Howdy!

Wow! I can't believe I'm finally updating after having figured out the new log in system. It's 1:50 am if that tells you how much time I have lately. The days seem to just fly by. I wish I could post a new picture of our little Darling but I lost the connection from the camera to the computer - Bummer! - so I can't get rid of the 700 pictures off my camera. Now my camera is refusing to turn on even with new batteries. I guess digital cameras are not totally hassle free.

Summer is soaring by like we were in a jet airplane. We have really enjoyed time at the cabin and time with friends and family. Dunk has been working out of state for the past four or five weeks. We are grateful for the work, but looking forward to his working instate again - hopefully in a couple of weeks. The kiddos have kept busy with friends and yard work. It didn't take the older kids as long this year to get used to the tube as they have in the past. The summer has had so many beautiful days for swimming and playing.

Our biggest events of the summer has been the boys and girls Gameathons hosted at our place. The Boys Gameathon was first with 18 boys in attendance. They arrived at 3 pm and left the following morning about 10 am. Only half the boys ended up being able to spend the night but that was fine. Each person brought two prizes and a snack to share. It was a takeoff on the theme of a marathon but with each person required to finish 26 games. They had a marathon mile keeper sheet to keep track of which mile they were on. It was a blast! The Girls Marathon was hosted the day after the boys and it was fun to see the differences in the ways they played. I most enjoyed the obstacle course and signature bingo. There were outside games like "pig" and "fish in the sea" as well as the typical indoor games. Dot did a ton of work organizing the events which will be put into good use again next year. Thanks, Dot!

Little Darling has grown so fast! She sits up now all by herself and loves to put everything in her mouth. All the other kids are very attentive to her needs and love her a ton! I've even had them walk by and remind me to be careful. :-) I just love watching siblings interact.

I really better catch a few winks. ;-)

Our Baby Arrives!!

Our little bit of heaven arrived Jan. 16th! Little Darling is such a sweet pea. Her big sister, Dot, has a fun update at www.xanga.com/Joy4Kitties We have been recovering well. Two of the pictures are at the hospital (Mom needed the help of pictocin), one was at home when her color improved (she was a little bruised in the face from her rapid ride). Hopefully I'll get another update in soon after my pictures are uploaded. :-)

December Update

Wow! With all that has happened in the past month it feels like it should have been a year since I last updated. We had a busy but fun holiday season and also did the bulk part of our remodeling. We are now just finishing up some of the details. The nursery is finally ready for baby "Sweet Pea". I'm looking so forward to holding her.

Here is a picture of Drum and Dunk.
They had a special event that night so Drum wore his dress blues for the first time. He got to see alot of pomp and circumstance. The last Monday of this month he will wear his dress blues again and get his "wings" because he passed his first test in CAP (Civil Air Patrol). Congratulations, Drum!!

We spent a special last day at my Mom's office. The kids got to use her special pen, press their own seal, and walk around the capitol enjoying the sites.

We had a very enjoyable Christmas at G&G W on Christmas Eve and at G&G K on Christmas Day. Deer did her sign language song, Silent Night, at church on Christmas Eve and the event was extra special because my brother, John, was home and able to come see it. Dot did her song two weeks before. It was "Mary, Did You Know". She did an absolutely fabulous job and brought tears to her mother's eyes. Duke and Dessert did one to "Little Drummer Boy" that day as well. Duke did the sign language and Dessert played a little drum at the Rum pa pa pum parts of the song. It was a new experience for both of them.

We celebrated my Mom's 60th birthday at a hotel with all the siblings and cousins. It was so fun to get to see everyone. It had a water park that was a great hit with the kids and also most of the adults. I enjoyed it from the sidelines, not wanting to be seen in a swim suit at two weeks before my due date.

New Year's Eve we ended up getting quite a snow storm but made it safely to the events we had planned for the day. We skated with friends on an indoor ice arena which had a walking track so Mom got some exercise as well!

