Thank you, Becky!

I'm sure you all have noticed the new look on my blog here. Thanks go out to Becky Bilby. She has a little business that is raising money for the adoption of another child. They have 4 children, 3 boys and 1 hand-picked little girl. See my sidebar for a direct link to her webpage. She does headers, signatures, and other blog design. You'll be glad you check her out! I am very thankful for talented ladies like Becky!

Just around the house

Coming soon...blog changes. Woo hoo!

Today we are just hanging around the house. Celeste is a work and so is Daddy. I have been doing laundry (still!) and some light cleaning. I washed our sheets and put them back on the bed. Am I the only one that only has 1 set of sheets for our bed?!? It doesn't bother me, but just wondering... Grandpa will join us for a spaghetti dinner later. He is very lonely. Please pray for him. "God sets the lonely in families." Psalm 68:6

My cute kids

Celeste 17, Jamie 14, Dan 9, Max 7, Tommy 4, Eden 2, & Joshua 8 mos.

Sara

Sara Louise Watson Palmer

April 17, 1929 to December 21, 2008

Here is Sara with Richard. This picture was taken to honor their 50th wedding anniversary which occurred in 2004. Though we will miss her greatly, we know she is with Jesus.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Rev. 21:4

Due to special circumstances, I was not able to be there when Sara went to meet her Lord and Savior, Jesus. However, I was listening to the song "Come to Jesus" by Chris Rice at the exact moment. God was so good to give that to me and I want to share it with you. Please listen...

Duggars welcome baby #18!!

See the news here and here. The Duggar family also has their own website with more information on their family. I love the name Jordan!

A nice family I know from momys is expecting their 15th. The Jeub family has been on TLC in the Kids by the Dozen programs. www.jeubfamily.com You can check out their Christmas letter at their website.

I have a friend in MN, Beth, who should do a show, too! You can visit her webpage here.

It's large family day! Enjoy!

A fever "to go"

I am running a low temp today and feel cruddy. Some of that is a result of a problem I had last night due to a sick baby. Not. Much Sleep. I'm holding the puny feeling little guy right now. Tommy looks the worst. He's all red-eyed today. Jamie is still coughing. It's at least day 18 on that. He has midterm exams today, Thurs., and Fri.

Stu's mom moved out of the ICU, but progress is little right now. My prayer is that she would be able to come home to her new condo and be more comfy there.

Gotta go! Typing one-handed with whiny baby and need to make lunch for the kiddos.

My good friend, Tara

Tara is holding Anthony (3.5 months) and I'm holding Joshua (7.5 months)

Although Tara is 13 years my junior, I really love my friendship with her. She is a blessing to me and I thank God for the gift of her friendship!

Recents

On Sunday, our family television stopped working, but luckily Stu's dad had an extra one laying around. It can be a useful tool--especially when one wants to take a shower! Then, less than 24 hours later, my oven pooped out on me... I was making fish sticks for the kids for lunch. That's kind of hard to do when you open the door to cook them and it's cool as a cucumber! Luckily, we only needed a new baking element which was $40. Hubby picked one up. Yay! Celeste is having issues with one of her grades from college. We're trying to get that ironed out. Jamie has been sick with a cough and had a fever all weekend. He is a bit better with no fever, but Dan, Max, & Tommy now have fevers. Oh well! That's our week, so far! I know it will get better.

Also, Stu's mother, Sara, is still in ICU. She may move to Hospice soon. Please pray for her. Thank you!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thess. 5:16-18

A Commercial Crash

Well, wouldn't you know it, our family room television died today. I guess that's okay because it was given to us. You can bet we're not buying a new one. It's just a bummer. We'll take the small one from our bedroom and put it out there. I think my fil has one we can "borrow" for a time, too. Hey, it's self-preservation here. I use that TV to play Baby Mozart for Joshua every day so that I can take a shower...

Stu's mom is not doing well. Continue to pray for her and the family. Stuart and his father are really having a hard time with her decline in health. God is sovereign!

Uh oh, I hear my baby crying, so I have to go!

Plea for Prayer

Grandpa & Grandma at Eden's 1st bday in Sept. 2007
Grandma holds Joshua (July 2008)

Grandma visits Joshua when he is born on her 79th bday in April 2008!

I humbly ask you to pray for my mother-in-law, Sara. She has been in the ICU since last Monday, December 1st. She is suffering from a reaction to chemotherapy which mimics pneumonia. (This is simplified.) Pray that her lungs heal enough for her to be able to utilize home oxygen. Pray that her oxygen saturation levels would increase. Pray that depression would not overtake her. Pray for her mouth and nose to heal, so that she may be more comfortable. Pray for strength that she may walk again. She is a dear woman that our whole family loves. Please pray for her husband, Richard, of 54+ years. He needs rest and peace. Thank you!

