Lady of the Shoe...

To the Sneaky Facebook Person...You know who you are!

2009-12-12T11:18:00.005-05:00

Nice try. I do believe I'm on to you. It wasn't that hard to figure out how you saw my photo albums. Teri is a good friend of mine. Don't bother her or use her any longer. I've changed my privacy settings anyway. So, it's no use.
I can't keep you from coming here, but I don't really use this blog anymore for personal updates, so no biggie. Sorry it has to be this way. It's not my choice. Please move on.

I Heart Faces Weekly Theme...

2009-11-23T12:19:00.003-05:00

This weeks theme is sun flare!

Here's Todd and Erika. Father and daughter....nothing melts my heart more.

Great Tutorial!

2009-10-29T09:22:00.003-05:00

Got Photoshop? Wanna make this?

Just go to this I Heart Faces Tutorial! Yay! I love photoshop!

MCP Actions Giveaway!!!

2009-09-30T10:36:00.003-05:00

Swing on over to MCP Actions Blog to enter to win Jodi's new photoshop actions set! All you have to do is leave a comment in her comments sections about why you love her actions, blog, classes, etc. Also, you can enter twice if you blog, tweet, or facebook about it. Check it out!

"Crazy, Funny, Silly Faces"

2009-08-10T14:46:00.003-05:00

Got this deliciously cute shot of Mark the other day and decided to enter it in the I Heart Faces photo challenge.

It looks like his face is melting off! LOL!

Jump on over to I Heart Faces and check out the other entries. This is fun! I may do it again some time.

Another Blog Give Away!!!

2009-08-05T16:17:00.002-05:00

I Heart Faces is having a give away. It's for the new Tamron 18-270mm lens! WooHoo! Visit their website here. You can enter up to 5 times! Check it out for all the details!

Lisa

A Blog Giveaway!!!

2009-07-08T15:54:00.002-05:00

Not my own, mind you! ;o)

But at MCP Actions Blog. If you are a photographer and would like a chance at winning an incredible lens, hop on over and enter! The WINNER chooses from the 18-270mm (for a crop sensor Nikon or Canon) or the 28-300mm (for a full frame Nikon or Canon).

I'm too excited about it because My wonderful husband and 2 of my kids just pitched in all their pennies and bought me my dream camera on Monday!!! A Nikon D90!!!!!!! If you read my blog you might remember me mentioning it here. *smile*

Well, my dream has come true! I'm so blessed. Now I'm trying to learn all I can about photography and how to use this beautiful tool!

Anyway, to enter, you will need to do the following:

- Post to your blog, twitter and/or facebook about this contest (let people know how to enter and provide a link)

- Leave a comment writing where you posted (with link so that it can be verified if your post is picked from the random drawing)

- In your comment, please write why you want to win this lens, where you would want to most the lens, and for fun tell how many lenses you currently own.

To qualify, you must:

- Have a US mailing address that the lens can ship to – this can be yours or a friend or relative but make sure you have one prior to entering (Tamron USA is only authorized to sell and distribute in the US)

- Have a Camera that works with Tamron Lenses. If you do not have a Nikon or Canon SLR, a similar range lens for Pentax or Sony will be substituted.

- Do all the above items explained in the “enter section.”

Good Luck!!

Love,
Lisa

One More...

2009-05-29T21:30:00.003-05:00

Sorry. Just had to share this one. I just love the clone tool in PS!!! Can you see what I did with it in this before and after?

One of My Favorite Photoshop Jobs So Far!!

2009-05-29T16:06:00.007-05:00

This is my good friend Amy's daughter. She has the most beautiful red hair. I'm certainly no professional photographer, but I'm sure there are many out there who would love to photograph her and those wonderful curls!

Anyway, I took this picture out in my backyard one day while she was here playing and ran a little photoshop on it. Look at the results!

This is the original SOOC (straight out of camera) shot. Notice the smudges on her face, something blue in the grass and someone standing behind the left side of her head in the back ground. Also, notice her hair next to the tree.

Here is the after effects of photoshop. I love photoshop. Have I mentioned that to you before??? Notice her face is now clean, and the empty space of her hair is now filled. Plus, the blue thing and person behind the left side of her head is now gone!

Here is the black and white version, which I think came out beautiful.

This is a lovely shot of her cute little profile and beautiful red hair. This one, to me, had to be cropped in closer to her face. Again, notice the smudges on her face. Now watch how they disappear.

Here's the cropped edited version. I love love love this one, but.........

I think I love this one the best! I love black and whites and would love to learn more about how to achieve awesome black and white portaits.

By the way, my camera is a Sony Cyber-shot point and shoot. But my dream camera? Oh, that would be this.

OK, a girl can ~~drool~~ dream, can't she???

Love,

Lisa

Recent Photoshop Magic

2009-05-28T09:57:00.005-05:00

Have I mentioned to you that I love Photoshop???? I just wish I had all kinds of time to play with it.
Here are a couple of photos I edited recently. First is Erika (5) playing in the grass in our back yard. I removed a couple of things in the finished portrait. Can you tell what they are?
Then there is a beautiful apple blossom from one of our apple trees in one of our pastures. So so beautiful.

Before and After.

Love,
Lisa

I WON!!!!!

2009-05-10T23:09:00.004-05:00

Did you hear the news!!!! I can't believe it!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my children and my husband who, I'm sure, all voted for me. Take a look.

*wink*

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!
~Lisa

Daddy's girl

2009-05-04T20:24:00.005-05:00

Erika has been Daddy's girl from her very first breath. Her Daddy caught her as her little body emerged from mine, and she responded to his voice immediately. Nothing has changed in the 5 years she has been with us. Never mind that I was the one that carried her in my body for 9 months, or got up at all hours of the night to nurse her, or changed thousands of her diapers, potty trained her, etc.

Ahem....

Todd's the one she wants to be with.

So it only seemed obvious that she was the only one that wanted to enjoy a nice dinner of beef stew on this cool evening out back on the picnic table with him. He wanted all of us to join him, but it was just too cool for the rest of us. But not for Erika.

She found the only warm spot. Right on Daddy's lap, where she feels most secure....and warm. I mean, where else would she sit? Right?

They ate together....

Talked together....

They even look alike, don't you think? Maybe not. But, to me, there's just nothing more manly, nothing that makes my heart skip a beat like seeing a man love on his baby girls. Nothing at all..

~Lisa

2009-04-24T15:23:00.005-05:00

Oh, How I ~~Ache For~~ Really Miss Chick-Fil-A!

If you live in the south...near a Chick-Fil-A, ~~I hate you~~ you're one lucky dog! Fast food isn't good for anyone's health, but when you live where ~~there are more cows than people~~ it's not available, one tends to miss it. Oh sure, we have a McDonalds...

About 25 miles away.

And a Subway...

About 25 miles away.

But that's it. To get anything else (like Burger King or KFC/Taco Bell combo....that's it!) one must drive at least 45 minutes. 30 minutes if you're really hungry.
This video about sums up my ~~deeply disturbing, un-natural love~~ feelings for Chick-Fil-A. Enjoy. And next time you're at a Chick-Fil-A, I hope you ~~burn your tongue on a nugget~~ think of me. Eat more chickin!

**DON'T FORGET TO PAUSE THE MUSIC BEFORE YOU WATCH THE VIDEO.**

~Lisa

Happy Earth Day???

2009-04-22T16:31:00.002-05:00

Please Pray for Kayleigh!

2009-04-22T08:13:00.004-05:00

This sweet little miracle just had surgery also, and was doing so well. Then all of the sudden things have gone down hill. Please pray for her and her family. They have been going through this for 10 months. I just can't imagine. Also, go hug your babies today and thank God for each of them. It's so easy to lose sight of what's important and take our loved ones for granted.

OK, I can only speak for myself. It can be easy to do in a chaotic house, full of kids. Once again, speaking only for myself.

Anyway, thanks for praying.

