
unfamiliar with a dedication service.

and i quote:
"The birth of a child is an expression of God's work in creation.
In a service of consecration, we praise God and bring the child into a relationship with the body of Christ.

Infants presented to God and the church are placed in the care of the congregation. In this consecration service, Christian parents commit themselves to the call to nurture their children into faith.

Pilgram Marpeck, in his Confession of 1532 (wow), states,
"We admonish the parents to cleanse their conscience, as much
as lies in them, with respect to the child, to do whatever is needed to raise the child up to the praise and glory of God, and to commit the child to God."

Infants and children have no need for baptism, since they are safe
in the care of God. When they are able to be accountable
for their own actions, they are able to make the church's faith their own."

Thanks Venus for these pictures.
i love them.

i wish i knew what we were laughing at...

i can get a little teary at these things...
(especially being that this is the 5th time around...)
and it again becomes a reality that
i am totally and completely ~BLESSED~

one of the questions we had to answer was:

"Do you promise to gladly surrender Karolina Grace to the ministry
God has in mind for her, even if it might involve
going to the ends of the earth?"

i answered yes...

but it was a slow yes.
(do you see it says promise, and gladly surrender?)

i think about this nearly everyday in being a mommy.
how am i going to let these kids go?
to be their own person...whatever that may look like.

i am hoping not to be completely wrecked,
when they drive out our driveway for the 1st time...
or when they start dating, or graduate and leave for college
all the way across the country...

it's a small step, to send them off to preschool,
and then a little bigger when they start at our public school...
a lot of other people are affecting them now...
a lot of hours in the day...

i must remember they are not "MINE"...
i am preparing them to leave, and teaching myself to let go...
a little at a time.

our children all wanted to come up and be a part of the service...

and our pastor, Steve, praying over our precious girl...

karolina usually sleeps all morning long.
for real.
but this morning, she was wide awake.
she did great.

We had 3 names going into laboring with Karolina...
however,
the week before i gave birth, they suggested that she wasn't growing,
and recommended i get an ultrasound.
i know. i know.
anyone who saw me, would KNOW that there was no way
i was going to have a teeny baby, but we went ahead with the ultrasound,
just to be sure...

it was during this time of nervousness that i started looking
up the meanings of the names we had...

karolina...means tiny... but strong.
and that...she is.

we love you sweet girl.
you are devine. and precious.
and i am so glad i was chosen to be your mommy...

parenting.

2011-09-22T10:12:00.000-04:00

well. i have quickly learned that this ~may~ be my favorite time in life. i think i am in an "easy" stage of life. people laugh at me. i have 5 kids in 8 years...what is easy about that? (and don't get me wrong...i have my fair share of bad days, when i speak louder than i intentioned, when i do my share of complaining and whining,...infact, i had a really bad day on tuesday...just bad, anyway, the list continues on and on...but...) i just mean i love babies and little people. i cringe at imagining the teenage years. i have lots of seasoned women i admire in life, and some tell me they loved the teenage years. the Lord will work in my heart. i know it.

in sunday school the other week...(i love sunday school by the way...tons of young families in the same stage of life as we are...and have been cherishing my time there...only because i have a nursing baby...i am usually teaching our littles...anyway...) we were talking about parenting...and a friend said that growing up, her parents never really said what they could or couldn't do...but left it up to them. what? i thought. how in the world did you guys turn out so "good"? ha.ha. she went on to explain her parents quoted this verse over and over to them, and that is how they were supposed to make their decisions...by reflecting on this particular verse. genious. complete genious,
i thought. that is what the Lord intentioned for us to do? right? we don't have to read a million parenting books...although i love them...all we really need to know is in ~his~ precious God-breathed word. i am now working on my memorization of this exact scripture, to not only use with my kids, but myself...totally applicable to myself.

finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-

think about such things. ~philippians 4:8.

old road motorcycle ride.

2011-09-18T20:42:00.001-04:00

each year matt and i try to go on the old road motorcycle ride.

old road is the church i grew up going to as a child,

and each year someone organizes a ride that leaves after church,

and returns late afternoon or early evening.

wasn't sure if i could swing it this year,

with nursing karolina, who was 8 wks old yesterday...

but my parents graciously said they could watch ALL 5 kids...

which meant trying karolina with a bottle, if need be.
(we now know she is not crazy about a bottle...
but did fine.)

thanks mom and dad.

we had a great time.

it was a beautiful day for a motorcycle ride.

i have no idea where we were when we took this picture...

somewhere near elizabethtown i think?

try not to be alarmed.

i ~always~ wear a helmet...

but somewhere between me getting 5 kids up and ready for church

this morning...i forgot about a helmet... :(

solanco parade.

2011-09-16T15:46:00.000-04:00

we usually go to the solanco parade.

just for fun.

but this year we got to walk with the beiler campbell trailer.

yee-haa.

the kids were very excited.

they did a great job.

kaden walked the whole time.

kaycee walked almost the whole time.

campbell walked most of the time, and then she bailed out with matt's mom.

and calli, well...she walked and rode, and walked and rode.

all the while tossing candy.

sorry if you didn't get any. we did run out towards the end. :(

i was a little disappointed we couldn't be "together".

matt and kaden were on one side, and the girls and i on the other.

(well...calli kept changing sides.)

but...he saw most of the people we knew...

and while i saw some, i am sure i missed a bunch,

i kept trying to make sure my babies weren't going to get run over. :)

this was waiting, and waiting, and waiting to get started.

and this was me and all our garb...

filling the time chatting. :)

wish i knew what she was telling me at the time...quite a face,

wouldn't ya say?

and. well. that's all i got for ya.

i am tired. and getting ready to host a Buckwalter dessert party

for my family that is "in" from out of town.

should be fun.

guess i should drink some caffeine. :)

happy weekending.

campbell's 1st day of preschool.

2011-09-14T22:52:00.000-04:00

sigh. i can't believe it again.

you people are going to get sick of me saying that.

time just keeps flying by.

today was campbell's 1st day of preschool.

she couldn't have been more excited.

for real.

she said her teacher kept calling her kaycee.

love it.

