About Me

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I am a 29-ish yr old married mother of 8. My family is my life and I wouldn't have it any other way. My darling husband is my very best friend and together we are raising 8 of the best kids in the world! They are Rose(12) Sarah(12) Ammon(10) Malachi(8) Gabriel(7) Hannah(5) Maggie(4) and Abbie(3) We currently own 2 dogs, 1 bird, 5 chinchillas, 1,000,000 rabbits, 1 cat, 4.5 horses, and one ferret. We just purchased a home that is definately a "fixer-upper", with land and room for the kids to roam. Our goal is to run a mostly self sustaining farm and live in peace as we grow as a strong family unit. We have seen our fair share of hardships, but we are thankful for the many blessings the Lord gives us on a regular basis!

Monday, May 26, 2008

No new posts this weekend...

We've spent the past several days dealing with the chicken pox....BLEH! No Fun! So I'm a little to busy to post anything real. I myself am feeling quite under the whether tonight too. That combined with the fact that my camera is going through a midlife crisis (it doesn't want to work and it recently had cosmetic surgery - Okay, so one of the kids got a hold of it!) pretty much sums up how mine and John's weekend went!

By the way Chicken Pox aren't that bad (for the adults)...The worst part about it is listening to your kids tell you how they feel just fine and want to out and play with their friends.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

How well do you know me?

Here's How it works"
Highlight and copy the questions then post them in the comment box and answer them ABOUT ME! Even if you don't think you know me very well, I still want you to do it!

Take a stab at my middle name?
Do I smoke?
Color of my eyes?
Do I have any siblings?
How many?
What ' s one of my favorite things to do?
What is my least favorite thing to do?
What ' s my favorite type of music?
Am I shy or outgoing?
Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules?
Any special talents?
How many children do I have?
If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what is one thing that I would bring?

Oh yeah pick one person to "tag" and then that person is supposed to copy the questions onto their blog and start it over again...It's pretty simple.

I tag ... Cali

Friday, May 16, 2008

"How do you do it?"

If I had a nickle for every time some one asked me that, I would be a millionaire.

I have also heard "Wow, you're brave!" "Are they all yours?" " ...and you brought them ALL out in public?" "You need a T.V." and my personal favorite " Don't you know what causes that?


My reply to the latter varies depending on my mood. I like to look at them with a very Innocent stare as "Nooooo Could you please tell me." One time I was feeling quite angry, so I looked at this woman and said "Yup sure do...and it is SO MUCH FUN!"


Nothing will beat the time when a woman in her 70s very sweetly took me by the hand and patted it. Then held hit very firm and said in a sincere quiet voice..."It's OK to tell your husband 'NO' " I was so shocked by the level of concern in her voice that I just picked up my baby and told my other 5 "Okay kids lets go"


I would like to know why people feel that they have the right to make comment on such an intimate and sacred part of my life. I would never, NEVER, walk up to a stranger that had no children with her and say, "You know if you'd just....... you could get pregnant!"

Why is the fact that I have so many children an automatic invitation for perfect strangers to open their mouths and say some of the most insensitive (and stupid) things.


Here's what is really getting to me lately. Pretty much my entire motherhood career people have been asking "Are you done Yet?" (UGGGGGG!) Up to this point, my reply has been a sweet smile and a quick "I don't know. It depends on what the Lord has in store for us." Now here I am taking my 8 babies out in public and people are making all the same comments and asking the same old questions.


Most of you know that during my last delivery a partial hysterectomy was needed to stop some bleeding. It wasn't an extremely life threatening situation...but it WAS an emotionally challenging one. Can you imagine having that thrown up in your face every time you leave the house? It's kinda' like the scarlet letter only I need a big H (for hysterectomy)...The kids can be my drummers.


