7 Quick Takes Friday - Volume 13

Why, hello there!  It's been a while since a "real" post, huh?  Let me say, life with 6 children is just different than life with 5.  You'd think one more wouldn't make much difference, especially in an already larger-than-average family, but it does!  I think the other ones getting older as well has something to do with it, too, maybe. Time just isn't mine to spend as it used to be.  So please forgive my sporatic blogging and stop in when you can and I'll try to do the same!

Anywho... here's a brief recap of life lately.

I did it! I  ran a 5K - my first one in NINE years!  Phew!  It was fun and challenging, and I couldn't have done it without my good friends who supported and encouraged me the whole way.  I'd like to say I did the same for them but I was too busy trying not to fall down and die, so thankfully they were strong enough on their own!  Here's a picture of the three of us, all hot and sweaty.  

I really want to do another one, but that would mean, well, actually running again some time soon.  So that makes me give it a little more thought.

In other exciting news, Nathan lost his first tooth!  It caught me off guard, because he's not even 5 yet!  One day it was a little wiggly, and just a few days later, out it came, while he was brushing his teeth.  He was super proud - and so was I!  There's something about that first tooth that is sentimental for me.  Like the first step into big-kidness or something.  Of course, I made a scrapbook page about it!

Can you believe Rachel-girl is already 10 months old?  She's getting so big!!  She's gotten 4 teeth (two top, two bottom), is standing on her own, and can blow kisses!  I think she may be the first of all the kids to walk before the 12-month mark... time will soon tell!  Here are some pictures!

 

Her nighttime sleeping has improved, for which I am so, so thankful! Now to get some daytime sleep pattern established.  She's busy, busy, busy - always on the go and into anything and everything she can find, especially the stuff she shouldn't be in!  Such is life with a mobile baby.

Speaking of Rachel, I wanted to address one of the most asked questions I get: "What's it like having a girl after all those boys?".  Let me tell you!  It's awesome.  It's fascinating.  It's fun.  And it's a bit on the terrifying side.  You see, with the boys, I know that for the most part, they're looking toward Michael for their example of how to be - men, of course. (Not that they're not looking at my example, too, but it's not quite the same!) But now I've got this person to whom *I'm* the main example - of motherliness, femininity, what it means to be a girl/woman... yikes!  To be honest, I didn't come into a good understanding of my own femininity until I was in my 20's, and still feel like I have so much more to learn and areas to grow in.  So, all my flaws, faults, and failures are magnified to me even more now, and I pray daily for the Lord to make me into a Godly example for my daughter.  I'm so thankful that He is faithful and working on me!!

On a bittersweet note - I have resigned from the TOS Homeschool Crew.  The year and a half that I was a part of the Crew was a great blessing for me, and I so appreciated the opportunity to participate in the fun reviews!  However, I'm just at a point in my life where my blog cannot be a priority any more, and my family needs more of my focus.  We also needed less distractions away from our main homeschooling goals.  So while it's sad to say goodbye, I'm also excited to have one less extra activity on my plate.  I have one more review that will be coming up next week, and that will be the last.  I do hope that my time on the Crew has been a blessing to my readers and maybe even helped with a few curriculum decisions!

For Thanksgiving (also my birthday week), we went up to Amish Country in Pennsylvania to visit with my sister, brother-in-law, and parents.  We were able to stay in a great little house at my sister's work (Black Rock Retreat Center, in case you're ever in the area - it's awesome!) and it was perfect for hosting Thanksgiving dinner.  We spent lots of time outside and playing family games.  We also learned a new game called "Ga-Ga" (or "Israeli Dodgeball") - google it if you're curious!  It was quite fun and a great wear-them-out game for the boys!  There was a nature center with all sorts of various reptiles and other critters, and the kids got to go feed them every day.  We even had professional family pictures done, some of which I hope to share soon!

It was so much fun spending time with everyone!  Here's a picture of my sister, brother-in-law, and the kiddos (this is not one of the professional ones, obviously!):

(I love the different personalities that show through!)

