The floor still looks pretty clean

Grandma trying to help Evan while uncle Warren looks on

Nate looking merry and bright

Evan, Austin and Luke with their loot

Before the unwrapping begins

Daddy reading the Christmas story in the kids bible

A very sleepy mommy

Christmas

I have to say that this Christmas day was one of the best I'd had in a long time, although the lead up to it was stressful. I won't even begin to go into all the details of the hurried month and the last few days before Christmas, it would take to long and is quite boring. The reason christmas day was so good was the fact that we opened presents with the boys at about 8am, then my parents and brother came over at 10:30 to open presents and eat lunch that my mom and I fixed. (mostly mom) We then went to my in laws to do dinner and gifts with all Nates family. If you don't know us it is a pile of family. Nathan's older sister and my best friend have 4 little boys and my new niece from Ukraine, Nate's younger brother has a boy 2 and baby girl 5 months old. It is 10 kids under 10 so you can imagine the noise and chaos. Thankfully it was only 4 hrs of insanity and feasting. Even though the holidays I like most (thanksgiving, christmas) are over I can't seem to stop eating. I find myself eating cheesecake and chocolate for breakfast or right before dinner. I used to think I had pretty good self control, but something strange must have happened to it because I can't seem to find it. Speaking of self control I must brag on my sweet Evan. I don't think it was the christmas of his dreams in terms of the presents he got. I didn't seem to score with any of the things I got him except a black stuffed panther, and he had a little disappoinment with the gifts he received from others, but he handled them with real maturity and self control, something that he has lacked in the past. I mean Austin got a brand new bike and Luke and the cousins some really cool weapons, we have always tried to raise them to be happy for each other and just because something awesome happens to one doesn't mean it will happen for the others at the same time. Austin really needed a new bike and Evan didn't, last year Evan had a big birthday party and Austin didn't, so it all evens out in the wash. Anyway it was truly a Merry Christmas.

Disc golf tournament

Here are some photos of the boys at our local disc golf juniors tournament. Even 5yr old Luke played the 22 hole course.

All Done

I no longer have a computer, mine was swiped by Nate and taken to work with him. I will have to post from his laptop now and then. I just wanted to write about my new little niece Lyra. Tonya arrived friday night and I met her Sat. morning. She is truly delightful, adorable and a miracle. She is adjusting beautifully to her new family. I am relieved to be all done being the mother of 7 boys. I must say however that the experience was wonderful for me, I was stretched and had to rely on the lord for his strength and grace, which I definitely received. I saw some of my own shortcomings as a mother and some character issues in my children that I had overlooked, I am so grateful for the mercy of God that has allowed me this insight. The greatest reward came from my brother in law who is so not emotional, but cried his eyes out sunday at church, just thanking God for his daughter, wife and us. It was a treasure I will keep in my heart forever.

Company Party

Nathan has been gone a whole week and I had all seven boys everyday for 12 hrs, but we all did very well. Saturday was my first day off and it was Nathan's company party. While he was in meetings all day I went shopping for something to wear and found a fabulous skirt, it was a little gaudy and a little funky, just my style. The party went well and I am so proud of Nate and Tony(his business partner) for the job they do and how well they have run this company. My husband is a genius. I was totally caught off guard when Nathan and Tony were presented with a U.S. flag that was flown during battle in the war in Iraq. Jon, one of our employees and dear friend had sent a picture of himself with the flag and an official comemoration certificate for CTS and the effort they put forth with the IED trainning. I was in tears. For those of you who don't know Nathans company, Combat Trainning Solutions manufactors trainning devices for the military, mainly IED's, which are non-pyrotechnic devices used to train the troops. Like road side bombs, suicide vests and other devices. The products are all Nates' inventions and Tony is the contract brain and business development guy. Overall it was a good evening, and I'm proud of all our employees for their effort.

Still Alive

Well I would love to post pictures of thanksgiving but that will have to wait till I can figure it out.
The big news of my life is I cut my hair pretty short. It was long, crispy and orange so I hacked it off. I don't know why I ever waited so long. The second big news is I have survived homeschooling the wild boys these 2 1/2 weeks. I have two more to go. I am totally wasted when I put my head on the pillow at night, and I have never been more thankful for my wonderful bed. I haven't folded any laundy in 2 weeks and one of the smaller children could get lost in the giant pile of clothes. I had to dole out the first serious discipline to the little guy yesterday when I looked out the window and saw him dancing in the road.

My poor hubby has been so busy getting ready to leave on saturday for the big defense trade show in Orlando. I figured out this morning that I probably won't see him for 9-11 days! UGH!
My sleep may improve with him missing since he's had a cold this week and seems to be enjoying experimenting making new sounds with his nasal passage.

Thanksgiving

It has been over a week since my life was invaded by 4 more little boys, all I can say is that God is good and his grace is enough for me. It has been a very good week homeschooling with a few attitudes and a few tears, but not from me. We are headed to my Mil house for lunch, my parents will be joining us there as well. I am very thankful this day just remembering where I've been and what I am becoming. The lord is truly good and my life has been blessed with many wonderful things, a good family and extended family, a wonderful husband, three fantastic little boys who are becoming men before my eyes, and a delightful little girl that awaits us. I met someone online that knows Dania Naomi and has spent time with her in haiti. She has told me that I am lucky to be getting such a great girl. I also am looking forward to meeting my new 21 month old niece Natalia is her name I think, but she will be called Lyra. Tonya hasn't posted any pictures yet so I don't know what she looks like.

This is our little Dania Naomi who is waiting for us in Haiti to bring her home.

