Managed Insanity

Which Wrap?

2012-01-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

So, with baby due in only 10 more weeks (wow! seriously?), a baby wrap is on my list of things I'd like to have. However, there are so many choices out there! What are your suggestions?

Moby Wrap

Sleepy Wrap

Dr. Sears Sling

FreeHand Mei Tai Carrier

A Trip to the Spit

2012-01-09T21:54:00.000-08:00

Cindy and I took the kids to the Spit one day while they were visiting. It was a beautiful day (but cold!) and we enjoyed being outside. The cousins got along so incredibly well and had a great time together this week!!

Here's our two oldest waving to Nana and Papa over in Guam!

Cousins loving being together!

Now for the silly faces!

On the trek home:

Benjamin loved hiding off of the path and trying to scare everybody. Can you spot him in this picture?

Sarah wanted to take this picture. She thought it was fascinating that the Spit grows in length by 13 feet each year!

Hike With Uncle Tim

2012-01-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

My brother, Tim, and his family, were here visiting this week and we had a wonderful time. Garth had to still work much of the week, so Tim took Benjamin on a hike and was determined to wear him out for me. They hiked to this cave on the beach that Tim knew about from when he lived here several years ago. Benjamin had such a great time and came home with his pockets loaded up with "treasures" (seashells, rocks, etc.). He told me he was sure he'd come with about $4000 worth of gems (uh, yeah, buddy...). So glad that he and Tim had this time together!!

The Power of the Cross Quartet

2012-01-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

We are celebrating Christmas this weekend with my parents. At their church this morning, we sang "The Power of the Cross" in a quartet (Tim, Cindy, Garth, and Becky). Here's a video for those who want to see it!

Click here to watch it on YouTube.

P.S. Sarah recorded it for us and she was also trying to keep Ruth still, so that's why the video is a little wobbly. :)

Our First Two-Piano Duet

2011-12-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

Click here to watch it on YouTube.

Sarah and I got to play our first two-piano duet at church on Sunday, Christmas Day. I gave her the music in November and challenged her to see if she could learn her part by Christmas. Not only did she learn it...she memorized it and played it flawlessly. We are so proud of her and the way she is using the talents the Lord has given her! Hopefully this will be the first of many times we are able to play together!

Neighbor Gifts

2011-12-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

I know it's nearly Christmas, but maybe someone out there is still looking for a last minute idea for gifts for neighbors and/or friends. I get really tired of the excessive amount of sweets consumed over the holidays, so I decided to make a cookie mix in a jar this year to be enjoyed at a later date. If you're interested, you can check out this link for the recipe, instructions, and printable tags.

Children's Christmas Program

2011-12-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

Here are two quick pictures from the Children's Christmas Musical on Sunday night. They all did a great job in their vocal and speaking parts. This was Rachel's first time to sing with the "big kids". She had a quite a performance (ahem!) and proved to us that indeed she is a bit more like Garth than me. :)

(Sorry for the quality of the pics...I only had my little camera!)

Handel's Messiah

2011-12-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick picture from Handel's Messiah on Saturday. Garth stayed home with the kids and gave me such a little break. I went with 3 people from church and we all had a great time!!

A Favorite Spot

2011-12-19T12:14:00.000-08:00

This is one of Ruth's favorite spots...the laundry basket! Whether the laundry is clean or dirty, she loves to lie down on top of all the clothes and stay there a while. She thinks it's so hilarious that she can climb in and out of the basket by herself.

Happy Birthday, Benjamin!

2011-12-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate another birthday at our house! Happy 7th birthday to Benjamin!! He wanted biscuits and gravy for breakfast and then to go to the Japanese Steak House for lunch/dinner. We are also taking him to Toys R Us to get a bike since he has definitely outgrown his old one.

Happy 4th Birthday, Rachel!

2011-12-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

Happy 4th birthday to Rachel Mikaela! We love you very much and are so excited to see how you have grown into a little lady.

Today we are celebrating Rachel's birthday with waffles for breakfast, macaroni and cheese for lunch, spaghetti and grapes for supper...and yellow cupcakes (her favorite color since she could talk!).

Oh Yes, I Did!!

2011-11-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know that we are having another girl and I have bins of clothes in the garage. And yes, I know that I'm only halfway (plus a tad) through this pregnancy. But you know, this little girl needed a new dress!! JC Penney had this absolutely adorable girly dress on sale for $10 today!! So this is her first outfit that is just for her and I LOVE IT!!!!

Trip Home From Whistler

2011-11-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

On the way up to Whistler, we were driving in the dark and could tell that we were passing beautiful scenery but could barely see it! We left early from the village so that we could take our time coming home and stop at as many places as we wanted. Oh my, it was beautiful!!!! Here are just a very few pictures out of all that we took.

This was my view a lot as Garth tried to get lots of perfect shots!!

And no visit to Canada is complete without a stop at Tim Hortons! :)

Birthday Trip To Whistler

2011-11-13T15:05:00.000-08:00

For my birthday, Garth whisked me away to Whistler for the weekend. Some very dear friends kept our children. It was a very nice, relaxing weekend and I'm very thankful that we were able to go. Since the ski hills weren't quite open yet for the season, we had planned to go snowmobiling or ATVing, but they wouldn't let me go since I was pregnant! We settled for a jeep tour up onto the mountain (altitude of just over 6000 feet). The weather was absolutely perfect so that we could see the neighboring mountains and the village below. The tour guide had been working for this company for ~7 years; he was quite knowledgeable, answered all of our questions, and made it really interesting.

