crafts

I would never call myself a crafty person. I know a few and I'm pretty sure I'm not one of them.  Even crafts with kids drive me nuts because I hate the mess that comes with it and when we do something more times than not I just take over and do it for the kids because I can't watch them mess it up. :)  I know, it's terrible of me.  I have to say I like to do SIMPLE crafts that look nice at the end but don't require a trip to Grand Forks to purchase a bunch of crafty materials and stuff.  So I do some crafts with kids, but in my eyes it's pretty pathetic.  I've always hated cutting and folding or hand sewing which kind of made me think I have no artistic bone in me.  But as I've grown older I'm realizing I do have an artistic side to me.  I may not have the creativity to come up with a totally new concept, but when I get inspired by something, I want to make it right away and I want to make it into my piece.  That's why I like painting because even though it doesn't have a retail value or is not painted by a famous artist, it is mine and I did it.  It means a lot more to me than something for the house I would buy in a store.

This week I had a new inspiration and I was not going to be content until I finished it. :) It is really funny how it is for me.  Whenever I start working on a big craft/painting it is all I think about and can't sit down or do anything else until it's done.  And of course, daily things (like feeding my children :)) make me leave it sometimes but even when I do, I keep thinking about my next step with it.  So today, I worked and worked on this stick Christmas tree that I had in my head (after I saw a picture of a similar one) for the past week.  The whole thing didn't take very long at all but then I had an idea to cut out little snow flakes with the names of all my daycare kids.  I didn't think it would be that tedious but it took way longer than making the tree, probably because like I said earlier, I hate cutting. :)  But, I have to say I love how it turned out.  I really enjoy natural pieces like wood,stone and stuff in the house so it was a no brainer.  And I found a perfect place for it.  In our kitchen we have a blank wall spot and it is the first thing we see when we come inside through the mud room.  It is the perfect spot for it, especially as we're getting closer to Advent time and I am looking forward to coming home and seeing my stick tree.  It was funny because when I started making it I asked Kason and Anika what they thought it would be.  I said it's something to do with Christmas, but all they saw was a triangle. There was no star yet but I still saw a Christmas tree.  Ehren wasn't so sure about it either but he likes it when I get into something like that.  When I said it is supposed to be a Christmas tree, Kason and Anika both thought it was cool and when they got their names on it that was the best ever. :)

So all in all, it was a great day.  I love Saturdays when there is absolutely nothing planned for us and I don't even have to leave the house.  We actually played outside quite a bit as I was looking for my sticks :) because I couldn't miss such a beautiful and warm day in November and just be inside all day.  I really, really hope this winter will be mild, it would be lovely.

a milestone

A few days ago we celebrated Ehren's birthday.  He turned the big 40.  When you say 40 it sounds pretty old, like it's really far for us to be in 40s but the years fly by so quick it comes before you know it. :)  I still have a few years before I get there which I'm glad because I'm not quite ready to join the 40 club yet.  But it fits Ehren.  His hair is graying more and more as he's getting older but it looks very nice on him. :)  I think if it was me turning 40 I would not be too excited but since it's him, it is great.  We were also able to spend a weekend alone at his parents' cabin and it was a very nice time, especially the quietness when it was just us.   We just don't get many times like that and in this hectic life we live in, it is great to just stop for a minute and be still.  And without the kids sometimes. :)

Recently, Ehren had a pretty big disappointment at work when he was applying for his boss's job.  His boss was moving to a different department and she was looking for someone to replace her.  Out of the applicants that applied Ehren felt really confident about it and his boss even gave him some hope that he would get it but then the VPs got involved in the decision and picked a guy who didn't apply and who is not even a people person, just does whatever he's asked to.  He won't rock the boat at all and that's the way they like it.  And Ehren likes to come up with ways to do his job more efficiently and thus change some things which some people higher up don't like.  But that's the way it goes in a lot of places, even churches as I'm finding out. :)  It was hard on Ehren but he had to realize his job is not who he is and there are far more important things he has in his life, 4 of them at home.  He's still grateful to have a job because it is a big blessing in this economy and he's done really great there but that's not what defines him.  He's been trying to find the best way to use his gifts and abilities at our church and it's just nice to see him maturing in that.  It can be very frustrating because there are many needs at church and to find the balance between that, our marriage, family and everything is not easy.  But we do what we can with God's help.

I like how the longer we're married the closer we are and it's so nice to have this man by my side.  As we're getting older, it just feels right and I'm actually looking forward to growing old with Ehren, if we're both here that long.  It's funny because we have not even been married that long and yet it already starts to feel like we're one of those old couples, totally dependent on each other. :) I'm guessing it will only get more so as the years are piling on.  But at the same time, I'm so grateful that our hope is in Someone else and no loss in this life, no pain or hardship can take it away.
 

teeth stink

That's my summary for today. :)  Why can't we just be born with perfect teeth?  Or semi-perfect.  I am probably repeating myself but our family is doomed in the teeth area. :)  I am not even done with getting my front teeth fixed and we're starting a new chapter - orthodontist appointments for Kade.