(please excuse kaden's empty bb container on the chair...great background. :( )

it was a bit challenging to get out the door on time this morning.

got the 2 oldest delivered to school, and i got home again,

just in time to nurse little peanut, and head to preschool and bible study.

whew.

i was ready for some coffee by the time i blew in. :)

and it's not like i even slept in.

i just gotta keep moving to get out the door on time.

******************

and i was up until 11:30 pm last night folding laundry and

just cleaning up in general...putting toys where they *really* belong.

things like that.

and then i went to the basement this afternoon and found this.

this is what they were playing with *this morning* after breakfast,

but before heading off to school.

(i love how they have little bunny tucked in first baby's arms.)

and this next picture, is the tornado of a desk i have to tackle

tomorrow.

it's scary. i know.

you should see the kids rooms right now.

eeekkkk.

*******************

and now...i am off to bed.

our family walked with the beiler campbell trailer tonight

at the solanco parade.

lots of fun.

ran out of candy. like 70 lbs of candy. gone.

our kids did well.

and we are b.e.a.t.

sleep well. :)

quote of the day.

2011-09-13T20:02:00.002-04:00

"Karolina, don't cry. Jesus is with you."

~ Campbell. age 4.

shaken.

2011-09-12T09:20:00.003-04:00

i am still listening to speakers reflect on 9/11.

i think back to where i was on that morning.

i was pushing a patient of mine back thru the hallways

of Ware Presbyterian Village.

a retirement home in Oxford, PA

where i worked as a

Physical Therapist Assistant.

we walked thru the common area.

the t.v. was on.

and i saw a re-play of a plane flying into the world trade center.

i stopped.

and i listened.

in the middle of the hallway.

i heard the news anchor say that it was believed

that this was a terroist attack.

stunned.

i shuddered.

we left early that day.

you know.

i believe that God sifts all things thru his fingers. all things.

sometimes i wonder why God allows things like this to happen.

but i listen to the stories.

i look at the pictures.

and well. i was shaken to tears when i visited

ground zero ~over~ a year ago.

my eyes filled with tears, watching images on the tv last night.

trying to explain to kaden, this little piece of history.

i cannot imagine.

the sheer terror. the nightmare of it all.

but i do know that God worked in a mighty way in that city.

he worked in a mighty way around the world

all. thru. that. event.

that horrific tragic taking of life.

i think of all the people who died.

but then i think of all the people who lived.

all the people who were saved.

saved from those buildings.

and saved spiritually. thru that attack.

i wonder. just wonder.

how many people God drew to his heart that day?

so. i continue to value life.

the sheer blessing it is to live. here.

to watch my kids.

even when they are fighting. and not sharing.

and don't put their cereal bowls in the sink.

or clean their rooms.

i don't know how God chose me to be so blessed.

to be a wife.

and mom to 5 healthy kids.

to be a daughter.

and sister.

and the list goes on and on.

i really do try to be thankful for each day that i have.
and not take my life for granted.
hope you have a reflective day, filled with peace.

daniel study.

2011-09-09T05:54:00.004-04:00

this is the Bible Study that just started at my church...

i find that if i am not intentional in participating in a study like this,

well...

i just don't get in the word, like hardly at all...on a daily basis.

we just had our first week,

and i am so excited...i am fired up ready to see how God is going to

use this material to impact my life and my family.

check it out.

(if you want to come,

it's not too late.

books are $15. we meet on wednesday mornings

at Maple Grove...and a huge part...

child care is provided.

yay!)

this is what got me from this past week:

we have an abundance of overindulgent choices...it's time we get extremely intentional and deliberate in making our choices.

we are surrounded/living amidst a Babylon of our own...much more than some other cultures in the world.
we are overwhelmed in a sea of self absorption. how do we know what's over the top and too much?
we, too, will lose our identity and integrity without resolve. (resolve= to be puposed and determined in your heart)
how can we live in the midst of "babylon" and not become corrupted and defiled by it? are we being carried away by it?
few could resist Babylon's charms. few had a firm enough hold on reality not to fall for her pretense. our primary goal during part 1 of our series is to join daniel as individuals who can live in an extravagant, excessive culture without being poisoned by it. we're going to develop alarms for Babylon's charms...

and a challenge Beth Moore threw out to us all...is to deny ourselves something over the time of this study. her words, " do not make this a diet...
women will have a tendency to make this a diet, but that is not what i am after." ha.ha. :)
but...in my words, this just might come in handy, at a good time for me. :)

she encouraged us to not eat of the worlds table. to exercise a little restraint.

"i can, but i am not going too."

deny your flesh, and rebel against the worlds overindulgence.

so. that is what i am going to do.

i am not a fast and pray girl.

i have gotton out of the fasting part, because,

well, mainly, i have been pregnant or nursing for most of the past 8 years. :)

but it is time.

i am resolving in big, big way.

i am giving up desserts to fulfill this challenge.

i am a dessert kind of girl.

this is ~extremely~ hard.

i have given them up for, um, this is only my 2nd day,

and i have been tempted numerous times already.

and well...i am taking a meal to a friend tonight,

and what am i making for dessert?

what i have been ~craving~ for the past 2 days...

chocolate chip cookie whoopie pies.

i am writing this down so you can keep me accountable.

help me people. :)

more of a mommy letting go.

