Almost forgot again!

Thanks to Stacey at Is There Any Mommy Out There. First of all for the reminder that this is Hairku Friday! And then for the Hair complements on her post today!! She is having quite the time trying to potty train her two children. If you want to laugh, sympathize with her, go read her last few entries!

My Hairku:

This 4th we will have

firework hair, cousin fun!

It won’t come undone!

Okay, it rhymes, don’t think it needs to, but it does, and it may not make sense! But, I’m a good sport! I do better with hair than poetry!

I gave Jadon a hair cut yesterday too…

Okay, I’m going back to work… I know, it wasn’t my last post, I got sucked in!! What can I say!!

Off to the Lake we go…

Good Morning!  I’m gonna have to tie my hands exert self control and make this my last post until we return from the lake next weekend!  I love my computer!  I love my computer friends!  I love interacting with people outside of my house in the midst of busy days that are overly filled with the mundane and the antics of raising so many kids with such a wide age range!  Blogging, e-mailing, reading other people’s blog stories about their lives!  Misery loves company?

For me, when I began sharing with a few friends through e-mail, which has now become this blog, I would get into those frantic, overwhelming, you’ve got to be kidding me, moments of life and feel a measure of relief knowing that, even if no one was reading, I could share with my friends what happened and we could all laugh at my life together.  And then we could turn around and laugh at their lives, as we all realize that this mothering thing is just plain hard!

While we are on vacation this coming week, my oldest child will turn 17.  Yes, 17.  I had him when I was 8.  Any comments left by anyone telling me that I look way to young to have a child this old will automatically become my new best friend!! 

I think that the scariest thing about having a child turn 17 is that I remember so clearly where I was and what I did and what I was thinking at that age!  (since it was only a few years ago!  LOL)  I was young in my grade.  He is old in his grade.  But I graduated high school when I was still 17!!!  And the truth is that I was not quite 19 when I had him! 

Bless James Lord as he turns 17.  Growing up with a crazy mom who still deals with her own mistakes and the consequences that they hold.  Growing up with hurt of life that can potentially cause so much bitterness and anger.  I pray that all the circumstances we have lived out will be used for good by God in your life, James.  And that you will find peace and rest in knowing that God is so good to you. 

James and Jadon jumping on the tramp a few weeks ago…

I don’t think I shared that James won “Most Improved” for his track season this spring.  I don’t remember times or anything important like that, but I do know that it was for his improvement in the 110 high hurdles.  I was disappointed not to get a better picture.  They move so fast.  James is in the red shirt, the coach is in the gray shirt.

To give you a small feel for what our week at the lake will be like… here is a picture of all the kids from last year….

WOW!  I can’t believe how much these kids have grown!  I had to double check the date to make sure this wasn’t 2 years ago!  It isn’t!!  I think each of my kids has grown a whole foot in the past year!  OH MY!!

As for that annoying music that now plays on my blog.  I am removing that when I come back.  So if you haven’t scrolled to the bottom and realized that I made a slide show using my Florida pictures and that is where the music is coming from, it will not be there for long!  The music options I had when I made that were limited, and it is driving me nuts! 

Okay, prying myself away and going to face the reality of the packing that needs to be done…

Haircuts and Hallelujah’s

Leah and I got our hair cut yesterday!  The other kids stayed with Grandma while Leah and I went out to lunch, ran errands, got our hair cut, and shopped for our lake vacation that we leave for this weekend.

 

I was exhausted after returning home, only to have to deal with putting it all away, kids who were hungry, a messy house, and laundry that is constant.  I did lay down for 5 minutes, but plugged forward after that!

This morning I am feeling more peaceful, blessed, and calm than I have in a very long time.  I love the mornings that the kids sleep and I get to have time alone with God.  This morning they are all sleepy and there is nothing to run off to, so I have let them sleep, while I bask in the quiet that eludes me so often.

I am doing Beth Moore’s latest Bible Study, Stepping Up.  If you are interested in learning more there are some clips to watch if you click on the web-site, here.

Anyway, I love Beth.  She has become like a close friend to me in the past 3 years.  I think this is the 7th study I have done, not to mention reading some of her other books like,  When Godly People do Ungodly Things.

The Spirit uses her to speak to my heart.  And my heart has been in such an incredible need.  One of the questions that has brought me to tears this past week was this…

“What about you?  What might have happened with your life ‘if the Lord had not been on your side’?”

