Individual, beautiful, unique

Snow! It's finally covering our ground and slowly burying us. As much as I envy a climate where I would not have to organize a whole separate wardrobe for everyone in my household, have to buy heat, replace mittens to often, shovel or delegate the chore; I love the tranquility and peace a snowfall brings. The ecology behind snowfall in the Lords care taking of the Earth reinforces his blessings with each tiny snowflake. It's freaking awesome! So, where are everyone's snow pants? I still reminisce our old home, half the size (and half the kids, har har,) in that we had the cubby storage in the upstairs bedrooms, the slanted ceilings and cubby doors. I loved my cubbies! Throw some 13 gallon trash bags in there and I knew where to find them. Here I have umpteen Rubbermaid containers that seem no rhyme or reason to which closet or they are in, I have great spots for everything until I try finding it. Urge! I need a day home alone to just chart out my stuff. It's such a progressive task too, so all you Cali moms, enjoy missing the seasonal changes in MN! Luckily newby fits right in line and I had outer ware for him, so everyone is looking good. I bought clearance boots last year and we are ready for this snow day!! I have bought meats and plan to finish the rest and work on some freezer meals and try that round of things. Or schedule changes enough that now for a few months I will need at least one day of crock pot supper, ready for us upon returning from activities. Libby is going to join a gmnastics class during Reany's time. The high school league takes off for their actual season so that left her empty handed. Reany gets a ride there after speech therapy and so I have it figured our that I can drop Libby off a little early, take the littles to the YMCA, bust out some Zumba, and then hustle over to get both girls. So naturally some grub ready to dish up will be my goal for the earlier part if the day! Or perhaps the boys could work on some menu planning and do some cooking as they are staying home with a helper. The other advantage to my freezer meal plans are that maybe I can feel more willing to drop meals off for friends in need, my style of cooking doesn't usually make for much offering, I wing everything and have starving children that eat anything put before them, so I always think other families wouldn't like my food!

Preschool Mornings

These little girls get some extra time with mommy, as you can tell Lillie is easily smothered and just loved too much. Naomi is learning her alphabet and is potty trained too, she is going to be 3 this month too! They love on eachother and it is so fun to see their bonding through laughter and snuggles.

This little man got his invite for kindergarten registration, and couldn't be more thrilled. He loves school and I am glad that next year I will not have a preschool schedule but will miss him dearly! I wish that we would have done the school program last year though too, as the Montessori program proved ineffective for his overall academic progress, and he is now getting the most progress in a traditional program, mainly with fine motor. The babies grow so quick! Him and the newby are best friends and he is also enjoying neighborhood friends and wants to have friends over all the time too. He started wrestling too, so that is fun to see him be more mature than the last organized sports we tried:) I love my littles and am so blessed to have them, I know that God planned our family perfectly and it is great that he gave them to me!!

AlfonzoAzuel "Fonzie"

Seriously cutest thing in the world, Fonzie was in one of six litters! Luke and I had a riot playing with these kitties! Fonzie is the one on his hind legs. I would never venture to this size of a breeding program either.

This is Fonzie's mother nursing a bunch of kittens, she was the wet cat and evidently would nurse any kitten, funny!

He came home a couple weeks earlier than Lola at 12 weeks and has been a charmer since the day we met:)

He has found his sanctuary, the crib! He is a smart fellow, and knows that no one can get him when he hides in there, so he has been found a couple times catching up on some sleep in there. No, not with the baby and that is a wives tale about cats suffocating children, have no fret.

No wonder he needs a retreat ever! He will get darker and their full colors come in by the time they are 2-4 years old. Fonzie is a blue lynx mitted with a blaze (his colors will be a grey/blue tone stripes with white mitts and a little patch of white between the eyes.) Ms.Lola is a seal point (the color seal is that richer brown tone and point means her face is dark and ears and legs/paws match the same dark color. This is the fun part, the genetics of breeding. We might have a litter as soon as this summer, so if anyone needs a genetics project for their kids we will be learning all about that here. Fonzie carries "chocolate" too and there are a variety of color patterns we will be seeing. Science and hobby, suddenly I'm edumacated. This is just a little glimpse of our little cattery ideas, stay tuned if you are interested as I plan to develop greater sharing techniques. Meow!

