"cowgirl up........"

this cute little stinker just loves horses, cowboy boots and hats! and she didn't even mind that the boots weren't "pink" (though they were her brother, Davids boots from when he was her age) she was just happy to have all the "western attire" on for her horsey ride! This one is just

as cute as cute can get!!

Man-boys on the loose!

Thursday night Ben left, rather late in the evening, to visit his girlfriend. Bryan, David, Branden and Brett got it into their heads to play a "trick" on him. They donned their finest black sluething clothing and hit the road. What they did was steal our vehicle from his girlfriends house and say that it was stolen. What crazy stuff these man-boys come up with and the fun they have doing it. They even conned their dad into telling the police, if they should happen to call, that it was a prank pulled by brothers on a brother! Thankfully the police didn't call, but the boys swear that Ben freaked out, yet Ben swears he knew all along it was a crazy prank. I love how, young and old, they can get together and have fun and enjoy each others company.

L to R

David, Brett, Branden and Bryan

For your viewing pleasure. . . . . .

Wednesday night, at church, we had our annual kids derby race. I decided to "not" bring my camera because last year both kids didn't place (the look of disappointment on both of their faces was just too much to capture in pictures). It was just too cute watching these kids get excited each time their cars raced. Colson is quite the competitor, though he never got discouraged when his car didn't win a race, but when it did, he was elated. Jacqueline was very graceful throughout the entire time and when the winners were announced, me without my camera, Jacqueline came in second and Colson came in first. I was angry at myself for not bringing the camera, yet was so excited for them both. All day long Colson talked about the upcoming race and each time he would mention, "trophies" and how the church should by them for everyone not just the winners because he hated just getting that "participation" ribbon last year and I would, over and over, explain why they only gave out so many trophies. I was so afraid of another year of disappointments. Well here are the pictures of both Jacqueline and Colson, taken at home, the next day. They are still elated over these trophies and car/trophy sit on our mantel! What I just love about how our church conducts this entire process is that the kids totally make their own cars, from start to finish, no parental help, no taking it home, for kids by kids and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that. They are so proud of their cars and it shows in how they display them and take care of them.

Jacqueline, car and 2nd place trophy

(her car is always some shade of pink)
Colson, car and 1st place trophy
(his car always has green on it for MSU)

We're Home! what a whirlwind vacation we had! So much fun with friends and family too. We ended up heading south to Oklahoma Saturday arriving late but excited to see our son and his family. We hadn't seen the boys since Daniel and Elizabeth's wedding and they surprised us all by giving big huge hugs! Of course it was wonderful to see Brad (Thanksgiving would have been 3 years since we last saw him) and Amanda! We stayed up into the wee hours of the morning visiting, and the kids played! we awoke early so as not to miss any time with them. The kids ate their breakfast outside in the beautiful "warm" Oklahoma weather then we all walked to the park. Honestly I think we all had fun at the park chatting, playing and just enjoying each others company. Brad and Amanda made an awesome lunch then the kids headed outside to play in the sprinkler, the pool and the slip-n-slide! It was so cute to watch them all play together! The man-boys had fun too! It was just enjoyable to watch everyone, hearing the sounds of laughter and chattering from all over the house. All too soon our visit ended. I so wanted to stay one more day but Bryan's days home are very limited so we headed out about 8pm on Sunday, traveling straight-through to good old Michigan. Den and Bryan did 95% of the driving leaving the last stretch of the drive to Branden and I. We both did the happy dance once we crossed over into Michigan from Indiana! then it was onto who was going to beat the other home! I thought I'd won but got hung-up at a light behind a slow-poke and Branden wizzed by me and beat us home! PTL our trip was "trouble-free" and was such fun. These kids are a blast to travel with, hang with, and have fun with! Now. . . .its onto finishing up the laundry (16 loads). Casey couldn't believe how much laundry was in the dungeon, it totally shocked her. Thankfully, as of this morning, I only have 3 loads! Its been a group effort here trying to get it all done.

This weekend we will see off Dave and Casey. I am so thankful we've had this time with them here. It will be another emotional roller-coaster ride when they pack up the UHAUL and head to North Carolina. We've got to find ourselves a good-paying job so we can visit our kids all over the country, we are in NC, OK, ND, CO! Its so hard to let them go, yet I know they are going where God has directed them and I wouldn't want it any other way!!

Good morning from Golden, Colorado and the heart of the Fairfield Inn's bathroom. Its early here and I'm trying not to wake my family so I'm sitting on the toilet seat, using the counter to blog! We had a great trip back to the Denver area yesterday. It seems as though my permanent place in the van is the very back seat!!!!! I really didn't mind as I fbooked, watched two movies, and tried to cat-nap during the drive. We made it to the hotel and Den went to pick up Bryan. I took the kids to the pool and they swam off their road-weariness, and boy did they have fun. It wasn't long and all the kids big and small were in the pool. Victoria just had to be with Bryan the whole time, she is just too cute with that boy!

We then headed over to Broomfield for dinner with our very dear friends, the Veresh's. What a blessing and gift that family is to us!!!! though the miles and years have separated us its like no time was lost once we get together. We had a great time and Colson and Jake were fast friends. Colson didn't want to leave. (Thats how you know everything was great when the kids don't want to go) They are also going to the graduation ceremony today.

Its going to be one busy morning here. We have to be ready to leave by 9:30 as Bryan has to be there by 10am. Then we will be headed back to our friends for a graduation celebration. Again, God has blessed us with amazing friends along our journey. . . . .

Not much more to update, other than the kids still aren't feeling tip-top. We were hoping to leave tonight and travel to Oklahoma and spend the day with our oldest son and his family, but we surely don't want to pass on this nasty virus either. So.. . . . . .we will have to see what the day brings when the kids awaken.

Enjoy your Friday. . . .I know I'm going to enjoy mine!!!!

Greetings from the heart of the Colorado Rockies. I'm so sorry I haven't posted sooner. In fact, last night I was reprimanded by Den to get with the program and blog. So since its still very quiet here I thought it would be a prime time to share.

