calm in the middle & a hair cut!

ok so i dont know how he does it, but levi is sleeping soundly in the middle of the noise. now y'all cant see it but the other kids are running around being WILD!! and he is peacefully sleeping. isnt that how we all should be...trusting we are safe when God is in charge. i mean the reality is at any moment some harm could befall levi...he's on a blanket in the middle of the living room floor asleep & yet...he's out cold. the noise or footsteps around him hasnt bothered him. to have that kind of faith or innocence or trust...i envy that.

and this one of asher brushing his teeth was the night before his yearly hair cut.

and this is after. he likes the short "warrior" cut. and he is letting me spike it this time where as before he didnt want it. i came real close to doing a mohawk & still could but i didnt. he's happy with it & he looks so much older. but even i can admit it was time for a hair cut. i think i do like his hair longer but not quite as long as it had gotten - hanging in his eyes.

2 songs - 2 very different emotions

****Make sure you scroll down & pause the player on the blog before you try to hear either song!!!****

so these 2 songs are on my favorites list these days:
#1 needs no explanation - it just has an annointing on it that makes me cry when i hear it.


that is Casting Crowns. one of my favorite Christian groups these days.

now this one is all tongue in check but gives me validation!! if you dont laugh after hearing this song & watching the video then you have no sense of humor! turn the volume up loud & just dance with him!

Mika - Big Girl, You are Beautiful!

scratch that!

well suey (that's the spelling from what i was told) went back home today to be with her original family. after coming out to visit yesterday to make sure she was settling in, they decided they couldnt live without her so she is back home with them. i really cant imagine how they do it. they are a "his, mine, & ours" situation that lives in about 1200 sq. ft home with 6 children, 2 ferrets (which they tried to give me today in exchange for giving them suey back), and a dog. they also do not have a fence to their little yard so i cant imagine how they keep their pig home. but i wish them the best. i told theowner originally she could have her pig back if she couldnt handle it. i guess looking for a new home for her wasnt what they thought it would be. oh well. back to a single buble' - which is fine because today when rachel went to get suey out of her special pen to go home, she had to walk suey through the pen with buble' & he attacked suey & rachel even got scared that she couldnt handle buble' who is generally very docile & nice. i guess around a female pig, he forgot that he was a nice pig.
also, i picked up this very nice set of bunk beds today for abigail & esther's room. i am not moving esther out of the crib yet...we actually have a young lady that we love coming to stay with us for about 2 months. i mean i planned on getting bunkbeds by the end of the summer anyway, but this just moved it up a bit. asher will bunk in with abigail & esther for 2 months while our friend lives in transition here for 2 months.















these beds were only $100 on craigslist. they also gave the mattresses. i wont be using those, but i will use the bunky boards. i'm going to reupholster the bunky boards with a white sheet to make them uniform with the new mattresses and i only have to buy 1 mattress from sam's club (actually clay is picking that up tomorrow afternoon).
asher was way funny. we told the kids what was going to be happening this weekend & he decided he doesnt want to sleep with his sisters....he wants to sleep with our beloved friend. (not happening) he recently has figured out that naked barbies are girls & he likes naked girl barbies - if that gives you any indication of where he is at these days. i'm just glad we dont have peep hole key holes in our house!

whitney a.k.a souie

well we have a new pot bellied pig. she's 4 months old. she was supposedly an indoor pig - house broken & all. but at our house she was a bit out of sorts so she didnt remember she was a house kept, house trained pig. so now she is outdoors in her own little pen. her previous owners called her "souee". since we have a "buble'" as in "michael buble'"...she is now "whitney" as in "whitney houston" - in keeping with the musical theme of naming our pigs! i expect her to start calling for "bobby" any moment now! she is more tame than our boy pig, but they look exactly a like. the kids & even clay were discussing "when the pigs have babies we can.....(fill in the blank)"...so i will keep you posted.

we also bought 6 chicks today - white leghorns - like "foghorn leghorn" from the looney toons cartoons. i cant wait to see their combs hang over their beaks. they will be cute. our current hens dont lay & havent for the last 7 months. i'm not sure what is going on...they got stressed out, went through a molt & lived through winter so i'm hoping now that spring has arrived they will pick up the egg laying - if not, then it's the stew pot for them. but the babies are super cute!