~Lisa

Pray for Stellan!

2009-04-21T08:20:00.002-05:00

Some of you may already be following McMama's blog, but if you aren't, please be praying for this sweet miracle of a boy. He is headed into surgery as I write this. It's a very risky surgery for a baby of his age. Pray for his parent's to have peace, for the dr.'s, and naturally, for Stellan...today and in the days to come. Thanks.

Lisa

Funny YouTube Video Elyse Sent Me

2009-04-16T13:26:00.004-05:00

This is just too hilarious not to share. My daughter, Elyse, sent it to me to watch. Why is this relevent? It's not. But she says I never mention her in my blog anymore. She's right. But I certainly have mentioned her here and there...oh, and here.

Have I mentioned she is such a sweet daughter? She has an awesome boyfriend, Sam, who apparently loves her dearly. I'm glad she has chosen him, and that he has chosen her. They are very cute together, too. The only draw-back to this relationship is that she always has her head in the clouds.....like when I sent her to the store to buy her sick dad some jello and some beef boullion, and she came home with SUGAR FREE jello and SODIUM FREE boullion. Ewwwww!

Ahem.

Maybe she's trying to tell us something??? Naaaaa....I think she just had her head in a cloud....the 9th one to be exact.

Elyse is also a great cook. When I'm not available I can always count on her to prepare a good nutritious meal for the rest of the gang.

Now, watering the plants seems to be a problem. She likes to let the plants get within an inch of dying before watering them. I'll have to work on that with her. But other than that, she's a keeper.

Enjoy the video. These two guys are very clever. DON'T FORGET TO PAUSE THE MUSIC AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE BEFORE WATCHING.

~Lisa

Happy Resurection Day!

2009-04-12T19:54:00.005-05:00

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Resurection Day! Unfortunately, most of us stayed home from church because Todd came down with a bug of some kind. I'm ~~hoping~~ praying no one else gets it. It was only a few weeks ago we had this happen! I'm all done with that, thank you very much!

Here is a video I came across that has a powerful message. Please watch it in it's entirety if you haven't already seen it.

PLEASE GO THE THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE AND PAUSE THE MUSIC BEFORE WATCHING THE VIDEO.

I can't tell you how many times His love for me has rescued me from the depths of sin, seasons of anger, and moments of feeling like nothing makes any sense. He washes my wounds and heals them, and has set me free from the enemy's grip.

And today, as we reflect on the day Jesus defeated death and rose from the grave after being put to death on OUR BEHALF, I'm praying you give Him the chance to change the very meaning of your life. To change the very reasons you wake up each day and breathe in and out. To give you the hope of eternal life in His presence. Be blessed.

~Lisa

Spring & Chickens

2009-04-11T11:38:00.009-05:00

The first day of Spring here in Vermont is usually still much like winter. We usually have at least a foot of snow and it's extremely cold. April is usually still pretty cold with a lot of snow still scattered here and there, with a possible blizzard in the forecast.

This year, however, it's actually feeling a lot like spring! The sun is out, most of the snow is gone, and we can go out with jackets and sweaters on instead of coats and hats. It's muddy, but that's what mud boots are for, right?

There's just one thing missing......

Our chickens.

We have had chickens since 2004. This is the first year we've been without them. We decided to take a break from them. We kinda got tired of all the chicken poop all over everything....

On the porch, on the deck, between our toes, on our shoes, in the kid's hair (they love to roll down the hill in the grass) and on their clothes.....Yuck! Plus, they like to taste test our vegetables in the garden. Having chickens means we need to fence up the garden.

Oh, and keep the doors closed.

They're great fun to watch and listen to, though. And the eggs!!!

There's nothing better!

But my very favorite was having a rooster! We've only had one aggressive rooster. All the others were very nice and never attacked any of the kids. They're just so majestic looking and....I know this sounds weird, but I love to hear the rooster crowing. I love to hear it in the morning and all day long. Makes me feel like I should be wearing a prairie skirt and a bonnet, and that I should be scrubbing our laundry out on a scrub board or something.

We even hatched our own one year! Not in an incubator, mind you. A broody hen sat on them in her own private quarters and they hatch under the mama!!

Every once in awhile one or two needed some help when the mama wasn't interested in keep them warm while they were hatching, so we used a brooding pen and a heat lamp till they were warm and fluffy, and could be in with their mama again.

That was a lot of fun, and a great homeschool treat. We researched how to choose the eggs, how to candle them and how often to candle them. And when they should hatch. It was an amazing process. We must have hatched 3-4 clutches of eggs.

This was a much better process than buying the day old chicks and raising them in a brooding pen. The mama takes card of them and you never have to do a thing. BUT, the only problem is you end up with a lot of roosters that way. If you're looking to get more layers, this may not be the way to go. If you're looking to just put them in the freezer, it's great.

Now, if summer would just hurry and get here! I'll miss the chickens, but I think I'll survive the summer without them this time. Next year may be a different story.

~Lisa

Sunny Patch!!

2009-04-09T13:24:00.004-05:00

I have an eBay store. It's called Kid Kadoodle.

It's not much of one, but there are plenty of cute things in there for any mother to choose from. And the prices aren't bad. Unfortunately, competition is brutal on eBay. I think my prices are competitive, but I just don't seem to be getting the exposure I would like.

Anyway, I'm excited to be adding to my inventory! Melissa and Doug has come out with a line called Sunny Patch. I think it's a line that use to be sold in Target. Not too clear on that. But I have never seen such adorable things!!! And the qualtiy....well, Melissa and Doug do not put out junk. Their toys are quality! Here's sneak peak.....

OK, that's all I'm willing to show you. So, so cute, huh? There are so many other items in the line, but I just couldn't purchase much more than I did. Business needs to pick up some.

Anyway, I haven't listed any of those items as of yet, but I'm hoping to have some time today or tomorrow to get those items up.

I'm also going to open up my own online store outside of eBay soon. Hopefully, I'll be able to add more items as business picks up. I have several things in mind to sell, including my Vermont Baby bibs. Just need money, that's all. Isn't that what we all need?

No?

Just me?

~Lisa

Vomit, birthdays, and other fun stuff...

2009-04-03T10:36:00.008-05:00

~~I'm the worst mother in the world~~ I need a really good long nap. I have had 2 little ones have birthdays since my last blog post, but haven't added birthday posts. Partly because when Mark turned 3 on the 13th, just about everyone was getting over a trip to Vomit City, USA....a mother of many's worst nightmare. OK, I suppose there could be worse things than 4 kids vomiting at literally the same time, all night long. But at the time, it just didn't seem possible.

It all started on Thursday March 12th. First ,Anna started vomiting around 8 pm. She made it to the toilet, thank God. She felt better, so we put her to bed. Since I was planning on a solo trip to Texas for a week long getaway all my self the following Monday, I said a little prayer that anyone here who is going to get it, gets it before I leave, so that my husband, who ~~gets psychosematic nausea~~ doesn't do well with vomit, wouldn't have to deal with it. Well, all I can say is be careful what you ask for.

By 10 pm, Mark was vomiting....all over his crib. Blech. While I was cleaning him up, Jonathan came out to inform me that he threw up....all over his bed. Joy. More throw up to clean up. But before I could clean up Jonathan's bed, I had to catch more Anna throw up in a bucket. So, after getting everyone cleaned up, I set up the infirmery in the living room with Jonathan, and Mark, caught a few more bucket fulls, than had to run up and clean up the next patient, Erika, who....yes, you guessed it....threw up all over her bed.

While I was up there cleaning HER up, Mark vomited on the sofa (which was thankfully covered with a blanket). So, I moved Erika down to the infirmery thinking that the three would have to be together so I wouldn't have to run up and down the stairs nursing everyone back to health.
Nope. I was wrong.

Anna continued to throw up through the night, plus I had to dump and rinse buckets, so I was up and down the stairs no less than 20-30 times before I gave up and left everything in the buckets.