We left Michigan Monday, late afternoon. We were only an hour or so into our trip when Victoria started throwing-up. We were able to stop and take care of her mess, get her some tylenol, eat and continue on. Several hours later she threw-up again, it is then I decided to start her on an anti-biotic (Brennan came down with strep the day before) PTL we were able to get scripts just in-case. We traveled, allbeit, over-crowded and cramped but happy and excited throughout the night. We were just into Nebraska when Blake declared he wasn't feeling well. Oh my gosh. . . . .thankfully he didn't have a fever, so we decided to stop at a Holiday Inn for a few hours, let Den recharge so he could drive, let Blake sleep, hoping he would feel better and me and the younger kids hit the pool and hot tub. The kids had a blast and the guys slept! Thankfully the Holiday Inn took pity on us and only charged us $50 for 4 hours instead of a full nights rate. It was well worth it. We all showered and put on clean clothes and loaded the van and headed off, westward bound. Blake was feeling much better, the kids no sooner got themselves settled in the van and were fast asleep. We stopped several hours later at a rest area for bathroom breaks when Den came rushing out of the bathroom with a very familiar friend; one we hadn't seen in at least 10 years, a man, once a boy in our youth ministry. How unbelievable to run into someone you know in a rest area, of all places. We all hugged and laughed and were introduced to his beautiful wife and handsome little baby boy. What a blessing God gave us in the midst of a very long journey.

We finally made it to Golden, with the Rockies looming every so beautiful in the background. Jacqueline and Colson were in awe and couldn't peel their eyes away from them. We met up with Bryan for a few minutes then headed out for Dens Aunts place on the western slope of the Rockies. We arrived late, tired but happy. The kids were out in minutes once they crawled into bed. I think I finally fell asleep at 1:3o our time only to wake up at 4am their time. This time change thing really is tough to figure out and deal with for the body. We had a great time outside yesterday, enjoying the scenery, taking pictures, riding horses, riding the rhinos, laughing and just enjoying ourselves.

Colson and Jacqueline now have strep but thankfully we have meds for them and I'm just praying they feel much better today. We head back to Golden, today, to spend the night, having dinner with great friends there, then tomorrow is Bryans graduation from the police academy.

We have a very full iteneary, yet we are able to enjoy some down-time too. I will update again later today and apologize for the extremely long post. Hopefully I can keep make the next few posts like a journal entry for each day.

Good morning world! what a weekend! I honestly think it went by in a blink of an eye too! Brett's open house went great, simple is the key and simple worked perfect! It was such fun having the kids here, and the house full, and hearing the laughter and their voices! Victoria had all of her "favorite" siblings here and she just didn't know who to go to first, it was ping-pong sibling for her and she loved every minute of it. Every morning she crawled into bed with Daniel and Elizabeth. . . .too cute this one is!



The "tribe" is making the trek westward to Colorado on Sunday for the week. We will be hanging out on the Western Slope with family, enjoying their hospitality then heading to Boulder and attending Bryan's graduation from the Police Academy. We're hoping Daniel, Elizabeth, Dave and Casey will also get to be there.



Lots to do before Sunday. Friday night we have two open houses to attend, one here and one in Lansing (still trying to figure out the logistics of that one) and on Saturday Jacqueline has her dance recital, two performances, we have our neice's open house to go to on the west side of the state, and the kids have a youth fundraising activitity. . . .geesh how much more could we pack in on one day??

Our Sunday worhsip series, at church, is on. . . . .SEX. . . . .and who would want to miss that??? and the boys have a fundraising dinner afterwards, then its. . . .Colorado bound!

WHAT A MESS. . . . .I went to head upstairs to take a shower and walked into the entryway of our home to a huge haze. I freaked a bit and yelled for Scottie. He ran in and we proceed to head upstairs to find more of it! We searched, thinking it was a fire, yet it just didn't smell like it and then. . . . .Scottie found the culprit.. . . . .a fire extinguisher that had "mysteriously" gone off! Of course we knew exactly who had done this (three guesses and the first two don't count). . . . . . Colson! I quickly ran downstairs and found him all sedate like nothing happened. Upon grilling him he finally fessed up to the truth, what's hilarious is that he tried to blame it on Victoria! She can't even lift the thing. He did say to Scottie, unbeknownst to me, "just 'cause I'm a kid doesn't mean I did it." Ok. . . .like Benjamin did it! This kids amazes me and honestly it was hard to reprimand him because it was so darn funny, well some of it anyways; because I did just vacuum and clean the entire house, all 3000 sq ft. of it, from top to bottom this week. Whats a mom to do? get mad or just chalk it up to an inquisitive 7 year old and deal with it.

Never a dull moment around here either!!

Its been a busy time around here lately. Brett is graduating on Sunday and his open house is Saturday. I've been busy buying and browning hamburger, Nachos is on the menu. I finally finished the last of it yesterday. WHEW what a job. Sunday I spent the afternoon picking up odds and ends and have one more Kroger's run to finish off everything. We are having his open house at church so Brett and I dropped off all the "stuff" on Sunday afternoon, now its just sit and wait until Thursday when we can set-up and organize. Since this is our 7th graduate I have learned that simple is best. No elaborate decorations! No huge menu and it works great, less stress, less clean-up and less costly.

We are giddy with excitement, not only for Brett and his accomplishments, but Daniel and Elizabeth fly home Friday morning, Friday night Bryan flys in and this week Dave and Casey move in with us for two weeks (they are heading to NC as she took a teaching job there and needed a place to stay until the BIG MOVE). FUN FUN FUN there will be 15 of us under one room and for, the first time in months, I am thankful we have a large home to house us all. We are getting family pictures taken too this weekend. If Bryan is able to fly in early we will do them Friday evening, otherwise they are scheduled for Saturday after the open house.

There is so much to blog, lots rolling around in my head, lots to share, and unfortunately it will have to wait for another time, but for now this is it!

Since schools been finished I seem to find many things to keep busy and little time to catch-up on blogging. I thought once I didn't have to study that I would have lots of free time. NOT! I am pushing Colson alot harder in his homeschooling. I just want to make sure he's where he needs to be when school resumes in the fall. He's doing great and he's always very eager to work and get it done. Most of the time he is finished with all of his bookwork by 9am, then we read off and on throughout the day. If we run any errands he always sits in front and reads to me! I love hearing him read and listening to his progression. The kids usually watch vidoes in the car, but the systems is getting repaired I've realized how much I miss their chatter and what a prime opportunity for Colson's schooling to continue.

Brett's open house is the end of the month and I've been browning hamburger, everyday, freezing it, and getting myself organized for it. So far I've got 35lbs browned and still have 35lbs to go. Not too bad, it will definitely alleviate alot of extra work the day before especially since Daniel and Elizabeth fly in later that morning and Bryan later in the evening. I want to make sure everything is in place before they arrive. Our time with them is short and we want to take advantage of every minute they are here, I guess we're a bit selfish that way!

