journal: july 2008

First, a couple of questions. I keep playing around with the color of the text. Is it easier to read in black (for me I like darker colors, they feel more calming and white feels harder on the eyes,) but it also seems that black on a brown background can be difficult to read. You can click on some of the {Encouragement} links on the left to see some entire posts in a lighter color.

What do you think? Obviously, it should look nice, but also be easy to read :o)

Also, I've posted a few times here close together, so if you're just now checking back, please make sure to read my last post. I would really like some more advice on how I should proceed.

July was an exceptionally busy month. I finally finished getting school planned out, and we began on a very loose basis. I spent the last week revamping our routine and job schedule. Now if I can just drag myself away from my computer and stay on top of implementing it and encouraging good attitudes, we'll be well on our way to starting our new school year well. It continually amazes me how much of the atmosphere, success, and prosperity of our home depends on me getting myself together.

The most fun news of the month was that Haven took 2cnd place in the Hutchison Baby Walker stats. I was convinced he was going to come in sixth, because at this point, he's a little...let's say top heavy :o) Moriah walked at 11 months, but everyone else is tied for 16 months. I thought I had a picture, but I guess it's all on video. I'll have to remember to put one up soon.

Along with the graduation into walker status, came the first big boy haircut. It was long overdue as he was beginning to look a little mullet-ish, but when he was freshly bathed, those little baby curls were so sweet. But seeing as how he was freshly bathed so rarely, most of the time they were just a fuzzy mess. I do this with every boy, you know. I wait to cut their hair, and then when I look back at pictures, I think, "WHAT was I thinking? He needed a haircut months ago!"

what? you don't like my mullet?

...but it's so cute...(a

that wasn't so bad...

The fourth of July found us at our dear friends, the Behans. We always go over and grill out and swim. Everyone pitches in to get some great fireworks, and the bonus is that they only live ten minutes from here!

7 July was Noah's 3rd birthday. That found us doing the Build A Bear thing.

The following week was VBS. You can read all about that crazy week here.

I've gotten out of the habit of keeping a daily record on my calendar of what we've done, so as I'm looking back now it's all a big blur. I just know we were really busy.

We did another swim day, where Caleb literally saved Moriah's life. She was practicing swimming sans floaties, and forgot they were off when she jumped back in. Although I was sitting right next to the pool, I had my back turned briefly and was holding Haven. I'm not sure how long she was floundering before Caleb noticed her. She had moved quite a distance across the pool, so I'm sure it was a fair amount of time. We remind them every time we swim to yell for help if they need help, and when I asked her about it, she said she was trying but couldn't get her head above water. She was very, very scared, and was coughing up water for a long while after that. It was very scary and a good reminder for me. I am so thankful the Lord preserved her life and that all was well. I have jumped into pools more times than I can remember, fully clothed many of those times, to rescue probably all of our older children. We had some friends whose two year old daughter died from drowning when Anna was two, so we've always tried to be very diligent at pools. It is a life changing experience to watch someone walk through the grief of losing a child, particularly when there is suddenness and guilt tied to it.

Needless to say, we're done with swim days for this summer. It's just too much for me to watch all of them safely in the pool without Glen.

As I mentioned earlier, I spent most of last week working on revamping the routine and jobs. Also getting the blog back together from where I accidentally erased the entire template!

I'm organizing meals for two friends that have just had babies, and making three meals. Our vacation is a couple weeks away, so now getting the house in order and all that together is creeping into my mind. I am praying for a better vacation than last year!

(Parenting Tip #4 - Count the cost carefully before deciding to take a two month old who loves his bed on a seven day trip to Florida!)

Last month Glen and I decided to totally redo our school room. It's been a variety of different rooms since we've lived here, and although it's officially been a "school room" for the last couple of years, the kids didn't usually do their school work in there as the little kids liked to play. So this month, Glen ordered some cabinets and shelves, so they are each going to have their own cubby-type space to do school. They will each have their own desk with two drawers, with a divider between each child. There will also be book shelves above. This all started because I desperately was needing book shelves. We have so many books that I've found myself getting duplicates because I couldn't keep track of them all. Ethan is a voracious reader, but not so good at putting them back where they should go, probably because the book organization has never been clearly defined. This should change all that. I probably won't require them to do their work there (what's the point of home schooling if you're just replicating standard school?), but they will have their own space for their stuff, and a private area to work if they would like. I am very excited! Right now, though, the room is a disaster as we've been painting.

Overall, July was one of those months that just flew by. As a side note, I did spend a good part of the month obsessing wondering if I might indeed be pregnant, but as of now, the likelihood of that being true is looking slimmer by the day. (Although there is hope! I didn't get a positive test with Haven until a couple of weeks after I was late. My nursing Noah threw things off, I think. In hindsight, maybe that's why he was two weeks late! I'm having an a ha moment.)

I'm okay with that. If I am not, then whenever we do have another baby, they will be further spaced apart than any of our children so far. I am peaceful about it, and trusting the Lord that He is in control. Glen is still fine with not being pregnant right now, but he's been telling me he "likes my viewpoint on things," we're just in an overwhelming season of life. I often tell people that 2-3 kids was the hardest season for me, and it was. I always say it gets easier, and it does. That doesn't mean that it's really easy. Totally, unequivocally worth it, but not like eating cake. Many of the moms of larger families that I find encouragement from tell me that where we are is another one of those really hard spots. Four or five is pretty easy, your older ones are getting older, but four is still pretty manageable logistically wise. Five was our easiest transition so far. Almost every Mom of more than six that I know says that six was really, really hard. Although our older ones are even older, something about life just exponentially multiplies when you get to six. There's just so much adjusting and so much more life (i.e. laundry, food, groceries, school, etc.) that even with their help it feels a lot like treading water. I've heard the transition to seven is a breeze :o)

On the weight loss front, I'm up to about 20 pounds lost! Whoo hoo! What a difference in attitude and energy that makes.

Also, if you would say a quick (or not so quick!) prayer for me. Once again I am fighting off pneumonia. I've lived with asthma for so long now, that I can just tell. It starts off with an allergy attack, barely noticeable the first day. The next day, my head is miserable. The following day, my head is fine, but my chest is full of pressure and I have pain in my chest and back. Thankfully, I've only been hospitalized once (last year when I was pregnant with Haven,) but it puts a lot on Glen. You know how it is when Mom is sick. Dads are great, but they just keep up with the bare minimum: kids fed, dishes in the dishwasher, clean underwear. It takes like a week to catch up! Glen is great, and actually does more than this, but his office is at home, so it's a lot for him to balance Daddy hat and boss hat. I'm seeing the bright side in that it allows me to sit at my computer all day without feeling guilty :o) Anyway, I'm in day two of the chest/back pain part, and am trusting the Father that I will be healed quickly! I can walk and talk (when I'm really sick, I literally cannot walk even a few steps without feeling as if I'm about to die, and I can only say a few words at a time without making a major effort to breathe), so the Lord is gracious!

To end, this is our current family photo. We've had a tradition for several years now, that one Sunday morning a month, Glen sets up the tripod and we take a family photo before church. It is time well spent, and in reality, only takes maybe five minutes. We always make a sign with the date, but in this photo the writing is not visible. It is lots of fun to look at them all together and see the gradual changes. I highly encourage everyone to do it!

May your August be blessed!