 This week started out so great. My husband and kids had Monday off for Martin Luther King day. Which meant extra family time. Then Monday night rolled around and things began to change. Matty was up most of the night. He was teething really bad and was really fussy. I don't know what is worse, not sleeping at all or sleeping in 10-20 increments. As soon as I would fall asleep, he would cry. And that lasted until Phill left for PT Tuesday morning. From around 6am on, Matty slept like a baby. Figures. He sleeps just in time for me to have to get up. Exhausted, I turn my alarm off and decide I'd rather sleep then go to PWOC. Usually, it's never a good choice for me, but at the time I was too tired to think straight. I got out of bed just in time to kiss Phill and the kids as they were walking out the door. Well, I felt a little better. After all, 3 hours sleep was better then nothing, or so I tried to convince myself. Since, my morning was not going how I had planned, I decided to take advantage of the time at home and call my sister. Now I really can't remember the last time I talked to her, before that moring, but it didn't matter. We probably picked up right where we had left off last time. A long conversation of boogers, poop, and politics...strange but I think I see a theme there! What else would 2 sisters who are both stay at home moms talk about? Only the most important things in our lives! After my time on the phone, things just went down hill from there. You know things are bad when you think "can things really get any worse?" And by the time you have that thought, you already have your answer, YES! I discovered that I had a pantry full of food and nothing actually went good together to make a meal. You probably all know the scene. Hot dogs, but no buns...spaghetti noodles but no sauce....lunch meat but no bread...and 2 cans of Navy beans, what the hec were they for? Anyway, after much thought I had no choice but to go to the commissary or have my family eat plain noodles with plain hot dogs and Navy beans! Yeah, that would NOT have gone over well! I began to get Matty and Micah ready to go, when I hear Adam yell "MOM,MOM!" WHAT, I yell back. "I can't find my other boot." After turning the house up side down looking for that infamous boot, I turn to Adam and say "Think Adam, where did you last have your boots?" He thought about it then replied, "It's in the car." Okay, GREAT! I go out to the suburban and turned it upside. Nothing! I go back inside and asked Adam again about the boot. Then he clarifies, that it is in the van... and of course, Phill has the van. So, I call Phill to see if I can stop by his work and get Adam's boot out of the van. No such luck, Phill was at a range in some far off place, so I would have to figure something else out. I decided he was just going to have to wear a pair of shoes and hope for the best in the snow. Wouldn't you know it a few moments later, he comes out of the closet wearing his old "Woody" boots. I asked him "why didn't you say you had those before?" His response "Mommy you never asked." Of course I didn't. Sometimes I feel like I'm my very own nemesis! So, finally we were ready to go to the store. We were all in the car and I realize I forgot my cell phone. I'm sure most people would of skipped the phone, after all the work it took to get that far, but not me. I have separation anxiety when my kids are at school and that phone is the only link I have to them(but that's another story!)...so, I go back inside the house to get my phone. I go to the counter where my phone always is and it wasn't there. Usually, that would have shocked me, but the way that day was going nothing was going to shock me. So, I go hunting around the house for my phone. I go into the playroom and there on the floor in pieces was my phone. REALLY?! I picked it up to put it back together and realized it was wet. HOW?! I go out to the car and asked "What happened to Mommy's phone?" Adam said "Micah took it apart and then he put the battery in my cup." I wish I could say he was severely reprimanded for his actions but I just didn't have the energy and anyway, how do you talk common sense to a 2 year old? I'm sure his actions made sense to him! Fortunately, I dried the phone and pressed the "on" button and it turned on, but I do have to smack it around sometimes to get it to work. Oh well, I guess this is part of the price you pay when you have kids! After the phone incident, I finally did get to the store and made it back home. At that time I thought, finally things are going to start to go better. But wouldn't you know they didn't. After I put all the groceries away and put Matty down for his nap I took advantage of a quiet moment and decided to clean the bathrooms. As I was just finishing up the last bathroom, I looked down at my watch to check the time and the hands weren't moving. NO, I thought to myself, not my brand new watch! I wish I could say my watch fared as well as my phone, but it didn't. My watch was done for! Later that evening after the kids were in bed, I began to tell Phill all about my bad day, but before I even got to the part about how the new watch he just bought me had bit the dust, I notice that one of the prongs on my engagement ring was broken. "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING, I yelled. I then showed Phill the ring and told him I was going to bed before anything else happened. Now most of my days are not like that one. It seems to me that, most of my days are pretty good, everything considered. But when I have a bad day, it's a really, really bad day. You know the old saying "when it rains, it pours"? Well that pretty much sums up my bad days. At the time I felt like crying, but now I find it quite humorous. After all, those are the days I will never forget. One day when my kids all grown and gone, I will cherish the memory of days like that! |
Our "quiver full" bunch!
