Harrison II Chaos

1 Week Old

2010-10-05T21:58:00.009-04:00

I cannot believe that it has been one week since Calvin Joel, little CJ, was born. It has been a very full, emotional week. Scott has started his new position at Grace Baptist Church of Millersville - something that I have not been able to find the right words to describe. CJ made his appearance, another event that has left me speechless. And we all know "speechless" is not a common condition for me. I know this, God has given me so much more than I deserve. Feelings of thankfulness and gratitude have overwhelmed me. I wonder why God has chosen to flood, or rather dump, so much happiness and love into our lives at this time. I wonder, not in a skeptical or ungrateful way, but more in a way of recognizing how unworthy of all this I feel. I am thankful that I serve a God, whose wrath is as real as His love and He chooses to show grace and mercy on one as undeserving as me, through His Son.
So, here are a few pics of the newest little Harrison, Calvin Joel or Baby CJ.

Just a few minutes old, Scott snapped this photo on his phone. I am in the midst of trying to write his "birth story" for a post, but you can see from the picture that he is purple and swollen. His birth was rather exciting and he really made his appearance a rather memorable one. Funny thing is, as his mom, my first thoughts after seeing him, were simply how wonderful and beautiful he was - looking back at these pictures, I'm not sure how I missed how awful he looked.

This picture was taken as CJ was first admitted to the hospital on Monday. They put him under some blue lights for phototherapy to help him lower his bilirubin levels. It took him a little bit to get used to being unwrapped and in the isolette, but it seemed to calm him when I placed my hand on his chest. On Monday, we had visited his pediatrician and his level was at 21. At 22, they need to do a blood transfusion, so his level was pretty high.

They decided to put an IV in him in order to help him rid the bilirubin from his system faster. The first IV in his right foot collapsed, so they had to put one in his left foot. Between the IVs and all the heel sticking for sugar and bilirubin blood draws, the poor little man's feet are a mess.

He wore his little goggles or sunglasses, and spent the day and last night under the lights and in the warm heat of the isolette. The first bili level blood test came back with no change - not a good thing, but not necessarily a bad thing either. The high bilirubin count is known as being jaundice. CJ had a few strikes against him - 1) He was early (36 weeks and 2 days) so his liver may not be as mature and able to process as it should, 2)His fast delivery left him with some bruising that would have added to what his liver needed to process, 3)He's male, apparently boys have more of a tendency to have issues with this, 4) My blood type and his are different, mine being O+ and his A+.

These next few pics I took today as we got news that his bili levels had come down to 14. We were told we could go home, so the lights were turned off and the sunglasses came off.

My view from the chair in his room. He looked so tiny in the isolette.

Our little man, one week old here, looking so different from that first picture. One week old and we can't imagine how we got along without him.

2010-09-29T12:28:00.003-04:00

Calvin Joel (C.J.) Harrison

Born - September 28, 2010

6lbs 11oz - 19 3/4 inches

Still at Home

2010-09-27T21:09:00.002-04:00

Just in case you are wondering...we are still at home.
It's 9 pm and we are still at home.
Contractions are stronger, but only 8 -10 minutes apart, and we are still at home.
I called my doctor earlier today because we are still at home.
She does not suggest any Tylenol PMs tonight in case I miss the contractions getting closer and we are still at home.
That just means this will be night 2 of no sleep while we are still at home.
If I make it to the morning, we will head into the doctor's office to see what is really going on, and I can only pray that no longer will it be that we are still at home.

Waiting, Wondering, and Wishfully Thinking

2010-09-26T09:41:00.003-04:00

I sit here this cool Sunday morning, waiting, wondering, and wishfully thinking about what today may hold.
Jack was sick all night last night, vomiting more than his stomach could possibly hold. This meant that Scott wanted me to take one more pill this morning at 6am in order to buy him more time and possibly a nap this afternoon. So, I am waiting to see if he just had a little bug and it's over. And wondering which child will be next. And wishfully thinking that maybe no one will be next.
So, here I am waiting to see if today will be the day we meet our son. And wondering how big he will be and who he will look like. And wishfully thinking about holding him and smelling that sweet newborn baby smell.
I am also waiting for Scott to get home from church. It is his last Sunday at Salem Hellers. And wondering if it will be mentioned that it is his last Sunday. And, wishfully thinking that they do, just to let him know that he has been appreciated - that's the wife in me talking not him by any means.
And lastly, I am waiting to see how this little one, the baby of the family for just a little bit longer, will adjust. And wondering if the mothering instinct that seems to be so much a part of her will kick in. And wishfully thinking that she could stay this sweet and innocent for a long time.
Grandpa and Grandma Alexander sent her this outfit from their recent trip to Taiwan, where my mom is from. She loves it. She said, "Momma, do you love me Chinese?" Yes, I better my dear, considering in and out of the dress you are 1/4 Chinese.
What are you waiting, wondering, and wishfully thinking about?

LOL - Lots of Laughs :)

2010-09-21T15:53:00.003-04:00

A friend from LBC (Business Office Betty) found this and it made me smile.

I've reassured my husband that I love him slightly more than Spurgeon :) Besides, I doubt Spurgeon would have put up with this bedrest stuff.

While I don't support book burning, only the ESV is allowed out on the living room tables, the NIV belongs back on the book shelf next to that Osteen book someone gave me as a joke :)

Lastly, I would argue that a true Calvinist wife would say that "He chose me" rather than me choosing him. I always thought my husband was too good for me :)

So, Have You Heard?

2010-09-20T21:41:00.002-04:00

Not that I have ever doubted, but if you have, I have a story for you.
See, to think that life is just happening by chance or what you make of it - well, doesn't make much sense. You try really, really hard - you do your absolute best - you're nice to absolutely everyone you meet - and still bad things happen? You lose your job, you get cancer, your friend dies...why? Do you call this luck, chance, karma? Is there any good within the bad parts of life? What exactly determines those parts of your life to be bad?
I believe that it is quite plain to see that there is a Hand that controls things - not that we are robots, but that God controls all and it's not by chance that things happen.
I'm not saying that this takes the hard struggles of life and makes them good, but it changes my perspective on my struggles to see that they have a purpose. There is a reason for what we go through and it is all part of God's plan. Sometimes He allows us to connect the dots and see His plan all laid out - and what a blessing this is, what a hallelujah moment! Other times we are forced to rely on our faith and just know that He is God and He will carry us through.
At 16, my Molly's age, I was sent across the country to live with people I had never met. I hated it to be frank. For a long time, I saw this as God's way of having me meet this handsome young man, who would be a loving, accepting husband and wonderful father to the many children I wanted :). Surely He could have come up with an easier way for this to happen - a chance meeting somewhere in between California and Pennsylvania, maybe something more movie-esque like Scott going to California to start his acting career? No, His plan had details worked out that only now, looking back, can I see the significance of - and I am sure I don't see them all :).
I lived with a pastor and his family - he was the pastor at Grace Baptist Church of Millersville. The impact the people of this church would make on not only my life, my husband's life, and my children's lives would require a book. God has used this church, these people, to bless our lives for His glory.
And now? Well, now He has chosen to allow us to serve Him in ministry AT Grace Baptist. Yes, Scott has been called (and has accepted) to be the Associate Pastor at Grace Baptist Church of Millersville.
And the Peace that Passes Understanding continues to flow. See, it's only His peace that kept this soon-to-deliver pregnant momma from stressing out over Scott's job at Salem ending at the same time as baby was to be born and all of the financial aspects that come with that. Peace that passes understanding - can't say I fully understood that phrase until these past few months. I have really not been anxious or worried, but at peace in complete dependence on His faithfulness and that He would provide. His timing is perfect, impeccable.
There is no chance or luck involved. We do not just hope things turn out okay. We do have hope - our hope is in Him, in the One who cares for us, in "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Catching My Breath Part II

2010-08-18T15:54:00.004-04:00

And as Paul Harvey says, here's the rest of the story.
Yesterday I left work at 12:30 for an appointment with the specialist. We really see him because he has the technology to tell us what my cervical length is - the added benefit of 4-D pictures and seeing baby CJ growing is something I won't turn down though.
We start the appointment with lots of pictures to make sure little CJ is growing and developing as he should. And boy is this little guy growing - he's at 3 pounds 10 ounces already!
And then I had a contraction...and the doctor says since I'm contracting and have started to dilate, he's not going to check cervical length.
What? This is what we came for - what my ob sends me over there for.
And now, he won't give us this measurement. For the past few pregnancies, this measurement has been my main focus - gotta keep that number over 3 in order to stay up and about, under 3 means bedrest. And now, he won't give us this measurement.
A little perturbed, but figuring I would talk with my regular doctor soon, we move on. Well, we move all right, move on to Mr. Specialist saying I should be monitored for about half an hour to see how my contractions are. Now, I have been having contractions, told I would feel them, but haven't been keeping track or anything - this would have driven me crazy. I get hooked up to the monitors and away we go.
There's one contraction...and 5 minutes later another...yep, 5 minutes later another...5 minutes and another...you'll never guess what happened 5 minutes later.
I can honestly say I didn't realize they were that regular...they were nothing major, just mild ones with a few harder ones here and there.
He calls my regular doctor and off to triage I go. They need to slow the contractions down I am told. Maybe a switch in meds and we could be out of there by 6.
They start an IV, I get a full bag of liquid water stuff (such a medical term I know), and an extra dosage of my current med, procardia. That doesn't work and they decide to wait for the procardia to wear off and try a new med. As the procardia wears off, the contractions actually pick up in intensity and frequency to 3 minutes apart.
Now they try an injection of Terbutaline, it works quickly but only lasts an hour. The contractions die down, only to pick up as it wears off - not what they were hoping for. At this point, it's almost 9, and they are talking about possibly having to give me Magnesium Sulfate. I have had this before and it is no fun. They decide that before we go to Mag, they'll see if my body can tolerate the oral form of Terbutaline and if it keeps the contractions away.
We take it and pray.
I have 1 contraction in 30 minutes. YEAH!
10 hours after we arrived for our quickie appointment, they decide we can now go home on this new med - with it's lovely side effects. My heart has been racing at around 135, leaving me breathless, jittery, shaking, and pretty tired. But the best side effect by far - Baby CJ is safely in and growing and I have only had a few contractions at all today!
And now for those pictures I promised. It was rather emotional to see these pictures of our son. You can so clearly see what he looks like. And there is no denying that he is a Harrison - just look at that lower lip.

While we cannot wait to hold and love on this special little guy, I think we'll hold him off for another 6 weeks or so if we can.

Thanks for all of your prayers and the help with the kids. God is gracious and gives us more than we deserve. I am thankful that His mercies are new every morning! :)

Catching My Breath

2010-08-17T23:58:00.002-04:00

Just a quick post as I wait for midnight to take my next pill. I'm actually waiting for my pulse to drop to below 120 and THEN I can take my pill.
I had my appointment today with the specialist. I left work at 12:30 hoping to be back in an hour.
Only 10 hours later and we are finally at home.
I will update again tomorrow with some beautiful pictures of a baby that undoubtedly is a Harrison and the rest of the story.

Can I Get An Amen?

2010-08-11T21:22:00.004-04:00

YAHOO!!!
While by no means are things finalized, we have made it to the next "round"!
YAHOO!!!
For the first time since most of this chaos has started (months and months ago), this last Sunday, I was at total peace - no anxiousness at all. And if you know me, you know this is not me. We left his interview, I got into our truck, turned to Scott and said, "It doesn't matter anymore. Those men, they are godly men. They will pray for this situation and seek God's will. They will make a decision based on what God leads them to. That means whether it's you or not, whoever is in that position is going to be there for God's purpose. That also means if it's not you, that is because God wants us to do something else. I am really okay with whatever happens."
But, this does make me smile...alot...with teeth...and disappearing eyes - not a pretty smile, but a great-big-heartfelt-sigh of relief smile.
Honestly, it makes me think back 17 years ago, when I was sitting in the pew at church, with my arms crossed, trying to hide the fact that I was holding hands with this handsome young man, and couldn't wait till the service was over so that we could go get some ice cream and make goo-goo eyes at each other. If you had told me then, how I would feel about that church now - then, when I just wanted to get out of the service, now how I just want to be there - I would have told you that you were loco en la cabeza- off your rocker - a few fries short of a happy meal - had a screw loose - were missing some brain cells - just plain coo-coo and every other cliche that says you are insane, should be on heavy dosages of meds, and in a padded room. I could never have seen 17 years ago, how God was working in my life then for now.
Some people will call it a coincidence, a small world, good timing, circumstance of chance, or luck.
I call it as I see it - a miracle, a blessing, a God-thing. :)
Can I get an AMEN?

Shanty Town Courtesy of Daddy

2010-08-08T07:48:00.008-04:00

Being the kind of Daddy that he is, when our washer needed repaired and they shipped us the parts in big boxes, he saved them for the kiddos. Was he hoping they would take up residence in the backyard? Let's just say it provided an afternoon of fun for the kids and peace and quiet for Dad, who needed to write 3 papers for his History of Christian Thought course.

View from the back deck, complete with awning being supported by fire-roaster sticks - also known as a death trap for unwanted visitors, check out the points on those sticks.

The big bay window in the front of their house. Noah was coloring the window boxes on.

And what house is complete without a skylight. Gracie is working on the rugs on the inside - we're working on home-making skills.

Finished - Finally

2010-08-08T06:55:00.004-04:00

A quick update on my recent doctor's appointment - First, I get a call that my lovely mid-wife is delivering a baby (apparently not a very smooth delivery either) and that I would need to reschedule. I'm a little nervous about this considering our situation, they call her and she says that she does want to see me - we may have to wait a bit, but she wants to check where we are at. Very relieved, we only wait for her for about 45 minutes - I am feeling bad for the poor woman who just delivered - and... I am starting to dilate, but nothing that is sending us into panic mode. I need to stay off my feet this week as much as possible, then I go back Thursday morning to see if there is any change. No or little change would mean I can continue with this routine of doing nothing but going to work - this, my friends, is what we are praying for. Cheri's thought is the meds are slowing the natural process my body wants to take and go into premature labor. It shouldn't be a matter of me instantly going into labor and delivering, but a slow, gradual process of dilation and contractions picking up - the goal being to catch this process at a time when they can still stop it so that I don't get too far too soon. He has been head down this whole time, but she said when I am up and about, his head is sitting on my cervix and that combined with contractions is causing the dilation. She is able to push his head up though, which means he is not fully "engaged" and this is why being off my feet and laying down could help - so that is what we will be doing this week. I only have 7 weeks to go till 36 weeks - we can totally do this!

I thought I was never going to finish CJ's blanket. I suppose a blanket was not the smartest thing to pick as a first project with my newly acquired via internet knitting skills. But it is done, and I quickly followed it up with two crocheted knot-top hats to match. I had some stretchy yarn left over and was going to make the little guy a pair of those leg-warmer type sock things that Grace use to love to wear. I was informed that CJ was a boy, we are no longer living in the 80's, and he is not auditioning for the remake of Flashdance. Apparently, it didn't matter if I made them blue either.

Misdirected Frustration at Clothes During Pregnancy

2010-08-04T20:11:00.004-04:00

So, there are many tales out there of the silly things pregnant women do, don't do, say, and forget, and all classified as symptoms of pregnancy. I had such an instance today.
As usual, I get dressed in the morning and follow the usual morning ritual. The kids are dropped off and off to work I go. The morning is busy and I even have a meeting with the "big boss" - sat across from him and talked for awhile about serious stuff. I greeted visitors, talked with students, and had my picture taken. What a busy morning it was! And then I headed off to lunch, enjoyed my sandwich, and went into my friend's office to check on a few things. While there, I tried to get the bow on my shirt to lay right - it was not cooperating. This shirt I had borrowed from a friend and it is very cute, but was not laying right.
Then I noticed the little white tag on my side ... and the bottom seam of the shirt ... wait, check the shoulder seams...
Yeah, I was wearing the shirt inside out.
I take off, without explanation, for the bathroom, as fast as I could waddle - oh, of course there's visitors in the bathroom! So I stand in the hall, laughing at my inside out shirt and the printed tag on my back and the fact that I had spent the morning frustrated at my ill-fitting shirt.
This ranks up there with the time, when I was pregnant with Grace, that I was mad at the pregnancy underwear I had bought because it was too tight around my waist and baggy around the one leg - yeah, at the end of the day I realized I had put it on wrong.
And no, there will be no pictures to document this incident - wait, there is a paper chain with photos of me in an inside-out shirt out there...

8 Weeks To Go???

2010-08-03T19:53:00.002-04:00

These have been interesting days in the Harrison house as of late.
At 28 weeks, I am feeling large and find myself short of breath often - only 8 weeks left or so to 36 weeks, which is about when I usually have my babies. You watch though, this one will go late just to be different :)
The shot this past Friday, well it didn't really happen. Yeah, Scott couldn't bring himself to give it to me. We tried a few times, but both ended up in fits of contagious nervous laughter. So, we waited till Sunday when poor Cathy had to endure the site of my massive booty and so very professionally "shot" me - Thank you so much for your help! We got back in the car and Scott came to the conclusion that this was the easiest shot yet. I think he is ready to retire his nurse's uniform and let the professionals handle that which they do best. Yeah, he isn't applying for any nursing jobs anytime soon. He did preach this past Sunday - yeah, he preached it :) I think what I like most when he preaches, is the emotion and passion. There is no fluff to be found that is for sure, and like it or not, those in attendance are going to hear the Gospel - Amen?
Work at the college has been going very well. I just LOVE the people I work with. My boss and his boss - they are real men whose love for God is not lip-service, but evident in their lives, words, and actions and they make me laugh. I work with others that bring a smile to my face just by thinking of them (yes, J-Nelly, you are one of them). And I love that they are just as excited for this little bambino as I am - an added bonus, when people at the college ask about CJ's name, they get why we like Calvin, and it's not after President Calvin Coolidge. I find it encouraging and motivating to work with others that love Jesus Christ and prayer, devotions, and studying the Word of God are regular topics of discussion and part of daily life. While no place or person is perfect, or without it's own flaws, I go to work these days with a smile on my face and look forward to what God has in store for the day.
On a completely different note, anyone out there have any advice as to how to handle a whiny, dirty-look throwing, temper-tantrum throwing 3 yr old? Super sweet and cuddly one moment and then arms-crossed, brows furrowed, "No best-friends" threatening the next. I know, this too shall pass...and all too quickly too. :)

Just Another Week in the Chaos

2010-07-27T19:30:00.002-04:00

Mom, CJ (27 weeks), and Noah (4)

Don't you just love Noah's pose as he shows off his new summer do? This picture was taken in one of those rare instances when Scott let me venture off the couch. While official bedrest has not been ordered by the doctor yet, the contractions do tend to come more often when I am up and about. The goal is for me to keep working and collecting a paycheck until this little guy makes an appearance. Therefore, I go to work and come home and lay down. We have a pretty good routine going at home and only have 9 more weeks - totally doable.

And my wonderful husband, he always gets me a shirt when I'm pregnant. Since I already have a "Due in October" shirt (from Noah) he found the above shirt for me for this pregnancy. I just love it, and the kids think it's pretty cool too.

Molly has been keeping busy working at Dutch Wonderland mostly five days a week and making plans for turning 16.

Scottie made it back alive from wrestling camp - a little beat up and sore, but alive.

Noah couldn't wait for him to come home and show him some new wrestling moves.

Mikey is busy reading through Around the World in 80 Days.

Jack is loving the fact that it is a little cooler out and he can go out and dig in his hole.

Gracie is having a blast changing her shoes every five minutes - she gathers everyone's and anyone's that she can find and then takes say one Molly flip-flop and one Daddy shoe and wears them for a few minutes before changing it up.

And Scott, well, he is turning into quite the nurse. He gave me my shot this past Friday with no incident at all - totally a professional I tell you. He did some practicing on an orange beforehand, and had it down by the time he gave it to me. I don't know if I would go so far as to say he enjoys doing it, but he only has 8 more to give before he can put away the nurse uniform.