On one of the stops up the mountain (while the guide was putting the chains on our tires), we met a guy snowboarding down. We struck up a conversation with him and asked how he got up the mountain since the lifts weren't open. He had hiked 3 1/2 hours up to the peak with all of his gear and then was boarding down. Talk about perseverance! That was one long hike for such a quick trip down. He was exhausted and happy to stop for a break to talk to us!

And Baby #5 Is...

2011-11-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

A GIRL!

Rachel's Ear Surgery: Round 2

2011-10-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

This morning Rachel had surgery on her ears to put in heavy duty tubes and to remove her adenoids. She had surgery back in May to put tubes in, but they fell out after only about 3 months. She has, therefore, struggled with her speech and hearing again for the last couple of months. We are hoping that these better tubes, along with having her adenoids gone, will help her hear better and to speak more clearly.

Since her consultation with the ENT two weeks ago, she has been very excited about having her ears fixed. She's been counting down the days and telling everyone about it! She chose strawberry-flavored gas to go to sleep with and walked straight back to the operating room with the nurse. The nurses and doctors all said that they wished ALL kids were this excited about having their ears fixed!

When she woke up from the surgery, she was pretty nauseated, but that passed within about half an hour. Once she could sit up okay, the nurse gave her a ride in the wheelchair out to the car.

I had planned to take her straight home, but she asked if we could please stop and get some ice cream first...so we did. :) She is resting well at home now and has a fun day of movies, coloring, and quiet playing planned. Thank you to everyone who prayed for her!

Cider Pressing: A Day of Fall Celebration

2011-10-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Recently we joined some friends for a harvest party. Garth and the three older kids had a great time helping to press apple cider. Ruth and I enjoyed the warmth of the house. :) This was the first time we had ever pressed cider, so it was a great learning opportunity! I will let the pictures suffice to tell you about the day!

A Canadian Thanksgiving

2011-10-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

On Monday we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving. Usually each year we celebrate two Thanksgivings, which is just fine by Garth. :) We talked about what each of us are thankful for and enjoyed a yummy meal together as a family. Here are some pictures!

Visiting With Dear Friends

2011-10-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

This past summer we had the opportunity to meet up with some very dear friends. Jon and Garth have been best friends since 3rd grade, went to college together, were in each other's weddings, and both had enough sense to marry Canadians! :) The kids really had a blast together and we enjoyed catching up on what is happening in each other's lives.

Eastside Bible Study

2011-10-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

Last night at Bible Study, we had a record-breaking number of 32! We hosted it at our home this time and were so excited to have this many people come out for fellowship and discipleship.

Here's a picture of almost everybody!

All of the shoes by the door...I love having people over!!

A Visit to the Farm

2011-10-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

This farm is where Grandpa & Grandma lived all their life. My uncle and some of his family now farm the land and run everything, in addition to running their crop spraying business. I have many wonderful memories of playing here with my cousins, "working" with Grandpa, feeding the chickens, playing with the animals, and gathering with family.

Here's the combines that make harvest an easier task!

Some of the old buildings on the farm:

Rachel and her cousin: instant friends!

Pictures with Grandma!

Benjamin and his cousin: also instant friends!

Trevor and Rebecca...father and daughter. Trevor is my cousin.

Trevor's son, James, was sound asleep on Auntie Cheryl's shoulder while she was buzzing around the house!

Grandpa's Grave

2011-10-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

During our recent trip to Canada, we went to visit Grandpa's grave. Some wheat adorns his grave, waiting for the grave stone to arrive. This is so appropriate, seeing that Grandpa was a farmer all his life. I miss Grandpa dearly, but love all of the memories that I have of him.

A Canadian Cookout

2011-09-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

While staying with Uncle Erv & Auntie Sandra, we had a fun cookout/BBQ in their backyard. We grilled hot dogs and made S'mores. They hadn't had S'mores (at least in a really long time), so this was a really fun thing to do! Micah's friends were there, too (Ben & Arthur). Ben's girlfriend had never cooked a hot dog over a fire and it was fun to watch her have this experience.

Here's Ruth sitting beside Uncle Erv, enjoying every bite.

Benjamin was instant buddies with Micah. He was Micah's little shadow all week. In this picture, Sarah had colored on Benjamin's face with face paint (and this was the remnants).

Evonne enjoying her fire-roasted hot dog!

The two Bens!

S'mores getting a thumbs up from Micah.

Uncle Erv's S'more was finger-licking good!

Micah taught Benjamin how to play hockey while we were in Canada. Benjamin learned quickly and Micah said he has a lot of natural talent. He has his own stick (thanks to Micah!), so he's been practicing on the street with the neighborhood kids since we've been home.

A Visit With Cousins

2011-09-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

We had a great time visiting with Uncle Kal and Auntie Sylvia while in Alberta. Danika played a beautiful piece on the piano for us. The kids had such a great time playing with my cousins and have asked several times when we are going back to visit them again!

The Three Hills Gazoo

2011-09-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

While in Three Hills, we visited the world famous Gazoo! :) I've never seen a place where the kids could touch and feed so many animals. They were able to ride donkeys and horses, pet and feed goats, pick up bunnies and kittens, pet the HUGE pigs, and all sorts of other things. They also have bigger animals like lions, tigers, and camels that you can walk around and look at through the cages. It was definitely a lot of fun and something we'd love to do again. The last picture is of the Gazoo's most dangerous animals...be careful of them if you ever visit!

