Come, Come, Ye Saints (All Is Well)

I have never heard this song sung with so much passion. So, I stole it from cassi !
I love this guy!!!

What we've been up to...

So it's been a long time since I've posted. But I'm finally up on line!!! I hooked the computer up all by myself! Yay me! So anyway, here are some of the things our family has been up to since we went off line...

As you know we have pretty much moved completely. The house is no where near finished but I do plan to put up before and after pictures of each room as we go... All except for the bathroom. For, while I did THINK about taking pictures, I was so icked out by the condition of the "before" state I REFUSED to take any!

I didn't think to take any pictures of us unpacking (who would?) but here's a picture of what happens to the boxes as we unpack them.

Ammon spent some time "cow sitting" for a brown and white Holstein bull calf named Hershey. He did such a great job that we bought him a little Jersey bull calf to care fr over the next year. His name is Reese's... Fitting since the other calf looks like he might end up becoming a permanent fixture around here.

The really funny thing is that he and Larry have become pretty good buddies!

All of the rabbits that we bred began producing abundant litters! I think we ended up with around 40 babies! Anyway, we have picked out the cream of the crop and are selling off the rest! The same neighbor that we're cow-sitting for plowed our garden for us!

Then Abbie helped Daddy plant tomatoes and peppers!!!!
This is from breakfast this morning. The day was so beautiful that I couldn't stay inside! Rose and Sarah were THRILLED to have me take pictures of them early in the morning pre-shower mode!

Malachi spends most of his free time practicing his golf swing with the real golf set that Papa got him for his birthday!

While I spend most of MY time admiring my Horses...

Hannah seems to have inherited Rose's love of horses...

She spends most of her time begging for a ride...

and Rose spends most of her time on the big horses...

and helping her sisters torture the little one!

Update

Ok, I officially think my phone is AWESOME! We have wireless internet here at the new house but we haven't set up any of the computers yet... So I am typing this from my phone!
I can't wait to give you ton of updates! (With pictures now that my phone also has an camera on it too!
Isn't technology wonderful?

Think Positive...

When it's dinner time and you realize the oven is still on from lunch... at least you don't have to wait for it to preheat! ;P

Imagine...

the sun is shining and warm. The wind is blowing steadily and cool. You are on the back a of stunning black horse. You are riding through fields as eagles fly over head. Imagine the peace as you walk into the woods and the wind stops rushing and is quiet. The only sound is the soft patter of hooves on the leaf covered ground. Ahead, a fallen log. The horse in front of you, clears it with no problem. You brace yourself, fearing the jolt of a jump, afraid of falling. Suddenly you're over it. You barely even felt the jump! To the left, in the clearing, is a herd of deer grazing and showing no interest in you. Your heart flutters a little as you look to your right a see a very steep cliff. But you're not afraid for long because you're taken back by the creek at the bottom and how smoothly it curves and curls through the trees. You hear very little except for the rustling of trees and the occasional sound of birds over head. That's when you look up to see the light shining through the tree tops. It shimmers as each breeze changes direction of the shadows and light. You take in a deep breath and enjoy the fresh air as it fills your lungs. Your horse gives a quiet whiny of her own. This is peace. This is the closest you have been to God in a long time. For four hours you wander through the forest following deer trails. You find yourself wondering if this could be real. The answer? Yes! There is nothing more real then the sound of hooves padding the soft undergrowth. The high lasts you an entire week and you wish you could do it over again... Then you realize that you CAN!