Den is busy busy busy with a new ministry he is developing. He's full of passion and excitement these days and its a blessing to see him this way. For too long we've allowed our circumstances to control us, our emotions, our thoughts, our feelings and now we are controlling our circumstances! YEAH for us! certainly it isn't going to change overnight but we are on our way to a new adventure, a new life and a new journey. I am all about journy's, yet when they don't quite go my way, I get myself side-tracked; I loose sight of the vision. I'm a "here and now" kinda person and Den is a "see the future" kinda person. I'm ready to jump in with both feet when my mind is made up, and his decisions are long and full of thought. I guess that's what has made our marriage work for almost 31 years. I think we compliment each other well, although I would like to encourage him to "hurry it up a bit!"

With a family our size there are always issues, changes, frustrations, challenges, laughter, concern, regret, apologies, and forgiveness. I love how God has uniquely made each of our children different, yet with so many similarities. They amaze me with their tenderness, their concern and their unwavering love and support. I am constantly touched and humbled by their generosity, no only to each other but, to their dad and I. Almost everyday one of them gives from their heart! and they teach me many lessons on selflessness!! Every minute of it! (thanks Renae for that precious phrase it's stuck with me since our CO days)

UPDATE: Bryan passed his test Friday, it was tough, he had to fight off 10 men at once and what he went through to do it, I honestly don't think I could have done it without freaking out! PTL he is through with all the extremely challenging sessions. Thank you for your prayers.

WOW what a weekend and it went by way too fast! I woke up Saturday morning, 4:30am to begin Benjamins laundry and found a surprise sleeping in our basement. Unbeknownst to me, Bryan flew in the night before for Mother's Day! What a great gift and I was totally surprised! Ben was going to fly Daniel and Elizabeth home too but he had to preach this weekend so he wasn't able to get away. We were able to connect via computers and cameras! How fun! (I love how my children are so self-less when it comes to their family, they would give and do anything, no matter what, for the other)

In two short weeks everyone will be home for Brett's open house and graduation. It will be fun to have a house full, not that we don't already, but to have everyone here and all the craziness that comes with man-boys!

It was hard to see Bryan off last night. Victoria and I rode along, with Den, to take him to the airport. We had tearful goodbye's. Victoria was so cute with him this weekend. He couldn't get out of her sight and she was like glue to him the entire weekend. I think he loved it too! Once we got back from the airport Den and Branden left to take Benjamin back to his apartment in EL. That was another tearful goodbye. He isn't that far but its still "not home" and we so miss these guys. Each one adds a special "something" to this family and when one is gone there is a definite hole left.

Mothers Day. . . . .I am always humbled by the love my husband and kids show me. My mind plays out each scenario that shows my shortcomings and faults and I feel so undeserving of their love and admiration. PTL they forget better than I and still love me and still want to be a part of our lives, even as adults. Though, by the worlds standards, we have nothing, I am rich in my husband's and children's love! What more could a person want????

QUICK UPDATE: Bryan has his final "redman" test today and its, by far, tougher than Mondays. Please pray that he will be chosen the first to go, his request, and that he makes it through and passes. He will be fighting off many men at once and will fight until he can no longer fight. Its a pass or fail exercise. Monday he passed both. I know once its over he will be so relieved. Thank you for praying and caring. It means so much!


My heart is heavy this morning as I contemplate an exercise my son will be going through today at a state police academy. As we prayed together last night, not only for his needs, but our families, I realized just how much we need Christ in everything we do. How could we make it through an entire day without Him? How could my son face what he will face, today, without the grace and peace of Christ?

As a mom of 12 children its sometimes overwhelming praying over and for the needs of my children. Most times its an hour of prayer just for them, yet if I am not praying for them, daily, who is?

I was perusing a magazine this morning (in all my spare time) and came across this poem by Ruth Bell Graham. It so fit me; the thoughts and feelings that are prevalent in my life, so I thought I would share it with you in hopes that, it too, would encourage you as you bring your children before His throne.

"Like other shepherds
help me keep
watch o'er my flock by night;
mindful of each need,
each hurt, which might
lead one to stray--
each weakness
and each ill--
while others sleep
teach me to pray.
At night wolves and leopards,
hungry and clever, prowl
in search of strays
and wounded; when they howl,
Lord, still
my anxious heart
to calm delight--
for the Great Shepherd
watches with me
over my flock
by night."

Look what Jacqueline, Victoria and I got today!

What an amazing surprise to find these beauties delieved today! and what a surprise that one of my sweet boys sent them to us. Thank you Benjamin. I love you so much and so do your sisters.

WOW! I am a posting maniac! Now I can return to my regular activities of blog-stalking all my friends and family! Its so good to be back!!!!

Amanda. . . . .just so you know, your little sister loves her crayon cozy and uses it all the time! She carries it everywhere. Colson and Jacqueline really like theirs too I just forget to capture their moments in pictures!

This. . . . . .equals. . . .

. . . . .this. . . . .
Colson has been working on pulling this baby for the past week. Yesterday it was hanging by one little root and this morning he came running out of his bedroom, all excited, that his tooth just fell into his hand. What a cutie! My baby boy is sure growing-up fast! Now, onto the other tooth. . . . .there's nothing cuter than a boy without his front teeth!!

During spring break we took the family bowling. It was a blast! I took quite a few shots

of the family but this one stood out among them all. The boys all commented on how cool it

looked so I thought I would share a sweet picture of Den bowling!

What little toddler doesn't love to play dress-up? Here is Victoria all set to head out the door yesterday after dinner (notice the shoes they are mine!)

Oops I think she forgot something. . . .like her clothes! She just warms our hearts!

I was asked today what I'm doing now that I have so much free time on my hands since classes are over for the semester. I had to stop and think. . . . not for long, however, because life is always busy in this family. Colson started off with a cold and runny nose on Thursday, by Saturday he was coughing non-stop. Den took him to the doctor and was told he just had a virus. Well.....after an entire weekend of "literally" non-stop coughing and Victoria spiking a fever last night I took them both to the doctor this morning. Victoria, again, has strep and Colson was put on steriods because a) its not a virus b) it his asthma and c) I knew it wasn't going to go away without steroids or an antibiotic.

There is always something to take up my time, amidst the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. I am homeschooling Colson, who got himself a freebie today due to sickness, chasing after our little ticking time bomb who explodes everything she touches these days, and running after older kids and their activities. There's never a dull moment and rare are the moments when you find yourself without something to do. In the midst of sickness and doctor visits today I did manage to do the ironing, finish a book I started late yesterday, pick up perscriptions, pick-up kids from school in my new "harley" and even spend a few moments with Den in the car, albeit we weren't alone, because our little missy has goitis! and then home and rock and cuddle her since her fever spiked again; and facebook from my phone (gotta love that) and chat with my kiddo at the academy! It's all in a days work for me and I have to say that I wouldn't want to do anything else, EVER!

