Summer is....

Everyone is talking about Summer.  School is out for public schoolers and many homeschoolers.  Everyone is talking about plans... plans for vacations... plans for their schooling during Summer and in the Fall.  It seems there is so much to think about.  For us Summer is....

Going to be a time of slowing down a bit in some areas.  Our regular school plan will change.

My husband will be off work after next Tuesday, since he is a public school teacher. 

We are not planning a vacation this year; however, you never know when that might change.

My brother, his wife, and their daughter are moving bake to Texas this Summer.

I might rip out all the carpet in this house (my big fantasy).  The problem with this little fantasy is that there is only plywood underneath and since we want to try to pay off our mortgage within one year we don't want to spend money on flooring.  So, we have to decide if we can hold off until the mortgage is paid off or if we can find a cheap or temporary flooring solution.  I despise carpeted floors.  Upstairs we have some painted floors, but it looks "right" because it is a board floor.  If I had a faux flooring solution for plywood that would look nice I could live with that for a year.  That would allow us freedom to be messy with our artsy craftsy time.  After the mortgage is all gone bye-bye we could change if we wanted to hardwood floors. 

We will do some special schooling...  I am planning to use "Consider God's Creation" (Science) some.  I would also like to do some art curriculum that we have not been faithful to complete (or really even begin).  We will continue to keep math "fresh" for Sierra and read a lot.  Savannah will actually finish up her Grade 4 math and possibly begin her Grade 5 math.  She does not know it yet, but I have decided to detour that plan a bit, though.  I am awaiting the arrival of the first book in the Life of Fred series.  This Summer I am going to let her try that.  I originally thought it was just a supplemental thing for math, but have recently learned it can be a complete math curriculum.  I also hear that the kids who put up a fight to do math actually beg to do this... It's worth a try!  Sewing is top on the list to do with my older ones.  There should be no excuse to not have time since my hubby will be off and there are no scheduled vacations. 

And if it will ever rain I would love to focus some more on growing veggies!

Oh yeah.... we HAVE to build a chicken coop.

And we will be selling seven baby bunnies. 

And I would like to have some lazy days like this little momma (Sahara) and her babies.

A Boring Life

Please keep in mind this post is intended to be comical...to some degree.  ;)

I was just thinking yesterday that I would really like for life to be a little more on the boring side.  Lately, it has just been a little too exciting around here.  Now, of course, some of the exciting things like our precious little baby girl have been wonderful.  Other things have been a little exasperating.  In the first five weeks of that little baby girl's life we had three viruses run through this house and I got all of them, also.  As if it was not difficult enough to heal from a c-section... and the infection I had at the incision site... and the anemia that I developed.  And there are those moments like when I was in the hospital and my husband tells me he is going out of town in three weeks for the whole weekend.... and it so happens that that is when one of the viruses hit our home.  The night before he left Sahara was throwing up all night.  I was planning to do as little as possible and had set a very low expectation as not to become overwhelmed.  I was just going to do the basics and leave all the major chores until after the weekend, but all that throwing up left me with several loads of laundry that just would not wait.  Then, there were the twenty plus baby rabbits that had to be sold.  As we are trying to form a routine with the new baby and continuing schooling the phone was constantly ringing and people coming over to buy rabbits.  Oh it was pretty exciting!  It was fun, though!  And my older two girls really handled the rabbit sales and did a great job caring for the rabbits.  And they learned a lot about money management and commerce. 

Well, I could go on..... and on... and on.  I'll just end with a couple more, though.  Three mornings ago I was lying in bed and heard Caden crying out.  I thought he was having a bad dream and I did not run to him right away.  Within moments Sahara began screaming.  By this time they were both screaming and came running into my bedroom.... Caden was covered in blood!  A nosebleed.... a really bad nosebleed!  Imagine he wakes up bleeding and starts screaming, which awakens Sahara.  That poor baby awakened to the sight of her brother screaming and covered in blood.  It is quite funny looking back, but at the time we were all horrified.... and it made for another load of laundry, also! 