The Final Countdown

Well tommorrow my house will be invaded by my 4 little nephews as their parents are leaving for the Ukraine for about a month, to pick up my new little niece. I am terribly excited to see who she is, but not nearly as gaga as my dear sil. I will have the boys everyday M-F from 9-5pm, then I will haul them to my inlaws to spend the night. The only thing I'm worrried about is trying to homeschool this pascal of boys and will my house ever be clean again, and do we have enough food in this county to take care of their appetites. I may be using this blog a whole lot in the next weeks to relieve my stress and mark the comedies that are sure to happen.

Lots Of Happenings

well the past week has been one thrill ride after another. First off I have finally entered IBESR that is the Haitian side of this adoption process. I will be in this process anywhere from 3 months to a year. Hopefully sooner since they have just appointed a new director. Then last tuesday my dear friend Mandi gave birth to a little girl who is in dire straits, we have been fasting and praying for them. Next my sister in law is leaving for the Ukraine to pick up her little girl and I will be keeping her kids for a good part of the 3 0r4 weeks she will be gone. Yesterday was election day and the kids and I stood out in the windy rain doing some last minute campaigning for our candidate. I'm sad to say he lost to the very liberal woman who held the spot. Oh and finally this is the most stressful time of the year for my husband and his business. He had an incredibly important meeting last wed and thurs that went spendidly. I even had to cook dinner at the last minute for one of the guys. I feel like I'm spinning, luckily the meds have seemed to regulated so I haven't had any more episodes.

Oh No!

Oh no is what I woke up at 4:30 this morning saying, when I realized I was about to have a panic attack. I haven't had one at home for no reason in a very long time. However after a lifetime of an anxiety disorder and 7 years of struggling I finally decided to take paxil. This is just ending my third week of meds and week one of the whole 10miligrams. I don't know if I am now just responding to the meds or if they just won't work for me. I prayed before I started taking them that I would find the right one, because I wasn't about to begin a science experiment in my body trying to find the right med and the right dosage. Feeling a little sorry for myself and yet I really really know God is good and he has my best interest, I just wish I would hurry up and learn whatever I need to so he could completely heal me once and for all.

Just Another Day

Austin left for horse camp at 9:oo just as my mother was arriving to help me clean. (she comes once a week to lend a hand, nice huh) I'm trying to get Luke to read argh!!, he knows all the letters and sounds he just can't seem to put them together. He looked at the word (if) and yells INFORMATION, he saw (frog) and yells CLIFFORD, he saw (nap) and yells MONOPOLY, you see how this could make a somewhat sane mom feel like a huge teaching flop. Last year I sent Evan to half day kindergarten so they could listen to this not me, this year I was like "what's the big deal I can do this." Oh it's a big deal and I tip my hat to all kindergarten and first grade teachers, I don't know how they stand listening to 20 or so kids going cccc eee aaa dd tt CAT yikes! Later my nine year old (Austin) came home and told my mom that when she goes to the land of the dead he won't have to give her any money for cleaning. She said, " If you know God like I do you get to go to heaven and be with Jesus" Austin replied "and if you don't know God you go to the land of the dead with Satan. "which by the way where is he right now?" Luke my 5 year old pipes in quickly, " He is in my head because I want to call this talk stupid" to which Evan replies "yeah mom I think Satan is in his head cuz it looks bigger than normal". I quickly told them it wasn't true as I turned my head to laugh out the window. Evan and I are working on borrowing and carrying in math. I've just recently introduced these concepts to him. Today while I was sitting next to him watching him work, he says, "I don't think this 8 wants to have to carry anymore 1's, and I thought you said it isn't nice to just keep on and on borrowing stuff." lol. Well if I didn't teach my kids anything worthwhile today I got a little comic relief from the day.

Ponderings

Well for the past two days I've been trying to figure out what I'm really good at and what I'd like to do with my time, besides homeschool, cook, clean, and play Duthc Blitz or Chess with my kids.
My personal hobbies are incredibly limited since I have little tag alongs all the time. I love reading and do a whole lot of it, unfortunately I watched alot of TV growing up and it has severly stunted my creativity not to mention my desire to do anything about it. (so no tv for my kids during the school week period, and very little for me) So what I'm trying to say is I think I'm lazy and unmotivated. But I have the desire to change, thus the ponderings for the last few days. I've been asking my dh for his input, however after asking him what he thinks I am good at and hearing "you're a good little cook and mom" I think I will have to take my ego somewhere else. lol. I love music unfortunatley I am rythmnically challenged and don't have a good ear. I love dance but haven't been able to touch my toes since Jr. High. I'm not overweight I just think I was born without tendons or ligaments. So my ultimate dream would be to have a small farm with some goats, pigs, chickens, a couple of cows and a big garden with a bunch of homeschooled kids running around. I am a good manager but I stink at all the mundane follow through, so I could use a gardner, housekeeper, and tutor. I think I was born in the wrong century because all this is really adding up. Seriously though there is no place that I would rather be than home with my kids taking care of my husband and home. I have a great life. I just have a nagging sense that God has something else to add to the pot, or else that nagging sense is discontment trying to creep in and make me ungrateful. AWW the dilema!!! I have so many soap boxes I would love to preach from sometimes I wonder why my name wasn't Oprah.

Anal Tendencies

I 've wanted to create a blog for a long time, but couldn't because things like this are so maddening to me. How do you decide on a name, what template do you choose, and how on earth do you write stuff that later you aren't embarassed about. This has been my struggle with a dozen or so journals that I started and sequentially destroyed. I wanted a name to inspire, be funny, make you think. I thought of The Roving Travelers, The Diarrhea Diaries (I've had alot of IBS struggles), and The Road to Certainty. I finally settled on It's Me because that is always what I say when I call someone, whether they know me or not. So here goes nothing. I hope this blog will live. I will try me hardest not to let this follow in the footsteps of my late journals. This is my family on our last vacation together in July. If you are wondering about the dates in the pictures, the camera was screwed up.