hair cut

well something that has never happened to us before happened. it is devastating to me. i know it shouldnt be but man i have cried & cried. asher got to the scissors today & cut esther's hair. his reasoning was that esther wanted him to cut her hair.
i am so devastated. it's just hair. it will grow back. i totally get that. but this doesnt happen in our house. i have never had children do this. this children....i should say...asher...that boy....he is so wild. this morning i found him in levi's crib, with a baby chicken, playing. i heard the chirping & knew it was too close to be right...so that's where i found him.
he is constantly getting into things. i hide the scissors. i hide the keys to locked doors. he climbs up & gets them. he still finds scissors. i just dont know what to do with him. he was spanked...seriously spanked & i came close to shaving his head to get his attention but why should i be punished with 2 kids with bad hair? he did cut his own hair in the back but i was able to trim it where you cant tell. his hair is longer anyway so it was ok. but poor esther.....she already had hair issues.
thankfully tho she is very happy with it. and she is only 2 so she didnt have her "good" hair yet. it was still growing & shaping up. i dont normally give my girls trims until they are at least 4. she just got her's earlier.
so here is a picture of what he did to her. it's very short behind & over her right ear. she looks like she is going for a "flock of seaguls" look. (look the group up & you will know instantly what i'm talking about). see, she looks pleased.

so this is how i trimmed it so it would be less obvious. it looks like she has her little bob tucked in. we can just put a clip in on the one side & make it look like we have it combed over. or she can wear big head bands...the stretch kinds. i need to do something. again, i'm devastated! the side & most of the back that i trimmed comes down to her neck line, right below her chin. but it doesnt rest on her shoulder. i just cant believe it. so now i'm going to look on ebay for some big foofoo headbands. she's still my cute esther. and who am i kidding? its not like she had the calmest hair anyway. oh well. such is life.

discontentment.....there has to be more....

an oldie but a goodie & totally sums up my feelings of late.....

More To This Life, Stephen Curtis Chapman
(be sure to turn off the music player at the bottom)


Today I watched in silence as people passed me by,
And I strained to see if there was something hidden in their eyes;
But they all looked at me as if to say
Life just goes on.

The old familiar story told in different ways,
Make the most of your own journey from the cradle to the grave;
Dream your dreams tomorrow because today
Life must go on.

CHORUS
But there’s more to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there’s more than this life alone can be.

Tonight he lies in silence staring into space,
And looks for ways to make tomorrow better than today,
But in the morning light it looks the same;
Life just goes on.

He takes care of his family, he takes care of his work,
And every Sunday morning he takes his place at the church;
And somehow he still feels a need to search,
But life just goes on.

(chorus)

So where do we start to find every part
Of what makes this life complete;
If we turn our eyes to Jesus we’ll find
Life’s true beginning is there at the cross where He died.
He died to bring us . . .

(chorus)

And for cuteness:

i found the sweetest baby boy standing in his crib giggling with his big brother who was up in the top bunk when they were suppose to be sleeping. time flies & they grow so fast.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
he is so proud of himself (& he should be!) man he cried when i laid him down!! but i'm glad he & asher get along well. it's good to hear them giggling together.

Yankees!

well my children are taught that they are Southerners.....more importantly at this point....they are all Virginians. we do speak of their southern heritage. they are well versed in what caused the War of Northern Aggression. while we are not proud of slavery & do not condone it one bit, we do firmly believe in states rights & believe that the federal government does not have the right under the constitution to usurp the rights of the states. we also believe that during reconstruction if the carpet baggers & reconstructionist had of left the South alone to rebuild, she would have risen with the dignity that come natural to her dispostion & without some of the race problems that continue today because of reconstruction.
i realized today that i might have done my job teaching my children about their southern heritage with a bit too much emphasize on how bad the yankees were with sherman burning everything in his path.
asher got upset with elizabeth & instead of calling her the usual "penis" or "poopoo" that he uses, he called her a "yankee". ok, all i have to say is I AM SO PROUD OF HIM!!!! i'm sure that's not the best attitude to have....but I LOVED IT!!!  that made my day. goodness, it made my year!!!

Now for a small history lesson:

This is Edmund Ruffin, a southerner & Virginian....he reportedly fired the first shot on Fort Sumter in April 1861. as some of you may know, the firing on Fort Sumter was the final straw that started the war of northern aggression. also are included his last words that he spoke before taking his own life upon hearing that Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomatax. he could not stand the thought of living under yankee rule.



