The Clydes

Musings....

2010-03-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had to take Owen to the chiropractor at 6:00 p.m. We grabbed some apples, bananas, and clementines, our LSU popcorn bucket to collect peels and cores, and loaded up the truck.

It was a beautiful evening. The sky was blue, and it was in the low 60's. I turned on the book on CD we were listening to - Indian in the Cupboard - and off we went. The kids were quiet, intently listening, and I was enjoying the peace. For about two minutes. Then Luke said, "I'm hot! Can you turn on the A/C?!"

Our truck was parked in the garage all day, it was about 62 degrees out with a nice wind, but Luke is "hot." Since it's finally started warming up here in Louisiana, the kids frequently tell me in the truck that they're hot and they want the A/C on. But then within ten minutes someone else is cold and they want it off. But someone else is still hot.

Which got me to thinking last night about spoiled American children. Yes, I did just go from A/C to spoiled American children. Do my children really have to always be at the right temperature? Can they not feel hot for a good while, or cold? Or thirsty, or hungry? My children (well, mostly Owen) get particularly annoyed when they tell me they're hungry, and I come back with, "Good! It's good to feel hunger! Most of the world's children are hungry because they get only one meal a day!" I honestly don't think they even know what it's like to be hungry. I'll bet they've never had a hunger pain, even for a moment.

I know you're going to think I'm somewhat cruel, but each day I purposefully try to make something "unfair" happen in their lives, deny them something they want, or hold off what they want

My educational consultant, Carole Joy Seid, once said, only half-joking, "The poorer you are, the better off your children will turn out character-wise." Now obviously we're not talking about the "we don't have running water or food" type of poor. I'm talking about the "I can't afford to keep up with the Joneses" type of poor. The longer I'm in this world, the more I think she's on to something.

I love to people watch, and it's interesting seeing the kind of teenagers that we're raising today. (and I'm talking here in general - certainly I've seen many, many amazing teenagers, mostly being raised by close friends :) They seem to lack humility, respect for elders/authority, graciousness, integrity, and ultimately really have NO fear of God. Instead they have this attitude of self-entitlement, pride, lack of hard work ethic. These teenagers will eventually enter our workforce and turn into what my husband has to deal with on a weekly basis in the form of consultants. I'm amazed at the stories he tells me of consultants he hires that won't stay at a particular hotel because they're too good for it, or walking off a consulting gig and hopping on a plane back home because a job was too stressful and not telling him or the client - nobody can get ahold of him for hours and hours.

Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.... We only get ONE shot at this job called parenting. It scares me to death sometimes, frankly. I want so much for my children, but at the same time I want them to have so little materially. I want them to be content with a simple life and be grateful for the few things they have. But most important to me is I want them to love God and walk with Him daily. I want them to be world-changers for Him. I could care less if they do well in calculus. What does it gain the world if they go far beyond E equals MC squared but think they're better than everyone else? What if they become the President of the United States but stain the Office with lies and deceit and immorality?

I don't have any answers whatsoever. I'm just praying my kids won't need psychotherapy when they grow up because I wouldn't buy them cereal or Wii. Lord help me....

Leaving a Legacy...

2010-02-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

Last week I attended the visitation of the Grandfather of one of my best friends. He had been suffering from the after-effects of strokes for a few years, so although his death wasn't completely unexpected, it was still heart-breaking. He was 81 years old, and he had been married 64 years. Yes, no typo there - 64 years. He left behind his wife, three sons, one foster son, nineteen grandchildren, and twenty-one great-grandchildren.

I had never met him before, but heard neat stories about him over the years, as well as about Grandmother. From what I heard, Grandfather was a man who loved God, loved his family dearly (he was known to mention the phrase "family, family, family" when uttering the importance of his family), and also was a passionate voice for the unborn. It was very clear that his whole family adored him and he was highly respected at home and in his community.

And Grandmother... I could not even do her justice to describe her because I'm one of the least articulate people I know, but let's just say that she is the epitomy of servanthood. She took care of Grandfather with the most loving heart while he was ill, it makes me cry just to think about it. In an age when we're pushing people into nursing homes (yes, I know sometimes it is absolutely necessary) she steadfastly and faithfully took care of her "Valentine" without so much as a sigh of complaint.

So, thinking about these two precious people has brought me to think more about my own legacy and what I will be remembered for. If I was to die tomorrow, what will be on the forefront of my children's minds? What will they say about me at my funeral?

And, five minutes after I die, what will I wish I had given away? Missionary C.T. Studd said, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."

I'm 38 years old right now and been blessed with excellent health. Looking back, how have I spent this time that God has gifted me? What have I given my children thus far that counts towards eternity? What have I built into them? What risks do I wish I had taken? Have I given my all? John Wesley said, "I judge all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity."

I want to die to self more and more and more. I don't want to make a decision based on if it's an inconvenience anymore, or if it's going to cut into my "me time." And I want to look at everything that God providentially places before me as an opportunity. I want to serve with my whole self, with a spirit of gratefulness, just like Grandmother.

But I cannot do this without Christ of course. He is the only one who can transform my pitiful attitudes and sense of entitlement that I sometimes possess. The longer I walk on this earth, the more I realize that I desperately need Jesus. No matter how many books I read about being a good wife and parenting (and I've read a lot of them), they will not transform me into who I need to be - only God's Word and His spirit residing in me will.

I often wonder why/how certain attitudes have formed in me and in my generation of women. For instance, beliefs such as "I must have 'me' time." Or "I deserve" to have such-and-such. Or why we all feel we need huge houses and tons of clothes. Or why we spend so much time entertaining ourselves. We've been studying the 1800's in homeschooling this year, and women's attitudes were much different back then. They were much more resilliant and..... they just did what needed to be done and seemed to not complain, and they lived under the harshest of circumstances.

Anyway, that subject will be for another post. :) I'll just leave you with an encouragement to think about what legacy you're leaving your family and friends, and have a vision and a plan for either changing that legacy or adding something even greater!

This is for Steffany

2009-11-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

My friend Steffany wanted me to post something, so here's something... :)

We've been in Louisiana one month now, renting from Jimmy's sister until we find an acreage. We decided to move to Louisiana on September 27th, and we pulled out of our driveway eleven days later. Eight days after arriving we went to Houston and Austin for a week to see friends and family, and for Jimmy to compete in the 1/2 Iron Man.

Now I feel like we're settling in. My range of emotions over the move have finally settled, and (ah-hemm) I actually like it here. I don't feel like a stranger in a foreign land anymore. The first week, I have to admit, it was quite a culture shock to me. And I don't exactly know why. I mean, I had been to Louisiana many times before - it's not like we moved to China.

I guess it was the little things. For instance, there's no hiding that I'm a "granola." And... well, there's nothing granola about Louisiana. It's very hard to find raw milk, food co-ops, local grassfed meats. Even the grocery stores here (except for Whole Foods, of course) have a very limited selection of "natural" foods. Scan the butter aisle, and 95 percent of it is margarine and spreads (blecht!). Pure maple syrup, again, 95 percent of the syrups on the shelf are corn syrup and other junk flavored with maple.

So.... who cares, right? Yes, who cares. Must I have raw milk to make me happy? I found out that, unfortunately, yes, I do. Embarassing to say. I stumbled across this quote from John Piper the other day that I love: "Woe to us if we get our satisfaction from the food in the kitchen and the TV in the den and the sex in the bedroom with an occasional tribute to the cement blocks in the basement!"

I want all my satisfaction (peace) and joy to come from the Lord, not from where we live or what I feed my family. I sing "You Are My All In All" with tears running down my face in church. But I'm finding out that it's not really true in my heart. He is my All In All IF... I'm living in the mountains, getting grassfed raw milk, experiencing four seasons, eating local vegetables and fruits from the farmer's market... take it a bit deeper... if my husband is appreciating me, if my birthmom is staying out of trouble, if my kids are healthy, if my friends are not experiencing hardship, if we can adopt again...

The Lord is teaching me a lot in this season of life we're in. First and foremost that He is my Jehovah Jireh - He will provide everything I need. He knows exactly what I need. And let me tell ya, it's not mountains. I need massive heart surgery to splice out the ugliness of all my wants and desires that have nothing to do with Him. I need GOD, folks. That's all I need.

I got a lot of "bad" advice about picking up and moving to Louisiana. Friends would say to me, "Well, what about your dreams? You want to stay in the mountains, so why does Jimmy have the say-so?!"

Jimmy didn't say to me, "Donna, we're moving to Louisiana." It was a decision we mutually arrived at. Would I choose Louisiana out of all the states to live in? No. But I couldn't find anywhere in the Bible that said, "My plans for you are to live anywhere you want. I want you to derive your happiness from the mountains and the food you eat. Your happiness is all I want, m'dear."

Friends, it's not about being submissive to my husband. Although that's important, it's ultimately about trusting God. And God called our family here through a variety of circumstances. I'll admit, I went with a very reluctant heart at times, but I knew deep down that this is where He wanted us. One huge thing that made me a very willing follower was that I've always wanted a hobby farm with a cow, chickens, turkeys, huge garden, fruit trees, et cetera, and I really couldn't do that in Colorado. Having mild winters will enable me to garden year-round and to have many more animals than I'd be able to in Colorado.

God is my Jehovah Jireh. He will provide exactly what I need, when I need it, for His timing is perfect. And it will be for His glory, not my happiness.

The other night I was grocery shopping by myself at night, and two different men at different times said to me, "Hey lady, how you doin?" It really made me smile - people truly are soooooo warm here. And there's so much color! In Park County, Colorado, I really do believe Eli was the only African-American child residing there. And he needs to see diversity in his life. And I've realized I do, too.

The kids and I watched a fabulous movie this afternoon called The Red Pony. The father is from the San Jose area and has always felt like a stranger on their ranch in the West - he says everybody in their town calls him Mr. Tiflin, instead of just Fred, even though he's been there for years. He goes back to San Jose to "find what he wants." When he comes home, however, he makes a great discovery. He said, "It's not where you are that makes you a stranger. It's where you think you're a stranger that makes you one."

