tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84809368935239645642024-03-13T15:30:34.632-05:00Our Craziness, or uh Family!Our family's happenings:)Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-7397920916244883232011-05-15T16:00:00.002-05:002011-05-15T16:12:32.018-05:00Family DaysOne of my favorite movie proposals was from Bride Wars....As Anne Hathaways character sat on her couch her soon to be fiancee hid her ring in a fortune cookie and then his words to her was that he put a lot of thought into where he wanted to propose.....And he thought their apartment was perfect because if they were at home, enjoying Chinese food and spendning an evening together 50 years from then he would be happy. <br /><br />Ok...yes it was a movie proposal and yes that is the part of the Bridal show down that didn't actually get married, but it reminded of the simple proposal I got on June 27, 1998. A very sweet man snuck into my bedroom (to be fair, my mom and dad knew he was going too :-) ) and at 6 in the morning turned on my bedroom light and proposed. He wanted it to be as real of a moment as what our everyday life would be in the years to come. <br /><br />As I sit here today, we mark 12 years as a married couple. God has blessed us with three beautiful children, our health, a roof over our heads, and much, much more. Outside of the obvious things I am thankful for, it is days like today that make my heart most thankful. Here we sit talking, laughing, just having fun while we watch a basketball game on TV. It isn't anything flashy or extraordinary, but yet it is extraordinary....Something so simple as being at home together, spending time together, is so nice! <br /><br />Thank you Lord for not only giving Kevin and I each other and our family, but for allowing us the ability to still love one another 12 years later and for the ability to look forward to many more simple and special days together!!!Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-63453493608006608162011-04-20T20:45:00.003-05:002011-04-20T20:59:38.728-05:00Christ is RisenWe have been singing Christ is Risen for the last couple of Sundays in church. The song is absolutely beautiful. It has been one of my favorites for a long time. Now, thanks to church, my kids love it too.<br /><br />I wanted to share all the lyrics with each of you. As beautiful as the song is, the lyrics are what we should celebrate. Christ truly has risen for each of us and has trampled over death! Praise be to God!!!<br /><br />Christ Is Risen by Matt Maher<br /><br />Let no one caught in sin remain<br />Inside the lie of inward shame<br />But fix our eyes upon the cross<br />And run to Him who showed great love<br />And bled for us<br />Freely You've bled for us<br />Christ is risen from the dead<br />Trampling over death by death<br />Come awake, come awake<br />Come and rise up from the grave<br />Christ is risen from the dead<br />We are one with Him again<br />Come awake, come awake<br />Come and rise up from the grave<br />Beneath the weight of all our sin<br />You bowed to none but heaven's will<br />No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown<br />No burden great can hold<br />You downIn strength<br />You reignForever let<br />Your church proclaim<br />O death, where is your sting?<br />O hell, where is your victory?<br />O church, come stand in the light<br />The glory of God has defeated the night<br />O death, where is your sting?<br />O hell, where is your victory?<br />O church, come stand in the light<br />Our God is not dead<br />He's alive! He's alive!<br /><br /><br />Christian lyrics - <a style="COLOR: #003399" href="http://www.christian-lyrics.net/matt-maher/christ-has-risen-lyrics.html#ixzz1K7NRaimc">CHRIST HAS RISEN LYRICS - MATT MAHER</a><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E2KNvuscKRA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-26919167645117351102011-03-19T12:50:00.003-05:002011-03-19T12:56:15.802-05:00Plant a Seed<span style="font-size:130%;"><em>I got this email forwarded to me this week. What a powerful statement of truth and integrity! Thanks, Janet, for sending it to me! I wanted a way to with my Facebook Friends, so I decided I would post it to my blog: </em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><em><strong>Plant a Seed</strong></em><br /><br />A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different.<br /><br />He called all the young executives in his company together.He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."<br /><br />One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.<br /><br />After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.<br /><br />Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.<br /><br />A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.<br /><br />When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!<br /><br />When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"<br /><br />When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.<br /><br />"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the newChief Executive Officer!"<br /><br />* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust<br />* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends<br />* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness<br />* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment<br />* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective<br />* If you plant hard work, you will reap success<br />* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation<br />So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.<br />Think about this for a minute....<br /><br />Have a great day and Enjoy!!!</span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-19278982353000561562011-03-17T14:43:00.002-05:002011-03-17T14:54:30.023-05:00Spring BreakIt has been a quiet Spring Break 2011. We have basically done nothing but stay close to home. When I say nothing, I mean nothing outside of this house like an extracurricular activity. We have done PLENTY:)<br /><br />The boys and I have been on MISSION CLEAN HOUSE most of this week. Kinsley went with Daddy on an insurance claim yesterday and today was the boys turn. They wanted to go so that they could try and figure out what their Daddy does for a living. I doubt they understand much more when they come home, but at least they are getting quality male bonding time together in the pickup.<br /><br />Sister and I did some stuff outside. She played in the sandbox while I looked for the bungee straps to the boat. I know I put them on at the beginning of winter because the cover has stayed on all winter (throughout both snow/wind storms) up until a couple of weeks ago. Then it rained, the wind blew, the cover came off on one side. Thankfully, I had bought extra straps a year ago and we got it all tied back down again. Who knows what happened to my old straps....And since I have basically new ones on it now, I guess I don't care anymore:):):)<br /><br />Well guess it is time to get back to the grind of my day! I can't believe in a few months we will actually be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">un</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">tarping</span> the boat and hitting the lake! EXCITING TIMES AHEAD!!! Hope you all are enjoying the SPRING weather on this Spring Break!!!!Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-87988935147133861712011-02-21T20:43:00.002-06:002011-02-21T21:08:07.579-06:00RedemptionI have been struggling lately. Not only have I been really sick, my heart has been hurting for reasons to numerous to write about on here. They are just the background story behind this post...they really only set the stage. It isn't necessary to know what they are; the only information needed is that the exist.<br /><br />I believe in all my heart that God works in His perfect time, for His perfect will, for all those that love Him. Despite all the troublesome feelings as of late, I have clung to that promise. I believe that in ALL things God uses them for the good of those who love and trust Him. I see evidence of that all around me all the time.<br /><br />I had read Karen Kingsbury's First Born Series (her second in the Baxter Family Series of novels) and her Sunset Series about a year ago. The library didn't have the Redemption series, which is the first one in the series. I started in the middle of the series and instantly fell in love with Karen Kingsbury, the Baxter Family, and the way Karen uses God throughout each of her novels. Each of them has spoken to me in different ways at different times.<br /><br />I bought the Redemption series right after I finished the whirlwind of reading the first 8 books in under 3 weeks time. I couldn't wait to go back and get the back story and then re-read the other two series again. Life happened though. I got busy in the summertime and in the fall. Eventually Thanksgiving and Christmas set in and time slipped away.<br /><br />Being sick, I have done little else but lay around for four days. Today I decided I would read something. I picked up the Redemption book from Karen Kingsbury. All 360 pages of it were just too good to put down. I get like that when I read. I can't wait to turn the page and can't ever put them down. This book was no different, even though it was strange knowing what is going to happen to all of them in the coming pages and books. It was awesome reading the back stories that I had missed.