Playing at Lowe's

These two had way too much fun at Lowe's last night. They made it easier to spend a ton of money. They thought hitting each other with doors was fun.

Pamela

Feeling Beachie

The statements are: 1. Every time I hear _my husband call me Dear___ I think of __some mean man down grading his wife. I know it is silly but I seriously asked him to stop calling me Dear because it annoyed me. And he did not even say it to sound that way. ___ 2. Sometimes I feel like I forgot how to _live__ because I __consumed with what needs done in the day___. 3. So if there was one New Years resolution you could make it would be_to cook more at home and eat out less___ because you know you can keep it 4. If I could have any pet it would be a _mastiff or saint Bernard dog____and I would _sleep with it and train it to let my kids use it as a pillow___with it Pamela

My Blog Needs Help

I am looking for someone to help me update my blog. It has been years since I have had a blog make over and since then I have changed several things and messed up several things. It needs a total re do but for now I would like to focus on a few things. Here is what I need: 1. Someone to make me a new header 2. Someone to tell me how to add a signature to each post 3. Someone to make it possible to link my post to pinterest/facebook 4. Someone to clean up my blog 5. Someone to tell me what I am doing wrong. When I copy a blog post from someplace like word it makes the whole post run together instead. Any suggestions on who to have do this that will not charge me $200. I am not looking for something fancy. I would eventually like to switch my blog to one I own. Any suggestions on how to do that would be helpful. I have some goals for my blog this year. I would like to really tell you more of what is going on in my life instead of just short little post. I have used my blog as a personal scrapbook for a couple of years but would like to really make it into more of a journal. I would love to communicate more with my readers. I think we all have a lot going on in our lives and could encourage and up lift one another. What do you look for in a blog? Is it that it is cute and full of edited photos? If so sadly you will probably not find that here. The most I can do is take the red out of photos. A cute blog I may be able to pull off. Well only if I find someone to do it for me. Pamela

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I am so excited to share that my husband is home this year. I am feeling very blessed today. My husband is home. We are in our new home (okay it is 100 years old). The kids are happy with what they got for Christmas. This year we changed things. Instead of buying the kids a bunch of junk for the sake of having lots of things to open we decided to get them each three gifts. They each got something you need, something you read and something you want. It was perfect. 

  My husband has been off for the last few weeks. I am so going to miss him when he goes back to work. He has even gone two weeks without shaving. It is weird to see him with facial hair.  

  I hope you have had a amazing Christmas and focused on what is important. For me today is about enjoying my family and taking time to relax together. 

Pamela

The Legend of Ranger

I was recently given a wonderful opportunity. I was given the opportunity to review The Legend of Ranger. What a neat fun story. It was the story of a reindeer that wanted to fly but could not. I will not tell you rather Ranger ever learned to fly. I will tell you that my children enjoyed this story because the pictures were amazing. We all want to have a special ability that we don’t. I personally want to be able to have a double to clean while I cook. This book is different than most Christmas stories because it is a chapter book. That means I was able to read the book over several days instead of just in a few minutes. This book also gave us plenty to talk about. We talked about how we should work hard at what we want to learn to do. We talked about how sometimes what we want is not what is right for us. The author of this book is a retired Major General. It is hard for me to imagine someone who was in the military for 30 years being able to write such a compassionate book. The thing I like most about this book is that all profits will be donated to Antonia J. Giallourakis Endowed Fund in Art Therapy for Children with Cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital. You can order this book and the toy or even the audio on Amazon. The audio would be neat for all of those long car rides we are doing right now. You can read more about the author Alan Salisbury right here. Please look at these other links to learn more about the book and the people it will benefit. http://opusonestudios.com https://www.facebook.com/OpusOneStudios https://twitter.com/opusonestudios Pamela