WHEW. . . .another semester under my belt! What a great feeling to wake up this morning and not have the pressure of college courses to deal with. I finished my last exam yesterday. It was extremely tough and, I dare say that, if I pass it will be a miracle. Den and I went over every point that I could possibly get, even a few extra credit points, and I wasn't at all pleased with the outcome. I told Den that its hard to let it go because I hate it when something "beats me" (competitiveness at its finest). What a sweet husband I have; he has helped me, with the class, all semester and said that my prof taught this class at a graduate level. He should know he does have his masters. Whats wrong with these people? Why would they rather see students fail than succeed? If there is anything, at all, driving me to complete my education it is just that, to see students "get it" and "succeed". Well, its over and now I am waiting for the final grades to be posted. A good friend of mine told me to not stress over the final grades because when you get a job its not the grades they look at but the degree. Ok tell my OCD brain that! What's done is done....... and now onto enjoying spring and summer!!!

Today my kids have no school! Thanks, in part, to "take your child to work day". Our school system has been promoting this the past few years, and since so many kids participate, they cancelled school due to low numbers. YEAH for us! I am sure that some do go to work with their parent but most, like me, let their kids stay home. I can ususally justify it because:

1. home is my place of work
2. my kids are willing to help me do whatever
3. with all of us pulling together the workload is minimal
4. minimal work = free day for them

Its a win-win situation for all of us! and honestly I LOVE having my kids home. We started counting down the days for summer break right after spring break! I know most people can't wait for school to start and dread the end of the year but not me! I want my kids back and it takes several weeks for them to acclimate themselves back into life and family.

So without further ado. . . . .I am outta here and gonna enjoy my kids and this beautiful spring day!

It's a Sunshiney Day...........mornings are always a little bit hectic getting kids ready and off to school. I take my older boys to school each day and we HAVE to leave by 7:15 an no later. We have a neighbor who leaves a little past 7:15 and he is extremely pokey to follow. If we pull out and he is pulling out we ususally take a different way to school and try and get in front of him. Once I drop the boys off I ALWAYS take a different way home than "the neighbor" and once again its a race to see if I can get in front of him. Today, I won! Yeah for me! I even took Brennan to the J/Hi too and still WON! When we pull to the end of our street the first words out of either Brett or Blakes mouth are, they're leaving or they've left! Its rather amusing. Crunching time in the mornings is a must because once I get home I have 1/2 hour to get Jacqueline ready to catch the bus and she, like our neighbor, is extremely pokey. No matter what time I get my girl up she still is pokey and I still have to prompt her about everything; sometimes its out of frustration, which I berate myself over. Today was a great day, maybe it was the beautiful sunshine that put us all in good spirits but she was ready when I got home from taking the boys. Once she steps out the door the race is on, once again to get the youngest two fed, bathed and dressed! WHEW! and today, well, we are gonna spend most of it outside because its supposed to be 72 and that calls for playtime, because as you know, it won't last here, so we MUST take full advantage of it, and last but not least TGIF!!!!

I think spring has finally sprung here in our part of the world and man did it ever take FOREVER! Today has dawned absolutely gorgeous with the most amazing sunshine. We are supposed to have mid-60's here which is, literally, like a heatwave! At least my kids think so, as they have all donned their shorts, well, actually they've been wearing shorts for several weeks(even wore them out in ND with 2 ft of snow).

I've been on the sick side of life since Monday, mid-afternoon. I am still not up-to-par but hoping the sunshine will give me a good dose of Vitamin C. It's hard to lay around when "stuff" needs to get done; especially with a toddler who gets into "everything" and a 7 year old I am homeschooling. Acutally, Colson's schooling is going well and he is really easy to work with. He is ableto do alot on his own, yet I still enjoy listening to him read, its truly music to my ears. I am so proud of him and am so thankful I chose to pull him and keep him home this semester. He is finally back to "himself". I honestly think we would have totally lost who our little man is, if he had stayed in an over-crowded classroom with huge restrictions. Its been quite a few years since I've homeschooled and I have to admit I was a bit leary to do it again, (alot of pressure on me to make sure he knows what he needs too) yet I know God kept prompting my heart to do it.

Well my morning is slipping away from me with much still left to accomplish! Don't forget to look for blessings from God, He gives them everyday, we just don't always look for them, because sometimes, like me, we are too caught up in "stuff".

It just wouldn't be Easter without coloring eggs. Megan brought over an egg coloring kit and the kids went right to work. How cute to watch and listen! I captured a few kodak moments!

Victoria holding her egg in one hand and the wire holder in the other.
Colson and his robins egg blue egg!

Jacqueline, Megan, Victoria, Colson and Benjamin

(even big kids enjoy coloring eggs!)

We had a great trip to the wild west and wild it was with snow, cold and wind, but it did have alot of sunshine too! In spite of the crazy weather, we had a wild and crazy time of fun with our kids. We didn't do anything spectacular but just hang-out and I think everyone would agree it was great! God always knows just when your kids need some special attention and it was Dan and Elizabeth's weekend to get ours. Ministry can be rewarding and challenging so it was perfect timing for us to go and love on our kids. The trip home was tough, we got a late start and traveled through the night. For the most part all the kids did great, but poor little Victoria she cried most of the night. It was so hard leaving her strapped in her carseat when I knew she just wanted me to hold her and snuggle. Once we got home it was within minutes and she was out and slept 6 hours; pretty much everyone slept except Colson and I. He busied himself with toys and I busied myself with unpacking. I took Dave and Casey's car (they were so gracious to loan us their car for the trip) and had the oil changed, washed and vacuumed and drove it over and swapped it back for ours. On my return home I needed to stop by Walmart, and had the oiled changed in our Saturn, washed and vacuumed it, arrived home to continue with some laundry, thankfully I had done most of it at the kids, and finished unpacking our luggage. Den was so sweet; he unloaded the entire car, after driving 16 straight hours, then he helped me put all the laundry away and took care of all the luggage. What a guy! Our trip was great, its been 10 years since this family had any type of vacation so it was much needed.

The rest of the week we have a few day trips planned, an indoor waterslide, shopping, dinner, and maybe a game or two of bowling. None of us are ready to jump back in the car and ride for any length of time either. It sure is good to have the boys home, my how we missed them! I posted some pictures, in three parts, so I hope you enjoy a few shots of my family and our vacation!

North Dakota Vacation

Part III

Colson taking a little R&R
Dan and Elizabeth are great huggers!

Scottie getting a long awaited kiss from Victoria

amazing amounts of snow!

(just couldn't get over how much snow they

actually had!)