Have you ever seen vomit ballet? No? Let me paint a picture...I'm sitting on the floor holding a bucket for one vomiter while holding one leg up to keep another, (who is flailing his body around in his sleep because he's about to vomit, too) in order to keep him from falling off of the sofa. This position felt quite unnatural, but what I did next seemed so graceful, I think it could be considered ballet. I set the barf bucket down, and gracefully leaned over to grab the bucket for the flailing, falling off the sofa child and caugh his barf just in time. It was quite a lovely, perhaps poetic movement, I'm sure.

NOT.

Anyway, when the sun finally did rise, I found out that my poor husband was sick upstairs, too. He's lucky, though. He has a great prescription for anti-nausea meds that keeps his vaso-vagal syncope under control.
So, on Friday the 13th, which happend to be Mark's birthday, everyone was just laying around looking zombie like, and drinking gatorade and eating jello. Not a fun birthday for Mark, but he really didn't know the difference. Here' are a couple of pictures taken the day after his birthday when he got to open some presents.

He wouldn't look into the camera, but no matter....he has the most scrumptious eyelashes!

After my trip to Texas we celebrated Erika's 5th birthday! Here she is!

*crickets chirping*

Well, apparently Blogger won't let me add any more pictures for some reason. The add photo button all of the sudden won't work, so I'll have to add the photo in another post. Sorry.

Love,
Lisa

Happy Birthday, Anna!!

2009-03-10T10:30:00.006-05:00

Anna. Our "Sweet Petite". I don't know why we call her that. She was the second biggest baby we had, weighing in at 9 lb.s 4 oz. But she's petite now, I guess. And sweet. And seven years old!!!

She chose Fish and Chips for her birthday meal. It's a tradition we have, that the birthday person picks whatever they want for dinner that day. Sort of like the last meal prisoners on death row get to choose right before....well, you know.

And we didn't forget to butter her nose. Also, a tradition we have. Not sure what it means, but we do it anyway.

Happy Birthday, Sweetie Pie!

Funny Quote of the Day...

2009-03-09T20:25:00.005-05:00

OK, before I share this quote, I just want to say that, I know I can be a little slow sometimes. After all, I use to think elbow grease was an actual grease you applied to your elbows. I also use to think that being "in cognito" meant being in an actual place, like being "in Kansas".
Anyway, I just learned where the word "Blog" comes from! It's short for "Web Log". WEB.... LOG..... weblog.... weBLOG.... BLOG.

Never mind. On to our quote of the day.

This comes from Erika, our soon to be 5 year old.

"Mmmm....Mommy, this smells soooo good. It smells like octopus hair!"

The End

Heat Wave....and other photos!

2009-03-07T17:33:00.006-05:00

Here in Vermont we still have a ways to go before it actually feels like spring. It's one of the things I despise most about this place. But today we had a heat wave! It got to 50 degrees!!! When it gets that warm in the winter, the three stooges go out to play....in the snow....with NO coat! Yes, it might as well be a spring day except there's still snow all over the place. They loved it.

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We have talent in this house, I'll tell ya! Mark has learned to balance a spoon on his nose. I'm so proud of this extraordinary achievement! Now, all 6 of them can do it. I'll have to get a photo of all of them with spoons hanging off of their noses. I'm thinking Christmas card!

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And last but not least....this picture speaks for itself. But I'm thinking it needs a name. Something like "Facing Your Worst Fears". Or "It's Like Looking In The Mirror". Or "My Teeth Are Bigger Than Yours!". What do you think?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Lisa

Momsense AND DADsense!

2009-02-23T17:55:00.003-05:00

Most of us have seen this video
(DON'T FORGET TO PAUSE THE MUSIC AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE FIRST)

But now, there's DADsense! This is too funny!

Sunsets!

2009-02-10T14:44:00.003-05:00

Still having fun with Photoshop. Here are some beautiful Vermont sunsets I took about a year or more ago. Enjoy!

Really....Last one!

2009-01-18T14:53:00.003-05:00

Here's my toothless wonder, Anna. The original, straight out of the camera is just beautiful, but, you know me.....

I brightened her eyes, whitened her teeth, softened her skin a bit, and brought out more of the pink tones in her skin.

Before and After...

OK, now leave me alone, photoshop!! I have laundry to do!
Lisa

2009-01-18T13:59:00.003-05:00

OK, last one....for today. Honest.

This is a tree in our side yard. The photo is pretty good the way it is, but I thought it could use a color boost.

So, I cropped it and increased the saturation to bring out the blue in the sky, which also brought out the blue in the snow. But photoshop helped me to get the blue out of the now in the trees.

I also burnt the edges of the picture ever so slightly to bring out the tree. Not too bad, eh?

Before and After...

OK, I think I'll stop for today, right after I figure out how to get the snow to look smooth instead of having all those ugly snow mobile tracks in them.

Lisa

Another Photoshop Editing Job

2009-01-18T09:47:00.003-05:00

Here is a picture of Elyse and Mark we took last week at Grandma's house.

Notice how dark the foreground is. The background is very light so the flash didn't go off. But that's ok when you have photoshop. *smile*

So, I cropped it and made some adjustments to the lighting and color, sharpened Elyses face, took some of the redness out of her complection (it was very cold and they were out sledding), and voila!

What a difference! Photoshop allowed me to take a photo that wasn't all that great, and turn it into something worth framing!

Before...

After!

I'm having so much fun!

Lisa

I Love Photoshop!!

2009-01-16T10:20:00.004-05:00

So, I got a new toy! We invested in Photoshop CS4 and I just can't get enough of it. It will take me a life time to learn how to use most of the tools in it, but I'm having fun learning.

Here's something I just did. Below is a photo I took of Elyse around Christmas. Those of you who got Christmas cards from us might remember this picture on the card. Well, I edited those Christmas card photos online on a neat site called Picnik.com. Great site, but it's not photshop!

To show you what I recently did in photoshop I'll show you the straight out of the camera shot with no editing.

Before photoshop....

And after photoshop!

Wow! OK, Elyse would never wear this much make up in real life. But I added this much only because I am trying to learn how to use this new toy of mine.

I think I'm addicted. Is that a bad thing?

Lisa

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow??

2008-12-17T13:26:00.007-05:00

I'm not one to "love" snow. Sure, it's beautiful....but only from the inside of our Shoe, in my humble opinion. OK, not really. Wait...yes, really.

I can't make up my mind.

You see, it can be a long and miserable winter here in Vermont. Not being able to come and go as I please gets old after a month of winter. Or, the end of fall...like now. That depresses me more thinking that winter hasn't even officially arrived!!

So, this morning, I took a very very short walk outside around our Shoe after moving the vehicles so that my husband could plow the snow off the drive way. It was so pretty out, and so quiet and peaceful (unlike the inside of the Shoe).

So, I took a few pictures of things I found lovely to look at. Here ya go!

Have I ever mentioned I want to be a photographer when I grow up?

I do love virgin snow. It always reminds us of how the Lord forgives our sins and washes us clean, like pure white snow. It's a beautiful truth.....and a beautiful sight.

Love,
Lisa

King of ALL Chicken Wing Eaters...

2008-12-16T22:30:00.010-05:00

We love wings at our house. Especially hot wings! Especially these wings! But, because we have ~~several little rugrats~~ a few small children in the house, I always make some without the spicy sauce.

Who do you think stripped these bones clean?

Would you believe MARK did??? This child loves wings! He'll even eat them spicy. But I don't give him much more than a little bite of the spicy ones because I know it may upset his tummy.

It wasn't long ago I had to peel all the meat off for him so that he could eat them. Not any more.

This kid goes to town while eating wings! He would eat the bones if I let him. He often eats all the gristle off the ends. He's like his mama. I love gristle.

One for each hand.

Yummy, aren't they, baby boy??

I love watching him eat. He thoroughly enjoys his food. But ya know what the best part about Mark and this particular wing meal was?