On the job front, he's still looking. There's a certain job he is pursuing, and we would all greatly appreciate your prayers with this - more than anything, we're praying for God's will and that no matter what happens, we know His plan far surpasses anything we could imagine - meaning if this doesn't work out, it's okay, God wants us somewhere else - but it would be great if it all works out too. :) On the current job front, prayer would be appreciated as well. We have sought counsel from those who have walked in these shoes before and who are just plain wise. There has been no doubt of the sovereign hand of God through this, or that He hasn't used us in tremendous ways here. It is hard though, to stay positive, loving, and caring. What has been amazing has been the way those that have gone through this can with a single look and kind touch tell you that God will lead us through this and you can see in their eyes that it's true. Not only will He lead us through this, but this won't kill us or our desire to serve Him and His church in ministry. I can see how after going through this experience, I would want to reach out and help others going through a similar experience - a ministry born maybe? Hopefully we won't have enough experience with this to start such a ministry :)

Life continues on and we strive to make the most of the minutes He gives us to make an impact for His Kingdom. What are you up to?

Gardening Harrison Style, Weeds and All

2010-07-19T19:20:00.003-04:00

Some of the kids wanted to plant special things in the garden this year - others were not so concerned with a garden, except that they would find healthy things on their dinner plates, and they knew they would have to work and weed in said garden.
While we have things like cucumbers, peppers, corn, green beans, and zucchini, we let the kids pick something to plant if they wanted to.
Jack wanted tomatoes, lots and lots of them. I am happy to say we will soon have lots and lots of tomatoes, for now, most of them are green, though he has enjoyed a few already.
Noah wanted pumpkins - great big huge ones. When at the store buying seeds, he found a package of pumpkin seeds that had a picture of a little boy standing next to a pumpkin that was as big as this little boy, they were called Giant Pumpkins (real creative, I know) - we'll see what we end up with. For now, we have lots of little pumpkins starting to grow and he is just giddy with excitement. The vines on the eight plants we have growing though may just take over everything.
Gracie decided she wanted flowers - this really didn't surprise me - though she picked sunflowers and not a pink flower. Yesterday, she found that her first flower had bloomed and boy was she happy. Can you hear her saying over and over, " Smell it, Smell it!" She stood there perfectly still, smelling her flower for so long.
So, here we are nearing the end of July and enjoying the fruits of our labor. :)

One Down, Only Ten To Go

2010-07-18T14:41:00.003-04:00

I know many of you are wondering how The Shot went this week. For those of you who have not heard, we found out last week that each shot I go into the drs office for would cost us an additional $25 on top of the cost of medication. We figured we would try to save ourselves a few hundred dollars and have Scott give me the shots. This all sounded good as we talked about it, but as the day drew nearer for him to give it to me, I believe we both got more and more nervous about it. Unlike a regular injection, this medication is sludge-thick, which requires a bigger needle and a little more force.

With Friday being our 16th Anniversary, we decided to wait till Saturday morning to do our first shot at home. I watched him draw it up, and the nervous laughter started. My biggest fear I think was how far would that needle go in when he needed to push that sludge out of the syringe. He was given some great advice to make it quick, no hesitation.

So, I bent over the bed, and no lie, could not stop laughing - that nervous laughter kicked back in. I would tell him I was ready, but then he had to stop cause I had to go to the bathroom. I would tell him I was ready...But stop, I wasn't really. This went on and on until he asked if I wanted someone else to come do it.

No, I could suck it up and let him do it. On the count of three, he says, though I know that just means he's going to stick me on one or two.

He does it, it hurts, but no more than usual at this point.

The meds are in, he pulls the needle out.

And I say, "Scott, hurry put the band-aid on. I can feel the medicine coming out! It's dripping down my leg!" I was just imagining that all the medicine had come out and we were going to have to do this again.

He says, "No, don't move. That is not medicine."

It was blood running down my leg.

Yeah...that's how it went.

Needless to say, I was quite sore for the day, maybe a little more than usual.

He, on the other hand, wanted to do it again - so he can get a feel for it.

I believe next week will be here soon enough.

We're Calling It a Hormone Thing

2010-07-18T13:39:00.013-04:00

My two men - being ever so manly - Scottie (13) and Scott

My boy has left today for wrestling camp. I did not really think about him leaving much, until today. Scott helped him pack, since dad knows more about what a boy needs than his momma - and I tried to load him down with treats and food that they both felt were "not necessary". He was gathering his things to pack and without any prompting brought down his ESV Study Bible - the thing weighs no less than 10lbs - and journal. Scott helped him out and gave him a smaller version to take that would fit into his bag. I love when kids do little unexpected things like this and make you think you just might be doing something right.He is attending this camp with his school wrestling team, but it is up at Messiah College. I made sure he had an LBC water bottle to take with him though :)

I was just a tad bit emotional watching him get on the bus. Scott told me I was not allowed to embarrass our son and that I needed to "man up". As other parents were celebrating their children leaving, I could feel the tears forming. I'm not sure why I got all teary, but it happened, must be a hormonal thing. I'm sure he is going to have a great time - let's just hope he texts me a few times. I've been given strict instructions to not text him unless I hear from him first. :)

I am sure this week will go by quickly and he'll be home in no time.

Me and my boys - Scottie (13) and CJ (26 weeks)

Baby CJ

2010-07-14T18:45:00.004-04:00

We have had quite the week! So much going on, I'm not sure where to begin.

I'll start with baby boy. We had our appointment with the specialist yesterday. Baby is now 1 pound, 12 ounces at 25 weeks. Everything is going well and my cervix is at 3.2, down from the last time, but over 3 - which is what we want. Here's the picture we got.I love the little chin! He looks like he's flexing some major muscles here, just like his daddy. But in reality, that's the umbilical cord along the the bottom of the picture.

We do have name that we are working with, though keep in mind that Noah was suppose to be Luke up until we left the hospital with him.

So, here it is: Calvin Joel Harrison - and call him CJ

The breakdown:

Calvin - After none other than John Calvin - don't say TULIP, there's so much more to Calvinism than the acronym, which is what most people remember.

Joel - Yes, a book of the Bible, but more importantly the supportive and great friend who has been there for Scott through so much, Joel DeVinney

CJ - CJ Mahaney - the initials just happen to be like his, a pastor and writer of the Sovereign Grace Ministries, who both Scott and I really like, and would recommend his books and sermons to anyone, especially the books, Humility and Living the Cross-Centered Life.

(You can click on the highlighted names to get further information on these men if you are unaware of their greatness, their contributions to this world, and who they are)

As many of you know, I adore Charles Spurgeon and was looking to incorporate Spurgeon into this baby's name. Scott likes Spurgeon, but not enough to give our child such an odd name, that almost sounds like a fish (sturgeon). His theory - You can't have Spurgeon without first having Calvin. And this little guy can have a stuffed tiger named Hobbes to boot!

So, with a name like this, this little guy should grow up with dreams of proclaiming the gospel of Christ, with a 5-point Calvinist view, crying with every sermon preached, using mole-skin journals, and having very little hair - just like his namesakes :)
Then again, Scott also like Phillipe Montalban from Nicaragua.

This Face

2010-07-07T19:45:00.005-04:00

This face... melts my heart and makes me smile.

And this face...
is sad because "Mum-mum got up because me drinky."

But this face...

with her sweet-smelling freshly washed hair, loves to cuddle on her Mum-mum's slowly disappearing lap, singing "Grace, Grace, God's grace - grace that pardons all my sins", and talking about babies.

I am in love.

Just a Quick Note

2010-07-05T08:16:00.004-04:00

The Harrison family has been busy enjoying this summer that God has given us!

I have made it to 24 weeks in this pregnancy without being confined to the couch - Yeah! The contractions have started though and I can tell when I've been up too much, but the meds seem to be working and as of Friday things are good. Scott has recruited the older kids as well as a few ladies at work to help him keep me sitting. I dislike the attention, but have come to realize that I have a hard time saying no or asking for help. I told Scott maybe these meds will work so well and I'll have this little one late. :)

On the baby front, Scott announced last night that he has a potential name for this little boy. I like it, but we're going to wait a few days before telling everyone just to make sure.

Today holds much potential, I can't wait to see what we get accomplished!

Introducing...

2010-06-10T17:14:00.004-04:00

I apologize for the lack of posting. Family life has kept us pretty busy and as this pregnancy progresses, I have been trying to lay low and take it easy - this is much easier said than done when trying to work full-time, parent 6 children, and be a good wife.
Last Friday, I had my weekly shot and met with my mid-wife. Those of you who know me, know that I adore my mid-wife. She knows our family well and is just very familiar with what my body does during pregnancy. We are currently tied with another family for the record number of babies she has delivered for them. At this point, I can't imagine going through this with any other doctor. My first two birth experiences were not as enjoyable that is for sure.

So, back to my appointment on Friday...and take this as a warning, this may be too much info for any men that are reading...I inform her that I had really not felt well in the last few days, she checks things out - mainly my cervix - and doesn't like what she finds. My cervix is still long but soft, very soft. She decides to wait till my appointment with the specialist (maternal fetal medicine), which was today, to decide what to do about all this. If there is any funneling, she would actually consider a cerclage - the first time she has thought this might be something that would help me. So, I took it easy over the weekend. And waited for my 3 o'clock appointment today. And waited...
Scott picked me up from work and we headed over, full of anticipation. If possible, we did want to know what the gender of this little one is, but it didn't matter...girl or boy. With 2 girls and 4 boys, I already feel abundantly blessed. It didn't matter what they told us, we just wanted to hear "healthy" and that my cervix was holding out. I have spent most of this pregnancy feeling this baby was a girl since I have not gotten very large, except the last few weeks when I told Scott it was a boy. Yeah, I pretty much had no clue.
The ultrasound technician was pretty fabulous. She was in absolute amazement at the fact that we had such a large family and we pretty much laughed through much of our time together. Then came the specialist - we'll call him Dr. Downer. I don't think we were able to get him to smile no matter what we tried. Scott makes a comment that there shouldn't be twins in there. Dr. Downer goes into how twins are not a good thing - he sees so many complications with twins, he wouldn't recommend them to anyone. Really? And he's a baby doctor? He went over my "advanced maternal age", how I was a "repeat offender" in having to visit his office with multiple pregnancies, why my doctor has me taking Procardia which he doesn't agree with, and all the risks associated with my pregnancy. Then he proceeded to take multiple pictures of the heart and neck fold - to the point where I just wanted to scream at the man to just tell me what was wrong. Seriously, after the 20th picture of the heart and then to watch him move on to the neck fold, I knew he was looking for markers of Down Syndrome. I had recognized the white spots on the heart because Noah had them on his ultrasound as well while in utero - and they turned out to be nothing. Somthing called echogenic focus - yes, it is one of the markers of Down Syndrome, but by itself could turn out to be nothing. Now, the 20 pictures and different angles of the neck fold - this had me worried. If that measurement is thick, that is a much stronger indication or marker for Downs. I look at Scott, he knows I'm starting to get freaked out, so he asks the question, "Is everything okay?" And Dr. Downer goes into his long explanation of how I didn't get the triple screen (a test you can get early on that tests for this) and what the chances are now that I'm "old" for Downs and how the only way to know for sure is to do an amnio, which carries it's own risks of miscarriage. I tell him that Noah had these same spots and is fine. How are the baby's other measurements, his neck fold and bone measurements? Those, he tells us are fine, but do we want the amnio? What? No, no amnio. And stop trying to scare us. Maybe if we had been scared he would have smiled.
The best news we heard all day - my cervix is good. Down a little from 4.8 to 4.1 or so, but above a 3! And no funneling - Praise God from whom all blessings flow! :)
Look at this little face...

We both laughed at this picture because this is how Noah looks when he sleeps! :)

We picked the kids up, they couldn't wait to hear what the baby is. Everyone cheered, but Gracie...she threw her hands in front of her face and cried, real tears. Until I showed her the "bops" (or pacifiers) we bought for her new baby. Now, she can't wait for her new BABY BROTHER!!

And to hear her explain the ultrasound pictures is just too much - she's a hoot. She tried to teach Molly how to hold her new baby when he comes out, this I want to try to capture on video.

We are all so in love already. :)

Just working on his name...Scott is still saying no to Spurgeon :(

Diagnosis: Extreme Irritability

2010-05-23T20:17:00.003-04:00

Noah (Age 4) and Momma (18 weeks with #7) - Noah telling Daddy "French Fries - Yum, Yum, Yummy!

It's Sunday evening and I'm not sure I'm ready for this week to start, actually I know I'm not ready. Not that it's going to wait for me to get ready or anything.

It's been a rough couple of days - if you ask my husband, he'd tell you it was harder on him though. :) I went for my weekly shot and the nurse says, "What side did you get the shot on last time? Oh, wait, I see the hole here." Yes, I now have numerous holes in my butt - no jokes allowed.

This week it seemed to hurt more and I seem to be extremely irritable. This for me though is what pregnancy is about - dealing with these extreme emotions. My husband found it humorous when I banished the dog to it's crate because it ran into me and when asked why she had to go to her crate, my response, "She doesn't deserve to be out!" Now, don't worry, no children were harmed or banished over the weekend. I believe they tried to behave better knowing I wasn't feeling good.

My mindset has been that this pregnancy will go smoother between the new precautions my doctor is taking and the environment at work being different. This weekend has made me second guess some of my reasoning. I am feeling "pregnant", which for me means uncomfortable and overall yuckiness - to be technical. I am hoping this is just the shot and the weekend, and not all the stuff going on - stressful stuff, you know? My husband is sending me to bed early in hopes that I'll sleep it off and be better tomorrow.

If you think about it, and feel so inclined, maybe you could say a prayer for us - especially on Tuesday. Yeah, prayer is where I go in times like this - it's a good place to be.

I'll try to keep you all updated on the drama, but for now, it's bedtime for me.

Super Keen and Out of Sight

2010-05-19T04:44:00.005-04:00

Okay, I acknowledge fully that this guy lacks any sort of theological depth, but it's a TV show, and boy did it make us laugh.

I told Scott he just needs a catchy name; he's got the guitar. He says that maybe he just needs this new approach to student ministry cause there's troubled teens in Dayton. :)

Nothing Really

2010-05-18T20:03:00.004-04:00

Scottie (13) and Gracie (3) - She adores her big brother.

It's Tuesday.

I have so many thoughts running through my head that I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep.

At 17 plus weeks, I am happy to say that while I'm not really showing yet, I did feel the baby move last night. This makes me smile - and that doesn't come easy these days.

I was lying awake on the couch, praying for the anxiousness I feel to be left at the feet of the One in control of all things. Lying on my back, with my hands on my stomach, at about 12:30, I felt the first fluttering movements of this tiny babe. In the midst of heartfelt, anguished communion with my God, He gave me this moment of unexpected reassurance.

In the midst of my worry, I am reminded that the Creator is in control and nothing happens outside of His hand. When my view of circumstances has been distorted by my selfish heart, I need to be reminded that God is in control. When God and His glory is the focus of anything, it will succeed. I do not need to worry about what I can do, it's not about me. Likewise, in the end, anything without God will not succeed and there is no reason to be a part of or invest yourself in it.

My husband says he will go out preaching the Gospel, just as he has been doing. Who knows when or how God may use this.

I am struggling with some of the reading I am doing in Psalms. I have been convicted with the feeling that I lack love for some people - I won't go so far as to call them "enemies", but the idea is you're suppose to love your enemies. In the Psalms, David spends a lot of time not talking very nicely about those opposing him. I find myself reading these words and thinking - Yeah, smite them, just like David said! And then I feel guilty, remorseful, and then I feel sorry for those people - but not love. I pray God would change my heart.

I find it funny that not long ago when I went through a somewhat similar slandering situation, my husband was the angry one, wanting to defend and make things right. Now with roles reversed, I am the angry one, wanting to defend and make things right. Spousal Defensiveness - must be a sign of love. :0)

The Things of Earth Will Grow Strangely Dim, In the Light of His Glory and Grace

2010-05-16T20:24:00.004-04:00

It never fails. During a pregnancy, I will get "emotional" about the two babies that are not here with us. I wonder what they would look like, how their personality would be, how their presence would change the family dynamic. I know that people tend to focus on being reunited with loved ones in heaven, but as I think about this, I highly doubt that the reunion will be one of hugs and smiles with our earthly family members. Upon entering heaven, we will be in the presence of God, doing what we were made to do - worship Him. In absolute awe of the glory of God, I doubt that our mind will even consider who else is there, let alone want to look for Grandma. And considering that there is no sadness, pain, or anguish, to know that our mother, father, brother, sister, or child is not there but in eternal hell would not be possible. Don't get me wrong - I would love to hold those two babies and spend eternity in heaven next to my husband and worship God together. I just think that all of these earthly feelings of love and adoration are minuscule and incomparable to that which we will feel in heaven with God. Maybe?
All this to say, I decided the best way to handle this emotional tide was to do something productive. I have been crocheting for awhile now, which I do enjoy doing, but I wanted to make a blanket for this little one - and I wanted one that was tightly knit, so I'm trying my hand at knitting. I tried this before, but it didn't last long because it was such slow progress. I figured this is the perfect opportunity to try knitting again, and I'm praying my way through this blanket. I'm about 1/3 of the way done with the blanket and hope to be done by the time baby is born.

Don't look too closely - you may see a dropped stitch or two. My plan is to use this cream color and then crochet a border of brown around it, and then either blue or pink around that. I'm thinking I may even crochet some letters for a monogram, but we'll see how it all turns out - and I only have about 19 weeks left to do whatever I'm going to do!

And The Fun Begins

2010-05-11T19:06:00.003-04:00

I have made it to 16 weeks - WooHoo! Yep, we went to the doctor's today and the baby's heartbeat is nice and strong - all is well. The big surprise came when the nurse walked in with a syringe - My respone, "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no...we aren't suppose to start those yet!" I wasn't anticipating the weekly shot to start for another 2-3 weeks. The sooner the better to start, I was told. So, I have started the count down - only 20 more shots to go. Yes, that also means about 20 more weeks till baby comes. So very exciting and when said like that, doesn't sound that far away! I will keep that in mind as I endure each painful shot and fight the side effects as well. This medicine, 17-P, is sludge-like and needs a large needle in order to make it through. I will be scheduling these shots for Fridays from now on because my butt is so sore afterwards and being a hormone, it tends to mess with me and makes me rather irritable - just a tad. Not exactly good for the work enviroment. But I will do it all with a smile if it will keep this little babe in and me off of the couch.

So, let the fun begin and the good times roll...we are ready for a good time!

Good For ...

2010-05-08T14:21:00.003-04:00

Jack just couldn't wait to give me the gifts he made at school for Mother's Day. We compromised and decided he could give me one thing today and one thing tomorrow.
This has to be one of the best gifts ever. Please keep in mind that he is 7, in the first grade, and absolutely dislikes writing.

No, my son is not claiming to have attributes of God, though I too had to ask for clarification on that middle coupon. Was he saying he was going to give me one of his sins or I would be forgiven for 1 sin?
His translation:
First coupon - he would do the dishes for me, if there weren't a lot of them.
Second coupon - he would listen to me, he does this already he informed me.
Third coupon - he will make breakfast, he's good at cereal and toast.

