A List of Loves...

Enough seriousness for awhile. Heavens.

It's so easy to get caught up in the stresses and messes of life - in the interruptions and irritations. And it's far too easy to skim over all of the simple joys - the little things in life that are really what bring delight to the mundane, in the first place!

For me, anyway, often my days are about intentionally CHOOSING to see the beauty amidst the mess, the sacred amidst the chaos, and the joy in the middle of the mundane.

Perspective is everything. SO, to remind me of this tidbit of truth, here are just a few, simple things TODAY that I love and am thankful for....

Thankful Thursday's Ten Things I'm Thankful For!

:: My morning cup of coffee. Holy Hannah, it makes me happy. I go to bed the night before excited about this first cup of coffee in the morning. And this brand is my all time absolute fave. And it's only sold in January. I also love the man who makes my morning cup of coffee. (I love him MORE than my morning cup of coffee). Did you know that almost every single morning while I'm getting ready for the day, he makes all of us breakfast? He's a KEEP-ER......

:: Our books. Reading with the boys all snuggled up beside me on the couch is probably my most favorite way to bond with them. They love it. I love it. It's (almost the only time of day where the house is) quiet and peaceful, and I savor it.

:: Getting greeted with these first thing in the morning. You GO, Girls!

:: And speaking of my girls. I really do love them. They like me too.

:: The boy's hot chocolate dates on the deck after lunch. I'm quite sure that they're talking about the size and weight of the human heart. Ahem. (More likely burping the entire alphabet to each other amidst hearty congratulations).

:: Ransom's and Mama's tub dates while the large ones are outside. It's not too often that #3 gets Mama's 100% undivided attention.

:: The boy's fort in their bedroom....which is allowing me to type this blog post. They're inside in their undies with snacks and songs talking about their boy's club. I love their friendship. I love Kaden's patience with Jesse. And I love the way that Jesse can make Kaden laugh like no-one else.

:: My basement. It's finally cleaned and organized. It makes me REALLY happy to walk downstairs now. I will no longer call it the Basement of Death. I think that stressed Kev out a little bit.

:: My kitchen reminder.

:: This bum. Delicious.


So, what ten things are you thankful for today?

She Rambles On...

I realize the past two posts that I have just written may have seemed like I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth. On the one hand I say that I'm going to take the church to the world...I'm going to BE the church. And on the other, I say that I'm homeschooling my kids this year!

When Kev candidated for a church position awhile back, he was asked his opinion on this hot topic: "Public school, Christian school, or homeschool?" And his answer was: "Yes! Yes to all!"

He went to our area's largest Christian school for his entire enducation, and it was as really positive experience for him. We know of many others who went to Christian school who absolutely hated their experience AND gave away their virginity, had abortions, and smoked a whole whack of weirdness after practice. I went to a public school my whole life, it was where my faith became my own, and it was a really positive experience for me. I know of others who say their years of public highschool were the most horrible years of their life. And this year, for a plethora of reasons, we are choosing to homeschool Kaden, and it's been a really positive experience for us. I know of others who have tried it and hated it, others who will NEVER try it, and still others who feel a very clear calling to educate their children via a different route.

All options can be really great...and all options can be really horrible - on a whole HOST of levels.

And it's a really personal decision to make between families and the Lord.
I will never say that I know what I'm going to do all the way up through the 12th grade. I will always say that I'm taking it year by year. And we may even find - because of the different personalities and needs of our children - that we have one doing one thing with another doing something else.

I think the point is to be always striving to do what we feel the Lord may be asking us to do. For us, for this year anyway the option to homeschool has helped in our fight to maintain simplicity, it's given me one more year to dictate my own life's schedule, and with both my work and our ministry involving many evenings and funky days, it gives me my days to be with my kids.

Who knows what the future will hold? But I DO know that I want my kids in on being the church to the world around us. I want them to make friends at the library, on the playground, and with the little girl across the street. I often find that it's much easier for little kids to create genuine relationships with no alterior motives, anyway. I think that we can actually learn much from our children.

Do we protect them? Yes. Do we teach them about the evils in the world? For sure. But, can they learn to view relationships through the Lord's eyes and see their little friends the way that He would see them? They sure can, and I think that they often do a better job at it than we do. We see someone who might be a bad influence or who might teach them a swear word. They see a new friend who loves legos as much as they do. Hmn. What would Jesus see and do, I wonder?