2011-09-08T10:38:00.003-04:00

i have said this before,

and i will say it again...

one of my jobs as a mother, is not to hold so tightly onto my children,

but to let go.

i had to do that again this week.

i had a new experience.

i took calli, who will turn 3 next month,

for a speech evalution,

at the chester county intermediate unit.

the instructions for campbell and i,

were to sit there and be quiet, to not help calli answer any questions.

i think it was harder for campbell, but it was hard for me too...

not to "re-phrase" some questions,

to help her understand what they were asking her to do.

i realized this is what i have been doing.

i re-phrase things, or ask questions to her in different ways,

so she understands me.

i ask her to show me things, or point to things, if i cannot

understand her speech.

these things all being helpful for me, but not for her learning to speak.

these are all things i have done with my 3 prior children...

but i need to do things a little differently for calli.

it was a sad time of reflection for me to sit there and watch.

while calli is very advanced, on the 3 year old spectrum, in a lot of areas,

she is a little bit behind in her speech.

and it was so hard to see her "thinking"

trying to put together what this woman was asking her to do.

she really did great...

but did start to cry at the end, with 3 words to go.

my little heart broke.

my baby.

stressed out and overwhelmed. at 3.

ugh.

i learned she does not put "ing" on the ends of words.

and that she does not use plurals. at all.

these are things i could not tell you,

i just knew she was not speaking clearly.
was i too busy to notice?
i question...

it was hard because i sat there and thought about my time with her.

and realized again, that i can not do it all.

i cannot "be" it "all".

how can i?

i guess i did not read as much to calli, as i have to my other kids.

i do not sit down with her, and go over pictures in a book.

i have not specifically paid attention to her speech, until now,

and she's already behind.
and i question again...what am i busy with?
how can i make sure my children get what they need from me?

i am going to try to be more intentional
with helping her in this area,
(just as i was more intentional
with helping kaden learn to read last year...)

all this to say,

she will be getting speech therapy at the elementary school,

twice a week, come november.

so...i pray for her. and i pray for me. :)

that it wouldn't be overwhelming for her.

that she can still be a kid.

and play. and have fun.

and learn to talk more clearly. :)

thanks for hearing me get this out.

it's all a little overwhelming for me too. :)

now...to move onto this mess of a house.

i am a bit behind, on all in my life.

how does that happen so quickly?

p.s. these songs are appropriate for my life right now...

but were chosen specifically for their "rain" theme...

how about this rain?

dear aunt nik...

2011-09-04T18:42:00.000-04:00

this is for you aunt nik...

(our good missionary friend in the dominican)

karolina grace at 6 weeks old.

learning to coo and smile.

so very tolerant of the many pokes, prods, squeezes

and abundant hugs and kisses she gets daily...

happy labor day.

don't work too hard. :)

campout. an annual tradition?

2011-09-03T15:15:00.003-04:00

because kaden's birthdy fell the day after karolina was born,

we didn't celebrate in our usual fashion this year.

i usually host "family" birthday parties thru their 6 th birthdays.

then, when they turn 7 years old, they can chose to have a friend over

to do something special with, or continue to have a family party.

kaden loves family.

he loves his cousins most of all,

so for both his 7th and 8th birthdays, he has continued
to chose a "family" party.

this year, since we re-vamped our pond, he was wondering if we could have a

campout for is party.

absolutely.

so. this was the winning weekend.

not all could come, but we sure did have fun with those that did...
which included: mam-maw and pap-paw buckwalter (did not spend the night),
cousins: judah, noah and zion buckwalter,
uncle chris and cousin jaiden burkholder,
great uncle stanley and great aunt sue king,
emiley and gemma rodak (did not spend the night)
and friends james and donna graybill stopped in for some cake. :)

take a look.

these were taken as the campers were walking up for breakfast,

hence it looking a little bit deserted.

karolina, calli and i held down the fort up at the house.

that way we had breakfast ready for them at 8 a.m. :)

we had hot dogs and smores over the campfire fri. night,

along with root beer floats, and cake and ice cream.

and even some whoopie pies and watermelon.

millie getting instruction in fetching in the water.

she loves to swim.

it's kinda fun to play with her in the water.

canoeing.

happy birthday around the camp fire.

matt's uncle stanley and aunt sue came.

they had a mattress they slept on in the back of their truck.

had to get them on video.

they are a riot. a good, fun riot. :)

and we ended the time together with some baseball...

the crew.

couldn't find kaycee...
she decided she wanted to take a nap on the truck bed. :)
guess i need to do some cleaning up now...
what do ya think?

until next Labor Day weekend. :)

a gift.

2011-09-03T14:37:00.002-04:00

friends from church had twins this week.

number 6 and 7 boys in their family.

i can't wait to meet them.

i made them onesies with their initials on, and a matching burp cloth...

just in case people can't tell them apart. :)

d is for darren.

j is for judd.

hope they like them. :)

so. then i had to make one for my little peanut too.
k for karolina...
isn't she growing? :)

happy 37th babe...

2011-09-01T07:29:00.000-04:00

happy 37 years birthday to my man.

the man who picked me.

don't know why? but i am sure glad he did. :)

(most of the time, anyway. :) )

(from motorcycle trip last summer, 2010)

won't be too special of a day, as we get 24,000 chickens today,

and more tomorrow, and well...we already have 24,000 here as of monday.

farming continues, as does life...

but maybe we can squeeze in some partying later tonight.

dinner, perhaps?

we'll see.

happy birthday matt.

love you.

xoxo. ~mk.

school. first day. 2011.

2011-08-29T22:29:00.000-04:00

kaden started 2nd grade today.

kaycee started 1st grade today.

boo.hoo. :(

another step in mommy letting go.

that's what today was.

my kids can walk home from school, but...

i wanted them to ride the bus this week,

to "practice" when they have to ride the bus,

in yucky weather.

kaycee missed the bus.

by no fault of her own.

she apparently had 2 bus assignments,

and it wasn't caught by the teacher until kaycee's real bus

had already left. ugh.

she was so brave.

no tears at school.

she saved them just for me.

but she's ready to try again tomorrow.

good.ridence.irene.

2011-08-28T17:27:00.002-04:00

for real.

i would never, ever want to endure a real bad hurricane.

ever.

i laid in bed last night for hours, thinking my bedroom window was

going to come crashing in on me at any second.

i am not kidding.

it sounded that bad.