OK, Besides his BIG brown eyes....

His dinner attire.

But his yummy plump baby thighs will have to be a totally different post altogether! It would be completely wrong to write anything about his BEEFY thighs in a CHICKEN WING post!

Wouldn't you agree?

Love,

Lisa

Just finish the story...

2008-11-18T20:15:00.003-05:00

In school today, I asked Jonathan to do a simple task. I started a story for him and asked him to simply finish it. I just didn't know what I was asking for.

It went something like this...

Me: "Bobbie and his mother needed eggs, bread and milk from the store. So, they got into the car and drove to the store. OK, now Jonathan...finish the story for me."

Jonathan: Taking a moment to think "Bobbie and his mom brought a baby with them. They unbuckled the baby from the carseat and put him in a cart. Then they went shopping. Then the baby was gone and they could not find him. Then they called the police to look for the baby. The police man looked for the baby and saw someone with the baby. The police man took the baby from the person and he wanted to keep the baby. Then Bobbie and his mom saw a head that looked like their baby and they found the police man with the baby. They said "Give me my baby back!", but the police man wanted to keep the baby. So then, Bobbie and his mom took the baby...and they lived happily ever after."

Oiy.

And would you believe, after Anna finished the same story with something like, "Then they bought the food and gave money to the lady at the front, then they went home.", he actually rolled his eyes and said, "Anna! You have to say 'And they lived happily ever after' when you're done!"

I just love homeschooling.

Lisa

Help for Growing Families! Family Calendar

2008-11-17T11:34:00.009-05:00

Without this calendar we would all be lost. Sure, at one time I used a regular cute flip open calendar, but with my growing family it was never big enough.

So, I went to Staples and bought a huge desk calender. You know...the big ones that you lay on your desk. It usually has black corner protectors on it, but I take those off.

I use business card magnets I had from mail offers or ones I picked up here and there and tape them to the back of this large calender and put it up on the side of my refrigerator, but it can be put up on the wall if you have room.

I also keep a clip at the top with appt. cards on it. I'm not sure why I keep those there, because I have everything on the calendar, but I've used this clip for other things like business cards, invitations, driving directions, etc., and I keep a pencil at the top of the clip.

In years past, I actually had colored markers/pens, and had a specific color assigned to each person, but as the family grew, ~~my brain shrunk~~ it became more difficult for me to remember who had what color, so now I just put the person's name next to the appt./activity.

And toward the end of the year when apppointments are made before I can get the new years calendar, I just jot down the appt. at the bottom of Decembers calender in the space for notes. So, when I finally buy the desk calender I can transfer those appointments and not miss anything.

This is the handiest thing for our family, and we all use it!

Head on over to Ship Full O' Pirates for more Help For Growing Families!

Lisa

Compliments

2008-11-14T19:27:00.004-05:00

Today was full of compliments from some of my children. I thought I would share.

Jonathan: [Rubbing my arm] "Mommy, you're skin is smoother than the counter top."

***********************************

Anna: [With her arm around my waist, grabbing a hold of my ~~love handle~~ waist] "Mommy, what is this?"

Me: "What do you think it is?"

Anna: "Fat"

***********************************

Erika: [Hugging me] "Mommy, if you have shoes with socks on, and no pants you look nice."

I think I'll go rub on some more counter polish, put my pants on, and do some crunches now.

Lisa

A Shiner!

2008-11-14T09:43:00.005-05:00

It was a close fight, my tough little man!

When I walked in Mark was winning. He was almost up on his opponenet, trying to climb the guy. What a grip! Then without warning, the enemy threw his tall frame forward knocking Mark to the ground face up. All I could hear was the "thunk" of his little head hitting that hard floor. The mother in me could hold back no longer, so I ran to my ~~baby's~~ son's rescue, but before I could get to him, this rival lunged forward and landed his seat right on Mark's eye!

I had half a mind to grab the rival and sit on him... but I refrained, and tended to my ~~son~~ baby, as any mother with a heart would.

And this rival.... You might be wondering ~~what~~ who it is, huh? Well, I got his picture before I personally grabbed him and shoved him under the breakfast bar.

Don't try to look innocent, Mr. Bar Stool! You're no friend of mine!

WFMW ~ Hiding Stains

2008-11-11T14:28:00.007-05:00

Most of us have had this happen, right? You buy a new pair of pants for your little girl (or boy, for that matter), and instruct them to NOT PLAY OUTSIDE in them. I bought my daughter a beautiful pair of pink Levis a few summers ago, and said the same thing. She wore them once, and there were instant stains. I could not get them out. I was about to put these pants into the play clothes drawer, when I got this idea.

First cut the pants into crop pants or capris, if you want. The stains on these pants were pretty bad around the ankles, so I cropped them.

Then I took some cute fabric I had that had bugs and flowers on it, and made them into appliques. You have to iron the fabric onto some stablizer. Then cut them out, iron them onto the fabric, and use a sewing machine to applique them on, using pretty color thread that coordinates with the colors in the fabric.

I also had several cute iron-on lady bugs that went nicely with the fabric. I ironed those onto some smaller stains.

Then I used some ribbon and trimmed the pants below the knees and...

up out of the back pockets for a cute effect. These didn't hide any stains, but I thought it really brought the whole look together. Don't you?

One thing I didn't get a picture of was the cute belt I made for this. I just used the rest of the red gingham ribbon, put it through the belt loops and tied a bow. That's it!

You can really use this idea for many many things....like hiding small stains on nice shirts or dresses. You could hide small holes, too. Younger boys might like something like this, without the ribbon, of course (and the pink!). Also, if you don't use a sewing maching, you could maybe just cross-stitch the applique's on, or just use iron on patches. Either way, it works for me!

Check out more WFMW ideas at Rocks In My Dryer.

Lisa

Dip Lips

2008-11-10T12:57:00.003-05:00

Me: "Erika, have you been eating Sissy's dip?"

Erika: "Dip?"

Me: "Yes, dip."

Erika: "Dip?"

Me: "Erika? Why did you eat more of Sissy's dip?"

Erika: (Looks around, anxious for a good answer) "Um....I didn't."

Actually, she didn't. It turns out she just licked all the dip off of her plate and got it all over her cute little face. I just had to take a picture. Notice the container of dip in the background on the table??? Hmmmm.......

Lisa

Is Your Marriage Fireproof?

2008-11-08T19:12:00.005-05:00

If you could recommend one movie to everyone, what would it be?

Yesterday, Todd and I went to see the new movie, Fireproof. If you haven't heard of this movie, here's the trailer. Remember to pause the music at the bottom of this page before playing the trailer.

If you see only one more movie for the rest of your life, this needs to be it! If you don't think this movie is for you, you need to see it! If you're married, single, divorced, young, old... you need to see it!

Believe me, you need to see this movie. And bring a box of tissues with you. Don't wait till it comes out on video. This movie will change your life. Has a movie ever changed your life? If no, go see this movie. If you're ready for a change, YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

And....have I mentioned that you really really need to see this movie?

You do. You just do.

I wish I could tell you what it's about. The trailer does NOT do it justice. I don't want to give anything away. Just go see it.

Lisa
go see it!

Toilets, Toothbrushes, and Toddlers

2008-11-07T10:52:00.005-05:00

Need I say more?

We knew something was in that toilet. It kept overflowing after one of Mark's attempts to flush something down it. I caught him red handed! I just didn't catch what he put in the toilet before he flushed.

Well, after using the plunger on this toilet for about a month, we decided to pull it and try to get what was in it.

We tried.

Really, we did.

We used a hose, springy things my husband has in the garage, wires, our hands...but with no luck. We just didn't need the expense of purchasing another toilet, but couldn't keep this toilet out of commission on a permanent basis (or could we.....no wait, it's too late).

So, we couldn't resist....

Go for it, Babe!

The culprit....a toothbrush.