<br /><br />The book spoke of God's grace being sufficient for EVERY situation and that Godly, Adult Love is far beyond what this world can fathom. It is everything that 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 talks about. It is patient, it is kind, it does not envy, it isn't proud or rude, it isn't self-seeking, it isn't quick to anger, but relishes in the truth, it keeps no record of wrongs, it protects, trusts, hopes, and always perseveres above all else. And that without this type of love in our life, everything else will vanish in comparison.<br /><br />That is what I love about her books. It takes everything back to the Scriptures in an absolutely beautiful way. Using all of that, the book was about redemption despite anything that we do. It was about being loved and loving others in a way that true forgiveness and love is ALWAYS possible. It was such a good life lesson and one that all of us, including me, need to be reminded of daily as Christians.<br /><br />And as with everything else, my choice to make today the day I read this book was rewarded by God's amazing love and grace in the message that it sent me. It was the perfect moment for me to receive the message and to be reminded of God's mercy and never ending love.<br /><br />Life is hard. It is supposed to be as we walk in this world of sin and death. But as Christians, there is always hope. NOTHING IS TOO BIG FOR GOD!!! There is always REDEMPTION!Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-29691109086966907052011-02-10T14:42:00.002-06:002011-02-10T15:40:51.841-06:00February AlreadyIf I had waited three more months, it would have been a full year since I updated this blog. That is hard to believe. I had committed to updating it weekly, and then I became a Facebook junky! Something about updating Facebook two or three times per day made our family blog seem kinda of pointless. The really funny or crazy stuff went straight to Facebook anyways. But there is only so much that Facebook will allow in 420 characters or less. And I have missed this blog. Maybe I will do better now, and maybe not. But the nice thing about this blog is that it is always here!<br /><br />It is so hard to believe that my little boys aren't so little anymore. Dilon reminds me all the time that his is armpit tall now. They are very funny about Damon being 2 inches shorter, but being Dilon's older brother. Dilon is very involved in sports and loves anything competitive. Damon isn't as interested, but he LOVES to use his imagination and build with LEGOs. He is a fantastic builder.<br /><br />Kinsley is well on her way. She is caring, ornery, and silly all at the same time. And she has decided in the last couple of months that her Daddy is AWESOME! She used to be completely attached to me. She still loves spending time with me, but she doesn't blink or think twice now about doing things with Daddy. She loves spending time with him. And now calls us "My Momma, My Daddy"<br /><br />Well here is to hoping I will do better in the next 9 months. Time will only tell!!!Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-44834090375544260412010-05-18T15:08:00.003-05:002010-05-18T15:16:14.665-05:00Summer Vacation...<span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>The boys are getting a good dose of summer vacation today: they have been completely lazy! Scooby Doo is playing and the DS games are in full force. I do have to give them credit. They have been swapping the washer and dryer out for me today, putting away the folded laundry, and they have picked up after their sister this morning. They also took care of Daisy this morning, too! Other than that, they have been bums today.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>We have needed a day like this for a long time. We, like so many, are in constant motion. If we can't go somewhere, do something, or have something scheduled, then life can't be happening, right? It feels like we have been in hyper drive as school has winded down. I was so thankful to be able to really look at what I wanted to do today and get to decide that we would just STAY HOME! I haven't even stepped out of the door today. It has been so nice just to be indoors and getting things caught up! </strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>It is nice just to take the time to slow down! So many times we run the race so focused on the finish line, that we forget to enjoy the journey. I had become so focused on school getting out and being over with that nothing else had seemed to matter. Some of that comes from having small kiddos and having to be the one to stay on track. But most of it came from the fact that I just wanted it over and done with. When we start at the beginning only looking forward to the end we miss out on all the things in between.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>It is my hope that each of you stops and smells the roses as the old adage goes! And that you can find joy in the middle parts of life!</strong></span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-12080644499525754762010-05-15T06:15:00.002-05:002010-05-15T06:35:19.481-05:0011 Years...<span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>What a day 11 years ago was. It was a beautiful Saturday morning. The sky was clear. The wind was blowing. The sun was shining. It was very warm. I know we reached 100 degrees that day. It was a day that will be etched in my memory forever, even though there are parts of that day that I can only remember by video. Strange, huh? It was the day I married my best friend! Happy Anniversary, Kevin! I love you, and truly deep within my soul know that you are my best friend and the man that I am supposed to walk this journey of life with. </strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>The day I married Kevin was truly the beginning of a wonderful, sometimes scary, journey that we would take together. The scary part must have started right from the beginning. I still to this day can't remember my wedding ceremony. I remember talking with him that morning. I remember getting ready. I remember being at the back of the church with my Dad. And then somewhere in there, my brain went blank. I know I was there; I have a video and a marriage license to prove it. Honestly, I think I was so overwhelmed that my brain had to turn it off in order to get through it. I haven't been able to remember our wedding ceremony since the day after we got married. I woke up the next morning and couldn't remember it then either. Weird I know:)</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>Thankfully, the "turning off" of my brain hasn't happened since. There have been many ups and downs on our journey, and I am glad that I can remember each one of them. They have brought us to this point in our life. While there are things I wish we could have done differently, I know each of them happened for a reason. It has made us a stronger couple and family. It has brought us to a point where we can look back on them and see the reason it had to happen. We can see the life lesson out of it. And we know there are many more life lessons to come.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>There are still many firsts out there around the bend. That is the joy of having small children. You get to live their firsts out with them. And you get to live there endings out too. It dawned on me this morning that people see Kinsley for the little stinker a 2 year old can be. And I was convinced the boys were never this bad. They were; they had to be. We just didn't take them anywhere. They didn't have school activities to attend or Mother's Day Out. I got the joy, heartache and laughter all to myself when they did mischievous things. The world gets the joy of witnessing Kinsley! </strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>I wish each of you a beautiful, albeit cool and rainy Saturday. May you find the joy and blessings of today in the simple things in life!</strong></span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-1381575019471934072010-05-10T11:13:00.002-05:002010-05-10T11:26:42.287-05:00School's Out...<span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Almost anyways! The boys are on the home stretch. They have this week, and then they are out on Summer Break. Damon keeps telling everyone he is almost a Second Grader:) Hard to believe that they are almost that age. I can vividly remember sending them to school the first day...It is hard to believe that was almost three years ago!</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Kinsley has this week and next left at Mother's Day Out. She loves going to the Methodist Church for that. She calls it "my ool". She was so excited to go this morning and I love that she gladly goes in and doesn't cry when it is time to be dropped off. She has grown up quite a bit in the last nine months!</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>I survived turning 30 last week! Actually, it was a very pleasant time around here. I had dreaded it so long, that I think my body and brain were spent just enough to enjoy it! It was a very simplistic week, but yet very meaningful. I love those kinds of times! Mother's Day was much the same! I have spent each of the kids' birthdays always in retrospective about the year that is gone and in thinking about the year ahead, but rarely ever do that for myself. Turning 30 made me take a serious look at where I am at in life, where I have been, and where I am headed. It was a GREAT thing!