Today was our first visit and while the orthodontist did say Kade has a bit of time left, his mouth is way too narrow and will need 12 months or so of lower and upper braces that pretty much just make his teeth lines wider so when he's about 12 years old there will be enough room for all the permanent teeth.  The money part of it bites, but is not horrible and I would even be ok with the appointments, if they were in our town.  What really stinks is that we have to go to Grand Forks every 3 weeks, for 10 minute check-ups during regular business hours.  So right now, my biggest concern is how to make it work with our schedule because it is more complicated with me watching other kids here.  I know it will work out, I just want to complain to someone I guess. :)  All 3 kids inherited my tiny mouth while Ehren has a nice big jaw they could have had, isn't that how it always goes? :)  

This happened just a day after my appointment with a new chiropractor.  I went there with a bad shoulder pain but he pretty much assessed that my whole back is out of whack and will need 3 months of appointments with him.  I did like how he looks at your posture and can tell what is wrong just from that.  I thought my posture wasn't that bad, but from a side view, it is all crooked.  It gave me an idea to bring Anika there too because I always thought her posture has been really strange.  Well, when I thought my picture showed a pretty crooked back, Anika's was way out of line from what it should be.  He says that kids respond to the back adjustments a lot quicker than adults so now it is our girls night out to go to the chiropractor.  Whoo-pie!  I mean that sarcastically, of course. :)  I really just want to stay home and do nothing with my family in the evenings so it's hard to have something going on every night but I really want to see if it helps Ani's posture.  I am still half skeptical of chiropractics and I am not going to turn into one of those hypochondriacs who go to a chiropractor every day for something.  So I'm giving him 3 months and then I'm done.  Plus, how come I feel like I've been beaten up after every adjustment? :)

I guess God is just teaching me how to be really organized with my time and to be able to manage everything I need to.  And I am very thankful in the midst of this that I am able to stay home right now so I have more time for simple things like laundry, cooking, baking and stuff and I have absolutely no idea how the full-time working moms do those things.

Here are some pictures from Halloween last night.  The kids had fun and it was pretty quick because they got a ton of candy right away.  Kason was a Hulk and it fits his personality perfectly.  He is our little hulk sometimes and even does that "roar". :)  They love going to nana and papa's house, aunt Judith's and some neighbors. Kason did not disappoint with his bluntness and when we got to see great aunt Judith she was just getting up from a little nap and he asked her "how come you look like you're going to die?"  I was relieved she didn't think anything of it and just replied to him that she was sleeping so that's probably why. :)

  

definitely getting old

I've been thinking this lately, how I am sooo getting old.  The extra weight hangs on longer than before :), it's sooo hard to wake up early, I can't sleep away from Ehren, forgetting things, and the list goes on and on and on.  But today it came out in a real way.  It's funny now and I wish I had a friend here right now so we could laugh about it.

Anyway, like every Friday I went to a friend's house for a play date.  There are 5 of us stay home moms who get together, chat, eat lunch and stuff.  It is a really nice distraction for me, even though I have to take 4 kids there.  Today, as we were leaving my friend's house I was rushing to get home because it was getting close to 2pm and the kids had to be put down for a nap.  Finally we got home, I open the garage door and as I'm herding my 4 kiddos inside I realize the door to the house is locked.  We never ever lock that door and so in my panic mode I completely forgot what we do in a situation like that.  I thought I had a house key on my key chain but when I tried it it didn't work.  The thought to check the main front door did enter my mind but I was too panicky, mainly because I left my phone inside and couldn't call Ehren to ask him.  So I loaded the kids in the van and went back to town.  Tried a friend's house that's pretty close but they were gone so then I drove to church.  I called Ehren but when I got his voicemail I remembered he's in meetings all afternoon.  I tried paging him but nothing.  Finally the receptionist asked who his boss was and I got her so I was able to give him a message to call me at church.  Phew!  At least there is a nursery that kept my tired kids occupied.  In a little bit Ehren showed up and just as my inside voice was trying to tell me before I panicked and drove back to town, I had the key that opens the front door of the house.  I felt really dumb.  And old. :)  But now it is pretty funny I did that.  That shows how we still don't use our front door because we always come in through the garage.  Well, the kids went to sleep really fast and are still sleeping.  They won't be much longer because the bus will be here in a few minutes and the 3 school aged kids are just wild when they get home.  They let loose of all the feelings and everything they've been holding back at school.  It's normal and they do need some free time like that, but sometimes they bounce off the walls a little too much. :)

Anyway, that is the story of how I'm getting old, slowly but surely and sometimes not so slowly, just surely. :)

blessed

I feel very blessed today.  A friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go to the Cities with her for a "Women of Faith" conference this past weekend.  She was going there with her mom and her mom's friend so it only made sense to have her own friend along.  It was a hoot!  It was so nice to visit with these ladies on our long drive there and back, it went a lot faster than when we go there with our kids. :)  I got my tank filled up for a while I think.  And the conference was amazing.  Of course, there were things here and there that weren't perfect, like the crowds of women during breaks (there were 11,000 women in one arena) and the music was so loud we had to cover our ears during most of the songs.  But all the speakers were so good, there was a lot of crying in the arena because each one of them had such heart breaking stories to tell.  It really encouraged my faith and made me feel so thankful for what I have in my life.  After some of those stories I just wanted to run home and hug my kids really tight. :)  There was also a Christian comedian Ken Davis and he was so funny we laughed really hard.  I wish he had a tour in our area so we could go see him.  I would be ok listening to him the whole conference. :) So, overall it was just a wonderful weekend away for me.  Ehren was taking care of our kids at home and a part of the Saturday he watched all 7 cousins at our house.  I'm so thankful for him and that he encourages me to get away and recharge.

