View from my front porch

Channie cleaning her kitchen

small soapy hands in her own sink Thoughts of her up coming day..

Her table is full and she feeds them all apples and pears from the near by trees The repair man pays a visit to check on her stove

Her sister comes by for a cup of tea

She tells her husband "go get us some food" He brings home a glass chicken.:)
and a cement squirrel (she's looking for some recipes if you have any)

Her babies start to cry but she has to water her flowers..multitasking already!

Cleaning up and getting ready for a nap. Floors clean, dishes washed, babies fed, and then she starts all over again.

Sounds familiar.

So What's Coop been up to?

This little pistol of a guy keeps me smiling and melting..He has my heart twisted in about 100 knots..Did I mention I love him? He is charming and funny and irresistible all mashed up into a 7 year old little boy. He's a dare devil and a fun seeker..Did I mention he's charming?

A gentleman

I knew him for a gentleman by signs that never fail.

His coat was rough and rather worn,

His cheeks were thin and pale-

A lad who had his way to make

With little time to play.

I knew him for a gentleman by certain signs today.

He met his mother on the street; off came his little cap.

My door was shut; he waited there until I heard his rap.

He took the bundle from my hand, and when I dropped my pen

He sprang to pick it up for me,

This gentlman of ten.

He does not push or crowd along;

His voice is gently pitched;

He does not fling his books about

As if he were bewitched.

He stands aside to let you pass;

He always shuts the door;

He runs on errands willingy,

To forge and mill and store.

He thinks of you before himself;

He serves you if he can,

For in whatever company,

The manners make a man.

At ten or forty 'tis the same-

The manner tells the tale;

And I discern the gentleman

By signs that never fail

"I have a daddy too."

While at the zoo we were playing at the play ground and this man walks up holding and tickling his little girl. She was laughing and holding on to her daddies neck and they were having the best time. When below them Channie-Mae gets the mans attention and says."I have a daddy too."

He said "you do? I bet he loves you so much" and she smiled and said "yes he does"..and she goes on with her play...This daddy didn't look anything like her daddy. He had long hair and it was pulled back in a pony tail. He was dressed kinda like a hippy, but she recognized something in him that reminded her of her daddy. Was it his playfulness,the way he gently carried her with the ease of a giant? Was it the way that he was protecting her from going too far and playing just alittle too rough? Was it the memories of falling asleep in her daddies arms? I'm not sure but to me I'm thankful that she see's a kind gentle man and thinks of her own kind gentle father.

Watch out future husbands for this little girl. She has seen what a kind gentle man looks like and I'm sure she'll be watching you as well to see if she recognizes her daddy in you....

could have had poop on my head.

Jo's first trip to the zoo. I know bad stinkin' mamma..but it cost 120.00 for this crew and well that's Alot!! But biting the zoo bullet we did and it was worth much more than what we paid...How much longer will I be able to take all my kids to the zoo together? Believe me I operate in this mode alot...able to stop and buy all them ice-cream,or pile up and watch yet another movie..You get the point..I see the years of having them all together few so I'm cramming....kinda like for a test but only for my heart..I saw so many first time or second time moms out there stressed (and I wanted to, but didn't say) "hey mama, slow it down sister." Nothing else matters as much as these incredible gifts before you...Time will go into warp speed somewhere along your journey not sure when it hit warp for me but I'm thankful it did..because I soak in my kids. I breathe in my kids and I would wrap myself around their little bodies if it wouldn't freak them out too bad...ok, I'm kidding...I used to worry that I didn't have enough time for myself and now I worry that one day I just might have only myself..except for the fact I have a wanna be cowboy who wears a straw hat better than anyone I have ever seen who, Lord willing will still be around and I'll just keep soaking him up..come to think of it we might be so old we won't have anything to soak up. Oh well, I'll blog about that when I can think about it without getting nauseated.
So enjoy the pics of Jo's first day at the zoo and please slow down sisters and laugh more and play more.......

until next time..

Sweet Rewards from the farm

A box without hinges,key or lid,

Yet golden treasue inside is hid.

J.R.R Tolkien

Hands reaching into a dark box and pulling out fresh eggs. Eggs from your own chickens.

The yolk so yellow they look fake. Eggs so perfect they make ya want to cry with delight!
The nest shared by many but they don't seem to mind to wait their turn. (Ok so I've never actually seen them stand in line but hey it sounded romantic in a chicken kinda way.)

Running free, bug eating, toe pecking, chickens....
I wanna encourage you if you don't have any get SOME.....These little boogers will provide you

fresh delicious eggs and enough work for your kids to make them appreciate the finer things of life... :)

Lessons from The Farm

Keep thy heart with all diligence;for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

Realize that tart apples make tart apple sauce.. I apply this to my children's heart as well.

You can almost always see the condition of my heart by my attitude or by the tone of my voice.