I promise this isn't an ad, and I don't get any kick back whatsoever for making this recommendation, but I have to share about a product that has revolutionized my breastfeeding experience!  Seriously, I would consider this a MUST-HAVE for any nursing mom.  What could this be?! Undercover Mama nursing "tanks"!  I say "tanks" because they're not actually tank tops - they're bodices that attach to any nursing bra to act as a tank top.  You see, regular nursing tanks do not work for me.  By themselves, they're not supportive enough.  Worn over a nursing bra creates two sets of clasps to be undone.  But not Undercover Mama Tanks! They. are. AWESOME.  No, really, they are.  No more worrying about belly skin showing while I nurse.  No more cold baby hands on my side while I nurse.  I can wear one under anything, and it's not bulky or too hot (but they do help in adding an extra layer when it's cold outside!), and come in a variety of colors.  I *love* *love* *love* them.  Can I say that enough?  I don't go a day without one on, seriously!    Nursing + Modesty = Wonderful!

Well, there's more I have to share, but maybe I'll actually write a real, live blog post sometime soon to share my other thoughts. We'll see if time allows me!  Thanks, as always, for stopping by - please feel free to leave a comment to say howdy!

Seven Quick Takes - Volume 12

*tap, tap tap* Is this thing on?  Is anyone out there?  I know my blog has been super quiet lately (did you hear crickets chirping?)!  Real life flies by at the speed of... well, life! I've been going along for the ride, with little time to take care of things like blogging!  For a quick recap of the past few weeks for us, here's my Quick Takes!

We celebrated Michael's 33rd birthday last week!  He took the day off of work and we went up to the mountains to play disc golf (what else?!).  The course up there was very challenging (disc golf in the mountains, what else could be expected?) but we had a great time as a family, enjoying the beautiful fall weather and each other's company!  Here's the birthday boy man and his boys!

Notice anything different about Isaac in the picture above?  Here's another picture for a closer look:

For a little while, he had been complaining about road signs and various other long-distance things being fuzzy... finally it got to the point where I thought I should probably take him in to get his eyes checked.  Sure enough, he's got his mama's eyes and needed some glasses.  Thankfully, it's not nearly as bad as my eyes, and we're hoping it stays that way!  He loves his new glasses - for one, because he can actually see again (go figure!) and two, several of his friends have glasses, so it's the "in" thing in his crowd.  I'm really happy that he's happy about them!

We've made an official upgrade!  We've enjoyed our wonderfully steady and reliable Suburban for 6 years, but with Rachel joining our family, we had officially maxed it out.  We all fit, but there was no room at all for anyone else, which got tricky at times.  After a few months of casual looking around, we came across a 15-Passenger van that met all of our criteria, and was in our price range!  And it's a pretty fun color, too!

I'm doing something that I swore up and down I'd never do.  No, it's nothing all that terribly exciting, but it has made a big difference - I'm running at night!  Instead of trying to beat Miss Rachel's wake-up time and getting up at insane hours in the morning, I've found it's so much easier to wait until everyone is in bed to hop on the treadmill.  I've always thought it would be way too difficult, because I'm really *not* a night person, but I'm finding it alot more enjoyable, since I don't feel a huge pressure to RUSH or stress about possibly being interrupted.  I had slacked off for about a month, but with some external motivation (training to do a 5K with friends!) and this new adjustment, I'm getting back into a good routine.  And getting to sleep in a little later!

Speaking of Miss Rachel and her sleeping... something has happened to my wonderfully content sleeper!  From the time she was about 6 weeks old, she had been sleeping like a dream - waking only once or twice, often sleeping 10-12 hours straight.  Such joy!  Right around the 6 month mark, though, something changed.  Call it teething (she did get her two bottom ones in), or milestone development (she is crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything!) or separation anxiety, or... whatever it is, it's amounting to NO sleep.  Naps are a struggle, and nighttime sleep goes well for the first few hours, and then she wakes up to nurse and wants to stay awake and hang out.  For an hour or two.  Or three.  In the middle of the night.  Um... that's not working for me!  This has been happening several nights a week for a while, and I'm a little tired (to say the least), and praying we get over this little hitch soon!

Remember that review and giveaway I did for the digital scrapbooking software, MyMemories Suite?  Well, it's become a slight addiction for me.  I think I do at least one page a day, or work on a page, anyway.  I seriously love it!  Besides just really fun scrapbook pages - like this one:

 

I've also realized what neat decorations and gifts I can make!  This has been my latest project - making name pages for each child to go on their doors.  It's been fun to consider each one's personality and tastes while doing it.  Here they are - click to enlarge if you want to see them bigger!