"I here declare my unmitigated hatred to Yankee rule -- to all political, social and business connection with the Yankees and to the Yankee race. Would that I could impress these sentiments, in their full force, on every living Southerner and bequeath them to every one yet to be born! May such sentiments be held universally in the outraged and downtrodden South, though in silence and stillness, until the now far-distant day shall arrive for just retribution for Yankee usurpation, oppression and atrocious outrages, and for deliverance and vengeance for the now ruined, subjugated and enslaved Southern States!


..And now with my latest writing and utterance, and with what will be near my latest breath, I here repeat and would willingly proclaim my unmitigated hatred to Yankee rule--to all political, social and business connections with Yankees, and the perfidious, malignant and vile Yankee race."

--Edmund Ruffin , 1865

needy flash!

when we finally got home from church & after church dinner levi needed to nurse badly! plus he was ready for a nap. well since we had been gone all day, flash missed me. while i was nursing levi flash jumped up on top of levi & demanded petting. levi kept going until the 3rd picture was being taken. and rachel didnt get the camera out for at least 10 minutes. by the end of the nursing session i had all 3 of my youngest babies either on my lap or hanging on the chair with me!

here levi decided to take a look at the camera.

(the 2nd photo was too revealing so i didnt put that one in!)

flash was licking my hand because i was petting him i guess.

he was telling me he loved me.

as you can see i was talking to levi about being sat on &

flash got jealous & started to lick my face to get my attention.

levi smiling at the camera again & flash was

noticing esther coming up beside him.

she's always good for some crumbs on her face!

and here are all 3 of my youngest babies sitting with me.

 and all i can say is those are 3 of the most gorgeous babies ever!

especially flash. he looks so regal!

i hope you all had a good Sunday. i'm going to go finish

watching the football game (i'm pulling for the Colts) and

do some more lesson plans! that never ends!

the goings on around here!

we are busy. bottom line....busy, busy, busy. what's new with that?

anyway, here's levi after some chocolate pudding that his sister Rachel fed him. i can honestly say he doesnt look so much a mess when i feed him. he really doesnt look happy either does he?? too funny.

yep that's levi with a chicken on his head. that's "cutie" to be exact.

cutie likes to be held & well sit on heads!

levi prefer it not be his but he handled it well.

esther has been horrible about getting into my massive amounts of makeup.

what is really fascinating to me is she can actually get it on her

eyelashes - the mascara anyway - like it's suppose to go. but she also gets it everywhere

else also.  she watches me way too much! now we just lock my bedroom door

anytime i am not around. makeup is not cheap and she likes to play too much.

this is pickles. we helped him find a forever home.

his original family is moving to london & cant take him with them.

poor pickles! he is actually very sociable & seems to adjust quickly.

he reminds me of my mom's old dog, hamlet. he passed last year,

but i think pickles looks a lot like hamlet did.

these are some of the books i got in the mail today. oh i love my pretty books. i am going to learn how to care for cows & pigs on small lots of land for our food. yes that is a book on basic butchering also. there is a bead embroidery book, a couple crochet/knitting books, a couple cute sewing books (take note of the Amy Butler one on the bottom of the stack! My FAVORITE! it has patterns for about 26 different bags/totes/purses) dont aske me when i will have time to actually try any of the patterns or cute projects. dont ask me when i will have time to read them besides a polite glance (since i did pay for them i need to know what's in them right?!) the other pictures are of my other craft books. embroidery books, sewing for kids books, sewing skirt books, ribbon embroidery stitches, quilt blocks, stuff animals, sooooo many nice books. but mainly they are so PRETTY! i love how pretty they are all stacked up. it makes me feel good to just look at them. i like to on occasion open the pages & look at the pretty pictures.) i am actually quite enthralled with the talent in these books. the pretty embroidery & sewing projects. the needlepoint & the knitting. i sew....ha! soooo badly...want more time to be crafty again. when i look at these books, i get the urge to create again. it's been a while. i am actually in the process of making my friend Jenny's son, James, a quilt......so when i am done I will post pictures. oooooh, there's even a book that i got at the thrift store on how to make a doll house & how to handmake all of the minature items in it, how to wall paper it, carpet it, make the portraits & the dolls. i would love to do that over time with my girls. something to hold onto for a lifetime and build memories. and yes, all of these books surround my collecting of magazines i get on a monthly or bi-monthly basis: Organic Gardening, Garden & Gun (yep it's an actual magazine), Country Living, Southern Living, Family Fun, Kids National Geographic, Grit, Hobby Farms, Answers in Genesis, ....there's a few more but i cant remember all of them.