I will have to post pictures of the kid's rooms and hopefully a picture of the new baby very soon. :-) We have been so busy I haven't taken the time lately for many pictures but Dot gets in a few and G W and Papa K keep us from forgetting pictures altogether.

Drum, etc.

Drum has his sling off and is reaclimating to using his left arm. He got his new camo and dress blue uniforms at CAP class tonight and is excited about wearing them.

We are still in the middle of remodeling. Our dining room table is next to the corn stove while Dunk works on putting the wood floor in the dining room. I am soooo looking forward to having things back in their places. The kids can't wait to get it done as they can't decorate for Christmas until the furniture is back to where it belongs. :-) The boy's bedrooms in the basement are making steady progress but, as everyone who remodels knows, it always takes longer than one thinks. We are hoping to get the boys bedrooms done so we can do the bedroom switching around before the baby comes and the nursery can be readied.

Time to hit the hay....

Happy Birthday Dunk!!! and misc.

Dunk turns 50!!! We had a great birthday open house on Sunday. Dunk spent the day enjoying visiting and getting teased by his friends. :-) We appreciated all the gag gifts and sympathy cards.

News updates:
Drum's clavicle is healing up well at this point. He can move around without alot of pain. Still needs help with his shirt, socks, and tying shoes.

The mud room is almost completely done. The trim is almost all up. Bathroom fixtures need to get hooked up yet. Washer and dryer are working!!! I looooove using them in their new spot. No more running up and down all those stairs.

The dining room and kitchen is 80% sheetrocked. The taper was due tomorrow but we haven't been able to touch base with him after he hunted so hopefully he's ok and will be able to come on Wed. PRAY ! :-) It is sooo nice to have a clean ceiling and not have all the coats hanging around the table. I love it!! The dining room light wasn't working after they sheetrocked, but today they got the problem solved and we are in the light again. Yeah!

Baby is growing. I seriously have a belly now. Feeling great except for heart burn. I've been sleeping with my head on a couple pillows and not wanting to spend too much time bending over to pick things up. I need to visit the chiropractor again. That really helps. Only two more months!!

Dime and Deer visited a unicycle club and really enjoyed it. It is on the same night and Drum's CAP class so works well with the schedule. We are looking for another unicycle so that they both can ride at the club. They practice skills and then play flag football (with unique rules) and other games.

Dot is taking a CPR and First Aid class this week. She will miss speech club this week because of it and is bummed. This from the kid that was nervous about attending her first speech club meeting last year. :-) She's been enjoying working on her speech projects.

Dunk got let go from his sheet metal job. Will be interesting to see what the next months hold for us. (positively speaking) His side business will give us some income but I'm not sure what else he'll do for income. Lord knows.

Drum and Dime took naps today, Dot took a rest, and Deer needed one. :-) So did Mom but I chose to eat chocolate instead (don't tell my midwife). We were planning to hit the hay early, it's been a busy week, but there sure is plenty to do and here I sit finally updating. :-) Better hit the hay! :-)

Again?!

Drum broke his clavicle again this week. He is so bummed as he knows exactly what that means in recovery time. I pulled out the arm sling for the third year in a row. Yesterday he was looking at the box-elder bugs on the window and commented to himself, "Even these bugs are having more fun than I am." I guess it feels pretty slow these days. Today we get an x-ray and meet with the Doctor to discuss why it broke again, etc. His foot is "better" but he is on aleve twice a day and wearing a foot pad so we are still trying to figure out how to get it really better so that he can go off the aleve. Please pray for him.

October Tidbits

"Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them."- John Shirly

Dot and I went to see "One Night With the King" on Wednesday. It was wonderful! I loved Esther's gowns!!! One gorgeous one after another. There were a number of great lines. They did change the story a bit - figures - but it was still very fun. I would love to know whether the connection between Haman the Agagite and King Agag whom King Saul was supposed to kill but let live until Samuel killed him in 1 Samuel 16 is a real possibility. It is an interesting thought and would explain the intense hatred Haman had toward the Jews. One of the lines they had Esther quote to the King was from Proverbs 25:2 "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search it out." Thought provoking. I would love to see the movie again.