Take a close look at Joel's - we had a compromise we had to work out over it.  He wanted a monster on the page, and I wanted the grasshopper (Michael calls him "Cricket" so a grasshopper was a close fit)... and we both won.  Can you see his monster?  :-)

Anyway, my point is, that the whole digital scrapbooking thing is more than just a way to present photos - it is actually quite versatile! I love it so much that I'm an affiliate for MyMemories now! So, if you order the MyMemories Suite Software, use can use the coupon code STMMMS71850 to save $10 off the software price and get another $10 credit toward stuff in the MyMemories store... and I'll get a little bonus, too!  They also have weekly freebies and fun challenges on their Facebook page, so check them out!  And if you're still hesitant about buying... and have a lot of patience, I'll be doing another giveaway, probably early in the new year!

In all of my free time (hahahahahaha!!) (no, I mean, the several times a day I sit down to nurse the baby, that's about as free as I get), I've been working through some older literature on my Kindle.  Since so many good, older books are available for free, I decided "why not?".  I started with Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, and while I found the storyline not quite to be my style, I was very impressed with the writing.  Most recently I've been absorbed in Les Miserables - I've been reading it for almost a month now and am only 50% of the way through!  Phew!  But it is soooooooo good!  What has really stood out to me the most from both of these stories is the quality of writing, the use of language, the deep character development - things that are hard to come by in many modern novels that seem to be written with much less depth nowadays.  I've gained a new appreciation for what constitutes good writing... as well as an appreciation for the dictionary feature on my Kindle!  My vocabulary has been challenged, and it's been fun to stretch my brain a little.

There you go!  The basic highlights of life in my world.  Forgive me for not being more regular as of late... and thanks for stopping by!

Seven Quick Takes Friday - Volume 11

I didn't do any Quick Takes in August, so I have to start out with a little celebration!  Ezra turned 9 last month!  It was a very fun day, as Michael surprised him by taking the day off so they could spend some one-on-one Daddy/Son time.  He tries to fit in a special day with each of the boys on their birthdays, but usually it has to wait for the weekend.  It's a fun tradition that they all look forward to and makes their birthdays even more wonderful for them.  Here's the happy birthday boy!

His presents consisted of a new Disc Golf disc, and legos galore. He said it was the "best birthday EVER!" but I think he says that every year! 

And of course, in the last month, Rachel passed her 7 month marker!  She's starting to think about crawling - she can get to hands and knees pretty quickly, but is still figuring out what to do other than rock back and forth.  She'll be getting it soon, I can tell!  She wants to be on the go!  It also seems like she's getting a tooth in... there's been a lot of swelling, bubble blowing, and more nighttime wakings, so it seems like it is on the verge of popping out!  She's also started solids - she isn't all that interested, however, so I'm just taking it slow and letting her have fun with it.  She likes the spoon more than the food on the spoon!

Rachel's first time on the swing!

I wanted to share some beautiful handiwork made by my friend, Amy.  She hand makes custom picture frames, and they are goregous!  Here's the one she made for Rachel - I gave her free reign to do what she wanted, and it was absolutely perfect.  I'm still having trouble deciding what picture I want to use in it!

And here's one she did for Judah when he was born!

You can see more of her handiwork at her blog!  These make wonderful gifts, for all sorts of occasions!

Check out this super cool video!  It's really awesome, and convinces me ever more so that life was truly created with such intricacy and detail by an incredible creative and amazing God!

This week, we finally finished up the last of Sonlight's Core D!  We had finished it a little unevenly, as we got ahead of schedule in some areas and behind in others... but now everything is complete!  It was a great year, and I love Sonlight as much as I did when we first started, a little over a year ago.  We're going to take a week to get organized and then we move onto Core E!

I have to confess, my "getting up early and exercising" progress has fallen totally to the wayside.  A number of circumstances (including a loss of air conditioning for 2 weeks, followed by house guests for another week) really threw me off. So I'm a little nervous about getting back into my running plan and seeing how far behind I've fallen.  Will I have to start from scratch again?  I guess there's only one way to find out... and that's to just give it a go!  I'm mentally preparing myself to get on the ball starting next week.  I'll also admit that I'm not totally excited about it!  But I know that I always feel better when I'm making that time.