So, I was all over the place with this post. And that's all I could pull out of my sleep-deprived self at the moment. But just wanted everybody to know that we're alive and well here, and that Louisiana is really, really growing on this granola girl. :)

For All Three Of You Who Read Our Blog.... An Update

2009-03-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

Happy 11th Anniversary To Us!

I haven't posted since Christmas time! Yikes! I guess nothing exciting has been happening around here. Well, except Jimmy and I celebrated our anniversary today. No trip to Mexico this year. We hung out at Barnes & Noble in Denver (and I walked out the door empty-handed, which is a miracle in itself) and used our two free coupons to Sweet Tomatoes for a delicious dinner where we had uninterrupted conversation! It was quite a relaxing day.

We're still planning on moving to Louisiana once our house here in Colorado sells. We've had two couples that seemed very interested, but we haven't received any offers yet. In the meantime we're casually looking at acreages in the Baton Rouge area where we could have a small hobby farm. I know it will be a TON of work, but I'm so looking forward to getting all my beef, chicken, turkey, pork, milk, eggs, and vegetables from our own land!

Owen is thriving in the homeschool environment. The only difficulty we're having is I just can't keep up with him. Studies that I've scheduled to take the whole week, Owen is devouring in one day. He loves to learn. Surprisingly one of his favorite things to study is composers! He also loves history.

Eli is full of energy and fun and growing like a weed. He's almost as tall as Owen and very, very fast! I think he's going to be a track star someday. He loves playing Legos with Owen and is learning to build very complex things that he dowloads from the Lego site.

Scout is pure sugar. She is so affectionate and sweet and loves to make new friends. She adores our neighbor Mrs. Mobley and always gives her hugs and kisses after our visits to her home. She also loves to be read to for hours.

Riley is growing like a weed as well - everyone thinks she's six years old, and she's four. She also is very affectionate and loves to cuddle with Mommy and Daddy.

Luke is thriving on his new gluten-free diet. He's been a new child since converting and he's talking up a storm! He gives us lots of laughs with the things he comes up with.

Carson is doing great and loves to taunt Luke. Actually they like to taunt each other. They got in their first "argument" last week while riding in our truck. They were arguing about who was going to ride on Daddy's back when we got home and went hiking. It was quite hilarious.

Jimmy is keeping busy with work, which we're sooooo thankful for. We feel so blessed to have him working from home so much!

I guess that's the update for now. I'll try to post some recent pics of the kids soon!

The Day After....

2008-12-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. Jimmy carries out most of our traditions, so all I have to do is buy the kids their presents. It was surprisingly easy this year - each child gets two presents, and I bought them all on the Internet. I try to avoid malls and useless "stuff" out there being pandered to my kids, so I was in heaven being able to do it all from home.

Jimmy read a book called Jotham's Journey every evening to the kids during Advent, and they all loved it. He also continued the yearly tradition of making Christmas tree ornaments with them (while I napped :), despite my telling him that we'll soon run out of room on the tree at this rate. I made homemade egg nog a few times, homemade cocoa, and let them watch a few of the old clay animation Christmas shows. Then, on Christmas Eve, we all watched The Nativity Story.

Christmas morning they got to open their stockings (which contained a box of cereal, a chocolate bar, two mini M&M packages, a little mint, and one small toy) and then I let them have cereal for breakfast (gluten-free of course!). Let me just say that their love for cereal outweighs anything short of a Lego product. Wow.

Giving Back

We struggle with the hyper-consumerism of Christmas and the problem that kids tend to see it as the "gimme" season. So, we try our best to think of ways to thwart it. World Vision puts out a great catalogue every year with things to buy for families in Africa. This year, we went over the options with the kids. They pooled their money together and picked out a goat and two chickens.

After they opened presents Christmas morning, we rushed out the door and drove to Denver. Another family we know has been visiting a..... shall I say very cheap motel in East Denver every year and they let us join in. We knocked on all the doors and invited everyone to a Christmas meal in the parking lot. We served up turkey, stuffing, gravy, bread, and sweets. We also got to hand out lots of presents to the kids there. I don't think any of the families at that motel were planning on celebrating Christmas, sadly.

It was such a blessing to be able to do this and the kids loved it. It is enlightening for them to be able to see families who are living on the edge of poverty. Finding these serving opportunities is important in teaching our children about real joy, being content with what they have, etc. Joy is not the next "gift," "thing," "toy" that we want - joy is inside- and once we accept Christ as our Savior, joy is a choice.

We try our best to not spoil our children, but we definitely fail in this area a lot. About a year ago I served the kids leftovers, and they said, "We had this last night!" I realized right then and there that from that day forward they would have leftovers as much as I could possibly help it. They also have approximately two million Legos in their room right now, and they still always seem to want more! But, we're a work in progress...

I asked the children what their favorite part of Christmas was this year, and they said serving the poor people Christmas morning and getting to have cereal for breakfast. :) (I rarely buy cereal, and if I do it's only for a snack)

That was our day in a nutshell. I hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas!

Happy 4th Birthday, Riley Alexandra!

2008-12-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

What is it?!?

It's a Baby Alive Eli!!

No, it's a Baby Alive Leia!

And a coloring book from Riley's amazing birth mama!

And a card from her that Riley loved!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl. You are such a joy to our whole family!!!

Potty Training

2008-11-29T11:32:00.000-08:00

I've been potty training for about a month now. I've never potty trained before. I tried for a day when Owen turned two and decided it wasn't for me. So my four oldest have all potty trained themselves, all at different times (Owen at age 3; Eli at age 28 months; Scout at age 26 months; Riley at 34 months). I intend to write a book someday called "How to Not Potty Train Your Child and Be a Happy, Care-Free Mama," or I could do "How to Potty Train Your Child in Four Weeks." I'm sure that will be a big seller.

Anyway, yesterday I put away the twins' little portable plastic toilets so I wouldn't have to dump their "stuff" anymore. Now they have to go in the regular toilet. Well, this morning Scout informed me that Carson went pee-pee in her doll's toilet. This toilet is four inches across and the hole is about one and a half inches across. I don't know how she managed to sit on it, but she definitely missed.

Have YOU Been Educated?

2008-11-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

HAVE I BEEN EDUCATED?
by Carolyn Caines

If I learn my ABCs, can read 600 words per minute, and can write with perfect penmanship, but have not been shown how to communicate with the Designer of all language .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can deliver an eloquent speech and persuade you with my stunning logic, but have not been instructed in God's wisdom.... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I read Shakespeare and John Locke and can discuss their writings with keen insight, but have not read the greatest of all books -- the Bible -- and have no knowledge of its personal importance... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I have memorized addition facts, multiplication tables, and chemical formulas, but have never been disciplined to hide God's Word in my heart .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can explain the law of gravity and Einstein's theory of relativity, but have never been instructed in the unchangeable laws of the One Who orders our universe .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can classify animals by their family, genus and species, and can write a lengthy scientific paper that wins an award, but have not been introduced to the Maker's purpose for all creation, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can recite the Gettyburg Address and the Preamble to the Constitution, but have not been informed of the hand of God in the history of our country .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can play the piano, the violin, six other instruments, and can write music that moves men to tears, but have not been taught to listen to the Director of the universe and worship Him, ... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can run cross-country races, star in basketball and do 100 push-ups without stopping, but have never been shown how to bend my spirit to do God's will, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can identify a Picasso, describe the style of da Vinci, and even paint a portrait that earns an A+, but have not learned that all harmony and beauty comes from a relationship with God, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I were to graduate with a perfect 4.0 and am accepted at the best university with a full scholarship, but have not been guided into a career of God's choosing for me, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I become a good citizen, voting at each election and fighting for what is moral and right, but have not been told of (or believe) the sinfulness of man and his hopelessness without Christ,... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

However, if one day I see the world as God sees it, and come to know Him, Whom to know is life eternal, and glorify God by fulfilling His purpose for me, THEN I HAVE BEEN EDUCATED!

Homemade Stuff

2008-11-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

I've started making homemade soap, and I love it! This morning I took some older spearmint soap I made a few months ago and shredded it, and then I melted it in boiling distilled water to make liquid hand soap for our family. I hate all the junk they put in liquid soaps these days. Scout and I then made whipped body butter, with raw unrefined shea butter, jojobo oil, avocado oil, and orange essential oil. Our skin gets so dry up here, and it's much cheaper to buy in bulk and make it yourself. Next up on my list is a shampoo bar.

Happy 6th Birthday, Scouter!

2008-11-18T21:28:00.001-08:00

I can't believe Scout is already six years old! It's amazing how fast the children are growing. Scout has been such a joy to our family. She is kind, sweet, and generous, and her greatest quality is how much of a nurturer she is. It warms my heart to see how well she takes care of Luke and Carson. She's a huge help to me in taking care of our family.

We made gluten-free ice cream cupcakes and a regular gluten-free cake. The kids couldn't tell the difference from regular cake.

Riley likes to take big bites!

We bought Scout a Baby Alive that poops and pees. I had one when I was little that went pee-pee. She loved it. She's been doing most of the potty-training with the twins, so she's already a pro at it. This Baby Alive (she named her Ruby) will be trained by one of the best!

Hah-hah....

2008-11-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

I was trying to take some pictures of the kids today for our homestudy, and I was jumping around trying to get the twins to look at me and I fell. Eli found it quite amusing...

The Lukester

2008-11-02T13:40:00.001-08:00

On Friday we found out that Luke has celiac disease. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley.

I brought him into the doctor because he just didn't look as healthy as Carson. She has little fat rolls, and he is really skinny - you can see his ribs and sternum - but yet he has a distended belly. He only weighed in at 22 pounds and he's 25 months old. I wasn't too concerned with his actual weight since Jimmy and I were thin children, but it was the way he looked.

