eight is enough

multitude monday {evening edition :: once again}

2012-01-30T21:25:00.003-06:00

Once again, better late than never :: here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing writer and an inspiration!

"One Thousand Gifts"::

1924. the sky right before the sunrise :: silhouettes of trees with a beautiful navy backdrop
1925. how Sara climbs on everything :: my little monkey!
1926. 6 ponytails in Anna's hair {do you still call them "ponytails" if there are 6 of them? or are they "pigtails"? or maybe some other farmyard animal?}
1927. glorious January sunshine :: warm on my face
1928. a new patching alternative for Joe that seems hopeful
1929. Sonic Happy Hour with Joe following his eye doctor appointment. Listening to "Bob and Larry Sing the 70's" together. All good stuff!
1930. breakfast for supper
1931. Sara's squeezable thighs and cute dimpled butt {I was tempted to say "cute, little dimpled butt" -- but then I realized that description was a little inaccurate so I dropped the "little" part}
1932. a wonderful memorial service for one of the most wonderful women I've ever known {and I know many people who would agree with me on that point!}. Welcome home, Viola! You will be missed. I will miss you!
1933. protection
1934. a winter Sunday afternoon family swim :: Sara is such a water baby. She LOVED it!
1935. a 3-day weekend
1936. lunch at my mom's
1937. encouraging, exciting preliminary tax refund numbers $
1938. the long-awaited Water Park of America visit for the 4 "bigs"
1939. powerful music lyrics
1940. our church family :: they really are family to us
1941. Kirbs new {additional} positions of leadership both at work and at church
1942. Anna singing along with the music -- music that no one could hear but her, since she was listening to it through earbuds . . . in public . . . and the blessing it was to see a women, who clearly thought it was great too, stop and listen to her and say to her husband "listen to that, isn't she adorable?" . . . did I mention it was Christmas music? when it's almost February. Yup, it was!
1943. people who "hear me cluckin' {Jennifer Scott, I first heard that one from you and still love it to this day. So perfect!} and feel my pain
1944. Grace. All is grace!
1945. crafting

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

a day in the life {or just a morning}

2012-01-27T08:52:00.005-06:00

3 of the kids were up WAY earlier than usual . . . and way earlier than they should have been, if you know what I mean. It's never a good way to start your morning to have the kids get up before you. {But I usually like to wait until the first number in the time is at least a 6 before I get up.} One other kid got up later than usual, which also has its issues! We were not off to the best start at this point.

Anna {one of the early risers} was whining like crazy and I could, honestly, hardly make out what she was saying. It was something about cinnamon. I had to go to the bathroom, so I went -- how dare I do such a thing, I know! -- She comes up to me in the bathroom with HUGE tears streaming down her face. I kissed her tears from my perch on the toilet {can I not just have 30 seconds, please?} and asked her what the trouble was. She was angry that I wouldn't give her cinnamon. Yup, plain cinnamon. Not on toast, not on oatmeal, not on applesauce. She just wanted cinnamon! Weirdo! Finally she conceded and let me give her oatmeal {which she calls opey-meal, it's ADORABLE!} -- with cinnamon on it. So that situation had been diffused.

Next, a certain pre-teen complained of not having socks to put on. I asked if he had checked for his clean clothes pile in the laundry room and looked through the not-yet-folded stuff in the basket by the dryer. He screamed yes! He did that! He had NO socks to wear! What on earth was he to do? So I checked the clean laundry {and the dirty laundry, to make a point} and there were no socks to be found anywhere. So I reminded him that I don't wash stuff unless it gets into the laundry basket and that, possibly, there were a bunch of dirty socks in his room. He thought, maybe, there might be some, but surely I was slacking on my motherly duties somehow to create a scenario where he had no clean socks. We went, together, up to his room {which I rarely enter} and it was a pit! We found the missing socks . . . almost all dirty. A few pair still balled up, like you do with socks instead of folding them, and in random places in his room -- but none in the sock-and-underwear-drawer where they belong, mind you! He put some on, slammed a few doors, mumbled under his breath and went to the bus.

Next, the first grader of the house decided he didn't really want to go to school {it's kind of his "thing" to not want to go to school}. He told me his leg was broken and he couldn't walk. He wouldn't get up off the floor. I tried to lift him up and set him on his feet and he slumped to the floor like a wet noodle. It was time to leave. He had no coat on, no boots, no backpack, and he wouldn't get up off the floor. SUPER! So Rebekah left without him. {Lydia is home for the 4th day this week with the crud. We've been to the doctor and I guess it's just viral, so they can't do anything. Fever, sore throat -- her voice doesn't even sound normal -- and generally achey.} Our kids usually walk, but there is a bus that comes to the apartment building a couple doors down from us and picks up kids and takes them to Falcon. So after talking to his dad on the phone {who miraculously with a few well-spoken words, possibly the same ones I had already said, can make things better -- which, if we're being honest, just pisses me off more} he agrees to get on the bus.

So, now I'm down to "just" 5 kids {one baby, one sick 4th grader, a 3-year-old dressed up as Minnie Mouse and 2 "extras" who don't live here, but who are practically like family}. This afternoon I have a funeral to go to.

At least the dryer started today {it doesn't always start} . . . there's always that! Gotta wash some socks, dontcha know?

Happy Friday!

{In the spirit of keeping up the appearances of normalcy on the blog -- even though you may have noticed I totally blew yesterday off -- here's an old picture. Enjoy!}::

{Don't freak out and worry about me. I'm fine. Really. I was just a yucky morning. I'm pretty sure you've had one or two of those too, right?}

it must be january

2012-01-24T16:35:00.003-06:00

. . . the other day when I got to the Y all the treadmills were full. ALL of them. There are lots! Then yesterday when I got there, the childcare was at capacity. They gave me a pager and told me I was #2 on the waiting list and they'd page me when enough kids had left that I could check mine in. Crazy! Oh well, it should settle down a bit pretty soon. Right?

multitude monday

2012-01-23T14:23:00.005-06:00

"One Thousand Gifts"::

1905. getting my favorite parking spot at the library (yup, I have a favorite parking spot -- it's wider than the rest, perfect for my HUGE van!)
1906. watching the snowfall out the window :: a real live snowglobe! so beautiful!
1907. shoveling when it's not too cold and the snow is light and fluffy (I think I could have swept it with a broom!)
1908. sisters practicing violins before school
1909. the 550-piece orchestra festival the girls were part of :: it was wonderful!::1910. a long-overdue coffee date with a friend
1911. Bible study
1912. people with whom we can be honest, vulnerable, transparent and authentic . . . and enjoying, so much, our time together
1913. a MUCH-NEEDED haircut for my shaggy pre-teen
1914. each time the dryer starts :: what a blessing!
1915. turning in early
1916. my hard-working husband
1917. church
1918. fabulous workout music that makes the workouts fly by
1919. Joey heading to school this morning without complaint
1920. the privilege of having known (and been blessed and prayed for by) Viola Carlson and the joy of knowing she is home with the Lord. The world is a much, much better place because she was here!
1921. him coming up to me after our adult Sunday School class yesterday (where I had gone WAY beyond teary -- teary, for me, is no longer shocking to anyone who knows me well, but this was a whole other story! -- at the memory of a wonderful, wonderful woman gone to heaven much too soon) and giving me a hug, telling me that he knew his wife would have given me one if she had been there that morning and he thought she would want him to give me one from her (great man you've got there, Catherine . . . but I know you already know that!)
1922. prescription drugs
1923. Sara's sweet voice as she learns new words

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

big girl

2012-01-21T09:37:00.000-06:00

Well, Sara had her 15-month check-up a couple weeks back. Turns out, she's growing just fine . . . and that's an understatement!

At 15 months::

she weighs 26 pounds, 3 ounces {90th percentile}
she is 31-1/4 inches tall {75th percentile}
her head is 18-1/2 inches around {75th percentile}
she eats just about anything we put in front of her {and LOVES it!}
she clearly knows when she's full and will vigorously shake her head "no" and refuses to open her mouth anymore
she walks, runs and climbs
she can say :: momma, daddyyyyyyy, ama, hi, hot and up -- and a version that we can understand of :: Joey, Bekah and Lydia
she can sign :: more, please and all done -- and she waves too
she still doesn't sleep through the night regularly {typical of our kids, unfortunately}
she prefers her daddy when she gets up in the night and has been known to go from standing up, calm and quiet {but awake!} to going limp, melting into a puddle and resuming her crying when she sees my silhouette instead of her dad's at the side of her crib in the middle of the night -- once she even scooted way into the corner of her crib, thinking maybe I couldn't reach her or something. Silly girl!
she is magnetically drawn to the dishwasher and the bathroom, whenever either door is left open she is there in an instant!
she is an easy-going, happy kid!
we adore her!

flash{way}back friday

2012-01-20T06:40:00.005-06:00

Some Stoll family history.

Joe & Anna Stoll had 17 kids::

Fern was born in 1918 followed by Paul in '19, Ruth in '20, Ella in '22, Ivan in '23, Carl in '24, Doris in '26, Lorna in '29, Lloyd in '31, Joseph in '33, Warren in '35, Ronald in '38, Donald in '39, Raymond in '40, Roger {my father-in-law, whose first name is actually Henry. Roger is his middle name, but it's what he has always gone by} in '42, Roy in '43 and Carol in '45. Anna was pregnant with her 18th {which, I heard once, was known to be a girl} when she died.

I have always found it so interesting {and a little bit funny} that of all the names in the world, they chose to name their first boy Paul Stoll. {Say it out loud. But don't pronounce our last name like "stole", otherwise you won't get it.} See, it rhymes. I mean, if it were boy number 11 and the name options were running a little thin, that's one thing. But to start with the rhyming name right off the bat has always made me laugh a little.

Ok, on with the pictures.

This one is of the family during music hour, or some such thing::

Here they all are together for a more formal picture::

And here is everyone {well, I heard that one brother wasn't actually there, but was "photoshop-ed" in {or the 1960's equivalent} with their dad and step-mom. Fanny {their step-mom} was some kind of saint, in my opinion, to marry a man with 17 kids and jump right in, having never had any children before. I love this picture of my father-in-law. He looks SO happy . . . and handsome. {He's the one on the bottom right}::

How many kids did these 17 have, you might wonder? 84! Starting with Merlyn in 1944 {all Fern's kids had names starting with "M"} and ending with Dale in 1980. Every single one of the 17 had kids. Ray only had 1 and Doris "wins" with 10. Everyone else was somewhere in between with 6 and 4 both being quite common. Kirb is grandchild #78 for Joe & Anna {although Anna wasn't around to know it -- she only had 3 of her 84 grandkids before she died}.