oh & look: EGGIES!!! if you have ever tried to peel a fresh layed, hard boiled egg you will find it's almost impossible without a ton of salt & extremely cold water. anyway, i find it very difficult. well the "only on tv" crew have come up with a fantastic invention for all of us small hobby farmers. these little babies are wonderful!! basically i crack the egg into the "eggie", put the lid back on the eggie, boil the eggie with the cracked egg in it & voile'.....no peeling...the egg comes out hard boiled & i just have to unscrew the top & put it on the plate!! i'm so excited!!! i need about 12 more eggies but they are $10 for 6 so i will make do with the 6 i now have.



jenny's blog

check out my friend Jenny's blog. she is a dear friend who unfortunately lives 3 hours away from me. even so we have maintained a very close relationship. our children love each other & enjoy each other's company as much as she & I do of each other's company.

this is what i did yesterday!! please ignore how fat i look in the picture. i wish it were true that the camera added 10lbs, but in my case, it looks like 50lbs (but unfortunately it's not the camera!). the picture just confirms my resolve, i am losing this extra weight!!!

anyway, here's the link to her blog about our adventures yesterday!

http://www.ourplansmultiplied.blogspot.com/

a birthday & an anniversary

well life goes on. i have been sick & my family down south have been celebrating a birthday & an anniversary.
1st the anniversary. it was my parents 45th wedding anniversary on Sept. 16th. 45 .....might i add (probably to them at times) looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong years! but then again, i bet they, in a sense, have flown by. i know the 18 years i have been married have flown by for the most part.
but i think that's amazing.....45 years. that's a lot of hard work. I'm very proud of my parents. it hasnt been perfect, but they chose to stick it out: bad or good, sick or healthy, rich or poor......and they have had moments that could probably be described as any one of those times at one point or another in their marriage, but they are still going strong. i love you dad & mom & i'm so proud of you.

looking at their picture makes me cry. that's my parents. i love them so much. i miss them all the time. i wish we lived closer so my children could be closer to them. my mom & her common sense self. my dad & his matter of fact self. mom's always moving around & dad's always in his "room". hopefully soon i will get to take the kids & visit. i'm praying to stay well!

now for a birthday:

it is my nephew, Lance's, birthday today. he is 15 years old!!! where does time go??? Lance is a very tender hearted guy. he loves his mama. he loves animals. he doesnt like to hug (that's a benenhaley trait though, so you cant fault him for that!). he also has a great, high pitched, girly laugh if you get him really laughing. its so much fun to get him to laugh!

asher thinks he is awesome because he rough houses with him when we visit. Lance is always up for a game. he's always ready to have fun.

Lance we hope you had a great day today! We love you very much!

it's viral!

i took levi to his pediatrician today (the best pediatrician in the whole wide world: Dr. Nivea Velazquaz of PDC Pediatrics). he has been just whiny & clingy this whole week. he has been snotty with a low grade fever. i didnt know if he had an ear infection or if he is just dealing with what i am as a by product of nursing. so anyway, it's just viral. his ears are beautiful. his chest is clear. his nose is a bit snotty but nothing to worry about. he has no rashes. he's not lethargic & at the doctor's office he had no fever (motrin took care of that). he weighed in at a healthy 19lbs 6ozs today. Dr. V said he had quick reflexes because when she leaned in to listen to his chest he grabbed her glasses off of her face. then when she was holding him up to watch him stand he grabbed her earring & almost pulled it out of her ear & she was trying to deflect him. she also said he had great skin & was a perfect baby. we both agreed that he has his mama's legs. i will say this, he has the chubbiest legs i have ever seen on a baby. so funny.
but this is levi this afternoon after we got home from the dr. if you want to keep your drink with a straw, do not drink it around levi. he will take it from you if given the slightest chance. for the record, it was just tea in the cup. he looks so big & proud of himself with the cup. my boy!

in addition

i also forgot to mention that for years we have been buying unabridged books on cd & we listen to them in the car. we also enjoy a lot of the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre dramatized books.