Anyway, that explains why he's been extremely irritable for over a year now. It was so draining on me that every morning before I got out of bed I would beg God to give me the grace and patience to get through the day with him. The five other children combined are easier than he is. Poor guy - the whole time I thought he was just a big ol' grump, he was actually not feeling well.

The doctor said we should have a new boy in three weeks, when all the gluten is out of his diet. Big changes around here, where we eat a lot of homemade bread, rolls, and tortillas. Apparently if I make homemade oatmeal/millet bread, I can't even grind the oat groats and millet into flour in the grinder I have because it will have gluten residue. It's kind of like the peanut allergy - the tiniest bit whacks their system out.

It's genetic, so all of us will get tested this week. Here's a picture of Luke that I took the day after diagnosis, hopefully to chronicle how he gains weight after I change his diet!

Fun Times

2008-10-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

Jimmy and I got to have a little weekend get-away and went to see our close friends Greg and Jill. We flew into Atlanta and then drove to Charleston, South Carolina to tour a little bit of the city, and then we drove to Columbia to see the Tigers play USC. We had a fabulous time and are hoping to make another trip with them next year!

The game was close till the end, but LSU ended up winning 24-17.

Bibs...

2008-10-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

I just love these new bibs I got for the twins. They have long sleeves, and the center part is "fuzzy" so food sticks to it. They're called Silly Billyz. I actually have never used bibs for the other four children, but I thought I better buy some since I've super-simplified the kids' wardrobes - five shirts and five pants. Now no matter how messy they get, everything is on the bibs and there's no need to change their clothes. (okay, those who know me well know that I would never change their clothes if they got dirty anyway, but I'm trying to improve on such things... :)

Niiiiice, Luke...

Back to business....

More Visitors

2008-10-05T20:28:00.001-07:00

My brother Kirk and his wife Jana came to visit us this past week from Iowa. We had a fantastic time with them. The kids really enjoyed wrestling around with Uncle Kirk and boxing Aunt Jana. (Jana actually probably has a couple of bruises from Eli's punching. Eli was bopping around the room saying, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!") The minute we dropped them off at the Denver airport the kids said, "We miss Uncle Kirk and Aunt Jana!" Hopefully they'll come back and visit us soon!

We went to Breckenridge and relaxed by this creek. Owen was the only one who went in. It was coooooold!

We had a nice, quiet lunch (not really) at a Mexican restaurant. The food was really delicious (mostly since Kirk paid for it).

We took them hiking up a hill behind our home, and they offered to carry Luke and Carson for us! HALLELUJAH! It was the best hike I've had in a long time. I didn't think Luke was going to go for it - he's pretty much a mama's boy - but he decided Uncle Kirk wasn't so bad after all!

Visitors

2008-09-19T14:29:00.001-07:00

This week my oldest brother Mark and one of his children, Oakley, came to visit us. They just left today and I was sad to see them leave! Oakley is eleven and was such a joy to have around. I've never met a child more polite! Next week my brother Kirk and his wife Jana will be visiting us for five days. We're all excited to have them stay with us as well.

How to avoid crying when chopping onions...

2008-09-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

a.) Have your daughter chop the onions
b.) Have her wear ski goggles

Works like a charm!

Luke and Carson Turned Two!

2008-09-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

We made a delicious ice cream pie - Oreo cookie crust with vanilla ice cream, topped with a chocolate sauce and whipping cream. It was yum-o-la.

Luke received a football and...

... a truck!

Carson received a drum and a doll.

"Gimme my dolly back!!" She loved the doll. She walked around the rest of the evening with it against her chest, caressing its head and patting its back. It was precious.

Random Post

2008-09-06T17:22:00.001-07:00

I decided to post some "not well-known" facts about Jimmy and I just for fun.

Donna:

1. When I was in junior high I bought a duck with my friend Kristin, and when I brought it home and realized it wouldn't follow me around, Kristin and I popped back on our bikes (me on the handle bars) and rode back to the mall and left it in the women's bathroom.

2. On the Myers-Briggs personality test I scored one point short of a "perfect" introvert.

3. I always thought if I never married I'd head to Africa and work in an orphanage my whole life.

4. I read one to two books a week.

5. I'd like to get a shirt that says, "Please don't talk to me" and wear it when I'm out and about with my children. It really drains me to have to converse with all the people that approach us to find out "our story." (I know it's ugly - I'm just telling you how I feel! :)

6. I'd also like to get a t-shirt that says, "YES, they're all mine. YES, I know how children are made. NO, I'm not crazy. YES, I'm glad it's me and not you too!"

7. I was so paranoid about my skinny legs in high school that I wore sweats under my jeans to look fatter.

8. I'm very black and white about issues, to a fault. My husband has to frequently point out "the other side."

9. I didn't really know who the Beatles, Johnny Cash, nor Leonard Skinner were until I met Jimmy. (still not too sure who Leonard Skinner is)

10. My all-time favorite movie is Rocky.

Jimmy:

1. He used to steal things from neighbors' garages when he was in junior high.

2. He ran the Houston Marathon in 2004.

3. He remembers every score from every LSU game played in the last 20 years but can't remember to put dishes in the dishwasher instead of the sink. (I know he'll claim here that he's just "soaking them." :)

4. His stepmother thought he was going to be gay when he grew up because of his mannerisms when he was five.

5. His Papa made him throw MoonPie wrappers out the window on the way home from fishing excursions.

6. He wanted to name our first daughter Beulah.

7. He never buys himself clothes - I have to notice he needs new things and buy them.

8. All his closest friends think he's cheap when in actuality he's extremely generous with his moola.

9. He once tried dating three girls at one time (two of which were in the same small group Bible study). He didn't try it again.

10. His favorite movie is Cool Hand Luke (Luke is named after Paul Newman's character -Lucas Jackson)

The boys' hike

2008-08-31T21:39:00.001-07:00

Donna mentioned that on Friday morning I left with our two oldest boys (Owen age 8 and Eli age 6) on an overnight hike/camping trip. We hiked 7 miles to camp overnight at a place called "Beartrack Lake."

Here's the trail me and the boys took as recorded by my GPS. Our trail path is shown in RED:

I marked our house location (bottom right), but we started at the "Trailhead: Rosalie/Tanglewood" marker (9300 ft) and crossed a ridge at 12,000 ft, and then proceeded on to the campsite which sat at about 11,200 ft.

Here's a 3-D view of the hiking trail, at least to the point where it disappears over the ridge. (Can you tell I'm digging this GPS thing?)

I can't believe the boys made it 14.25 miles roundtrip and without complaining (unlike Dad). Good job, guys!

College Game Day at the Clyde Household

2008-08-30T15:36:00.001-07:00

Luke's having a bad hair day. Actually he always has a bad hair day. Maybe that's why he's grumpy all the time?!

The guys...

2008-08-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

... are going camping tonight. They'll hike up to Mt. Rosalie, where they hiked a few weeks ago, but this time they'll stay overnight. I'm so envious of them! Jimmy's pack weighed 42 pounds - I have no idea how he'll carry it to 13,000 feet. He's a stud.

Footnote: The guys got back at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. According to Jimmy's GPS they had hiked 14.5 miles! I cannot believe the boys made it over 7 miles up the mountain. The trip went great except they didn't have enough food and water. And Jimmy lost five pounds!

My Hubby...

2008-08-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

... is amazing. Last year our heating bills were outrageous, so Jimmy wanted to install a woodburning stove in the basement where a gas stove had been. Does he call the experts? Nooooo! He just tackles it himself! There just isn't anything my husband can't do! (well, okay, he hasn't been able to keep our dog Sweetie from running off...)

The weather has been just amazing here. In the sixties, no humidity. The kids have been enjoying the evenings outside playing and helping daddy. Here's a few pics from tonight...

Daddy put "Xs" where Owen was to hammer a nail in.

Working hard!

Eli, Scout, and Riley hammering nails into a wood stump for over an hour. Since moving out here I've thought to myself hundreds of times, "Who needs toys?!" I love watching the kids use their creativity.

Cheese!

I love to see dirt on my kids' faces! And I'm not even going to give her a bath tonight! :)

She's hammering with a screwdriver, but she doesn't care!

Ames High Get-Together

2008-08-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I hosted a little reunion for classmates I graduated high school with in Ames, Iowa that now live in Colorado. Two of the classmates I actually have gone to school with since kindergarten! Six families were able to make it, and we had a great time reminiscing about old times and catching up. I just love my Iowa friends. It was such a pleasure to have them over. There's no false pretense and no trying to impress - everybody is as down to earth as can be.

Josh (the one in the hat) is just as hilarious and fun as he was in high school, and he decided that we should take "senior pictures" and pose in those wonderful poses they put you in. I never had senior pictures taken because my mom didn't have the money (I didn't really care anyway), so here was my chance! :)

Conversation in the truck the other day....

2008-08-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Scout: Mama, I want to adopt eight orphans, because I love orphans.
Mommy: Scout, that is wonderful. You're going to be an amazing mama someday.
Eli: (not to be outdone) I'm going to adopt nineteen orphans.
Owen: Eli, you have to get married before you adopt, you know.
Eli: No I don't!
Owen: Yes, you do! How are you going to take care of all those children by yourself?!
Eli: I'm just gonna change one diaper at a time.

Trout Fishing! (hey to Wade)

2008-08-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

I took Owen, Eli, and Scout up to a lake on Saturday.

(This is Jimmy, btw. I thought about writing in 3rd person, but then I would have sounded like a bad Seinfeld episode.... "Jimmy likes fishing. Jimmy doesn't like misunderstandings!")

This lake is called Jefferson Lake and it sits at 10,750 ft elevation. Here's a pic:

Someone told me it was beautiful and not well known. He was half right. It was busy this Saturday.

But, we hiked around the edge of it until I, using my extra special fish-finder abilities (hey to Wade again), found the right spot.

Here are some pics.

Scout pulled off the feat of catching both the smallest and largest trout.

Smallest.... (I called this the Wade Special!)

Largest.... (you guessed it, the Jimmy Special!)