There is a Stoll reunion every 3 years {and 2012 is a reunion year!}. My first Stoll reunion was in 1994, before Kirb and I were even married. This summer will be my 7th reunion. At my first reunion, I heard it announced that there were close to 500 direct descendants of Joe & Anna. I would imagine there's about 1,000 by now -- Aunty Arlene {Llyod's wife} would be the one to ask, she's the family historian and record-keeper. Plus, when Kirby is on the radio, she always calls in to the radio show and says "Hi". She's fabulous!

I hope you've enjoyed this little Stoll family history lesson. What a heritage!

thankful thursday

2012-01-19T12:10:00.003-06:00

I'm so thankful for help, support and encouragement; this "village" of support in raising our kids. It's a tough, tough job and we couldn't do it alone, that's for sure! Joe is having a tough time lately. Poor little man is just completely wearing us out with his misery, pessimism and stubbornness. But we aren't in it alone. We have each other. We have the Lord. We have many friends and people around us loving us, loving Joe, giving suggestions, helping out and and praying us through. I just got off the phone with Falcon's school social worker. I've probably spent at least an hour on the phone with her this week. She is one of our "helpers" through this. It's great to know that Joe has so many wonderful people in his corner.

This picture of him {taken while waiting in line to get in to Night Trains a couple weeks ago -- by Rebekah, I think} makes me smile. I love it! That's my boy::

multitude monday {evening edition :: once again}

2012-01-16T20:45:00.005-06:00

Better late than never {twice in a row, now} :: here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing writer and an inspiration!

"One Thousand Gifts"::

1881. hearing Joe and Sara "chatting" and laughing in their room in the morning
1882. a massage
1883. annual girlfriend overnight with some WONDERFUL women
1884. Sara holding my finger with her chubby hand
1885. book club
1886. 54 degrees and sunny on January 10th
1887. a great husband
1888. people excited about things I made them
1889. the power of music
1890. being introduced to the music {and powerful, true lyrics} of Rend Collective {you don't want to miss this video, even if just to hear their fabulous, addictive Irish accents. LOVE! -- it'll be 5 minutes well-spent, I promise!}
1891. a challenging message from Francis Chan {as wonderful and powerful in person as you might imagine after reading his writings}
1892. Sara's smile
1893. Costco
1894. old photos of our house from the 40's and 50's
1895. generous people
1896. friends
1897. the guy at the auto parts store who took pity on the not-yet-showered, harried mom with 2 little kids {one still in her jammies} and offered to put my new wiper blades on the van for me. bless his heart!
1898. fresh snow
1899. visits from out-of-town family
1900. date night
1901. 25+ years of friendship -- a lifetime of history and loyalty
1902. being home again and seeing my family after my 24 hour vacation
1903. sleeping in on a no-school, no-work day
1904. helping out some friends in the wake of a sleepless-night, sick-kid crisis

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flash{way}back friday

2012-01-13T13:22:00.004-06:00

here the old pictures of our house that I became the proud owner of last week
{if you don't know that story, you can read it here}::

our backyard in the winter {neither of our neighboring houses were built yet}::

Our garage {although it's been moved closer to the house since this picture was taken -- same building, though} and the west side of the house::

Well, would you look at that, there used to be a little entryway on the north side of our house. It's not there anymore, though. that door there leads to the side door that goes into our kitchen -- I wonder if that coal shoot was still in use when this was taken. it's still there, but has been all sealed up!::

The front of the house and 3 of the little people who grew up here {anybody know what year this might be, based on the super cool car in the driveway?}::

The backyard and the southwest corner of the house -- the frame for that swingset is still sitting in our backyard {sans swings, teeter-totter and ladder}::

I also have a picture of 3 little kiddos {the same 3 from the front yard pictures} bathing in a beautiful clawfoot tub in our bathroom {the tub isn't here anymore, but the bathroom still is, thankfully!}. But I decided it was in bad taste to publish naked pictures of others on the internet -- dontcha think?

thankful thursday

2012-01-12T13:29:00.001-06:00

I'm so thankful that I get some kid-free girlfriend time this weekend. I'm looking forward to it. I'm also very thankful for my wonderful husband who will be far from kid-free while I'm away. Thanks, babe!

multitude monday {evening edition}

2012-01-09T21:12:00.003-06:00

Better late than never :: here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing writer and an inspiration!

"One Thousand Gifts"::

1870. a wonderful play {Wizard of Oz at the Children's Theater}
1871. awe in the eyes of a 6-year-old while watching live theater
1872. coming in to the living room first thing in the morning to see a pre-teen boy, Bible in hand, starting his day with devotions
1873. friends {life is with you is half as hard and twice as good}
1874. hanging laundry on the line in January
1875. encouragement when parenting is extra-tough
1876. snuggling a newborn {ahhh, that smell! i LOVE it!}
1877. night trains {a winter family favorite. so very magical!}
1878. my budding photographer
1879. a glorious Sunday afternoon walk
1880. volunteering together as a family {well, the 2 little girls didn't come along, so it wasn't quite the whole family. so wonderful to work together for such a wonderful cause}

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2012-01-06T10:51:00.001-06:00

january 2008
{i needed this picture today, since this little man is REALLY giving us a run for our money these days! isn't he sweet?}

thankful thursday

2012-01-05T10:51:00.006-06:00

Yesterday two women stopped by our house. Sisters. They had stopped by once before, probably 5 or 10 years ago already. I had almost forgotten about that visit. I wasn't home when they first got here yesterday. My mom was watching the kiddos while I was out for a bit. I called her on my way home and she told me about the visitors that were here waiting for me. When I arrived at home 5 minutes later, there they were. In my kitchen. In their kitchen. They did their growing up here. In this house. They were probably in their 60's. 70's maybe. They brought some copies of pictures of our house from the 40's and 50's. Some inside, some outside. Some including naked kids in a clawfoot bathtub. A fabulous old car in the driveway of one of the pictures. They said I could keep them. They brought them for me. Their family lived here from 1945 until sometime in the early-mid 70's.

The house was built in 1927. We moved in in 1998. I think that their family was the 2nd family to live here. I think we are the 5th. I know a teeny bit about the family that built the house (the Peterson's) and now I know quite a bit about the 2nd family. We bought it from my good friend, Carol's parents, so I know quite a bit about them too. I was at this house quite a few times over the years before I even had an idea that someday I would raise my family here (my junior high and high school years). It's so fun to know so much about the history of our home. It just makes me love it all the more.

I was thankful that, yesterday, the house was less than the complete disaster it often is in the middle of a week day. It was actually pretty clean! We looked at the pictures they brought and chatted for a bit. When they showed me a picture of some kids near a swingset, I told them that the frame from that exact swingset was still in our yard. We looked out the window and I pointed to it. It was here when we bought the house and we didn't have the first clue what to do with a huge, substantial, metal swingset frame, so there it sits along the fence in our backyard. Current day swingset makers should take note. That puppy is probably at least 60 years old and still as solid as can be. The younger sister said that she was often afraid to go upstairs to bed at night and wanted to stay downstairs until someone else went up there with her. Just. like. Lydia! It was so fun to hear their stories.

They saw a stack of (4 copies) the same book on the hutch and asked me about it. (Kirb said later that maybe they thought I was an author. Who else has multiple copies of the same book?) I said it was the book that had had the greatest impact in my life and I always keep a few copies on hand to give to people. Would they like one? I think they were surprised at my offer, but seemed genuinely excited and took a copy -- but only after offering to pay me for it. I said no, I would love them to have it. I gave them my usual warning that the book starts out really sad (I would have appreciated a heads up on that fact before I started reading it in a public place!), but if they could make it through the first chapter they could continue reading without a box of tissues right by their side (well, maybe keep one tissue available, just in case. It is cold season, you know).

As they were leaving, the younger sister asked me if I would pray for the older sister because she has cancer and isn't doing well. She wants to keep getting treatment, but her platelets are low and they have had to stop the treatments for a while until the platelet levels come back up. I told them that I would pray and that I was dealing with low platelets at this exact time last year. She said she could tell that we were believers, otherwise she never would have asked. I was touched deeply by that comment. What an unexpected blessing they were in my day. I'm praying that Ann's book blesses them as much as it has blessed me and many others!

We just got a new computer (our old -- and it was old -- one died with the ending of 2011) and it isn't hooked up to the scanner yet, far as I can tell. As soon as I get the fabulous pictures scanned in, and in digital form, I promise to share them with you. They're SO fun!

multitude monday

2012-01-02T11:44:00.004-06:00

"One Thousand Gifts"::

1858. after-Christmas bargains
1859. dinner with good friends
1860. singing carols around the player piano with friends
1861. trips to the library
1862. good books
1863. many, many fun games of Qwirkle
1864. a 48-hour family double date to ring in the New Year
1865. bowling . . . and a few strikes even
1866. ice skating on the backyard pond as a family :: it wasn't a pretty site {we're not too good!}, but we sure had some fun
1867. a NEW year
1868. a beautiful dusting of snow to welcome 2012
1869. being home again after a couple days away {see #1864}

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

2011 :: a year in review

2011-12-31T09:05:00.000-06:00

the top 11 posts of 2011 {by pageviews}::

1. encouragement
2. my review of 1000 gifts
3. multitude monday {1.24}
4. thankful thursday
5. expectations & thankful thursday
6. multitude monday {1.10}
7. multitude monday {7.25}
8. multitude monday {11.7}
9. numbers
10. kindness
11. introducing

happy new year!

flasback friday

2011-12-30T07:40:00.000-06:00

my favorite picture of our whole crew from christmas 2008::

thankful Thursday

2011-12-29T07:53:00.003-06:00

I'm so thankful for this week where we can relax and re-group before the new year. We've had some fun, stayed long in our pj's, played games, read books, watched movies, played with all our new "toys", had a fun dinner with friends, sang Christmas carols gathered around the player piano, upgraded our cell phones to ones that actually work, purchased Santa-looking diapers for half price on the day after Christmas (plus I had a coupon, which made them nearly free!) and slept in. It's been just what we needed! To cap off the break, we're going to spend nearly 48 hours together with our bestie family ringing in 2012.

multitude monday

2011-12-26T06:55:00.000-06:00

"One Thousand Gifts"::

1839. sickies home from school playing board games together
1840. preschool Christmas programs {our 9th one at RLNS}::1841. going to the mailbox to find it FULL of Christmas greetings
1842. seeing and catching up with old friends {all the more fun when it's completely unexpected}
1843. successfully finishing all my Christmas crafting {and not a moment too soon, I might add!}
1844. no major injuries for Sara after her run-in with a flight of stairs::1845. how quickly kids heal! {praise God!}
1846. Jacob all snuggled up on the couch reading this book :: warms this math geek's heart!
1847. Christmas program at Seabury {Kirb on trumpet, vocals and reading from Luke 2, Jacob on trumpet and piano, Rebekah on piano and Lydia on piano and violin. Joe passed out the song sheets and Anna did a few unscheduled piano interludes!}
1848. the joy of giving!
1849. a fun, new game
1850. FAMILY!::1851. 11pm candlelight Christmas Eve service {Beka was the only Stoll kiddo to stay awake until the end :: she was rewarded by holding her very own candle as we formed a circle around the sanctuary to sing Silent Night}
1852. going to church on Christmas morning sans coat :: in Minnesota! so very weird!
1853. a walk with "the littles" to the park on a glorious {although it would be so pretty with a bit of snow!} Christmas afternoon
1854. a Christmas day nap
1855. much-appreciated, much-loved, heartfelt gifts::1856. my newly outfitted winter-proof workshop in the garage {new propane heater, shop light and workbench :: thanks Kirb for the set-up!}
1857. a clean basement

