A thankful heart...

is a happy heart! So we are ever talking, walking, focusing on thankfulness...contentedness. Knowing our Father leads to a thankful heart and from that thankfulness flows contentment. I do not know why someday fly by without taking the time to truly praise our Father for His blessings. But most days we pause many times to tell Him how precious His gifts are to us...

what should we do with these gorgeous pumpkin pies?

Adam has an idea! Noooooo!!!

Halle and Aunt Jennifer catch a snuggle

Mama's favorite! Sweet potatoes with marshmellows!

Not interested in having their pic taken~too bad! :o)

Grandma Cheryl's pumpkin pies!

Grandpa's horsey rides were the day's fave for Hope & Halle!

This was mama's first attempt at gluten free. Yuck.

This year our family is thankful for...

our yard and animals, swings and trees and leaves

our warm cozy home, that is clean and comfortable and cheerful

our dog who loves us and protects us

our daddy who works so hard to keep us well taken care of

our mama who teaches us and plays games with us and reads to us

brothers and sisters who we love even when we fight

our friends and our church and all the good times we have together like wed night

good food and enough of it to not be in need

sisters we haven't seen (Chad's sister Jennifer) or talked to mine (Sarah) in too long!

opportunity to grow and allow our character and faith to be tested

enough to be able to share with those in need

true friends and family who you know you count on

and the greatest blessing of all is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours.

missin' this

not sure why Hope is cut off...click on the pic to see both sweet chubby babes

I'm listing the twins beautiful cribs on craiglist. Sniff-sniff. I think they'll love their full under twin doll house bunk bed I'm getting them. But I sure do miss these sweet lil chubby babes...

Good and Angry

Good and Angry by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller has provided me with a wonderful addition of tools in my parenting belt. I don't know how many times a frustrating exchange between one of my children and I left me wanting to pull my hair out. I try with all my heart to be patient during my children's fighting, undertanding when they do what they've said they will not do {after all, I struggle with this as well!}, listening and observing before speaking, praying before I discipline. Yet far too often, I respond with anger and that is only encouraging them to do the same. Not my goal in parenting. Obviously.


So I began reading this book with hopes of some useful tools to combat this character flaw of mine. I had taken a parenting class long ago at my old church, Calvary Chapel North Bend, which was a video series these same authors taught, using their book Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes... in You and Your Kids. It was a possitive experience for Chad and I and we've carried many ideas out years later. The 'wise appeal' for instance is a chance for children to respectfully aks their parents to delay a task or see if there is a way to do something different. They repeat back to you your request..."I understand you would like me to _______ because _______, but I have a problem with that because I need to finish _________ . Could I please take the trash out after I finish what I'm doing?" Sometimes the answer is "no" and they need to accept that and immediately do what was asked. Other times they present a compelling case that you had not considered, and you grant their request.

In reading Good and Angry I've learned a great way to avoid arguing and the frustration of finding a task uncompleted when it was something as simple as returning a pair of shoes left out to their rightful spot. They suggest getting close first...always bring your child to you rather than yelling a request out across the home. Second...consider your timing. {Asking A or V to do their chores the second they get home would not show the importance of our relationship over the need to have chores completed}. First invest in your child, of course, then consider the timing and make your requests known in ways that show they matter to you. Third, give the request and wait for your child to report back. And if they often struggle with following through, inspect that it was done.

Another fantastic suggestion was to avoid the boxing ring. Annah and I go at it sometimes and I know that I jump into that ring. That is not what I want for our relationship. I do NOT want to fight and deaden it, I want to grow and nurture our relationship. So I've begun saying "lets talk about this after we've both calmed down and realize the true size of this dissagreement". And thanks to my sweet friend Charity...we no longer discuss emotional issues after 9pm {and aren't most things pretty emotional when you're in dissagreement after 9pm at night}?

There is so much more...this book is wonderful and highly recommended!

:o)

I actually do not blog for comments. But there is just something about that big " O " sitting down there at the bottom of a post. Silly I know. Shouldn't bother me but it does. I am blogging to be able to print out the text for my scrapbooks and it's proved very helpful for the scrapbookers journaling block. But still...

Our laundry system...

Granted I only have a few readers and most don't have a large family and some have even more! {Shonni!!!} but people do ask how I keep up with laundry for 9 and so I thought I would share! This combined with our shoe/sock system for the boys has made everyday life easier. Being organized makes a world of difference in how peaceful our home is.

We have bins on one side of the wall; we fold and sort right into the bins. The three on the top shelf are for Chad, kitchen towls/rags, Becca. The three on the bottom shelf are for Annah/Toriya, Hope/Halle, Aidan/Ethan/Ryland. Under the shelf is a laundry sorter for lights,mediums,darks and when Ry brings in all the laundry he sorts them into the bins for me. I do all the starting and switching of the loads. And Toriya does all the folding and sorting (she and Annah switch monthly). It really works. I can't remember a time since this system was implemented that I've been behind on laundry...even with my back hurt...I just taught Toriya how to start and switch loads!

The only thing I don't recommend? Leaving your detergent on top of the washer. We woke to this on Sunday morning after a wild load of my bathroom rugs made the washer bounce. Sigh.

My smart husband was so kind to clean it up and save a bowl full! {My back was out at the time.} He used a dustpan and a spatula!

