A few of the latest!

Here are some of the latest from our HOME...



To BEGIN...Gabriel has always shown us the best way to get bumps and bruises and his latest experiment was with the bark of a tree trunk! I'm thinking the TREE made the bigger impression! Ahhh BOYS






next...BENJAMIN in a diaper, RED rubber boots, pushing a cart with BABY and holding a GUITAR!! That pretty much sums up my littlest man! Just about any time of day he has at least one of these items....this time, he must have really been feeling LIFE to the fullest, because he had it ALL!





There's also this WONDERFUL secret I'm trilled to share!!! This man of mine, the one I followed, WHOLE-HEARTEDLY half way across the country! I"M CRAZY 'BOUT HIM!!! P.S Notice all that blue sky in the background??? Just about EVERY DAY so far!

Half Way There

I have been having trouble lately, finding the motivation to stay on task during the day. It seems like, from the beginning of the day I am already behind and don't seem to make much progress by the days end. Even though, the dishes in the sink are not the same dishes, it is still full of dirty ones. Though the toys on the floor have been picked up numerous times, there are still toys on the floor. Though I may have washed all the dirty laundry, it is still in baskets, unfolded and waiting to be put away. To top it off, I am much more easily drawn to tasks than people and my most important "tasks" happen to be 3 growing little persons.

So, after some inspirational scriptures and prayer last night I was ready for a "New" day today!
1) GET DRESSED (yes, I spend some days in my pajamas, productive, but in sweat pants)
2) Get the boys dressed (they don't seem to mind either way...so it's not uncommon for them to stay in jammies most of the day)
3) Eat and Feed Breakfast BEFORE any chores
4) Employ the youngsters to help wash up from breakfast and do dishes
5) Clean as we go...everyone together, not moving onto the next task until cleaning up from the current one

AT NOON TODAY, my entire house was clean! Dishes were done, children dressed, clean clothes put away, toys off the floor, beds made, meals eaten on time. We even played a bit. (They saved me from a bomb that was going to blow up our city-so valiant!) Now, before you start thinking I got it all figured out, the story continues...

Bed time for Ben. Since he is the only one that takes a nap, I usually lay down with him and read a story. The problem today, was that, after the story was over, he was still a bit restless so I stayed with him for a while. After a bit, the bed started feeling so cozy, the blankets were warm, my little sweetheart was snuggling up with me and my eyes couldn't resist "resting" for just a few minutes....ahhhhh.

The other boys were having quiet time, but somewhere in my contented slumber, I heard playful voices. "Boys, read your books" I say, half conscious, knowing I will not follow up if they aren't. A little while later, seeing them playing in the room. "Play quietly" I reprimand, knowing full well I'm already slipping back into sleep. Then, finally, confronted with the constant request, "Can we watch a movie?" "Um," (darn, I should say no, but I'm so warm and sleepy. It'll keep them out of trouble. I really wanted to only do television on Sat morning, But I shouldn't...Oh) "Okay!" I give in!

A while later I stir back into mommy-land! A little groggy, a little guilty, pretty rested! I take a final glance at Benjamin sleeping soundly on his bed. My sweet boy! Hearing the movie playing in the other room, I remember the granted request. Darn, if only I hadn't taken a nap. I was also suppose to go grocery shopping before dinner and try to tackle another load or two of laundry.

As for now, I only have time for one task; out to the farm for fresh milk and eggs (can't do without), or to the store for groceries (also another necessity)? I'm leaning towards the farm...the grocery store will have to wait. Maybe tomorrow...IF I can leave BEFORE nap time lures me in! : )

Kansas or Bust!!!

We are here, we are unpacked, and so far, we love it!!! One of the greatest factors is that we now have a glorious back yard!!! The boys LOVE it and are often out first thing in the morning, pajamas and all! There isn't anything terribly exciting in our yard. There aren't really any trees to speak of, we don't have a playset, it's mostly just concrete and grass....but OH, the adventure! A stick, a ball, a puddle of water; that'll do!

As for me, this is probably my favorite house so far. It's not anything special, a ranch. But, it's just right. There is enough room for us to be comfortable, good storage and cupboard space, but not too much to clean. Our landlord gave a close to free-range on painting and decorating, which is exciting, but also dangerous. I have sooo many ideas already!

There is also a YMCA less than a mile away, and for the first time in a LONG time, I'm feeling the motivation to start exercising regularly. Ready to get rid of some extra flab ; ) The people we've met so far are very hospitable and courtesy seems to be common. Nearly everyone holds doors for everyone else, and when I went to the grocery store they automatically helped me out to the car and loaded my groceries.

Though it's pretty windy, the weather has been warm and outdoor worthy! I hope to get more pics as we go, but here is the latest of the boys playing with our packing materials. Then there's Ben, who was so fond of his pajama shorts, asked me to put them back on after he was dressed!

Blast from the Past!!!