Feeling Beachie times Three

The statements: 1. How is it _that we are going to be home owners again____? 2. I can’t believe how much easier it was to buy a house the first time____ than to _buy this time in the country. You would think having well water was having a oil well.___. 3. I like my _land___ and _may never go into town again.____ 4. If I could I would do _a makeover on this old farm house_______ all day _and night so it would just be done. I have missed Feeling Beachie so I am going to go back and give you my answers for the last couple of weeks that I missed. The statements: 1. I am a __perfectionist; I can do something and instantly want to do it again to see if I can do it differently or better.____ 2. When I was little I was _always playing pretend and I always played school. ____ 3. Sometimes I just need to _realized that my time line is not everyone else’s time line__ but I constantly question why people cannot get things done quicker______ 4. The best thing about the holiday’s __is having my husband home, We have spent more than one Christmas alone and this is amazing. I am adding a #5 The saddest thing about the holidays is: not living by family. I would love to have family over and build family traditions and just hang out together. The statements: 1. Have you _sent out Christmas cards__ yet? I have, I mailed them out while I was staying in the hotel. If you did not get one from me and would like one just send me a e-mail with your address. 2. I was born in _the 70’s to a teen mom, she actually snuck out and left the state to visit my dad who was at basic training. Oh and my dad wanted my name to be Gypsy Dawn. __ 3. I have never stole anythng__at least as far as I know., But I have had to take a few things back because they got dropped in a diaper bag or under a car seat. My question is why does the store not reward you for not stealing instead of looking at you like you’re a idiot for returning it. 4. I can’t stand__when people look down on someone for not breastfeeding or cloth diapering or having 20 kids. __

It is Cold

Pamela

Today has been a great relaxing day. Well besides one child having the second round of the stomach bug. We finished up Christmas shopping went to lunch and then we just relaxed. I have done laundry in the hotel all day. I know it is costly but I do not want to take dirty laundry to the new house. 

Speaking of which I will be able to see the new house in 14 hours. I chose not to drive by today since I could not look inside. 

  I love hotel life. Spending time together. Today we bought a Bingo game to play as a family. Anything to pass the time and enjoy one another. 

  The weather here is cold, no freezing. I cannot get warm and the poor dog had to be carried back inside today. Do they make coats and boots for big dogs? 

I can't wait to share pictures with you. But for now I must get back to laundry and my babies. 

Almost Home

No idea what all my post did not post. Yesterday was stressful to say the least. Between loosing a tire on the boat trailer and kids being done in the car and then hitting a snow storm I about lost it. The lights on the trailer did not work so I could not see my husbands vehicle. We decided that while we were still 5 hours from Illinois it was best to stop for the night.

   Just so you know it is not easy to find a hotel that will give us 2 pet rooms. We stopped at motel 6 because it was the first one we came to. I was a little nervous because hello motel 6. But they had the rooms and at this point I was in tears. 

   Honestly I was amazed when we walked into our room. Look at these pictures. Does this look like a motel 6? We got two rooms. I kept the four youngest and the cat and my hero kept the dog and the three oldest. 

  Everyone is up and going. My hero is loading the vehicles right now. We had to bring all the suitcases in because they were in the back of his truck. We have a car top carrier but it froze shut. I am telling you this has been a adventure. 

  Today's plans are to drive the last 5 hours to our final destination. The roads look clear. I am hoping they are. Then we will take all but our suitcases to the storage unit. 

Please pray as we drive today.

Pamela 

Stuck on the Side of the Road

This is me blogging from the side of the highway. Anything to keep busy. Have I said I hate driving let alone being on the side of the road. The boat had a blow out. Praising that my husband was driving and able to get off the road safely. Praising that for this second the baby is quiet. Praising we have roadside assistance and praising they can get here quickly. 

Did I tell you the dog and toddler are over the stomach bug but the cat got sick in her cage this morning so I am hoping she is okay. 

Please pray we continue to stay safe until the tow truck arrives and that we can rent or buy or repair whatever it is that needs done quickly. Please pay for strength and energy. I did not sleep well last night and we still have 7 hours to drive today. 

Thankful the Stomach bug is Gone

Ahh I got sleep, not four or five hours but I slept. James has officially been stomach bug free for 24 hopefully this means we are done. 

 Yesterday  the kids got to play with cousins and aunts. It was a great day. 

Today we are making cookies and packing up. The plan is to leave early in the morning for Illinois. I am so excited to be there and get settled.

Pamela

Good-Bye Mr. Guinea Pig

Good wonderful snowy morning. We woke up to snow which thrills the kids but reminds me I need to go buy hats and gloves. 