(i don't know how my husband was snoring away beside me?)

all that quiet.

laying there.

also made me focus on praying.

h.a.r.d.

for our safety, protection.

for our week ahead...which will hold the first day of school.

for some of my friends who are delivering their kids off to college.

and leaving them there.

boo.hoo.

all that lies ahead.

whew.

i did finally fall asleep.

to be awakened by the generator turning on. at midnight.

and our lights going out.

to panic-ed little voices calling out in the dark night.

"mommy".

i didn't get much sleep last night.

and it's okay.

but i would like our electric back.

that's all.

i don't really want to do last night.

all over again.

tonight.

if i really don't have too. :)

but it's my job. i know. no more outta me.

i know. you are on it PECO.

i know.
but could ya hurry?

p.s. an update on monday morning is:
we got our electric back on at 9 p.m. sunday night.
yay.
so did the school, but that is after we got the 8:30 pm call
that they will open on a 2 hour delay for the first day of school.
how memorable. :)
apparently there were still quite a few people out in our district
as of last night, as well, so...
we will take our time this morning. :)

farmers.

2011-08-27T19:55:00.000-04:00

my cousin sent me this link.

and i liked it so much

i think you all should watch it. :)
~ thanks ang. ~

now...i think i am going to start on the sequel.
"so God made a farmer's wife"

ha.ha.ha.
i crack myself up. :)

burn 100 calories.

2011-08-25T14:44:00.001-04:00

just sayin' i thought it was a good day to be lazy...

especially since i have an awful headache...

it won't go away.

but then i found this.

i can even do these things even on a rainy headache day.

happy jumpin' around. :)

random.ness.

2011-08-19T09:53:00.004-04:00

i don't really have anything good to say.

i am sad summer is on it's way out.

yep. sad.

and sad that school is in its way in. :(

praying that my children will flourish this year...

and have prayed that my children will thrive in the classrooms they

were placed in for this school year.

so far, lots have good things to say about the teachers we received.

Jesus is faithful.

and i am thankful.

wednesday night there was an Amish hymn sing around our pond.

first time i experienced this.
(my in-laws and their friend, dayton, planned it).

a family of 13 came to sing for us.

they sang beautifully.

that is one thing i wish i could do.

i cannot carry a tune to save my life.

i do love to sing. i just do not sound good. :)

it was fun to watch them.

this calm, peaceful mother of 11

(although 3 are married and have children of their own).

and there i sat with my 5.

a funny feeling.
and then we had smores.

(and this is sadie...she loves.loves.loves. babies...she stole karolina right away)

we are having more work done on our house. again.

leaking over our kitchen ceiling.

which has gotton worse. and worse. and worse.

so. now we are fixing that roof and adding a car port while we are at it.

yipppeee.

lots of pounding. and banging. and sawing.

enough commotion, that it is no longer safe to let my kids outside unattended.

(well...maybe that's never safe, but...)

and my sister in law sent me this quote from a book she's reading.

it came at the most perfect time.

i love this time in my life.

i love mothering.

especially a newborn.

i love feeling needed. and cuddling. and soothing an infant,

like only a mother can.

the part i can't stand, for myself, is the way i can't fit into anything.

~nothing~

the only part about having a baby i can't stand. :(

so here's the quote from:

loving the little years...motherhood in the trenches

"Scars and stretch marks and muffin tops are all part of your kingdom work. One of the greatest testimonies Christian women can have in our world today is the testimony of joyfully giving your body to another." ~rachel jankovic.

ha.ha.ha. i laughed. and laughed.

it made me feel better about myself anyway. :)

i don't know that it makes it any easier that i can't button my pants...

especially in a world that is marked by addictions to pornography.

in a church that is, statistically speaking,

also struggeling with addictions to pornography

that no one wants to discuss or talk about or make better. :(

but that's for another post.

and we got the stomach bug here.
again.
everyone had a piece of it, or not feeling well, except for me.
and calli got it first,
and threw up all over the basement,
over lots of blankets, and pillows, and all over her cousin, Gemma.
ugh.
talk about mortified.
the only good thing is that Gemma is only 2.
so hopefully she will not remember any of it. :)
sorry guys...

guess that's all for now.
go grab some sunshine. :)

and the Lord smiled on our day today.

isn't he amazing?

life. with. many. kids.

2011-08-16T12:52:00.001-04:00

what qualifies as "many" kids?

is it just 3...once they outnumber you and your spouse?

or is it 6 or more?

let me clarify...these are not all mine. :)

(kaycee- 6 1/2, holding cousin, piper- 5 wks., cousin reese- 3, campbell- 4 1/2, with sister, karolina- 2 wks)

not sure. but i am thinking i qualify. :)

and i just have 5.

life is good.

i am blessed.

i am loving my sweet, contented baby girl...

who has only gotton up once a night to eat,

since she's been 5 days old.

* i kid you not*

she is just.that.good.

infact...she is laying here on the floor, beside me, here at the computer

just cooing away at me.

of course, i am delighted that she wants to chat with her momma.

especially,

while the rest of her LOUD siblings are in the sun porch

having a LOUD tea party.

or now they have moved onto playing "cow"

and finger-streaking each and every pane on my 2 sets of french doors :)

people wonder how i have time to "blog".

i don't.

i am choosing not to dwell on all the finger prints they are making,

so i can do this.

i should probably be mothering, and playing cow with them,

or else cleaning my windows.

but i choose this.

that's all. enough said. :)

(kaycee holding karolina...they ALL love to hug, kiss and hold her all the time...)

and actually are very, very helpful...

so helpful, infact, the other day...

that calli got a crying karolina out of her bouncy seat and carried her to me in the next room...it is a teeny bit traumatic if i let karolina cry for a second...if just to throw a load of laundry in,

usually, i have 4 children yelling for me, or bringing her to me...

no one likes to hear karolina cry...

and thankfully, she doesn't very often. :)

my life rocks.

i know it.

(however, i was up with a throwing up kid, 2 nights in a row...

but i don't want to ruin my post...)

i told someone the other day that i think people stop having babies too early.

like...

maybe everyone should have 5,

to adore all this bliss.

(most people think i am kidding). :)

* i have wonderful meals coming to my kitchen.