A delicate balance and a tricky dance, for sure. A decision up for a whole host of speculation and judgment. But I don't think God ever intended for us to ONLY hang out with people that are just like us and to live in the safety of our own little bubbles forever. He sure didn't.

Some Thoughts On Homeschooling.....

I go to a little homeschool meeting the 3rd Monday of every month. I actually went all last year just to sit in and listen, because I felt that the Lord might be leading us in this direction. I just had to see for myself if MY generation of homeschooling moms truly was different than the image that I STILL have in my mind that I had as a child! (You know - the jean jumper, hair in a bun type image).

I have a handful of very dear friends who have done it for years who I think are pretty rockin' (a shout out to Rach and Chantelley...and to the Burt's even though you aren't my age).....but still. I had to see it up close and personal. And I wanted to ask some tough questions, I wanted some real answers, and I cared nothing for their sunshine and roses days. I wanted the nitty gritty stuff.

AAAAaaaaand sooooo, here I am today.

HOWEVER.

I got sent a link just yesterday entitled "You Know You're a Homeschooler When..." that made me cringe, and I had to laugh because...maybe the stigma is still out there just a bit. So, for any of my friends who are contemplating this journey, let me ease some of your qualms with a more, shall we say, balanced view:

Here we go....
"You know you're a homeschooler when your kids are in the kiddie pool playing Lewis and Clark, paddling down the river with lacrosse sticks."

Hmm. Here's "Amy's version for outside summer play" for MY children. Well....let's just say it involves a slip-n-slide and a WHOLE lotta nakedness. Saturday night baths, anyone?

Here's another. "You know you're a homeschooler when you find yourselves and your guests at your birthday party, at 10p.m. embroiled in a lively discussion/explanation of the heart's size and function...with your five year old, who just had to get out of bed and ask because she couldn't sleep until she knew!"

Oh gag me. "Amy's version" (after hurling) involves my kids getting out of bed only to see if they can have some of whatever we're eating....and ANY discussion at all that might take place usually involves some sort of bodily function when company is around.

And the third of about a kajillion: "You know you're a homeschooler when you're out with non-homeschooling friends and they expect you to know the answers to everything."

Amy's version: Hmn. I can't really respond to that one. That's never happened to me.......but I will let you know if anyone ever does expect me to know everything.

And all of the homeschooling families that I ever knew growing up....on Sunday mornings had their children lined up in perfect order in the pews, squeaky clean, with nary a word leaving their lips the entire sermon.

Amy's version looks a little more like....bathed if they're lucky, sitting about as well as a crazy puppy would sit, and I swear the lips they never stop a movin.'

So, for as long as we take this journey, it will be my honor and pleasure to shall we say, balance the scales a bit on this whole little topic of homeschooling. We are far from perfect, I'm pretty sure the nakedness outside will be a battle for many years to come, bodily functions will always take precedence over more scholarly topics, and the Sunday squirmies JUST might send me over the edge........

Friend of Sinners

I would never have said that I have the gift of evangelism.

Back in the day when we were youth leaders and we'd take our kids on those trips into the inner city New York or downtown Bar Harbor to "blitz" the town with tracts, I used to cringe. I HATED these trips. (Yes. It is now safe for me to say this. We are no longer employed as youth leaders). These were, hands down, my very least favorite kinds of trips to go on. So very far out of my comfort zone. But, that's okay...there's a place for those kinds of trips, for sure.

But what I would do...is I would go and find myself a bench where I could see all of my kids and make sure that they were all right....and I would find someone my own age who was sitting by themselves, and I would strike up a conversation with them...and we would happily pass the time away getting to know each other!

So when we all got back in the van to share our success stories...I never had any. But I would often have the feeling of, "Wow. I think I just made a new friend!" Many times I would end those trips feeling like I was a failure and that I hadn't been a very good example to my girls....who were, by way...doing a rockin' job of bravely blitzing and preaching the word!

But, as I've been reading this book, I'm having a complete 180 degree turn and shift in my thinking in this whole arena of evangelizing and witnessing. I know for a fact that very few in my generation would be affected by the "blitzing" method nowadays. And I can pretty much stake my life on the belief that the generation coming up behind me wouldn't be too keen on that as well.

Why? Because we all want relationship first. We want to see authenticity before we hear the truth. We want to see those words lived out before we ever hear them. People want to feel and experience the Gospel way before they ever get preached to about it.