  Our first day was a adventure to say the least. The leasing agency was late which means the kids sat in the car a hour longer than they needed to. Then we stop at walmart to pick up another tote for last minute things and the toddler up chucks everywhere. Once we finally. Get on the road it is smooth sailing. We stopped for lunch and the toddler had two more accidents. This poor child acts like nothing is wrong but I feel horrible for him. The weather was great and the kids were great. They watched little rascals and I listened to Chonda Pierce in my blue tooth. 

  Sadly our guinea pig died on the drive. The first couple of hours he was climbing out of his box and being his normal self. At lunch my husband said he thought he was dying. I said no way he has been normal. Twenty minutes later Faith said mom the guinea pig is dead. I said no he is just sleeping and she responded with " mom he is on his side with his eyes open". 

  The guinea pig loss makes us sad because we have had him 2 years. We got him from a rescue who found him in the dump. Originally his name was Patch but he was called Sir Pee's A lot for obvious reasons. 

  I hate this for my kids. When we first moved to Bragg our cat of 18 years died. We were in the house 2 days when she died. 

  The picture I am showing was taken in the first hour of our trip. 

Pamela

Prayers

Please pray with us, in exactly 18 hours we will put 7 kids, a cat, a dog and a guinea pig in two vehicles and begin our trip. 

There are several prayer request:

1. One child has a stomach bug

2. Two children have what we thinks are the beginings of colds. 

3 two parents who have not slept well and need rest

4 for weather, I am extremely nervous about the road conditions as we will be driving through mountains 

5 for safety as we travel, that the vehicles tub smoothly and we are able to get there safely 

6 for me I do not enjoy driving but add the weather to that and I am a nervous wreck. 

 We will pull out of our home around 9am in the morning, if you think about it please take a minute to stop and pray. 

  Also take a minute to laugh, can you imagine two vehicles, with 7 kids a cat, a dog, a guinea pig pulling a boat with 9 suit cases and a million other bags and crates. 

Pamela

It is Time to Clean

Can I just say it does not matter how much you spend on a air mattress (and I spent a small fortune) they always deflate. My hips do not handle it well. Everyone else slept well.  Today we are cleaning and cleaning and then cleaning before someone comes this afternoon to clean. 

   Speaking of cleaning did I tell you that we found a snake skin in the garage YUCK! 

   Tonight we have dinner with friends. I am also going to a friends to do laundry this afternoon. I forget that with a family this size you have to do laundry daily. 

   A amazing friend did being me biscuits and gravy this morning. She said it was to celebrate my birthday eve eve. Yes my birthday is on Sunday and yes it will be spent scrubbing walls and loading vehicles.

Almost Done

We are almost done, the home inspector should have been here thirty minutes ago to clear this house. All the kids and pets have been setting in the vehicles for 35 minutes. We wanted them out of the way before she got here. Trying to stay positive that we are making them set longer for no reason but I know if they come back in the house they will track dirt. 

I had a amazing birthday last night and cannot wait to tell you about it. 

Pamela

Feeling Grateful

What a emotional few days. Yesterday was my farewell. It was a amazing time of affirmations. I am not good about hearing positive things about myself, I left feeling loved and appreciated. 

 Today was our last Sunday at church. It was bittersweet. I try to avoid saying good bye at all cost. Honestly I have always been afraid of crying in public. It is  especially hard when I see how this fellowship has bonded with my children. How they have loved on my family and not judged us. 

  Did I tell you today is my birthday. We are spending the day buying a last minute gift for a friends child and then exchanging pants for one of mine and going for Mexican for dinner. I woke up to  candy and cards from my husband. Later on in the morning he shared something on his heart. I told him then that is all I need. For him to share something from his heart is true intimacy. Something honestly that has not always been there. 

 Okay, time to get going. We have errands and then a ton of stuff to cram into two vehicles. 

Pamela

Stomach Bugs

Today is a easy day except it is not. The plan was to get my hair done this morning and then go to my farewell and then dinner with friends. That was before we were up until almost midnight then the baby was up congested and the toddler was up all night with the stomach flu. 