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T11:29:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Flash mobs always make me cry, but then again, I cry at pretty much everything. Just be warned, you might want to get some kleenex for this one. On the off chance that I wasn't already crying, the whole "fall on your knees" at the end made a COMPLETE mess of me::

Have a wonderful, Christ-filled Christmas!

flashback friday

2011-12-23T14:51:00.003-06:00

a little mother-son snuggle time
december 2006::

totally makes me want to re-read that book :: such a good one! {gotta love that Kate DiCamillo}

thankful thursday

2011-12-22T13:14:00.003-06:00

I think we're on the other side of major big-family shared sickness and for that I'm thankful. One parent spending 6 hours in bed during the day is a big deal around here. Add to that 4 sick kids with 3 missed days of school, an angel fully robed and halo-ed puking all over the stage during the Christmas program, a toddler taking a major tumble down the stairs, at least a dozen loads of laundry done this week and a mom trying to finish up Christmas gifts {that she just started last week} and you've got our house the past 5 or 6 days. I think {at least I hope} everyone who was going to get sick has, and everyone who has been sick is now better. Here's to a Merry and puke-free Christmas!

Here's our poor, little brute of a toddler smiling despite her painful looking face::

multitude monday

2011-12-19T17:41:00.003-06:00

"One Thousand Gifts"::

1828. packages arriving at my door
1829. church bells ringing through the cool night air
1830. our block all lit up with beautiful lights
1831. caroling at a nursing home with my kiddos and a bunch of friends
1832. a working washing machine {it got a good workout the past few days with 3 stomach-bug sufferers}
1833. Christmas music
1834. a night parade full of lights and the wonder in the eyes of the kids as they watch
1835. prayers of a 3-year-old
1836. cousins ::1837. the secretive gift-giving planning of children
1838. the cutest {and oldest, if I'm not mistaken} lady in the choir {no offense the rest of the beautiful choir} ::
Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-12-16T14:26:00.004-06:00

A Christmas Story {but probably not the one you're thinking of}::

In case you haven't heard . . . or have forgotten, I give you the story behind our traditional "bed picture" at Christmas time:: When Jacob was not quite 1 we wanted a family picture to put in our Christmas card. We took quite a few (non-digital, I might add!) and the one we liked best was of the 3 of us laying on our bed. The next year it was just the 3 of us again and we decided to try and recreate the picture since it had turned out so cute . . . and thus began an unintentional Stoll family tradition of the bed picture. As one of the Peterson girls (Beka, i think) said one year "They did it on the bed again." (which caused many a giggle, since Beka was probably not even in high school yet at that point) .The Peterson's found it extra funny when they read through our Christmas letter, after the comment about the picture, and discovered (for the second year in a row) that we were (again) pregnant! As a side note, that was the Christmas letter of 2001 and we announced that we were pregnant with the little person that would turn out to be Lydia in that Christmas letter. No one, not even ONE person (except me and Kirb) knew of our pregnancy before getting our letter . . . not even our parents! And since Rebekah was only about 8 months old it was a shocker to most everyone. Us included (although our shock came a few weeks before everyone elses . . . and not in the form of a letter). So, 2011 marks the 13th anniversary of the Stoll family bed picture. 12 years and 5 more kids later, we're all still on the bed for the annual picture.

more than a decade worth of stoll christmas pictures. enjoy::

kirby, shana, jacob: 1999

kirby, [pregnant] shana, jacob: 2000

kirby, jacob, [pregnant] shana, rebekah: 2001

rebekah, kirby, jacob, shana, lydia: 2002

kirby, lydia, jacob, shana, rebekah: 2003

kirby, [pregnant] shana, lydia, jacob, rebekah: 2004

jacob, kirby, joe, shana, rebekah, lydia: 2005

jacob, kirby, rebekah, shana, joe, lydia: 2006
kirby, jacob, rebekah, joe, [pregnant] shana, lydia: 2007

kirby, lydia, anna, joe, shana, jacob, rebekah: 2008

jacob, anna, kirby, rebekah, joe, lydia [not quite pregnant] shana: 2009

kirby, joe, shana, teeny baby sara, rebekah, anna, jacob, lydia: 2010

kirby, anna, shana, sara, joe, jacob, lydia, rebekah: 2011

Merry Christmas!

thankful thursday

2011-12-15T10:23:00.002-06:00

This week one year ago the Metrodome roof caved in and we had to cancel our Christmas party because we had nearly a foot of snow. Yesterday it rained. Yup, rained! All day long. Weird!

Anyway, onto the thankful part :: In addition to being thankful for the mild weather we've had so far, I am so very, very thankful for my "village". You know how "they" say it takes a village to raise a child? (actually, first someone in Africa said it, and then Hillary Clinton published a book with that title and made it more popular) Anyway, it's so very true. Parenting is hard enough with a village, I can't imagine doing it alone!

I am always so thankful for my wonderful, wonderful village and all that they add to my life. In our "village" we have people who are gifted in basic car repair, an ER nurse who has saved us many a trip to the hospital (not to mention HUNDREDS of dollars) with his little tube of super glue and willing, helpful spirit, people willing to drive my kids here and there when we are heading in more directions than is humanly possible on any given day, playdates that save this mom's sanity, date night babysitting swaps, friends who will drop off forgotten violins at school so I don't have to wake the baby from a nap and people to bounce ideas off of or just vent to. My kids know that they can ALWAYS go home with any of the village parents, even if that wasn't the original plan. If a village mom says she's supposed to take you home, my kids know to just go with her :: she probably has better snacks and I'm sure her house is more fun than ours anyway! Isn't that wonderful? Our friends, especially those we are raising children alongside, are so much ore than just friends :: we're in this together. We can't do it alone. It's hared! We need to watch out for each other. We need "spies" who will tell us things about our kids that we would never have known or discovered on our own :: what they heard in a conversation between friends in the back of the van, what they noticed or picked up on when they were volunteering at school, what they hear from their kids about my kids . . . I'm so thankful for good, trusted, solid friends -- Christian friends -- to raise kids with. To steal a line from one of my favorite Sara Groves songs :: "Life with you is half as hard and twice as good!". I am thankful!

multitude monday

2011-12-12T10:12:00.005-06:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing writer and an inspiration!

"One Thousand Gifts":

1815. silent, falling snow in moonlight
1816. Joe volunteering to read from Genesis during our Advent reading
1817. Joe's first time taking communion
1818. breathtakingly beautiful moon and that I was graced with the timing and awareness to notice it
1819. Rebekah's fabulous ringlettes {eat your heart out Nellie Olsen!}::1820. Joe sweeping up pine needles without being asked
1821. a wildly successful craft sale {especially wonderful since it was my very first attempt at such a thing}::1822. kids singing in church with the adult choir::

{I love that Joe, LJ, Rebekah and my Grandma are all in a line}

1823. LJ's Christmas program
1824. the warm, heavy weight of a babe sleeping on my chest in the early morning hours while the rest of the house was still asleep
1825. Bible study
1826. supportive, encouraging, enthusiastic friends
1827. supportive, encouraging, enthusiastic family

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-12-09T14:08:00.002-06:00

december 2008

thankful thursday

2011-12-08T07:54:00.002-06:00

I am thankful for so much today. Friends who are encouraging, extra help from my selfless mother, patience from my saintly husband, good news from the shoulder specialist (no surgery!), a beautiful Christmas tree in my living room, big kids quizzing little ones on their spelling words, my Bible study girls . . . this is staring to sound a lot like a Monday, it would seem.
Happy Thursday to you!

multitude monday {evening edition}

2011-12-05T19:53:00.003-06:00

"One Thousand Gifts":

1800. book club
1801. lots more christmas crafting
1802. buying myself a christmas present
1803. helpful, knowledgeable friends who can help you make decisions
1804. our advent reading each day as a family
1805. being introduced to a wonderful ministry :: 3seams {fantastic company & treats at the same time made it a nearly perfect evening}
1806. no school on Friday :: a family fun day!
1807. Soul Surfer {a miraculous story made it to a great movie!}
1808. a little more friend time and a movie on a snowy Saturday afternoon {unless I counted wrong it was my 2nd time in a theater in 2011 :: I know, I live quite the charmed life!}
1809. my gracious, loving husband who puts up with me when I'm a maniac {and when I'm not}
1810. my wonderful mother!
1811. the long-awaited appointment with the shoulder specialist and the fabulous news that my shoulder does not look like it will require surgery {praise God!}
1812. a working camera again, after it wasn't working {if you turn it off and on and take out and charge the battery and take the lens off and put it back on again and take out the memory card and re-insert it, one of those might fix your problem :: it worked for me!}
1813. a beautiful Christmas tree in my living room
1814. our new {fun} Elf on the Shelf family tradition

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-12-02T14:47:00.003-06:00

December 2006 ::
a crazy picture all around, wouldn't you agree?
{looks to me like someone dropped the Sprite, but I'm not sure who and 1-year-old Joe looks a bit psycho! and that, my friends, is a picture from my life.}

I know at least one person was a bit worried when I was neither thankful nor thrifty yesterday. It's just that I'm a bit of a busy, crazy maniac as of late. Hopefully I'll have my life back in a week or so and regain the ability to keep up with life :: at least a little better than I have this week.

multitude monday

2011-11-28T06:28:00.002-06:00

"One Thousand Gifts":

1779. Christmas picture taken, cards ordered, cards in-hand and waiting to be stuffed . . . and it's still November!
1780. a fresh haircut on my VERY shaggy first-born
1781. Joey leading his class in the pledge at Grandparent's Day ::
1782. safe travels, despite van troubles
1783. seeing deers in ditches :: not on the roads!
1784. our baby girl loving on her grandpa even though it had been nearly half her life since last she saw him
1785. family
1786. boots & skirts {my favorite combo!}::1787. a great family Thanksgiving program following the yummy meal
1788. a nice post-dinner walk
1789. a breath-taking sunset
1790. so very much to be thankful for!
1791. grown-up dinner . . . and kids old enough to take care of themselves {the joy of 13 cousins together in the house with no adults in site!}::1792. hand-in-hand walk with grandpa ::1793. new power tools!
1794. home again {and safely, praise God!}
1795. a good Nancy Drew mystery to pass the time
1796. a letter from Melvin {our Compassion kiddo} waiting for us when we arrived home :: something else to be thankful for!
1797. a great church close enough to walk to when the van won't cooperate to get you to your own church on a Sunday morning
1798. a pretty successful 4th-grade-girl intervention
1799. being in touch with your feelings ::

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-11-25T08:11:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving 2008::

The Stoll side of the family::
Kirby's parents, their 4 kids {& spouses} and 13 grandkids
{Kirby & his older sister must be taking the pictures because they are missing, but all the rest of the 23 family members are present and accounted for, plus a few dolls even.}

thankful thursday

2011-11-24T08:16:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

A day all about being thankful. How great is that? I heard someone say recently, though :: "Thanksgiving isn't a holiday, it's a way of life." I try to live that one out each day. I sure do mess it up quite often, but I keep trying! How much more wonderful would the world be if everyone made thanksgiving a way of life?