North Dakota Vacation

Part II

Swimming with new friends
morning breakfast

big sister. . . .little sister snuggles

two happy little sisters snuggling with

their big brother after three long months!

amazing amounts of snow!

North Dakota Vacation

Part I

everyone watching the "final four" game
can you tell she was so excited to see Bryan???

see how deep the snow is?
Victoria thought it was so cool!
(and it was actually warm enough
to go without a coat)
Daniel getting loving from Victoria.
These boys are such good big brothers!

After 15 hours of travel, we arrived safely at Dan and Elizabeths. The roads were great the weather was wonderful and we drove up to the front of his house to 2 feet of snow, and a nice path shoveled for us to walk up too! I can't even begin to imagine getting all that snow in one day! Amazing. The kids were great traveling and with all the technology we had they were kept busy! We did have charger cords running everywhere! Victoria had a tough time the last few hours but she survived and we all went to bed somewhere around 1am our time. It was a long day but so worth it! The sun is shinning and I hope to capture a few pictures of the snow and the flooding. We plan on heading to Fargo to check out the flooding there. I hope people aren't angered at our gawking, its just we never see diasters of this magnitude where we live!

Branden and Bryan head out from Denver around 5pm tonight and should pull in around 5am tomorrow. We are all anxious to see them and they are anxious to see us! I am so blessed at the love our kids show each other and to Den and I. In this day and age when families become so disjointed ours seems to pull even closer together!

April Fools. . . . .and a cute little bit of foolery by Colson!
Blake went to pour himself a bowl of Sugar Smacks and out poured Rice Krispies, he then says, "what the heck?" I laugh and just say "Colson!" later I pour Cookie Crisp and out poured Reeses Peanut Butter cereal! "Colson strikes again!" I asked him how he thought of that and he said he saw it on TV, of course!

Just a busy day in the life of the Lutz tribe! Trying to get everything in order around here for when we leave on Thursday. My OCD brain likes to have everything checked off the list, and it doesn't help that I want to make sure the house is clean, tidy and organized too! I registered for my fall classes this morning, on line! Gonna try and take 9 credits this semester. I think I am pushing it but am still gonna go for it. I stayed up late last night packing for the three youngest kids, doing laundry, picking up the house and even reading my e-reader a bit. Its hard to settle down and rest when Den is traveling home through the night. He is an amazing long-distance night driver (several of our older boys have this gift too) but I still fret and worry. I called him about 12:30am to check in then awoke at 4:45 and called. The first two calls went to voicemail and my heart started to race and my mind when to those scarry places, so I called once more and he picked up right away. WHEW! he said it was the first time his phone rang. Darn those cell phones! He finally made it in sometime, I think, around 6:30am. He is sleeping and I am trying to keep the younger kids quiet. Blake spent the night with a buddy and Brett is off helping, at church, with the Angel Food Ministry.

I think my kids are in some serious need of outdoor play. They have way too much pent up energy for indoor play. They seem to be constantly argueing and it isn't long before the argueing escalates. It can definitely get on your last nerve. Right now they are playing with legos and its refreshing listening to their laughter and chatter. Hopefully today we can head down to the riverwalk and enjoy a good walk in the sunshine.

Well the morning is progressing all too quickly and my list of "to-do's" is long. Plus the "little Miss" is now into everything she can get her little hands on and that, in itself, is exhausting. Yesterday I heard some commotion from the bathroom and she came out carrying nail polish, saying "nails, paint nails." I quickly retrieved it from her put it back on the shelf in the cabinet and the next thing I know she has it opened on the sofa, painting the sofa cushion! ARG! amazing how quickly they get into things! I wasn't a bit happy and she knew it, so she dropped it and ran! LOL sometimes its hard not to laugh and sometimes you just want to scream! So, without further ado, I'm outta here! (I should seriously be super-slim for all the running and retreiving I do chasing a 2 year old).

There really isn't much going on in our lives around here. When my older kids call, who live away from home, they always ask, "what's goin' on at home, anything new?" I wish I had great answers but I don't, its pretty much the same old same old! I sometimes wonder if they don't get bored hearing the mundane, yet they continue to call. Every morning at about 8:05 Branden calls on his way to work. I really enjoy his morning calls and he doesn't feel quite so far away. Sometimes throughout the day he will call on his break or his lunch. Bryan usually will send off a text at some point during the day and usually calls each evening. He always asks if I will pray with him before we hang up. I love that! The first time he asked if we could pray I thought he was going to and waited, then he said, something to the effect of, "mom you gonna pray?" I laughed and said, "oh I thought you were" and now I know when he asks he wants me to pray and I love it! Its so awesome to be able to bring anything before the throne, with your kids. What a blessing and a gift! It's cool too, to see them growing from the scripture that Den texts them almost everyday! I love how we stay connected via texting, facebook, emails and cell phones. Dan usually checks in everyday too and I hadn't heard from him in a couple of days, (his cell went through the washer) and yesterday just as I was wondering if he had gotten his new one in the mail, he called! From time to time Brad calls us too, from Africa. Sometimes the connections are scratchy, yet most of the time they are clear, and its amazing because you wouldn't know he is thousands of miles away. It's definitely hard having my man-boys away, yet our connection remains close and constant! Our kids have weathered alot of storms with us, and sometimes its through them that we find our greatest encouragment, their kind words, their love,their hugs and support continue to bless us and give us strength to persevere. Its a challenge trying to walk the right path; and satan uses every angle to pull us, to get us to stumble and to cloud our vision, some days its only with baby steps we continue and others we are able to take giant leaps. It is, "taking one day at a time" not worrying about tomorrow. Its knowing, "I can do all things, everything, through Christ, because He gives me the strength" no matter what, every minute of it! I remember an old Kathy Tricolli song, "I will choose Christ. . . ."! Me too, even in the midst of a storm!! How about you?

Never a dull moment around here. . . . .the kids enjoyed playing outside this afternoon. We have about 10 acres of open land around us, so they met some neighbor kids out there and played most of the afternoon. Colson came running in calling, "mom, mom, mom, come quick." Of course I ran to see what he needed and then he proceeds to tell me that Brennan stepped on a nail and it went all the way into his foot. He came hobbling in the house and I had him take off his shoe to see the damage. It was already all bandaged. I wish I had taken a picture of his foot. It was too funny. One of the neighbor girls had brought along with her, to play, a first aid kit. She cleaned his wound and bandaged it up, along with steri-strips, butterfly strips and black electrical tape. After dinner I took Brennan in to have it checked out and get a tetnus shot. Once we were called back into the "room" I had Brennan take off his sock and get it ready for the doctor to look at. Just as he was pulling off his sock the nurse came back in and just about busted a gut when she saw his hap-hazard bandage. She couldn't help but giggle at all the stuff that was on his foot holding the gauze on. Thankfully he is fine; a shot in the arm (which he was none to happy to get) 10 days of anti-biotics, script ibuprofen, and a script for pain meds! Who would've thought all that medicine for a nail puncture. I guess you just never know and I sure want to be safe than sorry. I honestly think that we have our own special room at the redi-clinic. They know us by first name now and I even think all the doctors know us too! I know that once when I called for a script they said that they don't ususally call in scripts that we would have to come in and then I said, well this is Mrs. Lutz and the nurse said, "oh no problem, Mrs. Lutz, we will phone it right in!" Just gotta love it! Enjoy your weekend!