AGCC Christmas Gala

Stuart & I at the party--we just celebrated our 11th Anniversary on Dec. 6th!
Me, Charity, & Teri--I liked this picture.

Celeste and Karyn before the party. They were real cute!

GATORS WIN!!!

GATORS WIN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP 31-20!!!!!

My little corner

My little corner of the world is a good place. It’s the place where Jesus has me right now. I see lots of little messes and messy faces. I see kids loaded in the car going lots of places. My little corner is up late and up early. Here, I am thankful. Thankful for such a large, wonderful family which I could have never imagined in a thousand lifetimes. Thankful for a dedicated husband who cares for us so deeply. Thankful for Josh’s baby toes, and Eden’s nose, Tommy’s smile, and Max’s freckles, Danny’s jokes, Jamie’s guitar music, and Celeste’s good company. Endless hours of laundry and dishes may be daunting, but get done with the many hands that make light work. My little corner of the world is a good place. It’s the place where Jesus has me. Right. Now.

Low Places

A "picture thought" I'm sharing with you...

Max feeding Joshua. He's a good big brother.

Being transparent...I'm feeling quite down right now. My life has many huge mountains and I can't see the other side at all. It's an effort to just get through the day. I'm trying to think on this verse today: "And those who know your name put their trust in you,for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:10

Thanksgiving Update

Joshua takes a nap on the couch with Max.
Joshua is sitting up quite well!

Tommy drew this picture and said, "Mommy look. It's my dancing boy." How cute!

Well, after a few hours in the kitchen sink, the turkey did thaw adequately. My cousin, Jeanne, helped me prepare it and it came out just right. Thanks, Jeanne!

It's a quiet weekend around here. We're hoping to put up some Christmas lights--probably tomorrow. We need the clips that attach them to the shingles. It seems they got thrown away last year. On our "date" tonight, I'm sure Stu and I will pick some up. Jamie comes home tomorrow. He was missed by all! Currently, the two youngest are napping. Yay! I'm doing laundry and a some light cleaning. I signed up for twitter. Look for updates in my sidebar. It seemed interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try!

Joshua 6 1/2 months old
Eden, 2 years old

Thanksgiving musings

Okay, so hey, it's Thanksgiving on Thursday. I have only had it at my house once (in 1993) and I didn't cook the turkey. So we embark on the adventure that is preparing a turkey. My Dad calls me yesterday to remind me to put it in the fridge to thaw. Ok, that's done. But today it seems no more thawed than yesterday...mmm. Well, just have to watch and see what develops. I'm going to do green bean casserole, a potato casserole that Stu loves, rolls, and pumpkin pie. We have another family joining us and my cousin is supposed to come, too. It should be a nice little gathering.

I'm still worried about this turkey. Mom of 7 cooks turkey. You'd think I would know how to do these things. Time to visit the allrecipes site and check out what to do!

I have a new love...caffeine. Never really thought that much about it before. I'm really liking McDonald's sweet tea. I get to have one every now and then. And Celeste treated me to Starbucks today. That mocha truffle espresso was REALLY good. I don't own a coffee maker, but I could see the benefit to it. I swore off caffeine in 2003 when I was taking more care with my health. I don't see it as a good thing, BUT I sure do have more energy when I consume it! Not a down side to that proposition!

This Week

My girls--Celeste, 17, and Eden, 2.
All of my cowboys--Max, Tommy, Dan.

Celeste & Jamie

Little Mr. Mischief

Joshua cut his 2nd tooth (bottom front left) and started crawling for real. He turned 7 months old this week! I can't believe how big he is already! He is pulling up on things, too! The problem is his poor balance. Many crashes later, he still hasn't learned his lesson. Joshua is consuming 4 jars of baby food a day and 5-6 bottles. My prediction: another Max. My pantry shudders in anticipation...

I had a wonderful visit with a good friend, Katrine. She is 5 great boys ages 9-2. My boys really had a blast running around her 2 acres outside and I enjoyed "adult time." (Although we were interrupted on many occasions!)

Jamie flew to St. Louis today by himself. He is spending the week with his Dad. I'm sure he will have a super good time. Celeste is working like crazy. She has 2 exams and 2 papers due on Monday for classes, so there won't be much social time. She's a bit stressed out. Please pray for her. She lost her glasses a week ago. We thought they would turn up, but haven't. New ones are not in the budget, so I'm just praying they'll magically appear. She wears contacts, but can't wear them ALL day. I'm not sure what we'll do... Pray God would provide an answer.