I think that Jesus was pretty much a rebel in His day. (Maybe not....this is just Amy's ramblings...but I can do that....it's my blog..) But he was KNOWN as a "friend of SINNERS." This was one of the titles given to Him.

I have been told that He was a friend only so long as He shared the good news with them...and if they rejected His teachings He took a stance and was a friend no more. But, I'm not so sure about that. Jesus hung out with the unlovely. He ate meals - one of the deepest forms of fellowship and communion - with all sorts of the untouchables of His time.

And, if what they say is true - how does Judas fit into the equation? We know for a fact that he was a sinner...and I'm pretty darn sure that Jesus knew He was going to ultimately betray and reject him. Yet...he walked with and lived life with Jesus for three years. I'm pretty sure that's called being a "friend."

Just stuff I'm chewing on. Stuff I'm thinking about in the context of my workplace.

Before reading this book? This is how it would've gone down in my workplace:

:: I would have let them know that I was displeased with their swearing in front of me.
:: I would have proudly made a point that I would NOT be needing to clock out for smoke breaks, because I don't smoke.
:: Early on, I would have snuck in the little tidbit that Kevin and I did NOT live together before we were married.
:: And to be honest...among many other things I would have taken early stances on....I probably wouldn't have even considered working at a place that sells beer...because the area that I grew up in sees drinking on equal footing with murder. Just kidding. Kind of.

But, do you know what? I don't want to be seen as just another one of those Christians who has a list of things they don't do that's a mile long. I'm kind of done with that. I want people to see something different in me. I don't care if they swear. I don't care if they drink and smoke. I don't care if they're living with their boyfriend.

I DO. But I don't......

I care more about THEM. And I want them to see JESUS in me...NOT a non-smoking, non-drinking, clean as a whistle mouth who doesn't approve of what they do. They know already, that there's something different. It doesn't need to be said. And if I'm going to do ANY preaching to them - especially in the early months where they really don't know me from a hole in the ground yet, I'm going to LOVE them the way that Christ loved the woman caught in adultery, the way he loved Judas - the betrayer of their friendship, the way he loved Zaccheus and chose to eat at HIS house above everyone else's, and the way He loved the woman at the well.

All outcasts.
All hurting people.
There were no sermons preached or stones thrown.
There was relationship. And there was trust built.
There was something attractive in Him that they WANTED.

A delicate line to walk? For sure.
Potential risk? Yup.
Possible judgment and misconception from others? Planning on it.

Am I going to go and get sloshed with them after to work so that I can fit in? No.
Am I going to start throwing the F-bomb around? Uh. That's a negative.
Am I going to throw a party for the girl who moves in with her boyfriend? Nope.

But if one of my young co-workers invites me to lunch and wants to share her heart with me....and she chooses the local pub as her restaurant of choice....I'll go.
And I'll walk outside and visit with my co-workers while they're having their smoke breaks.
And I'll get a baby gift for the little pregnant, unwed, single Mama.
And if one of them asks me to babysit their children, I will.
And if I get an invite to their home, I'll go.
And I'll go to our Christmas party at our local casino.

I'll be a friend. I'll walk alongside. I'll live life with them.

Do I have the gift of evangelism? Not in the traditional sense...NO, I do not.
But do I want to be a friend of sinners - a true friend?
A million times yes, I do.

I know for a fact that they're not ready - nor do they have any desire to step foot into any church any time soon. So, I'm going to take the church to them. I'm going to BE the church. I'm going to live the way that I think Jesus lived. And once they know that I really do love them and accept them for who they are...then maybe, just maybe....they'll want my Jesus too. I want them to FEEL Jesus..and then when they ask....I WILL explain it.

And if I'm called a rebel for doing all of this and for living it out this way....well, I'm sure Jesus got that title a few times, too. And I guess I'm okay with that.

More to come......

Weekending

:: Farkle and coffee with Mr. Lew
:: Snuggles with Daddy during family movie night.

:: It's been a good one.....


And a poem I just came across that I love....
Here's to all my friends with boys....and busy girls, too!

THE BOYS CLUB

We know who we are.
Ours is like one of those ancient, fraternal orders
whose identifying rituals
include elaborate hand signals and
mysterious primal grunts.
In McDonald's of course,
the cue tends to be
a series of short, repetitive barks:
"Sit down!"
"Give me that!"
"Come here!"
"Now!"
People who aren't in the club
look distainful, or annoyed,
or disgusted, or smug.
But fellow members grin.
Slowly, at first, as they
identify and empathize...
then broadly, as they catch your eye
and nod slightly to acknowledge
familiar phrases
and well-known responses.
"Boys are something, ain't they?!"
~Jayne Jaudon Ferrer~

A New National Holiday!