(although this is my last week).

*i have felt better this time around...than. ever. before.

and i usually have great recoveries...

*my baby is only getting up once a night to nurse.

*and did i say she is the easiest baby ever.

oh. yeah. i said that. :)

*and it's summer. we go outside.

*we play. we laugh.

*we play outside. i think summer is the bestest time

~ever~

to have a baby.

for all those reasons. well. and to be tan.

but you know that already too. :)

and don't get me wrong.

i have had my fair share of adjustments...

*there are ~days~ (like a stretch of them) :) where i don't shower.

*dealing with a crying and hungry newborn babe

at the exact same time i am tucking in the

other four munchkins.

*a lack of blog postings...

*a lack of checking blogs i like to read.

*fewer library trips, and grocery store outings...

*not checking in on my friends, or making phone calls, or

writing notes...

*raising my voice to get someone to listen, or even hear me speak. :)

*and yes, spanks...they have to happen too...

*and snuggles...mostly with kaden...he is my snuggle bug-

just can't happen quite as much right now...my arms are full.

but...we are, for the most part, having lots of fun

loving on karolina and are transitioning well.

kaycee holding cousin, piper...

my friends and family rock too.

my other kids have had the best last 3 weeks of their entire summer.

i. kid. you. not.

movies, swimming, play dates, hershey park, the zoo...

it's craziness.

but we love it.

thank you
ALL

who have been loving on us.

and also thanks to all who have been checking in on my man.

he is doing great.

feeling a little better day by day.

~of course i wish he would have taken some meds to help him along~

but. he. is. not. like. that.

he got his stitches out yesterday...

and x-rays of his mouth were good.

so...we will wait

a little bit longer

for complete healing.

thank you Jesus for sparing his life...AGAIN.

(i did have to laugh, as we went to county line for stitches in his head,

me, and my 10 day old baby, and...matt knew right where to go.

i had never been in the "stitching room" before, but he's been there

on numerous occassions...again...this is why i believe the Lord is blessing

me with girls...so, hopefully, i don't have to frequent this room. :) )

i love him, and love doing this family thing, with him.

so...i guess i should be going now.

there is laundry to do.

windows to wash.

a table to clear.

hallways to vacume...toys to pick up.

burp clothes to sew, and little pillows to stuff,
baby books to update...i just saw i am over a year behind on calli's...
ooops.

as well as the sick little girl recovering on the couch.

and...shucks.

my meal is now here for tonight, right now.

and my kitchen is a total disaster from lunch.

because i chose to do this, instead of clean up first.

why do i do that?
and, i just remembered.
i did shower today, but agghhh...never put on any make-up.
:(

oh well.

happy tuesday people.

karolina grace...at 5 days.

2011-08-08T09:19:00.000-04:00

i know. i know. i do know i have 4 other children besides this precious...but i cannot help it. there is nothing quite like a newborn. they are my weakness. :) and they change so quickly. i could not resist showing you some pics, that one of my sister's friends took...becca lapp. this is her photography blog. she is very talented, and spent hours and hours posing my peanut to look this way.i cannot wait to see the rest...thanks becca and abby for a great job...

check out some pictures of karolina at http://www.bjfphotographyblog.com/.

some stitches and a concussion...

2011-08-05T16:51:00.000-04:00

matt had an accident down at the pond today.

he was hit in the face with a big tree limb, while doing some work with the tractor and some mowing...

would love for you to pray for a speedy recovery for him...

as he never does rest, quite well. :)

he has a concussion, and 5 stitches in his head.

he has a nasty bruise on his cheek and a black and blue eye.

his mouth, jaw and teeth are very sore, and probably

will be for a few days, but don't think anything is broken...

will continue to watch him for the next 48 hours to make

sure he doesn't worsen.

very thankful it wasn't more serious...

also thankful for great neighbors and friends who came to our

aid immediately.

we are so blessed...

the beach. 2011.

2011-08-04T16:07:00.000-04:00

so our beach trip this year was kind of botched a bit

by the arrival of my niece, piper, and precious karolina.

my mom did not want to plan our annual one week beach trip, with

our Buckwalter family, when she wasn't sure when the babies would arrive.

boo.hoo.

if you know me, well...and my sister, you know we were devestated.

do you plan your children around your vacation?

naaah. the Lord takes care of those things...

anyway...my parents went to the beach for this week,

just them,

and my little family of 7, went to crash their party. :)

karolina's first "real" outing...

a trip to Ocean City, NJ @ 10 days old.

yep. you got it.

karolina slept most of the day there.

she did great on the beach...well...she did great everywhere.

not a peep.

i suppose she liked the sound of the waves?

so thankful for a wonderful husband who took the kids out in the water...

while i "rested" , or nursed, on a chair nearby. :)

and what fun is vacation if mam-maw doesn't give them soda on demand?

and kaden even got to try out his new paddle ball game he got for his birthday...

(i couldn't get an action shot...my camera is just too slow.)

thanks jaiden, reese, and piper. :)

and lollies and ice pops on the beach.

is there anything better?

i think not.

***thanks mam-maw and pap-paw for letting us crash in on your vacation.

it was so worth it. the kids love the beach, almost as much as their mommy, and well, matt, he was just a trooper. we really hope we have a real family trip again next year, but if not, i guess we can just keep crashing in on yours. :) ***

my mom was a bit worried about me all.day.long.

i came home very weary and moving a bit slower,

but so glad we went. so glad.

took wednesday "off" and feel good as new today. :)

gotta love the beach.

memory verse monday.

2011-08-01T08:03:00.004-04:00

isn't this a great idea?
each monday this mommy posts a verse for her and her family to memorize.
this was on my list of things to do this summer.
and though i am thrilled with how our summer is going,
and we have gotton a lot of fun done...
this particular hasn't quite gotton accomplished.
so...this is very helpful to me.
yay. i love helpful. :)

i also love this blog.
it's one of my new inspiring favorites. :)
now just to take the time to sit down and read it. :)

love it. ~mk.

karolina grace...a sneek peek at 12 hours old.