This weekend, our marriage will be hitting it's teenage years!  Sunday we will celebrate 13 years!  God has certainly brought us through many ups and downs, and we've (literally) grown up together as we've grown closer to Him.  I am thankful beyond what I can express for Michael and his love and leadership!

Here we are on that day!

And here we are at wedding, just last week:

(Michael was the best man in a cowboy-themed wedding, hence the hat!)

Boy, do the years fly by!

Slim Down Sunday

Heartfelt Homeschool holds a weekly "Slim-Down Sunday" that I thought I'd join in on since it's been a little while since I've updated my exercise progress!

Goals:  Ultimately, my main goal is to be able to run 3-5 miles easily on a regular basis, and complete a 5K race.  I also would like to lose 15-20 pounds of baby weight!  However, since I am exclusively breastfeeding Rachel (meaning, her only source of nutrients!), I am not willing to restrict calories, so weightloss is not my main focus.

Progress:  I am following a plan from a book called "Run Your Butt Off".  I wanted something different from the normal Couch-5K program that I've done in the past, and I've really enjoyed this program!  It's similar to C25K, but different enough to suit me.  The book also has lots of great nutrition and running tips.  I had a few set backs since starting, so I'm not as far along as I originally hoped, but I have stuck with it and am about to start Phase 6, which means I'll do 3 minutes of walking followed by 7 minutes of running, repeating that 3 times.  Overall, that puts me running a little over 2 miles total!  By mid-September, if all goes well, I should be ready to give a 5K a try!

I run 3 days a week, and on the in-between days do a strength training exercise video.  I have several I got from the library, so I mix it up to keep from getting bored.

And for some exciting news, I've actually lost about 2 lbs from my starting weight!  Considering I had actually gained a few pounds when I first started, that makes my total weight loss about 6 pounds in 2 months!  Since that hasn't been my main focus, I was pleasantly surprised!  Of course, when I see that just the small amount of running I've been doing burns almost 400 calories each run, I guess it makes a little sense.

Future Plans:  Just to keep on keepin' on.  I am trying to focus on making better food choices (bypassing the MnMs in the check-out line, fitting in more salads, and so on), and staying consistent in getting to bed on time so that I am able to get up early enough to fit in my workout and not be a zombie all day!

Is anyone else trying to get more fit and/or lose some weight?  How's it going?

7 Quick Takes Friday - Volume 9

I thought I'd start off with a little exercise update.  It's been exactly a month this week since I started exercising regularly again. I've been alternating strength training days with running days, 5-6 times a week.  It's going well - making the commitment and sticking with it has been really good for me for more than just the physical fitness aspect.  I have not lost any weight, but I can definitely tell that my body shape is changing!  That's really encouraging!  And I am feeling *so* much healthier in general.  It's incredible the difference a little activity can make!

The Lord has been working on me a lot lately. Which is always good, but can get a bit... uncomfortable, too! The big theme for me recently is my habit of being a "people-pleaser".  I have realized a few things about being a people-pleaser - first, that the title is way too "nice" sounding.  Really, what people-pleasing is all about are two things - pride, and the fear of man.  Ouch!  Both of those things are talked about pretty strongly in God's Word, and not in "nice" ways.  Also, the habit of people-pleasing has caused me to chase after the wrong things, and even allow those closest to me to be put in situations that were not the best for them, all because I've wanted to "fit in" or not "rock the boat" at times.  What the Lord has shown me has been very, very humbling - but in a good way.  I want to be true to Him, and not worried about trying to jump through hoops to win other's approval, or worried what others will think of me.  I've allowed those fears to control my life for far, far too long.  My faith and worship must be in God alone, not my own ego!  I'm so thankful for His faithfulness!

I thought I might mention a program I ran across  - The Daily Home Planner from Organized Mom.  I actually don't have any kind of Household Managment Binder or Homsechool Planner that I've found works for me... but this one just might be what I've been missing!  For one, it is digital, rather than physical - not taking up space somewhere other than the computer's hard drive, or internet land somewhere.  Second, I am in love with the meal planning feature.  Really - that alone is enough to make me want to try it, even if I never use any other aspect of it.  Long ago I asked my husband if there were some way to create an automated menu/grocery list system, and he said "Of course!" but neither of us actually knew how.  Thankfully, others have thought of the same thing and are generous to offer that service to others!  Of course, the other aspects are useful, to.  And as opposed to print planners and management systems, I wouldn't feel as if I were wasting something if I didn't use it.  Does that make sense?  I hate staring at blank pages and not knowing what to do with them!  Or having sections of a binder that are empty!  I'm just weird like that!  Anywho, I'm considering looking more into this Planner.  Has anyone reading this tried it?  I'd love to hear others' thoughts, whether you've tried it or not!

