Passion. It shows up early!

This is our Paulee Rea (pronounced Polly Ray, but used family names and spellings). She is two and a half years old. She has been holding entire conversations for a year and a half or more. We've been able to understand them for the last year. She is stubborn, obstinate, and to say she is strong willed would be the understatement of the year. She is the personality spitting image of me. I over heard my Mom say to her once, "I did this once already. I'm not going to do it again. Do what I told you, or go find your Mother." Our new phrase we are trying right now is "Obey your Mommy/Daddy with a happy heart". We get a 50/50 response to that one. But we're working on it. And for all her "faults", this little girl melts your heart and keeps us laughing minute by minute. She is so very passionate about everything she does. And therefore puts her entire self into whatever she is doing. Just like in the video. She just HAD to do her "pano lessons". It was past her bed time, crazy loud around the house, but she had been obedient, so she was allowed to play. And I'm so glad I let her.

Today the older kids are off to piano lessons. She has had her own here at the house, gotten herself dressed, brushed her teeth and hair (hopefully not with the same implement this time), washed her face (and everything within 5 feet of her. What a water mess!), helped feed and water the chicks, checked on new growth in the garden, rotated laundry, and "helped" me fold two loads of clothes. Now, she can fold pants decent enough that I don't have to go back and refold them, but only if they are the three youngest children's pants. Do you know how fast I have to fold to get everything else done before she folds the three or four pj pants in the load?! Otherwise, she folds, twists, wads, and smashes shirts and such into piles, and then melts down if she sees me refold them! Whew, she has kept me busy this morning! And to reward the hard work, the rarely seen servant attitude, and the obedience, she is outside with two of her brothers swinging to her little heart's content. And that, my friends, is our precious Paulee Rea!

Boxing in

This is what we did today. We worked from first thing this morning, all the way to dinner. Well, Heath did. Kids took lots of play breaks, and if you look close, you can see the chair in which I did most of the supervising. There was a late lunch, and a longer break than intended, but everything that needed to get finished today was completed. And this "Little Hen House" that I had envisioned looks more like a "Cluckingham Palace" at this point! It just looks huge! And after we get the A-frames up this week, it will just look massive. But that's okay, the chooks will love the luxury, and Heath will love having his shop back!

I guess in all fairness, I will show you what didn't get done. This is today's laundry. At least of it. It's kind of hard to see, but it's quite a bunch. Trust me. I don't think I've seen the bottom of the pile in forever!

This is the dishes. Shhh... Don't tell, but I didn't wash them up last night after dinner. So now I have last night's to do, AND tonight's. Can we say FAIL! Oh well, it's just the way it goes around here some days. I promise, I'm not going to lose sleep over dirty dishes or laundry!

I thought that I would post these pics so I could squelch the rumors running around that I am Superwoman or that I "do it all". Nope. Some days I get work done, other days I play with my sewing machine, play outside, or answer the call of the couch. The hard part is to make sure the playing doesn't get more time than the cleaning!

My hero

Most of my boys at some point or another have wanted to grow up and be a hero of some sort. You know, fireman, police officer, military. That type of thing. And most of them have stated they want to be in those professions so they can keep harm from coming to me, other family members, or other families. My most creative child was going to grow up and be a super hero bigger than Superman, but you get the general idea.

I'd like to introduce you to my fourth son. His name is Terry, and he's three years old. I recently asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. After we got past a dozen "I don't knows", and twice as many, "I'm just a little boy!"s, he really thought about the question and answer. I wish I could tell you what teachings prompted his answer, but I'm pretty sure it was just by God's grace and wisdom this little boy answered with these words. "Well Mom, when I grow up I'm going to be a protector. I will protect you, my sisters, and all the other girls. God made me a boy, and I am supposed to work hard. And I will be a Daddy, just like mine."

Do you know how humbling his statement was and is to my heart? Are we teaching all our boys to have this same heart and attitude? Am I teaching my girls to hunt for a boy just like this, so they can truely submit and serve their husbands? I don't know, but it is something that has drove me to my knees countless times. And I couldn't love my protector any more.

The baby

I just couldn't resist. Isn't he adorable?! I just love this little guy!

Seriously?

I have got to be the worst blogger in all history. I haven't posted anything since December 9th. That was five months ago! We've had three birthdays, three or more MAJOR holidays, additions to our family, and all the chaos of everyday life. And not one word from me. Oops. Can't say that I will catch you up, but we'll try and go from here.

There are some changes that are going to be occurring here hopefully sooner rather than later. My dear SIL Teri Lynne is going to help me change up the look. Of course, it would help if I told her what I want. But that's beside the point. We are still busy raising the all seven children, and waiting for number eight to make it's appearance late in the summer. We are also starting to raise chickens and a garden. Should prove to be at least comical, if not helpful. I'd like to include more of our everyday stuff and not just my sewing things. Hence the need to change up the look just a little bit.

And since I don't like posts without pictures, I will show you what I worked on yesterday. I was teaching myself a new technique. I am not a huge fan of gather stitches, but every little girl has to have plenty of twirly skirts and dresses, so I'm stuck with endless amounts of gathering.

Until yesterday when I decided to try hand pleating. Not too bad considering I hate to use

excessive amounts of pins! I did finish it yesterday, but am waiting until I finish the second skirt for the younger daughter before I get any finished pictures. Hopefully that will push me to blog again. Because it would just be mean to leave you hanging for another five months to see the finished product. At least I think so! I'm going to shoot for some pictures of the chicks as well. They are only two weeks old and have already lost their adorable, cuddly look for a more gangly, adolescent, grungy persona. It's hilarious the personality that already comes with them!

That's a quick hello. Let me know if you are still out there, or if you have given up hope for me!