Owen actually got the action started by landing a couple of nice rainbow trout including this one:

Then Eli hauled in this beauty. I'm not sure what prompted him to go Gangsta Style on the cap, but I digress....

It was an all-around great day for everyone, including Donna who got to take a long nap on a rainy Saturday afternoon. She even went so far as to suggest I take the kids fishing every Saturday.

My sweet girls...

2008-07-28T18:55:00.001-07:00

Scout and Riley love to give me massages! How blessed am I?! Owen took this picture after I just received a most relaxing back and arm massage from the girls. The past few days I've been sick and Scout and Riley gave me a foot and leg massage! Owen is not the touchy-feely type, but he did offer to read to me before bed since my head was aching and I couldn't read my own book. He read to me from a biography of Eric Liddell, and it's very interesting.

The kids and I are driving to Iowa tomorrow to visit my family for one to two weeks, and I'll be sans computer (yes!) so there won't be any posts until we get back!

Hiking

2008-07-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

Jimmy took the boys hiking on Saturday to Mt. Rosalie (elevation 13,570) and this time they took pictures! They left around 8:00 in the morning and arrived home about 5:00 p.m. I was hoping the boys would be wiped out when they got home and get to bed early, but only Jimmy was wiped out. :\ Here's a few of the pictures:

A Present-Day Hero

2008-07-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

I want to dedicate this post to a present-day Hero of mine, named Zandra.

Six years ago she decided to give our son, Elijah Thomas, life instead of killing him in her womb. Two and a half years later she made the same decision with our daughter, Riley Alexandra (middle name in honor of her).

Zandra wasn't blessed with the greatest of parents - in fact, she had a very rough life growing up. She started living on the streets in her teens and survived by numbing the pain with drugs and supporting her habit with prostitution.

Fast forward to June of 2002. When Eli arrived in our home as our foster child, I fell madly in love with him immediately. I felt incredibly honored and blessed to have him, but at the same time I felt a lot of sorrow for Zandra. I thought of how much her heart must ache to have this precious baby taken from her arms. That hour I decided that I would pray for Zandra frequently, and also seek her out and let her know that I loved her and that she did an amazing thing. I eventually did track her down and maintained frequent contact with her through a few dinners and phone calls.

September of 2007 Zandra gets arrested and is sentenced to four months in jail. We find out she's pregnant. We maintain contact with her while she's in jail.

December she gets released from jail. What now? Well, she did thee most incredible thing. She moved in with the father of her baby - which is way across town from her old stomping grounds - and she's never looked back. She hasn't touched drugs since September 2007 and she's raising the most beautiful little boy, Zechariah, and doing a fantastic job.

I think about Zandra a lot as I watch Eli and Riley grow up. I just have this deep, deep gratefulness and love towards her, and we're soooo glad she's in our lives now. We talk on the phone and receive notes from her, and she even sent Eli a birthday present this year.

Zandra, you are strong, courageous, brave, resilient, smart, witty, bold, loving, and just AMAZING to me, and I am so proud of you, and grateful to God that He allowed ME, of all people, to raise the babies YOU CHOSE LIFE FOR. You are my hero. The world will never be the same with Eli and Riley in it, because they are going to do mighty things for God. We love you!

Footnote: I did ask Zandra for permission to share her past on our blog and she said she was okay with it.

A Day at the Lake

2008-06-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend we were invited to go to our friends Rusty and Kim's lake "spot" and just hang out. They are members of a private lake and Kim has been going there since she was a few weeks old. They spend every single weekend there during the summer months. Our family had such an amazing time. The weather was perfect (not too hot!) and the kids just loved being in the water.

This is Rusty and Kim's "Hula Coupe."

The kids loved inner tubing. Even Riley did it!

My handsome hunk of a husband...

Carson our beer drinker. She also kept taking sips of my mojito. (sorry, Mimi...)

Lukie prefers water.

Owen and Eli learned to ski on this boom. Eli got up on his very first try! He's quite the athlete.

Missing the Kids (Sorta)

2008-06-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Jimmy here. I never seem to get to post, so while Donna is in the other room I'm going to sneak one in.

After some of the recent pics my lovely wife has posted of me on here, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites from our anniversary trip to Mexico a couple of weeks ago.

At one point Donna pulled out the camera and wanted me to take her picture to capture her sadness. Sad about what? Well, we'd been gone a couple of days and she was missing the kids. So we decided to catch the moment in pictures (sorta :-)....

Look what we woke up to this morning!

2008-06-24T06:25:00.001-07:00

Happy 6th Birthday, Elijah!

2008-06-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

We made a football cake together in the morning. He didn't want any frosting - just sprinkles and M&M's.

Our kids get to choose their favorite meal on their birthday (thanks, Danielle! :) and he chose, of course, beef hot dogs and chips.

Daddy is starting a trend - three pig tails for the girls.

Daddy bought Eli a guitar for his birthday. I cannot wait to hear all my guys pick'n away in the future!

Taking my load....

2008-06-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today we hiked to the neighbor's home to take care of their cat while they're on vacation. We just walk through the woods behind our home (which has some beautiful rock out-croppings) about a quarter of a mile, and there they are. Today the boys really wanted to carry the twins (25 lbs. each) and I didn't think they'd make it, but they did! Owen wants to do it more often so he'll be stronger for the all-day hike Daddy and him will make to Mt. Logan behind our home.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

2008-06-15T08:08:00.001-07:00

Owen: Happy Father's Day, Daddy! I think you're the best daddy in the whole wide world!
Eli: I love you so much, Daddy, that I will never forget you when I grow up! I'm glad you're so good and I'm glad you play with me and I'm glad that I love you and I'm glad that you got me when I was a little baby. And I love even you and me!
Scout: Daddy, I love you so much! I can't wait until you get home, because I love you so much!
Riley: Father's Day! I like tickles!
Luke: Eeeeee-awwwww!
Carson: Dah-dah!

Have a great time at the College World Series, Daddy! GO TIGERS!!!!!

My new necklace

2008-06-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

I'm a no-makeup-wearing, no jewelry-wearing type of gal (except for my wedding ring, of course). But when I saw that a fellow homeschooling mom could make me little tags with my children's names, I thought "I must have it!" I don't care for silver or gold chains, so I bought this leather rope-type necklace in Mexico. Isn't it neat?!

YES!

2008-06-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

We finally got to see a bear! Owen and I were playing chess this morning and Daddy called from the basement, "Is everyone inside? There's a huge bear outside!" So we all ran to the window to see, and it took off running. (isn't that cool, Andrea? ;) So here it is!

Crazy Kids

2008-06-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I set up a tent that our neighbors in Houston gave us so the kids could play in it. They asked Daddy if they could sleep in it that night, and surprisingly he said yes. They were thrilled. The only thing is, Daddy wasn't about to sacrifice sleep squished in a very small tent with three kids, or risk waking up with a sore back. And I didn't want to get eaten by mountain lions or bears. So.... they were on their own, and they were totally cool with it. Sweetie did sleep all night at the door of their tent, earning much-needed brownie points from Daddy.

This morning they woke up at the crack of dawn and ran inside full of excitement - they loved sleeping in the tent. They even seemed to be best buddies all day because of their bonding time. During breakfast Owen asked if they could sleep in the tent again tonight but deeper into our woods - not inside Sweetie's fence - and I said no, they needed to be inside her fence. To which he responded, "But Mommy, how in the world are we supposed to get accustomed to the wild if we have to sleep inside her fence?"

So it's 8:52 right now, and I just went and checked on them and they're having a ball. But it is cold right now - 48.2 degrees to be exact - and it's supposed to get down to 32 tonight! So I may go out there soon and make them come in. None of them have much blubber to keep them warm.

Ice Cream

2008-06-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

It's no secret to my closer friends that I have a great love for ice cream. I'm pretty much an ice cream snob - I'll only eat it if it's the best of the best and won't waste my time with the cheap stuff.

In Isle Mujeres one evening I was reading in bed and I was craving this homemade ice cream we had in town. Jimmy rode five miles on his bike to get me three scoops (chocolate, banana, and nutella) and then threw his bike in the back of a taxi and got a ride home so it wouldn't be melted when I got it. There was an ice cream place about a mile from our hotel, but he knew that that ice cream just wouldn't cut it. My man knows how to love me!

Anyway, back to the reason for my post. My kids love ice cream as well, but I like to make them healthier desserts (I'll die an early death, but they'll live a long, healthy life :) Yesterday me and the kids made vanilla ice cream that was sweetened with raw agave nectar, which has a very low glycemic index. We also used raw milk and raw cream, which is extremely healthy and doesn't make you fluffy. :)

So here it is. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup whole organic milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
½ cup raw blue agave nectar
Pinch of sea salt
2 large free-range egg yolks
2 cups heavy organic cream

Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Place the milk in a small saucepan with the vanilla bean, vanilla seeds, agave nectar, and salt. Heat over low heat until the mixture is hot. Lightly beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Add ¼ cup of the hot milk and whisk. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and place the saucepan in a bowl of ice water. Continue stirring to cool down the mixture. When the mixture is only slightly warm, stir in the cream. Remove the vanilla bean and discard. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until cold—several hours or overnight is best. Pour the mixture through a strainer into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Makes 1 quart.

* * *
p.s. We also used the old-fashioned type of ice cream maker where you use ice and salt instead of the newer versions where you put your ice cream mixture in a container that has been in the freezer overnight and then turn it on to churn in the frozen container. We've discovered those don't work as well - the ice cream isn't as thick when it's done.

Isle Mujeres

2008-06-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

We're back from our 10th anniversary celebration. We had an amazing time, but we're sooooo glad to be home. We missed the children tremendously!

Here's a few pictures from our trip:

This is the view from our hotel lobby. The little hut is the hotel's restaurant where we dined a few times.

This was down the road from our hotel. They had snorkeling and zip lines. We snorkeled off our hotel's pier (cuz this place cost $38 to snorkel) and we saw a sting ray, octopus, sea urchin, and lots and lots of beautiful fish.