Dear Meanlooklady,

You have no idea what kind of day I had. Yes, yes, I know. I went grocery shopping at 11:00 at night, in filthy jeans, a nasty sweatshirt, hair that was so grimy it might have stayed in a ponytail even if I had taken the scrunchy out, and I'm sure the smell of horse manure still lingered in the air around me.
I know you saw that I had a cart full of convenience foods and I know it took forever for me to load everything on the conveyor belt. The price check annoyed me almost as much as it did you. I would have just had the checkout boy put the waffles back but I had promised them to my daughter.
I saw you roll your eyes and it made me squirm a little, but I wasn't about to let my baby girl go without her waffles. I heard your sigh as you tapped your toe trying to make it obvious that you were annoyed. But when you glared at me... and then refused to make eye contact with me as you began texting, I became a little angry myself.
I was tired. My head hurt and I was aching from the physical labor I had been doing all day. I had spent the day dealing with horses, tiling a bathroom with a grouchy husband, and watching my daughter bury her pet bird of nearly seven years. (By the way, this is the same daughter that I promised the waffles to.) I hadn't showered because I still hadn't been home yet. My kids were out in the van with with my grouchy (and now exhausted) husband.
So I took a breath, and squared my shoulders, and I decided I wasn't angry with you any more.
You see, I've been you, Girlie. I know what it's like to be dressed to the hilt and in a hurry. I know what it's like to be impatient and angry at the world. It's so easy to get ticked off when the checkout boy moves a little to slowly for your pace. Its so easy to feel superior to the white trash with the cartful of frozen pizzas and sugar based cereals.
But Sweety, there is something you need to know. One day it will happen to you. You will be caught unaware. Someone will be there to knock you down. When it happens for the first time, you will most likely return to your car; fighting tears the entire way. You will rehash, over and over, what you did wrong, and and how unjustly you were treated. You will cry because you allowed someone to stomp on you. You will be angry and hurt and, hopefully, you will seek out a friend that has a shoulder to cry on. I hope you have one that will comfort you and get angry for you because that is so hard to deal with.
But tonight? Tonight there are no tears from me. I have seen both sides and, while you almost got to me, I will not be pulled down. I am a mother... and a wife and... most importantly... a daughter of God. I went back to my van full of snoring children, loaded up my groceries, kissed my husband, and came home to write you a little note.
Yours Truly,
Erica

Nesting boxes done!

With 6 pregnant bunnies there is a lot to do to get ready. Today, Ammon, Chi, Gabie, and Hannah helped me with that process...
I don't have a working camera right now so I can only TELL you about the wonderful nesting boxes that the kids made today. I stepped in from time to time to help them with a crooked nail or cut, other than that, they did it all on their own. (Right down to putting straw in the boxes and placing them into the cages!)
I could just see how good they felt when they were done! Gabriel practically beamed!!! Ammon keeps going out to check for baby bunnies and Hannah is very proud to point out which nails she hammered!
It was a good day... it was just a good day... (happy sigh)

Blogs worth "following"...

To me, it seems... interesting... that I would have "followers". It makes me smile, but I must admit that I don't know why anyone would "follow" me. Allow me to explain...

In all honesty, the whole reason I got started on my blog in the first place was because I was hoping that one day I would be the insightful, humorous, mother of 8, that knew all the answers. I envisioned women (and men) flocking to me for wisdom and parenting advise.

Alas, after blogging for four years, it seems I am still far from that woman. Being a mother of 8 children doesn't make you the all knowing giver of wisdom that others might assume you are. I seek advise more often than I give it. I delight in sharing my mishaps and mess ups as an ever learning mother.

So, where does such a woman go when seeking inspiration, advise, or entertainment? There is no way that I could possibly put all of my fantastic favorites up at the same time! I hope to share more sites with you as time goes on, but I thought you might enjoy seeing where I head when I am searching for...

humor: themotherloadhome

beauty: Andrew

inspiration: Ranee , fromsilencetosong

just plain fun: formerlyphread, maddoxmayhem

homeschooling: chocolateonmycranium

Parenting: oldfashionedmotherhood, beingamotherwhoknows

farming/homesteading: kellesneverdonefarm, selfsustainedliving

These are the blogs that I like to visit when I am at a loss and need to be uplifted... blogs that I feel are worthy of "following"...

Just felt like sharing...

The other day while I was talking to my son, in a "motherly fashion"... not really yelling, more like... lecturing. My daughter Sarah started laughing. When I asked her why she was laughing she said. "I never thought you would remind me of a Hannah Montana song!"



Funny thing is... When you think of it in the context of parent to child, and switch that for the last verse... it really fits quite well. Keep in mind, most of my children don't have bad attitudes, so we spent a large amount of time laughing and planning how that song could be turned to a funny little video showcasing parent/child relationships. It's become a big joke now and I sing it to my kids when I'm handing out chores.

sick...

Ever been so sick you just wanna' cry... but you can't cry 'cause you know you'll start coughing... again... and you'll wake up your husband who has to work through the night the following day... and that would be bad, because you worry enough about him and all the driving he does as it is... So you just sit at your desk... 'cause lying down isn't really an option... for the same reason that you can't cry... and you read a BUNCH of blogs... and you change your blog around 50 million times... and post a lot... about nothing in particular... because you know you're never gonna fall asleep anyway... because you're so sick that you just wanna' cry.
Really?... Never?... Well, me either...

Two Things...

First:

I love this time of year! Spring is coming! March is almost here! There are so many things to look forward to... flowers, gardens, leaves on the trees, baby animals, chickens laying again!

