Down South

At the end of September we went down to San Juan Capistrano to visit Lisa and Angie and meet tiny Sophia. She's beautiful, and I took one picture on my phone. Yes, I am ashamed. I hoped to take a few before we left, but we left pretty early and her momma wasn't into it. She had just hit 5 pounds.

Just as we pulled off the freeway in San Juan I got a text saying Tehachapi was on fire. Our town was threatened by several fires that were begun by lightening strikes. So, the whole first night was a game of "should I stay or should I go." There was a lot of conflicting information, and we just weren't sure what to do. But we stayed, and all was well. No homes were lost :-)

We did get to go to the beach in San Clemente while we were there. It was a lovely day, and we ladies sat with the baby under the boardwalk while the kids played in the water under daddy's supervision.




Except Hailey. She didn't even bring a suit because she's not going in the ocean. Ever. There's fish in there. And sharks. Lots and lots of sharks.

So, she did this.
Listened to music while walking in circles under the boardwalk. Sometimes with Audreyanna, sometimes without.

Annaleise could not believe the bounty, rocks EVERYWHERE!! Pockets full of them!


But eventually she suited up and headed to the water with everyone else. It didn't last long though. Ty headed out a little too deep and a wave crashed over him and swept him out. Daddy had Annaleise in his arms and plopped her down to chase after Ty. Where another wave came and swept her out too. After getting the both safely on shore daddy decided two littles was a bit too much for him, and Annaleise was over it anyway. So, she came back to the boardwalk and played with rocks.
Everyone else had a grand time playing in the water though. Worked up quite and appetite for the great cheeseburgers we had later. And the ice cream...



The next day we headed out and stopped at the L.A. Zoo. But it was really hot and we didn't stay too long. Season tickets make that alright :-)

Don't they look hot? We left and went to Ruby's, where we had REALLY amazing cheeseburgers, lol.

Visiting

We all enjoyed having Chance here for his entirely too short visit. We miss him so, and little snatches of time are all we get, but we sure love it when he comes! The kids all counted down the time until he arrived and we all headed to the airport to get him. Hailey thought she would miss it because she has a regular baby-sitting job that night, but that family had strep so she got to come along.

We had an amazing Italian dinner in Bakersfield before we headed home. He was pretty busy the first day and we all waited impatiently for him to be free. But it was nice just to see him sitting at the table. I so wish we were all still together.

On Saturday we went to Victorville to see Kirstyn and Cadence and get a tour of their new house. It's so nice to have all the kids together.

Chance got to meet the neighbors because they kept kicking Cadence's ball over the fence. Which he broke. The fence that is. On one of his trips over he took the top cap with him, and left a generous portion of flesh behind in return.


Cadence thinks I'm the crazy lady with a camera who's always chasing her around. She keeps her distance until the camera goes away :-) She is loving preschool and was happy to show us all the things she has made. She's almost 3, can you believe it?!

Audreyanna enjoyed rolling around on the floor, and the littles did their best to keep her entertained. Don't you just want to scoop her up and kiss her?!


And finally, we needed a group shot. We tried to build a poor mans tripod out of drinking glasses and boxes, but decided their wasn't enough room for my lens to get everyone in, so we headed outside and propped the camera on a ladder. We're all in though!

And in the morning, he was gone! Can't wait to see you again, Chance :-)

What's Goin On

We've been busy around here between school, baby. and trying to get a bit healthier in the kitchen. Last Saturday, before leaving for my in-laws 50th anniversary party, Sierra and I made 2 gallons of lacto-fermented pickles. The old fashioned kind, preserved with whey instead of vinegar and heat. It's a process that makes food even more nourishing and digestible.



See those little valves on 2 of the jars? This is the first time I have used them, but they seem pretty cool. The let the fermenting air out while keeping out the bacteria. I forgot to fill them with water the first couple of days, so I got a little mold. But you can just scrape it off, because it's totally harmless.