Friday, January 21, 2011
"When it Rains, it Pours!"
Saturday, January 1, 2011
SAYING GOOD-BYE TO 2010 IN THE "LAST FRONTIER"!
As another year slips away, I'm surprised how far we have come this past year. And I'm not just talking about distance either. Our family has had so many awesome changes this past year, and I'm kind of hoping that God has a little less changes for us this coming year!
At this time last year, Phill and I were sitting at our computer looking at a far off land that we would soon be calling "home." While Phill was bursting with excitement with the idea of living in the one of the coldest, darkest places in the world, I was praying "God this can't possibly be what you have in store for me!" As I continued reading the vivid descriptions of the "Last Frontier", I became more and more certain, that I would never be able to live in such a terrible place; moose, wolves, bears, darkness, snow and cold! I remember reading an article entitled "Alaska, A Nature Lover's Paradise". I HATE nature, animals, snow and anything labeled as "scenic"!( it's just a glorified word for "cliffs", which with 7 little kids terrifies me.)
As, much as I argued with God about this journey, I'm so thankful that the Lord knows what's better for my family then I do and He doesn't let my stubbornness get in the way of his amazing works!
While I still prefer the sun and the heat of the desert, I'm surviving the dark, cold, wilderness. And hopefully, in awhile I'll not only be surviving but thriving . If that happens, it will be by God's grace, because nothing about Alaska appeals to me. God has always been faithful to change me when I fall short. Even though the process of adapting to this kind of atmosphere has been quite painful for me, I know it is what God desires of me and His desires are aways for the best.
2010 has been a "we did it" kind of year. In April we introduced our 7th baby to the family, our son Matty. Never did I imagine I would of been blessed with so many children, but God knew and He chose the perfect kids to put into our family. 5 weeks after Matty was born we started our journey to Alaska. After, 4400 miles, and 11 days, we arrived at Fort Richardson only to spend the next 4 weeks living in post lodging. The trip was long and difficult. There were times during our trip that I thought "there is no way we are going to make it!" There were times when I thought for sure the kids were going to kill each other in the backseat and even one moment when I thought of leaving a couple of them on the side of the road, lol! But, at the same time we created some of the GREATEST memories ever! Our faith in the Lord deepened, and we became stronger as a family and as a married couple. God blessed us with an awesome house and the kids got settled into school and Phill into work. And God provided me with wonderful ladies at PWOC to fellowship with. God is GOOD!
We have been able to have lots of family time since we arrived here. For which I'm so grateful. For Christmas, Phill took 2 weeks of leave and we actually stayed home and celebrated Christmas alone. I miss extended family very much, but it was wonderful to spend good quality time together and for the kids to spend time alone with Phill. We went to the movies, sledding, played in the snow and lots of other fun activities! And now I'm saddened that on Monday it will all be over.
Now that 2010 has come to a close, I can look back at even the terrible moments and see God's incredible work at hand . He has always been faithful to take care of us every step of the way. I know that all the changes and frustration we went through this past year was preparation for things to come. With Phill's up coming deployment, being a single parent household again and the starting of our homeschooling, I know our hearts, spirits, and faith are prepared for what lies ahead of us in 2011. I pray all of our friends and family have a wonderful year with many blessings from or Lord! Happy New Year from the "Last Frontier"!
At this time last year, Phill and I were sitting at our computer looking at a far off land that we would soon be calling "home." While Phill was bursting with excitement with the idea of living in the one of the coldest, darkest places in the world, I was praying "God this can't possibly be what you have in store for me!" As I continued reading the vivid descriptions of the "Last Frontier", I became more and more certain, that I would never be able to live in such a terrible place; moose, wolves, bears, darkness, snow and cold! I remember reading an article entitled "Alaska, A Nature Lover's Paradise". I HATE nature, animals, snow and anything labeled as "scenic"!( it's just a glorified word for "cliffs", which with 7 little kids terrifies me.)