I'll be keeping this one in the box of keepsakes. :)

Everything's Okay if You Have Cowboy Boots On

2010-05-06T19:55:00.006-04:00

My pregnancy journal says that this little one within is now "distinctly male or female" and the necessary parts to determine this are formed. I have a doctor's appointment next week and we will be scheduling the first of many ultrasounds. Yes, if we are able to see, we do want to know what gender this little babe is. Everyone is still talking about wanting a boy, except for Gracie - it's all about a little girl baby for her. It doesn't really matter at all what the gender of this little one is - I just can't wait to hold this one close and smell that sweet baby fragrance, there's nothing quite like it.:) And as far as names go, do you have any suggestions? This one is proving to be a challenge.
I am exhausted today. It was quite the busy day at work - LBC hosted the National Day of Prayer, expecting over 20 thousand or so to attend I heard. While not all of them called today, it sure felt like it though. I like talking to people, the tiresome part was the absurd questions, like:
1. Will I have to walk till my knee hurts? How many steps will I have to take between the food and Dr. Tony Evans?
2. Did you know they are working on the bridge? (This is the bridge that they have been doing construction on for about 3 weeks and is directly in front of the entrance to the college - the one I cross daily to get to work)
3. How should I handle my friend who has a walker and 5 lawn chairs?
4. The National Day of what? Just tell me when Dr. Tony Evans is there.
5. I've called today to tell you how the flow of traffic should go.
6. Can you confirm for me what the dress code is? I told my husband he needs to wear a tie.
7. Where do I drop my children off at? What!? There's no free childcare!
I'm anxious to hear how it all went down tomorrow.
But I couldn't wait to come home to this:

And this:

(Pictures courtesy of Scott's phone)

I have to say, the helmet, cowboy boots, and shorty shorts made me smile just a little too much. The fashionista that he is wouldn't let himself wear anything but smurf socks with that ensemble.

So, enjoy, and have a smile or two.

The Week in Review

2010-04-30T20:16:00.002-04:00

I am feeling pretty good today. It's Friday, the work week is over and the weather is beautiful.
It was a great week at work - had a drunk guy visitor, helped out a friend who really deserves it, a student bought me and Scott lunch, my flowers are still doing well, had a crazy lady-mom come in, laughed a lot, and too many enjoyable conversations to count - and I can't forget the fact that I got to see Bobby almost everyday or the fact that he was my speedy hero from drunk guy. :) I called and he was there - THANK YOU SO MUCH!
On the home front, it's been a fairly quiet week with moments of insanity. Mikey had a baseball game on Wednesday night - they won. He then had a music concert on Thursday - he plays the drums and rocks it good! Molly is visiting Grandma and PopPop's house and the new baby foal that was just born. She should be home tomorrow. Jack won student of the month at school! This is pretty special and the trait he was picked for is perseverance. Here is what his teacher and the principal wrote, "This certifies that Jack Harrison has been chosen as Student of the Month in April for displaying exceptional efforts to show PERSEVERANCE by working hard at reading and learning how to become a wonderful writer in Mrs. Yoder's class." Good job, Jack! Scott has met with several friends, mentors, and wise men this week. So, which class do you fall into? Honestly though, these meetings have seemed to have given him some encouragement, hope, and advice that has made him move on with purpose and determination, that in turn has seemed to make him more pleasant. And in turn, me more pleasant. It's encouraging to hear that others are praying for you, and this week we have been told unexpectedly by others that they are praying for us. This is such a blessing and the feelings of care and support it brings is unmatched.
I am reading a new Charles Spurgeon book, Christ's Glorious Achievements - it is awesome! It has 7 discourses on Christ. I haven't gotten past the first one because I just keep rereading it - it's that good. I couldn't recommend it more.
My new cravings this week - orange juice and sour patch peaches. Yes, this wonderfully, nice, and beautiful person bought some sour patch peaches and brought them into work and I ate SO many that I thought I was going to be sick, but no, I am eating more as I type this. :)
That's all for tonight - it's bedtime for this little (or not so little) momma.

38% Complete

2010-04-25T19:53:00.004-04:00

I have made it to 14 weeks and the second trimester. I'm still in that losing weight stage that I tend to go through and have lost about 6 pounds so far. My dear husband has bought me a body pillow to sleep with - an essential when pregnant as far as I am concerned. I'm not really showing yet, but it took till about week 25 to show with my last pregnancy. I am 38% of the way down this road to holding our little babe - I can't wait!

In other news, it was Administrative Professionals Day this past Wednesday. I acknowledge that this is a rather Hallmark Holiday, but this was the first time anyone has acknowledged this day for me. LBC had this wonderful, sophisticated, elegant lunch for us and our bosses. It was so nice to spend lunch listening to Dr. Teague and Josh talk about how much they appreciate and admire their assistants. I also received the nicest flowers from the Admissions Team - I love Gerber daisies. (The picture was taken with Scott's phone, excuse the poor quality.) Have I mentioned how much I like the people I work with? :)

I have those flowers sitting at my desk - within view everytime I look up. It's nice to feel appreciated for what you do, to feel supported and cared for. I started to look at these flowers and feel guilty come Thursday. There I sat surrounded in peace and contentment, and my dear husband is happy for me. He reads me an email while we have lunch together in the cafeteria, and I start to cry, and not just a little. My question - Why us? What have we done to deserve this? My dear husband's answer - Why not us? And Jess, what do we truly deserve? I know the right answer to that, I just need my heart to reconcile that answer with my head. Scott tells me I need to stop crying before people in the cafeteria think he's breaking up with me . :) I am hoping these feelings of frustration, wifely defensiveness, annoyance, anger, disappointment, etc. are just being intensified due to my hormonal state and all. I'm ready for the swing to the emotional high, though I'm not counting on that happening anytime soon under current conditons. Though anything is possible with God, so I am not ruling out anything and praying for BIG things to happen, like the parting of the Red Sea. :)

On another note, I'm so excited - next Monday there is a faculty/staff softball game. I haven't played in like 20 years, and not to mention I'll be 15 weeks pregnant, but it should be a ton of fun. The family went out this weekend and we threw the ball around - it felt good though to throw again. This may sound weird, but I miss that sound of my nails against the ball when I throw - I warned you it was weird :)

On yet another note, I haven't been able to post any pictures because the camara card isn't working right - sorry about that. I hope to get it fixed soon - stay tuned!

Almost Half Way Through the Week

2010-04-13T21:11:00.003-04:00

It is only Tuesday and I am exhausted...totally at my end tonight. Another day done with only a portion of my to-do list crossed off...and to be completely honest, a very small portion - like make dinner and make some goodies for the bake sale at school tomorrow. I am typing this in hopes that I will stay awake for the season premiere of Glee.
The other night, the older kids and I were watching the show Bones - another one of those murder mystery type of shows with a whole lot of science added in. Anyways, the one character posed the question, "Can God create a rock big enough that He can't roll?" Well, this became a pretty hot topic between the older kids. So, weigh in, what do you think?
I in the meantime, will be indulging in a little guilty pleasure called Glee - only cause I wish I could sing and move like that. :)

12 weeks

2010-04-12T21:07:00.003-04:00

12 weeks. I met with my doctor today and we have a nice, strong heartbeat. Baby Spurgeon is doing well and developing as it should. I have a four week break till I head back to the dr.'s office. Then of course, things get crazy and I start the weekly trips to the dr's for those nasty, painful shots that leave me sore and cranky for a few days afterwards. We're also going to try something new that will hopefully buy us more time. I'm going to start Procardia BEFORE contractions start and before my cervix starts to change. You see, my doc, she's amazing...nothing short of amazing. We have a rather unusual relationship with our doctor, which I suppose comes from spending so much time with her. :) She cares about us, really does, and has spent time reviewing my file and history and researching what can be done to help us. She is SO happy for us, so happy to see us again, and loves us despite all the extra work we require her to do! And the specialist appointments start in 6 weeks - those stressful appointments that tell us what is really going on with my cervix, but allow us to get a visual on Baby Spurgeon (I love that part!).
I am fading fast this evening. So, till tomorrow, this little momma is signing off.

Gracie Mei

2010-04-06T09:49:00.005-04:00

My baby is three today. It is so hard to believe that it was three years ago today, on a Good Friday, that she was born. Scott was suppose to have his first opportunity to speak at church at the Good Friday service. He was excited; I was excited - it was the first time I was going to be able to go to church in months since I had been on bedrest. It was a Good Friday. How fitting that our little Grace was born on such a day. I have wanted to name a little girl "Grace" since we became pregnant with Mikey. This word - Grace - means to receive something that you don't deserve. We just don't deserve this precious little girl and so undeserving of all that God has to offer. This concept of God's grace is one I personally grappled with for years. What have I done to deserve anything but His wrath? But as God opened my heart and mind to understanding a portion of what His grace is, I am enthralled with it. It helps me daily to not live in guilt and despair over the past, for He is truly greater. I have my little girl, Gracie, because He is truly greater.
She is ALL girl. The only child I know who is excited about opening up a present to find clothes - pretty pink dresses to be exact. I asked what she would like to have for her birthday dinner. Her response, as she counted it out on her little fingers, "Rice. Noodles. Rice. Momma, TWO rice." Now there's a girl after my own heart - rice AND noodles!
Gracie loves her baby dolls and animals. They are often wrapped up in blankets and put to bed. Molly is her best friend. She loves to dance, especially with Daddy. Building 429 has redone the old hymn, Grace That Is Greater, and this is her song. There is nothing more precious than hearing her little voice sing of God's grace, though I'm pretty sure she thinks the song is about her. :) She still loves shoes and likes to carry them around and periodically change which pair she is wearing. When completely exasperated with any of us, she will cross her arms, throw her head back, and yell, "Fair!" - Pretty sure she means, "Not Fair!" but I like hearing how fair I am, so why correct her? She loves to pray, and it usually consists of a very long list of "Jesus, thank you for..." and ends with an emphatic AMEN! Her one request all day long, "Please sing Happy Birthday Gracie to me!". Yes, we covered the fact that she is my daughter and now her father comes out as well. She loves being the center of attention, loves being told just how special and loved she is - and on this day, we have given in to her demands and have all sung to her too many times to count.

And here's a copy of the insert that I wrote for Gracie's 1st birthday invitation that explains why we named her Grace MeiLi:

GRACE MEILI

It was 1943 when Hsu Chin Chien and Chang Yueh Eng followed Chinese tradition and through an arranged marriage became husband and wife. Chin Chien was a train engineer for a sugar company and Yueh Eng enjoyed being a housewife.
In 1946, the first of six children was born – a baby girl. As per tradition, the head of the family, which was Chin Chien’s father, made a trip to the temple by himself for the naming ceremony. He would present the names he had chosen to the temple priest, who would take the first name, throw several moon-shaped rocks, and depending on how the rocks landed would determine if the name was acceptable. This was done until an acceptable name was found. The first daughter of Chin Chien and Yueh Eng was named Yu Li (Ye-Lee), meaning a long distance. In 1954, another trip was made to the temple for their second daughter, third child of Chin Chien and Yueh Eng. The results of the naming ceremony gave this little girl the name Yu Hsiang (Ye-Shung), meaning very pleasant fragrance. The third daughter, and fifth child of Chin Chien and Yueh Eng, was born in 1959. This last daughter was given the name Yu Mei (Ye-May), meaning beautiful flower.
Together the six children’s names would tell a story. The three sons, Tao Chuan (heart of the mountain), Tao Hoo (lake around the mountain), and Tao Bao (land around the mountain), would tell of the strength and provision for the family. Together the three daughters, Yu Li, Yu Hsiang, and Yu Mei, would tell of the beautiful flower upon the mountain, that would carry a very pleasant fragrance for a long distance, representing the family’s ability to flourish, prosper, and grow.
The story continues as Yu Hsiang married John Alexander and had two daughters, Jessica Mei (1975) and Jaclyn Li (1979), and one son, Joshua Chuan (1981). Larry Scott and Jessica Mei Harrison II, welcomed their sixth child, and second daughter, on Good Friday, April 6, 2007. And the story continues with Grace MeiLi (MayLee) Harrison. Grace means to receive something that you do not deserve, and we feel honored to be entrusted with this little girl from God. We pray that the contributions that she will bring to this never ending story will bring honor and glory to God and that she would be a reflection to the world of God’s amazing grace.

Just Another Manic Monday

2010-04-05T21:48:00.004-04:00

Or is it?
A busy day at work is over. Busy is good though. Tired and grumpy now. It's hard to even think in complete sentences. I don't remember being this exhausted with any of the others. How old am I? Yes, too old. Though one of the best things about my job is how often I hear, "And how long have you been a student here?"
Life is all about who you know ... and I know Cathy DeVinney. You know how there are certain people in your life that just make life itself easier? Yep, that's Cathy. See, Molly was about 10 years old when she learned to ride her bike, Scottie was about 9. I can vividly remember running behind them, holding the back of the seat, yelling at them to watch where they were going and please steer straight. Out of breath, and completely out of shape, I had found a reason NOT to have so many kids! Then, my dear friend saved me... literally, physically, saved me. She told me how she taught her daughter to ride her bike, without one single step of running being taken. Yep, you don't have to run after that bike, all hunched over, anymore. The secret? A slight hill is all you need. And we just happen to have one. You let them coast down the hill with their legs out a few times, until they get a handle on their balance. Then they coast down the hill with their feet on the pedals. A few more times and they're pedaling away and riding all over the yard. Impossible you say? Mikey got a new bike for his birthday, and it took him about 5 minutes to learn how to ride it. Noah started Saturday afternoon and today, he is pedaling his way around the yard. It's kind of funny to see the 4 year old riding around on a two wheeler - it doesn't help how crazy he is. The kid has a need for speed and believes he can move trees. Nate's car on the other hand has stopped him a few times.
I promise some pictures soon. As soon as I find some energy that is.

1+1 = 7

2010-04-02T02:13:00.005-04:00

Math like that only makes sense in the Harrison house!

I absolutely LOVE math (I never said I was cool) and in my spare time like to work on those books that are filled with word problems and such. The reason? There is ALWAYS only ONE right answer - get there however you want and can, but there is no arguing about it: black and white, cut and dry, ONLY ONE RIGHT ANSWER. AND it makes sense, the answer that is. You can check your work, or work the answer back into the problem, and it makes sense. You know you're right when you're right, and likewise you know you're wrong when you're wrong - though ask my husband, I'm hardly EVER wrong - a little crazy maybe, but not wrong! :)

So, yes, 1+1=7. Yes, that means what you think it means. As many of you know by now, we are expecting: Scott + Jess = 7 kiddos. Crazy, huh? The math works though, and God is never wrong. Our kids, even the older ones, are excited about this, but especially Gracie. She has big plans for this little baby, that she refers to as Cinderella, whether it is a boy or girl. This makes me laugh because I know one of our friends had an older sibling that wanted to name a younger sibling this as well, but I can't remember who - pregnancy brain?. They are all pulling for a boy - Molly asked if it was wrong to pray for a boy, Noah just wants to name it "wrestling kid". This reminds me of how Scottie wanted to name both Mikey and Jack "Little Ricky Has a Bell". My poor grandchildren.

Overall, I'm doing well, thank you for asking (I'm assuming here). I've been a little queasy, smells get to me (the copier at work and peanut butter are the worst), and I could sleep all day - like that ever happens - but overall doing well. I'm at 11 weeks or 28% of the way done, 30% if you count on the fact that I'll deliver by 37 weeks. My due date is Oct 24, which means end of September or beginning of October for us. My midwife is thrilled, she's delivered the last four (we didn't know her for the first two). I asked her if there was some program like have four, get the fifth one free. She said yes, have five get the sixth one free! Very funny...

Some prayer requests:

-first and foremost, healthy baby
-I hate to even mention the word : Bedrest. PLEASE pray for a smooth pregnancy and NO bedrest! God can quite storms and raise the dead, surely keeping my uterus from contracting is well within His power - we know by now that no one BUT Him can do this!:)
-A van - yes, we now have to get a full-sized van in order to go anywhere as a family. This is usually only to church and to visit family, so we are not looking for anything new or fancy, but we do need something.
- There are some "things" that I can not go into detail here, but we are looking, earnestly seeking, for God's leading. We know He will not fail and that His will will be done, but what is our next step in His plan? Please pray that we might keep our focus on Him, strive to be more Christ-like, and continue to love as God loves us; pray that evil powers would be restrained, our family would be protected spiritually, and that Satan's greatest destroyers of pride, bitterness, defeat, and hate would not take root in our hearts.

This journey of life that God has us on leads me to think that I should write a book someday. It'll include tales of heartache and joy. It makes me want to cry when I think about how many people are missing out on the real joy and hope that life can be with a relationship with Jesus Christ. All because they think they know who He is, but the relationship is not there - therefore they don't really know Him, and there is no fruit in their lives that evidence a relationship with Him. Raising your children to go to church and know of God is not enough, this doesn't secure an eternity in Heaven or a right relationship with God. One of the joys of my new job is seeing a generation of young adults that are passionately pursuing God. I have met student after student that has told me their story of the changing power of Christ. It is exciting to see how ministry is not always in their future, but God is still their priority. They want to know Him more, their lives and the choices they make are not about conforming to the world or selfish pleasures. They strive to live a life that is honoring to God by following the lifestyle standards that are set in His Word. One student told me, "I like to ask people, "Do you love Jesus?" because this is such a simple question. But in their answer, you can see if they really do. Is it a simple, "Of course I do" or is it "Yes! I love Him!" with a glow in their eyes and on their face? When you ask someone if they love their wife or girlfriend, they don't respond with a non-emotional, "Of course I do", but with much more and often reasons why. This should be the response of a true believer of Christ." So, I ask you, do you love Jesus Christ? And dare you to ask your family and friends this as well, what kind of response do you get?

By the way, in my book, I'll change your names for privacy sake. I'll let Sam be Phil McCracken even. What would you like your name to be?

Catch-up #1 --Burglar, Astronaut, Clown = Jack-Jack

2010-02-28T15:05:00.000-05:00

Time flies when you're having fun - or so they say. Not sure who "they" are, but we must be having a ton of fun here in the Harrison house because it is the end of February already. Too much has happened since the last time I blogged to bring you up to date, but I'll give it the old "college try" and try to post more regularly. Yeah, yeah, you've heard that before - I know.

So, yeah...where to begin. I didn't post for awhile because, well... I was in a funk. And negativity was not what you all wanted to read about. Long story short, things needed to change in our lives and until we trusted God things were going to stay in a funk.
So out on the proverbial limb we went and here we sit. Scott still fighting the good fight at church, while I threw in the towel and found a new ring. I am now at Lancaster Bible College. I had been trying to get a job here for awhile, thinking the environment, benefits, and people would all be a positive change for me and my family. It finally happened and not by my doings but God's. A job opening came up that wasn't even posted or advertised, and yet I was called for an interview. One of these days I'll get this trust thing down. There are many things I like about my new job, but mostly it is the people, the positive attitudes, the service/helpful oriented ways, and the fact that we are investing in God's people in a way to make a real difference for the eternal future.

I'll end today with this chapter of the Harrison family story:
Jack-Jack: Hey, Mom! I know what I want to be when I grow up.
Mom: And what's that?
Jack-Jack: A burgler.
Mom: A what? (Why am I surprised at this?)
Jack-Jack: A burgler! You know like on Word Girl. (This is one of those cartoons on PBS. Good old PBS, where the bad guys don't get hurt, punished, or even go to jail. What is this really teaching my kids? And that my friends is what this conversation is all about!) I can steal gold if I'm a burgler.

Mom: But is that okay, Jack? To take other people's things? I'm pretty sure God says something about that not being okay.

Jack-Jack: Okay, I'll be an astronaut.

Mom: That's a good thing to be! (Much relieved that I don't have to get use to talking to my son through glass or collect calls, but realizing that was much too easy to talk him out of.)

Jack-Jack: No, not that anymore. A clown. I want to be a clown. Mom, can you help me practice my jokes? I'm good at jokes. A clown is a good thing to be. Yep, I'm the best at jokes. Maybe I don't need to practice after all.

Can you see that ambition and over-achieving is something we cultivate in our children?

One day, I'm going to be sitting here, on the couch, with Scott. Crying real tears, and the kids are all gone...except for the clown, he'll still be here, and you know why if he's ever told you one of his jokes that he hasn't practiced :).