Even though the kids have been pretty sick, they are all enjoying the sudden rise in temperatures outside. Keep in mind that they are out with their rabbits and mini horse everyday, rain or shine. It's so nice that they don't have to get all bundled up just to go out to do their chores. I've even caught them sneaking outside, math books in hand, to sit out on the trampoline and soak up the sun while they do their home work!

I am looking forward to our move too! That was supposed to happen this week, but a bout with pneumonia has kept me in bed this week, hence all the recent posts and blog changes I am sooo looking forward to getting our pasture up and getting our horses on our property!

I have finally reached the point to where I feel comfortable posting pictures of the house. I figure you all know it's a work in progress and I hope you won't judge me to harshly on the house. We bought it for it's potential, not for it's current state.

At the risk of sounding like a sappy movie, I am... blissful. I am happy and content. Okay, so I'm not really content because I am so full of anticipation for what this new season has in store for my family that I can hardly sit still.

Second:

With Every Drop of Blood

James and Christopher Collier

We just finished a fantastic historical novel about the Civil War era. It tells a story from from the perspective of a 14-yr-old southern boy, right at the end of the war. He is helping to haul supplies to the Confederate Army when he is capture by a black Yankee Private. There was enough action to keep all of my children drawn in, but it was still mild enough that I didn't feel like I was corrupting young minds. I read it out loud to all of my school aged children; 7-12 yrs old

*NOTE*
Some of the language made me quite uncomfortable because I not only had to say the "N" word out loud but had to explain to my children what it meant (racism is beyond their comprehension). There is a very well worded forward about the history of that word and why the author, though uncomfortable with it, chose to include it in the reading.

Sarah

My Sunny Funny Sarah... always smiling, always happy. She is butterflies and rainbows, fairytales and pixie dust. You will never meet such a sweet spirit, even if you live 1000 life times. Never will you see a child try as hard to succeed as she does, and never will you see one so desperate to please adults. Her entire being revolves around love; giving and receiving. She craves affection, and passes it out willingly to anyone in need.

Sarah lives by the mantra JOY: Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last!

She is always willing to serve others and constantly asks if I need her to do anything to help.

She is the 2nd oldest of my children and Rose's twin sister. Her compassion is at a level that even I have a difficult time comprehending sometimes. She took it upon herself to pardon our Thanksgiving turkey this year. "Dinner" is now happily living out the rest of his years on another farm.


She is extremely talented in art. Her specialty is anime and she has recently discovered that she is quite good with charcoal pencil as well. When I say talented, I don't just mean the "that's a pretty picture I'll hang it on my fridge" talented. She really is "you should do that for a living when you grow up" talented!

Aside from her passion for drawing there is only one other thing that Sarah lives for... animals. Sarah puts any other child that I have ever met to shame with the love and devotions she shows to ANY animal.She prefers the small ones like chinchillas and rabbits and cats. But she has run the gamut on pets and will take in ANY sick or injured animal that she can get her hands on!

She currently owns several Mini-Lop Rabits and breeds them for 4-H. She also cares for her 5 chinchillas and hopes to breed them soon.

Anyone who has the pleasure to meet this sweet girl is truly blessed. She is an inspiration to me. I have watched her fight for her life, and struggle with basic daily activities, always with a positive attitude. Her determination wins anyone's heart who takes the time to get to know her. I am honored that she is my daughter and hope that one day she grows to be the wife and mother she wants to be!

Sarah's Blog

Sarah's blog is now open to the public! sleschorn.blogspot.com
It's entitled "Butterflies and Rainbows". I giggle when ever I think of that title because it is SOOOO Sarah! Feel Free to visit. She wants followers too!

Rose's Blog

Just so you know, I have changed the permissions on Rose's blog from private to public. She is currently working on a new post. Her posts are usually short but always come from the heart. Take the time to look it over.

Where'd my picture go?

Okay so I took down the latest picture of my kiddos on accident while I was playing around with that Paint.net stuff. I kinda like how my new header turned out though. So, I'm just gonna leave it like this for a little while. I'll get a new picture up as soon as I can but for now, you get this.
Also, I'm still trying to make my labels list look prettier and smaller... If anyone knows how feel free to let me know!

So a little story about this weekend...

Most of you know that the previous owners of our house left quite a bit of junk behind. Along with their toys, clothes, furniture and trash they also left behind clues of their many... extra circular activities. Back in December, I found several issues of a very well known magazine. I know they only collected them for the articles! While I am sure that the reading is very intellectual, I chose to file these particular magazines in the circular filing cabinet. Then I took the trash out myself, in order to avoid any chance of young minds being scarred.