Canada Part 2: How You Cut Meat

2011-09-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we had hamburgers on the grill for lunch. Uncle Erv showed us the best way to cut hamburgers in preparation for grilling. :)

Step 1: Put a brand new blade on the sawzall.

Step 2: Take the frozen roll of hamburger out of the freezer.

Step 3: Have someone strong hold down the roll of hamburger on the cutting board.

Step 4: Saw the frozen meat in 1 inch slices with the sawzall.

Canada Part 1: The Trip Out There

2011-09-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

I'm now going to start the series on our trip to Canada. Here are several pictures from the trip up there. We left from Family Camp and drove until about 2 am. After a few hours of sleep, we were back on the road.

Family Camp 2011

2011-09-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

We had a great group at Family Camp this year. It was definitely a lot of fun and something we plan on each year. Here's our traditional group picture on the last morning at camp.

This isn't our cabin, but just wanted to show a typical cabin. Most of the cabins have bathrooms and then they each have bunk beds for everyone. They are rugged, but actually not too bad as far as comfort...much better than a tent!!

This picture was taken while we were waiting at the High Ropes Course. Rachel and Abigail climbed up into Mrs. Mandery's walker and were pretending to be her. I have no idea why Rachel is making the face she is, but they were having a blast!

Here is Sarah on the rope ladder at the High Ropes Course. This is as far as she made it, but I'm proud of her for getting that far. It is no easy task!!

Here's Pastor, preaching and teaching the WORD!

The beautiful scenery we enjoy at camp. I haven't seen it rain here yet! Next year I really want to hike some of these mountains. I was planning on it this year, but was so sick with the pregnancy that it just wasn't a good idea.

One of the ladies at church brings her bike carrier every year just to give the little ones rides in it. Rachel and Ruth had a great time being biked around in their "ride"!

Taking notes and studying the Bible while Pastor is preaching:

Garth's Company Picnic

2011-09-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

Each year, Garth's company puts on a picnic for the employees and their families. They go all out and had literally thought of everything...food, entertainment, sunscreen, activities for all those young and old, etc.

Here is our little bug, trying out a kazoo. She was quite good at it!

A human carwash...great for cooling off little kids!

The biggest Radio Flyer wagon I've EVER seen. This was full of ice and soda for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

All the kids practicing for a hula hoop competition. The winner had 4 of them going simultaneously for quite a while!

The infamous Broom Ball tournament before the start of the other activities. A group of interns won this year!

Sarah conquered the rock wall!!

We sat and soaked in some sun while watching a magic show on the entertainment stage. This guy was quite good!!

Garth and his tall friend...ok, just kidding. :)

Ready, Set, Go...

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

I finally have the pictures off of the camera and nearly ready to start uploading to my blog. I have pictures from Garth's company picnic, our trip to Canada, family camp, the fair, and some miscellaneous things. So watch for lots of updates here in the next little bit!!

I'll leave you with one picture. Rachel started dance (tap and ballet) this last week. Here she is at her first class.

Signs of a Growing Family

2011-08-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Most people prefer for me to keep the blog, so we've decided to do that...at least for now. I'll try to remember to update it. :) We are off to Family Camp today and are so looking forward to the time as a family and with our church family. I'm scheduling this post to actually post after camp (on Saturday), so this will be old news by the time you read it! After camp, we are heading to Canada to visit my family up there. Looking forward to that time, too! It's been over two years since we've been up there. I am excited to see Grandma and watch her love on the kids and help them memorize Scripture. I'm excited to see my many aunts, uncles, and cousins, and catch up on their lives and what they are doing. I'm excited to have a road trip with our family...Ruth's first road trip...and make memories together. Anyway, I leave you with 3 signs of a growing family:

1) We have resorted to driving a minivan (something we said we NEVER wanted to do).

2) We have now added a car carrier to the top of the minivan so that we have enough carrying space for a playpen, stroller, suitcases, etc.

3) We have signs like this that tell us that every seat in the minivan will be full, come March 2012.

Just Wondering

2011-08-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

So I'm really wondering whether I should continue to post on my blog or to just forget about in the light of the busyness of life. I tend to update things on Facebook rather than here just because it's easier and faster. However, I like the blog layout and I like reading others' blogs. I'm just not sure what I want to do. Anybody have any advice or suggestions for me?

July 4th, 2011

2011-07-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

Toddler Bed, Anyone?

2011-07-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

My sister (who lives nearby) is selling her daughter's toddler bed. It is in great condition and she is asking $30 for it. Let me know if you are interested and I will give you her contact info.

Pictures From Ruth's Birthday

2011-05-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Ruth's 1st birthday. We had a special family day of celebrating!!

This is a classic Ruth look. She furrows her brow and then breaks into a huge smile!! She loves to tease us!

Love those baby blue eyes!!!

For supper, we ate a low-calorie meal of fried rice and chicken fingers with homemade honey mustard! :)

And a ladybug cake for our little ladybug!!

Here's a collage of her eating her cake. She didn't make a huge mess (we were all disappointed!), but enjoyed every bite! You can click on the picture to enlarge it and see it better.

One Year Ago

2011-04-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

A year ago today, God blessed us with Ruth Michelle! She is such an easy-going baby with a very fun personality. She loves to give everyone "looks" (with a furrowed brow) and then grin at them really big as if to see "Fooled you! I'm just joking!". She is a delight to everyone else in our family and her siblings often compete over who gets to watch her while I'm doing something or taking a shower. She has a mouthful of 10 teeth (working on #s 11 and 12) and is walking all over the place. It's so fun to see the look on her face when she's walking because she's extremely proud of her new-found speed! She loves music, baths, babies, the wind in her face, dogs, birds, sitting on the top bunk with her sister, and a certain little boy in the nursery at church. :) :) :) We just can't imagine life without our little Ruthers!! Happy first birthday, sweet girl!