Today marks 6 years exactly since my father-in-law had a major stroke :: sitting in his favorite recliner, surrounded by his kids and grandkids {most of them, anyway} in the afterglow of Thanksgiving dinner. It's a moment I don't think I'll ever forget.

Here he is on Thanksgiving Day 2008, 2 years {exactly} after his stroke. {Isn't he cute? I've always been especially fond of him. It's hard to believe I've known him for nearly 20 years already :: I first met him in early 1992, if I remember correctly -- a couple months before I met my mother-in-law}::
Life can make MAJOR changes in a single moment, without a bit of warning.

So be thankful today. Be thankful FOR today. Be thankful with your whole life.

We are thankful to still have my father-in-law with us. Thankful for these 6 years that we realize have been a gift. Life hasn't been the same for him since that day, but he's still here. We still love him! We are so thankful to have him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

multitude monday

2011-11-21T18:39:00.003-06:00

"One Thousand Gifts":

1767. a table full of men at the Y :: Bibles open, studying together
1768. sweet baby girl sound asleep :: little bum sticking up in the air
1769. a good book :: oh how I love a good book!
1770. an early morning walk to start a Saturday :: especially wonderful when the destination is a coffee date with a girlfriend
1771. our first dusting of white
1772. kids playing outside in the snow
1773. crafting up a storm
1774. my dad cutting up TONS of wood for me so I can keep workin' away
1775. my favorite church service of the year
1776. good customer service
1777. a celebration of a wonderful life lived for the Lord :: meaningful service for Gordy Peterson, a wonderful friend of our family {he and is beautiful wife, Gladys, were in charge of the guest book at our wedding; we were so happy to have them be a part of our big day and are glad to know they are together again in heaven now! Praise God!}
1778. that everyone has boots, coats and snowpants that fit {and hopefully will fit ALL winter long!} :: snow gear x 6 is a really big ordeal!

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-11-18T06:26:00.003-06:00

November 2005

thankful thursday

2011-11-17T08:49:00.001-06:00

I'm so thankful, lately, for our chiropractor. I started going a while back for some pain in my shoulder. He worked with me for a month or so and when I was still in pretty nasty pain {you know, the kind that makes your eyes water} he suggested I get a MRI. I did and it revealed that I somehow tore my labrum, which is the cartilage in your shoulder. I have an appointment with an orthopedic shoulder specialist coming up to see whether some physical therapy could help me at all or if I'll have to have shoulder surgery. Anyway, back to the thankful part :: during the time I was seeing him for my shoulder Lydia's migraines had become more frequent and she was pretty miserable, so I asked him about it. Now he has started seeing her, and although it's too soon to tell at this point, I think between the adjustments and a few other changes we've made at home on his suggestion we can trust she'll experience less frequency and less intensity of headaches in the future. Also, Sara has started seeing him too, since she's had quite the history of ear infections. She's already had the first full night of sleep in her life {my kids are never great sleepers until they're at least one though, no matter what we try!} since we started taking her to him, so that's a big perk. Overall she just seems happier and more mellow too, so that's fabulous and we trust he has something to do with that. So, if you live nearby and need a chiropractor, you should give Eric Lund a call.

multitude monday

2011-11-14T11:01:00.006-06:00

"One Thousand Gifts":

1759. $20 found on the ground and no one in sight who may have lost it
1760. IKEA
1761. fun times at the Children's Museum
1762. backyard fires still in mid-November::1763. tree-climbing girls
1764. a good 6.23K walk/run as a family on Saturday morning (even though I walked 25% of the race at the pace of a 3-year-old who didn't want to ride in the stroller, we didn't come in dead last)
1765. a fun, much-needed, laughter-filled dinner with girlfriends
1766. finishing a great book during my workout this morning

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-11-11T06:47:00.001-06:00

one of my favorite oldies::

clearly not the best picture ever :: a little heavy on the floral couch.
jacob (3), rebekah (15 months) & lydia (less than a month)
what a trio

and, i can't help but mention :: happy 11.11.11 to you

can you feel the love hate?

2011-11-10T16:35:00.004-06:00

It's a terrible afternoon :: the kids came home in a funk -- for lack of a better term. Anna had been SUPER needy today {like, as in, I couldn't look away from her or go to the bathroom or feed Sara or do anything without her demanding my undivided attention}. Plus she was tired and whiney. When the big kids walked through the door the "fun" really started :: Doors slamming. Stomping up the stairs, the kind of stomping that leads to fear that the house might, literally, fall apart. Yelling. {Oh, the yelling.} Tantrum throwing. Glasses bent {I think, intentionally} in a fit of rage. Throwing things. Screaming. Crying.

The crying may have been just me, I didn't stick around long enough to find out.

I went outside and sat on the steps leading to the basement {in the cold} and cried and prayed. But it followed me. Even from out there I could hear yelling and stomping and slamming. From outside! Even from outside I could feel the hate oozing out from the house. I hope and pray it's not really hate. I don't think it is. But it sure does feel like it.

I know no one has perfect kids, but in my mind other kids aren't this bad. They aren't this bratty. They aren't this needy. They aren't this whiney or jealous or moody or angry or disrespectful or mean-spirited.

Maybe I'm the one who is off-kilter. Maybe it's because of the constant, often intense pain of my messed up shoulder that I'm extra moody or sensitive. Sometimes I just feel like, clearly, I'm doing something wrong {if not, everything} because these people I'm trying hard to raise are a complete mess. I know deep down that they're not a complete mess, but I sure would appreciate it if they weren't quite so "messy" {literally and figuratively, I might add!}.

Alright, I'll quit now. Just keepin' it real.

thankful thursday

2011-11-10T08:38:00.002-06:00

I feel like I've said this every Thursday for months, but I am so very thankful for the amazingly beautiful fall we've had. The leaves are glorious. The air has been crisp, but not too cold. Anna still goes out to play with bare feet {which makes me cold just looking at her, but she says she's fine.} The kids walk to school at 8:15 with nothing more than a sweatshirt, and front yard football is still going strong. This is Minnesota, so I know that the yucky stuff is inevitable :: sub-zero temperatures, snow that was novel in December driving you nutty by April, scraping frost off car windows and being cold even with 7 layers of clothing on. Last night we had our first hint of flurries and this morning was a chilly one with coldish air coupled with wind, but I'll sure have enjoyed our nearly-mid-November-and-still-snowless fall. Fall is, after all, my favorite season, hands down!

multitude monday

2011-11-07T06:32:00.000-06:00

"One Thousand Gifts":

1743. leaves raining down
1744. the beauty of frost-covered lawns all glittery in the sunshine
1745. a wonderful husband :: just perfect for me
1746. a discouraging diagnosis :: but through it are the only paths to an explanation for the pain and hope of healing
1747. sharing a slice of Costco pizza with my very favorite person in the world for lunch to refuel after pushing around that REALLY heavy cart on our Costco run that we got to take together
1748. good books
1749. writing letters to Melvin {our Compassion child}
1750. traveling mercies
1751. long awaited hugs::
1752. face-aching, side-splitting laughter
1753. a "full tank"
1754. time with my parents :: just the 3 of us
1755. kissing the faces of my kiddos as they slept
1756. a house full {nearly bursting} with teenagers
1757. listening to Jacob talk about what he learned about sin at the youth rally
1758. the grace of everyday. that we are alive. that we have the chance to live this glorious life. it could so easily be different.

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-11-04T06:32:00.001-05:00

Since just the 3 of us are spending some time together today, I thought a picture of when it was just the 3 of us would be appropriate. The Carlson family, circa 1976. Aren't we a handsome bunch?

thankful thursday

2011-11-03T09:57:00.004-05:00

I am thankful for my parents. They are wonderful and such a blessing to me, to us as a family and, I know, to lots of other people too! Tomorrow morning I head out of town for just under 48 hours with my mom and dad to attend a conference in Illinois with my mom. I'm excited! I'm so thankful for the chance to get to go. I am thankful, too, for Kirbs, who is excited for me to go and willing to hold down the fort while I'm gone. I am thankful for the full night sleep I plan to get {unless one of my parents needs something in the middle of the night, that is!}, for the chance to grow and learn, to hear some fabulous speakers {one, in particular, that I'm especially excited about} and go be filled up. After having the weekend on the calendar for months and months, I'm really looking forward to it and can't believe it's finally here . . . already {I know the finally and the already seem to be opposites, but isn't that how life is?} . . . less than 24 hours now. Whoo Hoo!

Boo! {the return of the cow}

2011-11-01T09:43:00.006-05:00

A little review of some fall fun. Not a penny was spent on any of it {well, I guess that's not completely true, my mom did buy Rebekah that mask at the dollar store}. We borrowed. We dug in the dress up box. We were imaginative. Even at the last minute there were costume changes going on. Even the pumpkins were free! A fun night was had by all, and if you're short on candy come on over. We've got MORE than enough to share. Yikes!