2011-07-30T18:56:00.001-04:00

my brothers came to visit karolina on saturday afternoon.

thanks for all the pics mark. i love them.

here is what he captured.

overdue perhaps? peely, wrinkly toes.

the pond.

2011-07-29T10:45:00.000-04:00

the pond has been a fun project...i was able to finish painting all the furniture we inherited from our friend, nik, who took off to the dominican republic for some missionary work, for a year...that's another post, but anyway, finished painting...a couple days before karolina was born. actually matt may have had to do some final touch up work...i keep forgetting to ask, but regardless, i am very, very pleased with how it turned out...

the pond is going to be a fun, fun place for our family to enjoy and retreat too. a peaceful place to sit and enjoy. matt was reading the paper down there this week, as he listened to the chirping bull frogs. :)

karolina and i walked down on wednesday to watch the rest of the family enjoying it...matt got some pictures with his phone. :) so...they are not so great...but i am down with being real about how i look these days. :)

okay...so our friends and neighbors the Yerkes' just got this spring wagon...and chris came to our small group picnic the other week...i believe it was 2 days before my due date...maybe? i lost track of time...anyway...he was giving us all rides. i thought this picture a crack up. it's nice to see i look a little bit smaller now. :)

so...there you have it. somehow i changed the font color...oh well.

karolina had a great night. went to bed at 10 pm, and i woke her to feed her at 3 am.

wow.

not normal. but i will take it for one night. :) or many if she chooses. :)

i actually feel much better now that she is here.

i felt much more tired being pregnant, than i do now...

yay. i love her. i love them all. :)

content.

2011-07-26T10:36:00.001-04:00

we are doing so good.

matt is being very, very helpful, which is helping this transition to

go as smoothly as it can. :)
i also know she is only 3 days old, and i could
change my mind about this transition by tomorrow. :)

and i love that it is summer, so the kids can go outside when

they are getting too stir crazy inside, and...

well...karolina is just a dream.

she is very content so far.

we are so blessed.

happy 8th birthday kaden.

2011-07-24T18:37:00.001-04:00

wow.

my first born turned 8 years old today.

i absolutely cannot believe it.

for real.

where does time go anyway?

i was concerned how this birthday thing would go.

as karolina arrived yesterday.

but kaden is a rockstar,

having a great day.

i think he is enjoying being here with matt and i and karolina by himself.

(the girls are still at my parents).

we've had a relaxing day.

opened presents.

pizza for lunch, with matt's parents.

watched the phillies and some skateboarding.

and quality time getting to know karolina...

kaden...

you are such a fun kid.

you rally a lot. you adjust to life when things don't go your way.

i loved spending the day with you today.

you are talking more and more like a little man.

it's hard for me to believe.

you have been such a helper to mommy already today.

thank you.

you are a great son.

i love your snuggles. still.

you have grown so much this year in so many ways.

it's been fun watching you "do" life.

you are a great friend. and brother.

i loved watching you snuggle with karolina already.

i pray we will always have a special relationship as mother and son.

(and your dad and you too).

and that you will always love on your sisters.

we pray for God's protection over your life.

and cannot wait to continue to see how it unfolds.

love you always.

~mommy...for daddy too.

here's some more getting to know karolina:

happy birthday kaden...

we love you.

she's here.

2011-07-23T18:34:00.001-04:00

i am not kidding.

she's totally here.

and we are

~overjoyed~

with her presence already.

(of course that is easier,

when your other four kids have been wisked away...

thanks moms and dads) :)

but...

i am so thankful she is here.

and healthy and content and totally beautiful.

my contractions started at midnight last night,

and she was born, in the water, at 3:32 a.m. this morning.

she weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and was 21 1/4 inches long.

she looks the most like calli...

which means daddy too. :)

we are all doing great.

thank you so much for your prayers and concern...

my sick kids seem to be feeling much better,

and the other 2 have not gotton anything ~yet~

thank you Jesus.

and continue to protect them from this fast moving sickness.

thank you Jesus for

~karolina grace~

for her life, and presence.

i pray she would continue to nurse well,

that she would continue to be a content little girl,

filled with the joy of the Lord.

i pray for a quick recovery for me too. :)

i am so tickled she is here.

here are a few pics,
probably taken about 15 minutes after she was born...

check out her chunky little face...

i love this...my expression...talking to karolina.

and i really love this.

karolina checking out her daddy...

we were talking about it minutes after she was born.

it's such a wild, miraculous experience.

what is she thinking?

okay. so not the best little family shot.

but i totally love karolina's little frowny.

i honestly don't remember her crying there, but i guess she must have. :)

we're sick.

2011-07-22T18:43:00.000-04:00

okay. so. i lied.

i am now asking you to pray for us when you think of us.

i was up with kaden most of the night last night

because he was throwing up...

and well...i wasn't feeling so good myself.

so...we rested today.

and he seems like he is getting better.

keeping gingerale down now and toast.

it's the little things, right? :)

but...now...kaycee threw up.

so...i am dreading another night up with a throwing up kid.

(i really hate throw up...really)

and am now thinking it's just going to go thru the ranks.

boo. hoo.

kaden's 8th birthday is Sunday.

hhhhmmmmm. :)

a mother's prayer for week 40.

2011-07-20T10:56:00.001-04:00

okay. so. this is it.

i think this is my last post.

before. the BIG post.

announcing our new arrival.

you are all sick of hearing about how late i am.

and how nothing is happening.

and i am sick of dwelling on the painful part of what is to come.

before. the BIG exciting post.

so...we will end on this note.

my hampers have never been empty everyday.

until now.

my to do list.

has never been so checked off.

until now.

granted there will always be stuff on that list.

but really. it has shrunk.

my kitchen is cleaned everynight before bed.

just.in.case. that night is ~the~ night.

the nursery is ready and waiting.

for pete's sake, my diaper bag is picked out of my stash.

and stocked. ;)

the swing is waiting and ready...with a doll in it most of the time,

but still.

we are excited and just can't wait. :)

dear Lord,

this week was the week of my due date. i thank you for helping me make it to full term in my pregnancy. i am looking forward to welcoming my baby into our home. Lord, please help my baby come at just the right time. ( no worries there, cause if i was in charge, she would be here by now...) :)

bless my labor and delivery. give the midwife and nurse wisdom to make all the right decisions. help me be strong during delivery. help me trust in you. i pray that your sweet presence would fill the room with joy as i deliver the baby and we welcome her into this world.