Shop Amazon?

2011-04-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com Widgets

Are you a regular shopper or an occasional shopper on Amazon? I love using them for more and more things all the time. I signed up for an Associates account with them and now get a small referral fee if someone uses my link to purchase anything on Amazon. If you already shop there, would you do me a huge favor and just go to the site from my link above or on my sidebar? Don't worry...I have no idea who buys what...I just see the amount deposited into my account. The site still is the same for you. It just records that I'm the one that referred you to their site. This is just another little way that I found to earn a bit of money as a stay at home mom...to help me pay for little "wants". :) Thank you!!

KidFest!!

2011-04-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

Recently we visited Portland and went to KidFest. It's basically a kids/family expo and we enjoyed lots of activities and demonstrations there. Our children's favorite demonstration was the science one. Sarah was quick to volunteer and Madame Chaos asked her to help out with an experiment. She was handed of all things--a toilet plunger with a roll of toilet paper on it--and asked to hold it really tightly. Madame Chaos then took out her leaf blower and...well...a picture is worth a thousand words, right?!

Here are some other pictures from the day of fun:

The tarantula was in a "petting" zoo. My husband casually mentioned he thought a tarantula would make a really great pet. Ummmmm...NO!!!!

Ipad and More Giveaway!

2011-04-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

Want to have an opportunity to win an iPad or some other great items? AND have a part in helping the Burger family bring Brian home from an orphanage and into his forever family? Sounds like a win-win situation to me!!

Updated Birthday Pics

2011-04-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Garth took the birthday pictures for Ruth and Sarah. Here are our top pics (showing their personality) for the wall by our kitchen table.

Interviews With My Children

2011-03-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I conducted interviews with my children. At first, they looked at me as though I was a bit strange, but then they really got into it and thought it was a great idea. Here are some of their answers.

"What is your favorite color?"
Sarah: red
Benjamin: green
Rachel: purple

"What is your favorite animal?"
Sarah: dogs
Benjamin: raccoons
Rachel: giraffe

"What makes you happy?"
Sarah: Ruth
Benjamin: God
Rachel: smiles

"What makes you sad?"
Sarah: when Mom's upset
Benjamin: rain
Rachel: crying

"What is your most favorite food to eat?"
Sarah: Mom's chocolate chip cookies
Benjamin: apples
Rachel: brownies and ice cream

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Sarah: a mom
Benjamin: a policeman
Rachel: a dad

Ten Months Old!

2011-02-28T10:08:00.001-08:00

10 months old
6 teeth
Standing on her own
Anticipating first steps
Favorite word: "Hi!"

Olympic Game Farm

2011-02-28T09:57:00.001-08:00

Extra Savings on Wipes from Amazon.com

2011-02-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

Save an extra 10% on Pampers and Luvs baby wipes right now when you use the code MOMWIPES at checkout. This is in addition to the 30% you save when being a member of Amazon Mom.

Celtic Lullaby

2011-02-15T09:26:00.001-08:00

Amazon is offering this beautiful Celtic Lullaby CD for only $5 with use of the promotional code CELTICCD. Click on the picture above to view the item page!

Huggies Diapers: Amazon vs. Costco

2011-02-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

Winner: AMAZON!

Item in question: Huggies Snug & Dry diapers, size 4

Costco pricing: 200 diapers on sale for $43.99 (comes out to $0.22 per diaper).
Buying at Costco means a trip to the store as well.

Amazon pricing: 140 diapers on sale for $23.51 (comes out to $0.17 per diaper).

Remember, to get this special pricing, sign up first for Amazon Mom. Then select the Subscribe & Save option on the diaper's product page. Two-day shipping is totally free as a member of Amazon Mom. (Please note that if you use my link to the diapers and end up purchasing them, I get a small percentage of that sale!)

A Crawling Video

2011-02-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

Ruth is now quite proficient in crawling anywhere and everywhere. We've had to put up a baby gate at the top of the stairs to avoid any issues there. She is FAST! Here's a video I took this morning shortly after she woke up.

Again, sorry it's sideways.

Baby Wipes: Amazon vs. Costco

2011-01-31T17:51:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of Amazon (as most of you know). Did you know that they have a free program you can sign up for called Amazon Mom? This gives you free 2-day shipping on most things from their websites, not just baby items! I went shopping for baby wipes this afternoon and just want to share this deal as an example of why I prefer to shop on Amazon!

Pampers Soft Care Wipes (720 count): $17.93 (works out to be 2.5 cents per wipe)
However, sign up for Amazon Mom and use the Subscribe and Save option to save an additional 30%, making these wipes now $12.55 for the box (1.7 cents per wipe). These wipes are delivered straight to your door by your friendly UPS man...saving you time, gas money, effort of packing everyone into the car for a run to the store, etc.

Now, if you went to Costco and bought your baby wipes, you would pay $26.99 for a box of 1000 wipes (making them 2.7 cents per wipe). You also have spent time and gas money, may have succumbed to impulse purchases, possibly interrupted the baby's nap, and put unnecessary stress upon yourself! ;-)

Have I convinced you yet? I plan to do more comparisons in the future, showing you WHY I buy many things on Amazon and what deals I have found. If you already shop on Amazon regularly for certain items, please share what you buy there.