Wonder Woman::

NBA guy::

pumpkins::

Spidey::

The whole crew of spooks::

Mooo {year two in the cow costume for Sara -- last year she was swimming in it at 3 weeks old}::

Dorothy {and Toto}::

A witch or some such thing::

Our 6 + 2 of our favorite "extras" who can quite often be found at our house and often come places with us too. They're both part of the family at this point. You gotta love it when a kid is comfortable enough at your house to just open the fridge and help themselves! Plus we joke that Ev and Joe are going to get married some day, since they have fought like crazy since Joe was old enough to walk. Love all those kiddos::

The welcome committee at our back door::

multitude monday

2011-10-31T10:10:00.006-05:00

"One Thousand Gifts":

1732. book club
1733. surprise birthday coffee with friends :: Happy Birthday Laura!
1734. encouragement
1735. the sound of a woodpecker in the tree
1736. Bible study and some wonderful ladies
1737. clothes steaming on the clothesline in the sunshine and crisp fall air
1738. a confident little walker {no more crawling here!}
1739. friendship
1740. teenagers who have their heads on straight :: how refreshing!
1741. my new chairs, I LOVE them :: I'm fairly certain someone was just as thrilled to be rid of them as I am to have them. To each his own. They make me so happy in all their 1950ish goodness::

1742. an afternoon spent with my husband {sans kiddos}

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

brown paper packages tied up with strings::

2011-10-29T12:57:00.004-05:00

Ok, just for fun here are a few {random, and in no particular order either} things that I really, really like. "These are a few of my fav-o-rite things." I'm so glad each of them is a part of my life. {In case you thought there might be, there is no monetary reason for this list. You could buy a million of each of these things and I wouldn't get a penny. Just so you know}::

Burt's Bee's chapstick {a winter must-have in my book!}
The Jesus Storybook Bible {the Deluxe Edition includes the whole book on audio CD too, read by a guy with a bit of a British accent. How fun is that?}
my clothesline
a caramel latte {or maybe almond}
the library
oreos with peanut butter on top
1000 gifts by Ann Voskamp
my favorite womanly essentials :: lunapads and a diva cup
my family
double coupon day at the gas station {Tuesday} and the grocery store {Wednesday and Saturday}
babies :: the newer, the better
Mod Podge {I got through the stuff like water :: and I know how to make my own, but I don't do it, if you buy it with a coupon {Michael's, Joann's :: whoever has a 50% off} it's just as cheap to buy it and you didn't have to do a bit of work yourself}
hard, face-hurting, side-splitting, pee-your-pants-a-bit laughter!
Haribo gummi fruit salad {mmmmmmm}
water with lemon
music :: my current favorites are Third World Symphony by Shaun Groves, Deeper & Painted Red by JJ Heller, Fireflies & Songs and Invisible Empires by Sara Groves {no relation between Shaun & Sara, they just happen to have the same last name!} soon, though, I will be listening to Christmas music. I love Christmas music!
watching Parenthood
smartwool socks {I have them on at this very minute. I'm a frugal girl, generally speaking, but these expensive numbers are worth every single penny, if you ask me!}

What are some of your favorite things?

flash {way} back friday

2011-10-28T09:05:00.001-05:00

Two more little things :: nope, that's not Luke {my brother}, it's my cousin Phil. At least I'm pretty sure it is. Also, last weeks flashback friday was Anna. In case you'd spent all this time wondering! Happy weekend!

thankful thursday

2011-10-27T07:40:00.001-05:00

Book club, a morning spent at Caribou celebrating a friends birthday and Bible study all in the same week :: how fabulous is that? Lots of fun, meaningful, laughter-filled, tear-filled time with some wonderful friends :: I am thankful! Plus, on top of that, our beautiful fall weather has continued. What a wonderful week!

multitude monday

2011-10-24T09:32:00.006-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1716. silhouettes of birds flying through the sunset sky
1717. unhurried time with a friend
1718. wrapping up a football season {with a win, even . . . and Jacob in on a play that resulted in a touchdown, which is unexpected and extra-fun since he plays defense!}
1719. a great 4th grade concert
1720. some really wonderful one-on-one time with my oldest girl :: LOVE her!::
1721. antique stores in barns::
1722. cactus bread from the Pizza Ranch :: yum!
1723. a super fun, safe Chicago trip for Jacob {how can he be old enough to go to Chicago for 4 days without either of his parents? Crazy!}
1724. a cleaned out, ready-for-winter garage
1725. a yard all mowed, raked and ready for winter too :: trampoline down, canopy off the swingset, most toys packed up {thanks Kirb & Joe}
1726. my wonderful, wonderful husband. I appreciate him so much.
1727. a beautiful, fun family day at the Arboretum {one of our very favorite places :: nothing is more beautiful than fall, if you ask me!}::
1728. a game {or two or three} of Poohsticks::
1729. a super fun play with the 3 big girls {Mercy Watson at the Children's Theater . . . we love Mercy around here!}
1730. a good workout
1731. FINALLY Joe's front tooth fell out {it's been imminent for months now and "it's about time" is an understatement at this point}::

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-10-21T07:33:00.000-05:00

how cute is that Stoll baby?
can you guess who it is?

have a fabulous weekend!

thankful thursday

2011-10-20T07:35:00.000-05:00

Today I'm so thankful for a break. A break from school for our kiddos. A break from the routine for me (Rebekah and I are going away for an overnight . . . just the two of us). A break from the craziness that the first month and a half of school has brought :: now that soccer is done and football is done hopefully we can settle down a notch or two as a family. A break from Sara's sickness (she's so much better than she was a couple days ago). Breaks are good! I am thankful!

stats

2011-10-18T12:01:00.001-05:00

Little Miss Sara had her one year check up the other day.

Here's some important info about Sara at one::

30 1/4 inches tall (75th percentile)
23 pounds 3 ounces ( 80th percentile)
18 inch head (75th percentile)
5 teeth (3 on the bottom, 2 on the top . . . with a 6th one about to appear)
can walk (but still often opts for crawling)
waves, claps, signs "more", knows "how big is Sara?" and raises up both hands for "SO big!"
can say "hi" (and does often!), "momma" and "dada".
is not a fan of drinking from a cup -- prefers a bottle or a straw
has yet to sleep through the night
doesn't mind being carted around by her siblings (or their friends) even if they hold her in ways that look, to me, like they would hurt . . . what a trooper
jabbers a lot
will make a b-line for the bathroom to splash in the toilet if you forget to shut the bathroom door (she has some freakish radar for an open bathroom door)
has mastered going UP the stairs, but can't get back down safely (although, unfortunately, has gotten down in an unsafe manner . . . yup, exactly what you're thinking. Don't worry. She survived just fine.)

There is a song I've been listening to lately that makes me think of my baby and how fast she's growing. I've been humming it a lot the past few days since my "baby" transformed into a toddler and I'm mourning her baby days while remembering to enjoy her blossoming toddlerhood. It's a fabulous song (the whole album is pretty darn good, in case you wondered . . . and so are all the other JJ Heller albums I have, too). To hear "I get to the be the one" by JJ Heller, click here and then play the first clip on the page entitled JJ Heller's song dedicated to her new baby due in the fall of 2011 (the baby has since been born and is a girl named Nora) and go here if you want to read the lyrics (they're very sweet).

Those babies, they grow up so fast! The other night as Sara was sick (blasted ear infection) and I was up with her most of the night I held her as she slept . . . and she's just. so. big. So long. So heavy. So grown up looking. That particular night, she would only sleep against my chest while I was sitting up. Anytime I tried something else (laying down a bit, or -- heaven forbid -- putting her back in her crib) she'd start screaming again . . . and with 5 other kids in the house, middle-of-the-night screaming is something we try and avoid. So I sat on the couch with her sleeping on my chest for a good portion of the night. It left me pretty tired, but, these days, the chances I have to hold her as she sleeps don't come very often, if at all. So, I'll try to see the silver lining and remember the feel of her one-year-old body against mine heavy with much-needed, but hard-won, sleep.

multitude monday

2011-10-17T16:02:00.005-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1693. a really fun family day::1694. the man working out next to me at the Y reading his well-loved (TONS of underlines, notes and highlights) Bible :: what a blessing! reminded me of this quote :: "A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't." (Charles Spurgeon -- the guy my nephew was named after)
1695. helping at preschool::
1696. a good outcome to a stressful, potentially yucky situation involving an anxious deer nearly in an all-out panic
1697. kids walking to school on a glorious fall morning
1698. strangers telling me that I have a beautiful baby (I know being beautiful isn't the most important thing by any standards we hold, but I think she's beautiful and it's nice to have others think so too . . . and mention it!)
1699. the library
1700. Home Depot
1701. backyard fires with hot dogs and s'mores::1702. open spaces to run and play and relax
1703. sharing old stories
1704. a big van that can haul lots of kids (all ours and room for a few extras)
1705. new music to love
1706. an encouraging, fun, unexpected email (who doesn't love a surprise?)
1707. answered prayer (Quinlyn is home!)
1708. doctors and antibiotics
1709. my Bible study girls
1710. online shopping (+ free shipping)
1711. surprising people and brightening their days a bit
1712. . . . knowing that it makes a difference
1713. a beautiful full moon::1714. wrapping up fall soccer::
1715. the beauty of creation::
Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-10-14T07:35:00.001-05:00

Speaking of friends, here a picture of me with one of my very favorites.
New Years Eve 2008::

The best of friends for over 25 years!

thankful thursday

2011-10-13T10:34:00.003-05:00

Today I am so thankful for the people who walk this journey of life with me :: my friends. I have the most wonderful, wonderful friends {including my husband, my mom, my wonderful girlfriends and even friends I've never even met in person . . . yet}. I've been praying like crazy for nearly 24 hours now for the daughter of a girlfriend of mine who is really sick with meningitis and is in the hospital. It was looking pretty dire at this time yesterday and we all started praying {and crying and emailing and making phone calls and texting -- well, not me. I'm not a texter. But the rest of the clan was texting and some one would call or email their 2007-model friend to keep her up-to-speed. Thanks girls!}. Today, I'm thrilled to say that she's doing much better. Out of the woods, it would seem, although still in rough shape. Hopefully she'll be home again over the weekend. Anyway, all that to say that I'm so very thankful for friendship and all that it means in my life. I really couldn't make it through a day without it. "Life with you is half as hard and twice as good!" Enjoy::

And on a differnt note, this is another of my favorites. It's totally the story of my life. If you haven't heard it {or even if you have}, you should listen!

multitude monday

2011-10-10T08:53:00.002-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1674. sleepy superheros::1675. seeing my stuff in an actual shop where people who don't even know me actually buy it::
1676. llamas {and their fabulous teeth -- they only have teeth on the bottom. did you know that? i didn't until today.}::1677. kids celebrating their dad {a whole birthday "program" planned without adult intervention complete with skit, violin duet, gifts and treats}::

1678. laundry on the line::1679. fun crafting {LOTS of it!}
1680. a 2-birthday week
1681. seeing my aunt
1682. continued amazingly glorious weather {80's in October . . . in Minnesota! WOW!}
1683. music and how powerful it is in my life
1684. shopping with my mom, an introduction to a fabulous little occasional shop and some amazingly fun {and did I mention cheap?} "new" dining room chairs. so very exciting to me!
1685. learning a fun new skill::1686. fun Friday morning coffee with the moms
1687. Kirbs making it through his really busy {and stressful} week of work {he put in about 14 hours on his birthday . . . what a trooper!}
1688. a 4-generation spread around the dinner table::1689. our kiddos :: what a blessings they are. each and every one of them. that I've been entrusted with them is truly grace!::1690. the fun of being "boo"-ed
1691. crossing things off the list {LOVE that!}
1692. a wonderful sermon by a wonderful friend

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

twelve

2011-10-09T19:57:00.006-05:00

can i say that she's twelve months instead of saying that she's one? somehow that doesn't make it seem as bad. i can't believe she's been here for a year already. at the same time, though, i can't even remember life without her and can't ever imagine our family feeling at all "right" without her as a part of it. she's a keeper, that's for sure. and a walker too. did i mention that? well, it's true!
happy, happy first birthday sweet sara. we love you more than you could possibly know {at least until you become a parent anyway}::

good morning sunshine, happy birthday::

her cake {thanks Ama!}::

check out those big toofers::

dancing with Anna::

mmm, good::

flashback friday saturday

2011-10-08T06:54:00.000-05:00

exactly one year ago::

Happy Birthday

2011-10-07T07:41:00.002-05:00

Happy (39th) Birthday to the most wonderful husband & dad we can imagine::

We love you!

thankful thursday

2011-10-06T03:55:00.003-05:00

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth"
psalm 108.5
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty,
the whole earth is full of his gory."
isaiah 6.3b
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!