these 2 flowers are from Georgia's resting place. we planted a cherry blossom tree by her grave & then some daffodils & tulips over her grave. they are gorgeous. it's a nice place - a fitting place for her to rest as she was such a wonderful dog.

this is lola the goat. she is CRAZY!! and if you are shorter than her - watch out - she will knock you off your feet. so basically asher on down stay out of her pen.

and this is buble'. he was rolling around in his hay pile. he loves rachel. it's really wild to see how he responds to her. he knows he belongs to her. he wasnt all that interested in meeting "whitney" today....but i'm sure as she grows & he realizes she is a girl pig he will be a lot more interested.

phinneas the cat. he is very sweet and fluffy! a favorite among the kids.

this is my new 2nd degree brown belt. elizabeth (or eliz as abigail calls her) did outstanding yesterday getting her belt. She has only 2 more belts until she can test for her black belt in karate. also she is finishing up her math curriculum & she scored 100% on a cummilative review today in her math-u-see curriculum. she will start on her new math curriculum this coming week.

the positive test score is a huge success for her as she has worked hard to fill in gaps from her lack of short term memory. every gain is a huge accomplishment! i'm so proud of her.

david asher drinking my diet moutain dew. one thing that never seems to stop the little kids is the diet drinks. they ask for the diet drinks to drink over the regular drinks. i'm not sure it's all that healthy for them with the saccarine, but the seem to prefer the diet drinks over the regular...... maybe because mama is drinking it. he was wild today. i'm thinking the weather being cold & rainy & not getting outside helped with the wildness factor. summer cant get here fast enough.

abigail being cute. she thought i wasnt going to take a picture of her. she's so precious. she always has such encouraging words for everyone. she is a bright spot in our lives!

oh man, and this is esther. i think her eyes say it all! she is such a vivacious force! there are no words to describe the delight & joy she adds to this household. 2 years old is such a great age. i wish i could bottle her up at this age & keep it forever. i want to remember every detail as precious doesnt begin to describe.

(rachel had no makeup & didnt want her picture made. levi was sleeping in the swing & didnt get his picture made either)

hope you had a great saturday. we had a busy one but we got a lot accomplished. all of our 14 new trees & 2 new bushes are now planted. i'm so excited. we now have 5 apple trees, 2 peach trees, 2 pear trees, 3 pecan trees, 1 fig tree, & 1 plum tree. we also have black berry bushes, blue berry bushes, & 3 grape vines growing. i have started tomato plants, cucumber plants, basil & chives. we have also started the bell peppers & canteloupe!! yay spring!! yay for a summer garden! i cant wait to work the soil! (we will also plant watermelon, honey dew melon, potatoes, corn, peas, beans, okra, pumkins, squash & sunflowers - at least - i'm sure i'm leaving a thing or 2 out - but i'm EXCITED)



blurry vision

this picture describes how i feel about my life...it's going by in a blur.
there's so much i want to do. so much i want to accomplish.
so many character flaws i want to correct to be the person i want to be.
places i want to go.....etc.
it's going too fast & i cant stop it - time that is.
and i dont want to miss anything.
Lord help me.
this picture is actually how i see things without my glasses on...actually i lack seeing things worse than the picture even. - my vision is so bad they dont even ask me at the optomologist office to read the letters, they just stand back & ask me if i can tell them how man fingers they are holding up & that all depends on how close they are...i guess that's a good way to describe how i'm feeling. and what is equally as interesting (to me) is that when i cant see - or dont have my glasses on - i cant hear as well either. hmmmm..i am going to have to think on this for a bit. there's a lesson in here somewhere.

btw, clay had his surgery. he is doing great & it wasnt nearly as bad as the doctor imagined it was.
he is on the upmend & going tomorrow to have the gauze removed.

i did it!!

i actually made a few of those owl teethers that i said i was going to make. it was easy once i cut them out.
here are a few pictures....with a cute extra at the bottom.

that's all 3 together.



the orange faced one close up & it has an attached

12" x 12" minky chew rag, feel good kind of soft

plush fabric to rub his face on kind of thing.