I would love to have 20 children. But my body just couldn't handle it any more! (19 pregnancies in 11 years will do that to you) So now, not only do I have to live with the fact that I'll never feel a baby moving in my belly again, and I'll never nurse another baby again, I'll never have any of the joys associated with pregnancy ever again....but I have to give one of two answers to that very irritating question...


option A) Spill my guts to a perfect stranger so that they have no doubt what my point of view is, because I would never want some pro-choice liberal to use me as an example of some one who regrets the number of children they have- "Unfortunately I had to have and unplanned partial hysterectomy during my last delivery so it looks like I won't be having and more biologically, but we hope to adopt someday."


option B) Give the short and sweet answer with no explanation. "Yes" Allowing them to walk away think what ever they want.


Either way, I walk away feeling completely violated and almost ashamed of the fact that I have 8 of the most amazing kids in the world! There is something wrong with this picture!

I'd like to point out that my children are VERY well behaved in public. With VERY FEW exceptions we can walk through any store and not hear "can I have..." and on the rare instances when that does happen a quick "No" quiets them again. I have never had a child throw a fit in the store longer than the two seconds it takes me to jerk a knot in their tail.

While I have had the regular shower of compliments one might expect when taking eight well behaved children, I must say that the ratio has to be at least 4 to 1 (with compliments being the minority). I am sure that most of the people mean no harm. I would suspect that most are intrigued and a large portion are some what envious. I think that most people want to just start a conversation with me... and they think that a "funny" comment will break the ice.



Here is my advice to any of you that my be tempted to make a comment to a mother with more children than you have...If you can say "Boy, you have your hands full" You can just as easily say "Here, let me get the door for you". Don't offer advice on birth control (especially in front of her children or you might get your eye balls scratched out) praise her on her beautiful family...tell her how lucky she is!

Sorry about my rambling but I just realized today that the idea of taking my children out in public turns my stomach. Not because of them but because of the world's view and it's insensitivity to such private matters.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Tagged!

Calli tagged all the Mom's she knew...Thanks! I like these things...Soooo Here goes....By the way I tag Missy, Jen, Monica, and Stephanie Johnson (since all the other Mom's I know have already been tagged)

1.Typically, what time do you wake up? Which time? Hannah (wet her pants) 2-ish, Gabie (needs a drink) 3-ish, Abbie (needs to eat) 4-ish, For the day... about 7:30 or 8:00
2. On a good night, what time are your kids in bed? 8:00pm (7:00 on a BAD day)
3. How long have you been a mommy? Almost 10 years!
4. How old were you when you became a mom? 20 (I contributed to the rate of teenage pregnancies in America in 97')
5. What is your favorite kids T.V show? The Magic School Bus! But we don't have TV any more!
6. What is your least favorite kids T.V. show? JJ the Jet Plane - I pretty much hate 'em all but this is the one that both my sister and I agree on! Anoying voices and NO point to the stories in them! Two thumbs WAY DOWN!
7. What is your favorite chore? Oh...there are just so many to choose from...
8. What is your favorite meal to cook? Pot Roast! Super Easy and every one eats it!
9. What meal do you cook most often? Rose says,"Mac and cheese w/ hot dogs" But that's at lunch time...I do a lot of chicken and green beans or broccoli too.
10. What is your kids favorite meal? Hmmm...Do they all have to agree?
11. What is your favorite thing your husband does with your kids? Play-He is so great with them...whether it's kicking the soccer ball around or just wrestling on the floor with them!
12. What are 5 (8) things that make you smile when you’re being a mom?
A. Abbie's smile
B. Maggie's growl
C. Hannah's brain
D. Gabie's eyes
E. Chi's imagination
F. Ammon's sense of humor
G. Sarah's thoughtfulness
H. Rose's artistic abilities
(G and H are interchangeable)
13. If you could take your kids anywhere, where would it be? I've always dreamed of taking them to a 3rd world country! REALLY! I want them to live a life of love and service. I would LOVE to have them see what doing with out really means so that they could have a better appreciation for all the blessing they have.-Sappy, I know.
14. When was the last time you went out without your kids? Ummm...We went to see "I am legend While Abbie was in the Hospital and The other kids were still in Indiana...I think that was December.
15. What is your favorite pastime/activity to do with your kids? Anything school...I LOVE to watch their eyes light up when they learn something new!
16. Name one thing you said you would never say as a mother? "No"
17. Name something you do, that your own mom did? Yell!
18. What is your favorite quality your mom has? Her acceptance of death.
19. What is your favorite kids book? My Little Sister Hugged an APE! -The kids laugh and laugh when I read it to them!
20. What is your favorite advice for new moms? Relax, kids wash and so do clothes... cuts heel!
21. What is your most heartbreaking moment as a mom? When I realized I wasn't the perfect Mom I had planned to be.
22. What is your most joyful moment being a mom? When Sarah woke up from her coma after her seizures began.
23. When was the last time you told one of your kids, “I Love You”? About 5 minutes ago
24. When was the last time you were told, “I love you” by one of your kids? About 4 1/2 minutes ago!