Who knew?

And who made the crazy logo-designy thing, anyway?

Okay....so I really REALLY have NO idea who reads this little ditty of mine.

Would it be possible, if just this one time - in honor of this crazy holiday - that you, whoever you are, could mayhap post a wee little comment just so I could maybe know? That would totally rock.

Aaaaaand...... I guess this means I need to go comment on about 15 blogs that I read, as well.

Hm. This could take awhile.....

Family Fun

I love family day.

I love LOVE LOVE it. No matter what we do or how busy life gets, we (almost) always stick pretty hard core to one family day a week where - no matter what we do - we are together....playing, working, bonding, whatever. But we're making memories, and we're living life together - and we are NOT going in a billion different directions.

This morning, while all FIVE of us snuggled in our (not so very large) bed, Ransom told us that he wanted to spend the Christmas money that his Great Grammy gave him for Christmas and take us all out to breakfast! Aren't we awful? I mean.....wasn't that awfully generous of him?

So, we tromped off to a lovely Governor's breakfast together, and then we came home for many MANY hours of work and play outside.

ALL the boys - minus wee one - worked on building us a nice little fire.....

This fire is a bit weak. This pic was taken before the ceremonial burning of the Christmas tree. It got better.

Then, we worked on cleaning out the garage, burning whatever c.r.a.-pola we could find, and took two honking car loads of junk to the transfer station.

We had ourselves a fire-side lunch while the girls looked on....

Don't tell them it was chicken sausage. I think that would offend them.....

And the rest of the day will be spent watching a fun family movie and playing a whole lotta' FARKLE!

Super fun game, Farkle is.
And really fun to say.
Sounds like potty talk, doesn't it?
You don't need to buy it...all you need is six dice to be able to play.

Want to know the instructions? Thought so....
OBJECT OF THE GAME: Be the first person to score 10,000 points. (Or 5,000 if you want a shorter version).

* Only single 1's and 5's are worth points.
1's = 100 points
5's = 50 points

* Other numbers count only if you get three or more of the same number in a single roll.

* Other combinations of numbers are worth points if you get them in a single roll. Note: Dice from multiple rolls cannot be added together. For example, if you set aside one 5 (50 points) on your first roll and have two 5's on your second roll, you have 150 points. You cannot add them together to make three 5's (500 points). Clear as mud?

* Some scoring dice must be removed after every roll.

HERE ARE THE POINT VALUES
3 1's = 100
3 2's = 200
3 3's = 300
3 4's = 400
3 5's = 500
3 6's = 600
4 of anything = 1,000
5 of any number = 2,000
6 of any number = 3,000
1-6 straight = 1,500
3 pairs = 1,500
4 of any number with a pair = 1,500
2 triplets = 2,500

Okay. So when it's your turn, place the six dice in a cup and roll 'em.
After each roll, set aside Dice that are worth points and roll the rest of them.
You must remove at least one dice after each roll and keep a running total of your points for that turn.
If you're lucky enough to set aside all 6 dice, you can roll them all again to build up your running total.
If you cannot set aside any Dice after a roll, that's a FARKLE! You lose your running total of points for that turn, and play passes to the next in line.
A FARKLE can happen on your first roll - or at any time, really. So, you decide when you want to be done rolling. Wanna gamble and maybe get a FARKLE, or do you wanna play it safe?
To score for the first time, you must have a running total of 500 points or more before you stop rolling.
After your first score of 500 points or more is recorded, you may stop rolling at any time and add your running total for that turn to your accumulated score. Once your points are entered on the score sheet, they are safe and you cannot lose them.

Whew. Sounds involved, but it's not. It's super easy - even Jesse can play. And amazingly, Jesse is our best player. Although he doesn't have the concept of the entire game completely down, he is by far, our best dice roller! And Daddy is, hands down, our biggest gambler! Mama and Kaden play it safe, and Mama almost always loses.

Hmn. Not so much my favorite. But I do so love the game! Give it a whirl...

My Life These Past Few Days

It's blizzard-ing in these here parts, right now! So, while I'm sitting on my rump in my warm, cozy house...this is what the hooligans are doing:

Yes, Jesse is wearing my hat...but he's secure in his manhood.