Sarah's Sound Poem

2011-01-31T10:49:00.000-08:00

Whoosh! the wind is so crazy!
And I feel so lazy.
The sky is so dark!
Especially above the park.
I'm glad I have my umbrella handy!

Splish! Sploosh! Splash!
See the lightning flash!
The raindrops tumble.
Pitter! Patter! Splatter! Drip!

Large Family Logistics

2011-01-26T20:57:00.000-08:00

Does your life need some restructuring? Do you have areas in your home that aren't getting clean? Do you go to bed stressed about all the work that never gets done? If so, this book may help!

You could win a copy here on this blog (click the link). Check it out!

Making Your Own Baby Food

2011-01-24T03:51:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been making my own baby food. It is SO easy! Too bad it took me 4 children to figure this out. I'm starting basic and so far have made carrots and sweet potatoes. With sweet potatoes, peel them and cut them in pieces. Then place them in a pot with some water. I added about a teaspoon of sugar (to a big pot) as well just to draw out the natural sweetness. Bring to a boil and simmer until they are fork tender. Drain excess water. The key to making good baby food purees is a good hand blender. The one at the bottom of this post is the one I have and it works perfectly. Puree vegetables completely. It took me less than 30 seconds to puree a big pot of sweet potatoes. After pureeing, spoon into ice cube trays and freeze overnight. The next morning, remove vegetables from trays and put the cubes in a big freezer-safe ziploc bag. It is so simple and easy to do this...not to mention it is better for our babies!

If you try making your own baby food (or have in the past), please leave comments with things you've tried or tips you gave for others!

Sarah's Book Report

2011-01-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

"The Two Princesses of Bamarre"
By: Gail Carson Levine

Princess Addie and Princess Meryl are sisters and best of friends. When brave Princess Meryl catches the Gray Death, shy and fearful Addie sets out on a quest for the cure for this nasty disease. Addie receives special gifts from Meryl and other friends. First, Addie heads toward Mulee Forest to find and capture a specter hoping it would tell her the cure. On the way, Addie runs into an ogre. Eventually, Addie gets captured by Vollys, the dragon. Finally, Addie gets Vollys to tell her the cure and manages to sneak away and use this new information to help her sister back at home.

This book is very exciting because Addie sets out on a mission to save Meryl, even though she is very afraid.

$20 Amazon Gift Card for Only $10!

2011-01-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a deal! I know lots of you out there order from Amazon. We order books, DVDs, diapers, laundry detergent, baby food, and lots of other things from Amazon. Well, today only, you can get a $20 Amazon gift certificate for only $10. Living Social is a "deal of the day" site so this great deal is available for today only.

She Loves Bouncing!

2011-01-18T08:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry this video is sideways. I took it on my phone, not thinking about putting it on my blog later. In other news...Ruth is now crawling FORWARDS (she's been going backwards for a while) and pulling herself up onto her feet while holding onto things. I will try to get a video of that and post it here soon.

Redone

2011-01-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

Picked up this chair for $5 at a garage sale last summer. Benjamin and Rachel helped me sand it down.

With a little paint, it is now a fun little chair! Thanks, Fur, for helping with the polka dots!

Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

The kids were up bright and early! We opened stockings before breakfast while the kids were still in their new pajamas.

Then we read some Scripture and talked about why we give/get gifts. After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and cinnamon rolls, we relaxed and played some games together. After naps we continued the tradition of having Chinese food for Christmas dinner! The day was very restful and relaxing, a change from the last few weeks. We all enjoyed the family time. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-01-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

After a delicious brunch of homemade Christmas tree rolls and various breakfast casseroles, we gathered together and Dad read the Christmas story.

The kids took turns passing gifts out to each person.

We enjoyed seeing my brother and his family at Christmas. They flew in from Alaska for several days.

Rachel loves Christmas and doesn't understand why it can't be Christmas EVERY day! My mom made each of the granddaughters a hat.

My sister gave Benjamin some army men. He could hardly wait to get them all set up and have a battle. We were still opening gifts and he was already playing in the other room.

Here is Sarah's hat that Grandma made for her. We were getting ready to play Apples to Apples.

Fur flew in from South Carolina to spend her Christmas break with us. She peeled the apples for our apple pie...which was quite tasty!!

Benjamin watched some Three Stooges that afternoon while we played Apples to Apples. This must have been one of the more serious moments! ;-)

Boss Your Heart Reading Challenge

2010-12-31T09:35:00.000-08:00

I am motivating myself with the Boss Your Heart Reading Challenge this year. There are a variety of plans to choose from...such as reading through just Psalms and Proverbs, reading through just the Old Testament, reading through the entire Bible in 90 days, etc. Start the year off tomorrow with a goal in mind! You can join Boss Your Heart Reading Challenge's Facebook page as well if you wish.

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. May you each have a blessed time, remembering that Christ is the reason for the season and that He was born to die for YOU!

Almost 8 Months

2010-12-20T21:32:00.000-08:00

Benjamin Turns 6!

2010-12-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

Benjamin also had a birthday this last week and he turned 6 years old. For his birthday supper, we had pizza. He wanted a dragon cake...

And he was one excited boy to get a pocketknife for his birthday!

Rachel Turns 3!

2010-12-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

Rachel turned 3 last week. For her birthday supper, she chose Daddy's famous chicken fingers, Nana Howe's fried rice, and broccoli with cheese sauce. For dessert she had a Dora cake. Here she is hammin' it up for the camera!