Since then, we have set the children to working on the demo of the upstairs. Originally I looked at this as a way to get them out of our hair while we did actual work on the main floor. Surprisingly enough, the kids have taken on this task with great enthusiasm! They have most of the walls upstairs completely demolished and have been very good about bagging up their mess.

Fast forward to this past Saturday...

John and I left all of the kids at Shannon's in order to get some things moved into the house. While we were at the house John was upstairs and he notice a stack of these same magazines in a contractor trash bag... Uh OH!

He says, "Honey, I thought you threw away all the naughty magazines."

I say, "Yeah... weeks ago...Why?"

He says, "Well there are a bunch more upstairs in the trash."

Needless to say someone found more. So much for protecting innocent minds... (sigh)

Later, when we got home we asked out oldest girls if they had been the ones to find them. Secretly I was hoping it was them. Why? Because they are 12 and they know about the birds and the bees. .. and I trust their discernment. Anyway, it wasn't them.

So john asks the boys... They looked at him with blank faces. Not lying faces. Just "I have no idea what you're talking about" faces. Malachi did say that Hannah had found some magazines but he didn't see them.

Being that is was night time and Hannah was already asleep we closed the conversation for the night. Of course I couldn't sleep, not knowing that my baby girl had seen such horrible stuff. I sat awake wondering how her little mind had processed those images.

Keep in mind, this is my little girl that likes to pull her night gown off of her shoulder so that she can be "pretty". She is also the one that loves that show "Toddler's in Tiaras" and wants to be on a runway when she grows up. So no, I didn't sleep most of the night. When I did, my dreams were whacked out and crazy dreams of my daughter becoming a "bunny" in her young adult years.

So Sunday morning John asks Hannah about the situation.

"Hannah, did you find some magazines upstairs in the new house?"

"Yes"

"Were there pictures of ladies in them."

"YES!... and they were NOT being MODEST... and I didn't want the BOYS to see THEM so I just THREW THEM IN THE TRASH!"

I was so happy I wanted to cry. Instead of all the horrible fears I had conjured up in my head about my daughter being sucked into a life of vanity and lust, she showed me that she has the fortitude to withstand such temptations. She was so repulsed that her face was all crinkled up for the rest of the conversation.

The moral here? Even if your child is only 5, they are capable of taking a stand against immorality. You don't have to have had the "sex talk" yet. If you teach your children about right and wrong, when they are faced with something unexpected they will know to listen to that still small voice. Hannah had no idea what she was looking at. I had never talked to her about pornography but she had the wherewithal to know that it was something she should not look at, and to protect her brothers from it.

Why I love my husband...

I love my husband... It's not because he sends me flowers for Valentines Day.
It's because he teaches my boys that they must always treat girls as though they are princesses. It's because of his smile, and that dimple that I adore so much. It's because he is my teddy bear that lets me put my freezing cold feet on him at night when I am cold. It's because he works hard every day and struggles to provide what his family not only needs, but what we want as well.

It's because he's been there for the labor and delivery of all 8 of our children. It's because of how much he adores our children.

I love my husband because he sits through "chick-flicks" with me, and hugs me when I 'm sad. It's because he prays with us at the table every time we sit down to eat, or because of his desire to always do right. It's certainly not because he's perfect. It's because he suffers through books with me like "Twilight" and "Little House", and because he makes breakfast (and most other meals) on the weekends. He helps with laundry and housework when ever he is home.

I love my husband because he is my best friend. He gets angry when I am wronged and encourages me when I am down. He supports, comforts me, prays with me, and listens to me.

An inconvenience

Here's a tip...
If you are having a challenge with getting your child to do tasks that you ask them to do, when you ask them to do them, inconvenience them!
For instance, when your daughter is supposed to scoop the litter and "forgets", wake her up at 11:30 pm when she is sound asleep. Tell her that she forgot that she promised she would have it done by the end of the day, and she only has 30 minutes left to get it done.
Or, if your son leaves the leftovers on the table and forgets to take them out to the chicken after you have asked him to three times, don't yell or spank. Wait until his FAVORITE tv show is on. You know, the one he's been waiting all week to watch? Tell him right in the middle of the "good part" that he needs to do it right then... and MAKE him.
I promise you that the next day, they will be much more willing to do what they are asked when they are just working on homework.
:)

Thunder... A horse worth knowing.