As, much as I argued with God about this journey, I'm so thankful that the Lord knows what's better for my family then I do and He doesn't let my stubbornness get in the way of his amazing works!
While I still prefer the sun and the heat of the desert, I'm surviving the dark, cold, wilderness. And hopefully, in awhile I'll not only be surviving but thriving . If that happens, it will be by God's grace, because nothing about Alaska appeals to me. God has always been faithful to change me when I fall short. Even though the process of adapting to this kind of atmosphere has been quite painful for me, I know it is what God desires of me and His desires are aways for the best.
2010 has been a "we did it" kind of year. In April we introduced our 7th baby to the family, our son Matty. Never did I imagine I would of been blessed with so many children, but God knew and He chose the perfect kids to put into our family. 5 weeks after Matty was born we started our journey to Alaska. After, 4400 miles, and 11 days, we arrived at Fort Richardson only to spend the next 4 weeks living in post lodging. The trip was long and difficult. There were times during our trip that I thought "there is no way we are going to make it!" There were times when I thought for sure the kids were going to kill each other in the backseat and even one moment when I thought of leaving a couple of them on the side of the road, lol! But, at the same time we created some of the GREATEST memories ever! Our faith in the Lord deepened, and we became stronger as a family and as a married couple. God blessed us with an awesome house and the kids got settled into school and Phill into work. And God provided me with wonderful ladies at PWOC to fellowship with. God is GOOD!
Now that 2010 has come to a close, I can look back at even the terrible moments and see God's incredible work at hand . He has always been faithful to take care of us every step of the way. I know that all the changes and frustration we went through this past year was preparation for things to come. With Phill's up coming deployment, being a single parent household again and the starting of our homeschooling, I know our hearts, spirits, and faith are prepared for what lies ahead of us in 2011. I pray all of our friends and family have a wonderful year with many blessings from or Lord! Happy New Year from the "Last Frontier"!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Curiousity WILL Kill A House!!!
A comment I hear quite often is "how do you handle so many kids, I can barely handle my 2 or 3?" Well, 3 is hard if they are ganging up on you. Anytime mom and dad are out numbered it is challenging. I'm no child expert and I don't have a degree from some fancy college, or any college for that matter. I'm not giving any advice or telling anyone how to parent. We parent by "trial and error" and have found what works one day for one child may not work for another child on any day. Phill and I have learned to adapt quickly, and laugh when needed! This is just a glimse of how we handle things and what works for us and to give everyone a good laugh! Life in our house can be extremely funny, that's what happens when a bunch of nutty people live under one roof!
My kids are "surprise attackers". That is their strategy in a nutshell. As soon as I turn my back they leap into action. A phone call, a diaper change, going to the bathroom or heaven forbid I try and take a shower, something catastrophic is sure to happen! They know the only way to get away with something is to catch me off guard when I'm busy.
EXAMPLE: Our bathroom sinks have these decorative fake drawers. It looks like a drawer but they don't open. My kids have probably asked about 100 times since we moved in "mom why won't this draw open?'" Which I then have to explain again, that they DON'T open. Well, this past Saturday, I was busy nursing Matty when I heard screaming from the kids bathroom, MOM, MOM, MOM!! I go running up the stairs thinking someone is probably bleeding on the floor. I walk in and wouldn't you know, someone had ripped that fake drawer piece of wood right off of the sink cabinet.
My first thought, HOW? Immediately I ask, "who did that?" And I got the typical response, a thousand figures pointing at each other. They all blamed each other, figures. That's one of the benefits of having so many siblings, there is always someone else to blame it on, and my kids know that! So, I tried the whole "good cop, bad cop" thing. I tried to get one of them to rat each other out, but had no luck. I couldn't get any of them nark on the guilty party. They out number me, but I can still out smart them. With the amount of force and strength it would have taken to break that piece of wood, I would have to say it was a collaborated effort. They were all guilty!
I use to get really mad when I knew my kids would purposely break things. But the truth was, I had 6 wild BOYS and unrealistic expectations. So, over the years I have learned to except the fact that I will never understand "why" they do things, but to be more positive, to find the good out of everything. After all, all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, right?! It's just stuff anyway and they are curious, I just pray their curiousity doesn't hurt anyone! This time I just had to laugh, and breath a sigh of relief. Well, at least now they will stop asking," why won't this drawer open?"!!!
