Happy Birthday Cecilia:

My Dear CC, we love you so much!!! You are mommy's little helper and help with the babies. God has blessed our family with you. May you always grow close to Him and have Jesus as your very best friend!!! #10 Rocks!!!








THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

The love of reading:

We love to read around here...but, momma gets so tired and falls asleep when reading to the precious kids...especially when pregnant!!!

This perfect find at the library was just the right length and had great recipes in the back. Of course we called it Apple Farmer CC!!!

We read Apple Farmer Annie and made Applesauce Cake:

Applesauce Cake
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/2 teaspoon allspice (optional)
1 cup applesauce
2/3 cup raisins

*Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
*Add eggs and beat well.
*In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
*Add to creamed mixture alternately with applesauce, beating after each addition and blending well.
*Stir in raisins.
*Pour batter into 9-inch greased tube pan.
*Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until browned. (toothpick inserted into cake should come out clean.)
*Cool, then spread with Butter Frosting (see recipe below).

Butter Frosting (it did'nt need the frosting...but is sounds so good)
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk

*Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla extract.
*Add milk and stir well.
*The frosting should be smooth and easy to spread.

Glad to know we weren't the only ones who loved this book!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

LARGE FAMILY TUTORIAL: How to make sure no one eats your food:

My crazy five year old was trying to enjoy her pear.

Everyone kept trying to take a piece...

so she started screaming, "I got Diarrhea!!!"

BTW...SHE DOESN'T

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

My Baby girl is Five!!!

My Advent baby.

Wow, Cece...you are getting so big. You are becoming my little helper. You are my cleaning lady, so glad you are in our family always making us laugh with your silly shenanigans!!! You are a good big sister to your two baby brothers and our cuddle bug to everyone else.

God has great plans for you, my dear one...

EMBRACE THEM

and become the amazing young lady

He has created you to be!!!

WE LOVE YOU HUNTER/TINKER BELL!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Memorial Day:

What kind of kids am I raising?

Let me tell you a little story...
I married my high school sweetheart...
Was thrilled that I got pregnant on my honeymoon...
When my first born was six months old I got pregnant again...
Then by the grace of God the babies kept coming...
We had been researching homeschooling before we even got married...
Our kids never went to school...
The oldest three graduated as homeschoolers...
I nursed all until they were at least one...
We didn't own a TV for about 10 years...
We owned a Christian Bookstore for 10 years...
I thought I had done a pretty good job at raising them...
Than last night, I was doing laundry and saw this in my playroom:

What in the world?
My dear St Joseph and baby Jesus!!!
So, trying not to laugh...
I stomped into the kitchen where my three sons were and said, "who in the world did this?"
The cute little four year old girl smirked...
How could she?
I guess I need to work on my parenting some more!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 4 YEAR OLD!!!

my little diva

two Sharons

when you became a big sister

hugging your sweet Josh

the girls

the proud big sister again

More pictures here.

May God keep you close to Him always!!! Thanks for adding spice to our lives!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

HOW TO RAISE YOUR CHILDREN:

THIS IS MY FIVE YEAR OLD, PULLING THE THREE YEAR OLD, AND PUSHING THE TWO YEAR OLD.

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

Persevering through BEDTIME routines...

I am trying to persevere through this...I didn't realize how out of schedule the 5 and 3 year old have been.

Last night they loved reading the rules and doing them one by one...but when we got to #10-wow, be more specific mom!!!

1. GO POTTY
2. SHOWER/ BATH/WASH UP
3. BRUSH TEETH
4. PUT ON PJ'S
5. SAY PRAYERS (especially guardian angel prayer for no bad dreams)
6. READ BEDTIME STORY
7. GET IN BED
8. PUT ON TAPE OR LISTEN TO ODDESSY ON THE RADIO
9. READ QUIETLY
10 STAY IN BED!!!

"What happens if we come out?" "You will get in trouble and I will turn off the radio." "But, what if there is an emergency???" "The only reason you can come down stairs is if you are bleeding and the house on fire. If you have to go to the bathroom you may go. Now go to sleep."

So at 12:30 am I was awoken to two little girls sitting on the top of the stairs crying that it wasn't an emergency but the 3 year old couldn't sleep!!! I trudged my big fat pregnant self back down stairs into bed and tried to fall back asleep...just as I started to sleep I heard the 3 year old cry again...so I stomped in her room and told her I was going to take her toys out of her crib if she did not go to sleep!!! That seemed to do the trick, till around 3am when the 5 year old "said" she had a bad dream and hopped in bed with me...(hmmm, I forgot the bad dream scam) so we will try again, and again, and again!!!

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

We are going PUBLIC...

My husband and I went to public school all of our lives!!! Maybe that is why even before we got married, we decided to home school our kids!!! I have been a mom for over 19 years and it took my tenth child who has a speech problem to get us to SIGN ON with the school system...what a huge decision. I have never filled out so many papers and signed so many forms, we even need to get a vaccine we never did...(kinda creepy). Even for my kids in college. We have already been getting calls from the county computer letting us know of report cards coming home, testing for high school, wow...what a lot of stuff to do.


This morning I was a wreak. I was rushing around getting everything ready. Backpack, clothes, good breakfast, hair done...wow, I love homeschooling!!!



BREAKFAST...

SO EXCITED...RUNNING TO THE CAR!!!

IN FRONT OF SCHOOL...

PUTTING HER BAG ON THE COAT RACK...(picture of best friend behind her)

PLAYING WITH THE TOYS...

No picture of the 41 year old mom expecting her 12th kid who never had to take her kid to school before...about to cry...

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A LARGE FAMILY WHEN:

Your eleven year old son shares a room with the one year old and takes care of the him; way up in the other side of the house...and he shows up at your bed around 1am with the baby...you look at him and say it is 1am...like he has a watch on...you take the baby and put him back to sleep with a nice little cuddling rocking...

Your three year old calls your name at 1:38am to take her to the potty...and you got to wait for someone to get out of the bathroom!!!

Your five year old comes down an hour later...approx 2:30am to tell you that the three year old had a bad dream and wants you again...you just got your pregnant self comfy from the last wake up...and you tell the five year old to let the three year old sleep with her!!! (thank God for siblings)

All in a nights work...

THY WILL BE DONE!!! +JMJ+

my three year old can tell time now!!!

"Mom, the clock says it is candy time!!!"

Nice try!!!
Thy will be done!!! +JMJ+

BUDDIES...

Here is a picture of my oldest daughter and her first buddy:

The only way we can survive in this house is with the buddy system!!! Our kids each have buddies!!! The bigger buddy helps the little buddy get in their car seat, tie shoes, put laundry away, help with school work, cut food, make their lunch, etc...what ever I am unable to do at the time.

Then the two of them got her. This is a picture of our sweet "hunter" using her "buddies" very expensive makeup...that is really not on the job discription for a buddy.

Thy will be done!!! +JMJ+

Happy Birthday Cecilia!!!

To our dear feisty Cece!!! Oh how we love you and how you keep us on our toes!!! I know God has a special plan for you!!! Stay close to Jesus and keep him as your best friend!!! ENJOY BEING 3!!!