</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Kevin is staying busy. He spent the better part of the last week and half getting our soybean crop in the ground. He lacks 30 acres from being done, which is a relief! I don't think my arms and legs could take much more lifting of bags and buckets of soybeans into the drill:) He is enjoying his job with ProAg too! I can see changes in his life and really like what I see. He has more responsibilities now, but yet makes more time for the kids and me. I can't explain it, but he seems more relaxed, less on edge, and seems to be thoroughly enjoying life. It is definitely a good thing for all of us. </strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Life is crazy and hectic, but yet it is enjoyable. We are truly loving life right now! Maybe 30 won't be so bad after all!!!</strong></span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-85208912204289108862010-05-01T09:07:00.002-05:002010-05-01T09:24:34.713-05:00Saturday at our house...<strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">It is wild and crazy here already! For one, I am posting to our blog again and the week isn't even up yet...Amazing I know!</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">It seems like everyone has been bleeding this morning too...okay, not everyone, but I do feel like I have gotten to play nurse a lot this morning. Kinsley woke up with her first bloody nose. She likes to pick her nose, so it has been a constant struggle to keep it from bleeding this morning. </span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Then, Kevin decided the best way to get into Dayquil this morning was to use a 10" knife. He took the top couple of layers right off of his index finger. It was pretty nasty, to say the least. Lesson learned...Scissors or fingers are the best way to open the child proof packaging medicine comes in!</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">It is raining off and on here this morning. I can't believe the way our weather has been. I am not missing the 90 degree heat that has usually already occurred for a day or two by the time we reach May 1st, but the upper 70s, low 80s would be nice. It seems like we have spent much more time in the 60s recently! I am so ready for warm weather! I even enjoy the extreme heat we get here during the middle of the summer...They made air conditioning for a reason, right? </span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Kevin made it home safely from Kansas City on Thursday. When he started traveling a couple of months ago, it was hard on our family. But like everything else, we are adjusting to him being gone. I didn't think it any of us would get used to him being gone for 4 to 5 days at a time, but we all did pretty good with it this time. Kinsley was the only one that had an outburst about it, but she is 2 and doesn't understand. The boys were like old pros at it. It made the week go by much better. </span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">The boys have TEN DAYS of school left. It is so hard to believe! The years truly do fly faster the older the kids get. I can't believe we are almost the proud parents of second graders. That makes me feel even older than the yucky fact of turning 30 on Wednesday! I know I am going to blink and they are going to be seniors in high school. It seems unbelievable, but I know it will happen just that fast!</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Since life is flying right on by, I guess I should get back to living it! We thank you for checking in on us and our happenings, and wish everyone a great weekend and first week of May! Until next time....</span></strong>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-34913854441292978032010-04-26T20:08:00.002-05:002010-04-26T20:31:58.551-05:00Almost 30?!?!?!?<strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#cc6600;">In honor</span><span style="color:#cc6600;"> of this lovely time in my life, I decided the blog needed to be updated! How awful that I haven't posted here since last year.</span></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong>I have tried a new blog and didn't keep it up. I have went crazy wild with Facebook and love it. But I still miss coming here and unloading my thoughts on this great forum. Whether anyone reads it or not, it is a great place for me to be able to unwind and share what is going on in our small nook of the world.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong>So much has changed in the last year. The kids are growing lighting quick. I can't believe the boys are weeks away from being done with First Grade! When did that happen? How did they go from being able to crawl to learning to read everything, everywhere we go? And Kinsley isn't staying far behind. She does her best to keep up with them, and reminds me she can too all the time, whether she can or not! Having a daughter is everything I could have ever hoped for and so much more! She is definitely my girlie girl who also loves dirt and "ohside". It is amazing being a Mom to 3 very different, but each equally special children.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong>Kevin is working for ProAg Management, an Insurance Company. He is working as a crop adjuster. He loves it. He gets to travel, meet new people and is learning so many new things. It is SO GOOD for him to expand his horizon, and I couldn't be more grateful for this opportunity for him! He continues to farm and spray too. He is a very busy man, but he is very committed to his family too! The best of both worlds really!</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong>As for me, I have made many life altering decisions in the last three months. I have went on a rollercoaster ride of what to do with my life pretty much since the moment the doctor announced we would be welcoming twins into our family. You name it, I have tried to do it. In thinking about things though and in talking with Kevin, I have decided I am right where I need to be at in life. God has so blessed us with a nice home, a beautiful, healthy family, and with each other. I love being out here on our farm, raising our children. Is it always roses and rainbows? Well, anyone who has ever farmed, knows the answer to that. But it is like our Sunday School teacher said a couple of weeks ago: It isn't a get rich kinda of occupation, but a lifestyle choice. He is so right! Awesome comment, Carl!!!<br /></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong>I have been a stay at home mom for seven and half years. I have loved every minute but I don't think I have fully embraced being that. It has always been looking towards the kids going to school and me resuming my life...HAHAHA! For the first time, I am truly embracing being a MOM FULL TIME and a wife, and being the greatest farm help money could buy for Kevin (LOL)! Although, I tease him all the time, he could never replace me, and he knows it! Actually, I love helping him on the farm! It is never boring, and we get to spend time together that we wouldn't have otherwise!</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong>Another big change we have made is that we are attending a new church that we LOVE! We started attending the First Baptist Church in Kingfisher in January. According to Kevin, we do the insane thing of going to early service at 8:15 in the morning, but I love it. It starts our Sunday in the best possible way. We also have a great Sunday School Couples Class that we both enjoy! Carl and Carrie Storm teach it and we are so thankful they invited us to their class! The boys love their Sunday School program and Kinsley runs to the nursery where she spends the entire morning. Each of us has adjusted so well, and we are so thankful for such a beautiful, friendly place to worship the Lord.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc6600;"><strong>Other than that, I look forward to telling all of my crazy, funny, sometimes enlightening stories about our family on here again! It is my goal to post each week, and to do better about posting updated photos of the kiddos. When I transferred pics today, I had 700+ photos dating back past Thanksgiving (Great job, MOM:) ) And yes, a week from Wednesday, I will leave my 20s behind and join Kevin as a 30 something....I am just so excited about that, NOT!!!! Have a great last week in April!!!!</strong></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-40912696117838543382009-10-22T08:33:00.002-05:002009-10-22T08:42:23.128-05:00Where did time go?It feels like forever since I posted something here. Looking back at the last time I did, I realize life kinda of did fast forward.<br /><br />After I hurt my knee in August, everything went on pause. Thankfully, it wasn't more serious. After some lovely pain killers and lots of Naproxen, it seems to be better!!!<br /><br />The other big event of the last couple of months was the kiddos' much anticpated birthdays. The boys look forward to their big day from the time Christmas is over. Kinsley is just starting to realize that this present opening stuff is fun!