17 years ago, today, at almost the exact time spring arrived I gave birth to baby boy, #8, whom we so proudly named (the first one out of 8 that I was able to choose the name for) Blake! Gosh I can't hardly believe that its been 17 years. Seems like just yesterday when we drove into the driveway to bring him home. What a great kid he has become, quite the little "instigator" and Bryan calls him the "common denominator". Just gotta experience "life with Blake"! We are blessed and thankful that God chose to give us another son! and how awesome that his school even gave him the day off to enjoy his birthday! ha ha ha

Happy Birthday,

Blake Jason Ryan Lutz!

A Sunday of Worship and Praise
I haven't had much of a chance to sit and pen my thoughts for a new blog post. I have alot running around in my head, much to process yet, and just wanted to take a minute to touch base, since it has been several days since I last posted. Our Sunday morning worship was spectacular. Of course the music is always top-notch because our worship Pastor, Kevin, is amazing; and our sermon topic for the month has been "do the unthinkable. . . . .get real. . . .get honest. . .trust and invest. . . .dream. . . .forgive". Our pastor chose to speak on the "get honest" topic Sunday. I knew from the moment he began to share that the sermon was meant for me. It totally shook me to the core, sent my emotions reeling, my heart quickened, my pulse raced and my world rocked. Isn't it hard to be totally honest? especially with God. As Christians we are supposed to have it "all together". Our trust for Him and His plan should come naturally, our fear should dissipate, etc. yet if we are truly deep-down honest with ourselves we really aren't as full of Him as we should be. We tend to hold onto things, in our lives, sometimes because we feel we are justified to do so, sometimes its our fear that won't let us "let go" and sometimes it out of just being selfish because "we want it". I was all of those things. I had to admit my anger to Him, because deep down in my heart there was alot harbored there, some aimed at Him, at others, at our circumstances, the list could go on. I knew that I won't ever be able to step ahead until I quite stepping deeper, in my own wants and ways. Its awfully hard to give up control, yet honestly, I've never had it, have I? I've maybe thought I did, but in reality God still was the controller, and when thinks went wrong, who did I blame, not me, of course, but Him. I, still have yet, to work through sections of my heart that I closed off to Him, but am pushing through it, because I want to be free, no matter what the circumstances, to find His peace and His joy. To walk the path that is before me with grace, dignity and honor to Him.

I would love for you to take a listen to "getting real". (I am not adept at posting a link, and sometime I am going to have someone show me how to do it) Take a few moments and listen to a friend share, our pastor share and another share about "getting honest with God". I know you won't be disappointed and maybe, like me, you might find yourself "letting go!"

Oh and if you do listen, leave me a comment or two about your thoughts and if God spoke to your heart too!
Westside-church.com click on sermons 3-15-09

It's nearing spring here yet we can't tell from all the cold weather and snow we keep getting. I believe this has been the longest, coldest and snowiest year we've experienced in a long time. You can't go anywhere without someone making a comment on how they can't wait until spring arrives. We are all ready for a dose of warmer temps, to forego our winter coats, and enjoy the outdoors. We've got about an inch of snow here and its still coming down, heavily at times. I know, for all practical purposes, its still very much "winter" here but when March comes we assume it should just automatically be "spring". We will get through this, as always, but inside the anxiousness still persists. Its hard not to be a bit anxious as we have so many things in our lives that are about to change. Hopefully a new job, new location, a son graduating, kids moving, classes ending, vacations, open houses, it all brings me to a sense of an anxious spirit. I try not to get ahead of myself, to let these anxious tingles affect me yet they do and my attitude and responses tend to show it. I know that the Master has it all under control, yet at times, feel like He isn't revealing anything to us. Sometimes my anxious spirit brings about discouragement and frustration, and a feeling of hopelessness, it shouldn't because our hope rests in Him, yet the waiting, wondering, and spinning gets tireing and exhausting, and dealing with kids, finances and issues just adds to it all. There are always lessons learned when the refining is taking place, hard and painful though they may be, I hope I learn them so we don't have to walk this path again. Maybe our journey will one day touch the life of another, to encourage, to uplift, and to give strength. Today, I pray that my attitude will reflect His and that all I say and do will bring Him honor; every minute of it! (I love that little phrase a sweet friend said that to me when we lived in Boulder and it's stuck in my brain! because sometimes we walk the journey minute by minute!)

Zechariah 13:9 ". . .I will bring (you) into the fire; I will refine (you) them like silver and test (you) like gold. They (you) will call on my name and I will answer (you) them."

Another new week. . . .I was just talking with a friend about how quickly the months are flying by, and here we are into March. I am so thankful too. We've had a harsh winter and I know our family is more than ready for spring to come upon us. We did take full advantage of Thursday and Friday,of last week, and spent most of each day outside. We packed in as many outside activities as we could too, plus an extra bonus was opening up all the windows and letting some fresh air into our home. I hope it killed off any germs that were still lingering because I really don't want to go another round with strep. My poor kids are finally on the mend! PTL!

Also on last Thursday I had my monthly MOPS meeting. Its always an activity I look forward too; we have great fellowship, always a great speaker, a fun craft and an amazing lunch. I was so totally enamoured with God and how awesome He is to give us insights and encouragement. The speaker was a man with his doctorate in Psychology. The very first issue he addressed was exactly what my previous post was about, stepping in or running interference for your children. I sat in awe of how precious God is and how He used this man to confirm what I had felt and shared from my heart (I don't even have a doctorate, but sometimes mom's just know, don't they?). It was such a balm to my heart and soul and I was ever thankful that I chose to stay out of the situation and allow God to work in His own way and timing. Its still tough but it was right.

Thank you to all who made comments, who understand, and who have walked the same journey with your kids. It's always such a blessing to know that you aren't alone in your thoughts, feelings and responses. Isn't that what we are supposed to do anyways? share each others burdens, without judging, and bring our requests before the Lord.