Lord, i know you are a good God, and i choose to put my trust in You. be with me now and every moment of the day. let me be aware of Your presence with me. reveal Yourself more to me so i can know You and love You more.

Thank you, Lord

In Jesus' name. amen.

(taken from: Praying through your pregnancy

by: jennifer polimino and carolyn warren)

spiritsup*

2011-07-19T07:47:00.001-04:00

so my midwife said to me yesterday,

"keep your spirits up."

yes...i know, i thought.

can my spirits be up, and i still feel a twang of disappointment?

i think so.

i dreamed of delivering my 5th baby early.

my due date has now come and gone.

as usual.

no surprises there.

but i still dreamed.

that's what girls do, right?

and while this pregnancy has mirrored my others in many ways.

this part is not...it's different.

i am not dialating as quickly as i usually do.

(i usually walk around for a couple weeks pretty dialated)

which means i am getting a teeny bit uneasy about how things might go.

what if this labor and delivery thing is long and drawn out?

i tend to think i am a champ at delivering babies,

but that is simply because my labors are *usually* short and sweet.

(by short i mean 2-4 hours...and by sweet...i mean ~anyone~

can handle ~anything~ for 2-4 hours. it's a drop in the bucket, right? ) :)

i do, in general, get a kick out of ladies who ask if your labor was "easy".

what does that mean exactly?

because i am more quiet and focused and not screaming and yelling,

is that what makes some think my labor was "easy".

just curious?

and maybe i really do have "easy" labors and deliveries.

i guess it doesn't really matter, now does it?

most of us go back and do it all over again.

bottom line.

kids are worth it.

they just are. :)

so, with that being said.

i am keep on keeping on.

trying to keep the smile on my face.

weeding, painting, entertaining, as if nothing is going to change anytime soon.

and when it does.

boy. will i be glad it's over.

i *love* this picture. doesn't it say a thousand words?

i think it's hilarious.

this is how i feel about now.

p.s. stress test on friday.
then we will begin talking "induction" tactics.
oh.boy.
what.fun.
i just wanna go to the beach.

thanks guys.

2011-07-15T16:21:00.000-04:00

thank you all for your prayers concerning baby and me's ultrasound for this afternoon. all looks great! she was sucking on her hand much of the time. the tech printed out a gazillion pictures for me. looks like she might just be tiny featured like most of her sisters, that's all. :) now...just to persuade her to come on out...at 7 lbs. instead of 8 or 9, which another week or two could do. :) or else i should live on lettuce i guess? ;) here's to celebrating a healthy baby. ~mk.

but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint. isaiah 40:31.

scheduled ultrasound.

2011-07-13T22:19:00.000-04:00

so i did have a baby appointment yesterday.

nothing ~much~ going on...

surprise. surprise. :)

i am however, due in just 3 days,

and the baby is still only measuring at 34 weeks.

so...i am having an ultrasound on friday afternoon.

i struggled and struggled with the decision...

(i had 4 ultrasounds with campbell, for the same reason...

the babe kept measuring the same, but...she was fine.

just my tiniest baby at 7 lbs. 12 oz.

i know...not even tiny. :) )

which i guess is why i struggled so much with the decision...

anyway...i would love it if you would cover the baby and i in prayer.

i am trusting the Lord is protecting us.

that she is safe and healthy in there,

and there is nothing to be concerned about.

we are in His hands. ~always~

be strong and courageous. don't be terrified or afraid.

for it is the Lord your God who goes with you;

He will not leave you or forsake you.

He will be with you.

do not be afraid or discouraged.

Deuteronomy 31:6, 8.

update on kaden...

2011-07-12T08:17:00.000-04:00

thank you for those of you who are praying

for our 7 year old son, Kaden's, leg...

which was hurt in a four wheeler incident on sat. afternoon.

it is looking soooo much better already.

the healing that is taking place is unbelievable.

he has slept thru the night the last 2 nights...

with the help of some tylenol, but still...

our days are spent reading and in front of the tv :(

but no more crying and moaning for the most part.

i continue to pray against infection,

and you can join me in that,

but i am encouraged by what i see thus far.

~thanks~ mk.

this mothering thing...

2011-07-10T15:16:00.000-04:00

is not for the faint of heart.

that is for sure.

we started out our weekend great.

went to some family fun festivals in gap and quarryville.

the girls love.love.loved the pony rides.

my apologies for the pics...i really should have cropped them a bit...

just didn't take the time. :(

i just love the expressions on all of their faces.

all of my girls are just so different...

it's neat to catch it on camera, even if they are bad pictures.

campbell was the only one who got her face painted.

we ran out of time...

moppy was taking them around and around and around

to the different stations while matt and i chatted. :)

but it's a great butterfly, don't you think?

will copy it the next time i face paint for sure.

the weekend ended on a downer.

the next picture is a little bit...hmmm. gross.

kaden (almost 8) and his cousin, noah (almost 10),

were riding 4 wheeler on saturday.

and well. had a little incident.

***i did mention on my last post about all the miracles that happen here.

this was just another. :) ***

kaden's version was, " noah was driving like a maniac and i told him to stop."

noah's version was, "kaden wasn't hanging on tight enough."

so...this is what we got.

a very raw looking calf for kaden.

i am hoping it is a good learning experience. :(

it is very, very sore.

there is a lot of crying and moaning throughout the day,

and minimal sleeping at night.