<br /><br />Kinsley's birthday marked the removal of the crib from her room. I wanted something different for her, but was not ready to buy her a new bedroom set quite yet. I found the next best thing in a new toddler bed. It has Disney Princesses on it. She loves them and her new bed!<br /><br />The boys had less fanfare, but love their new Wii accessories. They had a ball at the swimming pool with their friends for their birthday party. We also got to do a first this year: they had their birthday party with their friends on their actual birthday. The boys thought it was a great way to spend the day!<br /><br />Life is moving at a crazy busy pace right now. It is time for the LEAF auction again (Nov 14). That consumes much of Mom's time. Dad has been busy cutting corn and soybeans and planting wheat. I think all of us would agree that even with life so busy, we wouldn't change a thing about it. We live and love it to its fullest everyday!<br /><br />And maybe along the way, Mom will update the blog like she had in the past! Check back often and enjoy the ride!Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-28548599823392195822009-08-14T18:51:00.002-05:002009-08-14T19:03:04.950-05:00Terrible TWO'S!!!She won't be two until the 21st of September, but Kinsley is already proving to be near!<br /><br />She is ALL OVER THE PLACE...ALL THE TIME! It is like the Energizer Bunny times 100! She constantly has to be doing something. She is a very, very, very busy toddler! And <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">MISCHIEVOUS</span> like all get out! I thought girls were supposed to be better than boys...YEAH RIGHT, and I had TWO BOYS at the same time!<br /><br />We wandered how this week would go with school starting. She has gotten quite attached to the boys this summer. She didn't miss a beat. She had been going into their room every morning, turning on their TV and talking to them. For some reason, on Wednesday, she came out and it didn't occur to her to visit them. They were gone to school; she was off to the races. She never stopped and had a smile on her face all day. We finally asked at lunch time where they were at, and she put her hands up and said "no" like I don't know. But it didn't seem to phase her a bit.<br /><br />And she hasn't let up this week. Yesterday morning, she got up at 6:50 before they left. She was ready to go and stood on the front porch and waved as they left. Then, ran into the house smiling and playing!<br /><br />Today, she got into the toilet and played with the cling on stamp things I bought to keep them cleaner. She smells like a pine <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">forest</span> because of it. They fascinate her for some reason. She dumped a full box of wet wipes out, took them all apart, and started flushing them. Thankfully, it was one at a time and Mommy heard the toilet getting flushed more than it should.<br /><br />She rode in the boys' booster seat today all buckled in because she didn't want to ride in her seat. I later figured out it is only because she can undo the seat belt (something her brothers still struggle with) without flinching and gets out to explore. That landed her in her car seat!<br /><br />Right as I type this, she has climbed on my lap and is now sitting <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">on my</span> desk smiling at me! She is grabbing anything within reach and it is so hard to be mad at a toothy grinned, pig tail wearing, little girl as she reaches over with her sticky little hand and gives you a great big kiss!<br /><br />On a sweet note, she has learned out to give bear hugs this week! Used to, when we hugged her, she would just take it...Now she puts her arms around your neck and squeezes as tight as a toddler can! So sweet and cute! What is not cute or sweet is that she is now shredding my stack of post-its one by one...Gotta go!Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-88625240836653950182009-08-05T13:19:00.003-05:002009-08-05T13:52:40.519-05:00Accident Prone!<span style="font-size:130%;color:#3366ff;">For awhile, I am still going to post at both places. I don't have the new blog all set up yet, and will just copy and past for the time being!!! But be sure and check the new blog out too!!!<br /><br />We acquired a boat this summer. We have been to the lake 5 times in the last month. One weekend, we got rained out at Keystone one day, and went to Canton lake the next. Kevin and I have dreamed of the day we could have something like this for our family. We put the boys into swim lessons four summers ago. They took lessons for three summers and this summer they were on the swim team, all in preparation for us getting a boat eventually.<br /><br />Kinsley is still smaller than we would like, but it is much easier with one toddler than it ever would have been with two! And all three kids are still small enough that they love to ride in the boat for awhile, and then go to the sand and play. Kinsley absolutely loves the water and the boat! She wants to put the boat into every mud hole we see now, and we can't change the TV channel if there is water on! Silly girl!!!<br /><br />Kevin and I find a great deal of peace and serenity going to the lake. There is no talk of work, problems, disputes, or anything else. It is just a time when we can get away from everything, enjoy our beautiful, healthy family, and have fun! We love that it allows us the ability to create wonderful memories without breaking the bank. And we love just being able to get away from EVERYTHING for the afternoon. It is definitely a welcomed addition to our life.<br /><br />Unfortunately, my accident proneness hasn't escaped our lake going! In fact, a year to the day on Sunday was when I had fallen off of the stage of the chapel where my sister got married. I had blood everywhere, and a bruise that lasted for weeks. I still have a scar from that loveliness!<br /><br />Anyways, we took our very good friends', the Brooks' with us to the lake this weekend. Nathan and Kevin were best friends in school, and Nathan and I grew up 2 miles apart from each other. Krista and I are great friends, and they have two girls, one is the boys age, and the other is Kinsley's age. It works out great!<br /><br />Krista and I got on the tube after the boys were done. Kevin was driving. It was really one of those perfect storm moments. We were flying every which way and we saw the other boat pulling a tube. I knew he was going into the wake of the other boat and had told Krista as much. He claims I should have tucked and rolled then...But I didn't. Instead, he hit it, and we went over. I hit the water wrong, the air got knocked out of me, and my knee popped. I came up, couldn't breath, and wasn't sure what I had done to my leg, only that it was in pain!<br /><br />On Monday, we went to an orthopedic specialist and were relieved to hear that it was a torn MCL instead of my ACL! It wouldn't require surgery (PRAISE THE LORD), only rest and ice! I could definitely do that!<br /><br />I am happy to report that my knee is starting to feel better. The swelling and stiffness are still there, but I can get around pretty good. My injury from the wedding last year lasted much longer!!!<br /><br />It had been suggested by some that the boat needs to never be used again because of the danger and accidents it can cause. While I can see why one might think or say that, it was an accident, and honestly, for those that know me, they know accidents with me happen ALL THE TIME!! In the last year alone, I have burned myself on our grill, fell at my sister's wedding, fell down stairs at church, tripped on the sidewalk at school and got both my knees scraped, and now my boating mishap. I didn't stop walking, grilling or using stairs after those accidents. ACCIDENTS HAPPEN! We ALL take risks all the time!!!! Kevin takes risks daily being a farmer! It is one of the MOST DANGEROUS jobs you can have, and we don't quit that every time he injures his back or cuts his finger. We will continue taking the boat out and may even do it this weekend if all the ground is worked and things are taken care of! I am game if the family is!<br /><br />The boat will continue to be a great source of entertainment for our family! It will be something that we will spend many hours on, and we will create great family memories with our children and extended family and friends. And if the occasional accident happens, that is okay too! It happens...and apparently A LOT to me, regardless of whether I am on dry land or at sea lol!!!!!<br /></span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-26944321678400708582009-07-24T22:25:00.004-05:002009-07-24T22:30:37.675-05:00NEW FAMILY WEBSITE!!!!<span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;color:#000099;">During recent research, I found a great website tool that lets you have your own personal space for free!!! I will still update this blog from time to time, but I encourage you to check out our new </span><a href="http://www.thefisherfamily.snappages.com/"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;color:#000099;">family website</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;color:#000099;">. </span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;color:#000099;">And please remember to bookmark both pages! The new site has a place for blogging, calendar, photos, and so on! I am really excited about it!!! Check back often in the next couple of days! I don't have hardly anything customized yet (you may see some strange template things on there for awhile), but will slowly start working on it in the new couple of weeks!