Stuff. . . its what happens around here. Sometimes too much stuff happens and you feel like you're on complete over load. So many things I want to share yet, out of fear, I am relucant too! People have a tendancy to judge, to condone, to be critical; were the tables turned, would they want the same? So many times I have thought about setting up another blog, one more private, one that I can share my hopes, my dreams, my questions, my heartaches, it would be one more thing, in my life, that I'd have to keep-up.

So, out of fear and trepidation, I am gonna put myself out there, out here! whatever! Have any of you ever felt compelled to step in for your kids? I don't care how old my kids are, when one of them gets hurt, I want to step in and take the pain for them, protect them, and go after whoever caused it. I call it the "mama bear" syndrome. Relationships are challenging aren't they? trying to figure out what to do, what not to do, how much to do, how little to do, who said what, did I say too much, did I not do enough, on and on and on. We're all so different, we can be from the same family yet be so vastly different. My kids, all 12 of them, look, sound, act and have many similarities, yet each one is so amazingly different, so intricate, so perfectly made by God. So why is it that I should assume that everyone should act like me? think like me? We are all made uniquely in His image, but we have a tendancy to want people to fit in the mold that we have in our mind. God is working some of these very issues through my crazy little brain. I want to run interference for my children, yet I know that if I do so, I stunt their spiritual growth, that I take away from a lesson, however hard it may be, that God has chosen for them to learn and walk through. Is it hard not to step in? you better belive its hard. But someday my children will be where I am, and they will need to be armed with life-lessons so they will be able to teach and train their children to stand firm in the storm. Pray for me, for us, we are in some storms, some we are walking through and some are still brewing.

A special friend of mine passed this little quote on to me, and I thought it was so fitting for this blog post. "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain!" Isn't that just the coolest ever! Thanks Diana!!!!

and the winner is. . . . . .

please email me with your address and I

will get this out to you tomorrow!

Enjoy!

(lutztribe@gmail.com)

what I heard at 4am this morning (in a sweet sing-songing little voice) "dad-de, dad-de, dad-de, wake-up. . .mom-ee, mom-ee. . .to which I found myself smiling and almost laughing! then the precious little one says, "rock-ee" and we came downstairs and I rocked and cuddled her!

What a crazy afternoon!

I took Colson to the IMAX this afternoon for a little homeschool field trip. We got to see "Under the Sea" in 3-D. It was pretty amazing. It was also so cute to watch Colson bat at the things coming at him from the screen. I have to say I did my fair share of ducking and diving too. It was challenging keeping your eyes focused if you moved your head at all. When it was over, as we were walking out, Colson said, "I don't feel so well". We picked up Victoria from Dave and Casey's, (thanks you too for watching her) and headed home, all the while Colson kept saying how much longer, are we near home yet, I felt so bad for him because its at least a 20 minute drive across town. Once we got home he crawled right into the tub (thats all of our kids comfort spot when they are sick) and I pulled a sleeping Victoria from her car seat. She began to stir a bit so I rocked her and nodded off myself (4:30am came early today). Den came home with the boys and promptly carried her up to our bed to finish her nap. Colson then came down the stairs crying. . . to which he said, "I threw up and its all over the toilet". Off I went upstairs to clean-up the mess, get him dressed in jammies. He went into the study and laid on the sofa with a bowl. No sooner did I get him settled when Blake came down carrying a soaked Victoria. She had pee'd my bed, soaked herself from head to toe. He sweetly placed her in the tub, I ran upstairs and stripped the bed, hauled it down two flights of stairs (someday I am gonna have mainfloor laundry) and got it washing and brought up a dry load. Brett tagged Blake and got Victoria out of the tub, and dressed, while I folded the laundry. WHEW! what a crazy few hours, and how quickly a lazy quiet afternoon can change into utter chaos! Thats the life of the Lutztribe, never a dull moment. (bummer no conversations with sweet Betty tonight either)

It's here!

the post you've been waiting for!

the pay-it-forward give-away!

I hope you enjoy what I have waiting for

one of you. Its a beautiful "Lia Sophia"

leather slide necklace with removable pendant.

now just leave a comment, before

Sunday, March 1st. I will have a

drawing and send off this trendy

piece of jewelry to one lucky blogger.
But. . .you have to remember

that should you win, you must

then post your own, "pay-it-forward"

contest!

(Trust me I know how hard it can be to

come up with something, its taken me several

weeks, and my apologies to anyone who thought

they might get something custom-made by me.

I don't have those gifts or talents!) So, whoever

wins, you can give-away anything your heart

desires!!!!

(oh and for all you "blog-stalkers" you are welcome to join in on the fun too!)

Conversations with Betty. . . . . I was able to spend just a snippet of time with this dear lady tonight. The nursery was buzzing with bawling toddlers, mine included. We chatted back and forth a few minutes and then I asked her how she was doing. She said, "I am the happiest person on earth, my days just flow from one to another and I am just loving it!" She then says, "I need to ask your forgiveness." (I was shocked because I couldn't think of anything she had done) she goes on to explain, "last week when I hugged you I think I hugged you too tight!" oh this lady just is so precious. I told her that I loved her hugs and looked forward too them. Bless her heart. We then were interrupted by several toddlers crying at the top of their lungs! It was a crazy night I think every single toddler cried at some point over absolutely nothing in particular! I am thinking I am going to have to hook-up with Betty somewhere else so I can sit and really pick her brain!!!

a Brett-ism (mind you he is 18) . . . . .I made a "new" casserole for dinner tonight, I am just so tired of the same old same old. As I was dishing up our dinner Brett said, "why can't we just eat normal food instead of something you get out of a magazine?" to which I replied, "I didn't get this out of a magazine. . . . " he then said, "well off the internet then!" Ok, ya' got me! Then he says, with all seriousness, as he is looking at the meal, "it looks like CRAP!" and he asks his almost 17 yr. old brother if he thinks so too which, he replies, "yes but I'll still eat it!" Thank you Blake! so the verdict is out whether or not the "crap" is good. I'll have to let you know, but I will say one thing, they are all a bit tenative to eat it thanks to that great comment!!! (oh an add on here, Den was looking at the meal, after everyone ate, and said, "it does look like that fake throw-up pad I used to have!" oh my goodness it just keeps getting better and better! I can't help but laugh, I guess "jaws" will enjoy the meal tonight!!!!)

Just gotta love 'em!

I just had to share the beautiful card my husband made for me for Valentines Day yesterday. Not only did he create it he also wrote it. You will see just how beautiful his writing is.