We have a miracle plant growing!  Others who know more about gardening might not be so impressed by this, but we all are very excited about our special plant. (I am excited about the fact that anything grows under my care to begin with - that alone is a practical miracle!) A few weeks back, there was a storm that came through with some really strong wind.  One of the branches of one of our tomato plants got partially snapped during that storm.  I kept an eye on it, and it looked like the stalk was just going to scar over and be OK.  But the weight of the branch was just too much, and it soon showed signs that the branch was dying.  However, when I looked closely at the branch, I noticed these little nubs appearing along it:

The rest of the tomato plant didn't have these nubs, only the broken branch.  Then it sort of crossed my mind that those nubs looked like little baby roots trying to grow!  It was as if the dying branch was trying to get it's own water, since it was effectively separated from the main stalk and root source.  So I had an idea - I figured, why not just cut the branch off, and replant it in a different pot?  It's going to die anyway, but maybe, just maybe... it will grow it's own roots and live!?  So I took the plunge and cut the branch and replanted it in a different pot.  The first week and a half the poor branch was definitely looking dead.  It's leaves were wilted and withered, and it just looked really pathetic.  But then... one day I noticed that it didn't look so wilted anymore!  After a few more days, I was certain - the branch was going to live!

And the best, most exciting part?  Not only is it alive.. but...

It's growing fruit!!!  Does that make you think of anything?  It's such a cool little example of what God does for us - takes us, when we are dead in our sins, gives us new life... and then bears fruit in that newly restored life!  So awesome!

The boys are doing  fun new Bible Study, from Quiet Times for Kids.  It's a 6-week study on the Armor of God, and - get this - it incorporates Legos!  How cool is that?  Each week they are to make a diorama using legos (and other props) to depict a verse they liked from that week's study.  And, there's a contest, too!  The boys are so excited about it!  And let me just say, the Bible Study is not a "fill-in-the-blank" simple little study.  It's a very in-depth study, and it asks great questions for the kids to be thinking about how to apply the verses they're reading to their own lives.  I've been impressed by how thought-provoking the questions are, and the discussions the study has generated!

I am needing some opinions - care to share yours with me?  Here's the deal - the kids range in age from 10.5 on down to 5 months.  We have three different sized blocks in the house - Mega Blocks, Duplo Blocks, and (of course) Legos.  The littler ones of my crew spend most of the time with the Duplos, and the rest of the crew loves their Legos.  When I only had littles, the Mega Blocks were all the rage!  But as we've transitioned to Legos... the Mega Blocks have fallen to the wayside. So I'm wondering if I should just find a new home for the massive amount of Mega Blocks we have.  Or, should I hold on to them, just in case?  Can babies play with Duplo blocks as easily as Mega Blocks?  Does the Mega Blocks size matter in, like, child development and hand coordination or anything?  I guess what I'm asking is - is there any good reason to keep the Mega Blocks around for Rachel and any other possible littles we might be blessed with?  Thoughts anyone? 

Earlier this week, I had a slight dilemma. I had to nurse Rachel and I knew she was needing a nap.  Unfortunately, my three oldest children, who usually help keep law and order while I'm nursing Rachel to sleep in her room, were outside playing.  Only the two youngest were in the house.  The two youngest also happen to be the two loudest and two neediest of the bunch (it comes with the "youngest" title).  I told them before going into her room "Guys, I'm going to put Rachel to bed, I need you to be good and quiet while I'm in there!" but had little hopes of that actually coming to pass.  However, as the minutes went by and Rachel successfully fell asleep... there was peace and quiet.  Which made me nervous!  However, when I came out of her room, this is what I came upon, and just had to capture it!

To add to the miracle, there were no pencil marks outside of the paper! ;-D  I love when I catch my boys being so "brotherly"!

I don't know if this week's Quick Takes actually qualify as being "quick" - apparently I had more to say than I first expected!  Thanks for taking the time to come by and stay a while! Have a wonderfully blessed weekend!