See these poor little girls?  They’ve been searching for their dad for a very long time.

In a game of hide and seek gone bad, they’d been searching for eons for their Beloved.  Where could he be?

Mom was shaking her head at all of the antics of the evening, wondering how he found such a terrific hiding spot this time, as she went about dinner preparations.  Suddenly, she detected an, ahem, noise under her work table.

Wha-at?  Surely not.

It was.  Oh my.

I could not resist the urge to take a picture of his… flexibility.  Unfortunately I got him caught.  But he was glad.  I think he was losing feeling in his right leg.

After this, he was ready to go again.

Good grief.

… and the rest of the Mann’s, of course!

Just perfect!  She was really struggling with envy when Rachel got one for her birthday.  You made her day!  She has already disappeared to get away from Caleb so she can work!  Thank you for making her feel so loved and important!

We love you all!

I love snow.  Being a southern girl,  I’ve always wanted to be snowbound.  Visions of the Ingall’s family cozily gathered around the fire during a prairie blizzard have often made me wish I could be a part of that scene.  How exciting, right?

Just not now.

Now we need to be loading our van.  Now we need to be making our final preparations for a long vacation to Tennessee.

It ain’t happenin’.  Now.

Now, we are waiting for a blizzard.  There’s already 8- 10 inches of snow out there… and we are waiting on a blizzard!

This would have been quite the deal last week.  Sigh.

I imagine God must be thinking I’m pretty hard to please, huh.

I am thankful.  Thankful especially for this:

Our house stays above 70 degrees.  Our whole house, mind you.  Wood heat warms you to the very bone.  So when the electricity goes out, which they have already warned us that it probably will tonight– how nice, we’ll still be oh so warm.  Here’s a picture for you, from the upstairs window earlier today:

And our trademark red dog house that the dogs will not sleep in:

If it weren’t for that one, pesky dinner invitation Friday night with tons of friends at our most favorite restaurant in the wide world, leaving a day or two behind schedule wouldn’t be that big of a deal, I suppose.  We are enjoying the coziness, but a couple of my babies are sniffling for the first time in a year.  What is it with these long, much anticipated trips that makes my children sick when they NEVER get sick otherwise?  That means it’s time for Mama’s arsenal to make its appearance:

Forget Obamacare.  This is healthcare in a Caboodle.  See, you ladies of the early nineties have always wondered what you should do with your caboodles.  Supplements, vitamins, and tinctures my friends.  You CAN win the war on snotty noses.

So, bring on the blizzard, the wind, the -20 windchill… we can take it.  And when things don’t go our way, it’s just another opportunity to teach our children, and OURSELVES, that:

ALL things work together for good to them that love the Lord…

… even if we don’t make it to Mahogany’s on time.

I LOVE reading Mrs.  Parunak’s blog!  Every post is great, but this one is especially so.  Have a read if you have the time!

Motherhood is a profession that requires the ability to do many things at once.  Multi-tasking is indeed a skill that takes much practice to perfect.  The younger one can begin the better.  Take Lauren, for instance.  Why just have a phonics lesson, when you can nurse your baby doll at the same time?  Makes perfect sense, right?

 

I think she and I need to do a series of posts on just what you can accomplish while nursing.  Oh, the stories we could tell!

How dearly I love this sweet baby boy.  How hard it is already to imagine my life without him.  How did I live without him snuggling at my side all night, without running my nose through the blonde fuzz on top of his head, without those bright blue eyes following my every move?  It beats me.

 

I remember very clearly a time when I did NOT want six children.  Wasn’t so very long ago, in fact.  I wanted the “status” that comes with having a large family, loved my children dearly,  but I didn’t want my family to be TOO large.  Five was an acceptable number in my mind.  Five would be considered a big family, but would still be on the sane side according to public opinion, right?  Six would just tip us over the top, and, well seven?  That would mean we were freaky, scary people and so not… normal.  Shudder.  Where was I getting my numbers?  Can anyone say leaning on my own understanding? Yep, not too proud of how good I am at that.

 

Look at this face.  Look at what we could have missed.  Would I trade this for “normal” or “socially acceptable”?

 

 

I’d have to be crazy!  Now my perspective has changed but I still play the numbers game sometimes.  NOW I think, “OK, as long as we don’t have more than ten…” and yet I know that I’d love number eleven, if God would graciously allow us that many,  just as much as I love number six!

 

Alright, this wasn’t meant to be a post about how many children is ideal— I just wanted to share my heart.  My poor, confused sometimes, overflowing with love and gratitude, got so many to love that sometimes I feel like jumping up and down and squealing, heart.

 

I LOVE BEING A MAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Sorry.  Can’t help it.

 

You know, one of those WONDERFUL days!

We woke up yesterday morning to our first sizable snow.  Nothing makes me feel more cozy than a cold, snowy day and a warm, warm house.  God is so good!

And here’s a very pleased Beloved.  Because, as you know, snow is the REAL reason we moved to Nebraska.

And to think, a few weeks ago, it looked like this outside:

Wait!  This day got even better.  I got a VERY nice surprise.  Do you remember that 15 passenger van I mentioned a while back?  My darling finally went and brought it home!

Yes, I’m spoiled.  I know it.  Sometimes I feel as if I get everything I could possibly want and that I don’t deserve it at all.  Our Father is so kind to us, even without all these tremendous blessings.  I just want my heart to know that He is enough, all by Himself.  Still, He delights in giving His children good gifts, as weak and undeserving as they are!

Even on those BIG days, sometimes it’s the smallest things that delight your heart the most.  Like starting off to bed to find that someone is trying desperately to walk in some mighty big footsteps.

Life is beautiful, because He is beautiful.

Is your milk this good?  Does your two year old like to kiss the milk jar?  For all of you that do not have your own unpasteurized, un-homogenized, un-messed with, raw, creamy, jersey milk—— I am truly sorry.  I was once just like you.  I once thought that milk from a grocery store tasted swell until I had my first taste of well, actual milk.  No, I don’t kiss the milk jar, but I have thought about it.

 

It does a body good!  Click here if you’d like some info as to why.  Me, I’m just gonna go have some more.

 

We love you and wish you were here!

She came tonight as I sat alone,
The girl I used to be.

And she gazed at me with her earnest eye
And questioned reproachfully,
“Have you forgotten the many plans
And hopes that I had for you?”

“The great career, the splendid fame,
All the wonderful things to do?”

“Where is the mansion of stately height
With all of its gardens rare?”
“The silken robes that I dreamed for you
And the jewels in your hair?”

And as she spoke, I was very sad
For I wanted her pleased with me …
This slender girl that I used to be.

So gently rising, I took her hand,
And guided her up the stairs
Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay
So innocent, sweet, and fair.

I told her that these are my only gems,
And Precious they are to me;
That silken robe is my Motherhood
Of costly simplicity.

And my mansion of stately height is love,
And the only career I know,
Is serving each day in these sheltered walls
For the dear ones who come and go.

And as I spoke to my shadowy guest,
She smiled through her tears at me;
And I saw the woman I am now …
Pleased the girl I used to be.

~ Rowena K. Lewis ~