Yesterday, we had a busy day taking Sienna to the doctor and we had a homeschool co-op field trip to Gator Country (popular for the Gator 911 TV show).  We had a great time and returned home.  Savannah ran out to the back of our house to the rabbits and chickens.  She came running in the house very quickly with blood pouring from her foot!  She said she stepped on a stick and sure enough she held out her sandal and there was a stick still stuck up through the bottom!  That stick had punctured right into her foot.  Ouch!  It was in that moment that I looked at them all and thought, "I am ready for some boredom!"  After bandaging her up and cleaning up the blood, she hobbled around on crutches the rest of the day.  I am hoping she can get around today without those today. 

And that doctor's appointment for Sienna was to check some knots that I found on the back of her head.  I thought they were some sort of cysts.  We have been very concerned about those over the last week or so.  I am very happy to say that the doctor said they were just swollen lymph nodes.  I had no idea that there were lymph in the back of the head.  Even after having five children it seems there is always much more to learn.  And I am thankful for all my "reasons" to not have a boring life!  It would be nice if there was a little less bleeding around here, though...

Sunday Ponderings While Enjoying The Breeze

We have had some odd weather, so I am sitting outside enjoying a very sunny, breezy day.  No, I am not sweating even though I am in Sooutheast Texas.  Sienna is laying on me taking a nap cuddled close to my chest.  Cody just rocked Sahara to sleep after she pleaded (and won) her binky.  The older three kids are playing in the backyard in the new above ground pool (half filled) we bought and playing on their playground with their new (and only) neighbor child.  And I want to freeze time.....   So, I sit here with my thoughts.....

Life really is a matter of perspective and perspective is constantly changing.  Right now everything is great.  In an hour I could be fully stressed.  We have to focus on focusing on the "great".  Yes, "focus on focusing".  I love that it is Sunday and I am doing what I should be doing.... not working... resting.... somewhat resting.  Of course, there is always work to be done and some will get done, but my focus right now is resting.... rocking my precious baby... watching my precious children... enjoying the breeze. 

My mind goes quickly to the goals I want to reach... the list I ponder making, yet stop myself from.  It is a time to enjoy and not quickly lose by getting wrapped up in thoughts of "doing". 

I ponder this adorable bundle in my arms and wonder how God could possibly see me as fit to rear her.  As she lies in my arms dreaming and grinning I am truly overwhelmed with her perfect love.... or rather God's perfect love through her to share with me.  This week I am fully aware that she is not truly mine, but merely on loan to me from her Creator.  I am honored to be the only one that was chosen for this duty.  I pray that God will allow me to share her for many, many years to come.  I want to grow old rocking HER babies one day. 

And my thoughts wander back to a couple of weeks ago... We really have very little "control".  Danger is all around us and we can't save our children from it all.  Specifically, Caden shattered a glass top end table, but only suffered a couple of minor cuts.  From where I was sitting I could only see him fall, see glass flying, and hear the crash followed by Caden screaming.  I truly lost it.  I thought my baby boy was severely hurt.  I screamed something like, "My baby, my baby...." as I scrambled with Sienna asleep in my arms to get to him.  After an hour or so we had all calmed down and gotten the cuts doctored and the glass cleaned away.  But that moment confirmed what I have always known.  We can't truly protect them.  And they are merely on loan to us.  So, I want to freeze time.  I want to watch them fly down the slide... splash in the water... chase their siblings and their only neighbor child around the yard.... grin mischieviously.... and all the things they do.  Oh yeah, and cuddle this sleeping baby... listen to her squeak, sigh, coo.... watch her wiggle and grin.... feel her breathe... and breathe her in. 

It amazes me how love increases.  I find that holding and loving Sienna reminds me of loving all my others.  Amazingly, my love for her increases my love for each of them.  She reminds me to love them more.