It's no different for our children. How do they respond to being told no, or

being last, being left out. Take a peak at their heart.....Don't over look heart issues.

Because what comes from the mouth is an overflow of the heart.

Sometimes you just have to jump.....with the blue sky as your backdrop..

Things don't bother me like they used to

Ya know it's true. When you've lost someone you live differently. You think differently.
Things don't bother you as they did before because you know....

You know the beauty in the simple things. You know that God's ways are not our ways.

You know that life is a gift and nothing else matters..Life..living breathing before you. Don't take one look forgranted or one smile. I feel like I'm living out a life-long photo shoot with my gifts.I want to capture every moment with the gifts God has given to me.

The house, the noise, the fights, the whines don't bother me..They're music to my ears.

I am continuing to learn the lesson on being content and being happy no matter my circumstances.

I feel like sitting back and reading a book or two to these precious faces you see and enjoying the fact that I didn't get around to everything that needed done.

Maybe tomorrow .......

A great day for some great food!

this was Marlboro mans favorite steak sandwich

This was peach cobbler with maple butter glaze yummmmmmy!!!This is a dangerous dessert.

I love cooking for my guys..I love hearing Cullen say "mom this was the best supper ever"

This was fun to make and a little guilty to eat but worth it.:)

for the complete recipe go to pioneerwomancooks and be prepared she inspires you to cook all day..

Happy eating!

.

A letter from William

Dear Mommy,

Heaven is perfect !!! All day we sing and dance at the feet of our Father.

I turn my flash light on at night so Cullen can look up and see me twinkling at him.

Tell him I hear his song that he sings.Twinkle Twinkle little star

I hear Channie's prayers at supper and tell her

I'm thankful as well that Jesus took me to heaven. I know that it's hard to understand from where you sit but if you could see me here you would be happy for me..

Mommy don't cry for me..I see you when at night your heart is so heavy with questions and you wonder and you cry but I'm good here and although we're apart one day we will be together again. I'm just here first..I'm running and playing and watching over you my Mommy.

I heard a secret the other day. I heard the Lord telling a little baby that he was going to be sent to you. The cutest baby you have ever seen. Skin so soft, and the biggest brown eyes you have ever seen. I whispered love into the babies ears and told the baby to give you Mommy a great big hug from me. I told the baby that you would sing to him and rub him and pull open

the curtains and let the sun shine through till you felt warm and toasty.

The baby can't wait to meet you. Know that my love is wrapped around this gift that the Lord will send you.

Be strong and of good courage mom and know that

I will love you forever,

William Charlie White

Lessons from the Farm...You know you're country when

You play and work with chickens all around...
My girls busy about their day..Just remember to watch where you step..:)

A little adoption news

I hesitate to get excited. I know that part of trusting the Lord is trusting His timing and sometimes His timing is not our own.We continue to live this out first hand.
For the past two months or so we have been getting together more paper work for our adoption agency. (If you have never adopted it should be illegal at how many hoops you have to jump through) paper work hoops that is.
We have also added an agency to help us find the perfect baby for our family. We have been in hold mode for at least a month now because of some paper work that didn't get sent out.
I got an email yesterday that confirmed we were ready our paper work came in..a few weeks earlier than expected..Thank you Lord.
I called our 2nd adoption agency and told her and she was VERY excited.. She told me to get our paper work to her asap and then she would go through it and make sure we have everything and she would contact us very soon for several situations coming up.

I hesitate..My heart hesitates.....My thoughts do not...
I find myself wondering off into baby land..Wondering if in fact we'll be chosen by a birth-mom and then at the last moment be told no..Is there a danger that this could happen.Yeah!
So my heart screams No..don't do this....Don't let yourself get hurt, don't let your kids get hurt.
But....The Lord reminds me that his plans are not my plans..and that I can trust Him.

Could there be a baby in our near future?
I pray with confidence but I come before my Father with a bruised and battered heart and say "not my will but Your will be done"

Please pray with us and for us that the perfect addition to this crazy family will soon be found..

Our families gift is touch

Around our house we hug, wrestle, and snuggle all the time...You could at any time find
a few of us piled up watching a movie or the kids might be wrestling. With 4 boys 5 if you count my hubby there's always a wrestling match somewhere in the house.

My kids are very loving and I believe in large part it's due to the fact that Scott and I are extremely touchy toward them and each other:)

Scott is a very loving husband and father and I'm a natural hugger so it's rubbed off...

I love watching them two or three on one couch watching a movie feet tangled up like

a mess. Each has such a small little space but they don't seem to mind.

I'm so thankful that Scott is a dad that takes time to 'play'. I'm thankful that his job is one

that he can go to and then come home and doesn't have to think about it again.

I'm glad he likes to read to us..The night before last he read us our new book until everyone including me was asleep..

There's such a sweet comfort in his voice and his touch.

It's almost as if he's mastered the balance that everyone looks for.