Thirteen years ago today, I returned with my "girl" to the place where I proposed to her (the altar at St. Jude Catholic Church). She is my soul-mate and perfect life partner. She completes me.

Joined in marriage these many years, we've shared the joys and sorrows life brings. What has been the secret of our success? We pledged to Christ and each other that He would be the center of our life together. We've tried our best, often falling short of the mark, but constantly supporting each other through good times and bad. We are each other's biggest fan, cheerleaders one to the other to live life "on purpose" as we journey toward the ultimate heavenly destination and eternity with Him.

I love you Jenn, and give thanks to God above for placing you in my life. I'm grateful for what you bring to our family. Our children are truly blessed to have you as their mother and teacher. I am blessed that you said "Yes" all those years ago.

We heard the baby's heartbeat

It sounded like woshwoshwoshwoshwoshwoshwosh...you get the idea. The midwife told the kids that unlike the lub lub lub lub of a regular heartbeat, which is made by the sound of the valves - the baby whosh is the sound of the blood going through the heart. Hmmm.....interesting.


Dd#2 has made me breakfast in bed the last 2 mornings. She is just the sweetest little girl!! (when she's not being otherwise). She's really been wonderful since I found out I'm pregnant and been so needy.

I just can't get enough sleep!! I'm tired all the time!!! I'm officially past my 1st trimester, but ... I guess I'll have to wait a little longer to feel better.

I've really been doing a bad job blogging. I'd rather not complain all the time and I can't think of much else to write about (other than complaints....) Poor me. I've got just what I've been praying about for the last 5 years....

What a productive day!

On Friday, thanks to God's grace, we got our 2/3 of our seeds planted in seed pots. We've never started our garden from seed, so I hope it turns out.

Then on Saturday, my WONDERFUL children helped weed and prepare one of the smaller beds. It was caked with ground cover weeds, so it was a big job digging up everything in that bed. I pooped out after about 20 minutes. They kept on going and worked for another 30 minutes without me until it was done! What nice children.

Dave didn't get out of bed until 1pm (it was 2pm the day before) with that nasty stuff the kids had the previous week. Once he got up, though, he mowed the front lawn. It was the first mow of the season for us (the 3rd for the neighbors). I think we'll have to wait until we don't have kids at home (or until the boys are old enough to do the job) before our lawn will be as perfect as it used to. The dog, cute though she is, has torn up much of the back yard -and the kids have destroyed all possibility of grass under their "climbing tree" and around their swing set. Oh well.... it's not as pretty, but well loved just the same.

We bought the kids new swings to put on their swing set. My dad bougt Dd#1 that swing set 10 years ago. I guess a decade is a pretty good time frame for a swing to last - particularly considering how the kids use and abuse their swing set - again, well loved. It still needs treated with deck sealer to keep the kids from getting splinters. I guess that will have to wait for another Saturday...

Consipiracy Theory

Icons - Not the cultural kind - the little pictures on my computer that I click on. Ds#4 started it. Last year when he was 3, one Saturday morning while Dave slept in, Ds#4 came to me snickering to himself (holding his hand to his mouth while his head bobbed up in down in delight) telling me that he changed Daddy into a frog.
"You what?"
"I changed Daddy into a FROG!" (huge laughter)
I honestly didn't know what he was talking about. He showed me.
Since we have XP (that we don't like), Dave has a different log-in for his side of the computer than I do. Our sweet little boy was becoming quite computer literate.

Sooooo... when Dave got up that morning, we all pointed and laughed at him walking into the room telling him he was changed into a frog. Ds#4 got great delight from this. Dave asked him to show how it was done - he didn't believe a 3 year old could be a hacker. Dave learned a new way to change icons that morning.

all this is background

...shhh....they're sending me subliminal messages. through my
icons. last week, my internet explorer icon said "daddy day".
yesterday someone tapped into my computer and it says "igf". they're
trying to tell me something...

YESS!!! Sleep is gift from the gods

or rather the One True God who I was praying my butt off to this week. Thursday night through Wednesday night of very little sustained sleep -- but last night...ahhhhhhh. All the kids slept through the night and so did I. What a WONDERFUL gift!!!!

Abortion

This was such heartening news in a frustrating week. Partial Birth Abortion Law
As I described to the girls (9 & 11) what partial-birth abortion was - they were of course (as any sane person would be) horrified that anyone could think that was ok to do a baby. I told them that their prayers to end abortion had contributed to the Supremem Court's Decision. So has the prayers of all of you.

Sick kids, tired mama

After a title like that, I really don't need to post anything.
I've been up for the last 6 nights with all the kids have fevers, sinus infections, bronchitus & a terrible cough.
I've been dosing and making tiny meal after meal of whatever sounded good so they could keep something in their stomach to counteract the stomaches from phlem & tons of medications.

I'm down to a few bad coughs and one really sick kid left and he won't take medicine. I've bribed, punnished, cajoled, demanded, been patiently tenacious. He refuses. I'm tired of fighting. I'm just tired.

....I know, I might as well get used to sleepless nights with a newborn -- Nighttime parenting has always been a weak area in my nurturing skills.