I also made a really yummy no-grain breakfast cereal. It's

• 2/3c buckwheat groats
  
• 1/3c hempseed
  
• 1/2c chia
  
• 1c dehydrated peaches
  
• 1c chopped pecans
  
• 1tsp salt
  
• 4TBS sucanat
  
• 1TBS cinnamon
  
• 2 tsp vanilla powder
• You can use any kind of dried fruit and any kind of nuts. Vanilla powder is optional.

I put 4 TBS in a bowl with some milk and I really enjoy it.

I have sourdough starter fermenting on my counter and I'm also trying a method where you keep a large amount of starter in the fridge and pull chunks off to bake with. I have a loaf of bread baking in the oven right now using that method. We'll see how it turns out.

On Monday I made sourdough english muffins and they were great. Even the kids thought so.

The bread is out of the oven and the kids cut it up before I could take a picture :-) The verdict: It's amazing? Hailey says it's the best bread ever and Sierra wants it for her birthday. And it was sooo fast and easy.

I have peaches coming this weekend and lots of plans for those, and more cucumbers too, because I'd like to try a few different recipes. I'm anxious to see if these are crispy, I put oak leaves from our very sad oak trees in the jars. That's supposed to be the trick. I'll let you know.

Updated to add: Mom, Hailey says the bread is only slightly better than the lemon cake :-)

Just a Quick Update

Well, summer finally arrived and now we can't remember ever having been cold. Because we're fickle like that.

So, what have we been doing? Well, we finally got a bit of a garden in. Yep, after years of intentions (you know where those lead) we finally put something in the ground. Or, the box rather. We made a raised square foot bed where we planted tomatoes, bell peppers, watermelon, cucumbers and bush beans. 16 in all, and they seem to be doing wonderfully so far. Which means that the birds and bugs will likely enjoy a lovely feast the day before we intend to pick them. Hailey and I trellised the tall things a couple of days ago. Note to self: do it a lot earlier next year. But this is our LEARNING GARDEN, as we keep reminding ourselves. We didn't plant much and we are trying to keep it alive. We netted the berries to keep birds out, since they ate ALL the berries last year. Hopefully we get a few this year. Oh yeah, we have 2 strawberry plants too. After a dismal start they are looking good. We also have a few raspberry and blackberry vines. The peaches and plums bloomed too early and that June snow killed the buds, so they won't fruit this year.

Learning to make compost too. Seems like it should be so easy. I think I'm thinking about it too much. I think...

The big girls worked a vendor booth during the 3 day Independence Day celebration as a fund raiser for Bible Bee. Good reports on their work ethic and skill, so that's encouraging. They had a good time, but it was HOT.

Audreyanna is growing like a weed, time to pack up those 0-3 months clothes and buy some more 3-6, because she's about 14 pounds now.

We're mostly just hanging out, enjoying each other and laughing at the littles. School is in session after a break for baby and that takes a fair amount of time. Planning for next year, ordering books, marveling at how fast the money goes and how big the kids are all getting. You know, the regular stuff.

I think my adrenals are getting serious about their warning signals and we are trying to get back into fermenting veggies and such. Going to teach Sierra to make yogurt this afternoon, and ordering another kombucha mushroom tomorrow. I really want to try coconut keifer, but I had such horrible luck with dairy keifer and I love coconut water so much that I am having a hard time convincing myself to do it. Wish I could try it first.

You??

Annaleise as Art

Birthdays!

9 and 2, I can hardly believe it! How can the years go so quickly?

Eli has really found a love for reading this year, surpassed only by his love of audiobooks. He will often ask to go to be early to listen to a book on the ipod, or he can be found hiding on the side of the couch reading. He's got that goofy boy humor that brings me right back to 9 year-old Chance. I am so blessed to be his mom, and can't wait to see what God does in his life.

Banonna is our sweet cuddlebug. She is way to cute for her own good, and if we're not careful we'll ruin her completely! She is never happier than when she is snuggled into a lap with her thumb in her mouth and your hair in her hand. She is so gentle and sweet with Audreyanna, and loves her own babies as well. We love you Annaleise, you bring such joy to our lives!