This is the yellow faced one. plain. no feet like the orange faced one - just "feathers".

this blue faced one doesnt have feet either but i put

2 jingle bells inside of it so it made noise. i was

considering giving one to a girl at church who is

having a baby but i decided not to when i realized how

bad my stitching was. it didnt want to insult her.

levi actually holds on to it already. he was way beside himself here. he was sleepy!

this was the other night. levi was doing his "exercises".....doing push ups.

the other kids thought he was super special being on the floor like that.

i just have to make sure he doesnt get trampled.

this was this morning as i was preparing breakfast. esther insist on
sitting on the counter & levi was actually a bit fussy all day. he was in just a
diaper & a bib at the moment. we put him in his bumbo & let him sit with
esther. she was thrilled. i'm not sure what he was thinking about it.
i think i've decided i'm going to start calling him "big"...as in "mr. big".
he's definitely bulked up & he's pretty special to me....so "big" it is!

hansel & gretel

this is what i found when i went to gather asher & esther for supper tonight.

that is the "play" kitchen in abigail & esther's room. i didnt understand why i keep finding the shelves out but now i know. so i told rachel i must be the wicked witch in the woods & they were playing hansel & gretel. she laughed. esther is actually in the stove part & asher is in the dishwasher/stove part. he is smirking.
too funny! at least they are playing with it!

and this is esther in rachel's tshirt, clipped in the back to stay on, & wearing asher's military hat. she always wants to wear it backwards or sideways. boy is she pleased with herself & super cute.

and just a side note....i think we are on the upmend regarding sickness....well most everyone is. i did take levi today to the doctor as his stuffy nose has gotten worse. he's just that - stuffy. the dr. gave me an antibiotic prescription to have on hand in case it gets worse. the dr. is going on vacation for the next 2 weeks so i am hoping we dont need to make a visit before she gets back.
and of course i am not better. i'm thankful for a nebulizer. i made use of it about 30 minutes ago so i could breath. with the stuffy nose my asthma has kicked in. i am so ready for spring!

japan

and i didnt want to forget to mention japan. how tragic...a horrible earthquake, a tsunami on top of the earthquake & it seems their nuclear reactors are shutting down & not in a good way - possible a chernoble or three mile island type of event happening. i havent heard anymore about the nuclear reactors since i laid down but i prayed that they would get electricity restored as the battery back up power was set to expire today.
from what the news was saying last night...they will have to redraw this map as the ocean has claimed some parts of the island. can you imagine? Japan is in our thoughts & prayers.

its super early to be this awake

so levi & i are awake. he is in such a good mood & he just doesnt feel the need to sleep. so why fight it? what's the point of laying there getting frustrated because he wont sleep? not really one. so i'm up. not that i want to be...i dont. i'm so sleepy....and i dont feel well. it seems that some kind of viral cold is going through the house again. and since most of us are a touch asthmatic it ends up being more than just a cold. by 8pm last night i had given 3 breathing treatments, sat 1 kid in a steamy bathroom to ward off the croup, & gave out multiple teaspoon fulls of allergy medicine to help with runny noses. elizabeth had a breathing treatment yesterday to get her cough under control but she seemed to only need one. asher got one with just albuterol (same as elizabeth) to stop his cough. abigail got just the steriod because she tends to be more croupy & the albuterol seems to exaserbate the problem. esther got both as she was wheezing & coughing. thankfully levi hasnt needed one in a while. he still gets stopped up but i think that's just from being a baby with boogies...arent boogies a natural occurance in life & since he doesnt know how to pick & eat his like the rest of the little kids i know...he gets a bit backed up with them!
rachel is sick...sore throat, sniffly nose. she & i seem to have the same problem. my throat is on fire & i cant breath through my nose. and i'm not taking any medicine until i have someone to help watch the baby because if makes me sleep.
clay has a horrible infection in his sinus cavaties but he is having surgery to help with his problem on the 23rd. he met with his doctor yesterday. and this surgery will be more intense than in the past because the doctor is going to go into clay's sinus cavaties behind his eyes & up in his forehead to clean out the polyps that are hindering his free breathing.
so needless to say, i'm sure..but i'm ready for spring, summer. i'm ready to open the windows & to feel warmth on my skin (without the need of a heating blanket or long sleeves). i'm ready for the kids to go out & play without fear of them getting too cold & with getting to cold....catching a cold. i will say, it's been a much better winter season with sickness than the last 2....we have little irritating colds this winter but we have been antibiotic free this winter (minus clay) thanks to a air filter/humidfier on our heating system. i'm also ready for summer because i think it's easier to lose weight in the summer...& i need to lose some weight.
now to change the subject....esther is fully potty trained. we didnt have any accidents in 2 days. she is remaining dry through the night & naps most days now. she is doing both #1 & #2 on the big potty. i cant believe i only have one kid in diapers. that's so awesome!!!