I am noticing lately that as I add more and more to my days, I instead, tend to be losing a great deal more. More commitments renders less time to serve my family. More expectations...less energy. More "hobbies"...less enjoyment. More connections...less quality friends. Certainly, it isn't all bad, but I really want to live on purpose and not wake up one morning and feel like my life just happened. "Ready or not, there it goes!"

I am also realizing the immense amount of energy and dedication it takes to serve my husband and raise a family. With that in the forefront of my mind, I want to use my efforts to make our lives, enjoyable, peaceful and fruitful. How?! I can't boast to know all the secrets, but I'm going to try, perhaps the opposite of what I'm doing now: ). Simplify! Slow down!

So, to merely flirt with the possibly permanent idea, I am going to disengage all my Internet communications for a month!!! I will, however, gladly accept telephone calls, letters in the mail, and especially, unexpected visits. If you choose the latter, we will delightfully forgo our previous agenda, put on a kettle for tea/coffee and enjoy your company for as long as you care to stay...even if it's overnight! This may seem silly, but I truly mean it! Our lives are getting much too spread thin, much less relaxed, and very rarely personal or face-to-face.

I have already lost precious time, potential friendships and vital opportunities fulfilling unnecessary engagements and ignoring the bits of life that happen right in front of me. Besides, who doesn't enjoy a handwritten letter in the mail, or a spontaneous visit with friends (without worrying weather or not they are too busy or would welcome your "intrusion"), or a call to see how life is going? I for one, certainly do!!!

My "trial" will begin somewhere around the 15 th, so if you wish, please make sure I have your phone number and mailing address and vise-versa.

With much love,

Melody

Pictures!!!

We've been busy having a pretty fantastic summer, though I haven't had anything to show for it so far....here are the pics from our last month! First trip to the beach this year...Hike up saddle Mountain...County Fair...another hike and trip to Short Sands with our friends...It's been fun!!!

This was our first trip to the beach. It was super foggy, but warm and tons of fun. Benjamin absolutely loved the water and even after getting knocked down and washed over by a few waves he was very distraught to leave. The other boys spent plenty of time in the water, but also couldn't go without getting buried up to their wastes : )

We had so much fun at the beach we decided to take up hiking the very next day. We got a back carrier and headed up Saddle Mountain....it was a little too ambitious with young children, but we made it to the top safely(really!!! It was pretty scary at times). I carried Ben the whole way and the older boys took turns riding with Kiely...note the picture of my hunk of a man pushing the gigantic boulder out of the way for us to pass : )

The next week was our county fair and after almost a whole year of the boys waiting to go "Ride the Horses we finally realized (at the fair) that they did not mean real horses, they meant the carousel...we have one in seaside that's open year round....Ahhhh, communication!!!

The weekend after the fair we took a MUCH easier and child friendly hike to a little beach called Short Sands with our friends Brett and Stephanie and their handsome little man Augustine. We had a BLAST and the weather was perfect.

Life just wouldn't be life without a few accidents or medical situations which Gabriel usually takes initiative to fill. : ) This time it was a few outrageous bug bites, spider bites, or just a reaction to mosquitoes, we're not sure, but this is what happened to the side of his face...fortunately, with the help of some great healing salve, echinacea, lots of vitamin C and a few applications of red clay, the swelling went down and alas my beautiful boy returned!!! : )

Lastly, Kiely and I were able to celebrate our 6th Anniversary by taking a weekend trip to downtown Portland all by ourselves. Though, we don't have pics, we did lot's of leisurely shopping, went to a Timber Soccer game, ate at great restaurants, then visited a potential church for when we move to Portland!!! Grandma and grandpa watched the boys, and even though Benjamin is still nursing, they all did great! The next day after I returned Ben would spend the first minute or two of each nursing just smiling and making Ummmmmm sounds. We love our boys, but it was Sooooo nice to have the time to ourselves...Verdict?! We still really, really enjoy each others company! : )

Smile!

“Men are highly attracted to smiles;
That includes your husband!”
~”Created to Be His Help Meet”

SMILE FOR HIM TODAY!!!

Few Favorite Recipes

I am almost constantly reading; usually about some aspect of health or child rearing or spiritual topic. My latest infatuation is with a particular author named Adelle Davis. She died a number of years ago, but has amazing information on health and nutrition...that was well before her time. My biggest focus has been on her book "Let's have healthy children". To say the very least, I've picked up a few fun summer recipes (if they can even be called that), that I have no qualms about giving to my children nearly anytime they ask.

Our New "Chocolate" Milk:
(really, there is no chocolate, but it's rich and creamy and my kids act like its a huge treat...really, it's just extra nutritious for them!!!)
base recipe:
1c milk
1/3c powdered milk
extras/optional:
blended banana
1tsp flax or cod-liver oil

Popsicles:
1c plain yogurt
3-4Tb 100% frozen juice concentrate
splash of milk or cream
mix together, pour into popsicle molds...enjoy when frozen!