Here is a list of just some (not all) of the unabridged books or dramatized book versions we listen to & love from my memory:

Unabridged books:
To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Of Mice & Men, John Steinbeck
Tbe Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
Cold Sassy Tree, Olive Ann Burns
Culture Warrior, Bill O'Reilley
Godless, The Book of Liberlism, Ann Coulter
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Series (all 9)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Secret Garden, Frances Burnett
Anne of Green Gables, L. Montgomery
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
Charlotte's Web, E.B. White
The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling
Cheaper By The Dozen, Gilbreth
The Cantebury Tales, Chaucer
Bringing Up Boys, James Dobson
Shepherding A Child's Heart, Ted Tripp
Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis

Focus on the Family Radio Theatre:
The Secret Garden (also unabridged book verson on CD)
The Chronicles of Narnia Series (all 7)
The Life of Jesus
Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Freedom
Amazing Grace (about William Wilberforce, John Newton, & Olaudah Equiano)
The Legend of Squanto
The Hiding Place
The Screwtape Letters
Anne of Green Gables (unabridged book version also)
Les Miserables
Billy Budd, Sailor
At The Back of the North Wind
A Christmas Carol
At Home in Mitford
Ben Hur
Silas Marner
A Christmas in Two Acts (Stories from O. Henry: The Gift of the Magi)
Little Women (unabridged book version also)
(all of the Radio Theatre books are the full books, they are just dramatized. I dont recall them leaving anything out of the stories at all. The kids love them  & quite frankly so do I.)
We also have the Left Behind books up to book #9 that we have listened to. They all enjoy listening to the stories, unabridged & straight read to them or dramatized on the Radio Theatre. I would encourage anyone to either get books on CD from the library or start their own collection. We have downloaded them to our girls Ipods & they listen to them. Having a child hear the story uses a different skill in the child than actually reading the story & they are both a good skill to practice.

homeschooling & homeschooling curriculum

Our Biblical Motto for why we homeschool:

Psalms 119:97-105:
"O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.
I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.
I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

in laymans terms: "to train children in God's law so they can govern themselves, be wiser than their enemies, have more insight than their teachers, and understand more than the aged."
Meditation on God's law yields the highest wisdom.

who doesnt want that for their children? who doesnt want that for themselves? anyway, on that note i am going to post what we are using/doing for our homeschooling year, in regards to curriculum this year. this week has been actually a very busy week for me with younger women asking me what curriculums i use for a certain subject, or how to get started, or help in certain areas. also a few blogs that i read have posted a list of what they use with their different children, so i thought i would too - especially considering i'm still sick & didnt really have much else with which to post. I am also going to use this particular post to refer any more questions to that i might get concerning what curriculums we are using. it might be easier just to get it all down for future reference. now if i can remember to label the post when i am done!

Rachel is in 11th Grade this year. She has a very heavy load. We decided to go heavy this year because we are actually anticipating her being completely dual enrolled at TCC (Tidewater Community College)next year. But even if she isnt, then she will have a lighter Senior year. We also anticipate her getting a job of her choosing sometime after she turns 17 or working part time in her dad's office. Either way, we all decided it would be better to have a lighter year her Senior year.

Rachel attends the local KEYS (Kingdom EducatingYoung Scholars) co-op here in Chesapeake. All of the teachers have bachelor's degrees or master's degrees in the subjects they are teaching. we pay monthly tuition for the privilege of the classes & Rachel has to keep a B in all classes to be allowed to stay in the classes.

At KEYS she is taking the following 2 days a week:
Algebra II (McDougal Littel Publishers, Ron Larson Author)
Geometry (McDougal Littel Publishers, Ron Larson Author)
Speech & Debate (Glencoe/McGraw Hill Publishers, Clark Author)
Guitar II

At home she is taking the following the rest of the week & weekends also (she is very busy this year):
Sonlight Core 400 which includes:
American Literature
Civics/Government
Bible/Theology

Rosetta Stone French
Apologia Chemistry
National Institute Driver's Education (online book instruction & parent led behind the wheel instructions)

She is also taking outside the home with private instruction:
Karate (she is studying for her 2nd Degree Black Belt)
Piano (A Bastien Curriculum)

Elizabeth is using a mix of curriculums and is really between many grades. By age Elizabeth should be in the 7th grade this year. But with her disability she can not work on that level. Dont get me wrong. She is quite capable of hearing the history & science & literature on a 7th grade level. by hearing i mean it can be read to her & she understands it & does comprehend what she is hearing & learning. the retaining of information is a bit sketchy as well as the keeping up the required pace of a 7th grader would be nearly impossible for Elizabeth. Some of the curriculums (which i will asterisk) are being used by both, Elizabeth & Abigail, just on the different levels they each understand. Elizabeth isnt quite independent with her learning disability & might not ever be in regards to her school work, but that's ok. She needs me checking her work more frequently to keep her on the right track.

