We are land owners

February 25,2013 

We closed on this peace of land

just over 15 acres

in Elkmont, Alabama

Here are some pictures of the kids 

at what we are calling "our land"

we still aren't sure what we are going to call our farm

any suggestion would be appreciated 

Week Photo Journal

This week was a bit different, I wan't spending the week catching up like I was last week. Here goes

January 7th Try

Notre Dame tried really hard to Beat Alabama! 

Roll Tide!

January 8th Messy

These two little guys Make a lot of Mess!

(gerbils)

They chew and chew and chew cardboard or anything else!

Then when the kids pull them out to play with them they leave a big mess on the floor!

Their Names Laser and Shadow.

January 9th Colorful

Not so colorful in colors, but very colorful in imagination!

This is the stuff Isaiah caries around with him in his back pack.

Later in the day he really wanted to catch some bugs, but soon realized how hard it was with cooler temps.

But this is what he did find.

A Squirrel, and then he used his bug marbles. 

Love this kid! 

January 10th

Remember

This picture fell and the glass broke, I kinda had it put in there so it looked ok,

but taking down Christmas decorations kinda did it in.

I know I have more glass that size down int my picture frame box.

I have gone down several times to get some glass, but a week later haven't completed the project.

It is also Ruth and Nick, I love having it so close while I am working on the computer

maybe that is why it isn't fixed yet. I love Remembering them.

They were so in love!

January 11

Tasty

Cheese Burger Pie!

A new recipe we tried, it is yummy. tastes more like 

Cheese Burger Quiche, but we called it pie. Because they younger two don't like quiche.

they loved it!

January 12th

Silly

Silly kids they think they can be twins just because they dress alike!

I think it is funny they found clothes that matched

January 13th

Ride!

I didn't get a picture of it, I was driving, and it was just so random, it is one of those thing you have to make a picture in your head, but I will post a picture of Isaiah to help.

Today on the way home from church I was tired of hearing the winning, and the crying, no reason, just hungry kids. I announced everyone was taking a nap today after lunch. Isaiah asked why. I said cuz I am grumpy! Then Isaiah said " Mom think about it, feel the peace in your heart, you can choose to be happy" I busted up laughing, he said see, Now do we have to take a nap? I so love that kid!

Memories that Endure are Moments that Matter

I have been working on "Mini Moments" with the girls in out home school group. Like taking a small trip to the park and then being able to write about it and make it as fun with word as the trip it's self was. Then I came across this photo challenge or game and thought it would be fun to join in on.

http://www.tipjunkie.com/organize/january-instagram-challenge/

Although this is more of an instagram challenge, I am just going to be using photos in general, most of which are taken with my phone, but some have already been taken. Things that I would never be able to duplicate.

#1 is Resolution/Goal.

Resolutions, usually don't work for me, the Elephant is just way too big, I know what I want to be, look like, and have. But usually get frustrated my stating a "Resolution" that will take the entire year to accomplish. Last year after two weeks into the new year and yet again "I was a fail" with the Year's resolution. I decided that I would work on small thing weekly, and then that way I would be good, and when I did fail it was just for a little while, and I could easily start over.

But for those of you you like year long resolutions, here is a different way to look at them.

You can look at this one two different ways.

1- Doing something that would be a "good" or "better" choice for someone to make in your life.

2- Stop doing something that is not good, or something that could be done better.

Then one can really score when you manage to do both, when you look at replacing something not so good with something good. 

Well by default, I fell into a resolution, that I can actually accomplish, replacing a not so good with a better. I am not going to say what it is, the pictures will tell it all.

For Christmas I got myself a bunch of books

I was having a hard time trying to figure out when to read them.

#2 is Favorite Photo of You

Well honestly there is no favorite photo of me, and I sure am not going to get one either. I do get a few pictures of me, just because that is a lesson I learned from Ruth, I am who I am, I am my children's mother and they see me as I am every day. They will want pictures of who I am. so here is one of my favorite picture of me, not because it is of me but the cute adorable kid next to me.

#3 is Adore

Zoey, our new cute ADORABLE big puppy climbs up on the wood pile and says hello or good bye every time we come and go. 

I think she is going to be my new favorite dog!

#5 is Bonding

Need I say more?

#6 Guilty Pleasure

not sure I want to post anything but I will

Yum! Esther showed me that you can still buy Big Hunk candy bars at Cracker Barrel!

not sure if that was a good thing.

