"What's goin on?"

Yes, Marvin Gaye's (I think that's who it is)song is in my head right now.

MICHIGAN!!!
Just got a few pics from when we went to Michigan a month ago. This past month has ZIPPED by. Grandma got really sick and we left to go see her. She got to hang out with me and the kiddos three times before she passed away. We have a great bereavement policy so we were back in the hand for almost two whole weeks:) Once I find my camera cord, I will upload pics and post what I wrote about those last visits. For the first time in my life, I was CERTAIN that the person in the casket would wake up in heaven. That is an awesome peace.

Pics of N and A with their cousins of the same age:






BACK TO WORK AND SCHOOL
We returned to me having to sift through a total of ten weeks of Medicaid billing, and write and submit a 20 page paper. Medicaid is the worst thing to have to go back through, correct, or re-organize. I have never seen any type of paperwork snowball as fast, or deep as this does. Then the boys were off of school and N & A too, so all you parents know how that goes...7 kids all day every day, lots of busy-ness.

Oh, and I got my grade-an A-horray!!! My GPA is a 3.857. I never cared much about it before, but I am very pleased with this fact! I decided that I need to really focus on my kids and the Big C for now so I did not start class on Monday. EJ will be here in 7 weeks and the class goes for ten. Between everything else that has gone down lately, my degree will have to take the back burner (pun to myself because the fire started on the back burner).

"MY FIRE DADDY"
That's what Autumn just stopped saying. She actually saw Carlton catch on fire! Two days ago, she wandered to the spot in the kitchen floor that burned from the pot of grease, and sat right on it. She had her blanket and paci and was just kind of looking around. I think it was her way of making peace with the whole fire thing. She has not mentioned it again, and seems soooooo much more content now that Carlton is home.

BABY #3 AND HOME HEALTH NURSE
He's due in 7 weeks now. Hopefully Carlton will be somewhat healed by then. Last night C got up out of bed and ended up quickly back in because of pain and lightheadedness. He will have a home nurse come out to help me change his dressings every other day. Being a caretaker for your husband is something I didn't think I would experience for decades!

It is a really amazing experience, but I have to stay prayed up for the Lord's strength because it is very taxing mentally, emotionally and physically. Prob increased bc of #3's incessant growing. I have a newfound appreciation and compassion for anyone who has ever been a caretaker themselves. And my husb is not terminally ill, paralyzed or any number of awful circumstances, Plus, it's only day three of me doing it. I've got my head around his 11 medications (11!) and just re-wrapped his arm for the second time since midnight, so I am totally getting the hang of it. Thinking I should have listened to C eons ago and gotten my nursing degree.


"Awwww, mercy, mercy me......"

"hee-sees! Mooooo!!!"

Spirit of Hope Youth Ranch is a rescue program for abused and neglected horses. They rent property from King's Home and 3 of the horses live in our neighbor's front yard. The other day I took the wee ones up to visit them. Noah kept saying "Hey! hey horsie, can I ride on you? I want to ride on you horsie." and then he climbed up the fence and I put him back on the ground and little sister tried to follow suit saying "hee-sees, see hee-sees, mommy?".

Shannon, who feeds them, happened to come by and offered Noah a ride on her personal horse. It was the talk of the week. On Thursday I taught Noah the song to Mr. Ed. Then I bought him a cowboy hat and miniature horse with a saddle and reigns at the $ store. At 3:30 we saddled up and he got to go for a ride. I was so proud of him, he looked like suuuuuch a big boy!!






One of many stickbugs


leaves + sticks=free toys!


The heart stealer (spoiled by everyone in the house but me)

Out w/ the old...

In with the new-er actually older, but MUCH better!

We got a new car...woo-hoo!!! I have abhored the 2008 Taurus since we bought it three years ago. Each month and payment have been the bane of my existence (I have no idea if I'm spelling these words right or not). The car is a total lemon but Ford is a scammer corporation and every time we take it in, they say they can't "re-create" the problems we are describing. I'm literally planning on dropping it off at WalMart and telling them to come get their pile of junky transmission that has been bad since about 5,000 miles old. So how will we get around???

Helloooooooo Suburban (think of how the Animaniacs say "helloooooo nurse!")

Bonus: The heated leather seats are AMAZING on my back-I have gotten pops and cracks that have needed to pop and crack for ages. I'm in loooooooove!!!

Further updates:
Three weeks left in the quarter for school. That means 8 more discussion posts and a 20 page paper. Starbucks, here I come!

up to five boys again in the home. They are all starting to blend in well with the fam. Now if we could get our hands on a reliable & consistant assistant, this place would be ULTIMATE!!

pregnant again with number three. This one is healthy and (drumroll please) another boy!! Due in a few more months and already gained about 20 pounds. Just bought a new pair of pj pants to live in for the next few weeks since my favorite jeans are getting snug around the tummy.

The kids are loving their mother's day out program, playing outside in our massive yard, seeing our neighbors the horses and swimming at the Y. Oh yeah, and they ADORE their "big brothers." Mommy is adoring the weather which is very slightly chilly, but much less gray than Mich.

What am I going to do with 8 boys and one Carlton in my life? Autumn and I have already started working on our girl time. I painted her nails the other day-they look really cute:)

little big kids

I don't want to go too long without posting pics. Plus, I have to show off the super cute top I bought for (score!!!) 3 bucks:



Country Bumpkin (free shiny purple adorable boots)


The natural light in our playroom is so awesome!


Wrestle Mania

FRENCH FRIED EYEBALLS

I am about to officially drop off the face of the earth. Our home had six boys, and now we are briefly down to five. School starts back up in 4 days and counting. Poor eyeballs, I wonder how many hours of daily computer use it takes to turn you into a macintosh? Online class, here I comeJ

The kids are exhaustingly awesome. We are trying to implement some expectations so that each of the “big” boys learns to work individually with N and A each day. Even if it ended up being 5-10 minutes per activity…puzzles, books, counting, singing, catch-hey! We’re a family, right, so everybody gets to play a part.

My two favorite activities thus far: One of the guys belting a loud and totally out of tune rendition of “Jesus Loves Me” to keep Autumn from crying on the way home last Friday night. Another one teaching Noah Spanish, including “tu es si bonita.” I always wanted a little bilingual pimpdaddy 3 year old!!

Greatgreengobsofgreasygrimygophergutsmutilatedmonkeymeatlittlebirdiesdirtyfeetfrenchfriedeyeballzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

bjork

has this song that's all frilly and cute and instrumental. The lyrics go a bit like this:

"annnnnd then...."
-cute twirly music-

"It's oh, so quiet"
-cute twirly music-

"and still again"
-lala land music again-

"starts another big riot"
(BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!)

and then she talks about falling in love and it is loud fifty's big band music and lots of her yelling and loudness.

Anyways, if uve never heard the song, you will not follow me, but this is my life right now. We were sitting at the table about ready to go to Bible study ON TIME for once and BANG BANG BANG BANG our faulty ADT fire alarm starts going off for no reason. Fast forward many phone calls, which made us VERY late for Bible Study and many hours, which makes it 11:38pm, and the alarm is still going off.

It's like BEEEEEP BEEEEEP BEEEEEP pause, repeat repeat repeat. I want to bang bang bang my head on the wall, but I will go bury it under my covers instead. At least we can barely hear it in our back room, but it is permantly etched and screeching in my ear drum's memory.

sweet dreams!!

sleeeeeeeeppppppy

so why am i even posting this? to show what desperate measures I took with my precious lineage today. note: I am anti video/tv as babysitter. like I said I was desperate!