To The Sequoias Again

(originally posted on my other blog 7-7-07)

Our pictures are now uploaded, so I will share about last Saturday's trip.

We live only about forty-five minutes from some of God's most beautiful mountains. We often go for day trips, and a couple of times a year we stay for three days and two nights. We love our camping trips!

Last Saturday, we had planned to go to one area, but found it closed due to fire danger, so we went all the way up to the Park and visited General Sherman. Before we went there, though, we stopped in an off-the-beaten-path picnic area and enjoyed linner (lunch/dinner). While there, I captured this great shot:

I think it could be an advertisement for Coke! Of course BabyJ doesn't get nearly the Coca-Cola he thinks he needs! It's a fairly rare treat for him.

My Honey played with the original photo in a great *free* photo program called Picasa. It's through Google. We've had a great time playing around with it.

After lunch, we went to the General and then took The Congress Trail, a short jaunt through the forest. We met a "tame" chipmunk who stood at attention, trying to avoid being seen, for several minutes about a foot away from us. Even BabyJ was quiet and studied him closely. Then I found a spider with all her spiderlings on her abdomen. I think she was a wolf spider, but I'm not certain. I'll be submitting the photo to www.whatsthatbug.com ,our favorite insect id-ing site.

Here's the entire family, courtesy of an Eastern European tourist:

It's amazing that almost every tourist you meet speaks English. He noticed My Honey taking a photo of everyone, and simply offered to take a family shot. How nice that he didn't run with the camera . We're standing by a century old slice of sequoia tree.

We left just before dusk, when the animals were getting active! On the way home we saw a lone bear, then a momma bear with two cubs crossing the road, a mule deer, a flock of wild turkeys with babies, a rattlesnake slithering across the road, and several moo-deer (cows). A wonderful day!

No, thank you....

(originally posted on my other blog 6-11-07)

This evening for dinner we had hamburgers. My daughter, GirlofGod, age nearly 10, was fixing everyone's plates with me, so we were the last to dish up. There were only two tomato slices left, so I offered her one, and I said I would only have one. She said, "No, thank you. I don't care for tomatoes until they are ground up and made into ketchup."

Just as sweet as can be!

She *did* eat a tomato slice in case you were wondering...

Sweet Little thing!

(originally posted on my other blog 5-10-07)

Polly is just 5 and a half. She is a sweet little lady, who can be counted on to bring a smile. Yesterday, she and Jack, aged 5, were told that they could play outside with bubbles, after they finished wiping the kitchen table and chairs. Polly took the chairs and Jack took the table. Polly finished first and prepared to go outside. She encouraged Jack to go with her.

He said, "But I'm not finished wiping the table!"

"I'll help you!" she cried! "I *am* a kind sister you know! I help you with your chores, I hug you and read to you.." she continued...

All the while she and Jack are wiping the table and he is saying nothing...

"I am kind," she reiterated, "Unless we're wrestling!! Then I hit you and kick you and bonk you on the head!"

Sweet, isn't she?

More Happenings

(originally posted on my other blog 3-15-07)

We went to a museum and park in the next town over and were allowed a special visit inside the tiny log cabin from the 1860's. Most of the time, people are allowed only to the wire door...they can see in through the wire. The museum director met the Lambies and found out that we were learning about Westward Expansion, and allowed us into the cabin! The fireplace was the most interesting. It was made of adobe brick, and we could see the grass and twigs sticking out!

Then we played at the playground. I got many good pictures, but I love this one of Polly and jack. They are 5.5 and 5 years old and often play together.

We went to the zoo last weekend. My Honey and his friend were demolishing yards and yards of concrete at the friend's home, and we didn't want the children shut up in the house all day, so off to the zoo! (I really don't know how you Ladies in the snowy states handle the winter...we have to get outside!) I had my eight Lambies and our friend's three, ages 4, 2, and 6 months all by myself! Our friend's wife is a nurse and works three or four days a week. Here's a picture of all of the Lambies except my friends baby. He was asleep in the stroller:

I have taken a picture of the Lambies by the flamingos every time we go to the zoo, so it's like a little timeline of them growing!