THIS is where school took place this morning:
By the fire AND in their p.j.'s. Everyone else is having a snowday, so I figured we should chill out, too! And Yes, Kaden is doing a puzzle while I read to him. It's all good.

We had tea and popovers for lunch yesterday.
It was lovely.

If one were to pan the camera pic a wee bit larger, one would see how boys REALLY do tea parties.....If one were to pan it even farther, one would have seen about six more lego kits in the works at the far end of the table. Such decorum.

Jesse has become my interior decorator these past few days. I told him that it's lovely. Truly. Mama would never lie......

And in other news....

~ Just for funsies, I thought I would dry ALL of my favorite clothes that I wear just about EVERY day of my life with a nice little tube of Chapstick. The results were just awesome. Really - you should try it sometime.

~ Just last night, Kevy and I went on a gloriously, rockin' date at Luna's in downtown. Fabulous food and a very fun, funky atmosphere. I highly recommend it. When we went to bed, I promptly woofed all of my cookies. Not sure if the two were connected....but I would STILL highly recommend it....barfing not included.

~ At work the other night, I took a fan-flipping-tasticly amazing digger in the kitchen after one of the girls mopped the floor. She yelled out that it was wet, but I was out in the restaurant delivering a meal, so I missed the memo. Me and the ginormous trashcan became best friends when it caught me with my feet clear up in the air. That was fun. Hilarious, I will admit....but my body is STILL feeling that one. I am getting old.

~ And let's see - what else? Oh yes....the basement of joy. Still in slight chaos. But the end IS in sight....I can feel it.

~.....AND THIS:

....is Kaden asking to come in approximately 3.4 minutes after having gone outside...

~ Yup. Pretty much a normal week in the Booker abode. How's it going in your neck of the woods?

In This Home....

Thanks for showing me this pic, Ray-Ray.
Loves.....

Tangible Kingdom

That's the name of the book that Kev and I are reading.

It's pretty much amazing.

Have you ever felt something deeply but didn't even know how to put it into words?
Or have you ever had dreams that you wanted to live out but just weren't sure how or where to live that vision out...or who you could even sell your vision too to live it out with you?

And then you came across a book that finally puts meat on the bones of what you've always felt and dreamed....and you're seeing people actually doing and living that same vision?

Well, that's this book for Kev and I.

It's the reason why - when we were looking to try to pay down our student loans from PBU - I sought out waittressing as opposed to going back to the little Christian school that I have worked at for 8 years.

It's the reason why Kev and I intentionally decided to go to my work Christmas Party at Hollywood Slots last month.....when a year ago I would never have stepped foot in our local casino for fear that someone "might see me" and judge me.

It's the reason why I invite Lew over all the time and don't freak out when he says the D-word in front of my kids.

This book is challenging me.
It's stretching me.
It's growing me.

It is NOT the Bible.
Obviously.
But, it's challenging God's people to rethink how we live life. How we do church. And how we live out our faith to the rest of the world.

Before Lew and before waittressing....before being challenged by the authors....my contact with the outside world was nil. So, my influence TO the outside world was nada. I was happily encased in my safe little Christian bubble of believers. Not to be "tainted," not to be "sullied," and for sure - not to ever hear the D-word or something far worse.

But now - oh man - this book is radical. In a God-thing kind of radical way.

The challenge is to go and "BE" the church to this crazy, post-modern world who - if you asked many of them what they think of church and Christians - would give you a list of things that we DON'T do and things that we stand AGAINST.

The authors' challenge, or stance, if you will - is that no longer is the attractional "Come to Us" approach working. For some it is, for sure. And there will always be a place for this. But more and more the need is for us to go and BE the church to people.

I heard a pastor preach just yesterday: "The church is not to be a "WHAT." It needs to be a "WHO." We are the church. And we need to live it out where others can see it and want it.

And thus....the waittressing thing has been birthed. And it has become SO much more than trying to earn a couple of bucks to pay down our student loans. And as a family, we're talking and we're praying. We're seeking God's face in what He would have us to do and how He would have us to live out that incarnational way that He lived out when He walked this earth.

We're not sure where this is heading. But we see God at work, and we know that He is moving. It's crazy. And it's a little scary. But it's right for us.

More to come.......

Coffee Shop & The Talk

We haven't had a full-blown true family day for a few weeks now - with Christmas, New Year's, and all of the basement saga going on over here in the Booker household.