We celebrated the birthdays of Eli and Annaleise with the standard Mimi's breakfast. But this time was likely the last, as one horrible experience is usually all my husband will tolerate. The meal was free, so there is that. The gas wasn't, so there is that. The day was pretty low-key because Mike was coming off the flu and I'm not really running at full speed yet. Tin Tin and the T-Rex kite were big hits with Eli, and I think Annaleise loves her doll buggy. She'll love it more if we can make the handle stay on :-)



She couldn't quite figure out the whole blowing thing, we eventually got them out though.

Introducing...

Audreyanna Brielle Elliott
Born May 11, 2011
12:34 am
10lbs 8 oz
22in long
15" head (I KNOW!)

Me? I'm fine, still gestating. Last week I measured 44 weeks, and my midwife estimated the baby to be about 10 pounds. So, clearly she needs every moment of this pack-on-the-fat period. I measured my waist yesterday, 51.5 inches. Seriously.

But I'm not here to talk about me :-) I thought I'd post a few pictures. No, they're not of Easter. Maybe I'll get those up later today. Just some random kidishness.

Tick Tock

So the baby ticker tells me that we will be meeting our sweet babe in something like 4 weeks. As always, that is a bit amazing to me. Physically, ugh, being not pregnant sounds very appealing. It's been a good pregnancy; no bed rest early on, no significant pain until pretty late in the pregnancy this time, pretty good energy (thank you Hemaplex!). The fall a few weeks back is when my hips and pubic symphysis pretty much decided to throw in the towel, but I made it a lot farther than last time. And for that I am exceedingly grateful. So, knowing that the birth of our baby will bring these physical discomforts to a close is encouraging. However...

One would think that after so many deliveries labor would hold no fear. I KNOW that my body can birth babies. I've had no significant problems. And I know that the only way through it is, well... through it. But I haven't been quite able to get my head in the right place. I have been spending a lot of time in prayer, but I just don't have peace yet. The thought of labor still makes me want to cry. Or throw up. As I think back over my last few pregnancies I know that this is standard drama for me as I near the end. I know that some measure of peace will come and that I will be okay. But now, tonight, the valley is dark.

Last night I dreamed that it was time to push. That is the moment I hate the most. I have never experienced the relief that I have heard others talk about when they "finally get to do something." I HAVE been doing something. I've been getting on the other side of every contraction leading to this moment, and now I am lost. It is too overwhelming, too primal, too...much. So that was my dream. That is was time to push, I awoke to that sensation. Scared.

I prayed until I fell back asleep. Because I know HE is there. He is with me, it is His strength that will take me across the valley when I come to the end of my own. I don't feel it now, but I know it. And I know I will feel it when I need it. And from the knowing will come the peace.

Scary

This is Bill Ayers and his wife Bernadine Dohrn speaking in Lebanon. Bill has an interesting idea, why not let every country with a U.S. military base vote for the U.S. President? Wow, what a great idea!

These people truly hate the very foundations of our country. Remember, Bill is a professor at the University of Illinois and has written textbooks currently in use at over 1500 public schools. He claims to have penned the Obama biography Dreams From My Father, and has a long-standing relationship with Obama. They are coming out of the shadows because after years of indoctrinating our youth the finally have a large support base and one of their own in the White House.

These people are crazy, but they aren't harmless.

Excitement

Hailey and Eli had to walk their dogs today, and Sierra decided to go along. They took my phone with them to keep track of the time and in case I needed to get a hold of them - or vice versa. It seemed they were gone a long time, but I was busy and didn't call. I hadn't told them when to be back...

Finally, the three of them tromped in. COVERED in mud. I mean faces, hair, arms, legs, ALL of their clothing. Covered. In. Mud.