O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in therm.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;"
psalm.96.11-12
“I am the vine; you are the branches.
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing."
john 15.5

Enjoy your day!

multitude monday

2011-10-03T09:36:00.002-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1659. cool, old cars {complete with wood paneling}
1660. fun mail
1661. a beautiful moon
1662. kids playing on a trampoline in the dark
1663. grilled chicken
1664. football games
1665. seeing friends
1666. a glorious October weekend . . . amazing weather!
1667. kind people who drive my kids places
1668. a lovely afternoon walk
1669. a fabulous concert with my love::1670. kids excited about their new Bibles::1671. the very best of friends and time together
1672. very thorough doctors, modern medicine and a baby who can breathe::
1673. a "good" nights sleep :: better than I expected, all things considered

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-09-30T08:48:00.002-05:00

Halloween 2006::

{still with a house full of wallpaper :: LOVE my walls now!}

thankful thursday

2011-09-29T08:19:00.002-05:00

I'm so thankful for the glorious fall we've been having. The weather has been just perfect! It's a bit windy today, but the sun is out. The kids have enjoyed their walks to and from school. The laundry has been flapping on the clothesline nearly every day. The crafting has been done outside rather than in. The swings make their squeaks as they go back and forth entertaining the kiddos. Bikes, helmets, rakes, scooters, bats, balls and jumpropes litter the driveway and make coming or going in a vehicle a bit of a chore. Fall is my absolute favorite season! Enjoy.

a letter to my daughter

2011-09-27T09:24:00.004-05:00

Dearest Sara,

That might be the stinkiest poop I've ever smelled . . . and I've smelled LOTS of poop!

When I'm sick I like to sleep more, not less. Just sayin'!

I promise the snot sucker will help you feel better. It wouldn't be quite as much like torture if you would just hold still.

You are adorable and a blessing to our family. I can't imagine life without you. I love you so very, very much.

Always,
Mom

P.S. I am happy to change your stinky poop and wrestle with you to suck huge amounts of snot out of your nose and get up with you multiple times in the night even though I prefer to be sleeping at 2 am (and midnight and 4 and 5 . . . ). Just wanted to clarify that for you. It's my job, I know. It's what I signed on for and I wouldn't trade it for anything (although sleeping through the night and being healthy would be fabulous!) Love you, honey!

multitude monday

2011-09-26T07:12:00.006-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1641. volunteering with friends and being stretched and coming out of my comfort zone
1642. a {wonderful} home to live in :: safe and warm
1643. 15 years a marriage
1644. an adventure with my mom
1645. a powerful message
1646. a wonderful, wonderful concert :: and sitting only about 10 feet from him made it all the better!
1647. a new family member :: our family decided so sponsor another child {through Compassion International -- we've sponsored Marilyn from CSC for years now!}. Melvin is 7 and lives in the Philippines. Welcome to the family, Melvin!
1648. worship
1649. fabulous, much-needed, wonderful night away for our anniversary::

1650. 1 football win and 2 soccer wins during the 27 hours we were gone
1651. a massage
1652. wandering around the farmers market on a chilly morning with my love
1653. a long, leisurely walk::

1654. the History Center :: I'd never been there without kids and it was such fun to take our time and look around
1655. the majesty of an eagle in flight
1656. home!
1657. dinner with friends
1658. a good, hard laugh

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

awake my soul::

2011-09-24T20:19:00.006-05:00

this view earlier today had me humming track 5. give it a listen::

Third World Symphony by shaungroves

actually, give the whole thing a listen. it plays on repeat at my house these day. it's fabulous! and powerful. and my 3-year-old has nearly the whole thing memorized. i got to hear him speak this week and heard him sing too. he's a pretty great guy! enjoy!

flashback friday

2011-09-23T08:42:00.000-05:00

another couple wedding pictures in honor of 15 years::

thankful thursday

2011-09-22T08:30:00.006-05:00

Today I'm thankful for all the years. Yesterday was our 15th anniversary. 15 years since that day of excitement, shared vows, a motorcade of VW Beetle convertibles, light rain showers, bubbles hanging in the air, clinking glasses and kisses. A decade and a half. Lots of life lived and unimaginable adventures still to come. I am so thankful for the blessing -- the grace in my life -- that is my husband. I love him more each day!

{I'm also SUPER thankful for, and excited about our just-over-24-kid-free-hours that begin tomorrow afternoon. Whoo Hoo!}

multitude monday

2011-09-19T09:21:00.003-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1627. the whir of the washing machine :: soundtrack of my days
1628. first game of the football season ending in a win
1629. fall is here!
1630. looking forward to Friday and a kid-free night with my love {thanks Mom!}
1631. a new season of Parenthood {my FAVORITE show}
1632. making it through the first full week of school
1633. good conferences with Rebekah, Lydia and Joe's teachers
1634. fans at Jacob's first home game {in addition to his whole family he had :: 1 youth pastor, 1 grandma, 2 cousins and an aunt -- thanks for coming guys!}
1635. 3-year-olds singing along to some great music ::
"Without you we all fall down
Without you we all fall
You make life with living
You make me want to start giving
More and more away to you
It's not mine anyway
I could never try so hard
I could buy a place in your heart
But here I am
My name written on your hands
Because you paid the debt I owe
Without you we all fall down
Without you we all fall ::

1636. crafting
1637. almond latte for a chilly Saturday morning soccer game
1638. scrap wood {thanks Catherine!}
1639. rainy Sunday afternoon naps
1640. another week underway

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-09-16T08:44:00.003-05:00

football in the yard
fall 2009::

thankful thursday :: football

2011-09-15T08:57:00.004-05:00

So our big guy is playing football this year. And LOVING it. He had his first game this week {they won 24-14} and he has another on this afternoon. I am thankful that he is having such a great time and that {so far} he is injury-free. Needless to say, he's taken a few hits, been stepped on and generally been knocked around a little . . . but nothing an Advil and a good nights sleep won't take care of. I'm looking forward to seeing him play again today. Here are a few of the 100+ pictures I took at Tuesday's game {he is blue #43 in case you can't tell which one is him under all that gear!}::

multitude monday

2011-09-12T09:34:00.005-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1602. cool mornings :: fall in the air
1603. the hoot of an owl
1604. a quiet house and a good book
1605. soft snores coming from the bedrooms :: my 7 loves all still asleep
1606. time to think and give thanks
1607. leaves against the first light of morning
1608. snuggling with my big boy on the couch :: that he still wants to snuggle is truly grace!
1609. handsome blue eyes framed by black plastic :: and knowing that he can see clearly now::1610. tall sunflowers::1611. fabulous, caring, knowledgeable teachers for our kiddos
1612. a great first week of school
1613. one last swim in the outdoor pool
1614. amazingly glorious weather
1615. a fun date with my mom (& Sara)
1616. Tea Garden :: yum!
1617. crafting
1618. witnessing the exchange of vows :: two becoming one
1619. listening to my husband preach
1620. a new favorite -- so very, very true. give it a listen (or two or three or four)::
1621. "Behold the man upon the cross
My guilt upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom"
How anyone can sing those words without the tears streaming down their cheeks truly baffles me completely. I was a mess :: always am!
1622. a good workout with a friend (everything is better with a friend)
1623. fun morning and good coffee with friends, discussing how everyone's first week went
1624. 11 months of Sara::1625. more cleaning, organizing and purging
1626. catching up with a favorite friend through an open minivan window :: ah, this life of mine!

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

soccer

2011-09-10T22:09:00.006-05:00

Today we had our first games of the fall soccer season. I signed Rebekah, Lydia and Joe all up and got a message back that the 3/4 girls teams were all full and there wasn't a spot for Lydia . . . shoot! But then I found out that Rebekah's 5/6 team didn't have enough players, so I asked really nicely if they would take Lydia even though she wasn't technically old enough {plus, that would save me running people to practices and game for 3 separate soccer teams}. Rebekah's coach said it was ok with him, but he'd have to get it ok'd by the park and rec people. They agreed too, so I was happy {although Rebekah was a little miffed the she had to have her too-little sister on her team -- but when I explained that if there happened to be 3 soccer games that overlapped on a certain Saturday morning then it would be possible that neither of her parents could be at her game, but if she and Lydia were on the same team, they were pretty much guaranteed at least one parent}. So Joe is on a co-ed 1/2 team and Rebekah and Lydia are both on an all-girl 5/6 team.

Here are some shots from our really hot, no-win morning at soccer::

sisters::

a extra-cute spectator::

um, you can see better if you actually face the game::

game 2 {did I mention it was at a totally different park? and started before the first one was done? convenient, huh?}::

run buddy::

out-standing in the field::

eleven

2011-09-09T22:29:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe that a month from today we'll be celebrating a first birthday. Slow it down! . . . unfortunately I've been around the block enough to know that's not going to happen. Anyway, here's our cute, speedy, happy, sweet eleven-month-old "baby" girl::

flashback friday

2011-09-09T07:10:00.005-05:00

A couple other first day of school pics::

First day 2007 {Jacob 3rd grade, Rebekah 1st grade}::

Lydia, kindergarten::

First day 2009 {Jacob 5th grade, Rebekah 3rd grade, Lydia 2nd grade}::

thankful thursday :: school

2011-09-08T07:33:00.003-05:00

I'll start off with a picture of Sara. Just because I think she's cute. She's not going to school this year though. {Do you see that little tooth about to pop through on the top? It's given us a LOT of trouble, but hopefully that will ease up really soon!}::

Well, another school year is underway. We've got a 7th grader {first year in middle school}, a 5th grader, a 4th grader, a 1st grader, a preschooler and a baby. The school year is off to a fabulous start for all our kids. Jacob is THRILLED with middle school. He has some great teachers and is completely loving football {even being tackled and stepped on and working hard}. I don't think I remember ever seeing him quite so happy. He's nearly giddy. I guess middle school suits him. Rebekah's teacher has a daughter named Rebekah -- spelled the same way even. It's always nice to have a little extra connection. Lydia's teacher's grandma was named Lydia and she told Lydia that if she'd had a girl {she has 2 boys} she would have named her Lydia. Tonight at dinner we were doing "high & low" where we talk about our highs and lows for the day and, when it was Lydia's turn she announced :: "My high was my whole day and my other high was I don't have a low!" Gotta love that! Joe's teacher taught 1st grade to both Rebekah and Lydia is a just wonderful. Anna is so excited to finally have her turn to be in preschool.