And just because Nate (previously mentioned friend that is living with us) thought it was terribly funny, I'll share this with you as well. Jack does not like the writing aspects of school. He avoids it all as much as he can. And getting that charming personality from his father, he has found ways to work his teacher over. He is suppose to write 5 sentences every morning at school. Normally, his teacher struggles to get them out of him. He says, "I don't know what to write." She tells him, "Then write about that." So he writes:
I don't know what to write.
I don't know what to write.
I don't know what to write.
I don't know what to write.
I don't know what to write.
It's suppose to be 5 different sentences, but she's happy he's just writing she tells us. We have seen 5 sentences of:
I don't want to write that.
The pumpkin is orange.
I don't like to write.
So, it should not surprise us when we see five sentences that say:
My dad fixes buses.
Nate found this quite hilarious. Okay, maybe a comedian isn't so bad for him after all.

I'm Still Alive

2010-02-21T22:14:00.002-05:00

Yes, many of you have asked me where I've been. Let's just say coming out of a funk and leave it at that.
I'm working on some pictures, I'll get them posted here soon.
Life is going really well for us now. We had to take some steps back in order to move forward. I'm working at LBC, taking a college class, and juggling six kids, a husband, and a friend who is staying with us for awhile. Yes, life is busy, but God is good and He always provides.
I'll post an update on the little ones soon, everyone is doing really good right now.
So, Scott had taken the youth group to hear Steve Saint speak on Friday night (a missionary's son, his father was killed in the mission field). The little ones were helping me clean up a bit and the recycling needed to go out. Everyone dressed up in coats and shoes, gathered up cans and bottles and headed out. Lucy, of course, darts out of the house in between little legs. There is so much snow on the ground though that she can't run through the neighbor's yards that she usually does, so she is running up and down the middle of the street. I go out and try to get her to come in, while trying NOT to get hit by cars driving by. The kids were suppose to stay inside, this of course was not the case, and Livi is let outside. Now, I am across the street and I just know she is going to run out to me. So, as she starts to run up our driveway, I start yelling at her to go into the house and wave my arms frantically, thinking the cars driving by will at least slow down. But no, the lady in the car thinks I am waving at her and waves back at me. Livi runs into the road and...yep, she gets hit and goes rolling to the side of the road. I have to wait till I can cross the road, but till I get to her, she has limped her way back to our driveway. The lady who hit her did come back and check to see if she was okay. She apologized for thinking I was just saying hi. I take her in the house, and Livi spends the next few hours under the couch, snapping (she got my hand a few times) at anything that would come near her. I finally coach her out, and she's missing some fur, limps on her front paw a little, but overall the 3lb little miracle dog is really okay - for being hit by a car and all. I am really thankful that she is okay - I do love her. Here is my problem - in trying to explain to the kids WHY we don't go out in the road and that we NEED to listen to Momma all the way and right away, Noah says, "But if you don't want me to go in the road, and I go, and get hit by a car, I'll be okay like Livi?" What - how did he get that from my big long speech? Now what? Maybe I should have went with the whole reverse psychology approach, you know, "Go play in the road, it's so much fun to get hit by a car." That was sarcasm people - I promise not to tell my children to play in the road...unless of course someone tells me it'll work.

Did you say Octopus for Dinner?

2009-10-12T16:10:00.013-04:00

My husband said, "You aren't expecting me to eat that for dinner, are you?" And those of you who know him are not surprised by this question-but-really-a-statement - and after 15 years of marriage I no longer take offense to this often heard question-but-really-a-statement (okay, honestly, I do sometimes still take offense, but that's a story for another day). And being the wife that I am, I informed him that this was only for the kids to eat for dinner - I was making him his own special dinner with no cheese, vegetables, or combinations of food that would be touching each other.
This was fun to do, and the kids really liked it. I had all the ingredients on hand and it has been an exciting addition to our menu. I make no claims for this being a healthy well-balanced meal.
And now for the recipe for Octopus, with pictures of course.
Take one pack of hot dogs and cut each dog into quarters.
Use one package of Angel Hair or Thin Spaghetti (the normal spaghetti is too thick). Take a few uncooked noodles and stick them through each hot dog quarter. The angel hair pasta tends to break easily, so make sure to hold the noodle close to the hot dog when pushing it through. The kids love doing this and of course this means that many of our octopus have more than 8 legs, but whose really counting?

Use the biggest pot you have, and boil them up!

Some of the kids like them plain, others with butter, and still others with sauce, but all 6 love to hear that we are having octopus for dinner these days!And I know you are all thinking, "Does that boy eat without clothes on too?"You're wondering, aren't you? If you are wondering, you need to ask Judy Beltz about the scene in the church lobby this past Sunday. That will answer your question.

Non-returnable, but Washable

2009-10-11T20:41:00.028-04:00

It has been too long again. I have avoided blogging for several reasons, but I am back. I am currently, somewhat, unemployed...but it's all good.
And on to more exciting things. I love my children...and I am one of those parents. Let me explain...

There is mud in the hair

And between all the toes

The pants come off without a care

But Momma, it's dripping from my nose!

Like a monster, we roar

And then of course,

Laugh some more

We slide

And dive

And say a quick cheer

but there are no pictures of cleanup and the hose that caused fear.

How I love Polka Dots!

2009-08-21T01:00:00.000-04:00

It's been an eye-opening week, to say the least. For awhile now (well over a year, almost two), Scott and I have been specifically praying for God to move our lives in His direction, to open wide doors of opportunity that He would have us walk through, and not just close, but SLAM shut those that need to be. Yeah, we actually asked for that...and we are not surprised that He has answered. Doors are shut and opportunities have opened. He is surely causing some growth through this, and here's the thing I am most caught off guard by...our marriage is stronger, deeper, and closer (caught off guard because the whole thing really doesn't have anything to do with "us" or our marriage). I do not mean to be vague or cause confusion or suspense, but I am sure in the weeks ahead you will see what I mean.
So, I'll move on, but promise to fill you in when I can.
Something to just make you smile:

This boy is constantly moving or sleeping. He is just too cute and somedays it's this little face that keeps me going. I am overwhelmed when I think that this little guy was formed within me by God, flesh of my flesh, and that he grew within me for 36 weeks, and that every morning for the past 3 years, 10 months, and 11 days I have woken up to this mostly smiling face. For 3 years, 10 months, and 11 days - I have stared at this little face... and yet I missed it. Can you see it? Look closely.

Try a closeup. (I'll try to get a better picture soon!)

It's there. It's my "dimpled" little Asian boy. Right above the right hand side of his smile is where it appears. I can't believe I have missed this little piece of joy for so long. I am constantly asking him to smile for me - I am completely addicted and can't get enough. This happens only a million and one times a day:

Hey, Nonah...

Yes, Momma.

Please smile for me.

Oh NO, Momma! Not my Polka dot, again!

I'm not sure what makes me smile more - the dimple or that he calls it a polka dot.

Trying to Be Artistic

2009-08-05T17:47:00.009-04:00

Mikey looking pensive and melancholy...not at all like him.
I actually got him to sit still for a quick picture and really liked how it came out.

You'll usually find this boy going at 100mph, sweating and laughing it up.
Smart this boy is.

Noah says, "Power to the People!"
Okay, really he's saying, "Momma, stop taking my picture!", but I hear "Power to the People!"

And just look at this face. I love her lips...and that flip in her hair, LOVE it! (Scottie's hair did that too when it was longer)

I could just eat them up - all of them.

My Girls

2009-08-05T16:42:00.010-04:00

Here are my baby girls. One, my first born; the other my sixth child - only a 13 year age difference. I love them both - they make my heart overflow with joy and pride.
I came across this wonderful blog that had this little project on it. She said it should take 30-45 minutes. I had visions of Gracie running around in 3 or 4 versions of this very cute dress in different fabrics.
Remember my love of all things domestic?
I'm still working on that.
My lack of sewing experience quickly dashed those dreams as 3 hours later I finally emerged from the dining room with my one lonely dress. But I do have to say, I am quite pleased with it.
And then Molly asked me to make her a dress with the same fabric! Though armed with no pattern and little skill, I felt I had to make her at least a skirt - honestly, this is my daughter who I have not been able to talk into a dress for at least the past 5 years. And Gracie couldn't have been happier to be matching with her big sister!

Yes, we still have an obsession with shoes. That scrumptious smile is because she just loves those sparkly shoes!

Yep, my two beautiful princesses.

These two sisters need to stick together, they've got four brothers to keep under control!

A 30 minute ride home

2009-07-20T17:04:00.004-04:00

So, I read something today that reached out and grabbed my heart. Check this out. (Just click on the highlighted link). You will be immensely blessed and challenged.
This is my desire, my heart's cry. As I drove home from work today with:
- a precious 2 yr old singing her self-written song "BIIIIIIIIIBLE YEEEEEEEEEEESS!" at the top of her lungs,
- my all-boy 3 yr old telling me all about how he did NOT pee in his pants today - AT ALL, NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT, Momma!(over and over and over....)
- a certain 6 yr old who felt it was necessary to argue with his 9 yr old brother over who is being a bigger "pain in the butt" (After explaining that we DO NOT use that phrase, I told them that it could be a tie though since they were arguing about it)
- that same 9 yr old asking for the radio to be louder so that he didn't have to hear the other song being sung by that 2 yr old that he didn't know
- the "man" of the van, a certain 12 yr old, teasing his singing sister, so that she would scream the chorus of her song louder
- and of course a "slurping" 14 yr old that is spit-talking while she adjusts to a new expander, and driving her empathetic loving mother to a gagging nauseous state

Honor and glorify God with my decisions and reactions...that is what I am striving for today. I am sure that my challenges have just started, for dinner, bath, and bedtime are still to come. But I want to stand before my Lord and be able to say, "With Your help, I did my best to show Your love and care to each of these children that You love more than I do."

It's like Christmas Eve

2009-07-03T19:29:00.015-04:00

Our day wasn't too bad. I went in to work today for my usual 4 hour day on Fridays. But our sitter, Cindy, was off, and with Scott gone, I was in somewhat of a pickle.
Five kids at work just wouldn't work. What to do?
This great family at church lives near my work and she agreed to watch the littlest three! Thank you Miss Deb,what a lifesaver! The kids couldn't wait to go! And no wonder, they got to go play at a playground and do sidewalk chalk, and drink bottles of water. They played so hard- Noah, Grace, and Jack all fell asleep on the way home!
The older two boys came with me, and somewhat occupied themselves with Legos. Dad, they say they need more and that a trip to the Lego store is in order.

These boys make me smile to no end! I love the way these pictures came out.
Just look at this smile - it's contagious.

And the sparkle in his eyes, just convince you he's after your heart.

Here's the latest hat I made for Gracie. I stuck a few of her star "pretties" on it to make it match her dress for the 4th. Aunt Jaci bought her this dress, and she loves it!

Oh! All the flash and paparazzi is just too much!

Here's what I got when I asked her to smile just for her Daddy. Too cute, huh?

She asked Scottie to come sit with her. Have I mentioned how she can get her big brother to do anything for her? Yeah, she's got him figured out.

I don't have any new pictures of Mikey, because he decided he wanted to go into the house. He'd had enough of the tadpoles and doesn't like getting his picture taken.

I can't wait till tomorrow! I know you can't either, just so you don't have to hear me whine anymore. It's the best gift ever, and all I want.

I. Want. Crickets. OUT. Of. Water!!!

2009-07-03T19:19:00.006-04:00

Noah, they will not survive out of the water.

But I HOLD it gentle, Momma!

This is also to remind Daddy of all of the fun he is missing!

Come out and Play with Me!

2009-07-03T18:54:00.005-04:00

So, in my last post, I told you I was concocting some fun for us for this afternoon.
Here's what I came up with:

Can you see it?

Try now as Gracie points it out for you.

Yep, we have five new little tadpoles. I can't seem to keep little hands away. I thought it would be educational entertainment to watch these little guys mature into frogs. It surprises me how they all want to hold them, or as Noah says, "Can I get the crickets out of the bubble bath to play with them?" The constant phrase right now is, "Gentle, Gentle...don't SQUEEZE!"

We're still working on names. Remember the process it was to name Livi, and we only had one to name. Right now, the boys want to name them after themselves - Scott, Mikey, Jack, Nonah, and Girly (for Molly and Gracie). We'll wait till Daddy gets home to decide.

They might just jump out to save their lives though before that!

I see it...

2009-07-02T22:11:00.004-04:00

Oh, the end is in site! I can hardly wait till my husband is home.
Maybe he'll take us to the zoo...hint, hint in case someone is reading.
In other news, I was able to make all three things for the company meeting with Scottie's help. He's so amazed that we actually made cinnamon rolls from scratch. It was actually pretty simple and I think they were so good that someone might think Debbie Hair made them - I'm just complimenting myself there, pay no attention.
I don't have much to report today. The kids all miss their Daddy. Everyday we come home from work and as we near the house, Noah will announce,"OOOHHH! Daddy is STILL not home yet!" And every morning as I get Gracie up, we walk out of her room and she looks around and says, "Daddy?" JackJack asks, "On the next, next, next, next, next, NEXT day, is Daddy coming home?" and when I try to explain when, he says, "Yeah, but is today the NEXT day?"
Since I worked really late today, I didn't get a chance to take any pics, but here's a good one from the other day.

And, since I'm only working half a day tomorrow, I'm busy concocting a plan that may just entertain my hooligans for more than 5 minutes. Any ideas?

And I leave you with this, in hopes that it makes you smile and laugh out loud, even if it is just a fraction of the response us Harrisons have (especially four little boys):

Every morning on the way to work, we pass a restaurant that has a sign out front that welcomes their latest group or bus tour. This week, the sign has read the following:

Welcome

Butt Family Reunion

Dare I ask - Who's the Butt-head?

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

2009-06-30T21:20:00.012-04:00

God is good! Not just good, but GOOD!
We returned home from work today to this:

You don't recognize this man? That's okay, you don't need to. The important fact is that he is MOWING our grass! And it's not raining! It did rain earlier, but we got home and played outside for about an hour till we went in for dinner.

Noah was so fascinated with the guys from my work, or more accurately with their tractors.

He grabbed his tractor and sat, wistfully watching them zoom around the property. He would normally follow his Daddy around the yard, but Momma wouldn't allow him to get in the way of the professionals - so he watched.

"Momma, Can I please mow on that one?" Since I couldn't oblige, he then thought that mowing like them would be pretty cool - and probably less work on his little legs than the "frog-like" mowing he usually does. (I love this picture, but it came over so small, you can click on it to see it bigger if you're a Noah fan like me.)

I just love the fact that he says he wants to build a big boat when he grows up (like Noah in the Bible), but I think his true passion for a profession may lie in tractors and mowing, at least for now.

Gracie taking care of her Baby, most importantly making sure it has it's Bop.

Jack working on his new trick on the screamer.

I actually caught him smiling!

Mikey - my 9 yr old baseball player

It's time for me to go cook dinner and clean kids up. I also have to make some treats for a company meeting tomorrow. I'm thinking cinnamon rolls, cream cheese filled chocolate cupcakes, and chocolate chip cookies should keep those guys happy and quiet - that is if I can get to all of it. :)

6 Dwarves at Home All Named Grumpy - No Princess Here!

2009-06-29T19:49:00.005-04:00

If yesterday felt like day 22 without Scott, then well, today feels like day 222. Okay, maybe that doesn't make sense because I would hope that by day 222 I would have the knack for parenting alone - and if my dear husband ever decided to leave us for 222 days, he may not want to come back home.
All that to say:
I miss my husband.
A lot.
Some of us are not meant to go this life alone. I am one of them.

No pics today. Yes, I am THAT grumpy. We always seem to have days like this when Scott is away - remember? The kids are THAT grumpy. I will not horrify you with tales of bad behavior, but know that in my attempt to keep things real here, I will admit that there is plenty of it going on - by all.
I want to put this day behind us and focus on tomorrow. Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow WILL be better.
WHAT?!? Did you say RAIN tomorrow? And Wednesday, and Thursday?
Oh dear, Lord, we stand in awe at the way You created everything, even the grass. But do You know how TALL the grass will be in our yard by Friday? And how stir-crazy we will all be watching it grow from INSIDE our little home? Oh ...yes, of course You know - yes, of course I know that You know.
Sigh...
And a bigger SIGH...

Day 2 - But it feels like 22

2009-06-28T21:26:00.010-04:00

Wow, no guess on what that picture was in my last post! I'll give you a little bit...

If you're a local, there may be a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls in it for you!

So, we had quite the day. We missed Daddy...alot. Sunday is suppose to be "go to work with Daddy" day, and we had no Daddy. So, I had other plans for us. I have been looking forward to this for so long that I was afraid my anticipation would build my expectations to the point where I was left dissappointed no matter what we encountered. I had nothing to fear - it was totaly awesome! What, you ask? Where are the pics, you ask? I took the camera in the car, but it did not leave the car. It would thoroughly embarrass a certain 12 year old if I broke out the camera, I was told. "Mom, people just don't do that!" And since he was just as excited to go as I was, I gave in and did not take the camera in. We went to Crossway Church in Millersville. Yes, I had an opportunity to go to Grace Baptist and didn't - Pastor Joel, don't take this personally, you know we love it there too. But after attending the Pastor's Conference a few months ago (click to download the sessions here - all are excellent, but CJ's are really good and Jared Mellinger's is absolutely excellent - you must listen to his if nothing else!) I couldn't wait to experience worship at this church. And Scott had taken the two oldest to Crossway's Youth Camp the other week, which left Scottie thirsty for more - how awesome is that? As a church, I think you are doing something right when you inspire teens to buy new Bibles (Scottie came home from Youth Camp and ordered an ESV Study Bible that night, with his own money!) and have people wanting to come back for more. Anyways, I was a little anxious about having all five kids with me in the service for the first 45 minutes of worship. And yes, I had to take Gracie out to set her straight - no fit throwing is allowed while we sing Blessed is the One, especially with Doug Plank (he wrote the song) sitting across from us. I was so worried about getting her out and everyone watching me carrying this screaming 2 year old out of the auditorium, that I did not really think of the potential danger of leaving my 4 boys there alone - in the front (which is where THEY wanted to sit, despite my efforts to sit in the back!). I returned with Gracie to find them sitting nicely in the same row as our wonderful friend, Kurt Weaver (He's the youth pastor at Crossway). Shortly thereafter, there was a break to take the kids to their respective classes - it all went smoothly, no tears or anything. Scottie and I returned to the auditorium and really enjoyed Pastor Pete's message from Zephaniah - everything a good sermon should be - convicting, challenging, teaching, and a great Gospel presentation (he hit Bingo without really trying to, Joel!). Yes, the tears flowed as usual, mostly because I didn't want it to end. To worship like that is just refreshing to the soul - you walk away feeling like you laid it all out there for God - praising Him, being in His presence, communing and learning more about Him. But since it did end, Scottie and I went to pick up the kids. Doug Plank walked with us, and said something to me that I won't ever forget, "I just wanted to tell you how well behaved your children are and what a testament that is to your parenting."
My response of course, "Did you happen to hear that high pitched screaming that was going on? Yeah, that was MY 2 yr old."
Doug's response, "Jess, you expect that from little ones. But the fact that you left the room and those boys STILL obeyed and behaved - that is what I think is awesome. I watched them - they were great!"
Um...yeah, he was talking about my boys? At a time when I needed some encouragement, boy did God give it to me. Despite all the the things I handle ever so wrong, they might actually grow up and be functional adults? This is truly by the grace of God! Inspite of me and because of Him. Funny thing is, I would have totally missed this aspect of the morning - instead focusing on the bad behavior of my 2 yr old. I would have thanked them for behaving in general, but missed how they behaved when I wasn't there.
I reveled in that comment and took them to get ice cream. I'm sure they know that my waistline can't handle them being that good everyday though - yes, how kind of them to think of my waistline.
We also went for a little hike to burn off some energy in the afternoon. Here are a few pictures Scottie took:

Who says girls can't run as fast as boys? In typical Gracie fashion, she chants "FAST, FAST, FAST!" as she runs.

This is Noah's most prized possession at the time - a monster shirt. It was my only way to get him to keep clothes on. Is wearing dirty clothes really better than wearing no clothes? Until Scott comes back, I'll settle.

