school. first day. 2011.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.