Friends of ours saw "Facing the Giants" and really enjoyed it. We would love to see that one as well but may have to wait until it comes out on DVD.

Baby Sweet Pea is growing. Dunk, Drum, Dime, Duke, and Dessert have felt the baby kick. The girls still keep missing it and are growing a little frustrated. Hopefully they will catch it soon. I am off all my penicillin thanks to the chiropractor - believe it or not. I'm so glad. Food tastes better I've noticed.

There are two ladies due at our church and I'm so eager for them to have their babies as then I will be next and it will seem even more of a reality.

Dessert let us know that he's waiting for Mommy's tummy to get bigger and then he will pop it and it will explode and the baby will come out. - Yikes! :-)

The mudroom is ready to be taped!!! We are working on getting a taper - hopefully it won't take too long.

The kids are racing to put their jammies on, and carmel corn is waiting to be eaten. See ya....

Deer, Duke, & Dessert's Weekend

Deer had a fun weekend as her friend, Delight, came over to keep her company. They picked raspberries for the big girls and even had their own session of glamour photos done. Duke & Dessert spent Saturday at Gma & Gpa K's house where Duke got alot of dirt-biking in on the trails and they ate well. :-) They spent the night and came back on Sunday afternoon. They were glad to have their own special events for such a big weekend.

The Boy's Busy Weekend

Dunk, Drum, & Dime headed up North for a dirt-biking weekend. They spent the night Friday at a hotel so they could head out early Sat. morning. After breakfast they headed to the trails and hills. They were with friends from church. The boys greatly enhanced their bike skills and took a number of tumbles giving them some "awesome" stories to tell. In the photo of the two boys, Dime is on the left and Drum is on the right. They found out they were grateful for protective gear. It was a great memory making day!!

The Girl's Busy Weekend

This weekend Dot celebrated her birthday with a slumber party with friends. They had a blast!! :-) The weather was perfect for playing outside late. They ate pizza, watched "Phantom of the Opera", ate pie and goodies, and Dot opened awesome presents. They slept late, ate a good breakfast, took some drama photos, and then retired to their own homes to rest. Whew!!

Critter Junction

It was critter junction around here again. A hawk hit the window and the kids enjoyed seeing him up close until he felt good enough to take to the air.
Dime caught a possum in the live critter trap the same morning. There was much excitement as the kids checked it out.
Then the kids came in for breakfast and there was a Grasshopper on the table!!!! I'm not sure when he came in but we sent him out! Never boring around here even on a regular school morning. :-)

Happy Birthday Dot!

Dot had an surprise on her birthday. Papa K showed up with her favorite pizza and a small cake at lunch time! She also received singing phone calls from friends and family. Later we celebrated with Papa & Gma W's. Dot decorated her own cake and used kitty candles from a birthday when she was little. She had an enjoyable evening. She is looking forward to celebrating with friends next weekend. You can check her site for details after the party at www.xanga/joy4kitties She is also looking forward to a birthday shopping date with Gma. K. Happy Birthday! We love you, Dot!!

Drum & Dime Update

Drum & Dime have been busy lately so I thought I'd do an update on those two.

Drum has been struggling with a sore foot for about 6 weeks or so. We finally decided he needed to be seen as it was continuing to get worse and he has unexplained swelling underneath his second toe and along the ball of his foot. The Dr. took some x-rays. No bone trouble at this point was noted. The swelling in by the growth plate of one of his bones and so he said the pressure needed to be taken off the area. He said he's never seen something like this in someone Drum's age. Whatever that means. :-) Drum is wearing a fancy shoe for two weeks and then we will return to see what he thinks. At this point there is no improvement.