</span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;color:#000099;">Be sure and send me an email or a comment if you create your own website or blog! We want to follow you too!!!</span></span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-75721235493380105702009-07-21T17:39:00.002-05:002009-07-21T17:48:57.740-05:00Bath Time Surprise!<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#ff6666;">Okay, it is not the surprise you are probably thinking of....It was much different!<br /><br />Last night, Kevin had to leave on a Fire run. The kids and I went out and tarped the boat and put up the vehicles and all....Kinsley was very upset when it was time to go back inside.<br /><br />We tried everything to make it better. I got her juice, cookies, read books, played toys, nothing worked. So, I mentioned that she could take a shower. She usually hops in with the boys or sometimes she climbs in with me. Usually, though it is the kids thing to just all climb in the shower together and clean up.<br /><br />She started running immediately to the shower. So did the boys. She got MAD!!! She was pushing them out of the bathroom, yelling at them, shaking her head, and crying. She has never objected to them sharing the shower time with her before. She doesn't say much, but her actions and limited vocabulary usually let us know what she means.<br /><br />I suggested that I get in with her, and the boys would wait until later to shower. She started clapping her hands and smiling instantly! The boys went back to the living room, and the girls got in the shower. She was a completely different kid from the point on. She wanted her hair washed. She used the loofah to soap up her own body and took special care to wash all of her little features (and of course, Mommy couldn't help). Then, she started in on my legs and I had to sit on our shower step so she could wash my neck and back. I was about done, but I had forgotten conditioner in her hair. She didn't hesistate to remind Mama:)<br /><br />I was really just amazed at the way she expressed herself and made it very clear what she wanted last night. It is truly amazing that at 22 months old she is very concise in the way things should be for her! Toddlerhood has its ups and downs, but it also has its unbelievable, jaw dropping, WOW moments! I was in AWW of her last night!</span> </span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-21647158571744625152009-07-20T19:22:00.002-05:002009-07-20T19:34:02.001-05:00Falling Behind...That is all I seem to be doing lately! It is okay, but it needs to change!<br /><br />I got a letter from our Peditrician the other day...I had missed Kinsley's well check visit. Now, usually they call and confirm; they did not. I have my BlackBerry and type everything in it; I guess when I flushed it in May it didn't back that appt up. For whatever reason, we didn't make it to her 22 month check up. I need to call them in the morning and reschedule. I can't wait to make that phone call. Such is life with three kiddos!<br /><br />The boys have been busy beavers which is probably part of the problem with everything else. We rechecked books out for another week from the library last week only to have tomorrow come again and still not have gotten to them! Maybe we will work on that tonight and in the morning!<br /><br />Damon and Dilon have reached their last week of swim team and library time! The summer sure has flown by. It is hard to believe in three weeks time (or there abouts) they will be starting school again! I can't believe they will be starting first grade and will be really into school! Sure, Kindergarten and Pre-K were so vitally important, but first grade is the beginning of school without naps, snacks, and center time. It is the start of going to school for grades that the teacher records. It should be an interesting year!<br /><br />Kinsley also gets to start "school" on August 17. Kevin and I have made the decision to socialize her a little bit and put her in Mother's Day Out twice a week in Kingfisher. The boys always had each other and had to learn sharing and how to be around kids their own age. They had no problems with school or making new friends. We just want to give Kinsley the same kind of opportunity. It will also allow Mama to work on her business at least part time without interruption, and it will provide a chance to run errands without extra help! The boys think it is neat she is going to school and I am sure Kinsley will LOVE it!<br /><br />And I realize that I have been falling behind on my blogs! I am working to rebuild my business website and I am adding a weekly business blog to it. I am hoping that as I start doing that on the weekends that it will force me to update the other two as well!!! Time will tell!!Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-16975373104053953972009-06-25T15:11:00.006-05:002009-06-25T15:57:59.708-05:00Do you ever realize how fortunate you are?<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#990000;">I have been spending my summer with my children. We have been going like crazy, and I am utterly exhausted most days. They do silly things that set me off, and the baby has been exerting her independence in the worst way right now. However, during all of this, have I ever stopped to think about how fortunate I am? I have three healthy, beautiful, content children. We have had our scares with each of them, but nothing that has caused life to stand still for any long than a couple of months at most. Kinsley has continued to battle her allergies and Dilon has his asthma problems. Damon and Dilon both have heart defects, but overall, they are very healthy children.<br /><br />There are so many around us that would trade places with us in an instant to have the health that we have. I think of little Morgan and all she has been through. Thankfully, they are getting somewhat of a normal summer!<br /><br />Poor little Connor Cruse and his family rejoiced when his NB tumor was dead, only to have a new cancer form, and now they are running out of options. I can't imagine what a battle this has been for them for the last four years.<br /><br />I think of little Justin Schnell and all of his health issues. He is only going to be in seventh grade and has seen more hospitals in his life than anyone should. And now they need prayer again as he is having lung problems again.<br /><br />Kevin's uncle, Gene, has had a rough time with his cancer as well. They got the much needed answer to prayer Tuesday when tests showed that his blood was clear of the blasts for the first time in months.<br /><br />But really, how often do any of us sit and count our blessings for the small things in life. How many times do we tell the Lord how thankful we are that our children, parents, spouse, family and friends are healthy? How many times are we grateful for the drink spilled in the back seat of the car? How many times are we grateful to have children that are healthy to take places? And how often do we just assume that a baby will be born healthy and then stop and realize what a miracle it is when it actually happens?<br /><br />My children are happy. They are healthy. They are having a fun summer. And I am so very thankful and grateful to God for that very fact!<br /><br />Here are some videos from today of them in the pool. Damon finally decided he would swim today. He swam the best he has all summer. It was near the end of swim team practice and Dilon was tired in the first video, but you will see they were both wound up when it came time to go down the slide and jump off the board!</span><br /></span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='333' height='265' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzqCSSrft5dcl0xa_4Pv5yjMFv4QVJOKcVcuisgF89pFnmyZaHMHtNWUaagbp3EcJQ3TpAIo9XfnacBUCRv-Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='322' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyvJo9T109y2JlwF7mvqsWs2PZ9DgN73WyTOCYq4C8hXJkbIyySM8ZrQ_KHv5YsRK8cZUnsbVyxl8tI1QR9iA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzKK9wUWbnr0My6BX3jjoeKVJRFrbCTLvvHxBRuKHR3G5a1Ig925uCB87D6BW6UYAFRCiQmVTlpfLCJpRDPWg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-59499514280037200732009-06-22T10:45:00.002-05:002009-06-22T11:00:53.216-05:00June is almost over!<span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;">I can't believe that June is almost over! It has flown by. Our minister discussed that very topic yesterday about how when you get older, time flies faster. Boy does it! It is hard to believe the boys have been home for a month, we have finished harvest, and are right on our way to the Fourth of July (my favorite day of the summer)!!!<br /><br />I have so much that I want to post here to catch this blog up. It has been a wild time in the Fisher household, which is becoming nothing out of the ordinary! I also realized today that I need to post new pictures. The pictures from November show my baby girl! I have a much bigger girl today! Hard to believe in three months she will be two! She is proving to her family everyday though that she is getting closer to the terrific (lets leave terrible out of it) twos!!!