Turns out Mara got away from Hailey, and in an effort to keep their guardian angels from getting bored, the kids decided to give chase. Now, to fully appreciate this story you should know that at the end of our road (the part that is paved), there is a metal guard rail and a beautiful view. Which is to say that it drops off into a steep valley rumored to hold all manner of wildlife.

Back to the kids... They come tromping in talking over each other about how Mara got away and she wouldn't come back, and they went after her, and Eli was stuck, and they fell, and, and, and... Then Sierra starts bawling. Just sobbing about how scary it was. I guess they were on a ledge and it gave way and they all tumbled into the valley. Eli ended up stuck in mud up to his waist, screaming that his bones were breaking. They couldn't pull him out for quite a while, and were slipping further down and getting themselves stuck in the process. Sierra had my phone in her jacket pocket, which was tied around her waist and fell off as she started to fall. So it was at the top of the ravine. The finally extricate him and begin attempting to climb out. Which I gather was also quite a process as they kept slipping back down.

But they are home, and safe, and showered, and warm. Their clothes may never recover though. And they have strict instructions NEVER to chase that stupid dog.

I Used to Read

I used to read, a lot. But now, looking back over my 2010 book list, I find that I just don't read much anymore. I suppose it's not surprising, what with 7 kids at home. But it is disturbing. I find that when I pick up a "difficult" book, one that makes you think, it isn't as easy for me to read as it once was. I don't like that. At. All. In 2011 I intend to begin to remedy the situation. I Intend to read more. One the one hand it will be unavoidable, because I am reading the majority of Hailey's school books in order to keep the discussions meaningful. It is shocking how few of them I have read. So, we will broaden our horizons together this year. But I also want to get to some of the things that I have been wanting to read. For me. I have many on my shelves, and I check books out from the library regularly. Only to return them 6 weeks later with the covers barely cracked. But I AM going to do that less often this year. Really. I am. Stop laughing.

These are the books I read last year. They are shockingly few, and the majority were read-alouds to the kids. Do those count? I sure hope so, because otherwise I was almost a non-reader last year.

Nick of Time - RA
Cowboy and Wills - Me

Hatchet - RA
Guts - Audio for all
Rats of Nimh - RA
Maggie - Me
Wrapped in Rain - Me
The Dead Don't Dance - Me
Time Pirate - RA
Swiss Family Robinson - RA
When the Tripods Came - RA
The White Mountains - RA
The City of Gold and Lead - RA
Pool of Fire - RA
Atlas Shrugged - Me

What is that, 15? Not much weight there either. Maggie, Wrapped in Rain, and The Dead Don't Dance are all novels by Charles Martin. Entertaining, but not too deep :-) The kids loved Nick of Time, a time-travel tale full of sea battles, chivalry, and love of country. Its sequel, Time Pirate was enjoyed as well.

When the Tripods Came through Pool of Fire was an interesting series. Sci-Fi I guess it was. About a group of people fighting to remain free men after an alien invasion that takes over the minds of people, causing them to become complacent and servile. Lots of good conversation about what it means to be free, and what is worth dying for. We enjoyed it.

Right now we are reading Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper, which is the first of the 5 book The Dark is Rising series. It was slow to start, but yesterday they begged me to keep reading for 3 1/2 hours straight. It seems it got exciting :-) I'm still undecided about whether we will read the whole series, but this book has been great if you like King Arthur legends and are comfortable with myths and and such. It is about the battle between good and evil featuring children as the main characters. It isn't a book I would hand them to read alone, but it has fostered a lot of great discussions. I'm interested to see how they develop it though.

I'm also reading The Woman in White to the girls, which is one of the first mystery novels ever written.

I am also reading Birth of Britian and How To Read a Book (very slowly) with Hailey. And we are reading (each of us separately) and discussing:

Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People
The Life of King Alfred - selected passages
The Brendan VoyageThe Once and Future King
Ivanhoe
The History of English Literature
The Lay of the Land
Watership Down
More Than a Carpenter

Well this post got a lot more full of things no one cares about, but see I AM reading more this year!