Drum has also been trying a new class on Monday nights. It is with the Civil Air Patrol. He is planning at this point to join as a cadet. It is a part of the U.S. Air Force. He went last week and they let him know his hair was touching his ears so he has to get a hair cut tonight to be in shape for Monday's class. :-) (I can't help loving that part. :-) I think he is looking forward to being an official member and getting his uniform. Pray for wisdom as we make a final decision whether he should join or not. He has been interested in flight since he was very young and this would be an opportunity for him to pursue flight training and community service with significantly less cost.

Dime has been avidly pursuing hunting lately. He was so proud of the squirrel he shot. The girls were disgusted. :-) We are proud of his manly hunting skills and Papa K is hoping he will help with the squirrel population at his house which devoured the last of his apples that the deer didn't get. We are glad he has found a hobby he really enjoys that gets him out into the woods.

Sept. Tidbits

Two Happy Samplers of Dot's Pie Baking.
Occasionally Dot gets the baking urge and we all get to benefit. Here she made custard, chocolate, and pumpkin. Another favorite is apple.

Dunk was sharing with Dot the benefits of learning to change the oil on the car and while I'm not one to discourage independence, I've encouraged Dot that her abilities in baking would probably help her out in the car dept later. She'll be able to ask her brothers to exchange an oil service for a cooking service. We'll have to see...

We've had kids under the weather a bit here with a strange headache and fever flue. Only lasts 24 hours usually. Dessert had a high fever while the others only a mild one. Dot has been struggling the most to get rid of her fever and headache. We are hoping it is cleared up today.

Dunk has been super busy with work and his side business. I'm almost looking forward to it slowing down. The kids keep him busy his extra minutes with fix-ups on the dirt bikes. He does get a few minutes of reading in before bed and has been working on the book, "Why Men Don't Like Church". Very interesting and enlightening. We are starting to wonder if our pastor has read the book as his sermons (which are always good) have been especially challenging and a blast to listen to. I don't think any of the kids will forget the last two. Dunk or I either. Pastor likes to say marriage isn't to make one happy but holy. We were thinking that we could call our "discussions"- Holy Moments - as that is what they seem to bring out and work on, our character. I should say he is happily married with grandkids. We recently had our 15th! wedding anniversary. I can't believe how the time has flown. Marriage is an institution worth commiting to. We've enjoyed marriage so much we are looking forward to our kids getting the opportunity to be happy and holy. :-)

Friday we had our homeschool track meet. The kids had fun seeing friends and participating in the 1/2 mile run, 50 yd. dash, long jump, jump rope, sit-ups, obstacle course, etc. They finished with a huge tug-o-war with most all the moms and dads involved. After eating and hanging around the bonfire a bit, Dessert, Deer, and I headed home. Deer wasn't feeling well. Dunk and the rest hung out visiting and playing games. We are all looking forward to next year's track meet.

Labor Day Weekend, etc.

We worked hard, played hard, slept hard, and ate hard!! Wow, can our crew put down the corn! Papa brought raspberries and we ate like kings. The boys worked on splitting wood and got quite a nice pile of campfire wood from the big old pine tree. Papa slept in until 7, but the rest of the crew beat him and slept in until 9 am (Papa couldn't believe how "late" we can sleep in.). The kids went tubing, skiing, and kneeboarding. We ate at Slavoda's for breakfast one morning - Papa and the kids biked in. Their second cousins came over and they enjoyed playing with them. My brother and two of his kids came for a visit and it was fun to see them in person (vs. the blog :-). Every night ended with a cruise, often furnished with m&m's from Papa. What a fun way to end summer!!!

School has been trucking along. We aren't accomplishing any major, fantastical events, but we are trucking. :-) Papa W. broke his foot so he has been laid up for awhile. He finally reconciled himself to the idea of using crutches but his foot is still bothering him so he is keeping it easy. Wierd to not have Papa out in his workshop or on the tractor. The kids have been taking advantage of his seated position and beg for stories on his lap. Dime has been doing his reading with Papa which helps with the school load for Mom. Duke has been doing reading and Dessert a preschool book with Gma. At noon, they all go up the hill for "Little House on the Prairie". They have really enjoyed discovering this series and Mom looooves the break of quiet for one hour from 12-1.