Jimmy wore me out on our trip. The first day there we got on bikes and rode all the way to the other end of the island and back - ten miles round trip. All the other gringos rented golf carts, but Jimmy likes free bikes. :) The second day we went kayaking (way too far from shore for my comfort level) and my arms were so tired, Jimmy had to row us home. The third day we went snorkeling, which seems fairly innocuous, but for some reason I was very tired after we were finished. Probably because he kept pointing out sea creatures that could hurt me and I would swim away fast.

Thankfully we did a lot of my favorite thing to do, READ!

We saw many of these ugly things. I will state for the record that I will never move anywhere that has any of these lurking around.

We ate lunch one afternoon in town and these two guys appeared and starting playing their drums African-style and singing in Spanish. They sung a few songs and then asked very politely if anyone could spare any tips for them. I thought they were fabulous and gave them five dollars.

This is what Jimmy thought of them. He wanted to pay them to stop playing...

Heading to dinner on our last evening on the island.

The following pictures show part of the reason that Jimmy and I have such a wonderful marriage together - the guy makes me laugh all the time. Not just your regular 'ol laugh, but "my belly aches" kind of laugh. It makes the chaos that comes with raising six small children so much more fun!

Boulder Girls' Weekend

2008-05-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend one of my very best friends, Andrea, came to visit me! We had a little Girls' Weekend from Friday to Sunday in Boulder and I had the most fabulous time. I'd say the highlight of the weekend was uninterrupted conversation with Andrea while dining on exquisite cuisine. Yum-o-la. Everything from some rock'n biscuits and gravy to a hummus wrap with fresh carrot/celery/lime/blue algae juice to my multiple visits to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

A huge THANK YOU to our amazing husbands for letting us go! It was the first time Jimmy had all six children, and he even took them swimming at a local ranch with some families from our church! I was very impressed!
A few pics...

On our way to Boulder! Yahooooooo! (in my husband's 4x4 Dodge Ram 3/4 ton diesel truck... not the smoothest ride for such sophisticated girls like us... :\

Yum-o-la!

Look at that manicure!! Andrea found this place, and it was amazing. It had a big-screen TV, huge lounge chairs to relax in, and two huge jars of FREE plain and peanut M&Ms!! All to indulge while getting your nails done. Brilliant business idea, we both thought.

The biggest and best biscuit ever!

Ummm...

2008-05-26T20:31:00.001-07:00

Why does my husband insist on keeping clothes that are literally 20 years old? I am a minimalist and I'm continually trying to have less "stuff." I cleaned out a basement closet today and put all the stuff I wanted to get rid of on a table for Jimmy to go through. (which, btw, my former self would have just thrown it all away immediately hoping Jimmy would never notice, but I'm more enlightened thanks to my good friends the Joneses, who taught me by example that I need to respect my husband's "stuff"....) Anyway, he wanted to keep this "perfectly good" LSU sweatshirt that he's had FOR TWENTY YEARS. Is it just me, or am I the only one who thinks it just doesn't fit him anymore?

Preach it!

2008-05-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

Voddie Baucham is my ALL-TIME favorite pastor. He's an African-American pastor from Texas that has written a few great books, Family-Driven Faith being one of my favorites. I literally stomp my feet "in agreement" every time I hear him preach. He's absolutely amazing. He "talks the talk and walks the walk," and an extra bonus about him is he has adopted two children and most likely will adopt a few more. The percentage of African-Americans who adopt is quite small.

Anyway, he wrote this great post on his blog that I had to share.

Barack Obama: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Friday, April 18, 2008

Barack Obama is the most pro-abortion candidate ever to run for President. He could not even bring himself to vote for the Born Alive Infant Protection Act which would have protected children born in the process of an abortion. That’s right, Mr. Obama cannot even bring himself to support a plan that simply says to doctors, “If they slip past while you are trying to kill them, you have to let ‘em live.” With this vote, Obama was more pro-abortion than the radical abortion group NARAL.

I am absolutely amazed that at a time when Margaret Sanger’s Darwinian, Eugenics inspired dream of eliminating the poor, the lame, and the inferior races through targeted abortion is being propagated at record rates, black people still support the man who epitomizes her murderous philosophy. Black and hispanic women make up less than 13% of the population, but account for nearly half of all abortions. The overwhelming majority of Planned Parenthood’s abortion mills are located in minority neighborhoods. Abortion is absolutely racist. Yet most blacks have no problem supporting people like Mr. Obama who want to make sure that the killing doesn’t stop.

In his article, “Shepherds Leading the Sheep to Slaughter,” Rev. Clenard Childress notes:

“Here are the birth statistics for African-American babies in the City of Philadelphia just a couple a years ago: 10,880 born, 9,259 aborted. Nearly half or 46% of all babies in the City of Brotherly love were dismembered and brutally killed by means of abortion. Moreover, there are twenty-five other major urban cities in America that report having a higher abortion rate than live birth rate.”

This is absolutely astonishing! The only thing more astonishing is the fact that black clergymen in Philadelphia are supporting Mr. Obama. Then there is the consistent mantra from black supporters of America’s first bi-racial candidate... “I’m just happy to see a black man in this position.” Amazing! That’s like Hitler hiring a Jewish doctor (on his father’s side) to run the human experiments at Dachau and hearing the Jewish prisoners hail the fact that ‘one of their own’ has ascended to such great heights in the Nazi regime.

America is slaughtering children at a rate of about 3,600 per day. Unfortunately, a disproportionate number of those children look just like me. I was born to a single, teenaged black girl in South Central Los Angeles, CA in 1969. I shudder to think about the pressure my mother would have faced were she to find herself in that position in the current moral climate. Today people consistently make the argument that people in my mother’s position would do better to kill people like me before we’re born.

But what about cases of rape? Well, as the father of an adopted son whose biological mother was a rape victim, I say, he didn’t deserve to die either. I praise God his mother realized that he was an innocent party in a terrible tragedy. I am also honored to call him my son. Our second adopted son was born to a fourteen year-old middle school girl who also bucked the odds and gave her baby life.

So many people are more concerned about gas prices than they are about the greatest moral crisis of our day. I’m afraid we are going to get precisely the leadership we deserve. I was just in Munich, Germany where people are paying over $8.00 a gallon and still driving over 100 mph on the Autobahn. Ironically, gas doesn’t cost as much as bottled water, but we are more worried about paying a few bucks at the pump than we are about genocide right under our noses.

God help us! Or should I say, God Forgive Us!

VB

Take a few minutes to watch this...

2008-05-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

What we woke up to this morning.... (sigh)

2008-05-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

Mondays

2008-05-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been just sick at the rising cost of groceries to feed our family. I don't buy organic unless it's as cheap as conventional, but we do try to eat a "whole foods" diet. I would love to garden, but there's not much you can grow at 9200 feet and with the extremely short growing season. (even tomorrow, May 12, we're supposed to get a 6-12 inches of snow) I also want to get some chickens eventually, but that will have to wait.

Our most expensive foods are the five gallons of raw milk we buy from a local farm and the meat and eggs we buy locally - grassfed beef and completely free-range chickens - but I think they're definitely worth it for our long-term health. I also love supporting local farmers.

In an effort to lower the cost to feed our family, I asked my wonderful husband if it would be okay to have black beans and brown rice every Monday, and then have leftover beans and rice Tuesday as well but wrap it up in a now-homemade tortilla and bake it. He was all for it, thankfully, and it's one of my kids' favorite meals.

There's not much else as cheap as black beans and rice for dinner, especially when you buy it in huge bags. I bought a 25-pound bag of black beans for $25.00 and a 25-pound bag of long-grain brown rice for $24.00.

To feed our family of eight two dinners, we use about three cups of black beans and three cups of rice. That's one CHEAP meal, and also easy when all you have to do is throw the beans in the crockpot first thing in the morning. It would be even cheaper if Jimmy didn't request that I throw a few pieces of bacon in it! :) My kids have some Iowa in them and don't mind bland food.

Scouter

2008-05-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

Me and the kids went hiking today with our neighbors. We went down to the creek next to our property and hung out. Scout fell in the VERY cold creek trying to jump across. She was a trooper. She still hiked for another hour after falling in and never complained once. By the time we made it to our driveway, this is what she looked like - her pants were so wet they wouldn't stay up any longer. She found a huge bone in the woods - I have no idea what kind of animal it belongs to.

Eli never fails to entertain...

2008-05-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

Whole Wheat Tortillas

2008-05-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

We buy our whole wheat tortillas from a Columbian lady at the local farmers' market, and they are delicious. We go through them very quickly here, probably three bags a week - one bag for burrito night, one bag for egg/cheese/potato tacos, and the other bag Owen eats throughout the week just plain as a snack before bed.

They're $3.25 for a bag of eight 10-inch tortillas. Jimmy has mentioned a few times that he thinks that's expensive. I think it's a steal since they're not made with lard and they're fresh. I haven't compared the price to the yucky ones in the grocery store, though.

Well, today I decided to make homemade tortillas, so I ground up some wheat, mixed in some water, baking powder, salt, and olive oil, and then cooked them on a tortilla press, and they turned out great! They were super easy and very delicious. And of course dirt cheap. Jimmy's frugality has definitely been a "mother of invention" for me in the kitchen. Well, not mother of invention - more like mother of a larger baking repertoire.

The kids ate them plain faster than I could make them, but here's a picture of the few I had left:

My Kids Have the Coolest Daddy in the World

2008-05-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

Owen wanted Jimmy to make him a bow and arrow, so tonight after dinner they went off to the woods to get them some aspen branches, and wah-lah! He never ceases to amaze me...

Happy Birthday To Me!

2008-05-02T12:48:00.001-07:00

I had a fabulous birthday today! I'm not the type that makes a big deal on my own birthday (or others' birthdays, for that matter... :) or expects much, but I must say today was my best birthday yet! I got up at 6:00 a.m. when I heard the children, and Jimmy told me he was going to take care of them this morning, so I slept in till 7:45! Then as soon as I came out of our room they said Happy Birthday and presented me with some "cards" they had made. They got out the typing paper this morning and Owen wrote his own card for me, and Eli and Scout dictated to Daddy what they wanted their cards to say, and they were sooooo precious to me. I don't save much but I think I'll keep these.