And here is our shoe and sock area for the boys. It's right outside the laundry room and the boys socks go right into the bins. I try to only have the same type of socks so they all match. Works for me!

Happy Half Birthday H2!

I made the blog as cheerful and as pretty and as girly as I possibly could in honor of my beautiful, girly twins half birthday! Cute, isn't it? Head over to http://www.shabbyblogs.com/ to get one for your blog. :o)

So what is H2? The person otherwise known as Hope&Halle. I truly do strive to make sure they are two complete beings in and of themselves. But it happens. They are twins. They do not know what to do when their other half is missing..."Mama, Halle go? MAMA Halle GO!?!"

{Don't make Halle sad or you'll have the biggest, sweetest, sadest puppy dog look to deal with.}

These pictures where taken the 1st of Oct. A nice and mild Fall day; the last pictures were taken yesterday the 13th of Nov. They've changed so much in just 6 weeks!

They are 2.5, and they are no longer babies. It is time to transform their cribs into toddler bed. Hope is completely potty trained (ie: no pullups whatsoever at night or for travel). Halle is not far behind. They are quick to present their opinions about this and that (and everything in between).

They don't let you teach only the boys. And they will not allow you to cook or bake without pushing up a stool and helping. They must say hello to Daddy on the phone while he is working, and they will ask where every single family member is the second they wake up. "Daddy, Mama, where's Daddy?" "Daddy is at work." "Oh, sad. Bubba?" "Bubba's still sleeping." "Ok. Wake-up sleepy head?" "Sure, you can wake him up." "Ry-Ry?" "He's downstairs." And on it goes...everyday.

In fact my happy little girls are barely toddlers now that they run, jump, talk, draw, pretend to read, and can change discs in the dvd player (shhhh, don't tell Chad). They can fend off the chickens, ducks and geese, talk nonstop, love to wear lipgloss, beg to swim everyday, and are quick to tell you "I do it, Mama. Thank-you, I do it."
Halle is full of spunk and her sense of humor is amazing. She is a go-getter and will do anything you ask of her, running off with excitement to help. Hope on the other hand will say "Halle do?" "No Hope, can you help Mama." "No mama, Halle need do." lol She is so very compassionate and nurturing. Quiet honestly, she's not the tom-boy I thought she would be. While she can throw the football, kick the soccer ball and shows Tae-Kwon-Do potential, she would much rather prance around in a princess dress than anything else. And quite often, when she is quiet and cannot be found...I'll search and search and she is hiding in my bathroom putting on my make-up. Her other love is books. She surprises me at the length of time she will sit and look through book after book, squealing with joy as she spots a horse, butterfly or a "mama". She brings me paper often asking me to "Draw Mama with me. Draw Halle kiss Mama." :o)

Halle is 27 lbs and seems much thinner to me lately. She is wearing 2t and 3t and size 7 shoes. She loves to eat just about everything! It's such a joy to have girls who enjoy chips and salsa or veggies and hummus with me.

Hope is 26.5 lbs though she feels so much lighter than Halle. She is also in 2t and 3t and wears a size 7 shoes. She and Halle both LOVE to wear dresses {"Princess, Mama. Please. Princess today."} and they will put a tu-tu over anything they are wearing.

Don't let these pictures fool you...Hope is every bit the girly-girl also, she is dainty and composed, doesn't like to be dirty or rough. She adores playing outside, as long as she doesn't get too dirty or knocked over by the animals. She loves swimming more than anything else, besides cuddling her mama. :o) "With you Mama?" is still the sentence I hear most from my Hope.

Hope is easily offended should she be told "No." or asked to do something she's already expressed her disdain for. She will clamp her hand over her mouth and burst into tears. I think she is just sensitive, but Daddy says she working her Mama. {Actually the rest of the family are wrapped around her tiny little finger.} She truly is one half of the sweetest little H2 you could ever imagine!

I really enjoy carrying these girls but my back will have no more of it and it is a sad day. Hopefully after I strengthen it, I will be able to wear just one of them at a time. Everyday they jump and climb on me, and it makes my back worse but if I dare say "get down girls, mama's back hurts" they look so hurt and forlorn! Sigh. Yep, I'm wrapped around their little fingers.

Thank-you Lord for blessing us with these treasures and entrusting them to us for a few seasons. I praise you for their health, something we do not take for granted. I thank you for the opportunity to be home with them and their primary influence; I pray for the ability to to homeschool them and the joy of watching them learn to read and write and sing and dance! I praise you for Hope and Halle and I pray they will grow to know and love you Lord.

Time for bed girls...

or not.
This is what we find at night after we've brushed teeth, gone potty, read books, sang, rocked and prayed...life as I know it may be over.

"One more minute Daddy."

Snoqualmie Falls

Gorgeous as usual but the massive rain we've had lately made the falls even more breathtaking! I remember loving Autumn in Arizona, despite the lack of a true four seasons, because you finally got reprieve from the heat. But I just LOVE fall in the Pacific Northwest! Just look at the colors of the trees! {Okay, I just realized where Aidan get's his cheasy poetry ideas. :o)}

soccer Pacific Northwest style!

Their team is undefeated this year! Annah played so well. It's her only game I missed all year, but Chad and boys supported her!

our all in all

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all




















Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising up again I bless Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name




















You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all
Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising up again I bless Your name
You are my all in all















When I fall down You pick me up
When I get dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God Worthy is Your name