After yesterday's awesomeness of carrying a million 50lb. bags of rocks to cover the pipes in the ditch we made, and after lugging out bucket after bucket of jackhammered rocks and debris from the basement, we decided we've had enough basement fun for a few days. So, when we (barely) rolled ourselves out of bed this morning, we decided that we needed to give ourselves and the basement a break, and we declared a roadtrip date as a family like we so love to do!

A trip to Camden was in order.
More specifically, a trip to our most favorite coffee shop in the world.

Yes, we do indeed drive almost two hours just for coffee and lunch.
Not ashamed to admit it.

Pure, unadulterated, glorious bliss.

And the thai, peanut, chicken, stir fry plate of deliciousness.
I drool as I scarf.
Heaven, I tell you.

A side jaunt to Wal-Mart and then the long drive back.
One slept. One hollered. The other asked Ten MILLION times "How much farther"?
But, was it worth it?
A million times YES!!!

Anyway....about "The Talk."

Every so often, the topic of more babies arises between Kevy and I. Often initiated by me, I will admit, but about every few months we have a good old fashioned - "I know that we're at maximum capacity right now, but does this mean that we are at maximum capacity just for RIGHT now - or forever? Like, should we just embrace the chaos and go for another or wait until it's not so nuts-o....or are we just plain done?" kind of a talk.

It's a big deal to say you're done, you know. One that involves much discussion.

And funny enough - on the days that those conversations take place, we seem to have a day where we are "one of those families" to other people looking on. Meaning - today at the coffee shop, Ransom felt the urge to yell at amazing decible levels about a million times, Kaden and Jesse felt like wrestling throughout the entire meal - thus, teaching us the valuable lesson of separation while eating out, - Ransom was a bear at Wal-Mart, and the entire drive home was....rather loud....to put it gently.

So, our answer for today is yes indeed, we ARE at maximum capacity.
For tomorrow?
Well, I guess that still remains to be seen.

By the way - Mike & Judy - you guys are amazing. Thank you for the - although always crazy - very fun - family day date! It was good for our souls and for our bellies!

Stormy Day Bean Soup

Whilst we await my beautious basement makeover, allow me to delight you with a delish winter soup recipe. I LOVE homemade soups and stews during our cold, Maine winters! So cozy and warm while they cook on top of the stove all day filling the house with yummy smells - overpowering the smells of concrete, cement, and dust.

Ahem.

So, this soup works great after you have your Christmas or Easter ham - or whenever you might have a ham bone with a little bit of meat on it left over from a previous meal.

This is an Old Timer's soup - my Grammy used to make this, and my Mom always makes it in the winter. So, it comes with cozy memories for me. We had ourselves a delish spiral ham for supper up home, and Mom let me take the hambone home to make this soup with.

That sounded funny. Yay! I get to have the hambone! Whoohoo!!

Anyway....here it is. No real recipe, I guess. It's kind of a chuck 'er all in the pot kind of a soup. My fave.

SO. Take your hambone with all of the meat that's still on it - you don't really need a lot - and (after taking any skin or fat off of it) put it in a huge pot and completely cover it with water. Add a couple of pounds of beans - yellow eye or soldier - and cook that baby for hours....until the beans are soft.

Take the ham bone out and use a potato masher to mash the stuffing out of the beans.
Pick the ham off the bone.
Add 4 or 5 onions, a couple of stalks of celery, some really finely chopped carrot for color, and 5 or 6 potatoes to make the soup thick. ALL chopped really really finely.
Put the bone back in to get all of the yummy goodness and flavor out of it.
When it's at the thickness you want - add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with your most favorite roll recipe.

I'll admit - it looks a wee bit like cat vomit, but if you can get over that....it's all good.


(Ransom sharing carrots with Tucker. Mmm).

Make a honking soup, so you can bottle up a few quarts for your neighbors.
And perhaps serve with a large dose of bean-o.
Just sayin'.

Heaven for Boys....Not so Much for Mamas

Grand plans are in the works....SEE? (What? You can't read that?)

Today is THE DAY. Today we are conquering the "Basement of Death."
The jackhammer date was successful, so today we move on to phase two.
A large breakfast is in order.

Because this:

and piles of this:

and THIS is what we are about to conquer during these few hours of daylight.

My littles are stoked. No school. Filth to play in.
AND our friend who is helping us brought his dog.
This is Tucker.