Can't waste that icing! Even if it's on the table, just lick it right off!

Flooding In Our Area

2010-12-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

The past two days have been full of heavy rainfall and flooding to some nearby areas. Here is a video of a river north of Seattle (around 2 hours from us).

South Fork of the Stillaguamish at Granite Falls

Finding the Perfect Tree

2010-11-27T21:06:00.000-08:00

This morning we all set out on an adventure to cut down our own Christmas tree. This is something we've talked of doing for several years, but due to money and/or time, we just have never done it. The kids were SO excited and Rachel kept asking if we were to the "Christmas farm" yet. We drove into the farm to so many trees!

Rachel ran up to the first tree and gave it a big hug. "I love this one!"

Garth wanted to get this because as he said, "We could fit a TON of presents under this one!"

This is the one we selected. It is nice and full and is the perfect height for our ceiling.

Benjamin had great fun "helping" Garth with the saw. He also enjoyed helping him tie it on the top of the van.

I will post pictures of the decorated tree as soon as we get it finished. It is beautiful in the living room!!

Look-A-Likes

2010-11-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

Who do you think Ruth looks the most like? Here are the other kids' baby pictures.

Ruth:

Sarah:

Rachel:

Benjamin:

Yesterday...

2010-10-27T10:52:00.001-07:00

...I found pumpkin spice cream cheese at the grocery store! It is so yummy, I am tempted to eat it by the spoonful.

...I felt very safe since my son built a trap in the backyard to prevent any large animals from attacking me.

...I used more paper towels than any other previous day.

...I made 20 hairbows, with the help of my eldest daughter.

...I realized that my husband makes better chicken fingers than I do.

...I had everyone loaded and buckled in the van before I realized that the car battery was dead and we weren't going anywhere!

...I snuggled with my middle daughter before her nap time and enjoyed her little giggles of excitement.

...I struggled to keep two little girls quiet during family devotions so that the older two would not be distracted in what they are learning.

...My eyes filled with tears as I listened to my favorite little boy read a story to me about a cow that was stuck on a fence.

...I enjoyed a pumpkin spice latte while doing my grocery shopping ALONE!

Joanna Grace

2010-10-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

My brother and his wife welcomed their third child, Joanna Grace, into their family today. Jon is in medical school and just began his OB/GYN rounds today, so Joanna was his first delivery!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

Piglets! The kids loved watching these little critters oink around.

Sarah and Benjamin conquered the corn maze!! There were 12 posts that they had to punch on their card and they found 10 completely on their own, working together.

We love our baby Ruth!

Rachel had a great time playing in the straw maze, the play house, and the wagon with her cousin Jaden.

Fall Fair

2010-10-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

An annual event for us is a fall fair. It kicks off the fall season for us...our favorite season of the year. Here are some various pictures from that day.

No trip to the fair is complete without cotton candy!

Rachel took her first ride on her own horse on the carousel...and LoVeD it!

Sarah went on the roller coaster by herself (it was her ride of choice) and said she was too scared to scream, but loved every minute of it.

Benjamin chose the magic carpet ride.

Rachel chose the teddy bears. She really wanted the yellow one!

We had a great time in the barns, looking at the cows, horses, sheep, goats, and even a camel!

5 Months

2010-10-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Like her new shirt? ;-)

$35 CSN Stores Giveaway Winner

2010-09-22T10:18:00.001-07:00

The winner of the $35 CSN Stores gift certificate is Carrie who said "I have Corelle dinner ware and love it. I would love to win! Thanks for the giveaway." Congratulations, Carrie! Please contact me at becky [dot] henson [at] gmail [dot] com with your email address.

Random winner chosen.

Ergo Baby Carrier Giveaway

2010-09-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

Over at The Modest Mom, there is an Ergo Baby Carrier giveaway going on. Head over there and check it out! I would love to win one of these.

Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway going on at my blog for a $35 gift certificate to CSN Stores.

Benjamin's Shark Teeth

2010-09-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we noticed that Benjamin's front two adult teeth on the bottom had grown in behind his baby teeth. A quick call to the dentist told us that we needed to get this checked out. We googled it, too, and found out that this "condition" is called shark teeth. This most definitely pleased our little 5-year-old boy!

At the dental visit the dentist took a couple x-rays and determined that the roots of his baby teeth had not dissolved at all, so it would be necessary to pull the baby teeth out. Then hopefully the adult teeth would decide to move forward on their own in due time.

Wednesday was the big day. We talked through the procedure with him so that he would know what to expect. Sarah has had a couple cavities filled before, so he was excited to show her that he could be as brave as she was with the needle (anesthetic). The dentist numbed his mouth with a paste and then inserted the anesthetic. Benjamin didn't blink an eye or flinch a bit! (I must admit he is braver than both his parents in this area.) Once his mouth was numb and he was talking funny, the dentist went to work and had both teeth out in less than 3 minutes.

Once his mouth woke up fully (a couple hours later), he was sore but enjoyed a milkshake and pudding for supper. He's back to eating like any normal kid now and we are hoping those adult teeth start moving forward! The dentist said his next two teeth on the bottom should start loosening really soon as well, so we're hopeful they cooperate.

$35 CSN Stores Giveaway

2010-09-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

What a fun way to start off a new school year - a $35 giveaway to CSN Stores. Have you ever heard of this online shopping site? They feature many storefronts where you can purchase many different items for your home. One item of interest to me is their Corelle Dinnerware. This virtually unbreakable dinnerware is great for use in your home or your camper...or even a nice picnic!