I've been sitting here thinking for about 20 minutes now, thinking about all the things I want to say. I keep starting this post and erasing it. I realize that I am not sure of the right way to tell this story. There are so many wonderful stories that I have heard since Rose pushed me into the horse world. These stories make you laugh and some may make you cry. Most of them have happy endings... others do not. Then there are the ones that aren't quite finished yet. Now, as I sit at my keyboard I realize that I am actually in one of those... an unended story.

Thunder was originally called Dirty Thunder by his previous owners. (A name that he will never be called again.) He is a 14 year old Appaloosa gelding. (That just means he's been snipped.) He is one of the most loving horses I have ever known. He has more personality than any other horse in this hemisphere. When he has a saddle on his back he has one goal in mind, and that is to GO. He is high spirited and funny. He is a lady's man to beat all ladies' men. He is papered and is a decedent of Dreamfinder. (Not that I care) He is also blind.

About 11 years ago a woman received a call. A friend of a friend had seen a horse that was severely under weight. That woman drove to the location of the horse to check him out. She had never seen a horse so starved and emaciated. After an argument with the owner of the horse and the police being called, the woman returned home without the horse. A few days later, another visit ended with similar results. Finally, that woman hitched up her trailer and returned to the property determined not to leave without the horse.

When face to face with the owners for the third time the woman offered three choices... "One; you can sell him to me. Two; you and give him to me. Three; we can shoot him so that I know he is no longer suffering."

The owners were shocked at her nerve and threatened to call the police again. That is when the woman very calmly explained to them that she was willing to go to jail and that could be option four. She also told them that as they were calling the police she would be calling the two local news stations. Unwilling to be embarased infront of local telivision cameras, they chose option two.

The horse was quickly loaded into the tailer and was headed to a new home. Unfortunately, he fell while he was in the trailer heading to his new home. The woman and her husband had to pull him off with a rope. She slept for two weeks in a stall with the horse. She fed the horse one handful at a time, soaking each handful of feed in water before placing it in his mouth. Slowly but surely he regained his strength. Sadly, malnutrition had destroyed his eyesight. It did not however, destroy his spirit or his goofy sense of humor!

As for the woman in this story; she is still picking up horses from neglectful owners, caring for them until they are strong again, and rehoming them when they are ready. Her name is Tammy and even though we have only known each other for a short time, I have grown to respect her more than most human beings I know.

Now, it is my turn to love, care for, and ride Thunder. I am not anxious about what I will teach him, but what I will learn from this young hearted jokster. I only hope I am up to the challenge.

This just in...

Lacey-Belle is, in fact, pregnant and should be delivering within the next 3-4 weeks! Tune in for more details and pictures as we try to give this mare the love and care that she has not had in several years. We will be trying to help her weight with a prescription diet. We will try to heal her spirit with lots of LOVE!
We are not sure how this will all turn out because she has not had the proper care for a mare in foal. Wish us luck and pray for my Rosie to have the strength to handle whatever might happen! She'll be a very young grandmother!

Rose

What to say about her...

Rose is one of my 12 yr old twins. From the time she was first born she has been independent. She craves adulthood more than any of my other children. When something needs done she is the one I know I can count on. She is caring and level headed, fun and funny! She is my Rosie-Posie!

Rose enjoys all animals. She Raises Flemish Giants for 4-H, loves working with our chickens and ducks, and has had a pet cockatiel (Banana) since she was seven. She also adores her miniature horse named Dreamer, which she cares for almost completely on her own.

One of the things that set her apart from my other children is her passion for horses. She and Sarah (and recently Ammon too) have been "working" for our farrier for a couple of months now. They aren't paid for the work, except that they usually get a ride on one of the gentler horses when they are done. Rose is THRILLED to be spending time with the horses and soaks up everything Cody (and more recently, his Aunt Tammy) tells her.

She recently saw her dreams come true when we gave her an early Christmas present; a 4-yr-old, bay, quarter horse, mare. Watching the two of them meet brought tears to my eyes! She used her Christmas money from Uncle Bobby, Nanna, and Pappa to purchase a new pair of boots and a used show halter. She can hardly wait to show at the fair this year.

I have no idea what she will be when she grows up but I know that she will do it well. Things have always seemed to come pretty easy to Rose. She takes pride in a job well done. Though at times I have wished that school was a little more challenging for her.

Rose is, in a lot of ways, my teacher. I wish I had her natural patience and understanding. She often comforts ME when I am down. I can always count on her patting my arm or giving me a random hug just because she wants to connect with me. I want to be just like her when I grow up!