Baby has continued to be a quieter sweetie. Not super active but moves enough so that I know she's kickin. We picked up a couple baby girl items and the kids enjoy looking at the baby clothes. We all look forward to enjoying her in person.

My penicillin isn't working as well lately so I've got to check into that this week. The kids have dentist appts and Drum gets a tooth pulled this week. We have a homeschool trackmeet this Friday. Duke received his Bible Sunday. (Our church gives second graders a Bible at the beginning of Sunday School each year.) We have been attending this church since Joy was in second grade - Wow, does time fly! We are looking forward to a new season of Sunday school classes.

As my teenage daughter would say, "That was random". (My post) Teenage slang for tidbits of info. :-) I love having kids. Dessert told me on the phone last night that he "never gets to do anything except shoot his bb gun". Dot wanted to talk to me on the phone as well and he added, "I don't even get to hang up!". He stayed on the phone while Dot talked, interrupting every few words with "Mom!" or "I don't get to do anything!". Dot and I were laughing so hard he finally laughed and then I told Dot to hang up first so I could say goodbye and Dessert could "even hang up". Kids!!

Think Pink!

Yesterday was an eventful day. I went to my scheduled prenatal checkup. At the end we could not hear the baby's heartbeat - even with the doppler. My midwife called and we went in for an ultrasound. I was very worried. (She had heard the heartbeat 4 weeks earlier and I was really surprised not to hear it with the doppler.) During the ultrasound we saw the heart beating strong and baby was healthy and active - Rascal! We also saw that we are expecting a little GIRL!! :-) The girls were ecstatic and the boys are getting used to the idea. :-) It was fun to show the kids the ultrasound pictures. I showed the kids the picture where the technician wrote, "Think Pink", then asked why she would have wrote that. They had several wrong ideas. I mentioned that sometimes they write, "Think Blue", but still they were stumped until Dot's brain started clicking and she said slowly, "Oh, I get it! It's a Girl!! Pandemonium reigned for a bit afterwards. :-)

Drama Camp 2006

Drama Camp was our next week. Drum, Dime, and Deer participated in a musical drama called "Who is Like the Lord?" Here Deer is participating in a song with choreography with fabric. Drum & Dime are in the background to the left of the center, second row down. The boys helped with stage set up. Drum was traced on large brown paper and then painted in a solid color and cut out for the walls of the church. They had a fantastic time and hope to participate again.

We ended our week with a picnic lunch at a nearby park on the Mississippi River. It was very dry so we were able to work our way across to the middle where we hiked down the river aways. Actually, Drum, Dime, Deer, Duke, & Dessert just took off their socks and shoes and ran across. Dot & I took a little longer as we hesitated to remove our shoes and the crossing options were limited but we made it! Dot was nervous about the amount of green goo and didn't want it on her sandals. I teased her about the possibility of snakes and then had to improve her attitude with a phone call to a friend (horray for technology!!). We finished the day with a trip to Burger King for swirly cones and then Cub Foods for our favorite donuts and licorice. The check-out clerk at Cub mentioned the kids were going to have their fill of sugar. I replied we were making a memory. She mentioned it would be Quite a memory!! It was! FUN!! (It is a memory for me just traveling through Cub with six kids and pregnant. It's like herding cats)

The following Sunday the kids performed in the drama at their grandparent's church for the two services. They did very well and we celebrated the end of camps and the beginning of school by eating out at Don Pablo's. It was another fun memory!!