Want a chance to win a $35 gift certificate to use in any of the CSN stores? Leave a comment here on this blog entry with your first name, city, and state. If you'd like additional entries, you may:

1) Post about this giveaway on Twitter. Then come back and leave a comment, saying you did so.

2) Post about this giveaway on Facebook. Then come back and leave a comment, saying you did so.

3) Post about this giveaway on your blog. Then come back and leave a comment, saying you did so.

Good luck! Giveaway ends September 20, 2010 at midnight. Valid only to U.S. and Canadian residents. Stay tuned next week for the announcement of a randomly selected winner.

Moving On

2010-09-10T09:18:00.001-07:00

Garth has enjoyed over 3 years of employment with his current company in Buffalo, New York. He has learned much and has grown in huge ways. When we thought he'd be moving on two years ago, they offered to move him out west and let him work remotely from home, a blessing we never had even imagined. My husband is much sought after in web development, receiving sometimes multiple calls in a week for interviews. He gently turned each one down, knowing that his current position was where God placed him. However, God has made it clear that now it's time for him to move on.

Two weeks from Monday he will be employed by Amazon! I joke with him and tell him that he will now be "playing with the big boys". I am so proud of him and am excited to see how his diligence has been rewarded in a huge way. (And the employee discount to one of my favorite online shopping sites has me just a little excited, too!)

Resemblance

2010-09-04T07:54:00.001-07:00

What do you think? Who does Ruth look most like?

FAMILY CAMP!

2010-09-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

What we love about family camp...

1) Heart-changing preaching from the Word of God. Keven Brownfield, evangelist from Northland, was the speaker for morning and evening preaching sessions. Pastor brought devotional thoughts at the flagraising ceremony each morning before breakfast. We were challenged and we are changed.

2) Beautiful scenery and enjoying God's creation all around us.

3) Fellowship with families we love. Note: Just because you're not pictured here, doesn't mean we don't love you!!

4) Yummy food fixed by a great set of cooks. Definitely not what you normally think of as "camp food"!

Ruth is 4 Months Old!

2010-08-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

Are You Gone?

2010-08-27T12:08:00.001-07:00

I am so behind on blogging. Frankly, there have just been other more important things that have needed to be done. We start school on Monday and I have been working hard on lesson plans, organizing manipulatives, etc. Sarah starts 3rd grade with the BJU online classes and Benjamin starts K5. I will be using Saxon Math and Explode the Code with him as well as some other little things to help with reading. Rachel will be sitting in on Benjamin's lessons and will probably pick up quite a bit from that. She is excited about doing "school" (to her that means having her own pencil box and workbook!).

Garth and I took a long weekend alone (with the baby) back in upstate New York recently. While there, we got this picture that we intended to take when we lived there and just never got around to it. This sign indicates the name of the chain of funeral homes there. It is the family name of the owners, but is so hilarious to us!

For the Love of Oreos

2010-08-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

Pictures are worth a thousand words, right? I will suffice to say that my girl that we have always called "Munch" loves her cookies. She opens them carefully, licks off the cream, and relishes every little crumb. Love that girl!

Ruth - 3 Months

2010-08-02T13:16:00.001-07:00

Excited for School!

2010-07-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

New school books arrived in the mail today and it was instant excitement! All the kids started pouring through them and Sarah asked if she could start on them right away. Even Rachel was busy reading Sarah's Handwriting book!

And you just have to love the mismatched pajamas...a sonic shirt & elmo pants...a mario shirt & spiderman pants. Whatever's comfy, right??

Ruth - 2 Months

2010-07-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

Head Circumference: 40.25 cm (80th percentile)
Length: 24.25 inches (95th percentile)
Weight: 11 pounds, 9 ounces (60th percentile)

Overstuffed

2010-07-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Garth made another amazing cheesecake this week. For the crust, he and Fur used crushed Nilla Wafers and Oreos. Well, before crushing the Oreos Fur took all of the cream out of the cookies...and that resulted in a giant overstuffed Oreo!

A Morning at the Park

2010-07-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we met my sister and her daughter at the park for a little while. It was a great day to celebrate such a hot day here in Washington...outside in the sunshine!!

Nana and Papa

2010-07-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

For months we anticipated Garth's parents' visit from Guam. They were here a week and we crammed so much into that one week! We took a ferry ride to Seattle and saw lots of sights there...went up to Hurricane Ridge...had dinner with some mutual friends...stayed up late talking and talking...and much, much more. The kids warmed right up to their Nana and Papa. Here are just a couple pictures from that week.

Garth's dad preached Sunday night. That was a special treat!

Garth's dad told some stories about Garth and I loved watching his reaction to his dad!

Nana got lots of cuddles in while she was here!

Bring Them Home!

2010-07-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Brownings, are endeavoring to adopt two special Down Syndrome orphans from the Ukraine. The price for adoption is astronomical. To help offset the costs and bring these sweet children home sooner, the Brownings are hosting a blog auction. There are many wonderful things up for auction and I encourage you to check it out!

Also, if you are a coffee drinker or know someone who is, you can help support them by buying Just Love Coffee. A very generous portion of each purchase goes to the Brownings for their adoption.

Ruth's Dedication

2010-07-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday night was special not only because Sarah was baptized, but also because Ruth was dedicated! Really it is more of a dedication of our family to the Lord. We thank the Lord for all of our children. They truly are a gift.

Note: Rachel was downstairs in the nursery, so that's why she isn't in these pictures.