He was nice enough to still let me take his "first day of school" picture. Big kid that he is::

We are so thankful for the great schools our kids go to. For the wonderful teachers who care about them and teach them so many things. For the fabulous friends they have at school. I don't claim that public school is the best option for every kid, but it sure is right for ours . . . for this time.

I think that homeschooling is wonderful too. I know some homeschooling families that I respect deeply, but just as public school {or private} isn't the right choice for every family, homeschooling isn't the right choice for everyone either. I homeschooled Jacob when he was a kindergartener. I would never say that homeschooling is a bad choice. It's not! But for us, for that time, it was not the right decision. I think our decision to homeschool -- at least on my part -- was based on a lack of faith. I was worried about Jacob's health issues and how they could be handled "without me". With his multiple life-threatening food allergies I didn't think he could be safe at school :: cafeterias filled with kids drinking {and spilling} milk, kindergarteners with leftover butter on their fingers from their toast touching him or things that he would later touch, birthday treats, etc. I was nervous. I needed to be in more control than having him at school would give me. Basically, I didn't trust that the Lord could take care of him without me there. {which, clearly, is not true!} It was a tough year. He wasn't happy. I wasn't happy {plus, did I mention I was also pregnant. Yup, I was}. The littler kids had to deal with their unhappy mother and big brother. We decided that we'd try something different for 1st grade. We looked at a couple different schools and decided on Falcon -- our local, neighborhood public school and have been very happy with that decision.

The elementary school crew::

Walking to school with the Schmidt girls::

As parents, we don't just automatically assume that things will continue as they have been from year to year. Each year we consider each kiddo and how they're doing at school and if the current choice is still the right one for them. If I have any question about whether or not it is the right choice, I talk to that kiddo about it and pray about what the right situation is for them. So far the kids agree with us that our public schools are where they want to be. Will public school cause them harm somehow? Yup, I'm sure it will. Bullies, challenges, being given information contrary to what they know to be truth, chipped elbows from falling off the monkey bars. Life hurts :: but we believe that, for our kiddos, the good that comes out of the experience far outweighs the bad. Plus, that is the real world. There are mean people and people who believe differently than you. Life is hard. That is something you can't get around and a reality that, although I don't like it, is just that -- reality!

So, I am thankful for our schools and our teachers. And I'm so thankful that we are off to a good start this year.

Walking to preschool {how cute are they?} ::

multitude monday

2011-09-05T07:07:00.000-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1590. girls high in trees picking apples
1591. grace! {because all is grace, you know}
1592. backyard fires
1593. boys in full football gear -- unrecognizable to their own mothers. how can that be?
1594. delicious fried food on a stick -- a fun family day at the state fair!
1595. an outdoor movies with friends . . . and treats
1596. a home for our family . . . grace again!
1597. "kids eat free" day at IKEA :: feeding our whole family until we were full for $6.16. amazing!
1598. spending hours at the park on a glorious night
1599. remembering my Papa on what would have been his 100th birthday {he died in 2007} he was a great man. here i am with him and my grandma when I was about 2::
1600. Oh how marvelous! Oh how wonderful! And my song shall ever be. Oh how marvelous, oh how wonderful is my Savior's love for me.
1601. purging, organizing and cleaning

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

yikes!

2011-09-02T06:48:00.006-05:00

These last couple weeks of summer have been packed with stuff. Meeting teachers, starting practices, celebrating birthdays, going to the fair, volunteering as a family . . . I can't believe it is already September. That summer sure flew by.

Sorry if you missed me yesterday, I meant to be either thankful for thrifty or something, but then I fell asleep on the couch and resigned myself to the fact that it wasn't going to happen. Flashback Friday might not happen either, but here's a little preview of a few things we've been doing lately {in no particular order} ::

Enjoy your extra-long weekend!

multitude monday

2011-08-29T14:07:00.003-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1582. wonderful family time
1583. 4 generations serving together at Feed My Starving Children . . . and having LOTS of fun doing it!::1584. learning new things
1585. glorious weather
1586. celebrating my Grandma's 85th birthday::

1587. Joe's glasses on order
1588. playdates (I really hate that word, but I love having them!)
1589. preschool teacher home visit (our 9th preschool home visit and our 4th kiddo to have teacher Anna)

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-08-26T07:14:00.000-05:00

state fair 2006::

the 2011 state fair started yesterday . . . our favorite time of year :: fair time! are you going to the fair?

thrifty thursday

2011-08-25T07:12:00.004-05:00

Well, it's opening day at the Minnesota State Fair. We LOVE the fair in our family. But, the fair is anything but "thrifty". It costs an obscene amount of money to take a family of 8 out for a day of fair fun. Gate admission went up this year, everyone wants to eat something different (and LOTS of it!), the rides multiplied by 5 ride-loving kiddos (ok, Rebekah will gone on her share, but I'm not sure she actually qualifies as "ride-loving"). So, if you want to be truly thrifty you should probably skip the fair. But, we're going! There are a few ways to save a bit while you're there though.

It's too late for this one (sorry), but you can buy advanced fair tickets. Discounted admission tickets, ride tickets and state fair coupon books are on sale at various places for the couple weeks leading up to the fair. We always get a coupon book ($4 if you pre-buy . . . and worth every penny! Even if you pay the $5 full price it's well worth it, so get one the minute you step inside the gate) and save on a few of our favorites and usually risk trying a few new coupon items too. Our kids all did the summer reading program at the library, and one of the prizes is a state fair admission ticket, so, thankfully, all the kids that are old enough to be charged admission have also earned their own ticket by reading over the summer! We buy our ride tickets in advance too and then limit the number of rides the kids go on. We're sneaky (although the older ones are catching on) and always say something like "Do you want it to be a 3 ride day or a 4 ride day?" Like it's up to them or something. We knew all along that it was a 4 ride day, but it makes them feel like they are in control a bit.

Plus, there's free stuff all over the fair if you know how to find it. Our favorite :: in the southwest corner of the food building you can get a sample of fabulous ice cream -- we'll head there straight away when we arrive. Even if it is 7:30 am. That's what the fair is for, right? One year we got free bike helmets for all the kids. The line was pretty long, but, do you know how much 4 nice quality bike helmets cost? Yup, it was worth the wait. I'm not sure if they are doing that again this year (that would be nice since now we have 6 kids and a few of them have grown out of their 2008 bike helmet), I'll have to check.

So, although we do a pretty good job of getting some decent fair deals, the fair really isn't a thrifty place. So, just throw it out the window, for the most part, for a day (or two or three, depending on how hard-core you are about the fair) and enjoy your time at "The Great Minnesota Get-Together". You'll be glad you did! And, in case you wonder, we'll be there next Wednesday, the 31st. Maybe we'll see you there.

Check out this site for helpful thrifty fair tips.

multitude monday

2011-08-22T16:30:00.002-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1574. visits with friends
1575. authenticity
1576. trust
1577. safe travels
1578. a weekend filled with celebration
1579. lots of crafting and a first load of goods sent to the orchard
1580. being gifted 2 "extra" Twins tickets . . . and to see the Yankees play too :: it made the ~~day~~ year of a certain boy of mine!
1581. water parks

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-08-19T06:22:00.000-05:00

Here we are meeting Schaeffer for the first time. It was his birthday yesterday. Wow, that year went fast. I can't believe he's one already!

thrifty thursday

2011-08-18T06:14:00.003-05:00

Double coupon day::

Double coupon day is our favorite. Did you know that on Wednesdays and Saturdays Rainbow storess will double up to 5 coupons that are up to $1 in value per order? They will. And I guess if you wanted to be tricky about it, you could check out multiple times. But we don't really have the time or patience for that. Yesterday, we got a box of cereal (Jacob's new favorite!) for less than a dollar because we had a $1 off coupon which doubled to $2 off. It's a pretty fabulous deal . . . if there are Rainbow grocery stores where you live anyway. If you had to drive to my neighborhood to double your coupons and you live -- let's just say, in Idaho (hi Robin!), chances are good you wouldn't end up actually saving any money (although there would be other advantages to the trip, right?)

multitude monday

2011-08-15T08:32:00.003-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1557. glorious weather
1558. impromptu visit with friends
1559. LJ and Kir laughing and playing together in the pool
1560. a backyard fire
1561. being the hangout spot for Jacob's friends
1562. good books
1563. ice cream shops
1564. a wonderful family walk
1565. spending my life by the side of a fabulous man {it'll be 20 years this fall since we met and I've pretty much been by his side since then}
1566. the growing independence of the "bigs"
1567. a not-too-busy week
1568. a productive crafting day::1569. celebrating Amy
1570. kids on fire for God
1571. yummy Sunday dinner
1572. a perfect night to eat out on the patio with family {the cousins had fun together and didn't have to be quiet or stay in their seats!}
1573. my dads safe arrival home . . . and almost immediate departure again {I think he had 7 hours between flights. So glad I got to give him a hug and hear a little about his trip . . . even if it only lasted less then 10 minutes and was nearly midnight when it happened and we met in the dark outside on my driveway.}

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-08-12T20:41:00.001-05:00

thrifty thursday :: school supplies

2011-08-11T17:24:00.002-05:00

Well, school supplies can be a killer . . . especially when multiplied by 4! But if you do it correctly, you can save quite a bit. Stores have amazingly cheap deals on a few items each week (for example, this week I got folders for a penny a piece -- limit 10, you know). If you look through the ads and make your lists according to the get-you-in-the-door, crazy-cheap deals, you can tackle your entire supply list for much less than you think.

On Tuesday night Rebekah and I headed out to get this weeks bargains. We went to 4 stores (Walgreens, Staples, Office Max and Target), were gone for a couple hours and saved probably $70 on school supplies and only spent about $60 -- not including Jacob's fancy schmancy calculater that was on sale for $90 (down from $130, plus I got 10% for using my Target card, plus my bonus 5% off, so I paid about $87 with tax). Plus, I submitted my online rebate with Staples and will be getting $13 dollars back just about the time that field trip money starts coming due!

Even if we don't need certain items, I'll buy them if they are the ultra-good-deal-of-the-week and then donate them to our churches school supply drive for urban schools in our area. For example, I don't need very many pencil top erasers this year, but at 10 cents a package, I bought the limit. A 2-pack of Sharpies for a quarter? Yes, please. I'll take my limit of those as well.

We still have a few things on our list that we haven't gotten, but there are a few weeks of ads left and if those items haven't been on sale by then, I guess I'll just play full price for the last couple items and still have saved a bundle!