Ms.Lola

Lola at 14 weeks, still unsure of the new family!

Lola and our handsome Kalu, 8 years her senior, grandpa

Check out that flop, hence the breed "Ragdoll," these cats are limp and make great playmates, incase my kids ever tire of eachother, or needed something new to fight over.

Beauty perch

Lola and the Fonz, Kalu welcomed him because Lola is finally off his back. Eventually Fonz will be on Lola's back and we look forward to sharing great cats with other families too. The cattery commission has began:) Meow!!

Lillie Marie, next line: cute as can be, see why!

Nine months already!

Not a smile til she could destroy the cue card, someday I will wonder which baby is who?

8months playing in the porch

big smiles and big personality, this lil baby is a gem!!

7 months and such a sweetie! Pics came up backwards, never seem to remember how to add them! Lillie is growing fast and is full of fun! She is crawling and starting to eat table food, but still quite the nurse piggy. She is a joy and brings such rewards to all of us here, God bless the babies!

Falling

I'm letting go of the things I'd planned for me, it feels like I'm falling and that's what it's like to believe...Know this song? You can find me there, in this whirlwind of parenting my count, kind, character, and and range, one truth cannot be shaken. There is a high and mighty, and someday I just might know more, but in the meantime we press on. With Christmas around the corner, the celebration of the Savior's birth, we are considering what gifts to buy our kids. Luke thinks they should each get one, but I think a few is best. Without penalizing our kids, we are quick to defend our choice to not fall trap on materialism and the "patterns of this world." I remember many Christmas' feeling disappointed or bummed out because I really wanted something else or the other kids got something better. The best gift was already given and if we mask the holiday with crap then it takes away from that being received, as our heart beats the Savior knocks. The Sunday paper will always give us more to want and need, but we already have it. There is my Christmas lecture. Genetics are on my mind as we bred the boxers, now I'll try my thumb at cats, whom I was always partial to. We meet with a geneticist next month to see what the chromosome variances mean for our kids too. Luke's greater explanation has become the creator's response to sin, but along with my folders of diagnostics to target our treatments and expectations, neither buffer takes away from the process of this life. This one opportunity to "get it right." I don't vote for the donkey or the elephant, I vote for the lamb. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can take this load and make it beautiful, I might try, but could never come close. I am thankful that I can advocate and play bulldog when I have to, that I understand healthy relationships, that I can plan ahead and organize for my household (within reason:) Might not make sense, but as slogan goes, giving our best is the least we can do. And trust me, we fall short and are filled with his mercies each new day. I want to love life and see good days, I will keep my tongue from evil and my lips from deceitful speech. I will depart from evil and do good, I will seek peace and pursuit it. The eyes of The Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayers, but the face of The Lord is against those who do evil. 1Peter 3:10-12 We are having a blast with Lillie, she is a treasure! Newby is pretty situated with hundreds of weekly appointments and bezerks of other needs; however, soon to be final and so glad to have I'm home. Made our first and likely last road trip as a whole family over Thanksgiving break, just an unrealistic expectation thing when various issues affect behaviors. Let go let God, chin up give a nod, what ya got is what ya get makes you stronger don't give fit. Give it up to the ruler, he's got it already so you can be sure...peace is what you need and he's givin it up free-ya, like heaven and who you be-ya. Take a look in the mirror and don't be tricked by the boogedy man and his nasty side kick because in the end there is one command love one another and keep in your feet stand stand stand.

Luke and the Camel

A random camel was roped up at the county fair. He was a sweetheart and really liked Luke, not sure if the feeling was mutual.

Disgusted, delighted, or both? Nothing beats a camel breathing on you. We decided he must be safe since he was unattended, but for good measure kept the stroller at a distance.

Who could resist the pony rides? Little Noah was so excited to ride the pony.

Reany was ear to ear too.

Libby's friend Josilin had her horse there, so we got to see her at the barns too.