Joshua Eats

Joshua started eating solid food yesterday. He's been taking 7 bottles a day and waking a lot at night, so I just couldn't do it anymore. Check out his little blog. Celeste found a very pretty black dress for our church Christmas social for $40 today. It was fun to go shopping with her!

We're off to a ladies' meeting tonight and Jamie is cutting up some ham for our simple dinner. We're having Ham & Black-eyed peas. I get three cans of the peas, 1 circular thing of ham diced, and 2 1/2 cups of rice and mix them together in a pot on the stove on warm. We're just having broccoli with it, too! The kids love it. I put a little ketchup on mine :).

A tooth

Joshua cut his 1st tooth yesterday! He is 6 1/2 months old. He ties Dan (now 9) for being the earliest teether. I will start with baby food soon. He is consuming lots of bottles right now, so I'm thinking growth spurt. Also, he has been horribly constipated (sorry if that's TMI) since going on Good Start formula. I have been giving him a bit of diluted apple juice to help with the problem. Hopefully, that will improve.

I'm not going to say much about the election. What do you expect when the government is training the minds of tomorrow?!? See this article.

Arachniphobia

My son, Jamie (14), made this spider cake in his culinary class at high school. His group of 5 students made it early in the week last week. All the students from the culinary classes judged the cakes and this spider cake won. It's really cool! (Then they ate it!) Jamie came home with his first report card today from high school--5 A's and 1 C+ in honors geometry. Great job, Jamie!

Homeschooling is going better than expected. Life is busy. Right now Celeste is at work at the local grocery, we've got Eden in bed, the boys are getting ready for bed, and Stu is rocking the baby. There's also loads of laundry going. I'll be folding while I watch 17 Kids and Counting tonight!

Useful Educational Tool

Recently, I purchased the Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD for my 4 year old son, Tommy. He has had a hard time learning his alphabet. At first, he wasn't that excited to watch it, but now he is even asking for it. The exciting thing is that he is really learning his letters now! We are also using Rod & Staff's Early Learning Workbooks. I highly recommend the Letter Factory and these workbooks for your little one. Tommy loves to color and the workbooks have a lot of that. I find that Tommy needs more review with each letter and number, so I make my own worksheets for this. Gluing beans to each letter is a fun little activity Tommy likes. If you have an Aquadoodle mat you can practice writing letters over and over. I hope this is helpful to someone! I wish I had had this video with my older kiddos.

Picture thoughts

Max is without front teeth as of yesterday!

Eden discovered swinging this week...

Yesterday...

Yesterday began like "one of those days." I got out of bed because I could hear Eden "singing" on the monitor. Joshua was still asleep in his crib in our room. I get to the kids' hallway and I smell the lovely odor of pee. Tommy comes out and says, "Mommy, I'm really sweaty." "Son," I say, "that's not sweat." By the time I get him in the shower, strip the bed, and get the laundry started, Eden is screaming she wants out of her crib, Joshua woke up and was crying for a bottle. I am glad today was better. Celeste watched the younger set and I had a quick lunch with Stuart. Just us.

On a good note, gas here is down to $2.42/gallon! I was able to fill up my Suburban ALL THE WAY for the 1st time in at least a year and a half!!! (I have a 44 gallon gas tank. It's a '99 and in 2000 Chevy reduced the tanks to 32 gallons.)

A glimpse of home

Here are a few pictures from around the house from now...midnight. I didn't clean up...but it actually doesn't look that bad.

This is our homeschool room. It seems the table is always cluttered which doesn't leave much room for actually getting work done there!
This is my family room. I feel like I live in a daycare...haha! Joshua sure does have lots of equipment. I nearly tripped over the exersaucer which was beneath my feet as I took this picture.

My sink area. Not too bad. I just need to load the dishwasher and it will be ship shape.

Okay, this is my side of the closet. 2/3 of the closet is unseen and a mess. (Not pointing fingers, but someone I share the room with is a packrat...) Keep in mind that more than 50% of these clothes are maternity or too small for me to wear!

Our fridge. Seems kind of bare for a family of 9. We just cleaned out all the leftovers for dinner tonight. We went through 3 bags of apples last week!

It's a Gator Holiday

I hear little ones in their cribs, so this has to be short...

Today is our local holiday. It is University of Fla's homecoming weekend, so the whole town is off today. (Well, all the schools are closed.) I have 2 kids off and we're taking a homeschooling break, too. Will we do anything special? I don't think so. There's a parade, but it's 100% chance of rain today--it was just raining a few minutes ago. Jamie is having a friend over and Celeste is babysitting this afternoon. I think I'll try to get caught up on the laundry and maybe clean up in a hot spot.