Sarah's Baptism

2010-06-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

We rejoice in God's goodness and the fact that Sarah was baptized Sunday night! Sarah accepted Christ as her Saviour a few days before she turned 5. She loves learning more about the Lord and serves Him faithfully with her life. We are excited as parents to see how the Lord uses her and molds her into what He desires. We pray that she will always be yielded to the Lord's will and follow after Him.

Her Sense of Style

2010-06-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

As you can see, a have a bit of work to do in the color coordinating department! However, Sara M. will love it! = )

A Smile That Melts Our Hearts

2010-06-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

"I So Pretty, Mommy!" - Part 2

2010-06-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is blue toenail polish...out of a bottle that Sarah couldn't even get the lid off of.

What Could Be So Interesting?

2010-06-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

What could cause a baby to look like this?

A bear mobile, of course! Ruth was gazing up at her swing mobile and then just fell asleep...with her mouth wide open.

"I So Pretty, Mommy!"

2010-06-03T23:05:00.001-07:00

Notice the mascara on her eyes...she even got it on her upper lashes! Then she came running to me and said, "I so pretty, Mommy!"

Surprise, Fur!

2010-06-02T16:49:00.001-07:00

Garth and Sarah headed to South Carolina last week to surprise Garth's cousin, Jennifer (who everyone calls "Fur"), for her high school graduation. Garth only has two cousins so he's very close with both of them! Sarah and Jennifer have always had a special connection, so needless to say this was a very special time for everyone.

Garth's two cousins, Jennifer and Jessica:

Congratulations, Jennifer!

Jennifer and Sarah are best buddies!

While in town, Garth and Sarah also visited some of her friends from K4 and daycare at Bob Jones University.

Krystal and Sarah were best friends when we lived in Greenville. They were very excited to get to see each other again.

Sarah and my coworker, Bette, are "Hello Kitty buddies". They used to bring each other Hello Kitty gifts and share a love for this cute little feline.

Sarah loves BJU and talks of going to college here one day. We will see how the Lord directs in her life!

Another special time was spent with Great Grandpa and Grandma Henson. We love them and appreciate their influence in our lives.

Chin Up, My Girl!

2010-05-11T19:50:00.001-07:00

Garth has the camera in Buffalo this week, so I can't capture much with just my cell phone. But here's a picture of our baby girl who will be 2 weeks old tomorrow.

Tic Tacs are not for Snorting

2010-05-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I am grateful and somewhat surprised that we are a week past the birth of our fourth child and I am just now writing my first post like this. Our middle two children (Benjamin is 5 and Rachel is 2) were riding quietly in the third row of our vehicle on the way home from the grocery store today, sharing some orange Tic Tacs our eldest had given Benjamin. Everything seemed to be going along swimmingly until we got home and unbuckled. I looked back, and in the shade of the car, it looked like Rachel had a bloody nose, but upon closer inspection, I realized the flow of liquid was orange.

Knowing my children, I immediately recognized what had happened, tilted her head back and was greeted by the sight of a bright orange capsule lodged about an inch or so into her sinus cavity. Through the next twenty minutes, I fought with the little booger (no pun intended), and it seemed like every time I got it down far enough to tweeze, she would cry and sniff it right back up. Thankfully, I had the peace of mind to realize that, even if I couldn’t get it out immediately, it would eventually dissolve, so I would just have her periodically blow her nose.

Finally, she blew it out, and you could see the immediate relief on her face. Once things had settled down, she very clearly informed us that “Bubba put candy in my nose.” When confronted with his sister’s claim, the noncommittal response went something like, “I don’t know. I might have, but I can’t remember!” Those of you with little boys understand that this is as good as a sworn confession, so we dealt with the problem and everyone is now down for a nap, adventures over for at least another hour.

Life as a parent is never boring, that’s for sure. While I’m not happy about what happened, it was a bit humorous as well, and I’m glad I thought to shoot this picture. The candy on the left is a new one out of the container while the one on the right is the remnant that was finally extracted from her nose. Hopefully we’ve all learned a lesson from this: only give children candy that is small enough to be easily blown out of their sinus cavities, or else too big to fit up there in the first place.

One Week Old

2010-05-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

Ruth is one week old! She is so very content and for the past 3 nights, we have enjoyed her 6 hours of sleep stretches during the night. The other kiddos love and adore her. To Rachel it is a reward to hold Ruth (aka, "her baby"). We just can't seem to get enough cuddling time in with our sweet baby girl. At Ruth's doctor visit today, we discovered that she is back up to her birth weight of 8 pounds, 11 ounces which makes me feel like I'm doing my job as her sole food source. She is also measuring an inch and a half longer than at the hospital!

Here is a picture of my "due date buddy". We were both due on April 18th, but yet our babies were born 20 days apart! Cindee found matching outfits for our babies. Here they are on Ruth's first Sunday:

Hannah S. made a beautiful little watermelon hat that fits Ruth perfectly. She wears it all the time!

Here's a picture of our sweet little angel (at least she seems like that for now!):

Welcome, Little One!

2010-04-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Ruth Michelle was born this morning at 1:31 a.m. She weighs 8 pounds, 11 ounces and is 20.5 inches long. She has a little dark hair and Daddy's nose! We are so excited to have her in our family. Praise God for yet another blessing from above.

First bath:

Looking girly:

First portrait:

Latest Sewing Projects

2010-04-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

My two latest sewing projects...a Bible cover for Sarah's new Bible and a jean skirt for Rachel (made out of Benjamin's jeans that had holes in the knees):