Next week is our special, secret trip. The Lambies know something is up, but they do not know yet what it is. I love spring and all the activities that go along with it!!

It's a Birthday!

(originally posted on my other blog 2-20-07)

Today is my twins birthday! They turn 5. It's incredible that they are that old already! Jack gets to discontinue nap today, so he's very excited. He so wants to begin school! Polly who is in kindergarten is coaching him on how to write his numbers and is doing a great job! I give them both the first Calculadder page and they copy. Jack is left-handed, so it's interesting to teach him, since everyone else is righty. He often copies in perfect mirrored style when I give him his name to practice. Then he writes it correctly. He is a superhero nut, prefering Batman to Superman and Spiderman. We found him a neat Batman "computer" with preschool aged games. He'll like it, I'm sure!

Missy is able to say "Five" and hold up five fingers when asked "How old are you?". I don't think she really understands the question, but it sure looks better than the blank stare she gave before I taught her to respond! She can also consistently answer "What's your name?" with her name clearly enough to be understood. Any more questions than that, though, and she just stares. At home, she talks in great, long sentences, of which we do understand some words. The other day, I asked "Where is GirlofGod?" and Missy answered "In her room" so clearly that I thought it was my other five year old daughter talking! We celebrated! Missy will be receiving a big Magna-Doodle, among other smaller toys, and I know she'll love it. She played with one at a friend's home and was engrossed.

A Difference Between Boys and Girls

(originally posted on my other blog 1-15-07)

We have five girls and three boys. On occasion, some of them show how really very different they are.

We were all watching "Deal Or No Deal" on TV last night. During a particularly quiet pause in the game, Baby J....ahem...tooted...very loudly. After the boys (including the baby!) finished laughing, GirlofGod (aged 9) remarked "Well, that was beastly!"

We Ate This!

(originally posted on my other blog 11-29-06)

Hello, all! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We had a great Thanksgiving vacation. We traveled to My Honey's Father's home, and feasted with our family there. On Friday, the men went fishing, as is dictated by family tradition.

Four years ago, the after-Thanksgiving fishing trip almost ended tragically. My Honey, his Father and their friend D. had a terrible car accident on the way home. The Beautiful '68 Bronco was totaled. None of the men needed (or was that, agreed) to be hospitalized, but my Father-in-law still has shoulder trouble from it. My Honey (who has since been in another car-totaler) is nearly always sore in the shoulders and back. You just have to know the men of my family to understand them! Cut from old stock they are! The kind that would, if shot for example, just might dig around in the wound, pull out the bullet, and stitch themselves up.

Anyway, that year, they caught six wonderful stripers, but gave them to the firemen who dealt with the accident, as no one was well enough to fillet the fish! We watched the firefighters begin their fishfry from the hospital waiting room as glass was being removed from inside the ear of D.

Fastforward to this year...

Safe at home with the catch of the day:

My Honey caught five (three keepers and two a little too small)!!! This was the biggest. There were six keepers caught all together.

Now here's a shot to give a little more perspective: The fish is longer than BabyJ is tall!

Meanwhile, the Lambies, the Cousin, the Aunties and I went to a science museum on Friday. We were able to meet a California Desert Tortoise, a box turtle and a beautiful red-tailed hawk. We also enjoyed a planetarium show, an exhibit on bones (with real skeletons!), we met a couple on vacation from China, and enjoyed *just running* at full speed and screaming at the top of our lungs outside in the amphitheater. A better day could only be accomplished by having Daddy with us, too. Of course, he was providing our meals for the next two days! My that fish was tasty!!

Some of BabyJ's exploits

(originally posted on my other blog 4-25-06)

My little J...what can I say about him??? He is our first birth boy, my older boys having been adopted at the ages of 7 months and 4 years. He is a joy, a delight, a blessing. He has grown at a remarkable rate, scooting across the floor and destroying the cover of a beloved cookbook at the age of 5 months, 2 days. I told him that I was supposed to have another month of his immobility, but he didn't agree. Real crawling soon followed.