My kids are "surprise attackers". That is their strategy in a nutshell. As soon as I turn my back they leap into action. A phone call, a diaper change, going to the bathroom or heaven forbid I try and take a shower, something catastrophic is sure to happen! They know the only way to get away with something is to catch me off guard when I'm busy.
EXAMPLE: Our bathroom sinks have these decorative fake drawers. It looks like a drawer but they don't open. My kids have probably asked about 100 times since we moved in "mom why won't this draw open?'" Which I then have to explain again, that they DON'T open. Well, this past Saturday, I was busy nursing Matty when I heard screaming from the kids bathroom, MOM, MOM, MOM!! I go running up the stairs thinking someone is probably bleeding on the floor. I walk in and wouldn't you know, someone had ripped that fake drawer piece of wood right off of the sink cabinet.
My first thought, HOW? Immediately I ask, "who did that?" And I got the typical response, a thousand figures pointing at each other. They all blamed each other, figures. That's one of the benefits of having so many siblings, there is always someone else to blame it on, and my kids know that! So, I tried the whole "good cop, bad cop" thing. I tried to get one of them to rat each other out, but had no luck. I couldn't get any of them nark on the guilty party. They out number me, but I can still out smart them. With the amount of force and strength it would have taken to break that piece of wood, I would have to say it was a collaborated effort. They were all guilty!
I use to get really mad when I knew my kids would purposely break things. But the truth was, I had 6 wild BOYS and unrealistic expectations. So, over the years I have learned to except the fact that I will never understand "why" they do things, but to be more positive, to find the good out of everything. After all, all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, right?! It's just stuff anyway and they are curious, I just pray their curiousity doesn't hurt anyone! This time I just had to laugh, and breath a sigh of relief. Well, at least now they will stop asking," why won't this drawer open?"!!!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
SCHOOL YEARS
I am noah and I am 7. I play outside. I went to school for four years at four different schools because we keep moving.I don't like moving. I like staying in hotels when we travel.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
That's Army Life!
A few months ago, I got into a little discussion with my sister, which started to turn into an agrument, on facebook, no less. Anyway, I don't remember everything that was said, but I do remember at one point telling her "we just don't know each other very well anymore." She in turn said "People know you as well as you let them and you know me pretty well." I have been thinking about what she said a lot lately. I think she is right. My extended family doesn't know me very well. I havn't been doing a very good job of staying in touch.
I remember growing up very close to my siblings. Didn't have much of a choice, my sister and I had to share like everything. I hated it at the time, but some of my fondest memories are of my sister Katie and I, usually fighting, but I woundn't have changed any of it. I was even close to many of my cousins. We had sleep-overs, went swimming, made up dance routines, even went to school together, and yes got in trouble together. Growing up I had always planned on my kids playing with and being good friends with their cousins, but God had other plans for me and my family. 7 kids, and 5 moves in 9 years has changed everything about who I use to be, but definatley for the better. The Lord has done a work in Phill and I that is nothing short of miraculous!
While I'm so thankful for my "military" famliy, I so hate to see my kids not even know who their extended family are. So, anyone that would like to get to know Phill and I and our "quiver full" bunch or just wants to see what "army" life is like with so many kids, please read. The kids will be taking turns writing about what is going on in each of their lives and I know they would love for people to write back.
Blessing to all,
Jen
I remember growing up very close to my siblings. Didn't have much of a choice, my sister and I had to share like everything. I hated it at the time, but some of my fondest memories are of my sister Katie and I, usually fighting, but I woundn't have changed any of it. I was even close to many of my cousins. We had sleep-overs, went swimming, made up dance routines, even went to school together, and yes got in trouble together. Growing up I had always planned on my kids playing with and being good friends with their cousins, but God had other plans for me and my family. 7 kids, and 5 moves in 9 years has changed everything about who I use to be, but definatley for the better. The Lord has done a work in Phill and I that is nothing short of miraculous!
While I'm so thankful for my "military" famliy, I so hate to see my kids not even know who their extended family are. So, anyone that would like to get to know Phill and I and our "quiver full" bunch or just wants to see what "army" life is like with so many kids, please read. The kids will be taking turns writing about what is going on in each of their lives and I know they would love for people to write back.
Blessing to all,
Jen
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