And in case you want to keep up with Pastor Scott, Molly and the rest of the Youth Missions Team in North Carolina, here is the link to the church's missions blog.

Important Things

2009-06-27T21:34:00.017-04:00

It was about this time last year that this happened (click on underlined words to see post) and I started this blog 1 year and 2 days ago. This is about that time when Scott goes on the Youth Missions Trip - this year to Rockingham County, North Carolina.
So, we had our first day without Daddy - and the kids actually took a 3 hour nap! Though this would explain why they are STILL up. And because Daddy is gone, there has to be something that goes wrong - this time, our mower broke. To be more specific, our riding mower - the one that can mow our property in 3 hours. So, today I push mowed all morning and some in the afternoon and only have the area directly behind our house and around the garden done - ARGH! I love where we live, I really do, BUT... you all now know what I'll be doing all week.
Any guesses what this is a picture of? And don't say "trees"! Maybe there's a prize for who can correctly guess.

Yes, I have some boys at home. So, why am I complaining about all that mowing? Because while I mowed, they had important things to do.
Like play Star Wars. Jack and Noah fight over who has to be "R2 Doody". But somehow they all have light sabers made from pvc pipe that conveniently turn into guns when they need them to. Scottie makes them play that when they get hit, that particular body part is no longer allowed to be used. So as they hop on one leg, with one arm behind their back, I am reminded of that Monty Python clip - oh you know which one! "I will bite you!"

And, there's the laying around. Cause we miss Daddy.

And don't forget playing in the trashcan.

Or rolling around in the play tunnels. So very important. I will point out that he IS clothed - just for these pics at least.

What will tomorrow hold? Oh, you'll just have to wait and see! This I will say - I am psyched, I am pumped, I am giddy with excitement. It almost sounds like we are going to Disneyland. We are not, but a magic kingdom of it's own it is. And if I'm crazy enough, I'll try to sneak my camera in for a few pics - just for you! (and my dear hubby of course!)

Some 'Splainin' To Do

2009-06-24T09:36:00.002-04:00

My husband read my last post and said, "Jess, they're just DMV kids."
Yes, they are. But I feel now that I must explain myself a bit with a few observations:
- Mom and Dad didn't say anything to them at all, until they got up - and then it was in a mean tone. They were good kids-sitting still, being quiet, unlike the other screaming hooligans in the place (and no, mine were not there). They weren't kids that were ignored, undisciplined, and not paid attention to. They sat quiet and still - did not want attention drawn to them. There was a fear of Dad, and a longing look towards Mom. Why? I don't want to know.
-Honestly, if some stranger was talking to my children, you better believe I would be in the midst of that conversation - especially if they were giving my children things. These parents could care less.
- They were so quiet and sweet. They looked out for each other and were so polite! She said I was a good mom - as if to say, we know what that is but don't have one. Secondly, even in the midst of disciplne, my children know they are loved.
-The genuine surprise and smile when I gave her the clips tell me she doesn't get things often. And the fact that little boy could so easily accept that he didn't get something. There was also no running to show Mom and Dad the new treasure - just sharing between them.

Oh, why didn't I ask their names? Do they have any idea that I can't stop thinking about them? That I was up last night praying for them? That I hugged my kids a lot tighter last night because of them? That I laid my hand on Gracie's head last night to pray for her before bed and it turned into praying for Sister with images in my mind of my hand laying on her arm as I walked by her?

JUST DMV KIDS...

Scott says I am not allowed to ever a) live in the city, b) go on a missions trip to an impoverished city, or c)go to the DMV alone.
You've all heard how before we met, Scott did not want to get married or have any kids, while I wanted nothing more than to be married with 48kids. Then he met me and now we're married with 6 kids. Marriage is a comprise, and a great place for two people to balance each other out. By my calculations, half of 48 is 24- and we have 6 kids - that leaves room for 18 more to love! 18 -- I'll have to go to the DMV more often.

I've Been Taken

2009-06-23T19:53:00.008-04:00

There's a reason my husband calls me a softie - and it has nothing to do with the state of my body -- okay maybe a little :)
So, I had to go to the Driver's License place - I detest the driver's license place. First, it's always crowded, they give you a number like you're at a deli but there's no food (what a tease!), you have to turn your cell phone off, the one creepy weirdo (okay, not the only creepy weirdo, but one of the really creepy ones) in the place must come sit next to you, the guy behind the counter is one grumpy old man, and most detestable - they take your picture.
See, my license had expired...back in August. Yes, you read that right, 10 months ago. Is it considered procrastination if you continue to put off doing something that is beyond the time you were suppose to do it? Well, I had sent in my fee for my camara card, but then apparantly misplaced the card (and the reminder that it was to go get my picture taken) and didn't remember that I needed to still do this until it came time to get a library card. Who knew you needed a valid driver's license to get a library card? You need a valid driver's license to do things like buy a house or car, prove your age for alcohol or cigs, and cashing those big checks from family and friends at the bank -- oh and to drive legally, almost forgot that one. But seriously, for books?
Okay, back to the driver's license place -- I ask Scott ever so sweetly (just like I always do) to please drive me. I know, I know... I've been driving for so long without a driver's license why does it matter now. Somewhere in my twisted mind, I felt it was wrong to drive myself to the driver's license place to get a driver's license though it was okay to drive to work everyday. I told you it was twisted.
So, upon arrival, I am handed my number - 356. They are currently serving 297.
Scott decides to take the kids to Lowes while I sit by myself and wait. By myself that is until Mr. Creeper Weirdo decides to sit in the chair right next to me, not in the other 20 available seats. He seems to take a great interest in my crocheting, while I tried to lean the other way. Why did I not move, you ask? I didn't want to hurt his feelings or seem snobby. Is it worse to think things like "Creeper Weirdo" or to make it known to him that he is a Creeper Weirdo? I have some serious issues - I'll have to tell you about Mr. Wisconsin Man another time, that'll convince you of my need for some serious therapy.
So, there I sit, praying that God would make those numbers move along quickly - kind of like I do at the deli now that I think about it! A little girl and boy come and sit in front of me - girl maybe 8 yrs old and the little boy about 5. Their parents (I think) sit in front of them with a little baby girl. The little girl is beautiful - she appears to be African American and Hispanic - with just a contagious smile. She rests her head on her hands on the back of her chair, and I hear her whisper to her brother, "Look, she's really making something with that string."
I look up and ask, "Would you like to see what I'm making?"
"Oh, yes please!"
I pull out the finished hat I had made for Gracie that I was trying to duplicate. The little boy asks, "Is it for your baby?"
"Yes, it is for my little girl. I have two little girls and four little boys." I throw in that tidbit about my boys to try to relate to him a bit.
"Do you make anything for your boys? Baby girls always get things. We don't." he says.
"I do. I've made things like hats, but they aren't as lacy looking, and blankets and scarves."
His sister says, "Of course she makes things for her boys. She's a good mom." Oh, my heart!
Their parents' number is called...Dad says something not so nicely in Spanish to them and waves them to keep sitting. My heart breaks as I watch their faces, watch them watching their mom play with the little baby. I tell myself that this is not normal for them - they don't always feel so unwanted. I want to hug them.
Little Boy turns to me, "Do you have other colors?"
Sister says, "Yes, see those flowers? Did you make those little flowers too?"
I pull the clip off the hat to show them. "Yep. I just used a different type of string, a thinner one."
I look up, how is this possible? They are seving 354. I have no time to think - I want to say something to them that will help, carry them through, tell them they are loved, without coming across as Mrs. Creeper Weirdo.
Number 355...
I hand Sister the pink and white flower clips, "I want you to have these."
Her eyes light up...Her teeth are white and beautiful in the world's biggest smile.
I want to cry because I have nothing for Little Boy...until I see that he is smiling too, enjoying his sister's gift, with no thought of what he didn't get. She holds them up to her hair, he smiles, she lets him hold them for a minute.
Number 356 - I don't care about my driver's license. I want my family to come help me love on these little kids. But Mrs. Creeper Weirdo smiles at the two kids, and pats them on their arms as she walks by. And I know that everyone sitting near us was thinking "Creeper Weirdo" too.
I do what I need to, get my picture taken without really thinking about the fact that I'll have this photo for 4 years.
I walk out to the car - hand my dear husband my new license - and start crying.
"Your picture is good." he says.
My heart aches just thinking about them, no child should ever not be loved or even feel for a minute that they aren't.
My mind wonders why I am so stupid that I sit here not able to come up with a way to help them - and all the others.
My husband says, "Jess, you've been taken for two pretties(what we call the hair clips I make for Gracie)."
Taken? Maybe. But those two pretties were the least of things they took from me today. My heart, my thoughts, my new thing I need to give my energy and time towards.
"Jess, you've been taken. " And he won't let me bring them all home.
Yes, and here are some pics of ones that continue to "take" from me.

He's always taking - not that I'm complaining! :)

If you click on this picture of Gracie and Mikey you'll see the pretties on her hat that Gracie no longer has.

Jess, you've been taken.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2009-06-21T06:53:00.013-04:00

It's Father's Day. Is this a real holiday for you? My husband does not count it, says it means more to me and the kids than to him. I do enjoy the mini-celebration it brings about, and deep down, I think he does too.
I took the kids shopping, as usual. The problem is, as they all get older, they each want to get their dad something. Back when it was just a few of them, I would let them do this - and my dear husband would receive the customary neck tie, tool, or shirt - my personal favorite has to be the shirt he got close to 8 years ago that had a picture of a saw, hammer, and drill that said "I came, I sawed, I fixed it!"; the kids were SO excited about that one!
Okay, back on track... we went shopping, and the part I love is I never really know what we'll walk out with. They wanted to get him Tiger Woods Golf 10 - At $60, Mom said only if it was going to be from all of them - they nixed that idea, Dad NEEDED 6 gifts. A movie? Being the bad guy, I said again that it would have to be a combined gift...oh, mom! So, then, this great idea was born...

Dear Dad had to move it...boy was it heavy. I quietly informed him not to get too excited, even though the kids were so excited. He opened it and said... "You went grocery shopping." But with a smile.
Yes, we did. This is a HUGE box filled with all things LOVED by Dad, and everyone picked stuff out. Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Cereal, Pepsi (of course), Starbucks Mocha Frappachinos, Pringles Pizza Stix, Honey Buns, Twinkies, Zebra Cakes, Rolos, Reeses Pieces, Reeses White Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfingers, Twix PB, Skor Bar, Spicy Doritos, Oreo Cakester, Nutter Butters, Nutty Bars, pack of pens, Hershey's Cookies N' Cream Bar, Peanut Butter Crunch Bars, Slim Jims, Peanut Butter filled pretzels, Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, Peanut Bars, and a card made by Mikey in a funny envelope from Scottie. Any bets on how long it takes him to eat all that? My guess, no longer than a week. The kids loved showing him what each of them picked out. And here's the one thing I ordered for him:

A Sigg water bottle - it should come in handy when he goes to North Carolina. And if you know Scott, you know he loves things with his name on it.

After Dad was done going through the box, Noah yells, "Happy Birthday, Daddy!" Happy Birthday indeed! Right now, I'm going to focus on explaining to the 3 yr old that we do indeed need to wear pants and clothes and just let him keep thinking it's Dad's birthday - one thing at a time. He's wearing nothing but red and white socks and his yellow hard hat, playing with Gracie's kitchen having a tea party by himself, freaking the other kids out. Happy Birthday, Dad, seems the least of my problems. Maybe my biggest problem is that I think there's something cute about him running around with that bare butt.

But I leave you with some pics from our park/hiking outing today. And Happy Father's Day!

What's a Good Wife?

2009-06-16T19:29:00.009-04:00

I am always looking for something to do. You know, cause fighting boredom is a daily challenge for me. So, I share with you my latest:

That would be HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY JAM on those strawberry and blueberry pancakes. Yes, I said blueberry - because remember this post? Yup, those bluebabies made it all the way inside our house without being eaten by little mouths - the first ever, though they met the same fate as their brothers, just clean.
But I ramble, because the focus here should be those jars in the background - those ever so lovely jars of strawberry jam. Yesterday, Scott, Scottie, Mikey, Jack, Noah, and Grace helped me go to a strawberry farm and pick - or eat in Gracie's case - a bunch of strawberries. Then last night, Scottie and Mikey helped me make our first ever batch of strawberry jam. And we didn't do the easy recipe or even the freezer recipe or any of the tricks or shortcuts that are out there. OH NO! We did the old fashioned cook and can recipe - and doubled it - just like the Ingalls would have done it. I have always (okay, maybe not always but at least for the last 15 years) wanted to do canning. It's just one of those homey/wifey/oldfashion/domestic things that I love and want to do, but don't - like sewing. My husband says it's one of those things that "GOOD" wives do - yes, I married him, but before I knew he thought comments like that were funny. ahem
Anyways, we did the whole cut, clean, cook, and boil thing, and WAAHLAHH!...We have 12 jars (that all sealed properly) of strawberry jam. YUM!

And, again, because I wrestle with boredom constantly, and have a schedule that is nothing but free time all to myself (sarcasm people, pure sarcasm) I made this little hanger to help organize Gracie's "pretties". I need to find a small piece of tassel or trim for the bottom, but I am still looking for that perfect piece.

And here are the "pretties" I've been making for her. I've been playing around and coming up with different things that go with her outfits - the stars, for instance, are for her cute dress she has for July 4th thanks to Aunt Jaci. I've got a few more that I have to attach to clips, but you get the idea. I'm playing with the idea of making these to sell - what do you think?

And these butterflies? Right now they are my favorite! I'm trying to work on some different color combos - we'll see.

Well, if you can think of something else I can do, let me know - especially if it makes me a "good" wife - I can use all the help I can get.

It's About Time

2009-06-14T20:00:00.019-04:00

I know...it's been awhile. I apologize, but my crazy hectic life has been more so lately with two boys playing baseball, all of the end of the year school activities, and well... just life in general.
To bring everyone up to date...
Molly is still doing cyber school. She has some catching up to do since she started half way through the year and the classes run differently than they did at her old school. Molly is getting ready for the youth group's mission trip. They are headed to North Carolina to do some work on houses and such in a low income area.
Scottie just finished sixth grade! Can you believe I now have two kids who will be in youth group? How old am I?!? Well, my little boy is really growing up fast. At 12, he's really helping his dad with all of the outside work, which is neverending. He also has taken over a small portion of the garden and is growing watermelon and carrots. This summer he is focusing on working - not necessarily for money either, which makes me smile. He so far has plans to go help a family from our church with some weeding, cleanup, mowing type of work. He's helped another older couple from church with a tree that came down on their property and there's the widow across the street that he's always looking out for. So, if you need some help with something, let us know...the boy can work hard and really wants to help people this summer.
Mikey just finished third grade. And he just finished his last year in Rookie level baseball. Next year comes Minors (and tryouts). We had a difficult season with some issues on the team - bad attitudes and sportsmanship, swearing (yes, from the 7-9 yr olds), punching, threatening, and so on(NOT Mikey doing these things, but other kids). We took the opportunity to use this as a teaching moment - and he handled it wonderfully! So much so, that at the end of the last game, as he thanked all of the coaches, they made a point to tell him that he was such a good leader and that he always had a smile on his face - that he may have not been the best player on the team, but he was the best person. What more could a mom want? And he couldn't wait to put on that catcher's gear every chance he got!
Jack just finished kindergarten. Boy that was hard for all of us! He loves school - the part that is socializing that is. Anything that has to do with reading, numbers, or learning he could do without. But he finished and it's on to first grade. Jack also just finished his first season of tee-ball. He had a great time and it was an hour twice a week where mom got to sit and let someone else harness all his energy!
Noah is just lovin' that all of his "friends"(that's what he calls his brothers and sisters) are out of school now. This boy could just live outside if we let him - and au naturale is still his favorite way to be. Everyday on the way home, he asks to ride his tractor. The boy LOVES his tractor, loves to follow his daddy when he mows, loves to eat strawberries, loves to just run.
Gracie is still our princess. Our two favorite words are gorgeous and babies. I do believe we are going to start potty training soon - there's a major prayer request! She continues to dance around and be ever so "girly". She just adores babies - at the store, at the ball games, anywhere we are, if she sees one, she assumes it's hers. We were recently able to visit with some friends who have 7 kids, the littlest being just 4 months old. Gracie loved being able to sit and hold this little one.
Scott and I continue to plug away. With summer upon us, there is so much to do and what seems to be so little time to do it all in. I have big plans - maybe the zoo one day (are the DeVinneys and Whickers up for it?), the library at least once a week and all the fun and free activities they have going on, maybe a minor league baseball game, and cherry picking of course.
I want to make the most of this summer and make some great memories. Do you have any suggestions for us?

And what is a post without pics? Enjoy...

Scott and his too cool friends from graduation.

Gracie is always picking my flowers. I guess I'm glad someone else is enjoying them.

We have had so much rain lately! The kids were going crazy being couped up inside-so i broke out the shaving cream and some cookie sheets, hoping for maybe 30 minutes of entertainment and only getting 15.

JackJack running the bases during a game - not backwards this time. (Backwards as in running backwards, not from home to third backwards.)

So, you'll notice the first pic on the post is of Scott and Noah mowing. I had a problem posting the pics, sorry that one ended up at the top, but it is my favorite. Watching my little Nonah mow just makes me smile. It takes Scott about 3 hours to mow. This little guy just loves to follow his dad around on his little tractor, with his ear protection on - did I mention that his tractor is NOT battery powered? He pushes himself all around our yard with this frog type motion - for HOURS! He is going to have some massive thighs!

Here's Mikey playing catcher. He couldn't be happier. I think one of his favorite parts of playing catcher is that he picks up the other team's bat and takes it over to them after each batter.

She's got WHO wrapped around her little finger?

And here's my "SILLY" boys. Jack is holding a smarties roll on his head. Right now, all my pics of him have him holding something up on his head - he thinks this is the funniest thing ever - that and sticking our tongue out. I know, you're all rolling on the ground laughing, just like he is when he looks at this pic. Maybe he gets his silliness from his Daddy?

"Jump Up, Jump Up and Get Down..."

2009-05-13T12:31:00.003-04:00

Just a few highlights of our weekend with the bounce house.

First game of the Season

2009-04-25T21:38:00.017-04:00

I know you all are just waiting on the edge of your seats, hitting that refresh button, hoping to catch one more update on how our weekend went. You just couldn't wait to hear how I was going to use those exemplary parenting skills I have, as witnessed by previous post, in some form or fashion during my weekend alone. I will not fail you.

Here we are at Mikey's baseball game. What a crowd for the first game! I think the number of people around to witness an event is directly associated with the chance that one of my children will become naked- I will learn this and perhaps even prepare for it in future events.
Please also take note, our chairs are set up at the end of the row of spectators. Yes, there is no fence to protect us from foul balls, but I will take that chance and boy am I glad I did.

Things started out well. Two little ones sitting in their lawn chairs (Noah in his dino chair, Gracie in her cow chair). I get up to stand near the fence while Mikey is batting so that I can get a picture of him. Gracie decides to come with me. As I am kneeling down by the fence, I hear a few chuckles. Why are these parents laughing at my boy? He doesn't look that funny up there! Then, a nice lady (the one with the brown tank top on in the picture above) says something to me that I don't quite hear (I'm getting old and hard of hearing, seriously!) - something about my son, and then she points - in the direction of our chairs - in the direction of my other two sons. And I turn to find, yep my son, alright. There's Noah, with his pants down, peeing - for all to see. Between our chairs and the brown tank lady's blanket, my son decides to relieve himself.
I am mortified, embarrassed, and have no clue how to handle this. So, I say, loud enough for all to hear, "Noah, we have to go to the bathroom to do this. It's not okay to just pee in the grass." And Noah says, just as loudly, "But Momma, I had to pee, and I didn't pee in my pants. I'm a good boy. It's okay." I think I'll let Daddy handle this when he gets home.