(click on the picture to read the card)

Not only did he give me "thee most romatic card ever" he
dressed up in his tux and presented it to me and even had
two beautiful songs, set-up, so we could dance! It was beautiful.
Even though we've been married 30 years my husband still amazes
me with his gifts!
(a friend of our works at the copy place and when he brought the

card in she said, "another love letter!)

conversations with Betty. . . . . as usual Betty made her presence known in the nursery tonight. I so was looking forward to her visit, and kept watching the clock until church was over. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this woman, and truthfully I think she even likes me! (as I was getting ready to leave the nursery she said, "hey get over here and give me a hug. . . you can't leave with giving me a hug!" oh that touched my heart so!)anyways back to our conversation.

As always I asked her what she's been up too as it had been two weeks since I had seen her due to sick kids. She is still painting away, now she is texturizing her walls, and taking her sweet time, because you see she has all the time in the world to do whatever she wants and she loves it that way. She made a comment about the number of children I have and asked me if I liked staying at home. I told her that it was what I had dreamed of throughout my life, to be a wife and mom. She said that she only wanted that for herself too, and that she would have had more children, she had 4, had her husband not up and left her. I asked her if she had ever thought about remarrying. Here's what she said: "I never gave it a thought because I totally believed, in Scripture, that if you remarry while your husband/wife is still living you are committing adultery, so I choose to stay single. Oh I was lonely alright, at first, but then one day God gave me some truths to hang on too. He said that, I will never leave you nor forsake you, I will take care of you, I will keep you from being lonely." She rattled off scripture after scripture that God gave her about His care, His love, and His presense. Then she says, "God has never left me, not even once, He has always been there and He's all I need!" Honestly I think I need to figure out how to record, from my cell phone, so I can capture and remember exactly everything she shares. There are just so many nuggets of gold she gives with such passion and tenderness. Oh the excitment I get from her about pursing God for my own life. Never have I met anyone who loves God more and continually shows it. I work in the nursery with her friend and tonight she asked her if she wanted to go to Cracker Barrel after church for dinner. Dinner at 8:30??? Well Betty stays up until around 2 each night and sleeps until noon! She has breakfast at 1 and usually dinner at 10pm! She says, "I just love not having to schedule out my time, its just me and God all day". Having said that, someone else came into the nursery and the moment was lost with silly conversation. I was disappointed but then God knew just what I needed to glean from my short time with this wondeful woman.

We had the most amazing weather yesterday and I couldn't help but want to get my kiddos outside for some fresh air and sunshine, so we took off and walked the "riverwalk" downtown. It was beautiful and both Victoria and Colson had a blast. Colson enjoyed throwing rocks into the river. There were a few icy patches, but no snow. If felt so good to be outside, 61 degree temps, the sounds of the river and sunshine. When Brennan and Jacqueline got home the kids were able to all play out together, jumping on the tramp and taking a short walk. What a beautiful day.

Here are just a few of memories.

yeah for me I threw my first rock!
What little cuties! Colson is so protective of her!
I love it!

he's holding her hand so she won't fall!

how sweet! (she was a bit apprehensive to stand near the edge)

My how this guy has grown! I can't believe he's 7!

"Pay it forward"

I received these cute little "customized" note cards in the mail yesterday from, my sweet

blogger friend, Tracy. Now I must "go and do likewise" with something to all of you. I am not creative so I am searching the resesses of my brain to figure out something to offer you in this

sweet little give-away. Bear with me it may be a few days. I have been given the challenge and I will carry it out!

(I may have to talk to my, daughter-in-law, Amanda, she is the "queen of creativity")

Birthday Presents

Colson and Victoria received packages in the mail today from

Daniel and Elizabeth. They were so excited to open them and

even more excited at what they found. Their dear sweet sister

made them fleece blankets, and they absolutely LOVED them.

Perfect! especially since we just can't out of the "cold zone" here.

Colson enjoying his new sports fleece.
Victoria got two new dresses and of course
she had to do the "girl swirl".

little miss "fashion model"

and her cute new fleece! perfect colors, they

match her quilt on her bed!

Thanks Dan and Liz you made their day, you

made their birthdays. They both are sleeping

with them as I am typing this, and Jacqueline too!

Colson said,tonight, "I wish all of my brothers

and sisters lived close so we could be together,

especially on important occasions like birthdays!"

I'm with him!!!!!!!!!

(thank you for all your hard work on "all" the kids

blankets you've made they are treasured as much as

the quilts their grandma has made them)

Due to sickness. . . .there will be no Conversations with Betty tomorrow. I am so sad. I have missed her lively conversations. I wasn't able to attend church on Sunday so I didn't even get to catch a glimpse of her then. From what I hear many people are succumbing to this virus. It's awful and my sweet little missy still isn't feeling up-to-par. poor precious peanut! I am hoping and praying she feels a little more like herself Friday night as we are celebrating her and Colson's birthdays. Brennan is now sick with strep. He gets hit hard when he has it too. I am praying with all thats in me that the rest of us get a bye on the strep virus. I've had it once and I don't care to ever get it again.

Oh and another piece of awesome news is that I don't have to report for Jury duty tomorrow. WHEW!!! I had to phone in tonight and see if my letter group was called and as I waited with fingers crossed, mine and my kids, two other letter groups were called up. PTL I am so happy. I wasn't sure just how I was going to pull it off. Thank you Thank you Thank you Jesus! I did a quick little happy jig in my study!!!

Now I am off to the store to get juice for the sick ones, do some much needed reading for my 2 (ugg) classes, make a dessert for tomorrow and work on Mt. Everest in the basement (laundry). Ya' take one day off and ya' pay forever!

And hey. . . . .it's Wednesday night and we are half-way through the week!

My little missy got a birthday package in the mail today. She was so excited to open it and I made her wait just a moment while I ran to get my camera. We photographed her tearing open the package, and the joy on her face when she found a sweet gift inside. I had plans of uploading the pictures here so that the givers of the gift (her grandparents) could see her with their gift, but guess what??? My sweet little (terrible twos) 2 year old got ahold of my camera, mind you without my knowledge, and deleted all the memories (so sorry)! plus she has also added features to the screen that I have no clue what they mean. Now I have to get out the instruction book (which is an inch thick) and figure out just what they all mean and how to get rid of them. My oh My. . . the things she gets into. My son, David, said that we better not have any more kids because the next one would be a "genius". What a precious comment, one I will never forget. Truly its not that the younger kids are so smart its just that they live with alot more older ones in their world. Our older kids weren't blessed with that but they were blessed with amazing kids in our youth ministry that loved them and cared for them and treated them with great respect. It all works out, no matter the birth order, each one is blessed in their own ways.