Let's Try This Again!

We got a new cord!! So now maybe I can resume blogging. I really do enjoy it once I can get going and get past all of the obstacles! There's so much that has been going on and as much as I would like to get "caught up" I can't promise anything. So I'm just going to start from our most recent adventure.

Between some stressful situations and the kids being sick we decided it was time to get out of the house! The kids had a day off of school and it was a beautiful day. We headed for Ft. Kearney... and had a blast! We'll be coming back here soon!

In the picture below the kids are standing in front of a building with a grass roof filled with old things. I love how simple things like this are interesting to our kiddos. There was a stockade that had look-out posts in all four corners.

These look-out posts made it even funner to see the sandhill cranes that are migrating through.

We also drove over by the archway where hundreds of white geese (I think that's what they are) were gathering. There were so many of them in this small pond that you really can't see the water!

It was fun to spend the day together as a family (even though by the time we got home we had more sick kids). Have you ever spent some time watching migrating birds? It is a really awesome experience that's hard to capture with pictures. Come visit us sometime in the spring and we'll take you bird-watching. :)

Lost & Found

We had a little scare this afternoon. Keziah took Tirzah out to the garage to play. I heard Keziah come back in the house so I asked where Tirzah was. She said she was with the boys. So after a few minutes I went to check on her and Isaac said she just went to the house. I checked the doors and didn't see her. So I glanced around and she was no where in sight. I told the boys to help me look for her. We searched the yard and couldn't find her. Keziah came out to help look and I looked around in the house. No Tirzah. At this point my mind was wrestling with itself. One side kept saying, "Don't panic. Don't panic." while the other side kept saying, "Your daughter is LOST!!!" I ran down to Nathan's office to see if she had snuck down there. Nathan said she wasn't in there and I told him, "Then she's lost!" So we all ran outside. Nathan ran down the block toward the highway and I looked in the backyard in the neighbor's yards. No Tirzah. FINALLY Josiah spotted her coming around the corner of trees on the other end of the block. Who knows where she went. We were just overjoyed to see her! I tried to re-explain to her that she needed to stay at our house, then took her INSIDE. Of course, that didn't last very long. Soon she snuck out the back door and was playing soccer with her brothers! I'm thankful to have her tucked safely into bed tonight!

Oh, by the way, we had no success looking for the camera cord. It is still lost. If anyone knows anything about where to look for replacement cords please let me know! Thanks!

Another Problem

Earlier this week Nathan and I celebrated the day 13 years ago that we went on our first date. He surprised me with a large balloon and a rose and then in the evening took me on a surprise date. I was all excited to post some pictures to show you but when I went to get my cord that plugs the camera into the computer...it was gone! Knowing that with each child I have lost a little more of my memory I looked in a few other places I thought I may have put it. Nope. Not there. I know I used it just a few days ago and am pretty sure I put it back in the drawer where it belongs. We're thinking that a certain two-year old (we won't mention any names) ran off with it. This weekend we are going to have a major search party to see if we can find it!

Stay tuned...

Princesses & Cowboys

First of all, I have to tell you that Tirzah was on my lap a few minutes ago and saw the picture of herself being an angel. She said, "Tirzah! Pretty! Away in a manger!" It was so cute! I thought it was adorable that she thinks of herself as pretty (for now anyway).

I haven't done a very good job of catching up, have I? In the past this would have really discouraged me from starting back up again. But about a year ago I decided that I was going to try (with God's help) not to let this be the case. I don't want to give up. Not just on blogging but on so many other things in life. Persevere!

So I have just a couple of pictures to share with you. My girls and boys. I love them to pieces! I love that in our day of technology they still have imaginations and are very creative (which I think are things that are currently endangered in our society). Nathan and I have noticed that they like to play whatever they've recently watched. For instance, if they just watched The Little House on the Prairie then they like to go outside and pretend they are living "back then," as they say. Or if the boys have watched football clips, then they want to play football. If they've been watching westerns, then they want to be cowboys. If they've watched Narnia, then they want to get out the Armor of God and go to battle. This has made us think about at least two very important things. 1. It is SO important to monitor what our children are watching. They do, in fact, want to imitate what they just saw. 2. God made us this way. He put the desire to imitate inside of us so that we will see Him and want to imitate Him. So more than anything else we need to make sure that we are watching/reading things that will guide our children (and ourselves) to imitate Christ.

Back in Business! (for now)

Google has recently made some changes so I have been unable to log in to my blog. It has been extremely frustrating as I have had several pictures I've been itching to post. So I guess I have some catching up to do (providing I can get in here the next time)! I think this time I'll post some pictures from Christmas.

These are from our church Christmas program. This year we had a few narrators reading the Christmas story while the other kids dressed up and acted it out (with a few songs inbetween).


Tirzah really got in to her part as an angel. So cute! She really sang out, too!

Josiah was a cow. I thought his little had was adoreable!

Keziah was a narrator. She did a very good job reading.

Isaac was one of the wise men. He was so handsome (as usual).

And Titus was the star. He fit the part quite well. :)

Hopefully there will be more pictures soon.

Thanksgiving

We spent a couple of days with my side of the family for Thanksgiving. This year our boys have really started to take an interest in football. All we have at home is PBS, so when they saw a football game on T.V. they were glued!

Tirzah tried to keep up but she didn't quite make it.

For a brief time all of my family got to be at my parents house at once. We have 16 kids (ages 11 and under) and 10 adults in my family. It may be overwhelming to some, but I love it! I love to be around family!

Mom does such a great job feeding our crew.
I caught a picture of Nathan helping in the kitchen...

While we were there Tirzah got a few birthday presents from Papa and Grandma. The look on her face is just Tirzah and makes me laugh! She is such a little actress!

My dad was stocked up with football uniforms that I think our boys pretty much lived in while we were there. Isaac told grandpa that he needed that black stuff under his eyes to keep the sun out. So grandpa got all of the boys fixed up. :)

This last picture isn't of Thanksgiving, but I wanted to include it anyway. The girls are wearing matching jammies that my mom made for them and holding dolls that my grandma made. It was too sweet of a picture not to share!

God has truly blessed me and I am so very thankful for His abundant goodness.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Birthday Girl!

Our sweet little Tirzah celebrated her second birthday last week. These two years have just flown by! She is developing quite the personality. She loves people. She loves to cuddle. She is such a sweetheart!

She started her day with a special pancake (even though she had the face eaten off by the time I got a picture).She was saying "thank you" for her present in sign language.

Here she is with all of her presents.

And her cupcake.

Children are indeed a gift from God and we are so thankful for this little gift that brings us so much joy!