We have no idea whose toothbrush it is or where it came from. All downstairs toothbrushes are accounted for. We suspect it's a toothbrush that belongs to our neice, who came for a visit a few months ago and left it here. We're just not sure. But we are definitely sure we won't be returning it to her.

Now Mark, what do you have to say for yourself????

Oh, never mind.

Politics

2008-10-31T16:09:00.003-05:00

I'm not much for talking politics. There's so much I don't understand about it. My wonderful husband explains much of it to me, but I must be honest and say, it's all still so foreign to me. It should be higher on my priority list of things to learn and understand, but it isn't.
There's one thing I do know... I will never vote for someone who supports the right to choose. The thought of abortion is bad enough, but the words in the following video sickens me to the depths of my soul.
Obama has already promised that, "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act," immediately eliminating over 500 abortion restrictions passed by the 50 states. Please watch this video. Then watch the second video. Neither videos contain any graphic images. If you are pro-life, but are unsure who to vote for, I urge you to VOTE FOR LIFE!
Remember to pause the music at the bottom of this page before watching the videos.

"Barack Obama is THE MOST EXTREME PRO-ABORTION CANDIDATE EVER to seek the office of President of the United States. Indeed, he is the most extreme pro-abortion legislator ever to serve in either house of the United States Congress." (Dr. Robert P. George, Princeton University)

Lisa

Me....Get a Blog Award????

2008-10-31T07:42:00.004-05:00

Well.... it just seems ~~ridiculous~~ silly, since I have no followers... yet, and I don't blog daily... yet, but, YES, I'LL TAKE IT! WooHoo! Thanks Christine, for sending this to me!

So, I'm suppose to list just 7 things I'm thankful for and send this award on to 7 others.

My salvation. I thank Christ everyday for taking my place on that cross and dying in my place. It's a gift I don't deserve, but I have gratefully received it and look forward to my heavenly home someday!

My husband, who is such a hard worker, a wonderful husband, and such a good dad! I don't deserve him. He seems to love me no matter how badly I mess things up, or how awful I look, or how grumpy I can get... He's also a gift I think I'll keep.

My 6 children, who bring joy to my life and the wonderful chaos to our shoe. *smile* Each one is so unique and such a blessing. Without them, my life would be empty.

My parents, who gave me life. Without them, I wouldn't be here. Haha! Ok, seriously... my parents love my husband and my children and have always loved me, even when I was most unlovable. I will always be grateful to them for everything they do for my family.

Our ~~Shoe~~ Home. I'm so thankful for the beautiful land my husband works so hard everyday for us to have. We have a breath taking view and 15+ acres for our children to play on.

My church. It's taken us years to find a good church. A good church that truly preaches the Word of God, a good church that supports our decision to homeschool our children, a church that isn't all about entertainment, a church that isn't afraid to hold others accountable for their actions, a church that accepts us as part of their family.

My friends and family. I have wonderful friends, and I have wonderful family. AND, I have wonderful friends that are family! The time the give, the prayers they offer up, the meals they have made, and the fact that they like me for who I am makes me so grateful for this life I have been given.

I don't personally know anyone else that blogs, but I do read a few on a regular basis. I don't have 7 (does that disqualify me?) that I want to share this with, mainly because most of the blogs I read already have a ton of awards and they don't know me from anyone, but would like to pass this on to:

Teri

Jerri (who just gave birth to her 13th blessing!!)

Lisa

My daughter Elyse

OK, so I'm pretending there's a loud roar of applause in the back ground. *bows once, twice...and the curtain closes* ;o)

Lisa

Works For Me Wednesday!

2008-10-15T15:28:00.003-05:00

This is a simple thing, really, but it has been a life saver and a money saver for me.

We have 8 people in our family and one of those "family size" soup cans just isn't quite enough. 2 of them makes too much, and a family size and 1 small can is even too much unless everyone is starving for a lot of soup (which is rare). So, I just make one large family size can of soup (adding the one can of water to it), and I add a can of chicken broth to it. This makes just enough for the tummies wanting soup with their lunch. It's cheap and works for me!

For more great Works For Me Wednesday tips, go to Rocks In My Dryer.

Lisa

National Day of Rememberance For Pregnancy and Infant Loss

2008-10-15T13:37:00.004-05:00

My story...

We had 6 beautiful babies, all with healthy, uneventful, full term pregnancies. Nothing should have caused us to be concerned about possibly losing a baby to miscarriage. Sure, we knew there was always a possibility, but we didn't feel we were at risk. After all, I was about the most fertile person we knew!

We found out we were expecting our 7th child when Mark was 14 months old. The timing of this pregnancy was right about where we expected it to happen. We were happy. I remember feeling a bit reserved with my happy feelings, only because having 6 was getting pretty stressful. But years ago we had decided the Lord knew best when to send a baby.
At just 5 1/2 weeks, there was spotting. Never happened to me before. I'll never forget the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. Not me! Not this baby!! Late that night, I began to miscarry. I was so very sad...and felt guilty. Guilty for having reservations....for feeling stressed about more children. I know that's not why I lost our baby. But I just couldn't shake those feelings.

I named her Sarah.

One month later we were surprised to be expecting our 8th. We were a bit concerned this time, so we weren't so fast to share our news. I had a quick ultrasound at 5 1/2 weeks and all seemed to be measuring on target for that early. I was feeling great and having all the wonderful symptoms....as the weeks past, the worrying began to subside. We told a few people. I mean, what were the chances of ME having two miscarriages in a row???
At 11 1/2 weeks there was spotting. An ultrasound showed our baby had no heartbeat. The baby measured 8-9 weeks and was perfectly formed. He had a tiny nose, arms and fingers, and I could see his knee. I wish I had thought to ask for the picture, but I didn't. I just kept hearing the Dr.'s words over and over..."I'm sorry, Lisa. There doesn't seem to be a fetal heartbeat." Not Me! Not this baby!!! I miscarried 5 days later. It was a horrible experience and I probably should have gone to the hospital, but I didn't. I'm thankful Todd was with me.

I named him Matthew.

2 months later we once again found ourselves pregnant with #9!! This time I was using Progesterone cream because I suspected my levels were low. This is something that can be purchased over the counter and is safe to use. I once again felt great....a little too great. I didn't have any symptoms and desperately wanted to. The progesterone cream is suppose to help with symptoms of pregnancy, but with having 2 losses already, I wanted to feel everything.
Then, at 7 weeks the spotting began. I went in hoping for an ultrasound, but they only drew blood to measure my hcg levels (pregnancy hormones). The levels were high at over 3200. At this point in pregnancy the hcg levels are suppose to double every 48 hours, so I had to go in again 2 days later for another blood test. This time, instead of being doubled, the numbers were only in the 900's, indicating our baby was gone. I stopped using the progesterone cream, and quickly miscarried.

I named him Jeremiah.

We just didn't know what to do at this point. We felt the medical community just looked at me and saw an older woman with 6 kids who didn't need any more. No one wanted to help us. I practically begged for tests. They obliged, but they didn't offer any help. I was tired of being patted on the head.

There haven't been any other pregnancies that we know of. The Lord is still in control and He could send another baby our way. My feeling is that our quiver is indeed full, and we are ok with that, if the Lord wants it that way. If He sends another baby, we're ok with that, too. He has always taken care of us and seen us through the tough times with a shoe full of kids. Our trust is in Him.

Please remember those you know who have lost a baby. Pray for them today. If you are someone who has experienced the loss of an infant, through miscarriage, SIDS, or any other way, I'm praying for you. No matter how long it has been, it still hurts, but our Lord is the Great Comfortor! He heals our hurts and carries us when we just can't walk any longer. I'm so thankful to be one of His children.

…and provide for those who grieve in Zion-

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair…

Isaiah 61:2-3
(Verse taken from Angies blog)

Lisa

I Dare You!