The boys are finding great joy in giving me the play by play of how many times he's pooping and peeing in our yard.

They are IN. HEAVEN.
Me? Not so much.
Here's to one rockin' Friday, all!

Lew

This is Lew.

Lew is my little 80 year old neighbor who lives across the street from me. I think the way that I first met him was when there were two boxer dogs running down the middle of our road. I walked over to his house and asked if they belonged to him.

This is how he greeted me: "Well, Helloooooo!"
Then, last Christmas, the boys and I made him cards and took him over a bunch of junkfood. Again. "Helllloooooooo!"

And ever since then, we've been the best of friends.
HE was the one responsible for my gangbusters garden!

In the wise words of Lew: "If you've got the space, you might as well stick 'er in the ground!" And that's how the 18 tomato plants came to be.

Except in the words of Lew regarding my choice of tomato plants: "Hee. Hee. HORRORS!!!"

Apparantly Lew doesn't like Romas.......

Lou watches my girls for me whenever I go away. I pay him in homemade goodies and invites over for suppers. He likes that. He also likes to come over whenever he hears or sees anything interesting going on. Here, he and Kev are asking each other if they eat their deer's hearts after they shoot them. That's what Kev's holding. Seriously. A lot of men eat their deer's heart after they shoot it. Lew and Kevy don't. I'm glad. I wonder if it's some sort of rite of passage in eating one's deer's heart. Hurl. Hurl. Maybe it's a guy thing. I'm glad Lew and Kevy don't do that guy thing. I don't think I'd be able to kiss Kevy for awhile after that.

Lew also likes to play the deer hunting game that the boy's got for Christmas.
He also likes to say the D-word when he misses the deer.

Lew is my inspiration in some pretty huge things as of late.
Some pretty radical (well, to some), out of the box thinking.

Well, Lew and the "Perspectives on the World Christian Movement" grad course that we took last summer AND an incredibly, life-changing, amazing book that Kev and I are reading right now. (Thank you, Caleb Way.....You DO still read my blog, don't you? You'd better....remember - I gave you a whole "shout out post" just for you....And when are you EVER coming to see us????)

But, really, for me......it all started with Lew.
To be continued...

You Know What They Say...

The bigger the bedhead....

...the BETTER the nap!

Wowee. This was a good one! A wee Rip Van Winkle, he was!

I think they also say something about mullets...
Something like..."Business in front. Party in the back!"

Da-da-da-DAAAAAH!!!

Sha-ZAM!

Just looky at what Mrs. Amazing created for me!!!

For months, Chantelley has been wanting to play around with my blog design. On New Year's Day, I gave her free reign - password and all - and this is the result!!!

Amidst being sick, homeschooling 5 kidlets, making a New Year's feast for the family, and having a life of her own....this is the gift that she gave me.

Oh, how I love you, dear Cousin.

Whenever YOU get bored with it, feel free to mix it up again.
You know me - this is what I'll stick with till the day I die! :0)

While We Wait.....

While we wait for my blog makeover....seriously, it might take days - or weeks - or even months....we have 8 children between us, I'm amazingly technologically challenged and have a basement that's absolutely trashed, and Chantelle DOES have her own life and more important things to do than makeover my blog...

So. In the meantime....
I've written a New Year's Ditty....


"Happy New Year!" said she
amidst dust and debris
'cause her basement
was all torn asunder.


So much dirt! So much dust!
But - I won't cry, I won't cuss.
'cause what good would that do now,
I wonder?


What did YOU do for fun
till two thousand one-one?
Did you watch the ball drop
from the sky?


While the clock counted down
Kev jackhammered the ground
I picked rocks
and we watched the dirt fly!

Our night? We were CRAZY!
A "Jackhammer Date!"
My outfit?
The envy of many!


But...long before Midnight came
Where to find Kev and Ame?
Snoring loudly -
while drooling in beddy!

Yes, we crashed LONG before
that dumb ball hit the floor.
We could hardly stand up
on our feet.

I'm now ending my rhyme.
Hope your day was sublime.
Happy New Year to all!
I am BEAT!

Eek.

I am at my cousin Chantelley's house right now.
She's trying to "cutesy" up my blog.
We're in process, so who knows what you all might see the next few days.
There's 8 kids and a New Year's Day party in process whilst we work.
So the work is slooooow going.
I hate change.
This is stressing me........
I'm growing.
Isn't there a verse about iron sharpening iron?........