<br /><br />In the coming days, I am going to post about harvest this year. It was a memorable one for so many reasons! Of course, the freeze provided less than desirable yields. And this year, Kevin and I cut wheat by ourselves for the first time. We have always done it with his family, and decided this year we would venture out on our own. The five of us worked hard, were exhausted for ten days, and have memories that will last a lifetime! I can't wait to share some of it here on this blog! I will be bored stiff someday when my children grow up and don't ride in a wheat truck with me anymore!<br /><br />Kinsley has discovered the potty. She isn't potty trained, but she does manage to stay dry for several hours during the day and most nights. I have mixed emotions about this. Crazy I know. With the boys, they were content with their diapers. They weren't fully potty trained until well after their third birthday. But it was okay! When they did it, they went all the way. No bed wetting, very few accidents, and they were just done with diapers PERIOD! I know Kinsley loves the potty, but I don't want it to be something that we try to do, and then we regress. I think that would cause more frustration and disappointment for her than anything else! So we are just going to play that by ear for the rest of the summer and see where it goes!<br /><br />The boys are....Well, BOYS! They are having a good summer. The one thing I have yet to hear is that they are bored! They are having a good time at the library and are enjoying their time on the swim team. We are considering letting them continue that this winter. It is something for them to do and keep them occupied. We will see how it goes. They are also excited that Transformers comes out this week. They have been counting down to that movie all month long. The wheat truck was full of stories about Megatron and Optimus Prime!<br /><br />Stay tuned for the Harvest 2009 post. You won't want to miss how I am now known as "Pepper" by one of my six year olds, and many other interesting tidbits! </span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-67208207389472049022009-05-18T13:59:00.003-05:002009-05-18T14:22:58.645-05:00Summer Break has started<span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;"><strong>The boys are officially done with Kindergarten. It is hard to believe that it went by so fast. I had whip lash as it zoomed on by.<br /><br />During the school year, the boys are very structured. All of us are. We get up at the same time each day. We go to bed at the same time each night (they are usually in bed by 7:45 since the bus comes at 7:05 in the morning). They have their rituals of making their bed, brushing their teeth, eating breakfast, and their afternoon rituals of reading, backpack cleanout, and putting everything away. We just have a routine that we go through.<br /><br />Kevin and I have talked at length as to what this summer should look like for them. We want to make sure of course that they have fun, but it is very important to us that they learn responsibility and that we don't shy too far away from our school time routine. The boys' teacher next year is a wonderful educator, but she is also very strict. We want to ease their transition time by making sure they are ready to have structure next fall in school.<br /><br />We had discussed the boys helping around the house this summer. They already do quite a bit. They help with the laundry, they work on the dishes, they pick up the living room and their room and the toys, and help Kinsley with her room; they are also GREAT big brothers!!! I wanted to do something that would not only encourage them to help, but would also reward them when they help. So I came up with the Chore Chart for each boy. There are 20 different things on the list. The things are varied in nature. Somethings, like brush your teeth, happen more than one time per day, while others like dusting, happen weekly. There are simple things on there like ride your bike for 30 minutes or run 10 laps around the house. There are things that require more effort like Make your bed or fold laundry.<br /><br />The point was to get them off the couch and give them something to look forward to this summer. For each chore completed to Mom's approval, they get a star. When they get 25 stars, they get 1 gold star. After 10 gold stars, they get to buy a Nintendo DS game, or something equivalent. Right now, they are outside helping Dad build fence. They get a star for every hour they spend with him outside.<br /><br />It is not that I am organized or scheduled to the point where we can't have a day of relaxation or fun. Trust me, if you could see my house right now, you would know that I need a chore chart too; FlyLady may just become Mom's New BEST Friend!!! I just wanted something to keep them busy, be able to reward them from time to time for a job well done, and in the process, keep the house somewhat decent with five people in it for the next three months.<br /><br />Now before anyone starts screaming child labor and all of that, they are getting to do fun things this summer. Both boys are participating on the swim team in Kingfisher. They will also be spending time at the library because they have book goals they have to reach before school starts. Reading a book is something that is also on the chore chart list.<br /><br />And since we aren't planning a big vacation this year (hopefully we will go someplace BIG next summer), we are planning little day trips to places like Frontier City, White Water Bay, the Zoo and so on. These day-cations are also part of their reward for being Mom and Dad's helpers this summer.<br /><br />People have raised their eyebrows, questioned my motives, wondered if the boys are too small to do these things and so on....So I felt it was important to set the record straight. I know most of the people I have told about my chart read my blog, so I wanted everyone to know where the chart idea came from. It is less about whether the house is clean or if I have built in slaves all summer, but more about teaching my children independence and responsibility. </strong></span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-71691167985714294332009-05-07T14:24:00.002-05:002009-05-07T14:41:45.865-05:00Housework!?!?!<span style="font-size:130%;color:#993399;">I have spent most of the day cleaning our house (and I am still not done, but it looks better). I used to think when Kevin and I were just Kevin and I, that the house couldn't possibly get any worse. There was no way that we could ever have more laundry or more dishes to do. That this would be the worst of it.....Then came twins!<br /><br />When the boys were born it was survival mode. I did what I had to do, and nothing else matter. If the dishes were dirty, they were just dirty. If the floor had toys scattered about, it just did. If the toilets went more than a week without being cleaned, it just happened. You get the idea. We did that out of necessity. Kevin was working on the farm and building his spraying business. I was fully devoted to the boys and had to be. I didn't always like the way the house looked or felt, but it was part of it.<br /><br />Then we moved and doubled our square footage. We moved into a almost 2000 square foot home with an extra bathroom (we now have 3) and two extra bedrooms, as well as a massive living area, dining room, kitchen w/nook, and a nice sized Master bedroom. I loved it. And it was so new, that I kept it clean. We had gotten rid of so much before we moved, and didn't have furniture to fill it. It was simple, but happy living.<br /><br />Fast Forward five years...We have added our family's jewel, Kinsley, and a lot, lot, lot of other things. We have a dining room set, a breakfast table, furniture in our room, nice living room furniture, the boys bedroom stuff, Kinsley's stuff, and TOYS, TOYS, TOYS and TOYS! Did I mention TOYS?<br /><br />The simplistic nature of those first couple of months in this house are long past. And while I love the way our house looks when it is cleaned, I hate the way it looks when it is not. There is nothing inviting, warm, cozy, or nice about a messy house. Toys rule the roost, along with Kinsley, in our house. She even got mad this weekend as the four of us worked to clean house. She threw a constant fit, and finally had to go to bed. I know from experience it is just part of having a toddler. They move onto the next thing quicker than they can think about what they left behind.<br /><br />My question is how do other Moms do it? This question is mainly geared at those that have children at home still. Before you have kids or after they are gone, it is not the same. It isn't like a woman with no children is going to find a poop pile where her daughter went after her bath last night on her new carpet (that was this morning's discovery in the dining room), unless she has a dog:). Do other moms just live with the mess? Do you obsess over cleaning? How do you do it? Do you do FlyLady.net? How does it all get done? I am curious and if you are brave enough to be honest, post a comment or email me:) I appreciate it!!!