2008-10-11T21:16:00.001-05:00

Put The Big Red Button on your site

Fall in Vermont

2008-10-07T14:16:00.007-05:00

The fall is a popular season for tourists to visit Vermont. We call them "Leaf Peepers". Not every year is as colorful as this year has been. The photos below don't give it justice. It's literally breath taking to see these beautiful colors. The pictures below were taken a couple of weeks ago right before the peek of the colors. Enjoy!

And what good is a post about Life in Vermont without adding a picture of cows!!

Love,
Lisa

In public with a broken foot...

2008-09-07T15:38:00.002-05:00

(a passer by says...)
*gasping* "Oh my! What did you do to your foot?"

(my response...)
*smiling* "Oh, you see...I was chasing my two year old after church, and I put my foot half on and half off the sidewalk, which caused my foot to buckle over and break."

A few moments later...

(a passer by says...)
*gasping* "Oh my! What did you do to your foot?"

(my response...)
*still smiling* "Oh, you see...I was chasing my two year, and I put my foot half on and half off the sidewalk, and CRUCH....it broke."

A few moments later...

(a passer by says...)
*gasping* "Oh my! What did you do to your foot?"

(my response...)
*half smiling* "I was chasing my two year old, and I put my foot half on and half off the sidewalk, and CRUCH."

A few moments later...

(a passer by says...)
*gasping* "Oh my! What did you do to your foot?"

(my response...)
*fake half-smiling* "I was chasing my kid, and I broke my foot."

A few moments later...

(a passer by says...)
*gasping* "Oh my! What did you do to your foot?"

(my response...)
*not smiling anymore - just slowing down a bit to say...* "I was chasing my kid, and it broke."

A few moments later...

(a passer by says...)
*gasping* "Oh my! What did you -"

(my response...)
*cutting them off - did NOT stop at all...actually sped up - definitely NOT smiling* "Broke it."

A few moments later...

(a passer by says...)
*gasping* "Oh my! What did you do to your foot?"

No response.

Lisa ;o)

The Broken Foot....one week later

2008-09-03T15:53:00.002-05:00

These pictures were taken on Sunday, a week after the terrible tragedy. Went to the dr. yesterday and was told to stay off of it for another 3 weeks!!!!! OHHHHH! Have I mentioned I really hate these ~~crunches~~ crutches???? Maybe I should take a picture of the raw skin on my under arms.

Can you tell which foot is the broken one? I honestly can't believe how swollen it still is! Believe it or not, I did use to have an ankle on that foot.

Still quite a bit bruised, too.

~Lisa

Alex is 15!!!

2008-08-27T15:24:00.001-05:00

Our first born son.....2nd child, emerged from my body into his daddy's arms on August 27th, 1993, weighing in at 8 lbs. 2 oz. with a head full of black hair. What a sweety. His skin was red and he looked like a little indian baby. We called him our little indian boy (among other cute baby hood names, but I won't go there.....I must protect the innocent).

~~Chunk-Chester~~ Alex is an excellent artist and is a wiz at science. ~~Poindexter~~ Alex also has finally grown taller than his very tall sister, Elyse....by about a hair. :o)

~~Buck~~ He works along side Todd every moment we can get him to and is learning a lot so that one day he can train his own sons to be Mr. fix-its.

~~Tiger Cub~~ Alex loves to read and is a huge help to me with the younger kids.

~~Chunkster~~ Alex chose Lamb Chops for his birthday meal. We were all able to share this meal, but now we're broke and thankful we don't celebrate any more birthdays till March! Whew!

I love you, ~~Love Muffin~~ Son!

Elyse is 19 today!

2008-08-26T15:10:00.000-05:00

August 26th, 1989...our first miracle came into this world. I just can't believe that was 19 years ago. She was the tiniest one of our 6 pack, weighing in at 7 lbs. 15 oz. She is a wonderful pianist and loves to do sign language to praise music. She is growing into a beautiful young woman and I'm so thankful to be her mother.

Elyse chose crab legs as her birthday meal (what's with these expensive meals my kids are choosing????!) and not only got her nose buttered, but her eyes as well. I guess I was just trying to shake things up a bit. :o)

Happy Birthday, Sweetness!

How To Decorate A Boot...

2008-08-25T16:29:00.008-05:00

1. First, show love, tenderness, compassion and concern.

2. Then, get the stickers out and get creative!

3. Stand back and... Voila! The finished product!

4. And, and don't forget to put on a happy face, of course.

Love,
Lisa

Maybe we should call it "Life In A BOOT"??

2008-08-25T08:46:00.009-05:00

A boot? Yes! A boot. That's what I'll be "living" in for the next few weeks. I was chasing Mark around after church, trying to keep him out of trouble (I've decided that's next to impossible), when I stepped half on and half off the sidewalk and buckled my foot over, which apparently broke it (my foot, not the sidewalk). I felt a crunch and then ~~slammed~~ fell to the ground as if someone snatched my legs out from under me.
We have a few firefighters and EMT's, as well as a nurse at our church. No need to call 911. :o) Within minutes I had ice on it and young men helping into my van, and an EMT and firefighter assessing the tragedy. No one could determine whether it was broken or not, but shortly after getting home, the swelling had gotten worse and my foot turned a beautiful shade of blue. So, off to the ER we went where the nurse referred to the swelling on my foot as a globe. OK, it really wasn't that big.
X-rays were taken and it was determined my foot was "busted", as the dr. put it. I got a pretty black boot and shiney silver ~~crotches~~ ~~crunches~~ crutches and they turned me over to the ever loving care of my wonderful husband.

This morning, Anna, Erika, and Jonathan were disappointed I didn't have a cast for them to draw on, so they have decorated my boot with about 1000 stickers (pictures coming soon).

What a way to start the week. My sale is in about 3 weeks. Hopefully, I'll be done with the ~~crotches~~ ~~crunches~~ crutches by then and will be able to hobble around with just the boot.

Here are some photos of my foot and me being pitiful in the ER. Enjoy.

Lisa

Our Jonny Boy is 8!

2008-08-20T14:44:00.001-05:00

Our third born....2nd son....my how time flies. Jonathan Todd was born at 9:10 am on August 20th, 2000, just one day past his due date. He weighed in at a hefty 9 lbs. 14 oz.!!! Our biggest baby.

Today he's still a big boy and eats most everything in sight, as he always has. He love to ride his bike and pester his siblings. He reads pretty well and loves to draw.

Jonathan also loves to ponder things. For instance....the other day, he asked Todd a few questions that were difficult to answer, like, "Daddy...are mice afraid of heights?" The other day he asked, "Mommy, when you swallowed your babies to put them into your tummy, did you swallow them whole, or did you chew them up?"

Hmmmmmmmm........................ those are tough (the questions...not the babies).

As a family tradition, each birthday person gets his/her nose buttered and the dinner of his/her choice. So, Jonathan chose Lobster. Unfortunately, the lobster was served to only him. The rest of us ate ~~bread and water~~ other things. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy. ~Lisa

Happy birthday, Juicy Jo!

Christmas Money Saving Tip!

2008-08-19T09:57:00.004-05:00

**This originally happened a few weeks ago, and I sent this slightly embellished story out to my friends. Here it is for everyone in Blogville to see! Enjoy!

Hi Everyone!

With gas prices soaring sky high and Christmas quickly approaching I thought I would share and idea I had today that might help those of us who need to find creative ways to save money during the holidays without taking away the joy and excitement our children all have every Christmas morning.

Today Todd and I felt it was high time we cleaned out from behind, and underneath, the sofa. We have a large sectional sofa and used to make it a point to clean it out each year around spring. But ever since our 6th child came along (he's 2 now), it just didn't seem as much of a priority and we didn't seem to ever have the time.

Well, I'm telling you.....it was great. We've decided to do this each year every Christmas morning! Some of you might say "Ewwwww!" But I do beg to differ. Let me explain. Have you ever found an old toy that your kids "forgot" about and had them react as if it were something new you just brought home from the toy store? It's just like that! Some of this stuff was perfectly good stuff. Yes, there was a lot popcorn and dust bunnies. Oh...and there was an apple core (or two) and a banana (ok, that really was gross). But aside from all of that, look at what else we found!