Elizabeth:
Math-U-See: finishing up Beta, moving into Gamma, & hopefully at the pace she is keeping up, will move into Delta by the end of the school year in May. Possibly even Epsilon as she has been moving at a quick pace & has been retaining & passing all of the test with high scores. Math was her best subject in the public school when she attended & she is basically reviewing & refining her math abilities so it goes much quicker for her.
Easy Grammar (Grade 4, Red Book) I wanted her to have an overall understanding of Grammar that she did not get her last year in public school. I think they hurt her more than helped as they gave her crutches and didnt make her actually learn the materials. So she is moving quickly through most of her curriculums. Clay gets quite flustered when i hand him a bill for new materials when we just bought some - but i am making Elizabeth work & work & we dont take much of a break. She is playing catch up.
Learning Language Arts Through Literature (Grade 5, Purple Book). Again, she is moving quicker than i thought. She should be done with this book by Christmas and will move into the 6th Grade book.
*The Story of the World, Book 1 (this is our first year with this curriculum. We have been using My Father's World & may go back to that if they hate The Story of the World. I just like that The Story of the World starts out with "In the beginning, God....." Elizabeth really needs that understanding of the beginning of History. All children do.
*Apologia Exploring God's Creation: Astronomy
*A Reason For Handwriting (that's new also. We also use Handwriting without Tears)
*Story Starters (it's a story writing curriculum that isnt forced, but fun)
*Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum Edition
Sequential Spelling, Book 1.
Bible (mainly her own devotions & some bible verse memorization from Karate.She actually follows the adult bible reading chart from church & at my urging keeps a journal and writes down the main points that she takes away from the daily reading.)
*Listening to Your Story Hour CD's. We have tons & will eventually get through with them. They are good supplements to build character. Jenny borrowed them & her children listened to them & loved them so i figured i would actually start using them rather than looking at them all pretty in their cd cases. (some of my ocd comes out when i purchase homeschooling materials...i buy more than i need & the whole sets of some things & then just look at how pretty they are...but honestly I am much better than that now & really only buy what we will use. And I am keeping most of what we use to re-use with my younger kids). (Asher & Esther will be listening also and gaining knowledge as well!)
*Watching the Nest Entertainment DVD's that pertain to our lessons that include Animated Hero Classics (History), Animated Storys from the Bible both Old & New Testaments. There's about 75 DVd's all together. (Asher & Esther both love these as well & get principles out of them as they watch)
Karate (she will test for her 1st Degree Black Belt in April)
Piano

Abigail:
Saxon 2nd Grade Math
Finishing up Phonics/Reading Pathways
Explode the Code
Spelling Power
The items with * from Elizabeth's list, but on her own level.
Karate (Abigail should be testing into her Orange Belt by the end of November. She is at the completion of her 2 year Little Dragons Program and should receive the black belt in that program by the end of October.)
Piano
Bible/Memorization (Abigail's memory is amazing so she is learning some A-Z memory verses)
Draw Write Now Series (Abigail loves this series & is making a book of all of her pictures)

Asher:
Explode the Code: Get Ready for the Code Book A, Get Set for the Code Book B, Go For the Code Book C for Phonics awareness.
Math-U-See Primer (it's basically the PreK math to get children ready for actual math.) Asher can count up to at least 20 and recognizes some of the numbers. I really think he will do good at this.
I have purchased him several PreK workbooks that will get him recognizing letters, practice his handwriting, and help with his fine motor skills.
Big Skills for Little Hands: I Can Trace!
Big Skills for Little Hands: I Can Cut!
Big Skills for Little Hands: I Can Paste!
Big Skills for Little Hands: I Can Fold!
Big Skills for Little Hands: I Can Draw!
Big Skills for Little Hands: I Can Color!
(I bought those at Sam's Club & used them with Abigail. I might even get Esther involved with those books as I know she wont allow us to leave her out!)
Leapfrog Dvd: The Letter Factory (plus a lot of their others are on Netflix Instant play & they are wonderful at helping with the basics of phonics & number recognition.
Karate (He is in the Little Dragons program - just starting out.)

ok thats it in a nutshell. busy kids, busy mama!!!