Owen's card said: "Happy Birthday, Mommy! I love you sooooo much! Your a great Mommy! Bey. Love, Owen" (supposed to say bye) And in every O he put a smiley face.

Eli's 1st card said: "We hope you have a great birthday because this is your 2nd birthday in Colorado and we hope you love us for the rest of our lives. Eli."

Eli's 2nd card: "I love you very much and I'm glad you are my Mommy. I hope you and Daddy have a good time on your vacation even though I'm going to miss you. And I hope you love me a long time!"

Then he wrote a song for me: "I love you, Mommy, because it is her birthday today; I love you, Mommy, because she takes care of me; I know my love, it is so powerful. I know I love her to me!"

Scout's card: "Happy Birthday, Mommy! It is your 2nd Birthday in Colorado! And I hope you enjoy your birthday! Love, Scout."

Jimmy's card: "Honey, since I didn't make it to the store this week, this is your homemade birthday card. Happy Birthday! You're the best wife a guy could want and I can't wait for Mexico. I love you. Hubby."

I am soooooo blessed! So many kisses, so many hugs, and so many birthday cards. It just doesn't get much better than that.

After lunch I made chocolate chocolate chip cookies and blew out my candle! Of course I didn't get to taste my birthday cookies because I'm on a juice fast! Arrrggghhhh...

Bagels

2008-04-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

I decided to make whole wheat bagels tonight, and according to Jimmy, they're excellent! But I can't really trust Jimmy's taste buds right now as he's on this diet where he eats, like, two grams of turkey and a stalk of asparagus six times a day. So ANYTHING I've made lately that he takes one bite of to try, "SO GOOD! YOU COULD SELL THIS! I'M SERIOUS!" he says.

I'm on day three of a detox/fresh juice fast, so I haven't been taste-testing at all. I haven't done one since Owen was two, so it's a bit more difficult now that I have six mouths to cook for. And for some reason, even though I can only drink fresh juice, I've been wanting to bake like crazy - yesterday I made two batches of chocolate chocolate chip cookies for my neighbors, and today I made homemade chocolate chip granola bars and bagels. Jimmy is wondering why I'm torturing him so... :)

I'm not the smartest girl on the block....

2008-04-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

.... but how hard is it to make a zip-line and slide down it? We never got it to work.

For Below-Sea-Level Ammye...

2008-04-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

The last four pictures were all taken from our back deck.

Happy 8th Birthday, Owen!

2008-04-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

I'll admit, when we lived in Houston for most birthdays I'd buy a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. Every time I bought one I thought to myself how it was too expensive and a waste of money, but what can I say... I love their ice cream cakes!

Well, since we moved to Colorado in a somewhat remote area, it's just not as convenient to run to the store to buy a cake. So I finally got my act together and started making the kids' cakes. It's very difficult to make a cake that won't sink at 9200 feet, but they've turned out okay.

Of course this year Owen wanted me to write Star Wars on his cake. Not only write Star Wars, but make the lettering the same as their trademark lettering. Luckily I have a very artistic husband. He did a great job!

It's a bit unnerving...

2008-04-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

..... when my husband is two stories up on a ladder! Our house was not put together well - cold air is leaking in everywhere - so he is trying to caulk every single nook and cranny to remedy the problem. Would you believe he wore the above Batman hat almost every day this winter, INSIDE OUR HOUSE? Yes indeed, he is from the South...

Is taking care of orphans a command or a calling?

2008-03-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

If you believe it's a command, what are YOU doing about it?

Random Pics from the Day

2008-03-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

Carson loves my homemade granola. (yes, I sit my twins on the counter...)

Scout took a spill in a mud puddle today.

We start 'em early! Luke actually really does love to vacuum.

Happy 39th Birthday, Babe!

2008-03-23T17:22:00.001-07:00

Jimmy was gone during the week, so we didn't get to celebrate on his actual birthday. Then he took the boys skiing on Saturday, so we celebrated when they got back. Notice how he's still in his snow pants an hour after he arrived home.... it takes him a good while to warm up after being outside.

Ten Years!

2008-03-21T18:52:00.001-07:00

Today is our Tenth Wedding Anniversary! Yahoooooo! It has gone by sooooo quickly. I'd do it all over a hundred times. My mom reminded me the other day that after we broke up the second time I told her I felt like I had just lost a million dollars. Boy, was that an understatement! Jimmy is worth far more than that. I had no idea just how much of a jewel I was getting when I said "I do" ten years ago.

When I was making the kids their smoothie this morning I found a sweet card in the refridgerator and my present - three YUMMY Oreo cookies dipped in half chocolate, half mint (my favortie combo). They were absolutely deeeeelicious. I told him it was my best present yet. No diamonds for this girl - I'm all about dessert. :) (hey to Andrea, my favorite dessert-maker, who really knows how to make a gal feel loved...)

In June we'll head to Isle Mujeres, Mexico to celebrate while Mimi, Aunt Stephanie, and her three girls take their first trip to Bailey, Colorado to watch our children. But today we celebrated by heading to the Denver Zoo with the kids and then we went out for dinner. It was nice and warm out (well, not to Jimmy :) and we all had a really great time.

Granola Bars

2008-03-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

After we moved to Colorado and started hiking, I begun buying Luna granola bars periodically so we could have a snack on our longer hikes. Today I decided to try making our own granola bars since (a) store-bought ones are over a dollar a piece, and (b) they're full of junk - the particular flavor of Luna bars my kids liked had over 20 ingredients!

I made two batches, using different nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pepitas, flaxseeds, wheat germ) and in one I added peanut butter. They turned out pretty well, although next time I'll add a little more honey to make them chewier. I used two different pans, and we liked the ones that came out thinner better. We decided to add a layer of chocolate to make them yummier, but they're delicious without it as well. Whole foods are so much tastier than processed junk!

My Countertop

2008-03-13T16:36:00.001-07:00

The kids are finally on the mend. Yahoo! PRAISE THE LORD I did not get much more than a slight cough and fatigue (I'm sure from taking care of six patients every day). I gave most of the above to different children, depending on their particular symptoms. Fresh raw garlic, coconut oil, and raw apple cider vinegar were the things I consumed the most of - they all kill viruses and bacteria very well. The second you feel sick, start consuming these things every few hours! On the far left is dried cat nip, which did wonders with helping my children sleep through the night. I made a tea with it and put some raspberry Emergen-C in it. The little white bottle to the left of the gallon of coconut oil is a homeopathic remedy for the flu. It was the first time I tried it, and it really worked! I gave it to Scout and Riley, who were barely moving and had high fevers, and within the hour they were up and moving, asking for food. The only thing is this respite of symptoms didn't last very long, maybe an hour or two.

Even the flies are dropping in our home...

2008-03-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

All six of our children have the flu. It started with Carson Thursday morning, then Luke Friday early afternoon, Riley Friday late afternoon, Scout Sunday morning, and then Owen and Eli got it Sunday late afternoon. My kids have never had the flu before - it is not fun! I'm drinking lots of coconut oil and apple cider vinegar hoping to escape it.

Owen probably feels the best out of everybody.

The intent of our blog is not to discuss politics...

2008-03-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

...but this article made me sick to my stomach. I am hardcore pro-life and will never vote for a pro-death candidate.

* * * * *

The Elephant in the Room: Obama: A harsh ideologue hidden by a feel-good image
By Rick Santorum

American voters will choose between two candidates this election year. One inspires hope for a brighter, better tomorrow. His rhetoric makes us feel we are, indeed, one nation indivisible - indivisible by ideology or religion, indivisible by race or creed. It is rhetoric of hope and change and possibility. It's inspiring. This candidate can make you just plain feel good to be American.

The other candidate, by contrast, is one of the Senate's fiercest partisans. This senator reflexively sides with the party's extreme wing. There's no record of working with the other side of the aisle. None. It's basically been my way or the highway, combined with a sanctimoniousness that breeds contempt among those on the other side of any issue.

Which of these two candidates should be our next president? The choice is clear, right? Wrong, because they're both the same man - Barack Obama.

Granted, the first-term Illinois senator's lofty rhetoric of bipartisanship, unity, hope and change makes everyone feel good. But it's becoming increasingly clear that his grand campaign rhetoric does not match his partisan, ideological record. The nonpartisan National Journal, for example, recently rated Obama the Senate's most liberal member. That's besting some tough competition from orthodox liberals such as Ted Kennedy and Barbara Boxer.

John McCain's campaign and conservative pundits have listed the numerous times in Obama's short Senate career where he sided with the extremes in his party against broadly supported compromises on issues such as immigration, ethics reform, terrorist surveillance and war funding. Fighting on the fringe with a handful of liberals is one thing, but consider his position on an issue that passed both houses of Congress unanimously in 2002.

That bill was the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. During the partial-birth abortion debate, Congress heard testimony about babies that had survived attempted late-term abortions. Nurses testified that these preterm living, breathing babies were being thrown into medical waste bins to die or being "terminated" outside the womb. With the baby now completely separated from the mother, it was impossible to argue that the health or life of the mother was in jeopardy by giving her baby appropriate medical treatment.

The act simply prohibited the killing of a baby born alive. To address the concerns of pro-choice lawmakers, the bill included language that said nothing "shall be construed to affirm, deny, expand or contract any legal status or legal right" of the baby. In other words, the bill wasn't intruding on Roe v. Wade.

Who would oppose a bill that said you couldn't kill a baby who was born? Not Kennedy, Boxer or Hillary Rodham Clinton. Not even the hard-core National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL). Obama, however, is another story. The year after the Born Alive Infants Protection Act became federal law in 2002, identical language was considered in a committee of the Illinois Senate. It was defeated with the committee's chairman, Obama, leading the opposition.