Anna and Erika got tons of hair barrettes and bracelets. Jonathan and Mark got about 20 match box cars and some legos. Alex got a pocket knife and some new underwear. Elyse got money and a few books. Not to mention all the crayons, markers, socks, DVD's, cassette tapes, toys, and candy they all shared.

Hey, Todd and I weren't left out. We got a missing remote, 2 pairs of scissors, a spoon, and 4 keys to our locking living room cabinets. And we still had bags of "wrappers" to pick up and throw away.....gum wrappers, candy wrappers, toy wrappers.....AND of course, what's Christmas without enjoying the sight of 6 precious children enjoying their new treasures. The smiles on their faces were priceless! And we didn't spend a single penny!

That's my money saving tip of the day. I'd like to see you top that one!

What Do We Do AAAAALLLLLL Winter???

2008-08-07T20:43:00.009-05:00

Many wonder what the kids do all winter long here in ~~Antarctica~~ Vermont. Why, they go uphill sledding, of course! This video has some of our kids in it.....somewhere. I won't try to tell you who is who, but I think Alex has a bright orange hat on, Anna has a bright pink hat, and bright pink snow pants on, Elyse has a light blue coat... Just enjoy watching. The guy in the very beginning is our pastor, and the sledding parties take place on his drive way. Wanna come for a visit? Don't forget to pause the music before viewing the video.

All Grown Up

2008-08-07T20:38:00.005-05:00

The is a video gift we gave Elyse for her graduation last year. Don't forget to go to pause the music before watching.

Chicken Soup

2007-11-09T14:45:00.001-05:00

Today was "Take the chickens to the slaughter" Day at the Manchesters. 20 of our older hens (or should I say 19 hens plus one rooster) enjoyed their last moments in the back of the pick-up in a cage driving down windy back roads to the chicken processors farm. I've never been before. I usually stay home and put them in the freezer when it's all done and over with. But today I was brave and made the trip with my wonderful husband. It was very ~~romantic~~ nice to have alone time with my honey. We take any kind of moment we can get.

Anyway, the chicken processing wasn't as bad as I thought it was. My job was to guard the opened cage, making sure the chickens didn't get too anxious to hop into the killing cones. The processors are very organized and only take in a few at a time. "Ladies, wait your turn!" I had to say. I didn't watch the killing. The sounds were bad enough. All the squaking and flapping of wings only lasted a few seconds, and soon turned into the sound of chicken feet scraping up against the metal killing cones. No more squaking. I apologized to a few of the hens as they waited their turn. I'm so glad they have tiny brains and had no idea what I was saying.

So what's for dinner in our shoe tonight? Chicken soup! Mmmmm.....Mmmmmm.....Good!

Meet The Shoe Dwellers ~ Mark

2006-10-14T15:27:00.001-05:00

Awwww.....don't you just love babies? This one just melts my heart into a big pile of mushy nothingness. Mark is our 3rd born son and 6th child. He weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz. and was not born at home as we had hoped. My 20 week ultrasound found a complete previa, so we decided to discontinue seeing our homebirth midwife and go to a local Nurse Midwife who would deliver us in the hospital's birthing center. The previa migrated, praise God, and Mark's hospital delivery was wonderful.
Mark was 7 months old yesterday!!! He has 3 teeth, can crawl and sit up, says mama and dada, and thinks my boobs are balloons that need blowing up. Either that, or he'll be a trumpet player when he is grown. Ugh! Mark is generally happy most of the time, except for when he's not. ;o) We call him our high needs child, as he seems to need more of everything......except for sleep. Ok, I take that back. He is doing much better than he had been. But he can still sometimes manage to keep the rocking chair warm and rocking in the bedroom during the wee hours of the night some nights! But oh is he scrumptious! He weighs about 22-23 lbs. now. Still exclusively breastfed. I've become one of those mamas that chooses to wait longer before introducing solids. My experience has shown me that babies who eat solids tend to drink less breastmilk. They also can get constipated if their digestive system is not completely matured enough to tolerate solids. Plus, feeding solids means another thing to do during the day and a small, but nonetheless added expense to the grocery bill. So, I usually wait till around the 8th or 9th month.
Mark has killer brown eyes like both of his brothers. Not sure what his hair color will be yet, but it looks to be a medium to dark brown color.....what little he has.
I just love the first year of a baby's life. I love the look in his eyes when he sees something for the first time, or experiences something for the first time, or hears something......I just can't get enough. I'm so thankful the Lord has chosen to trust us with this precious little boy.

Meet The Shoe Dwellers ~ Erika

2006-10-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

Erika. (AKA, Scream-ika). Yes, you read that right. If a screaming contest existed she would surely win in these categories: Endurance, regularity, and decibel level. Oh yes, she's cute, but oh so ~~LOUD~~ vocal. Erika is our 3rd born daughter and fifth child and weighed 8 lbs. 15 oz. at birth. She was born at home into her daddy's arms. It was our first homebirth and best delivery yet. If you haven't given birth at home, I highly recommend it if you are able!
Erika is 2 now and our most mischievous child. This child makes it her lot in life to keep us completely exhausted and continually calling out to Christ for wisdom. But we love her just the same and wouldn't trade her for anything....today.
Erika is the only one of our children with curly hair. Many of you may have several children with curls, but from a family of straight haired folks, the curls are just too precious. She gets it from both sides of our families.
Erika is currently at the potty training stage, and doing quite well! She can almost count to 10 and can almost recite the whole alphabet. She's a great eater and, like her big brother Jonathan, she loves spicy food.
A daddy's girl, and a mama's helper, she will continue to be, as she melts our hearts with that killer smile of hers, and that tippie-toed prance she has as she races toward the "dandy" (candy) bowl after a successful potty session. Ya just gotta love 2 year olds!

Memorizing ABC's and Books of the Bible

2006-10-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

When I have pre-schoolers just learning their alphabet song, I have found a great way to help them memorize it. Each time we brush teeth I sing the song to them. After a few weeks of singing it to them, I then begin to leave letters out and have them fill in the blank. "ABCDEF...." then I wait for them to fill in the blank. "HIJKLMNO...." and so on. After a couple of weeks of this, I leave more letters out, and before you know it, they can say it all by themselves! After they master the alphabet, we move on to the books of the Bible. I know there are several versions of this song. Find one you like and memorize it yourself if you haven't already. Sing it and leave books out, just like the alphabet song. They will have them memorized in just a few weeks! This has worked for me for 4 children so far!
Go and visit Rocks In My Dryer for more great tips!

Meet The Shoe Dwellers ~ Anna

2006-10-10T09:12:00.001-05:00

Our little "Annie". She's such a sweet, joyful, happy child. She is our second daughter and 4th child. She was our next largest baby, weighing 9 lbs. 4 oz. at birth. She was a chunky infant, but is now our "Sweet Petite". She loves to be called "Tiny" and loves when others refer to her body parts (hands and feet in particular) as tiny. She has blond hair and blue eyes just like her big sister, Elyse.
Anna is now 4 years old and enjoys all the typical little girly things....dolls, pretty clothes, legos, remote control race cars, and sword fighting with her brothers Jonathan and Alex. She's probably our most lovable and cuddly child. She often holds up her arms to me and says, "I want to hold you." She is also constantly trying to ~~smother~~ mother her newest little brother, Mark (intro coming soon). If she were a bit older, I would never be without a babysitter!!
Anna is our most outgoing child. She always has a smile for anyone who will give her a moment of their time. At the nursing home we visit weekly, she is sought after by all of the elderly ladies there. She talks their ears off. Many of them can't reply back to her sweetness, but we can tell they savor every moment of hearing that sweet little "tiny" voice tell them about her week.