illness

i have been sick. more sick than i have been in a long time. it doesnt help that i am coming off of an anti-depressant that i have been taking for 4 months. i started with a sore throat on Wednesday night. i should have medicated myself then but i waited until Thursday morning & by then, well it was done....i was sick. It happens within hours with me. I was already in full blown asthma/bronchitis mode by noon on Thursday. on Friday i gave myself a breathing treatment & ended up having an anxiety attack. to the point that Clay called 911 & the paramedics came & made sure i wasnt having a heart attack - which i thought i was. i have never had an anxiety attack - ever. i do believe the asthma meds in conjunction with the cymbalta (anti-depressant/arthritis) medication that i have been taking caused the anxiety attack. i saw my doctor on Monday & they said that yes, that can be a reaction with the meds together. they said i had created a "perfect storm" with the illness & meds. i was taking cymbalta, vitamins, advil cold & sinus, advair, albuterol, & pulmicort. i think there was something else but i dont know.
anyway i stopped the cymbalta. i do not every want to suffer another anxiety attack. that was horrible. plus i'm hoping that since levi is now 10 months old (yes i could cry rivers over that) that i will get more sleep & not need the anti-depressants. i do still feel overwhelmed. i'm not a generally happy person. there is so much to do, so much i want to do......and not enough time to do it. i feel overwhelmed. i feel lacking. i feel as if i'm juggling & a lot of the balls are hitting the ground.
on top of taking the cymbalta out of my system, i am now suffering the withdrawals from that medicine & suffering a vicious case of vertigo. so i havent been driving or going anywhere. our schedule is a mess right now. school is backed up. we have missed so much. i feel bad for the little kids. i feel bad for my big girls. it's just a mess. when mom is sick and down, everything is out of whack & it's out of whack here. i feel bad for my dogs even. they arent even on a normal schedule.
anyway, on a good note, we are getting new carpet. i'm excited about that. we are also going to order - after the carpet is installed, a new king sized sleep number bed. my arthritis is so bad now & we need a bed that is going to help. and the king size is one i have been begging for. i always have a kid in bed with me at one point or another sooooo it will be good. an always in the morning, i end up with all of the kids in the bed & a couple of dogs. or in the evening watching tv, all of the kids & a few dogs - come back with me & we watch something. where mom is...that's where the action is - in this house. i may not have a lot of influence outside of my house, but i do inside this house. my kids & my dogs love me. makes me feel needed & wanted. i love my children & my dogs! i have a good life.
also we are looking for a new loveseat for our living room. we have had the old brown one forever & it needs to be replaced badly. there is a red leather couch at clays' work i am trying to get him to snag. we will see. it's old & awesome.
also, we decided to sell the old mustang. clay's never going to use it. i dont want the kids to use it as it has too much power. so we are going to sell it for what we can get out of it. then i am going to move my upstairs "craft/book" room downstairs to that space in the garage. i am going to try my best to make it a room. if that makes sense. that way we can move my little girls upstairs, the boys to the little girls' room downstairs & elizabeth will move to the boys' room. she & rachel will have their own rooms. i think they are at the age they need their own rooms badly. they will be happy.
anyway, i'm rambling. my head hurts. i'm coughing. i am having to constantly correct mistakes because of my shaking hands so i'm going to sign off. i'm going to leave you all with a picture of our lone chick. abigail named him "cutie". her other chicken "chipmunk" drowned herself in the ducks pond so we gave her this one. this one is very tame...imprinted on us. very cool.
also i was suppose to be going to visit my family in SC for my parent's 45th wedding anniversary this weekend but that is now canceled. it would be foolish to even try with how sick i am. i am trying to downplay how sick i am because i dont want people to worry, but i can honestly say i dont remember feeling this bad in a very long time. i guess with the comination of so much...it feels worse than before. it's also an indication of how old i have gotten...the asthma, arthritis, depression, vertigo,...so obvious i'm old. i'm literally a mess so please pray for my family & me.

here's rachel & cutie:

a few faces of levi

he was being kept outside to keep him busy & hold off his afternoon nap. elizabeth put him in the toy grocery cart & i thought he looked too cute in there (and he was quite comfortable) & i needed pictures. i will be printing a couple off for my wall.

 
 



elizabeth & sweetie

we had some chickens given to us that were a college project this past spring, we kept 1 of  4 of them that elizabeth picked out as her favorite. she feeds the baby chicks & ducklings & is really quite good with them. she seems to be gentle enough to have the chicks be very tame. we have about 7 small chicks that just come running when they see us & let us pet them. it's fascinating to watch & the smaller kids enjoy having chickens they can pet & pick up without fear of being pecked or kicked.

so this is elizabeth & sweetie (elizabeth's name for this chicken which we were told is a female & seems to be - no waddles or saddle feathers or crowing!). elizabeth can now be called "the chicken whisperer"!