and i think i'm going to attempt to make this little owl for levi later today.......














i read a lot of craft blogs & this little cute teether had a tutorial with a pattern. soooo easy to make...i just want to go to the store & get some minky fabric for the back instead of just using cotton & i am going to put some thick crinckly plastic in the middle betweeen the batting so when he chews on it, it will make that sound babies seem to like. oh & his wont be pink...i'm thinking orange, with browns & blues. i might even get around to posting a picture when i'm done. i also have tons of craft books i just got that i wanted to show you all but...well that takes effort to post a bunch of pictures of just books when i can hardly post pictures of the kids.
oh & our first fruit trees got here yesterday. 4 apple trees & 1 peach tree. we are SO EXCITED. it will take a year or two but hopefully worth the wait. now for pear trees, a fig tree & a few plum trees....either in a month or 2 or next year - havent decided & pecan trees in the fall!
once we take care of the planting fruit trees & the garden for the year (we have started seeds - maybe i can post pictures of that too - clay made special planter boxes) i can start ordering peonies & hydranga bushes. i'm ready to have a real flower garden...or flower beds anyway....prettiness around the house. i want some snow thrift & dahlias.....oh well. it's not the end of the world if it doesnt happen but i can dream.
the little kids are excited about the trees & the garden. asher cant wait for the blackberries & the grapes to produce this year. he is a eater as he picks. (not talking noses here).
ok well i'm going to go hold my cute boy. he's pretty happy still. wide awake, smiling at me.
being a mom is hard...but i get these sweet times of having him to myself. it's a good trade that wont last for all that long. we are going to go watch the movie "rat race" as it's on a cable station & it's pretty funny.

treasures untold

this smile holds treasures yet untold. i am constantly excited as i have the privilege to continue my watch of this little sweet boy growing, learning, - with his wided eyed amazement at everything around him.
he is so special. such a blessing & loved by all of us. we fight over the chance to make him smile because who doesnt know that a smile from a baby is such a gift!

"And they brought young children to him (Jesus), that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, 'Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.' And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them."  Mark 10:13-16

a give away

Pleasant Home blog is giving away a little accuquilt die cutting machine in honor of her first grandchild being born.
so click here if you want to find out how to enter her give away:

http://www.pleasant-home.com/2011/03/wonky-star-baby-quilt-little-somthin.html

it made me think, after i read it about my own grandparents.

my mom's mom, Grandma Bryant....worked at Campbell's Chicken Soup factory in Sumter, SC. She made the best cakes & her house was always COLD!!! I also loved her biscuits & sweet tea. My mom always made biscuits too when we were growing up. There was nothing better to eat on a Sunday afternoon than a good, fresh biscuit & sweet tea. i need to learn to make biscuits. oh and i remember my Grandma had the prettiest hydrangea bushes in her yard. i always loved those. when i see them now i always think of her. Rhoda Lee Bryant

and then there was Granddaddy Benenhaley & Grandma Benenhaley. I dont know what Granddaddy did for a living but he wore a blue set of coveralls. He also drank coffee out of the same white mug ALWAYS. he would take us up to the store & buy us M&M's & a coke. And he would take us to church on Sundays (so would Grandma Bryant) I think, if my memory serves me correctly, we use to attend the same church as Grandma Bryant.
And Grandma Benenhaley, she loved to play cards (she caught me cheating once & then wouldnt play with me again). She also loved the soaps on tv. She would lock us out in the summer time & make us stay outside to play. i loved staying at Grandma Benenhaley's. she had a jewelry box with a lot of costume jewelry in it & we could look in it & let the music on it play...well i remember we looked in it a lot, even if we werent suppose to.
and what's wild is i dont look back on any of the memories of these three people as bad. you would think being locked out in the heat of a SC summer would make me have bad memories...but nope....

Grandma Bryant

Granddaddy Benenhaley & Grandma Benenhaley