Meet The Shoe Dwellers ~ Jonathan

2006-10-07T09:39:00.001-05:00

Jonathan is our 3rd child and 2nd born son. He was our biggest baby so far, weighing in at a hefty 9 lbs. 14 oz., and was 23 inches long. OUCH! He was such a HUGE infant! I don't know if it was my milk, or if the kid was just one of those fast growing varieties, but he was so big that he outgrew his infant carseat carrier before he was 4 months old. At his 4 month well visit he weighed 26 lbs. 7 oz.!!! At this time he was still exclusively breastfed.
Jonathan is 6 now and in the 1st grade in our homeschool. He enjoys drawing, legos, reading, spending time with his brother Alex, riding his two-wheeler, eating spicy food and just plain being a boy. Jonathan just recently lost his first tooth. He lost the second one about 2 days ago. He pulled them out himself with a piece of floss and didn't even flinch! What a brave guy he is!
Jonathan is our egg collector. It's his job to make sure all the eggs are collected from the chicken coop each day. He also feeds and waters our dog, Isabelle, every day. He's a big boy learning big boy responsibilities. He helps his daddy occassionally when it's time to stack wood.
Jonathan has made it clear that he wants to marry me one day. For now, my answer is always "YES!". Sad will be the day when he stops asking me.

A Funny Anna Saying....

2006-10-07T09:24:00.001-05:00

We have many chickens who produce many eggs for us. We sell them to passers-by for $2 a dozen. This summer we ventured into the world of broody hens hatching their own chicks. We managed to hatch 4 batches of chicks under their mama!
The other day we were discussing how the first batch of pullets were due to start laying sometime this month. Anna, who is 4, was listening in on our conversation. After mulling it all over, she asked with a curious look on her face...

"Mommy, when will Isabelle start laying eggs?"

Isabelle is our 10 year old German Shephard.

Meet The Shoe Dwellers ~ Alex

2006-10-06T09:14:00.001-05:00

Alex is our second born child....first born son. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 2 oz. and had a head full of black hair. His skin was so red, we called him our little indian boy (coincidently, he does have some Cherokee in him!). Having a boy was very different than having a girl. Just when I thought I had the mom thing figured out, Alex came along and proved me completely wrong. He was a curious one, alright. Always into something at the crack of dawn. We had a small incident where he climbed up onto the gas range one morning and laid across it on his belly while he emptied the cookie jar, which was on the counter next to the stove, and took a bite out of every cookie. Oh, and then there was the time when he emptied my purse and ate a whole pack of Dentine gum....OH, and then there was the time he broke all of the Christmas ornaments.....all in the wee hours of the morning while everyone else was asleep. Enter...the backwards door knob. We had to turn his door knob around and lock it from the outside to keep this kid from getting into everything! Thankfully, he has grown out of that and now spends his early mornings in bed.
Alex is 13 now and in the 8th grade in our homeschool. He absolutely loves to draw. I'm sure he will make a fine artist some day. He loves to learn Science and is quite good at it, I might add. He's finally big enough to lend his dad a hand with wood splitting and building sheds....you know...all that manly stuff. A fine young man he is turning out to be. He has become a person that we can depend on around here to keep things from falling apart. He's also my Mr. Fix-It when daddy is not around (thanks, honey!).

What We Do With Over-ripe Fruit

2006-10-04T07:03:00.001-05:00

If you have over ripe bananas, and maybe some apples or whatever kind of overly juicy leftover fruit might be lurking in your fruit bowl, just throw them in a blender and make a breakfast shake. I use 2-3 bananas, or 2 bananas with an apple or two, some ice...maybe 2 cups, about 2 cups of milk, 2-3 Tbsp. of sugar or your favorite sweetener, and few drops of vanilla extract. Blend till smooth (though my kids love a few chunks every once in a while). Drink quickly, as the bananas tend to become "rusty" in a short period of time. It's delicious and easier than trying to throw together a banana bread. Works for me! Check out more great tips over at Rocks in My Dryer!

Meet The Shoe Dwellers ~ Elyse

2006-10-02T21:04:00.001-05:00

Since I'm so new to the blogging world, and have virtually no hits (what does that mean, anyway?), I guess I'll start by introducing my family. I will introduce one person a day, which means there will be 8 posts, unless you include the dog and chickens. That would make 57 posts. I think I'll just stick to 8 with a possible 9th just for our doggie.

Elyse is our first blessing. She was born just 1 1/2 years into our marriage on August 26th, 1989. She weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. Our smallest baby. What a perfect baby she was, which was a Godsend, considering I was a first time mommy and very young. She never gave us a lick of trouble, and hardly ever a sleepless night. She has blond hair and blue eyes, which seemed a miracle to me, as I just assumed my genes (dark hair, skin and eyes) would be stronger and more dominant than my husbands (fair skinned, blue eyes, blond hair). We began homeschooling her at age 6 after a year in public school. She was a brilliant child, naturally, and remains so this day. She took up piano at the age of 10 and now at the age of 17 is quite accomplished, in my opinion. She plays for the worship service in our church from time to time. She is also learning ASL (American Sign Language) on her own, with hopes of learning more formally in the years to come. She also signs to praise music in our church occasionally. This is such a sight to see. The words of the songs seem to sink in deeper watching a person sign them, as well as listening to them. It's a ministry all it's own, and I'm so thankful the Lord has given Elyse this gift.
She is a senior in our homeschool this year. We are planning a graduation celebration sometime in June. We've had her senior portraits done recently. I wish I could scan one for you to see, as they came out LOVELY!!! But there is a copyright on them. :o( Understandably so.
Elyse will make a wonderful wife and mommy someday, as she is my right hand here in Our Shoe. She selflessly helps me with her younger siblings and does a wonderful job with meals when I can't (Thanks Sweetie!).
Elyse also works part time for the same software company her daddy works for. She gets up at the crack of dawn to get her school work done. Then it's off to the office (on the other side of the drive way) for a 3-4 hour work day. She is still in the process of getting her drivers license, but we aren't complaining. ;o)

What a great deal!

2006-09-23T09:19:00.001-05:00

I love getting good deals at the thrift shop. Well, on Thursday we all went to a museum in a little town near us. We don't frequent that particular town too often, so I'm not familiar with what is there for shopping. Anyway, just that morning as we were getting ready to go, I mentioned to Todd how Mark really needed some winter clothes. Though I have 2 older boys, many of their hand-me-downs aren't fitting Mark too well right now because Mark was born in March, and Jonny and Alex were born in August. So, as we left the museum a lady put a sign up with an arrow pointing to her little thrift shop behind a church. I would have never known it was there if it weren't for the sign. It's as if she was waiting for us to get to our van before putting out the sign. It was a sign advertising her summer clothes sale. Todd talked me into going in to see if there were any winter things. WOW!!! Am I glad I did. Look what I got!

5 Shirts
3 Pairs of overalls
4 Pairs of pants
2 One Piece Outfits
1 Snow suit
2 Pairs of shorts (for the girlies to wear under their dresses)
2 Ladies skirts for Elyse
2 Ladies tops (one for me, and one for Elyse)

All for the low low price of.......................................$9.50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WooooHoooo!!! Now that's a good deal in my book! The Lord is soooo Good.

Lisa

Chicken Pox Pie

2006-09-19T11:35:00.002-05:00

As I was assembling a Chicken Pot Pie for dinner the other night, Jonathan watched for a few moments until he figured out what I was doing. He then jumped up and down and said, "Yummy! Chicken POX pie!!!!" We fell over laughing!

Yes, it's a shoe sometimes!

2006-09-12T10:54:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone!
I'm very excited about doing this, though I know virtually nothing about blogging. I'm learning, though, and hope you'll take the time to check in on the latest happenings in our shoe. Some days I feel like the old woman who lived in a shoe! I'm thankful I can look back on those days and sometimes laugh. Now I can share our moments with you.

Blessings,
Lisa