I don’t believe that my mind can comprehend where I would be right now, with all that has happened in our lives, without God.  I can’t comprehend the bitter, angry, hateful person I could become so easily without the grace of God.  As I went to try to share this with the group I am studying with, I was overwhelmed with the goodness of God in my life.

This morning I was reading in the study guide.  This is another question…

“OK, let’s confront the bottom line.  How can we say God has been good to us when He has allowed us to encounter trouble and sorrow?  Share your honest thoughts.”

My honest thoughts?  Will I have to share them with the group?  Oh, yeah, I’ll be on vacation, so I can share my honest thoughts…  My answer went something like this… Only after we’ve been through the trials and felt His presence and goodness in the midst of them will we be able to even slightly comprehend the enormity of His incredible goodness to His people.

Beth’s Next Line…

“God’s delivering us from every ounce of trial will never develop the relationship that occurs when God shows Himself faithful right in the midst of difficulty, delivering us through it.  That’s where we come to know Him, to love Him, to appreciate Him.”

Amen.

I hear my children beginning to wake up, upstairs.  I hear the arguing beginning.  I know that I will have to turn on the lights and see the mess that waits.  I know I will have to feed them.  I will have to clean up these messes while they work to make more in my wake.  I will try to engage their help only to have wished I wouldn’t have bothered for the arguing and complaining that will occur in the midst.  I will somehow get us all packed and ready for a week of family vacation.  (oh no, I hear them approaching)  And I will end the week, strapping life jackets on my fearless preschoolers, so that I can relax for a moment, and perhaps shut my eyes in the sun at the lake.

God, grant me peace in the midst of the storms… I just remembered that I get to have a massage today… GOD IS SO GOOD!!

TA-DA!!

Kiahna’s Patriotic Hair-Do is done!! 

 

64 Yarn Braid Extensions.

8 hours.

Triangle parts.

Star Beads and Big Giant Hair Ballies from Steph at SNAPAHOLICS.

Notice the baseball beads?? 

Last time we did 140 yarn braids.  They lasted between 3 and 7 weeks.  Some I redid after 3 weeks (the outside edges).  It took 15 hours. 

I hope to get 2-3 weeks out of this style. 

My 11 year old daughter, Leah, wanted to learn to do these braids.  So she did a few with me this time!

We even did braids in the van, in the rain, at the campground…

Because this is what it was doing outside…

There was hail, down pour, and lightening… we left…

And the sun came out… but the kids were tired, and it would have been a muddy disaster to let the two little ones loose in that mud!

This was too cute… Jadon wanted me to take pictures of his hair too…

Back to Kiahna’s hair…. the baseball beads.  I got these beads at Walmart.  After thinking about it, I realized that it would be cute to put in the beads, but I wouldn’t want them in all the time.  This is what I came up with to do.

I braided 3 strands of yarn and then put 2 baseballs on the braid.  I knotted both ends and slid the baseball to each end.  Then I took the long braid and looped it around the pony tail holder so that it hung evenly on both ends. 

The original braid looked like this…

I've done the baseballs, basketballs, (above) and footballs...

Kind of fun, and she can wear them to her brother's games without having them permanently in her hair for weeks!

A relief to have her hair done again!  Now, a week of preparation for our week long vacation at the lake with my family! 

4th of July HAIR

I took Kiahna’s yarn hair out this week!  2 braids fell out, so I knew it was definitely time!  Most of the braids had been in 6-7 weeks, the redone ones 3-4 weeks.  I was very happy with the results of all the hours of work it took to put them in! 

When I took them all out, all but 14 slid right off like a sleeve.  It took me twice as long to take out those 14 I had to pick at as it did to take out the 126 I didn’t!

Here she is right after they were taken out.  Zach wanted me to leave it like this!  It just doesn’t work that way, bud! 

The pile of yarn braids I took out…

After washing, parting, and sleeping…

I am redoing the parts into triangles, so that they don’t cause stress in the same spots the were in.  I am putting in red, white, and blue STAR beads for 4th of July, which I got from Steph at SNAPAHOLICS!  I know she has lots of these beads and has her 4th of July special discounted!  It’s not too late to get some of these!!

closer up…

My Caucasian nieces even love beads!  I’ve promised them some beads when we go on vacation in a week!  I did do one of the girls hair at a birthday party a couple weeks ago.  It lasted a few days and she loved the swinging beads in her hair!

Kaitlin…

Oh yes, I just remembered it is Haiku Friday…

A day at Cedar Point

Leah and I went to Cedar Point yesterday, with her 4-H club.

I was advised not to take my camera in because it would not be allowed on the rides.  I wish I hadn’t listened but I did.  So I don’t have any real pictures to show you, but I think I can get some shots from the website of the rides.