(the Lord is again preparing me for a nursing baby. :) )

we've talked about the miracle it was that no one was

~seriously~ hurt, and that the Lord protected them.

i guess this is why i have girls.

it seems their toys are a bit less dangerous, no matter how you drive.

kaden did tolerate the pool for about a half hour today.

Praise the Lord.

putting medicine on him, is the worst ever...

so i am hoping the chlorine will help me out.

regardless, pray for better sleep tonight.

and quick healing.

thanks.

gotta run.

i hear some activity upstairs...

it's supposed to be nap time. :)

more piper

2011-07-08T18:16:00.001-04:00

surprise. surprise.

i just cannot get enough of this cute little peanut.

she is too precious.

took the kiddos to visit their newest cousin- piper, and jaiden and reese today.

calli and campbell were the most hilarious.

calli would try to "shush" baby piper anytime she made a squeal...

or quiet her by touching her hair, and shoving the nuk in her mouth...

campbell did a little of the same...

i did not trust either of them for a second to be alone with her...

even if she was strapped in the swing. :)

kaden didn't seem to be too interested, but did say on the way

home he can't wait to hold "our" baby sister,

and kaycee well she was just plain shy.

(calli- 2 1/2) (kaycee- 6 1/2)

(campbell- 4)

(kaden- almost 8)

( and me...all with piper at 5 days old)

maybe the next time we see them,

i will have a new baby.

maybe not. :)

did i mention that we are thankful we live on a farm recently? :)

at one point, kaycee and calli were outside playing in the sandbox

in the back yard.

(which is small and fenced in).

about 15 minutes or so had passed, and kaycee returned inside,

and i asked if she left calli outside alone...

she told me calli had "disappeared" awhile ago.

(kaycee normally is a bit better than this with her babysitting...

she was sort of "off" today...i don't know...)

my heart raced a teeny bit,

and when i went outside,

i saw the back gate was hanging wide open.

unbelievable that she was able to move the trash cans out of the way

of the gate...for children blocking purposes...and even undue

the latch, but...she did.

meg hit the front door, and we found her on the sidewalk

out front blowing bubbles.

whew.

thankful for another miracle...

(i have about a million miracles a day, around here.) :)

mainly that she wasn't stopping traffic in the middle of

downtown Lancaster...

us country folks don't know about city streets, you know...

gotta run.
calli set up a tea party for kaycee and i.
~campbell is away with moppy,
and kaden and daddy went to the gun store.~ :)

happy friday.

angels.

2011-07-05T22:47:00.000-04:00

just a reminder...

a police man stopped a friend, who was coming in our driveway today, around lunchtime, in search of a man, who was dressed a certain way. i tried not to think much about it, until 2 hours later, when i was doing the lunch dishes, and the kids were waiting in the car, to head to a neighbors pool, and a cop car came speeding in my driveway, and whipped around by our coverall building, checking something out in our pasture, down by the pond. i quickly yelled for matt, but by the time he got out there, the cop car was gone...

we haven't heard much, other than a neighbor, (good 'ol bob), did talk to a state trooper, who wouldn't talk about "it" but said they think they got their guy. whew. i try not to live in a state of fear, but locked my doors tonight, just in case...can't help but wonder what in the world was going on.

and then remembered on my walk this morning, up and down the drive, over and over, that i specifically prayed for protection over our property, for angels to protect those who live here, and work here, and for safety for those who find themselves on our property.

thank you Jesus for protecting my family today...and bringing my earlier prayer to my recollection...i pray for safety tonight and tomorrow and the days that follow as well...in Jesus name. amen. ~mk.

my newest neice...

2011-07-04T06:49:00.003-04:00

*piper erin burkholder*

(my sister's little girl...who was due on june 30th)

arrived on sunday night, july 3rd...
on my nephew, (her cousin), ezra's, 12th birthday.

isn't she just too precious?

such a petite little thing...

(although she weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz.)

i think she looks like her auntie melissa erin...what do ya think? :)

very proud of my sister megan.

she has never NOT had an epidural, until last night.

i knew she really wanted to "try" labor without one...

and it took all she had to actually go thru with that decision...

i think she is glad she did, and i am so thankful she was able

to have such a great birth experience.

congrats chris and meg!!

on such a beautiful addition to your family.

blessings as you adjust to the change that sweet little

piper will bring to your family...

be strong and courageous. don't be terrified or afraid. for it is the Lord our God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. He will be with you. do not be afraid or discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:6,8

~matthew and melissa king~

*my little lovees.*

jump start.

it's been *awhile*

this little *light* of mine.

*pink* eye.

this morning.

poor rabbits.

the big 34...

a new year. a new beginning.

kaycee agnes turns 7!!

Make It Your Mission…

matt's knee.

wishing you...

the hustle and bustle...

campbell's merry christmas program.

a sneak peak...

our * Christmas* tree.

confusion on the web.

Steven Curtis Chapman: Do Everything - Official Lyric Video

psalm 105

a visit to pappy and grandma's.

my son.

goin' on a fox hunt.

Pumpkin Olympics.

a visit.

niagra falls.

david's song.

a day in pictures.

randomness. and catch up.

calli turns 3!

life.

just another day.

so fun.

this world.

karolina grace. 9 wks.

karolina's dedication.

parenting.

old road motorcycle ride.

solanco parade.

campbell's 1st day of preschool.

quote of the day.

shaken.

daniel study.

more of a mommy letting go.

dear aunt nik...

campout. an annual tradition?

a gift.

happy 37th babe...

school. first day. 2011.

good.ridence.irene.

farmers.

burn 100 calories.

random.ness.

life. with. many. kids.

karolina grace...at 5 days.

some stitches and a concussion...

the beach. 2011.

memory verse monday.

karolina grace...a sneek peek at 12 hours old.

the pond.

content.

happy 8th birthday kaden.

she's here.

we're sick.

a mother's prayer for week 40.

*spirits*up*

thanks guys.

scheduled ultrasound.

update on kaden...

this mothering thing...

*more piper*

angels.

my newest neice...

my little lovees.

it's been awhile

this little light of mine.

pink eye.

spiritsup*

more piper