Have I mentioned how much I love doing Gracie's hair? I have a love for "ponies" which works well with her love for "pretties" - and together the result is numerous ponies and pretties working together for the common good of pure sweetness - that sweetness being all Gracie of course.
(My girl was having some "pants" issues - they kept falling down. So, yes, I know she is showing some major diaper here.)

And Scottie was booooooorrred - so I heard no less than 10 times. And I had asked him to change into a short-sleeved shirt before we left because of the 70+ degree temperature, but what does Mom know.

They moved their chairs, played in that dirt pile behind them, and moved their chairs some more. This little game of "Footsie" was fun to watch.

But on to the game, and the real reason we were there.

So, the coach has Mikey playing left field. I tell him, no more cartwheels, you've got to pay attention!

He listens so well! He is paying attention!

Wait....

He's in left field, remember? Not the pitcher...

Oh, he's just mimicking (or mocking, depending on how you look at it) the pitcher...while out in left field...but he did listen!
Let's move on to the hitting portion of the game, shall we?

And he makes it on base, with a one-handed swing (he's going to give his Momma a heart attack with that form)!

And he doesn't make it to just any base...

Yep, you guessed it. He's on THIRD base! Don't you just love the form? And here's the best part...

He made it home! This is a really big deal, people. The hit would not be a big deal in his eyes if he hadn't made it all the way home. And I'm not talking about a home run here, just making it all the way around the bases with other team mates advancing him along with their hits. I'm not sure why this is so important in a 9 year old's eyes, but it is as I have learned from talking to other parents as well. They don't keep score yet (at least not officially - the kids all know what the score is) but there is just something about crossing that plate - and this is the first time for Mikey since he didn't get to last time he played.

And of course, the highlight (again in a 9 year old's eyes, and maybe mine if I could have had one too) was the juice box and cupcake that they got at the end of the game. I'm thinking I should try to start a trend where there are snacks for all the parents and siblings that have to watch the 2 hour game. Come on, people, you know you want one!

We ended the day with grocery shopping and then planted some flowers. The kids are all in bed, and I am left eating strawberries and wishing my husband was home.

I will end with a Noah saying that made me smile.

At the grocery store today, while he sat in the cart:

Noah: Momma, can I hug your arm?

Momma: Just my arm?

Noah: Yeah. (Hugs my arm) It's sweetness.

Momma: Hugging my arm is sweetness?

Noah: Yep, your arm is sooooooooooooooo good.

Older lady walking by laughs at us, and I don't even think twice about it. I have become accustomed to the fact that we are but other people's entertainment - though rated R for nudity.

Another song on my mind

2009-04-25T20:58:00.015-04:00

You're a

Heartbreaker,

Dreammaker,

Love-taker,

Don't you

mess around with me!

Sweetness

2009-04-25T20:01:00.014-04:00

Sugar,

Oh, Honey Honey,

You are my

Candy girl

And you got me

wanting you.

Honestly, couldn't you just eat her up?

Everyone Loves a Good Mud Bath

2009-04-24T17:39:00.002-04:00

We couldn't ask for better weather. After the last few rainy, damp, and windy days, the warmth and sunshine are much appreciated - especially by my old rickety bones.
So, after working a full day, I come home anticipating the start of a full weekend with just me and the little kiddos - that is four of them - Scottie, Mikey, Noah, and Grace. My mind is full of ideas of fun things that we could do amongst the grocery shopping, baseball games, and naps that must be done. I have a smile on my face and can't wait to spend some time with my babies.
Scott and Molly leave for the youth retreat, and the rest of us are left playing outside, having a great time.
But we all know that things never go that smoothly in this house. Fairy tales are made up of families that can play nicely outside and watch the sunset while hugging each other and proclaiming their love for their siblings.
This house? Yes, we read fairy tales, but do not live one.
Scottie and Mikey are throwing baseballs at each other, that is until Mikey makes a money shot and I am left concerned that there will be no Larry Scott Harrison IV. While I am talking to my high-pitched, rolling on the ground in a fetal position son, I happen to take my eyes off of the two littlest ones who were playing with a tennis racquet, a bucket, and a ball.
I get Scottie on his feet and turn around. There is Noah, tennis racquet in hand, covered in mud - face, hands, body, feet, all of it covered in mud. And don't forget Gracie...cause Noah doesn't forget to include her in his fun - yep, she's covered in mud too. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes that I turned my back. How is it possible that these two could have found water, made mud, and covered themselves all in the matter of minutes?
Did I mention that my Noah was buck-naked? Yep, he covered that in mud too. But he was ever so happy to run around the yard, proudly shaking his thing, enjoying the feel of mud on his skin and the warm sunshine that was baking it all in. I would have taken a picture, but it would have been illegal for me to post it. BUT if you were one of the lucky ones, who happen to be driving down our busy road and HONKED at my exemplary parenting skills, I thank you...because that just makes him turn his God-given body towards the road and wave at you in all his glory.
Oh, the weekend has only started. I can't wait to see what else will happen.
Since I couldn't post a picture of Noah taking his mud bath, I'll post one of my favorite ones of him at the beach this past summer. This kid just makes me smile.
By the way, Gracie did keep her clothes on...our modesty lessons seem to be paying off.

The Hunt Is On!

2009-04-13T08:45:00.005-04:00

I hope all of you had an Easter filled with JOY and AMAZEMENT. These two words have taken on new meaning for me after attending Sovereign Grace's Pastor's Conference last week. Actually, that conference was life-changing.

I have heard CJ Mahaney preach, read his books, even tease my husband that he pulls a "CJ" when he preaches and cries. The man is wise and passionate about Jesus Christ, but people, if you ever get a chance to see him preach in person - cut off your arms and legs to do it, okay, maybe not your arms cause you'll need them to worship and clap with his crowd, but you won't need your legs cause you'll never want to leave. I won't bore you with the details, but I will post the link to the conference once it is up that has all of the conference's "sermons". CJ wasn't the only one to speak, my other favorite has to be Jared Mellinger and his views on passing on our faith to future generations. These are gifted men, take some time to listen to them do some expository preaching, it will convict and change you. ("expository preaching" - see I learned something!)

So, Scott and I went away, to Gaithersburg, Maryland, for a few days. Molly, Noah and Gracie spent the time with Grandma and PopPop. Scottie, Mikey, and JackJack stayed with some friends of ours, Mike and Michelle. Lucy went to the kennel, and Livi stayed with the Harris'. Thank you so much for watching our crew so that we could experience this wonderful conference. Each of our crew had a great time at their various places, but Scottie loved the "wickedly awesome" meatloaf that Michelle makes - I'll have to get that recipe, he never calls my food "wickedly awesome".

In light of our week, we came back and felt we could not celebrate Easter the same way we always have in our family - for the last 15 years that is. Not just Easter, but the way we are living had to change - but let's start with Easter. When asked, our kids would tell you that the reason we celebrate Easter is because that is the day Jesus rose from the dead - they know that. But by introducing other things, baskets and eggs and such, are we leaving with them the impression that Jesus is the MOST important and ONLY important thing? I want my children to have a real and genuine relationship with Jesus and I want to pass this on to their children - I want the traditions we have as a family to reflect our dedication and devotion to our Lord and Savior - period. In everything we do, may He be glorified. I do NOT want to pass down a watered down version of faith, one that is compromised by worldly influence, a faith that is added to by worldly influence. I do NOT want to show them a lukewarm faith, but one that is hot, on-fire, for Christ and only Christ. "There shall be NO other gods before Me"- I will not take the chance and show my children that something could possibly be more important than God, I will err on the side of caution when it comes to that if I have to. I am reading through Noel Piper's book, Treasuring God in our Traditions - A MUST read for every family!

I was a little nervous - would they notice what was missing this Easter, or notice what we ADDED? With being away, our new tradition for Easter was scrunched into a day - next year, I have more things planned, but here's what we did do.

Scott read the story of Jesus from the Children's Bible. We talked about different aspects of the story. The kids seemed to be really impacted when we started talking about Jesus' siblings, His brothers and sisters, being there and having to watch Him go through all of that. JackJack wanted to punch them in the eyes (I don't know why the eyes, except he seemed to think this was a pretty bad thing). We prayed as a family - Noah thanked God that he could bounce (just so you know that we did allow them to be kids) - Gracie mumbled something about pups and bops, though so seriously and with her head bowed and hands folded - it was too precious. Then came the hunt. While I made dinner, everyone was told to go find things that reminded them about the story, inside or outside, it did not matter. We took turns explaining our findings and decorated our mantle with them.

Let me be a mom a minute and say, "How clever are my children!" The joy and enthusiasm they had for this hunt far surpassed any egg hunt they have participated in. They were creative and brilliant and so proud of their findings, but also enjoyed everyone else's and even clapped for each other as we shared. Can you pick out the items and what they represent?

Here's a rundown:

Jack - rock, for the stone they rolled in front of the tomb; raspberry branch with thorns, for the crown of thorns; tissues, for the disciples and Jesus' brothers who were sad that He died; grass, the grass Jesus walked on in the Garden of Gethsemane; and a red string; to represent the blood of Christ that was shed (he cut this from a blanket that I am crocheting - AARRRGGGHHH!); a willow branch and string; it looks like a whip

Scottie and Noah - made a crown from wire; old and new pine cones, they represent the old life and the new life we have because Christ died for us; bird's nest basket, represents how we are now safe and have a home because Christ died for us; perfume, for the perfumes that they prepared Jesus' body with; lamb, represents that Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb; hammer, for when they nailed the spikes into Christ; spring flowers, represent the new life that grows and is beautiful in Christ

Mikey - white sock, represents the white linens they wrapped Jesus' body in; pillow, reminds him of when the disciples fell asleep in the garden when Jesus was praying, he made that cross of sticks; piece of bark, the cross Jesus hung on was not a sanded piece of 2x4 wood but rather uncomfortable tree and the bark probably poked him in the back where he was whipped;

Molly and Gracie - baby bottle with water, represents the spit that people spit on Jesus; coins, represents the 30 pieces of silver Judas was paid for betraying Jesus; piece of bread, Jesus is the bread of life and the Last Supper; Jesus figurine tied to a tree with 3 nails; purple cell phone cover, purple to represent the purple robe that they mockingly put on Jesus.

Pretty neat, huh? Our "Jesus Hunt" was spectacular - the kids are still talking about what they want to find for next year.

Oh, and they didn't even miss Easter baskets or colored eggs - didn't even ask about them. We did take a minute to explain why we didn't do those things this year and not one of them complained. And Mikey walked around the house all night singing, "I love Easter, I love Easter, I love Easter..." I had to ask, "Why, Mikey? Why do you love Easter?" "Because Mom, Jesus is ALIVE!"

Jesus is alive indeed!

Just a Few Minutes

2009-04-02T11:28:00.004-04:00

It has been too long since I've posted...I am terribly sorry. I am working on getting a catch up post together and will get that done as soon as I can. In the meantime, I have a small request of all of you who happen to come across this.
Will you join me today in praying for my husband? This is one of those "unspoken" requests as I can not go into detail as of right now. But isn't it wonderful that we can approach our great God with this, and HE knows all the details.
Can you take a few minutes and approach the Throne on Scott's behalf?
That God would provide him with wisdom and a clear indication of His will.
That God would grant him that peace that passes all understanding that only He can provide.
That Scott would "feel" the prayers that are being said on his behalf and be comforted with the love and support of those who care for him.
That Scott would rely on God for all things and be turning to Him and His Word for guidance, wisdom, and answers.
That the burden Scott so heavily feels would be left at the feet of Jesus.
That God would receive all the glory as Scott leads his family in serving Him.
Praise God for the heart of my husband who loves Him more and more everyday, that strives to serve Him and be more Christlike daily, that wants to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who will hear. Praise God for creating such a heart!

Vague - I know - but please pray as your heart leads you, as the Spirit leads you.

Tears streaming down my face now as I realize that we will together pray for this man I call Husband and my children call Daddy...and God will hear our prayers, thoughts, cries, and groans and answer them all according to His GOOD and GRACIOUS will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

2009-03-13T17:19:00.000-04:00

Or, as it is in our house: Snakes and Gameboys and Mohawks: that's what little boys are made of - Not quite as poetic as the original saying, but makes a little more sense.
My little man turned 6 yesterdy. He wanted a snake cake. And of course since I had made Noah tractor cakes (click on the underline tan words to see them), he had it in his head that I could do this as well. This was actually much easier than the tractors, and he loved it, which made my day. I'd do anything for him - just look at those big brown eyes, they'll get you everytime.

The tongue is made out of a fruit roll-up that had little stamps on it. How perfect that one of the stamps was a little mouse.

This card is from Molly, and a big blue ball to play outside with!

PopPop and Grandma - He loves his Legos!

A Nintendo DS - he's wanted one for years (I know he's only 6, but he's really wanted one for YEARS, because his brothers have one). He's smiling for the picture and telling Mikey, "This one is mine!"

So, I make the cake, have pepperoni pizza and strawberries for dinner(Jack's pick), but forget to get candles. I only had one of those number candles that was a 5. Daddy is creative and cuts it up so Jack has something to wish upon.

Thank you, my little man, Jack, for being such a blessing to me and your Daddy. Our hearts are filled with love and pride with you as our fourth child and third son. We are so glad for the part you play in our family - we surely wouldn't be the same without you!

And with spring comes the barrage of birthdays in the Harrison house. Jack was first, in two weeks comes Mikey's, two weeks, then Gracie, and then two weeks and Scottie. We're planning a big shindig on May 9 to celebrate everyone's birthdays - so if you're reading this, please come and celebrate with us. There will of course be food (yes, you will take some home so don't bother trying not to!) and a bounce house and some games.

But first comes Mikey's big day...and he wants a Bible cake, opened to John 3:16. Because then he can have the Word of God not just in his heart, but in his stomach...at least for a little while.

LOVE IT!

2009-03-04T20:04:00.000-05:00

It's finally warming up! So off to the park we went. I am sure we looked like a daycare center walking to the park, all in a line, out for a field trip. Except we live in the midst of Amish country and having 6 kids is nothing extraordinary, almost a minimum requirement. We better start working on fitting in with our neighbors better - they currently have 13 kids... and 4 grandkids.

Lots of fun was had by all, though of course we had two kids crying when it was time to go. I love that they had so much fun, but I consider it my parental duty to learn how to handle the inevitable temper tantrum at the end better.

So, two of my boys received haircuts, compliments of Dad. I love them, which goes against my "conservative" nature, I know. There's something about a mohawk that makes them just too cute - or "cool" if you're them.

Look at my "boys" - all too cool for their own good. Am I really going to have to share them with four other women? Okay, one of them better be all mine.

For so long, I had myself convinvced that I liked a clean-shaven man, with short hair and of course glasses. I have pleaded with him over the last 15 years that he could NOT get contacts - even said we didn't have the money when we probably could've swung it. Little did I know what I really liked. Isn't that how it often is - we think we know best? We fight God for control and for what we want. But, if we try His way, we find it much better than we thought it could ever possibly be.

Isn't he just handsome with his mohawk? I LOVE it! Too bad LBC doesn't allow it - there's a lesson in stereo-typing and being judgemental in this I think, not that anyone will listen to me. But I love it, much more than I thought I would. Can't wait till he graduates and can have one again.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

2009-03-01T17:23:00.000-05:00

"Sunday, Bloody Sunday"...I do believe that is how the song goes, though I am not a U2 fan nor do I know the rest of the lyrics. Is the song about war? Sundays can be such a "war" within me. There are times when I want nothing more than to go back a few years to simpler times, but only like some wish to go back to when they were younger - it's a longing that is not real for you don't truly want to go back to a time when you knew less and understood less, you just want to know more and understand more about what is going on now. Boy does that sound confusing!

We actually were quite excited about going to church today. Our very dear friends were coming to our church today and we all couldn't wait to see them. The DeVinneys are so special to us. Besides being such goods friends, they have introduced us to many things including babywearing (LOVE my Didymos still), pillowcase dresses, Robeez, knitting, all things squirrel, and perhaps one of the greatest things -the "bag". Why did it take till the sixth baby till I knew of this great invention? Now, being as awesome as she is, Cathy made the bag that Gracie is wearing in the picture. I have looked for more, but I am getting the idea that only little babies are suppose to wear these, for they only make them in the newborn-one size fit all size. Don't try to tell Gracie this though, she still insists on wearing one every night, and even has managed to learn to walk around in it. I just like knowing that she stays covered everynight. Now, if only I could get Noah into one...

But I ramble on, when I really want to say, how very, very nice it was to have them with us on Sunday morning. We don't get to see enough of them, and such as Sunday was, we didn't get to talk to them as much as we wanted to. Maybe I'll be sneaking over sometime to visit them...

I asked my husband "If I said DeVinney, what comes to mind?" He said - SCOOTER, Baritone, crashing, football team. Joel, just know that he loves that he relates to you so well - he understands, he really does.

Now, back to my "Bloody Sunday", because I have strayed FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRR from the point of my post. Isn't "bloody" like a swear word in England or something? I think my Sunday was much more of a bleeding heart type of thing - you know, when you can actually physically feel the pain that your head is telling you is really just emotional? The last thing I want to think about right now is that whole "conflict causes growth", but I will say this - My prayer life has grown in the last two days, and it has grown alot in the last two years as well. I have been on my knees and have completely laid everything before my Lord. Through heart-wrenching sobs and tears from red swollen eyes, I know that I am WAITING...God will answer according to His will, and in His hands is the best place to be. Please pray for us, that God will open the doors for us that we need to cross and close those that aren't for us - that we will patiently, lovingly, serve Him as we wait.

And The Winner Is...

2009-03-01T16:52:00.000-05:00

Let me formally introduce you to Olivia "The Deuce" Harrison. We call her Livi (so now we have Lucy and Livi). None of our pets have ever had middle names before, but Scott felt

it fit her - you know, she's the #2 dog and well, she's about the size of a #2, if you know what I mean. She's a whole 1pound and 3 ounces and as you can see by the pic, we had to buy her a sweater to keep her warm and a bell so that we can hear where she is. All in all, the little one is adjusting to our chaos and we to her.

A big congrats to Olivia, she's one of the girls from Scott's basketball team - she wins the name the dog contest. Email me or Scott or just comment here, if you would prefer a gift card to Sheetz or Target and it'll be in your hands to spend soon. Now, Olivia, I want you to know, I will be drawing the line at my husband calling our little dog "Malibu Barbie" though. :)

My Thinker

2009-02-20T09:35:00.000-05:00

Forever thinking.

What do you think he is thinking about?

I am confidant that not one person and only an all-knowing God knows. How can I be so confidant you ask? Let me share a recent conversation with my favorite 11 yr old.

Scottie: Thanks, Mom, for buying me lunch. (He came and spent the day with me at work since there was no school. )

Mom: Your welcome. I hope you enjoy your eggs. (The boy loves chopped up hard-boiled eggs. He gets a whole container full at the salad bar for lunch when he is with me. Yes - STINKY!)

After a few minutes, he approaches my desk:

Scottie, while rubbing his stomach: You know what the best thing is, Mom?

Mom: What's that?

Scottie: That feeling in your stomach when it is full of eggs.

Mom: Oh really. Can't say I've ever felt that.

Scottie: Yeah, it's kind of like when Tom Cruise walks into a small town...

Okay, at this point I can't stop laughing, then we both can't stop laughing. The boy never finishes his sentence nor can he explain it. How Tom Cruise, a small town, and eggs relate is a mystery to me but seems to make sense to a certain young man. And no, I am not a Tom Cruise fan, so why he was thinking of him is also a mystery. Where does this stuff come from?

I thank my all-knowing God for giving me the son I need - one who makes me laugh and smile, one who is constantly reminding me of his father, one that is even more precious to Him than he is to me.

Name That Dog

2009-02-17T07:50:00.001-05:00

Fill out the poll and help us name our new Yorkie.

BIG, but not so big, Announcement!