Please oh please let him be the only one who gets the stomach flu. 

Seriously, please pray we can get some rest and that this stomach flu is gone quickly. 

This is one room of air mattresses. Tonight there will be more as we empty more rooms. 

Pamela 

Our House is Empty

The truck is loaded. It took about 8 hours and four men but everything is gone. Well  except for the roaster they forgot. 

  Rob just took the boys to pick up a couple of things from Lowes while the girls and I stayed home and ate the last of the ice cream. We reminded Jacob he was part of the girls club and could not tell anyone we had ice cream. 

   Tonight we will sleep on air mattresses. It will be just like camping. 

   I have to tell you the funniest thing this week has been how scared yes packers and the movers were of my animals. I get the dog because she is big but even the guinea pig scared them and you would have thought the cat had rabies the way they looked for her before coming into a room. I am laughing but it is sad to think of what made them this scared. 

  So far only one thing got broken and it was a piece of my polish pottery but I am not claiming it. They were super nice and accidents happen. 

   Time to get the girls in the shower before the boys get home. 

Pamela 

Day 4

Day 4, today the movers load everything onto the truck. Yesterday was crazy. Last minute packing, movers constantly needing questions answered, someone came to put stabilizers on the washer and dryer. Someone from transportation came by to make sure things were going well. And then we had a erogation specialist here 5 times because he did not have the right parts. 

   Did you know that spouses now get 500 pounds of professional gear and yes homeschool material is considered professional gear. And when you are still paying off the last move every pound counts. 

Jacob does want you to know that this move is not concerning him and he is just laying around.

   We did get our hotel booked for the first part (I almost said leg). We also  called about turning on the electric/gas turned on which is the same company. Things are definitely getting real now. 

Pam

Wordless Wednesday

S

He is either saying my baby or this baby needs to stop kicking me.

Nursing our Blessing as Toddlers

 I have said before that I love breast feeding but have never been successful in doing it much longer than a year. I have a friend who is still nursing her almost 3 year old and I love her for it. This is what she wrote recently. I instantly knew I had to share it. I am also sharing pictures of how we spend our days together. 

This is what she wrote recently:Ok I said to someone yesterday I would never post a picture of me nursing my toddler. You know because it will be there for life.  Seriously, this is normal, this is beautiful, this makes our days special. I love when he says mommy nurse please. I love that he asks to cuddle. I do get frustrated and get tired at night and want to throw him out of bed. But, he is wanting mommy right now. That will not be forever. I am going to appreciate this bonding time. This is the first child of mine I was able to breast feed. Thankful to a @trooppetrie for her encouragement. Some will mock me for self led weening. But this will not last forever. And I enjoy every minute HE wants to snuggle. I think people myself included should become apart/actively of support groups for older nursing children. Nurse in public, don't be ashamed. Nurse in front of kids, I nurse in front of my 7 year old autistic child uncovered, do you know what she says? Elijah's hungry mommy. Nursing=Natural. It is a part of life. I think that last part was a rant, but you get the picture. Don't be afraid. Covered or uncovered. And don't listen to the books, listen to you and your child. You both will know when the time is right.

   Thank you Lindsie for your honesty and thank you @doulanurse247 for taking amazing pictures. 

Pamela

Day 2

Well I made it through day one of packing. It actually was not that hard since I was gone about 4 hours. I had errands and counseling.

Counseling went well. Her little girl was there which was a great distraction. I do not handle good-byes and try to avoid them at all cost. My son has one more appointment in the week so it did not seek like a final good-bye even though my husband will take him.

  The kids are doing well. Jason is who I have even worried about most but he is doing okay. I think he needed to see them pack everyone's stuff not just his. He has asked several times if we can follow the moving van. 

   Today I am taking a friend to the doctor so I will be out if the house for part of the time. This helps with getting the kids out of the house for a while. 

  By the way has anyone seen my other brown shoe?

Pamela

10 minute warning

The movers should be here in 10 minutes? Ask me if I am ready. Nope not mentally or physically ready. So much still to do. It just does not seem real that soon strange men will be in every room of my house packing. I hope I remembered to pull out everything I need. 

Underwear-check

Diapers-check

Baby blankets- check