Let's be clear about what Obama did, once in 2003 and twice before that. He effectively voted for infanticide. He voted to allow doctors to deny medically appropriate treatment or, worse yet, actively kill a completely delivered living baby. Infanticide - I wonder if he'll add this to the list of changes in his next victory speech and if the crowd will roar: "Yes, we can."

How could someone possibly justify such a vote? In March 2001, Obama was the sole speaker in opposition to the bill on the floor of the Illinois Senate. He said: "We're saying they are persons entitled to the kinds of protections provided to a child, a 9-month child delivered to term. I mean, it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal-protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child." So according to Obama, "they," babies who survive abortions or any other preterm newborns, should be permitted to be killed because giving legal protection to preterm newborns would have the effect of banning all abortions.

Justifying the killing of newborn babies is deeply troubling, but just as striking is his rigid adherence to doctrinaire liberalism. Apparently, the "audacity of hope" is limited only to those babies born at full term and beyond. Worse, given his support for late-term partial-birth abortions that supporters argued were necessary to end the life of genetically imperfect children, it may be more accurate to say the audacity of hope applies only to those babies born healthy at full term.

Obama's supporters say his rhetoric makes them believe again.
Is this the kind of change and leader you believe in?

Deer

2008-03-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

We haven't seen deer on our property for a while, but yesterday while doing dishes I saw some in our backyard, so I ran to get our bucket of birdfood that our birds don't care for (it has a ton of corn) and put it at the bottom of the stairs off our front door, and sure enough, they started eating it. The second picture is a deer at our salt lick. For all you city folk, a salt lick is a salt/mineral block that animals regularly lick that provides them sodium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. They sometimes occur naturally, but this one was bought at the Pine Country Feed Store. They're supposed to attract animals from miles away, but no such luck with ours.

Lovely

2008-02-22T18:35:00.001-08:00

Black beans

2008-02-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

Who dunnit?

Eli! He actually likes black beans, but today he wasn't up for eating them all, so he "accidentally" dropped a few with every bite. I used to do the same, but right into the mouth of our Schnauzer Lila. I would hold her collar so it wouldn't jingle and then I'd slip food into her mouth. Unfortunately for Eli, I gave him another scoop of beans, and he had to clean up his mess. Somehow my parents never noticed me feeding our dog and I was able to avoid eating a lot of duck and liver.

The things we do when Daddy is gone...

2008-02-21T13:37:00.001-08:00

Luke the young Jedi.

"Ummmm, Mommy? Daddy is not gonna like what you did to Lukie's hair."

Old picture

2008-02-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

I came across this picture today and it brings such sweet memories to mind. It was almost three years ago, but it seems like just yesterday. Time goes by sooo fast, I want to treasure every day with these gifts God has given me. I just read this quote this morning, written in 1908:

"Today comes but once

and comes never to return.

We hope it will come again tomorrow;

but it does not.

It is gone forever,

with its inexhaustible possibilities,

privileges and responsibilities."

Twenty-four hours is all I get. Lord, may I not waste away my hours occupied with things that have no value to my family!

Class of '89

2008-02-20T12:55:00.001-08:00

In January I had the privilege of getting together with a few Ames High classmates that live in and around the Denver area. Rod Harl hosted us all at his place, and I had such a great time. It's so fun hanging out with my "Iowa friends." Everyone seems to be pretty much the same as they were in high school. I've actually known Rod and Kim since we were five years old!

Rod is very kind, laid-back, and still a genius. Lori (to the right of me) is still hilarious - I always have stomach aches from laughing so hard at her humor. Kim (next to Lori) is still a typical Type A personality and the life of a party with her cheerful spirit (which is why she was an excellent cheerleader!). And Mindy is so fun-loving and kind to everyone, just like she was in high school. Blair was also there, but he and Angie had to head home early, so we didn't get him in the picture. We're hoping to get together in the spring again.

Brrrrrrr!

2008-02-12T18:38:00.001-08:00

After dinner tonight I went out on the deck to pet our dog Sweetie. She likes to put her front paws on our deck railing and watch over the property while I scratch her neck. Two minutes later the kids were outside fighting with their lightsabers. It was 20 degrees out! They were having a great time and never mentioned how cold it was. Notice Riley's bare feet! (hey to Jimmy... :)

Carson didn't seem to mind viewing all the action from the window.

Luke did, though.

Pudding!

2008-02-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

When Daddy is out of town we have a surplus of fresh milk (we have a standing order with the farm to get 3.5 gallons a week), so the children and I feel the best way to use it up is to make lots-o homemade chocolate pudding. Yum-o-la. Today was Riley's turn to help. She loves to help Mama in the kitchen, mostly when chocolate is involved.

Cleaning....

2008-02-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

When I was in the second trimester of pregnancy with the twins, I could barely bend over, and I felt like I had run a marathon within an hour of arising in the morning. So, my wonderful husband got me these two lovely maids that came twice a month. H-e-a-v-e-n! I still had them after the twins were born because... well, I was nursing every two hours around the clock. So naturally when we moved to Colorado I thought he would still let me have a maid come twice a month. Nope.

At first I was a bit annoyed. How was I going to keep the house clean? I think Jimmy knew what I now know - I already HAVE maids! Six of them to be exact! So I've spent the last six months or so training them to clean our home. It's been difficult at times - you have to keep on them like white on rice. Three words are of vital importance in training children to clean - inspect, inspect, and inspect. But now, finally, I have some pretty good workers on my hands. They rarely complain about chores (although Eli has feigned injuries a few times as soon as I said it was time to clean) and they work hard, and I have to say, they clean pretty darn well. The only thing I do is mop the kitchen floor and clean the sink, countertops, and stove, and they clean the rest of the house.

Well, today I got to witness even more fruit from my labor. I was cleaning in the kitchen, and I hear Eli in the bathroom saying, "See, like this... Good, Riley. Good. Right here, see? That's good, Riley!! Now over here..." So I peek in the bathroom, and I see Eli training Riley to clean the toilet! I was so proud of my little man. He ain't no spring chicken - he's working himself right out of some of his chores! Here's some pics of him training Riley....

Yummy

2008-02-04T16:41:00.001-08:00

It was 15 degrees today and snowing like crazy. What a great day to make some homemade chicken broth and then chicken noodle soup! It was an almost perfect day - heavy snow outside, cold, chicken noodle soup and wheat rolls for dinner... The only thing missing was Daddy! Now the boys are shoveling the decks and I'm about to make some homemade cocoa. I'm putting butter in it, so it's going to be rich......

Jimmy is at the Grand Canyon!

2008-02-01T16:18:00.000-08:00

Haircuts...

2008-01-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

Riley, Eli, and Owen got their haircuts, but it looks as if they didn't really cut Owen's hair. He likes long hair because he wants to look like Anakin Skywalker. Arrgghh...

We eat a lot...

2008-01-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

The kids and I made hamburger buns, hot dog buns, rolls, and five loaves of bread (and Eli, Scout, and Riley made their own creations with cinnamon chips), and the above will last us about six days. The good news is, it cost at most five dollars to make it all! How you ask? Grind your own wheat, and buy in bulk so you can get things wholesale.

Worship Time

2008-01-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

Every night after dinner we sing praise songs to the Lord. And every night Eli is the first one to run and get Daddy's guitar from our room and sit down and "lead worship." Tonight he started us off with Amazing Grace, and he did a fantastic job!

Many afternoons you can hear him belting out a tune from his room upstairs. A few months ago he was doing his "business" in the bathroom, and just about as loud as his voice could possibly go, he was singing, "I'VE GOT PEACE LIKE A RIVER, I'VE GOT PEACE LIKE A RIVER, I'VE GOT PEACE LIKE A RIVER IN MY SOOOOOOOOOUL...." It was quite funny. It brings me so much joy to hear him singing throughout the day.

I love putting the boys to work!

2008-01-09T12:54:00.000-08:00

Riley wants the 80's to make a comeback...

2008-01-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Tree

2007-12-12T21:27:00.001-08:00

Jimmy and the boys cut down this Christmas tree from our property tonight. It's actually a good thing to cut down trees on our land. A year ago the forest rangers cleared a lot of the trees immediately around our home for fire safety, but there's still a lot more to go.

Luke's favorite food is frozen blueberries

2007-12-09T10:54:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday, our precious, precious Riley!

2007-12-03T14:07:00.000-08:00

What brings hours of entertainment to my children?

2007-11-24T19:49:00.000-08:00

Pulling Carson around in a laundry basket. Luke in the laundry basket? Not so much fun.... the piercing screams are hard on the ears.

Scout turns Five!

2007-11-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how time flies! My little Scouter turned five! She has been such a joy. I cannot believe I was hoping and praying she was a boy! How foolish was I?!

Scout and I made her cake this morning. She decorated it.

We got her a doll for her birthday, and she loved it.

She carries around Luke all the time, and he weighs almost as much as her. Luke loves Scoutie. Many times when he's upset he'll run straight to her instead of me!

New Hairdo

2007-10-29T20:00:00.001-07:00

Riley took it upon herself to get into my favorite hand salve and "do" Lukie's hair with it.

He didn't seem to mind.

Eli thought it looked all right but wanted to improve it some....

Lukie no likey.

Daddy's leaving...

2007-10-29T19:58:00.001-07:00

This is what happens a few hours before Jimmy goes out of town on business....

Everyone mobs him!

Ten Reasons to Have Another Child

2007-10-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

Reason One:
Have another child to join with God in the creation of an immortal soul. Parents are given the incredible opportunity to assist God in the creation of an immortal soul. As the late Cardinal Mindszenty said, even the angels have not been given such a grace. "The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral-a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby's body... Even the angels have not been given such a grace! What is more glorious than this-to be a mother." Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty.