It was pretty funny when I got home because Kade and Ani were just excited to see me but Kason came up to me with his arms crossed tightly and a very mad face.  It took him good 15-20 minutes to stop being mad and after talking a while he let me know that he was very mad because I left him at home and didn't take him with me.  Ehren had quite the time with him too, having an attitude and stuff while I was gone.  He processes feelings so differently but after a while he was back to himself and was my sweet boy again.  Funny how just me being home changed him and the next day he was really good everywhere he went.  I guess he's very much a mama's boy. :)  I was pretty wiped out physically when we got home because I didn't sleep much either night but emotionally and spiritually I am renewed.  Now it is back to school week, back to our busy schedules and running around.  I hope I can start my days always thanking God for all that He blessed us with and to keep my eyes on Him throughout the day.

family night

Our first family night was a success.  Every Fall when the business of school and extra curricular activities are upon us, we try to schedule one evening a week that is a family night.  It can't be on a weekend either, that doesn't count.  It took us a few weeks to start this year but finally this week we scheduled our first Thursday night.  That means from the time kids get home from school until they go to bed there is no tv, computers or anything like that, we have a special dinner in our dining room and spend time playing games, talking and stuff.  Tonight we played Uno, kids sequence and finished off by dancing to some good old 80s.  It was a great night with my family and just what I needed after an emotionally draining day.

First the school got cancelled because of a winter storm which would have been fine but it left me home with 8 children, one of them a 7 month old baby who won't sleep and clings to me the entire day.  The bad part was that we lost power right away and it didn't come back on until after we were done with lunch.  So no water, no heating up anything, just all the kids going crazy for a while. :)  It went fine though, I know the hardest part was that little baby because if she wasn't here it would have been fine and we would be able to play bunch of games etc., but since I have to carry her around with me or try to entertain her on the floor it didn't go as smoothly.  I did try to leave her to play by herself or even by her brother and other kids who are eager to play with her but as soon as she realizes I'm gone she starts her awful screaming and pretty soon all the kids run away from her just to get away from the noise.  So, today was one of those days I couldn't wait for the day to be done so I can have my house to just me and my family.  And it was peaceful, happy and perfect.  Just the way it's supposed to be.  One blessed evening, one blessed mom.

what we woke up to - our first snow

they had a lot of fun and came inside soaking wet

Ani turns 6

Our little Ani turned 6 this week and it was a few days of celebrations so I think she felt very special.  First, nana and papa couldn't make it to her birthday dinner so they took Ani out to a restaurant earlier this week.  Then on her actual birthday she got to bring cupcakes to school and have her first dance lesson.  A day later we had Kjell and Jess over with Emily and Aveah and had the real birthday cake for Ani.  But, the main birthday celebration happened today when me, Jessica and another friend took our 4 girls to Grand Forks so Anika could get her ears pierced, do a little shopping and eat at a special place.  The girls had so much fun and Anika was talking for months how she's going to get her ears pierced when she turns 6.  She was really brave and cried just a little bit after it was done.  Now she's excited to show them off and they are really cute on her.

This school year has been a hard adjustment for Ani.  To go from going 3 mornings a week to preschool to a long day every day in kindergarten is a bit too much for her and she's been getting a little overwhelmed.  She was so excited to start kindergarten but after just 2 weeks she was asking when is the last day of school and does she have to go tomorrow.  This last week it was tearful bedtime every night because she doesn't want to go to school the next day and in the morning she cries too which is so hard to see.  I've been talking to her teacher and she assures me that once Anika sits down at her desk in the morning, she stops crying and has a great day but I think by the afternoon she gets so tired and worn out she comes home just exhausted.  So I'm not sure what to do, if she just has to tough it out or what.  I hate how much they focus on the learning so early on.  A friend of mine just told me that when her daughter was in kindergarten they had her take every Friday off to just have a break and that really helped her.  It made me think how Anika would love a day of rest and would be ready for school better but I know the teacher is not going to like that.  So we'll have to see what happens.  She is such a hard worker and wants to do everything right in school and that is also stressing her out a little bit because she gets frustrated when she can't do something right.  But she has such a sweet personality and I just love how God made her so beautiful inside and out.  She is so selfless and cares about everyone around her more than herself.  Always trying to serve people around her and loves to help, just a big servant's heart.  I hope she keeps that as she grows older and that she knows what a special child of God she is.

her ladybug cake

cupcakes for school

Getting ready to get the ears pierced.  Don't look at my mouth, not sure what I'm doing but my gums still hurt from this week's surgery.  I have stitches all the way up to my nose under the lip.