In other news, the political front is heating up. Please get out and vote on November 4th! You can bet I'll be voting. I'm not voting for someone who associates with known domestic terrorists and supports killing babies. Watch Fox news at night and see what's being reported.How can someone, in good conscience, elect a man that has such an obvious Muslim name after the 9/11 attacks? Also, he believes we should "spread the wealth." That's socialism. I think this nation has lost its mind. I am praying for the election. God is sovereign and He will allow what He will allow. In the meantime, my vote is for McCain/Palin.

Great Loss

Celeste and Jamie lost their Grandmother, Loray Dailey, yesterday. She was a wonderful lady and will be greatly missed. We know she is dancing with Jesus now! She was a wonderful mother-in-law when she was mine. Please cry out in prayer for peace and comfort for the Dailey family. Thank you.

Love.Life

Recently, my daughter came to me and expressed her desire to help the Pro-Life movement here in our community. Let's save God's precious little ones. Her goal is to raise awareness and garner support for our local organizations that help women make the choice of a lifetime. Here is a link to her intro web page. She named it Love.Life139. Those who are interested in contacting love.life in order to offer support, please see the email link at the website. If you live locally in the Gainesville area, I implore you to go to The Women's Resource Center website and make a donation. During these challenging economic times, they are in need of your support. No donation is too small. Go there and tell them Love.Life139 sent you!

Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Matthew 25:40

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139:13-16

Revelation

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Rev. 7:16-17

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Rev. 21:4

Two good songs that inspired me today: No More Pain by Point of Grace and Lean on Me by Kirk Franklin...

Fewer words

Me babywearing Joshua.
Josh peeks out of his sling.

It has been a busy week here. What week is not? There's been football games, church events, homeschooling, appointments, but best of all is a ladies' fun night tonight and I get to be with the big people. Yay! At times I just need a break. Tomorrow I'm going to do some scrapbooking, too. Life is...well, life--right now. Not too much I can say about that. Phil. 2:14 says, "Do all things without complaining or arguing..." That pretty much sums it up and it's what I'm trying to do. So, lately, I'm a woman of fewer words. Life is challenging. Thank goodness there's Jesus!

The week in pictures

Joshua, 5 months old
Nancy, holding Jamie's biggest fan...

Jamie at his recent NHS vs. PK football game.
Eden's all ready to cheer on the FL Gators!

Eden Is Two

My little girl turned 2 yesterday. I can't believe it has gone so fast! Right now she absolutely loves to color. She is talking more and more, but we can't always understand her. She seems to have her own cute little language. Eden is the sunshine in our lives right now--so cute!

Playdate

Here is a picture of Joshua and I at a recent play date with the Spring Peas baby group we participate in (when we can!). There were some really cute babies there today. Babies are so fun! Joshua is now 1 week shy of 5 months old. He rolls both ways and is grabbing his feet. He babbles and smiles wonderfully. The past 3 nights he has slept 11 hours!!! Weird, but I'm not complaining.

Tonight we went to Jamie's 2nd JV football game. He got to play and was put in 4 times in the 4th quarter. He has been practicing hard and despite some ankle and knee discomfort, he is pushing forward. I am proud of all of the hard work he's been doing. We need to feed that kid so that he bulks up! Here he is in the middle...

This is me cleaning up after dinner. Celeste suggested a fish face. Just a little fun!

Monday

For Today:

Outside my window... A sticky, hot Florida day begins. Lots of sunshine. No hurricane.

I am thinking... I just want to get through today. The boys are very crazy this morning.

I am thankful for... the fact that we are all healthy. We have no viruses, etc., but please do pray for Celeste. Her hair is thinning from being on methotrexate, she is very tired, and she is having some swelling and pain in some joints in her left hand. Also, I am thankful for my home.

From the kitchen... As usual, I fly by the seat of my pants. I think we're having sandwiches tonight. I need to plan the rest of the week--in my spare time!

I am going... to pick up Celeste from college today, then off to the grocery, and I have a request to stop by the library. On Tuesday, I have a ladies' meeting with some new friends I met at baby group when I had Joshua. Also, Jamie has a football game on Thursday night.

I am wearing... still in pj's--tshirt and shorts. Need to get that shower! (At least we got Bible in.)

I am hoping... my husband can find a good job that will support our family until the real estate market comes back.

Around the house... the grass got butchered yesterday. Our lawnmower is broken, so we borrowed a riding one from Stu's parents. It didn't work well, either. So we have a half cut, crazy looking lawn. Kids are watching Sesame Street while they wait for me. They just unloaded the dishwasher. Laundry is piling up... I want to mop the kitchen this week. I need help because I'm so achy all the time.