The amazing Maginie!

There is NOTHING out of this baby's reach, no lock she can't pick, no drawer high enough, no confinement she can't escape from!
The other day I heard some camotion in the kitchen and went to check it out...THIS is what I found:


YES, that is a pair of pipe cutters in her mouth! They were in the drawer along with all of the other stuff John uses to work on the sprinklers... that changed mighty quick! I think she was originally after the bread in the cabinet (see the bread bag on the floor) but she thought the drawer would be more fun!

What happens to your house when YOU take a nap?

I guess that'll teach me!

LOOK WHOS 5 MONTHS OLD!

I took these picture late at night on Friday. Abigail Claira turned 5 months old on Saturday. I can't believe my very last baby is almost half way through her first year!
I am still amazed every day by how much hair she has and how pretty her eyes are!

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Abbie Flips Over

Friday night, Abbie and I spent some quality time while Daddy was at work and all of the other kids were in bed. She is so sweeet and makes those little dolphin sounds all the time!

Meet Hairy

Hey all! This is our spider "Hairy" who we happily killed! As I said in my earlier post, this was a Hobo Spider. You can see how bravely I handled it!

PS Hobo spiders aren't capable of climbing...they just run really fast! It was still in the dish after it charged at me!

Monday, May 5, 2008

The Magic Mirror Strikes Again!

I was standing outside the bathroom once again listening to a one sided conversation today! At least this time I knew what was going on...
"No it MY aneemul cacka"
"Nooo... IIIII... want to eat it!"
Then the sounds of a dying animal cracker... Did you know they can scream?

Here's what I want to know. In every conversation this darling little girl has with her self she is bossing it, arguing with it, or yelling at it (Not to mention making sound effects of dying animal crackers)...Should I be worried?

Meet Hairy!


This is our little friend Hairy! (okay it's not the actual "Hairy" but it's a picture I pulled off line that looks identical to him/her!)
This morning Malachi was cleaning the living room when he came running into the school room very excited! He had discovered yet another spider to put under his microscope! Annoyed that a spider was interrupting my day, and assuming that it was just a common brown, I had the kids get a jar... thinking we could slice it up and look at it later.
When I went into the living room and saw how big this thing was I freaked!!!! This is creepy! In reference to a coin it's about the size of a fifty cent piece! (with the legs)
AHHHHHH! I shewed all the kids away for fear that it might rip their faces off! Then I captured it in the jar and sat at my computer to figure out what it was.
Wellllll....It turned out that "Hairy" is a Hobo Spider, most commonly found in Utah, Colorado, Montana, and a bunch of other north western places (including Canada)...BUT...it is also found in...you guessed it ...ARIZONA! It's category? Dangerous...Highly venomous! (You may all scream with me now!!!) AHHHHHHHHHHH!
I opted not to post the pics of legs that have been bitten! Nobody needs to see that! I'll just say my boys thought they were "way cool" and leave it at that! The good news is that about 50% of the time they do not inject their venom when they bite...So you've got a 50/50 chance as to whether or not you're gonna' have a hole in your body if you get bit!
So, now, I am taking suggestions for the most horrible and painful death possible for this thing! Squishing is NOT possible...It's too big!