Leah decided that we would go with her friends and ride the big coasters.  I figured I would be “young” and do whatever she wanted me to do.  You know, be the “cool mom”!  LOL!! 

Turns out Leah was in a little over her head.  And turns out, I was pretty glad she was.

The first ride we went on was this one…

Raptor…  Six upside-down turns: one vertical loop, two inverted corkscrews, a zero-gravity roll and a "cobra roll" that turns riders upside down twice.  57 mph. 

After we were strapped in, she began panicking… she proceeded to have a panic attack and scream about not being able to breath and scream MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM… while we sped 57 mph… upside down 6 times… vertical… you know…  UM… WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO TO HELP YOU DEAR DAUGHTER???

Needless to say, after that, we went for a little tamer rides… like these…

The one that she liked the best was the Gemini… It is turning 30 this year.  Interesting to me that 90% of the people who were riding it yesterday weren’t even born then! 

This was also quite interesting to me.  The rides that Leah and I rode all day yesterday would have been considered the top thrill rides when I was a kid.

Like the Demon Drop… I remember very clearly refusing to go on that ride.  (as I did yesterday too) but being convinced by my 8th grade classmates to try it out… 131 ft, 10 stories, straight down in 2.8 seconds…

But my dear, sweet Leah… her classmates will try to convince her to go on rides like this one… Top Thrill Dragster….

Cedar Point stunned thrill-seekers yet again in 2003 with the debut of the park's unprecedented 16th, yes, 16th, roller coaster – Top Thrill Dragster. Reaching a stratospheric 420 feet tall and topping out at an unheard of speed of 120 mph, this new steel screamer helped Cedar Point reclaim the title of owning the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the universe.

As Leah and I watched with our mouths hanging open, the people blasting off on this 17 second ride… my comment was something along the line of having to be drugged, bound, and gagged, to get me on that thing!

I was dealing with nausea on the little rides!!  3 times on the Gemini real fast, because the line was short, and I was done for a while!!  There is something to be said for helping your stomach while you wait in a long line for a big ride! 

I began looking for a stand or restaurant to sell me some chicken soup with saltines to calm my spinning tummy!  All I found were 3908 stands selling french fries!!!  At $6 a pop… I ended up having to eat something fried and take my chances, because I would have passed out from not eating!!

Then my head started hurting, and I found myself sending Leah on the rides while I sat on benches by the exit ramp… so much for the cool mom… cool mom’s don’t sit on benches!  LOL!

I really think that Cedar Point could make a lot of money with a stand selling soup, crackers, and pepto!!

We survived the day, had a lot of fun, had a lot of laughs, and Leah said she was glad that the two of us were on our own and not with a group.  I’m glad she had fun, I’m glad I didn’t throw up.

Zoo, Again…

Yesterday we traveled to Indianapolis to visit the zoo!  We have never been to that zoo, and it was quite a treat!  The weather was warm and beautiful and everyone was in pretty good moods, at least until close to the end!! 

Teens had good attitudes.  Jadon was great!  Leah and Lucas are always agreeable, except when they are not!  LOL!!  Kiahna had a rougher time of things, once again.  But, we survived.

Jadon, Lucas, and Kiahna (cheese!!!) siting on a rock...

James helping with Kiahna...  he did very well yesterday.  Had a good attitude and did a great job of driving us there and home.  We only got lost twice!  And I was the one with the directions... note to self... next time I mapquest how to get somewhere... mapquest how to get back home from there too!!  AHH!!

Kiahna, James, Jadon, Leah, and Lucas watching the sharks…

Leah and Zach petting, YES PETTING, the sharks!!  This a SHARK PETTING POOL!!!!

Jadon was chosen to help give commands at the dolphin show!  We sat in the splash zone and he loved getting wet!  He was disappointed when there was a splash and he didn’t get any of it!  After his time up front, he was much more satisfied with his level of wetness!!

Jadon and Kiahna by Jadon’s favorite animal, the giraffe…

And for $1 Jadon got to feed the giraffe a piece of some food!  It was worth it!  He was a little intimidated by that big long tongue!!

Kiahna’s favorite animal… the elephants!  Look, they have a baby one!!  AWWWWW!!!!

And where our day pretty much ended… the sprinkler park…

James and Zach “enjoying” the sprinkler park…

Kiahna’s reaction to leaving the sprinkler park…

And so we left the zoo....

Wasn't this picture of the flamingos exceptionally beautiful?  Leah took it...