A picture thought I am sharing...

Max, Tommy, and Dan in the backyard--by Celeste.

Fay

The hazards of living in Florida... Tropical Storm Fay is brewing over us. She is marching very slowly across the state and will pass directly overhead during the night hours. We have been waiting for this thing all week. It's about time! Jamie was out of school today and he will be tomorrow, too. (They use the schools for shelters, if needed--for those of you not living in hurricane land.) Too bad I'm not in college anymore...I could have a hurricane party, or in this case, a tropical storm party, ha ha! We'll have to play games tonight and I'll get to snuggle with my hubby. We're not going out. Having Cheesy Rigatoni for dinner. YUM! Check my recipe blog for that recipe. It's our favorite. See you on the "other" side of the storm.

"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock." Matthew 7:25

Joshua 4 months old

Joshua Ezekiel turned 4 months old last Sunday

15 pounds, 10 ounces (75%)

25.5 inches (60%)

Joshua rolls over, grabs his feet and everything, sleeps through the night, and loves his nuk!

School Days

Jamie started high school on Monday... That was an interesting day for me. I watched him get on a school bus for the first time EVER to go to school. (The bus picks up at the end of our driveway--how convenient. He is the last stop to get on and the first stop dropped off, too!) There is SO much preparation and paper to sign, etc. I have spent the past two evenings just working with him on his syllabuses and organizing. We went to buy shoes, shorts, shirts for PE last night and couldn't find anything. He wears a size 12 men's shoe and he is 14!!! It's crazy. We'll have to go somewhere else this evening. Also, he still needs school supplies. With everything I think it will run around $200. Please pray the Lord will provide for these expenses. Things are VERY tight. Jamie has signed up for JV football. I feel like I will never see him. That I've lost him to the "world." I didn't have this with his big sister. Even though she's taking college classes, she is still very active with the family. Jamie will be busy with school, homework, and athletics. It's just weird for us. Pray for my mommy heart on this... That's all I know to say.

I'm still alive over here--buried under several children, but still kicking! Since the big kids returned I have been here, there, and everywhere. I really forgot how much they drive our schedule. The school year gets kicked off next week with Jamie starting at the local high school. Orientation tomorrow night--I'm a nervous mama, but praying I'm overreacting to the whole transition. Celeste begins at the college the following week. She's excited about her senior year and I am, too. We're going to Sarasota for the weekend--Celeste, Karyn (Lest's best bud), and I. I'm going to be doing some planning for the home school year and the girls will hit the beach. Pray for good weather. I know it will be so weird to be without all the littles. Stu is even keeping the baby. That will be hard for me... I hope to post a few pics of our trip, so stay posted. We're staying with my parents and they're always fun!

Psalm 100

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations."

(ESV translation)

New tutu

Been busy over here! (Of course, what else with 7 kids---well, 5 right now.) Celeste and Jamie are due back on Saturday night, yippeee! I can't wait! I haven't seen Jamie in about 8 weeks and Celeste in 5 weeks. I am hoping to go to the airport, but we'll have to see if we can work something out. We are in need of a van for our family--12 passenger or 15. I'd like a Ford b/c I like the lines. I've been praying that God would make it possible somehow. We have a 1999 suburban that seats 8 and is in great shape. I lurve it! But there isn't enough room for everyone... I've been wanting to visit Val in Orlando and Saturday would be perfect. Let's see, I'm hoping to have some ads going on my site soon. I've joined some groups on yahoo in order to get affordable clothing. I love Gymboree and Hanna Anderrson! Eden got a new tutu. Picture above. Too cute. Thanks ebay and Christy!

A great giveaway!

Robin is giving away a $50 gift card to Amazon....go sign up for that too!

Blog Give Away

***The Winner is Chrissy. Congratulations new Momma!!***

I am participating in Bloggy Giveaways. I am giving away some Mary Kay products--Velocity Facial Cleanser and Lightweight moisturizer along with Ultimate Mascara in black. I am hoping this will bless someone who has a teen or has some young skin (not me anymore!). Please leave a comment and tell me about your favorite new product or something you have discovered recently. Make sure you leave a link to your page so that I can contact you! **Drawing ends midnight August 1, 2008.**

Oh, I forgot!

Celeste and Eli, Models
Karyn, Alli, & Celeste
The group all together
A little fun...

Yes, being in the hospital during Celeste's Prom made me forget to post some pictures. It was April 19th. Here they are, better late than never! (She went to a Prom with a local Christian school that invites homeschoolers.) Celeste's "date" is a friend of hers from church, Eli.