Reason Two:
Have another child to bring joy into your life. There is no joy like the joy of welcoming another child into your life. You will marvel anew at how perfectly formed your little one is, and over how quickly you will fall head over heels in love with him. You will be enchanted with every tiny aspect of her appearance. The birth of a child will bind you to God more tightly than ever before, in awed gratitude. "She was the most miraculous thing that had ever happened in my life," Whittaker Chambers wrote about his new daughter in Witness. And in the lives of most of us. I thought that one day I would be a famous artist. and create great works of art. Instead, God made me a mother, and my children are His masterpiece. The design of their lives will live on after me. What is painted on their hearts will last an eternity. (Anonymous)

Reason Three:
Have another child to grow in holiness and virtue. For those who marry and have families, children are the primary means God uses to help them grow in holiness and virtue. Children teach their parents patience, perseverance, charity, and humility. They give their parents the opportunity to practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. They come into the world naked, and we clothe them, hungry and we feed them. Thirsty, and we give them drink. All of the things that we are required to do for the "least of these our brothers," we do first and foremost for our own children. St. Catherine of Siena once had a vision in which God took her to a roomful of crosses and told her to pick one. St. Catherine went to the largest, heaviest cross in the room and would have chosen it. But God told her that it was not for her: That was reserved for the parents of large families. "Mary gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes." Luke 2:7.

Reason Four:
Have another child to help end abortion. When Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked by a young mother about the best way to proceed with pro-life work, she responded emphatically, "Have a big family. That is the best way to end abortion!" How this works is not difficult to understand. As children become more rare due to contraception, sterilization and abortion, whole segments of society become less and less familiar with the sense of joy and hope that only babies and children can give. In this climate, contraception and abortion feed on themselves, as the increasingly selfish few further reduce their number. By having another child, you demonstrate once again to the world that children are God's greatest gifts. "Children build up the life of the family and society," as Pope John Paul II has said. "The child becomes a gift to its brothers and sisters, parents and entire family. Its entire life becomes a gift for the very people who were givers of life and who cannot help but feel its presence, its sharing in their life and its contribution to the common good and to the community of the family." The more children there are in society, the more pro-life that society will become, and the easier it will be for the great evil of abortion to be eradicated once and for all. "Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live." Deuteronomy 30:19

Reason Five (A):
Have another child so your sons will have brothers and your daughters will have sisters. Children who have siblings learn early to share. They learn to take turns and to put the needs of others before their own. The bond formed between brothers and sisters is lifelong, and stronger than the bond between the closest friends. "How good it is, how pleasant, where the brothers dwell as one!" Psalm 133:1-2.

Reason Five (B):
Have another child so your sons will have sisters and your daughters will have brothers. Boys who have sisters learn the dignity of women. They learn to treat other girls and women with respect, as they consider how they would like their own sisters to be treated. Girls who have brothers learn the complementarity of men and women, both fashioned in the image and likeness of God. "Love begins by taking care of the closest ones-the ones at home." Mother Teresa.

Reason Six:

Have another child so you (and your parents) won't be lonely in old age. People who have children don't have to rely upon strangers to care for them in their old age. Children also become the parents of your grandchildren. Grandchildren bring joy, happiness, and laughter, while still allowing you to get a good night's sleep! "Grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their parentage." Proverbs 17:6.

Reason Seven:
Have another child because people are our greatest resource. Humans are blessed with the gifts of an intellect and free will. It is human ingenuity that discovers creative solutions to the problems which confront us. People without children should remember that it will be someone else's child who will become the doctor that performs their life-saving operations. Someone else's child will become the firefighter that saves their house. Someone else's child will become the railroad engineer. "How can there be too many children? That's like saying there are too many flowers." Mother Teresa.

Reason Eight:
Have another child to contribute to the economy. Families with children are fuel to the economy, purchasing houses and cars and college educations. Without young people to enter the workforce, social security systems fail. Without children to attend school, teachers are jobless. Many industries, from fast food restaurants to toy stores, obviously rely heavily upon business from and for children to stay in business. But ultimately the whole economy does. "Like a fruitful vine your wife within your home, Like olive plants your children around your table. Just so will they be blessed who fear the Lord." Psalm 128:3-4.

Reason Nine:
Have another child to counter global depopulation. Anyone who has traveled from coast to coast in the United States and seen the vast empty spaces should know that America is not overpopulated. In fact, the entire population of the world could live in the state of Texas, in single-family dwellings with front and back yards. Fertility rates are falling everywhere. The world's population will never again double. If current trends continue, world population will peak by the middle of this century and then begin demographic freefall. Our long-term problem is not too many children, but too few children. Having another child will help offset the coming population implosion. "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth." Genesis 1:28.

Reason Ten:
Have another child to help populate heaven. The child that you and your spouse have been generous in accepting from God was created to return to Him, after a life of love, service, and obedience on earth, to spend eternity with God in heaven. Our Lord Himself said that there was plenty of room for those immortal souls. There is no overpopulation problem in Heaven! "There are many mansions in my Father's house." John 14:2.

Amen!

Snow!

2007-10-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

It's quite clear that Daddy helped the kids build this snowman...

Pumpkin Patch and Estes Park

2007-10-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today I was feeling a bit sorry for myself that I didn't get to go to the LSU v. Florida game with Jimmy. It's my favorite game to go to, and I think I'm a good luck charm with this match-up. I believe my presence at the game in 1997 was the reason LSU finally ended their losing streak against the Gators, beating them 28-21. (at least I got Jimmy to believe so, and he proposed a few months later...)

Anyway, I decided that the kids and I would drive to Longmont, Colorado and go to a pumpkin festival. We all had a great time, but the highlight of the trip for me was seeing Mrs. Rhinehart. She is the mother of a friend I've known since kindgergarten and graduated high school with named Jodi. I have such warm memories of times I spent at their home, and Mr. and Mrs. Rhinehart treating me with such incredible kindness and affection, I felt like I was one of their children. Think Ward and June Cleaver, but take it up a few notches.

I love Mrs. Rhinehart!

Eli takes these rides pretty seriously.

After the pumpkin festival we had lunch with Jodi and her family, and then we decided to head to Estes Park since it was only about 30 miles from where we were.

As we were driving through town we passed an elementary school, and we saw a big herd of elk! It was sooooo neat!

Looks like this bull lost one of his battles...

Most of the herd just hung out on this soccer field. We got within fifteen feet of them.

We all went hiking tonight

2007-09-27T19:05:00.001-07:00

Off we go...

... headed to the top of this hill, to see the changing leaves on the aspen trees.

Cheese!

Eli is "nursing" from Owen's camel back, MUCH to Owen's chagrin.

Scout is our little Colorado Girl. She loves hiking.

Eli took this picture of us when we reached the top. Luke wants some action!

Ahhhhhh..... I love the Fall!

Papa is here!

2007-09-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

We all went fishing at a nearby pond.

Owen caught the first fish! (and Scout pee'd in her pants!)

I have no idea what they're doing.

The babies just kicked back and watched all the action.

Papa caught his first-ever trout!

Time to give Papa an "up-do."
He's getting sleepy....

I think he likes it!

Happy Birthday, Luke and Carson!

2007-09-09T19:31:00.001-07:00

The year has gone sooooo fast!

Your brothers and sisters ADORE you both!

We decided to celebrate by spending the day in Breckenridge.

Of course the only thing y'all did was spend five hours in the stroller!

Then we came home and sang Happy Birthday, while Eli played the drums...

... and you had your first taste of chocolate cake. Lukie likey!

And so does Carson!

Lukie likey so much, he steals from Carson.

My Husband and Son climbed Mt. Logan....

2007-09-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

...and all I got was this crummy picture! Can you believe that? Does Jimmy take a picture FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN! No..... I wanted to see what the view from above was. Arrgghh.... I was sooooo proud of Owen, though. Jimmy said that he wanted to turn back, he was so exhausted, but Owen wanted to keep going till they reached the top! At age seven he climbed a 13,000 foot mountain.

This is a picture of Mt. Logan taken from our back deck. You can see it has a "bowl" on the front side. They reached the bowl and then came back down.

Every naptime and bedtime...

2007-08-31T13:59:00.001-07:00

... I put Carson on one side of the crib, Luke on the other, and Luke immediately crawls over to Carson and lays right on top of her. Poor Car-Car...

Little Bear Outdoor Adventure Camp

2007-08-31T13:33:00.001-07:00

We all spent the last week of August at an adventure camp for Christian homeschooling families in Westcliffe, CO. It was interesting sharing a 400 square foot cabin and one bath for 5 days, but everyone had lots of fun otherwise. Some photos....

Luke found a new best friend - Emily. He was quite smitten with her. He had lots of fun with her while Mommy got to enjoy listening to some great speakers! We'd like to adopt Emily - she's so sweet - but I think she's more interested in adopting Luke. :)

Owen and Eli got to re-enact WW II battles each day. They started off with prayer....

... and then off to war!

Eli got in the action as well with his musket and coonskin cap.

Daddy and Luke waiting patiently for the dinner bell to ring.

Carson is in no hurry for dinner when her thumb is handy.

Scout and Riley love their new coonskin hats!

I know, I know, there's something wrong with this picture. Could someone please teach her to sew a quilt or something?

Flexiblocks

2007-08-23T15:41:00.001-07:00

S'Mores!

2007-08-22T11:00:00.001-07:00

Jimmy built a little fire pit with the boys yesterday and then they built some makeshift benches. I can't wait to make some s'mores!!

Owen

2007-08-22T10:55:00.001-07:00

Part of the reason we moved to Colorado was so that our children would spend more time outdoors. Eli, Scout, and Riley play outside all day long. Owen, on the other hand, is more of an inside child, unless we're going hiking or four-wheeling. He really loves to hike. But other than that, I have to make him go outside. Today I said, "Owen, why don't you go outside. I want you to spend one hour at least each day outside." So what does he do? He grabs a book and heads to the deck.

Red Rocks Park

2007-08-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Red Rocks Park and Ampitheatre is about 40 mintues from our home. We had a great time, except for the fact that while we were hiking I got stung by a yellow jacket. Man, did that hurt! I'm just grateful it didn't sting one of our children.