The original not so random act of kindness, (just because it is a normal act of kindness for these guys)

https://www.facebook.com/

It was Saturday Aug 18 late afternoon, Chad and I had just gotten up from an awesome nap, (Heavenly Father knew we would need that rest after a crazy work trip for Chad and an early early morning Temple trip for the kids) The phone rang, it was my family in Idaho, I was excited that they would think to include me in the family gathering that day in Idaho. My excitement very quickly melted into utter shock and numbness, as my sister Beth told me what had happened that day. It seemed like forever in-between each name she said, Ruth, didn't make it, Nick didn't make it, Audrey didn't make it, DJ (that was what we called her at the time) in in the hospital, and we aren't sure of her condition. I sank into a chair as my head spun in disbelief.  This couldn't happen not to our family, we had all survived so much, we always just jump up and dust ourselves off and giggle at how crazy close that call was. Not this time, it was for real, as I had her repeat it. Ruth Nick and Audrey were gone; DJ was in the hospital hanging on to life.

I thought, I had to do something but what, I called my sister Esther who lived in South Carolina, to see what her plans were and how she was going to get to Utah/Idaho. I then called my friend Beauty Johnson to see if her boys could feed our dogs while we were gone. Like the angel that she is she asked if there was anything else she could do, I said no, because quite honestly I didn’t even know what I needed to do. There I sat in a world of ciaos, we had been moving the entire house around, with new furniture, and getting our home ready for foster care. Paint stuff was everywhere, the hall was lined with dressers, beds and bookshelves. Laundry was piled sky high. I had a new to us kitchen table sitting in the family room and my sister and her family had just been in a horrible car accident. I was sitting at the table in the family room when there was a knock on the door. I went and answered the door, and there stood my friends Beauty and Misty Jackman. See she really knew what I needed when I didn’t. Beauty said “You don’t just tell me there is nothing I can do at a time like this” Her and Misty came in, they asked how we were getting to Idaho/Utah. Our plan was to leave in the morning. They went down and got the kids packed, with activities to do on the road. Big hug and they were gone just like that, the plan was set into action.

I made a call to my friend Debbie Wolfe in Nebraska, and asked if we could do a surprise drive by and spend the night at their home (located half way between here and Utah/Idaho) without hesitation Debbie and her family welcomed us with open arms and a warm meal and comfy beds. We stayed up talking about things, their words of comfort, and their home was such a blessing over an empty hotel room without the warmth and comfort of friendship!

Now to back up just a little bit, Beauty had been over helping me plan out where to put things and how to get ready for foster care, she knew what I wanted, and had already spent many hours over helping me move things around. (she refused to help me paint, she said I was too messy)  Beauty had the key to my house so that she could take care of the animals, and bring in the mail. With that key, she had helpers come in every day while we were gone, and not only put my home back together, she farmed out the loads of laundry and got it all done and back. With the help of Maureen they cleaned my entire home, including my bedroom.  They cleaned out my fridge and freezer, organized and cleaned out my cupboards and anything and everything you can imagine. They were slightly grossed out by the frozen bugs in the freezer but that didn’t even stop them. As we kept in touch throughout the week she went shopping just before we got home the fridge was full of fresh fruit, milk and cheese, and several meals that just needed to be heated up. There additional fresh fruit on the counter along with some bread and other baked goodies, all there to greet us when we got home. She also arranged for different people to bring in meals for a few days after we got home until we got back into the routine of things again.

We are truly bless to be surrounded by such wonderful friends, and family who really stepped up reached out and touched our lives through meals, flowers, cards, and hugs. We are truly blessed. Still people are so willing and so amazing as our 5^th anniversary of random acts of kindness approaches, I am truly humbled by all the Christ like love, courage and caring that still carry on.

Mother's Day

Around here we march with a different beat.
Nobody made me breakfast in bed. They just let me sleep in
Nobody made me a special dinner. We just had left overs and snacks
Nobody bought me flowers. But I was given an amazing corsage made from tissue paper from a beautiful little girl who has learn to call me Mom and love me.
I was give a small bouquet of wild flowers that were growing in the part of the lawn that wasn't cut. ( They know to leave my flower garden flowers alone.)

It was just a nice relaxing day!

This year I have a lot to be thankful for, and like a good friend of mine said, it about being thankful for what you don't see rather than what you see. And that is just how my family is. I love them and I love being just a Mom.

Memorial Day Weekend

So what do you do with a family of 9 when you can't all fit in one vehicle, one just had surgery, and two are brand new to the family. You go to the local park and take over. Kids Kingdom at Dublin park here we come.









And then I got tired of up loading pictures

Now up 7 kids September 2010

In February our family grew from 3 kids to 5 Hunter and Lauren moved in February 24th!September 1st Breonna and Isaiah joined the family

September 2nd Lauren had out patient surgery and ended up staying the night.
Chad had just started a new job with the same company
and I didn't want to farm the kids out after being in our home only 1 night
A sweet friend Chris Breauning came into my messy unorganized home and watched the kids.