Another great way to save is to re-use. Make sure the end of the year that your kids bring home their salvageable stuff from the previous year. Little pencil sharpeners, rulers, pencil boxes and scissors can all be re-used. Plus, I re-sharpen colored pencils and call it good. Who needs them to be new when you only use about 10% of the pencil in a whole year anyway? Not us, that's for sure! Notebooks with only about 12 pages written in? Just rip out those 12 pages and the notebooks as good as new. I've never yet had a kid that used every single page in their notebook. Have you?

It takes a little time and research and you have to travel to more than one place, but fortunately we've got all the powerhouse places within a mile or two, so it's no big deal for us. Well worth the effort, I'd say! Happy shopping!

Oh, and if you have to send the kids to school with SHARPENED pencils, I highly recommend Ticonderoga pencils. They really are the best and sharpen up better than anything I've tried. And when you have multiple kids that each need to bring 48 sharpened pencils, you'll thank me. I promise! They are more expensive, it's true, but I think it's money well spent (and I'm a pretty frugal girl.)

ten

2011-08-10T14:44:00.003-05:00

our sweet little babe is 10 months old ::

she's on the go, and movin' quick
she is sweet as can be
these months with her have gone so fast, and i fear it's only going to speed up

happy 10-month birthday, sweet Sara ::

multitude monday

2011-08-08T06:56:00.004-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1543. book club night {and nearly into the next morning . . . oops!}
1544. going to the park and discovering it was puppet wagon day. extra fun!
1545. the farmer's market
1546. a nice day to walk to the library
1547. a special fun trip with the littles involving a hotel stay and a waterpark
1548. Sara in her swimsuit {possibly the cutest thing ever}::

1549. pure joy on little faces
1550. a WONDERFUL week at camp for the bigs
1551. 3 resounding yeses in answer to :: "are you closer to God now than you were when you got here on Sunday?" {I think that makes camp worth every penny it costs . . . and it made me cry}
1552. everyone home again sleeping in their own beds
1553. sleeping bags {smelly, wet ones at that} drying on the line
1554. my dad's safe arrival in Mexico
1555. a super fun evening involving food, friends, great music, hula hoops, dancing and gliously beautiful countryside
1556. the still newish curls on an adorable 3-year-old head. i just love them!

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-08-05T07:11:00.000-05:00

"the bigs" summer 2006::

These 3 have been gone all week at camp and I'm so excited to see them tomorrow morning, give them each a big hug and hear camp stories all the way home!

thrifty thursday

2011-08-04T12:44:00.003-05:00

I know I've mentioned this one before, but I've been doing it so often lately that I thought someone might have missed it and could benefit from this little tip. It's been SUPER hot and humid here lately, so we've been running the dehumidifier in our basement and nearly everytime I go downstairs it needs to be emptied. We also have quite a few people here who make dirty laundry, so I do lots of that as well. What do the two have in common, you may ask? Well, just empty the water from your dehumidifier right into your washing machine and you can save a bit on your water bill by doing something you would be doing anyway. If the thought of that grosses you out or the inside of your dehumidifier water collection jug-thing is nasty, you could also use the water to water some house plants or outdoor flowers or something. Anything to not just waste all the perfectly good water you just got out of the overly-heavy air we've had lately.

Ok, now go do some laundry or water the plants, 'cause I'm pretty sure your dehumidifier could use emptying!

multitude monday

2011-08-01T07:21:00.003-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1532. a great end to Rebekah summer soccer season
1533. a night out with friends -- REALLY hard laughter and not getting home 'til nearly midnight! yikes!
1534. fresh cut flowers
1535. new experiences
1536. watching kids have fun
1537. smooth camp drop-off -- and really, really excited kids
1538. a quiet(er), less busy house for the week
1539. spending some birthday gift cards
1540. crafting {I got a new sander and it's just fabulous, I love it! . . . it's possible that I missed my true calling as a carpenter -- that would be another way to be more like Jesus!}
1541. aniticiapation {I sent someone a surprise in the mail -- UPS, actually, the post office was closed -- and I'm waiting to see when it arrives and hoping she likes it!}
1542. craigslist and unexpected "small world" connections

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-07-29T09:34:00.004-05:00

some more Florida trip pictures::

thrifty thursday

2011-07-28T07:16:00.003-05:00

When you've got a crew as big as ours, stuff is expensive! Groceries, school supplies, shoes for growing feet, pediatrician bills . . . we don't seem to catch much of a break. But, on some things you get much more bang for your buck if you're a big crew. Yesterday I took the kids {well, 5 of them anyway} to the Children's Museum. Memberships to places are real bargains when you've got a crew the size of ours. "Unlimited admission for 1 year for 2 adults and all children under 18 living in the household" :: fabulous! It costs $8.95 to get in to the children's museum {Sara is still free for another couple months}. So, yesterday alone it would have been nearly $45 for me to pay for us to be there {me + 4 paying kids}. A membership for the year is $89. Plus, you get one day of free parking with your membership. {parking is $4 for 3 hours}. If the entire family were there the membership would just about pay for itself in 1 visit. As it were it will take 2 visits to break even. I promise you it will have been a wonderful deal for us! All the kids love it there, from the littlest all the way up to the biggest who still think it's a pretty fun place, plus they love seeing how excited the littles are over it.

At any given time we probably have a membership at a few places. Right now, we have memberships to the Children's Museum and also to the Minnesota Historical Society. Over the years we've also had memberships at the Minnesota Zoo, annual passes to the Eagle's Nest {a great indoor play structure -- like a McDonald's playland on steroids} and at this point, we wouldn't know what to do without our Y membership!

Even if your family isn't as big as ours, memberships can be a pretty good deal. Plus, they support the wonderful things to do in our city. A great idea is to get one membership a year and rotate where you have your membership to each year. Also, our Historical Society membership was an even better deal because I got it from one of those online coupon sites {Groupon or Crowd Cut or something} and got 2 years for the price of 1, and that particular membership gets you in to so many different sites it's already like 10 memberships in 1. Wonderful! Plus, most memberships have reciprocal benefits to other places if you are traveling. So, if you're heading away from home, don't forget to check where else your memberships are good for and you might have ready-made {and free or discounted} fun plans for part of your vacation time. We've used our reciprocal benefits a few different times when we've been out of town.

So, if you're ever up for a trip to the Children's Museum, or the History Center, or you want to take a little trip up to the Kelly Farm or you're downtown Minneapolis and want to check out the Mill City Museum . . . just give a call and we'll probably join you.

multitude monday

2011-07-25T11:15:00.004-05:00

Did you miss me? I was pretty sick last week {getting better though, finally!} and, unless I'm mistaken, it was the first time in history that I've ever missed my Thankful/Thrifty Thursday or Flashback Friday posts since I started them {at least a couple years ago}.

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1518. sunshine!
1519. friends
1520. 63 years of life for my dad . . . he is wonderful!
1521. superhero capes hanging on the clothesline
1522. a break from the oppressive heat and humidity
1523. a girl clipping clothespins in her curls -- sweet Anna!
1524. a compassionate, sincere doctor who kept saying :: "So, I keep thinking, if you were my daughter, what would I do?" . . . gotta love that!
1525. time with a friend
1526. yummy bread
1527. a room full of people singing "How Great Thou Art" by heart -- anyone who doesn't need words to sing such a wonderful hymn is a pretty good person in my book!
1528. braving the zipline with Jacob
1529. recognition of my dad and all his work {he put in so much time, skill, artistry, muscles, prayers and love to the new dining hall at Trout}::1530. an exceptionally delicious donut before church
1531. our first sunflower bloom

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

multitude monday

2011-07-18T06:15:00.001-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1505. power tools . . . and using them while wearing a skirt just adds to the fun
1506. seeing a favorite little girl bike up my driveway less than 24 hours after being in the ICU after a scary surgery that didn't quite happen
1507. a great night for soccer . . . and a win!
1508. mornings with a friend
1509. a couple days of picture perfect summer weather!
1510. a successful garage sale despite the insane amount of rain we had during the sale . . . garage salers are hearty people!
1511. flooding like we've NEVER seen the likes of in our 13+ years here, but thankful that we had no irreparable damage
1512. a wonderful book . . . and being kicked out of my house and told, by my husband, to go to Caribou and read
1513. delicious birthday cake with pink and orange frosting
1514. celebrating with my family
1515. hugs
1516. my kiddos playing at church yesterday (Rebekah on the piano, Lydia on the piano and Jacob playing trumpet accompanied by his great-grandma . . . a 4-generation spread praising the Lord with music. You shouldn't be surprised to know it made me cry!)
1517. 37 years of life (well, not until 7:37 tonight, officially) . . . thanks Mom!!

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

2011-07-15T06:27:00.001-05:00

Our big Florida trip :: the trip summary in pictures ::

{part I -- actually it's more like part II since it's the 2nd half of our trip. I guess we're going to do this in reverse and you'll have to wait until next week for the other half.}

thrifty thursday

2011-07-14T06:11:00.000-05:00

"How does she?", a blog I read, just had a fabulous post of Summer Savings Tips. It was wonderful! So, instead of reinventing the wheel, I thought I'd just share it with you. {but, you know me, to #1 I'd have to add that you should also dry those clothes washed in cold water on a clothesline}. So there you have it, happy saving!

multitude monday tuesday

2011-07-12T06:12:00.004-05:00

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1489. safe travels, once again
1490. laundry flapping on the line
1491. a new {working!} light in my laundry room {thanks, Babe!}
1492. hanging out at the pool on a hot, hot day
1493. a pool full of friends
1494. poolside chats with friends {for me!}
1495. 9 months of Sara
1496. being "home" on Sunday morning for the first time in a month
1497. modern medicine . . . SO very thankful!
1498. wise doctors and the amazing things they are able to do
1499. book club night {whoo hoo!}
1500. friends
1501. crossing things off the to-do list
1502. super hard laughter!
1503. kiddos tending their gardens and seeing their joy at its beauty
1504. the farmers market

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

nine

2011-07-09T08:01:00.000-05:00

somehow 9 months has zoomed by already
here are a few facts about our 9-month-old girl::

she can wave and clap
she pulls up on stuff ALL THE TIME {and quite frequently tips chairs over on herself} and prefers to be standing
she crawls REALLY fast
she weighs about 20 pounds
she LOVED the rides at Disney World! {as noted by the kicking of little legs and the bouncing up and down of her entire body}
she was a fabulous little traveler on our trip
she's had a nasty diaper rash for almost a month {I'm hopeful that being home again and putting her back in her cloth diapers will take care of it}
she's loved like crazy by her siblings . . . and parents . . . and pretty much everyone who knows her
Anna always calls her by both her first and middle name

plus, we think she's pretty cute!

thrifty thursday

2011-07-07T08:59:00.000-05:00

Coffee with a girlfriend . . . WAY cheaper than therapy! {If you want to be even "thriftier" than that, skip the coffee and just chat. It's just about as good}