School started the next day and we've kept it up. We are trying to get some extra time in for taking off after the baby comes. Speaking of which, I've felt the baby moving around. Yeah! Not super active at this point which I think I could handle if he/she decides to keep that personality. I've needed to stay on penicillin to deal with the leftover symptoms from my July bout of joint pain. My hands and feet keep falling asleep if I forget to take it - Wierd, I know. G & G W's have become my consience, putting feet to their prayers so they say, by calling daily to make sure I've remembered my morning and lunch dose. :-)

Dunk has had the motorcycles up and running which is a great motivation for finishing school! Everyone family should have such a motivator - Thanks, DH! :-) Drum holds the record for getting up early and getting school done. Speaking of which, I better get going. My website was acting up and I haven't been able to update for awhile. Maybe it will work again..we shall see. :-)

Art Camp 2006

Here's the crew all dressed up for Art Camp. We had a great week!! Duke & Dessert enjoyed their mini camp and made placemats, decorated cups, etc. plus had fun in the treehouse and riding bikes down a great driveway. The rest were involved in photography, wood-working, mosaics, scrap-booking, jewelry design, etc. It was a busy week. The camp was very well run and we are all hoping to participate again next year. PS. The dance section went well and it was amazing to see how much the girls remembered in one week. Fun to get my feet involved in dancing again. :-)

July Tidbits

Summer sure is flying by. I can't believe how fast 1 month can go. I've been ordering school curriculum and getting ready for a new school year. We are trying to get a head start as I know the month after the baby comes will be light in formal subjects.

I feel like we've been so "official" this summer about camps. We just "happened" (thanks, Lord)to hear about an art camp and then a drama camp and so the next two weeks will be busy. Art camp is this next week. I'll be teaching dance in the morning at the camp to a class of about 12 girls. It is a new experience for me and I'm praying it goes well for all concerned. The handouts for each day are almost finished and with Dot, Deer, and their two friends, we finished choreographing the song today. I'm excited about it but I think I will also sleep better when it is over. :-) The kids are excited about their classes. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

Tomorrow is my first prenatal checkup. Makes it seems more real. :-) I'm almost 15 weeks - over 1/3 of the way! I'm looking forward to feeling the baby kick.

Dunk is doing well at work. He's been working north of our place for a couple weeks which has been especially a blessing on Fridays as then he is traveling the right direction - opposite of the major traffic. He's enjoyed having a regular job and regular pay! The rest of the time has been spent putzing about the place on different projects.

Drum and Dime make edible trucks this morning for Science Class. They put two 1/4 of graham crackers together and then frosting glued on 4 life-saver wheels and a gumdrop cab. They turned out adorable and I am so bummed I forgot to take a picture. They were a big hit at class. A fun memory.

The kids put a new swing in the yard. Drum climbed a tree to hang it up - I tried not to watch. They put the tramp by it and have enjoyed swinging off the tramp and pulling each other up high by the extra cord. I'll have to post a picture someday as I'm proud of their ingenuity. :-)

Deer's new "thing" has been dreaming about opening a "bird business". She has big dreams and plans about raising birds and then selling them to suppliers or pet stores. I'm not sure I'm crazy about the idea but I'm crazy about the reading it has encouraged her to do and work researching the subject on-line and in books. We'll see what happens......

Duke's latest love has been heading out into the woods to chop down weeds with his machete. (Along with Drum & Dime, but not in the same place at the same time.) Drives his Grandma nuts while she worries about him. He's been good obeying the rules so he's enjoying the privileges to this point. We had a missionary family stay with us for the night and they enjoyed seeing him with his machete as it brought back memories of their boys in the jungle. I've seen pictures of their boys in the jungle with a giant anaconda and it doesn't make me feel good about comparing their boys to ours. :-) (Theirs boys were teenagers at the time. :-)

Dime got his pogo stick fixed up by Papa W. and has been having a blast bouncing around. He loves to invent new "tricks". I watch him bounce in the heat and wonder how he can do it. Whew...

So much for my ramblings.... this makes a fun journal memory for me..... I better hit the hay...

Happy Birthday Dime!

Dime celebrated his actual birthday at the cabin. He was awakened in the morning with Papa K singing "Happy Birthday" and his presents. Later his friend came up for an overnight. We celebrated as a family at home that weekend with a home-made ice-cream cake (notice the cake puddles).