</span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-27277851116598621502009-05-01T13:35:00.003-05:002009-05-01T13:44:52.604-05:00Prayers!!!<span style="font-size:130%;">Hello Family and Friends,<br /><br /><span style="color:#6600cc;">Kevin's uncle, Gene Henderson, and his family need your prayers right now. As many of you know, he was diagnosed with Leukemia last summer. His battle has had many ups and downs along the way.<br /><br />They were recently preparing for his stem cell transplant only to get word that his diagnosis of a Chronic type of Leukemia was now being defined as an Acute Leukemia. The treatment is much more aggressive, and Gene is currently in the hospital. His Daughter, Elisha Basford, created a Caring Bridge site for her Dad to keep everyone updated on his progress. He should be in the hospital for chemotherapy for the next 4-6 weeks.<br /><br />You can visit his caring bridge site by </span></span><a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/genehenderson"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;">clicking here</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;">. The link will also be listed under my favorite links.<br /><br />Thank you for remembering Uncle Gene, Aunt Marilyn, Eddie, Jordan, Josh, Adam and Elisha in your prayers during this difficult time! </span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-75726065287888899042009-04-16T15:31:00.007-05:002009-05-01T13:55:09.027-05:00Why are we still doing this?<span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;">Editor's Note: I wrote the following post a couple of weeks ago....Since this time, we are still in a wait and see approach about the crop. It has been cool and wet so it is hard to tell what we have. We continue to wait for an insurance adjuster to come out, and assess the damage. And we look forward to marking 10 years together two weeks from today!!!!</span></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">Ok, since it was rhetorical, I know the answer to the question, but it still makes me wander sometimes!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7WVOg0FRaxM0gvp8tA3HZlaGqNh9zsVl-mv50dog4OyJ-YXoiZFFC1z0LJUxH0yEqAtiIvvr2thlD_S4tRJxQrdqd3ELbTBAtzxBYndYp4gVBw7wmxND3wJWvIt9BSEUhIEjDtzhdvE/s1600-h/IMG.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325397923777106050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 212px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7WVOg0FRaxM0gvp8tA3HZlaGqNh9zsVl-mv50dog4OyJ-YXoiZFFC1z0LJUxH0yEqAtiIvvr2thlD_S4tRJxQrdqd3ELbTBAtzxBYndYp4gVBw7wmxND3wJWvIt9BSEUhIEjDtzhdvE/s320/IMG.jpg" border="0" /></a>Kevin and I are less than a month away from our 10 year anniversary. We were two young pups when we married! I thought I was fat, (I have since realized that was so not the case!), I thought I was older than my 19 years, and I knew everything there was to know about life. I think when you are young, it always seems that way. You think there is nothing that you haven't seen or lived through....Until there is!<br /><br />I love our life on the farm. It is a great, serene place to raise a family and to live. I love that we are teaching our children all about their heritage through the farm. I love that we live where my husband's grandparents once had a home. I love the history I see when I look outside. I even love the way each triumph and disaster causes my brain to do a rewind, and I tend to replay all of the major triumphs and disaster we have had in 10 years of farming together.<br /><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjki8meYIXHrda9ldHytFVI46JVvBv4Cw94zJpzbt9xm3-k1rPcEWj6LbddmwT7lnlkIh6odTkZwxofWOfaSFWQT9s6V7MAwk_zJvMhTsfPJ56kkFoys2DyiwZZ0sN2jLm5ghPJh_eaqAo/s1600-h/April+2009+077.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325401795379988018" style="WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjki8meYIXHrda9ldHytFVI46JVvBv4Cw94zJpzbt9xm3-k1rPcEWj6LbddmwT7lnlkIh6odTkZwxofWOfaSFWQT9s6V7MAwk_zJvMhTsfPJ56kkFoys2DyiwZZ0sN2jLm5ghPJh_eaqAo/s320/April+2009+077.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJs7Ez4Kn7HjCX4gaprcaV2uo-qmy3IIRq3bkrjpnOyXKQxR_QdDaVSwdcCmNt72KQxl9yoq7A_RU1uYlXbezYH1TGxrMWwCeogcEtxLpO-jejIKQLkzWv8blwJjgIluxigdpEmkRtO4/s1600-h/April+2009+081.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325401797046424770" style="WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJs7Ez4Kn7HjCX4gaprcaV2uo-qmy3IIRq3bkrjpnOyXKQxR_QdDaVSwdcCmNt72KQxl9yoq7A_RU1uYlXbezYH1TGxrMWwCeogcEtxLpO-jejIKQLkzWv8blwJjgIluxigdpEmkRtO4/s320/April+2009+081.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is usually one of my most favorite times of year! I am ready to get outside and start gardening. It is always exciting watching the wheat head out and get ever closer to harvest. It is amazing the way those little plants can change in a matter of weeks. I always marvel at Mother Nature and how the conditions have to be just perfect for us to make a living.<br /><br />We have lived through a couple of years of drought, a late season freeze a couple of years ago, to flooding rains where it literally didn't stop raining for weeks on end. We even broke records here in Oklahoma for the most consecutive number of days with rain. I can't remember the total, but I know it was well above 20.<br /><br />Last year, what can I say. It was the type of year you farm for. We had a bumper crop, a fantastic price, and looked forward to this year after harvest was over with!<br /><br />Fast Forward...The wheat was planted in Sept and October. It came up and started to grow. We lived through a couple of months of no rain. It needed a drink but wasn't to the point of no return. We caught a couple of rains recently and it looked to be on track for an average crop. Then, a HARD FREEZE set in almost two weeks ago. Temperatures dipped into the teens and low twenties. We sat and waited and hoped for the best, but feared the worst!<br /><br />Our fears were realized earlier this week! The heads that are usually bright green and ready to produce a crop are for the most part white and dried up. A crop that once looked to be a 35-40 bushel wheat crop has been reduced to a 5-10 bushel crop, if we are lucky.<br /><br />Of course, we are insured. If past experience has taught us nothing else, it is to carry crop insurance! And as comforting as that is, it will not be the same. You spend all summer (June, July, August) working ground and preparing it for a crop. You spend most of Sept and Oct sowing the crop. You watch it for bugs, weeds and pests all winter. You spray it with fertilizer. You watch in amazement as it grows, heads out, turns from a bright green to a golden yellow color and is ready to cut by the end of May/first of June. You invest a whole year's worth of money, work, sweat and tears into this crop to watch either as your cattle eat it into the ground, you swath it and bale it up, or you cut it and get lucky to get a truck load out of the field. It is truly disheartening.<br /><br />Will there be another wheat crop after this one? Yes. Will we be okay and move on? Yes. Will we soon forget this year? I highly doubt it! So the question still remains, why are we still doing this? It is for those years like last year when you hit a proverbial home run as Kevin would say. It is the pride and enjoyment we take in our hard work. It feels like sometimes it is about getting knocked down to the point where you think you are going to break, and rising back up from it!<br /><br />Those two kids still have that same twinkle in their eyes that they had when the married almost ten years ago. They cherish and love each other more than they ever thought possible. And they have grown up and learned some of the hard lessons life has to provide! But they continue to have trust and faith in not only in each other, but that the Lord will provide just as He always has, and it will all work out in the end!</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dS0Kftd8lBklN7UvtwY7UTZ623SOeGpd8KBH657yPJ44WEpYI4mAIfaCtyAxToFWAZtMiHmeuXOjtKsR8ILTiF5wb_tJuhfC2QTbs573b3FpvlNzgpiuU0o6_Plh5veRa1QU8xUHNr4/s1600-h/April+2009+084.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325401809399106626" style="WIDTH: 292px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 177px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dS0Kftd8lBklN7UvtwY7UTZ623SOeGpd8KBH657yPJ44WEpYI4mAIfaCtyAxToFWAZtMiHmeuXOjtKsR8ILTiF5wb_tJuhfC2QTbs573b3FpvlNzgpiuU0o6_Plh5veRa1QU8xUHNr4/s320/April+2009+084.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipT5hVacdosgy7RkfGP9bW40j83PLil4orXfndjaJ6BBps7V11KH6UF-Tdjl2RLEOBAhEtR0mLkFvB6qDi8qBkt4ERAc5Y9UjHr7JJb-CSguHn1SN5T3F8Ofn2t8N_F1zLHmDWjslP6CU/s1600-h/April+2009+090.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325401801844605074" style="WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipT5hVacdosgy7RkfGP9bW40j83PLil4orXfndjaJ6BBps7V11KH6UF-Tdjl2RLEOBAhEtR0mLkFvB6qDi8qBkt4ERAc5Y9UjHr7JJb-CSguHn1SN5T3F8Ofn2t8N_F1zLHmDWjslP6CU/s320/April+2009+090.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga02UhyphenhyphenpVxknp8O73Fn30EHneN5XUw7_ttS-XqyUkQLJJNs39ZsNMMb7WZ1xXnEFK9ttbd4nGBgRPddbsepFwXwbSv9v8xENx1YfwE7LTVOLuJ57Eb7f7YLXF30OuoXltsz0Z7AIKpxY0/s1600-h/April+2009+087.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325401801777386626" style="WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga02UhyphenhyphenpVxknp8O73Fn30EHneN5XUw7_ttS-XqyUkQLJJNs39ZsNMMb7WZ1xXnEFK9ttbd4nGBgRPddbsepFwXwbSv9v8xENx1YfwE7LTVOLuJ57Eb7f7YLXF30OuoXltsz0Z7AIKpxY0/s320/April+2009+087.