2009-02-15T19:24:00.000-05:00

So, many of you read that title and thought to yourself - they're expecting! Admit it, you thought it, I know you did. :)
I do want to make some formal introductions - however, that'll have to wait till we have a name, but for now, here's some pics of the newest littlest Harrison.

Pretty cute, don't you think? I think she fits right in. She's a little Yorkie and we all love her dearly. The last two days have been filled with discussions of who is going to hold her when, most of it being dominated by a screaming little girl yelling, "MINE!".

We are pretty divided on a name though. Here's the run down of suggestions so far:

Scott: PopTart or Gomer or Shamu

Jess: Mercy or Spurgeon (you know, big name-little dog syndrome)

Molly: Peanut or Mercy

Scott: Chocolate or ShoeShine

Mikey: Biscuit or Todo

Jack: Betsy (the name she came with)

Noah: Toilet Wipe (As I have mentioned before, the boy is obesessed)
Gracie - Pup or Mine

So, leave a comment with your suggestion - maybe one mentioned above or one of your own. I think this will mark the begining of a new era here on the Harrison blog - we're going to turn this into the first ever Giveway! I'm putting together a little something for our winner - I promise it'll be worthwhile. So leave a comment and this will be open till I say otherwise, and then me and the powers that be will pick a winner.

By the way, our new little one is cute, but not as cute as my pig-tailed, tights and multiple legwarmer wearing baby - Amen? This has got to be my new favorite outift on her - she just might wear it till she turns 10 and won't let me put it on her anymore.

Artifacts

2009-02-15T19:02:00.000-05:00

Mikey mada a diarama for school on artifacts. Scott and I never had to make one in school, so this was a first for all of us. We used Lego men, much easier than trying to make them out of clay. My favorite part has to be the squirrell ... Mikey then positioned the Lego guy with the spear killing him... he's all boy.

Yes, that was a Harrison you saw and No, we have no extra toilet paper

2009-02-04T18:17:00.000-05:00

Molly made the front page of the Penny Saver with a color picture of herself with her Science Fair Project. This was her first year in entering the Science Fair. She took Honors Earth Science and all honor students were required to enter. Her project was called The Poorman's Thermometer. It was based on the theory that cricket chirps can be used to tell the temperature. She learned a valuable lesson through this project - crickets from the pet store DO NOT chirp. If you happen to live in the East though, and can distinguish the chirp of the Snowy Tree Cricket from all of the OTHER crickets in your backyard - THEN it is supposedly proven that you can tell what the temperature is outside, just not proven by us. The other thought is you could just look at the thermometer hanging on the tree in our backyard...but that's not scientific enough or something. Anyways, it was pretty exciting for her to be in the paper and we are proud of her. If you want to see a copy, let me know, I have - ahem-a few, copies. :) Unfortunately, the Penny Saver does not publish online.
Also, Molly is now a student of the PA Cyber School. She is very excited about the possibilities and opportunities this will give. Please pray for the transition.

On another note, Noah is working on being potty trained. Yes, he is 3 yrs and 3 months old. We waited so long for a few reasons: 1) He did not want to have anything to do with it before Thanksgiving 2) I knew we needed to be at home for a few days, and that just has not happened in our schedule between the holidays and my parents being here 3) I am just a procrastinator. One positive thing about waiting so long - he has had one accident since we started. He really is ready for all of this and it has been almost too easy. He loves his big boy underwear, but doesn't mind wearing his "Poooool-ups" (as he calls them) when we are out. The real aspect that I don't like at all is the "let's see if everywhere we go has a potty". Many of the public restrooms out there are just plain gross, but that does not seem to stop my little ones from touching everything - EEEEWWWWW!!!!

BUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.... we haven't had any "accidents" but a major incident. Our little Noah is just obsessed with toilet paper. I'm not sure why, but he loves it more than cats do! Within two days, this little man has flushed four WHOLE rolls down our one toilet - he is no longer allowed anywhere near the bathroom without adult supervision. The bad news, all of that toilet paper at one time clogged up our sewer lines - major clog - meaning we had no running water at all in the house. This left us with making many trips to Target to use their Family Restroom - like I really needed another reason to go into Target. And we had Wendy's for dinner - another reason to run to Target and use their bathroom, if you know what I mean.

So we called the emergency plumber, heard his OUTRAGEOUS quote, considered going to a hotel for the night, decided against that, had the plumber come out, and folks, the diagnosis is in...there are tree roots in our pipes. The plumber hands us our $489.00 bill and says "It'll only be $6 - $10 thousand to fix it." I laugh, for this can only be a bad joke, right? Some bad plumber humor that they enjoy tormenting people who need working plumbing with. Oh no, no joke...there is excavating and such that must be done, along with replacing our old cast iron pipes - oh the joys of living in an old house. But here is the good news, some WONDERFUL friends of ours are going to help us! And one even has plumbing experience! Talk about a God-send...

I must go now, our littlest one is screaming for no apparent reason...if only this was something new.

Noodles, Rice, and Honey Buns - Carb Goodness

2009-02-02T19:53:00.000-05:00

So, I do believe I have a rather unhealthy relationship with food. I LOVE food - most any kind of food, not hard to believe once you see me. There are very few foods that I won't eat - thus the unhealthiness. I would fall into the emotional eating crowd. In my little world, there is nothing that a big bowl (or pot) of noodles won't fix, and if you run out of noodles, then go for the rice because it's just as good as long as it is white and sticky. When pregnant with Noah, I would eat two packets of rice noodle ramen noodles, at least twice a day and sometimes three or four times. Have you seen Kung Fu Panda? Well, Po is known as the noodle-lovin panda - Scott now, of course lovingly, will refer to me as Po - and of course the ONLY reason is for the shared love of noodles, not the clumsiness or roundness of said panda.
My love of carbs goes well beyond the noodle and grain of rice. Recently, we found ourselves at Cracker Barrel. With one of their meals, you can choose 3 sides. I of course had the Chicken and Dumplins, which is great if you like Chicken Pot Pie - not the baked pie kind. My sides? More Dumplins of course. I look at the table near us where a young couple sat eating salads - something not found on our table anywhere. I turn to Scott and say with incredulous disbelief, "Why in the world would someone order salad when you can have dumplins? Even if you've ordered dumplins, wouldn't you just order more dumplins?" Until my dear husband starts to chuckle do I even realize what I just said. It sounds so silly, but seriously, you've got to order more dumplins!
And then Mikey...
said to Scott and I in the car this week, "Hey Dad!"

Doesn't the snow look like the top of a Honey Bun?

The snow had started to melt, and then refroze, forming this glazed look in our backyard. I myself had been thinking how beautiful it was. Well, of course, anything that looks like a honey bun is gorgeous. And this time, my husband agrees with me.

Resemblance?

2009-01-25T10:12:00.000-05:00

Noah? Cho? Cho? Noah?

At nap time today, Noah says to me, "Momma, Daddy called me Cho four times today."

Then later in the day, we both chuckled as Noah responded to "Hey, Cho, come over here."

Now, we're waiting for him to say, "And where were you last night at eight o'clock?"

We have been watching The Mentalist on Tuesday nights and it hit us one night that sometimes Cho looks like a grown-up Noah - but I bet the show's directors don't have to use M&Ms to get him into that suit coat (or to comb his hair with gel)! That's a four M&M picture of Noah your looking at!

Looking Cool in the Cold and Wanting to Help

2009-01-21T15:05:00.000-05:00

It is COLD. According to the local radio station it is currently 7 degrees with the wind chill. Now I understand that to some of you out there in like Minnesota that is warm, but for this Southern California bred girl it is like cold (had to break out the valley girl talk for that one).

This is the little creek that runs behind our house. Scott, Jack, and Gracie tried to break the ice up by throwing sticks and such at it, but it must be pretty thick cause it didn't even crack.

So despite the frigid temps, Scottie could not wait any longer to use his Christmas present. And you'll notice that he is just way too cool for a big puffy (also known as WARM) coat - the mom in me could just die every time he goes outside, but my better half keeps telling me to let him go, he's an 11 yr old boy, pick your battles, he'll learn - hhhhmmmmm, I'm not convinced but submit (practicing being a good wife) as I scream inside as he waits for the school bus. Can't you just see all the little Cold Germs attacking him? And next comes the coughing, vomiting, fever, and sore throat...all things a good, patient mother knows how to handle - not me. At what age does common sense kick in and win over being cool? Okay, he does look adorable in that hat AND he thinks he looks cool, so it's a win-win - just don't tell him I called him "adorable" or I lose. :)

So, these cold temps have me thinking...about the homeless. A few months ago at a meeting with other local churches, Scott learned that there are about 30 homeless families in our school district, with that number rising since one of the big apartment complexes is no longer doing low income housing. The local mission is full. I want to open my home to these people. What if one of those families is one of my kids friends? I can't imagine picking my children up from the bus stop in my car and then living, sleeping, doing homework in the car with them. Yes, we have 8 people in this small house, but can we not sacrifice our comforts so that someone else can be warm? Technically, couldn't I put all the kids in one room and then have extras?

Here is where my better half kicks in: We have one bathroom, we don't have the financial ability to support another family, we are ever so busy as it is and rarely home, there's the safety aspect to bringing in strangers especially with our kids,...did I mention we have one bathroom?

I know he is right, but I want to help! Wouldn't Jesus help? Won't God provide? What if this is the opportunity we have to show God's love to someone? What if that leads them to Christ? I know I don't do anything to bring people to Him, He does. And He can make things happen without little ol' me. But He can use this broken vessel as well, right?

Seriously, I can't walk from the house to the car without getting teeth-chattering chilled. And we went on vacation this past summer to the beach and had to spend 10 hours together in the car -I can honestly say there is no way I would survive living in a car with them!

So what is the answer? What do we do? We can't ignore them, not look at them, and pretend they are not there. We have to DO something! So someone out there enlighten me with some wisdom.

My house is a HUGE mess, and I really have to go clean before anyone comes - even our tiny little bathroom.

Washed as White as Snow

2009-01-20T08:38:00.000-05:00

Sunday night was beyond words. I had been looking forward to the evening for weeks. With a happiness that comes from excited anticipation, I prepared the diaper bag with snacks to keep little mouths full and quiet hours before we needed to leave. Shoes were put on 16 feet and heavy coats pulled out. Snow softly fell - pure, white, snow.

Off we headed to Grace Baptist Church of Lancaster - not to be confused with Grace Baptist Church of Millersville (THE Grace I often talk of). I refer to Grace of Lancaster as "The Mother Church" and Grace of Millersville as "The Sister Church" - not sure where these terms originated from or if they are still used, but this is how they were referred to as in my teens in the house I lived in. Scott thinks the term Mother Church is nothing short of silly and often says it in his deep Darth Vader voice - not sure why. But I ramble ...

Six young men publicly confirm their relationship with our Lord and Savior and are baptized! Two of them Scott and I had the privilege of building relationships with as leaders while they were in youth group - Brad and David, we love you both and are proud of you! Two were yet little boys when we left Grace and played with my sons - Donnie and Jonathan, I can't believe how fast you have grown into godly young men. One I have known since he was but a small boy, and prayed for with his mother for years as he strayed from God. To see these men follow God's command, to hear their words of testimony, to rejoice with them and their families...to hear God receive ALL the glory.

I bawled like a baby and made that VERY unattractive scrunched up I'm-trying-not-to-cry face for most of the night. To be honest, it all hit me rather unexpectedly - the emotions that is. I was happy and excited to see these young men get baptized, to be with this very special church family that I miss terribly.

I cried tears of relief as I sat in a packed pew, singing songs of God's grace, mercy, and glory with others all lifting their voices in JOY and ADORATION to our Great God. Relief, as I saw and heard others singing in real worship with real emotion, granted not always with the best voice (I can not hold a tune at all!) but it did not matter. Relief, as I witnessed people singing to God, not as a "look at me and my talent", but singing because the words are meant to worship God. Relief as attendance was because they wanted to be there and worship God and no other reason.

Relief is defined, according to Webster : removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing. For this one night, for those so few hours, it was relief to worship again.

I cried tears while rejoicing to see these young men taking this step. To hear the words they spoke, to hear that some of them travelled such a hard lonely road before and to know that they now have a relationship with Jesus Christ is reason enough to rejoice!

I was so focused on the baptism that I totally had not thought about all the people I would see. I walk in the door, and there's Angela, Cathy, their kids - big smile on my face just thinking about them. Mrs. Martin (Ruth - old habits die hard)walks up to let me know that she is in the nursery with Mrs. Busby (Patricia) - there is no longer any need for those snacks, for my little babies could not be in better hands. Deborah and Kristie - how I miss you two, our long talks, the overnights, the hair help - all of it. In the sanctuary is Cheryl Bitner, the proud mother, and the Nelsons (Happy 50th Rhoda!), and I can't stop smiling that Jon and Judy Beltz sat next to us. Across the way, my hero - the woman I admire so - Debbie Hair, another proud momma of the night. Dan Houck, I love catching up with you. Aunt Janet, Betsy Sauder, Lisa Krause, Betsy Osman (who encouraged me so that night out in the rain) - I could go on and on, but since no one wants to read the church directory I'll stop listing names, but please know that I wish I could have spent much more time with each of you.

Now I must give a few shout outs because here was another highlight of my night:

"Jess, it's so good to see you! I read your blog...(I can't remember exactly what she said about my blog because I was in absolute shock that someone is reading my ramblings!)" Yes, Laura, if you are reading this (and you said you do:) ) you totally made my night. I miss your gentle and caring spirit and still have my notes and cards on my dresser from my pregnancy with Gracie. What a blessing they continue to be to me.

Here's BIG news - I have a subscriber! A real live one, and not my husband either! And here's the impressive part (at least to me) it's Pastor Joel! He even knew the name of my blog! I am not faking astonishment here people. Not to compare him to the likes, but lets say you're into some random show like NCIS (totally random pick on my part... kind of) and you hear that Mark Harmon likes to watch your home movies...astonishment, right?

Okay, maybe others of you out there are reading this and thinking "But I read your blog and I subscribe." But I don't know this, leave me a comment and let me know. So the next step I suppose is a giveaway, but I'm trying to come up with a good one, and a dinner with the Harrisons wouldn't do much but give you a headache I'm afraid.

Get your fix

2009-01-15T19:21:00.000-05:00

Since I'm still pecking, thought I would share a few pics with you to give you that Harrison fix I know you all need!

My husband, truly a saint, going over his notes at a youth retreat we had Jan 2-4. What a time we had! Though I was missing my babies with every fiber in me, I got to connect with some people and have made some incredible friends! You know who you are, come on over for dinner! By the way, this shirt is one of his favorite Christmas presents he received - and now he says will be his next tattoo. From this view, the shirt says saint, turn your screen upside down and it says sinner. By the way Mr. Gift Giver - My personal thanks, he really needed that encouragement to get another tattoo. Ahem

Grandma and PopPop bought everyone matching pjs for Christmas - I'm working on how to get a picture of all 8 of us in them.
I know what you all are thinking...

YES, Gracie is playing with her toes!

No, Seriously, I had to post the one of Noah picking his nose, because the one of him eating the booger just grosses me out - that and the fact that when I tell him that he really shouldn't do that he says "Why? I like them crunchy!" Yes, because who likes the slimy gooey ones?

My parents were able to come out and spend the holidays with us. Here's my Dad with the two younger boys. Can you see the chocolate around their mouths

that Grandma snuck to them?

Gracie started the day as Little Red Riding Hood carrying all things in a basket, then became a puppy and insisted on eating her cereal from the bowl on the ground (What kind of mother actually lets her daughter do that though and then takes a picture of it?), and then put on a little dance show for us - I'm so glad to see those classes in 80's dance moves are starting to pay off. She's really got the robot down, but is still working on the sprinkler.

Oh no! Look, I got them all!

Jack Jack is speechless and insists that Noah did not learn this habit from him.

Mikey looking more and more like his Daddy.

These two are
so happy to hear that they get to do dishes tonight - Yeah Right!

That's all I've got right now. But hey, don't be afraid to leave a comment and really make my day - it's the little things that I like.

I'm Back, though Pecking

2009-01-10T17:17:00.000-05:00

I am STILL not fully able to use my hand. I am terribly frustrated with the progress I am making. For some reason, I had this presumption that recovery was no big deal and I would be using my hand again within days or maybe a week. It is minor surgery and the people I had talked to that either had it done or knew someone who had it done really made it seem like no big deal. At my last doctor's appointment, I expressed my frustration to the doctor and his response "It is surgery. You expect too much too soon." Along with a few minor setbacks that have not helped the process (pulling some stitches and skin deteriorating around the stitches and incision) I am still "babying" my hand. My goal these days - To button my own pants. I'm not asking too much am I? Seriously, there are diapers to change (no, they are not sitting in three week old diapers- EWW!), a house to clean(yes, it really looks like there hasn't been any cleaning done in weeks), and my job that I need to get back to, well not the job as much as the paycheck. Oh well-all in time.

This post has been in my head for awhile now - in my heart for years. Our church has it's members buy poinsettias either in memory of or in honor of people, then they decorate the church for the Christmas services with them. This was a nice way to remember those that we are missing at the holidays. We purchased a red one in memory of our grandfathers that have passed away - Grandpa Steffy, Grandpa Harrison, and Grandpa Olsen. We do miss them.
We purchased a white one as well this year for "the littlest of angels". I waited for the questions, for the comments, Scott thought maybe people would think this was for Gracie. It wasn't. This little one is often on my mind and always in my heart. Few know, even fewer ask - that's okay. For some reason, after so many years, this holiday season was very hard for me - but most holidays are. It use to just be in late summer that I allowed myself to feel and be upset - okay not "allow", who are we kidding. That was when I acknowledged the feelings I had and why. Now, I am acknowledging that it is much more often than that. I will often tell Scott, "I'm sad" - no explanation needed. The tears came this year, but it was ever so good to "acknowledge" the existence of our forever littlest one. I do not have a green thumb, and no plant has any chance of living here in our house unless it is plastic. But it is good to "mother" this plant- to water it, to move it in and out of the sun. Our other poinsettias have died, and yet this one continues to live - dare I say thrive? It doesn't make me "happy" - happy is not the right word - but it is good to have our littlest one's existence acknowledged - for it was real, it was here; my feelings are real and most surely here.
Another woman comes to mind, one I did not know, but once worked with her mother. I wanted to help, felt God pushing me. I stepped way out of my comfort zone that day. I pray for her. Is peace possible? Does she hurt? Has she found the One and Only God that is truly Greater than ALL her Sin? I pray she has. My heart is broken for her and her little one.
"I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow." Jeremiah 31:13b
I have felt for years now that God will turn my sadness into something good - He will use this for His glory, for His purpose. I pray for what that might be, that it will be clear to me, and that my heart will be open to it - mostly that my husband will be open to the Lord's call as well. I feel that joy is asking for too much, but I would love to have comfort.
I have heard it said that Heaven's greatest population is babies. I can't wait to hold mine again.

Not For The Faint of Heart

2008-12-28T20:57:00.000-05:00

Sorry for not posting for awhile. I have been laid up from carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand. The purple swollen fingers have returned to normal, but the stitches are still there and I have no strength yet. I'm tired of pecking, so I'll post later.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. From all us Harrisons, we hope you start 2009 right and don't "waste" your life - live it for Christ! (Just a reference to my husband's awesome sermon this morning - if you missed it, you really missed out!)

Have we read our 3 yr old this story too much?

2008-12-16T18:23:00.000-05:00

Indication that Noah
thinks the Bible is autobiographical.
What are you going to do when you grow up?
I build big boat!

(Abraham Piper has issued a challenge on his blog, 22 words, to write your own 22 word post. This is my entry.)

HELP!!!