He didn't walk especially early; he still uses a combination of crawling and walking. But, boy, does that boy climb! He is able to pull out drawers and use them as stairs to get up on the kitchen counters and bedroom dressers...can get up on the couch and reach the back of the end tables, but thankfully, hasn't yet learned to (or thought about, I suppose) climb out of his crib.

On Sunday, our Pastor's wife was tending the infants and told a funny story of how she turned to attend another little one, then turned back around to J. and found him standing on the snack table! Then she went on as to how he will be jumping off the roof into the pool next year! "Oh," she said to me with pity, "he's going to be a wild one!" She had to turn all the little stools over so he wouldn't climb them. I'm sure that he'll be a mountain biker like his Daddy and have no fear, like his Daddy!

He has a smile that would melt your heart, a giggle/cackle that makes you wonder what he's into now, and a personality that is so engaging! He has expressive eyebrows, much like my 4yo ddR. He is a deep thinker, constantly watching and figuring things out. He will intently watch something and then copy it, like putting on headphones correctly, opening phones and 'talking' on them, he is even trying to dress and undress himself!

I could go on all day about him, but I need to get breakfast on the table...so I'll end with: What a blessing he is! Such a joy!!

The Little Things

This is the day, this is the day

that the Lord has made,

that the Lord has made.

I will rejoice, I will rejoice

and be glad in it, and be glad in it.

This is the day that the Lord has made,

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the day, this is the day

that the Lord has made!!!

This song directly led to my conversion.

I was in the bunk of my boyfriend's stepdad's BigRig somewhere between California and Oregon in the middle of the night. Two other truckers sang this over the CB and said a short prayer of thanksgiving and then they were passed each other, and the radio was silent. I sat back there and was struck at how far away from God I was. Right there, I cried in repentance and gave my life to the Lord. I was 23.

So, in that Little Thing, a Sunday school song sang in fellowship, these two Believing truck drivers changed my life. They have no idea. They won't, until they reach the Bema Seat and find that they pointed a lost little girl to the Light.

So I often remind my children that the Lord uses The Little Things. He uses the word of praise to Him spoken at the grocery store to the lady who can't believe I have 8 children 10 and under. My favorite reply to "Are they all yours?" is: "Oh, yes, aren't I blessed??" with a big smile. I can usually tell someone of my faith when I reply this way.

He uses The Little Things like a smile and good natured response even when Baby poops all over you while out and about.

He uses The Little Things, so don't forget to do The Little Things. You may bring someone to Heaven with you, and you might not even know it!

Survival Through The Eyes of a Four Year Old Girl

My fourth birth daughter, little almost 5yo Polly, can be SO funny! I simply have to share this moment with you!

My dd Missy had spilled a paper bowl full of Turtle flavored Chex mix all over the kitchen floor. She was busy sweeping up her mess when she began to say "Uhhh...Uhhhh..." Polly went to see what was bothering Missy and announced, "Mom, there's an ant on the floor!" So I came in from the living room to see the extent of the ant invasion and found a lone tiny ant, squashed by Polly's chubby pointer finger, on the floor. I said, "There's just one?" To which my precious hazel-eyes blondie remarked, "Well, there were two, but I ATE one!" I gulped and said, "Did you *really*?" She looked as if I were the silly one and said in the perfect smart girl tone..."I squished him first!" (like, DUH)..."Of course she would squish him first...otherwise he might bite her tongue!", she explained later!

Oh, these homeschooled kids! I had been explaining to the children a few days before that, during our time in Search and Rescue (back in Oregon, a million years ago), Daddy and I had been trained in many different areas including outdoor survival. How to make traps, fires, capture dew for water, build survival shelters, what to eat etc. Ants were one common thing that you can eat in a survival situation. You are supposed to squash them or bite off their heads so they don't bite you! You can also stir many of them into water and boil, and the water will be faintly lemony. And, in case you wanted to know, slugs are also a safe food source, as are snails, of course! Beware of some berries as 90% of red berries are poisonous, but many blue and most black colored berries are not. Nibble a tiny bit and see if it makes your tongue tingle. A tingly tongue means no good!

So anyway, our well-fed blondie thought she would practice her outdoor survival skills in our well-stocked kitchen and eat an ant...hopefully it was the first time she had seen an ant since that lesson!