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"></span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-33967125768114210772009-04-14T21:39:00.005-05:002009-04-14T21:59:12.386-05:00Videos<strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">I have a BB now and take videos more often. I wasn't thinking this weekend though...I should have taken video of the boys going off the diving boards at the VSAC in Kingfisher. IT WAS AWESOME!!! They both went off with no life jackets, no one else in the pool, and swam to the side. I was EXTREMELY IMPRESSED!! Dilon also went off the big diving board four times. That is something Mom has done one time and swore never again!</span></strong> <div><div><div><p align="center"><strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">Here is little sister eating pudding!</span></strong></p><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxnI_dQTdlZxr7-No3TJTdyFCbjYyr_6MtXU8AtYQDCgNWf4v1NdXGnEuPcfQ78t7c34D9sN24SgO3ssfzDKw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p align="center"><strong>Listen to this laugh! It is hilarious!</strong></p><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx8ioqY2jxursqPpvXpjRl9KTz6PaKbHUGC0-TEjNkc4sc-6WKpoWQG5B2vqCW004PMovSJnFMVWcCI2BF8rQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Here are the boys at the swimming pool! They had two b-day parties last Saturday at the same place - the indoor swim pool in Kingfisher. We were at the pool from 10:00 am to 3:15 pm with a break at McD's for lunch. Thankfully, they know how to swim well enough that Mom didn't have to get in!</span></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>Here is Dilon going off the big board, and afterwards in 13 feet depth of water!</strong></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDnEKYA4fxdqNoYabvvROon6id7irfLMIB3pLUUHcWIjGl3-vWzGk9hnfl4Ami5-MnZ-pwWm_Vr5sPC3kCmrI5l412KwDGhbYyGJyb3RDjzcPJgIO0M4YCNIPwsjV-2JdQktEohiKbAQ/s1600-h/IMG00075.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324744327931573170" style="WIDTH: 286px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 207px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDnEKYA4fxdqNoYabvvROon6id7irfLMIB3pLUUHcWIjGl3-vWzGk9hnfl4Ami5-MnZ-pwWm_Vr5sPC3kCmrI5l412KwDGhbYyGJyb3RDjzcPJgIO0M4YCNIPwsjV-2JdQktEohiKbAQ/s320/IMG00075.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-souqKKmwLkE_i8LBgLvi-WlOuIF-J9MASHSt2h4VNHqkHtcb15IMBt49-w6qxaa-WtsUSte2tG_r2jP7kCnMFQWbKDiTRoClX8yf-OOGF0yLg3rs35Jh0cMcsSvdpxpluTufd_qMxiA/s1600-h/IMG00077.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324744335659868226" style="WIDTH: 282px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 207px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-souqKKmwLkE_i8LBgLvi-WlOuIF-J9MASHSt2h4VNHqkHtcb15IMBt49-w6qxaa-WtsUSte2tG_r2jP7kCnMFQWbKDiTRoClX8yf-OOGF0yLg3rs35Jh0cMcsSvdpxpluTufd_qMxiA/s320/IMG00077.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"><strong>Here is Damon going off the board, and after in 13 feet deep water by himself!!!</strong></span><br /><br /><p align="center"></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPxR-FMz0l8e1KJ-NBq65CAaGyDusBPowot9k8-23M9L2tm3u2ynJTQbM8Q95UQJlg1i3umMy6sZE5hU7Xr_PmfZ-ZpvW3xuSzCcJM8PNSn1pdyGLO59PwkIJOctsR-v02D7TbCYkfq0/s1600-h/IMG00079.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324744339293586962" style="WIDTH: 289px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 219px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPxR-FMz0l8e1KJ-NBq65CAaGyDusBPowot9k8-23M9L2tm3u2ynJTQbM8Q95UQJlg1i3umMy6sZE5hU7Xr_PmfZ-ZpvW3xuSzCcJM8PNSn1pdyGLO59PwkIJOctsR-v02D7TbCYkfq0/s320/IMG00079.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAz6YDPVmRPaga3s43AKTW-JD2yER_KaGvGl1Ck79vNKvrTYJQC-js4TAPwiWdWMHkSXFq-XCHLxNCWtoyZhPdS2-KKXlatnbTNFY-aW0G3T7AcmVuwHt8p0hoA3Ka06uOcgQi9XBJRw/s1600-h/IMG00080.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324744343154959170" style="WIDTH: 293px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 217px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAz6YDPVmRPaga3s43AKTW-JD2yER_KaGvGl1Ck79vNKvrTYJQC-js4TAPwiWdWMHkSXFq-XCHLxNCWtoyZhPdS2-KKXlatnbTNFY-aW0G3T7AcmVuwHt8p0hoA3Ka06uOcgQi9XBJRw/s320/IMG00080.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"></p></div></div></div>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480936893523964564.post-37557686454574249672009-03-29T14:38:00.003-05:002009-03-29T15:03:42.907-05:00Updates<span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">I do this from time to time...I don't have pictures, or any one thing to talk about, so I talk about a whole bunch of little things! Since I haven't updated in a month, I need to catch the blog up!</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">We have all had something in the last month. Kevin had a sinus infection in February. Dilon has a croup/stridor attack and was admitted to the hospital in March. Kinsley had an ear infection. Dilon and I brought home pink eye from the hospital. Damon had allergies and a cough. I had a sinus infection that antibiotics and steriods couldn't clear up. It lingered the last two weeks. It hasn't been much fun at our house!</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">Then the weather. For those of you not in Oklahoma, or for those that have never lived in or visited our state for any length of time, you don't know what you are missing with our weather. We had started cleaning out flower beds. The trees were in full bloom. The 80 degree weather had returned, and I really thought the weathermen were nuts when they were talking about snow this weekend. Well it happened. Not as much here as they thought, but to the north of here there were record snow totals of almost two feet for a March storm. CRAZY!!!! The old saying of "If you don't like the weather in OK, wait five minutes. It is sure to change." really held true this last week. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">Kinsley is becoming quite opinionated. She loves OooooEEEEs (oreos). She doesn't like her diaper anymore and will gladly go to her room to get it changed. She has started showing interest in her potty!!! YEAH!!! A funny story to share: The other day she was practicing on her potty. She just had a shirt on and was practicing in the kitchen while I cooked supper. She noticed I had cheese out. Next to OOOOOEEEES, cheese is her other favorite. Well, she got two slices and went to the table. It didn't dawn on me or her that she still didn't have her diaper on. About that time, I heard her cry. She had peed all over the dining room chair:)!! Her frustration was evident. I reassured her it was ok, but she was so mad that she went and hit her potty!</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">The boys reading and comprehension level still continues to amaze me. They are reading at about a 1.5 grade level right now. Not too shabby for Kindergartners! And they come up with the darnedest things! Today during Sunday school, they were discussing sin. There teacher asked them if they had done something they knew was wrong that they should ask God for forgiveness for...Dilon thought about it and said, "Yes, I tripped my sister." The teacher said, "Well you didn't mean too, and so we can ask for God to forgive us." Dilon said, "No, I really meant to trip her!" Gotta love the honesty of a six year old!</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">There are also still prayer requests all around us....Morgan is doing great! She still needs prayers, but thankfully the cancer has not returned. Connor's treatment of his second cancer needs prayers of direction and healing. Uncle Gene has one match for a bone marrow transplant and may have another that might even possibly be better than the first. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">A young woman, Shelly, that we attend church with is recovering from viral meningitis. The prognosis looks good; however, they found out that she is pregnant. The pregnancy needs prayers after all the testing and medications she used to treat her virus. She and her husband had been trying to conceive for six years, so prayers would definitely be appreciated. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">Kevin's cousin, Suzi, is also expecting again around Halloween. Her first pregnancy went well, but she is considered high risk due to her being diabetic. Kevin's other cousins, Toby and Tammy, are expecting their first child in May! They will be welcoming a little boy!</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">And no, all of these babies, plus the numerous ones in our community that are not listed here, does NOT make me want a baby again. God willing, our family is complete! Total I think I know of seven to eight women right now that are pregnant either in our community or in our family. I have figured out that babies are fun to play with and then give back!!!</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;color:#ff6600;">I think that about covers everything that has been going on! Stay tuned for Birthday Pictures in the next couple of weeks...Niece Avery turns 1 on Wednesday and her party is next weekend!</span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11643696299221805404noreply@blogger.com0