2008-12-16T16:52:00.000-05:00

So, I am the proud mother of SIX wonderful children. We have made it through many different and difficult phases with minimal scars. And just when you think you have everything under control - WHAM! - you get knocked down again.
All of our kids have used a pacifer, nuk, nutzer, whatever...we have always called it a nuk or nuker. The first five have all given it up by the time they were six months old. It was never an issue and I truly took this for granted. Number 6, Gracie, just LOVES her "Bop". Not sure why she calls it a "Bop", but she does and now of course we all do. At 20 months, she does NOT want to give up her Bop. And it's not just one Bop, not just two Bops, but THREE we like to have: one for the mouth, one extra one in the hand (just in case), and one for her baby doll. Now, I know that some parents let their little ones have these pacifers for years, but I am not one to like to see grown children walking around with them in their mouths. I have nothing against those parents, I just don't want that for mine. So, I am looking for some advice as to how to cure her addiction. I'll be honest, we've tried the just take it away approach, but the high pitched screaming is not something my husband can handle for hours at a time. I've tried putting her down at nap without it, but she just cried and made herself sick. Any ideas?

Gracie looking ever so adoringly at her beloved Bops.

And since I'm putting myself out there for the best parent award, I've got a three year old that likes to have "pretties" in his hair - and he's a boy. I gave in as I was doing Gracie's hair for church. Yes, I let him have a "pretty" in his hair for CHURCH- it was a BLUE duck at least. And Scott, my husband and pastor at our church, didn't necessarily approve of this, but was not going to make this a big issue that morning - getting ready for church is sometimes enough of an issue. My older three boys have never been exposed to girlie things like "pretties" and nail polish since my older daughter has never been into those type of things. So, Noah is the first to ask for these things as he sees Gracie ask and get them. Does it really hurt to let him wear a barrette in his hair? Won't he grow out of it and not want it anymore? Is it any different than letting him play with dolls or Gracie with balls and trucks?

Oh, words of wisdom I am earnestly seeking for!! I do believe all answers can be found in the Bible, so give me a reference someone!

Aaaarrrrgggghhhhh!!!!

2008-12-01T19:29:00.000-05:00

Aye, Matey! It's Pirate Gracie here to tell you that after our spaghetti dinner (cause that's what pirates eat) we snuggled up in our new down comforters that we got from our friends. Bet you didn't know that us pirates like to snuggle up and be warm.

Pirate Mikey in his bunk.

First Mate Noah NEVER sleeps.

Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho - a pirate's life for us!

Pirate Jack is our lookout.

Pirate Scott is worn out from swabbing the deck.

Pirate princesses Molly and Grace are happy to be aboard.

Pirate Molly stowing away.

Oh, pirates aren't suppose to giggle!

Thanksgiving in Pictures

2008-11-29T18:35:00.000-05:00

Gracie and Noah watching Molly ride.

Gracie and Grandma

Happy Mikey

Jack on the drums.

Gracie posing.

Only PopPop can do that to Daddy!

Scott and his Mom

Scott with his brother, John, and sister, Jen.

Molly riding Blossom.

Gracie and her Momma watching Molly ride.

Tap, Tap, Tap - He doesn't say it much at 11, but he loves his Momma.

Scottie riding his bike and helping Gracie ride it too - he was teaching her the "superman" trick.

Dancing with our baby.

The Shelley family - Greg, Jen, Madison, and Margeaux.

Scott and Jess

I know I said "in pictures", but there is just so much to be thankfull for this year. Christmas comes right on the heels of Thanksgiving and for good reason. Just as we are being reminded to be in an attitude of thankfullness comes whatwe should really be thankfull for - Jesus Christ. Let us continue to be thankfull as we enter this giving season - and of course eat lots of cookies!

Kisses and Hats

2008-11-23T13:33:00.000-05:00

I just LOVE loven' my Daddy.

AND I just LOVE my new hat my Momma made for me. She made it for me because she LOVES me!

I'm just a LOVEN' type of guy.

Hello, my name is Jessica...

2008-11-19T16:21:00.000-05:00

My name is Jessica and I am a blog addict. To be honest, there are a few that I check on at least daily, and talk to my husband and children about as if they were neighbors and friends. Truth is - I've never met these people. But their stories and lives have touched my heart and inspire me and, more importantly, have really changed my prayer life.

The first one I started to read was Bring the Rain (you'll find it on the side of my blog). Angie is so real and writes very well. I can't wait for her next post! Her words are encouraging, convicting, and inspiring. I often cry as I read about her life and how God is glorified and honored in what she is doing. This is a blog I would encourage you to take some time and read from the beginning - God is honored here.

Angie's blog brought me to My Charming Kids site - also on the side. Here is a talented lady! Yes, her kids are adorable to start with, but the pictures she takes are amazing! Pictures are not enough though to keep my interest. The story you find here is one of God's miracles. If you have the opportunity to read the story about her "MckMuffin" or Stellan, it will encourage you and make you smile. Where Angie's blog breaks a mother's heart, this one will make the mother in you scream "Our God is Sovereign", and both proclaim "Our God is Good!". Did I mention she has four little ones 3 and under? Yes, this is a fun blog to read and relate to, though my 6 are little more spread out. :) Oh, yes, this is all about the Fryday Contest - I could use some camera goodies and boy could my site use a new header.

A friend of mine recommended this site to me - A Baker's Dozen . Here's a lady that has 13 kids and is my age! I love to read how she handles her crew and have even tried some of her tips. This site and the others have me thinking about home schooling, adoption, and fostering like I haven't before.

The other two on the side is 22 words and The Pipers. Here you'll find Abraham Piper (son of THE John Piper) and his wife, Molly. 22 Words is a blog all about brevity and thought provoking thoughts. Molly's site is more about their life and some of the struggles they have gone through in losing a daughter.

Technology is great. We have this opportunity to learn of others that we would never have otherwise met. We can read their stories and pray for them and learn from them. I love that God is SO evident in their lives and I pray that you might see Him through me as well.
And now that I've acknowledged my addiction, it's on to step 2...

Blue Man

2008-11-17T18:34:00.000-05:00

So, it was a long night last night. The boys just wouldn't settle down and go to sleep. Laughing, giggling, and the sound of pitter-pattering feet are pleasant sounds that should NOT be heard after 9pm. With Mikey, JackJack, and Noah all in one room, we would be suspicious if there was no sounds coming from their room, but since bedtime is at 7:30, we would like them to hopefully fall asleep before 9.
I unfortunately have to be at work by 6am, so Scott stays home and makes sure the oldest four get on the bus. I get an email from Scott - Wish you were here. I think to myself - How sweet, my husband loves me and misses me! Little do I know WHY he wants me home.
JackJack made his way down the steps this morning, still very sleepy, as Daddy asked him, "What happened to your face?" "What? What's wrong with my face?" Daddy had him go into the bathroom and look in the mirror. His response, "It was dark. I couldn't tell what color I was using." Daddy did not make him go to school that way, but did make him pose for pictures for his Momma. On the way home from the sitter's, JackJack told me, "Please don't be mad. I just wanted to look like Daddy. You know, have a mustache and hair on my face. But I made a mistake coloring above my eyes."
I am pretty sure Daddy doesn't have hair on his nose though either.

Homemade Happiness

2008-11-16T20:26:00.000-05:00

When Gracie was born, my dear friend, Cathy DeVinney, knitted her this wonderful purple hat. Gracie was a bit small and we had a hard time finding hats that would fit her head. But we had this very cute purple hat that she wore all the time, so no worries. That is until last winter, she needed a winter hat again and had outgrown her purple hat, though we did try to shove her head into it with no success. She ended up wearing one of Noah's baby hats (remember he has a big head!). This year I wanted her to have a girlie hat - as much as she enjoys her pink tutus and all of her shoes, I knew she would appreciate a girle accessory like a pink hat.

So, since I have learned to crochet this year through our church's prayer shawl ministry, I thought I would give it a try. I tried to make a hat similar to Cathy's. It may not be perfect, but anything would look good on that head!

Hey look more pictures of the Harrison's

2008-11-15T20:35:00.000-05:00

I took over Jess's blog so that I could add a few pictures. Hope you like them.

By the way, would someone please comment on her blog.

-Scott

And It Was Good

2008-11-10T21:19:00.000-05:00

So, it was a typical Sunday evening, we were on our way home from church - Gracie and me and all four boys.

Mikey: Jack Jack, it stinks so bad! Stop farting! (Oh how I long for the days before my kids entered the school system and used phrases such as "burping out your butt".)

Jack: It's just farting. (As he giggles)

Mikey: You've got to stop!

Jack: God made me this way. And it's good! Right, Mom?

Mom: Yes, JackJack. God made you, and you are perfect the way you are! :) (What else could I say?)

I did say four boys in the car - Scottie and Noah were laughing because of the "motorboat" sounds and of course at the mention of the word "fart".

Four boys have changed my view of "body language" - okay, five :)

What's Noah?

2008-11-07T13:45:00.000-05:00

Those of you that read my entirely way too long last post will remember that my little Noah does in fact think he is THE Noah in the Bible. My latest endeavor with Noah includes this thought provoking question - What's Noah?

His learned response "A righteous man of God!"

This makes me smile to no end, especially to hear his 3 year old pronunciation of the word "righteous". Seriously though, what more could a mother want?

Daddy says this is wrong on SOOOOO many levels.

I say I'm just teaching my son to memorize Scripture. :)

That is until I tell him -Good Job! - and he says

"Yep, that's me - righteous man of God!"

So, beyond this little guy being the cutest thing ever, leave a comment and tell me who you side with!

Grumpy Old Lady

2008-10-23T13:47:00.000-04:00

It's been one of those weeks. You know, one of those where you ask "God, where are You?" Yes, I know He is here, but I know I would like NOT to be if I didn't have to be! It's been frustration, tears, dissappointment, tears, screaming, tears, crying, tears, yelling, tears, laughing quickly followed by asking for forgiveness for it was not nice, tears, and then it started all over again. I have not had a week like this EVER I think. Doubt has crept in and taken permanent dwelling in my life this week. Doubt, indecision, and of course fear quickly follows, leaving me emotionally drained and the week is not over, nor do I want the next week to start. I am usually what some would call a people person - this week I have had my fill and want to crawl into a hole (with my husband and children of course) and never come out- that would have to be a pretty big hole, I would settle for an island. Can't you just all but see the discontentment and frustration pouring out of me? That's me, what an example I set.

I can say though that in the midst of all this, God has given me what I need to go on - 8 to be exact.

1. I picked up Jack from Kindergarten - at the ridiculous time of 10:50 - and off we headed to Cindy's, the babysitter. It was a good day for him, no "yellow light" warnings for wrestling or anything, and the teacher did not have to talk to me about helping him to use his "inside" voice - I have told her that he is number 4 of 6 kids and there is no such thing as an "inside" voice in our house if you want to be heard. Anyways, during the short ride, after he decides that he doesn't want to tell me what he learned in school because his daddy would want to know first (yes, my feelings were hurt) and therefore he shouldn't talk to me in case he says something he shouldn't. I hear his sweet little voice from the back of the van getting louder and louder with each line of the song "You can have all this world, just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus, You can have all this world, just give me Jesus." I look in the rearview mirror, and it brings tears to my eyes. There is my little guy, with his eyes closed, head tilted, face full of emotion singing these words. Can he really understand what he is singing? My heart wants to say that he does, but then the song ends and he asks when he can get a Nintendo DS and he wants two pieces of candy not one- wait, he's not suppose to talk to me. And the roller coaster continues.

2. Mike - my sweet boy, who has good intentions for the most part, but seems to find himself in trouble. Gracie is playing by herself, he walks up and picks her up for no reason, she starts to screech, he gets yelled at, "Why did you bother her?", He replies," I thought she would like to be held" - good intentions. Anyways, my Mikey finds a coin (can't remember what it was) and says about his newfound fortune - I can give this to God in offering. The last time I came upon extra money, I bought myself a shirt.

3. I use to have this routine at night, till Scott decided we were encouraging a bad habit. Noah would take hours to be put to bed. The boy knew the minute he stopped moving he would fall asleep, so he did all he could to fight it. So, I would lay him down in my bed, and lay with him till he fell asleep, and then later Scott would move him like a sack of potatoes to his own bed. We would have the following conversation every night:

Mommy: Nonah, you know you are a special little boy.
Noah: Yes, me special.
Mommy: God made you very special. What are you going to do when you grow up?
Noah: Me build big boat. (The first time this happened I couldn't stop laughing. My Noah of course has heard the story of Noah and the ark many times. I now realize he thinks I am talking about him when I tell him this story! )
Mommy: And what will be on your big boat?
Noah: Elephants, horses, cows, monkeys, etc..
Mommy: Anything else?
Noah: Mommy, Scottie, Molly, JackJack, Mikey, Gracie.
Mommy: What about Daddy?
Noah: No, he's mad. (Now, this only happens if Noah happened to get into trouble that night)
Mommy: Anyone else?
Noah: Jesus
Mommy: Yes, Jesus would be good to have in our boat. ( Now some nights, Noah would say No, not Jesus, He'll be fine. And my response has been - Yes, He will be fine, but will we be?)
And this wonderful converstion usually ends with him asking me to hold him. I asked him why he wants me to put my arm around him. "For Safety". See, that is the reason for why we buckle up, why we wear bike helmets, why we can't play with knives- for safety. I asked him what I was keeping him safe from, expecting him to say that I would keep him from falling off of our high bed. Nope, his answer, "Don't know". He didn't know what he needed protection from, but knew I would keep him safe. Lord Jesus, please wrap your arms around me - for safety.
How I miss my special time with Noah! He doesn't sit still enough during the day for me to get more than a hug out of him, though I still have this conversation with him regularly since I enjoy it so.

4. Molly - my how she is growing up into quite the little lady! At 14, we sure do have our "teen angst" moments, but I have to say I am enjoying the deep conversations we have about trivial matters and life changing issues. She recently went to her first Homecoming Dance. I had the pleasure of going dress shopping with her and we had a blast - Gracie loved looking at all of the fancy shoes! If we can get our computer fixed, I'll post some pictures of our beautiful daughter in her dress! Anyways, I enjoy the friendship that I have with my daughter and hope this continues to grow as she does. I really appreciate the way she has supported me this week and comes up with a hug just when I need it most. :)

5. Scottie - It is music again, but something that moves me everytime I think about it. My 11 year old son, in the car, singing "How marvelous, How wonderful, and my song shall ever be! How marvelous, how wonderful, is my Savior's love for me!" He sings quite well, and I love to hear him sing. But as his eyes are closed and his face is filled with emotion, he sings such beautiful words, and he knows all the words to this wonderfull hymn- at 11, do the words of that song touch his heart as they do mine? Don't misunderstand me, at 11 my son is all boy and loves his rock/rap music with lyrics that I have a hard time just understanding - how old am I? Maybe he knows the way it makes me smile when I hear him sing, but maybe, just maybe, he is singing to HIS Savior words that touch his heart too (and His too). That is until he yells at his brother "Can you just shut it!?" He did get in trouble for that, though he points out that he didn't actually say "shut up" - did I mention he's 11?

6. Gracie - Some of you know the story behind "Grace", for those that don't maybe one day we'll have a chat, just ask. She has been a reminder of God's grace to me daily. Her constant yelling of "Bop, Bop, Bop", which can mean anything from dog to I want some pumpkin pie, makes me smile as I am transported back to the days of big-hair bands and that song Unskinny Bop- Come on, you have to admit you now have that song in your head. I had read a story while pregnant with Noah about how infants can communicate with simple sign language. One particular story that really touched me was how one mother taught her infant son to say "I love you" by tapping his nose with her finger with each word as she said "I love you". I thought this was great and did it with Noah and now with Gracie. She loves to tap noses, mine, her siblings, her daddy's, and even Lucy's. As I put her to bed, tap tap tap, when I first wake her up in the morning, tap tap tap. The best though, is the unexpected, tap tap tap, as I sit reading her a book or after I change her diaper. I have found this to be useful for the older kids as well though - as I drop my 11 year old son off, instead of yelling "Mama loves you!" as I so want to yet know it would embarass him to no end, instead it is a simple tap tap tap, and a quick swipe of his nose on his end. But I have to say, the best thing this week with my Gracie was when as I cried, she brought over her special blankie and put the completely foul-smelling, dirty, nasty special corner with the tag on my nose in hopes that what comforts her might help me. Though I wanted to vomit (yes, it really smells that bad! and we do wash it regularly!) how could I turn it away?
7. My husband - okay, to be completely honest, for most of this week I have been placing the blame of all that has happened squarely on his shoulders - If only he had not taken that job, If only he let us go back to Grace, If only he was independently wealthy, If only his children would behave, If only he let me have just one more...Yes, you can see that I was rather tainted in my view of who was to blame for my week of troubles. He was my supporter, and listened to my rants, and therefore it was all his fault, and of course by making it his fault, I could resort to my best friend- "It is Me against the World" and alone I could stand in my anger, frustration, and dissappointment. This man has continued to hold me as I push him away and tell this awful woman how much he loves me. Why?, I ask. What would I do without him? My Prince Charming, he is. And no, not one of the issues we had to deal with this week were truly his fault.
8. Friends - I have many acquaintances, but few friends other than my husband. I have struggled with this greatly since leaving Grace, and where most of my friends are. I wanted to keep those friends close after leaving Grace and had/have every intention to, but as we all know, life moves on and we all are busy just trying to get through each day and don't make those phone calls that we mean to. I miss seeing them two-three times a week for church and other activities. When we do get together, it's still great, but I do miss the constant interaction. All that to say, here's a little story that makes me laugh out loud every time I think of it. I arrive home late from work one night to find a box from the Christian Bookstore company that my husband is always ordering something from. This puts a slight frown on my face as I think about the $30 he just spent on another book - this went with my mood for the week, normally I understand that he needs to have books or resources for what he does. I walk in the door, hand him the box. He looks at me puzzled, "I didn't order anything. It's yours, it has your name on it." I respond with "I didn't order anything, you must have ordered something, you open it." Isn't that just the perfect example of a submissive, respectful, obediant wife? Scott opens it with "Seriously, this has to be some kind of joke!" He shows it to me - Love Your Life by Victoria Osteen. Yes, the book by Joel Osteen's wife. We threw out the possibilities of who could of sent this to me, were they serious, was this a joke - the answer could send me into another rant! We start to frantically search through all of the papers within the box, looking for something that says who this is from and why. There's the paper that says it was paid for and by credit card - I start my rant on who is wasting their money and why would they support the Osteen's "ministry" for lack of a better word. My husband finds it, and then can't stop laughing. I'm yelling "TELL ME, TELL ME" as the kids come running into the room to join in the fun. My husband reads, "Jess, We thought you should put down the Spurgeon and pick up some Osteen. Joel and Sam" The tears that came were from pure joyful laughter, okay maybe mixed with just a hint of sadness cause I miss the DeVinneys and the Whickers EVER so much. My kids quickly remind me to go to the bathroom before I pee my pants - yes, we were laughing that hard. They could not have known all that has happened within the week, or how I needed that. I am not allowed to read the book in public or have it out on our bookshelf, my husband's fear is that someone will see it and think we support or approve of the Osteen theology. But I am reading it so that I can pull some quotes from it - I am sure they will come in handy. OH, who would have thought that I would actually OWN an Osteen book? These two men of God, considered to be my husband's best friends, how can I thank you for this bright spot in my week? You just wait, the Harrison's will come up with something...and now you've started something you can't stop :) I have one word for you...SQUIRREL. Seriously though, thank you - thank you for thinking of me, for making me laugh, and here's a BIG HUG from me to you!!

Wow, what a post... way too long. But I needed to think on all that I do have to truly be thankful for. God is GOOD!
Hopefully our home computer will be fixed soon and I can get some too cute pictures posted.

PS. yes, you read that right, maybe just one more? :)

Day at the Farm

2008-10-17T20:22:00.000-04:00

We had a great day at Grandma and Poppop's house. We even went on a hayride!

Jack, Mikey, Molly, Noah, Scottie, Margeaux, Gracie, and Madison with their pumpkins from Grandma.

Daddy and Noah going on the hayride.

Mommy and Gracie getting ready for the hayride too!

Daddy, Jack, and Noah enjoying PopPop's tractor.