Another Gayner Baby

Meet Sophie Grace Gayner.

 Born August 2, 2014 at 5:49pm

 7lb 4 oz, 19.5 inches long

15 hours of labor, which is why I look so tired - I was.

 But everyone agrees - she was worth every minute.

 The kids really...

 ...really...

 ...really...

 ...love her. Really.

 Not surprisingly, she looks just like the rest of them.

 Even Caleb is smitten, once he realized she was ours.

 A family of nine. So thankful she's ours.

 

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fill his quiver with them!  Psalm 127

The Next Chapter

Well, it's been pretty quiet here on the blog, but that's primarily because there's been so very much going on in our not-so-little family. Let me fill you in what we've been up to.
Toby finished up his year at the Sovereign Grace Pastor's College, excelling in his studies, and all of us loving our time spent there. The graduation ceremony was such a sweet time, recalling great grace over the year, laughing at many fun memories, and shedding a tear or two, especially when a group of largely unsung heroes were honored - all the children of the families!
Unfortunately, there was no time to catch a breath, for early in the morning the day after graduation, Toby left for a couple days of interviewing and house hunting north of Boston. Having made the decision to move to New England to pursue the possibility of church planting, getting a job and home were of greatest importance!
Just a couple days after returning home, Toby was offered a senior engineering position with Bostik - the only company he heard from, the only company he interviewed with! We saw clearly God's hand in all this, right down to the fact that he didn't have multiple interviews with lots of travelling to deal with.
There was still a home to find, however. Toby's house hunting was not very successful, but we were blessed to have help from a couple of friends who were willing to continue to look into and visit potential properties for us. In the end, our pastor's wife visited a home and gave us a call via FaceTime to show us around. We pretty much fell in love with it and sent in a rental application. Though there were several other applications for the property, God gave us favor and we were accepted!
With a lot of hard work and a lot of help, we got our home in Louisville packed up, loaded into a large moving truck, and the house cleaned up to return to the landlord. We then started on our journey east, making stops in Ohio, Maryland, and New Jersey to spend time with friends and family. It was so good to see people that we love, not to mention breaking up a long trip.
After 4 days of travelling and visiting, we made it to Massachusetts. It was lovely to meet our landlords, get the keys to our new home, and actually see it in person! We spent a night in a local hotel until our moving truck arrived first thing the next morning. Toby and an incredible team of helpers (and new friends) had our very large moving truck unpacked in a matter of hours, unpacked boxes, put together furniture, cleaned rooms, and brought food. In just a couple of days, these amazing people made this house a home! We don't actually have central air conditioning here, but we were loaned several window units - and then our landlord surprised us by bringing over 3 brand new units he had purchased for us!
We had a week of settling in time before Toby started at work, and we filled it with errands, furniture shopping, and learning a new area. Going back to work full-time has been an adjustment for Toby, but it's nice to have a little more free time in the evenings. He's also getting to grips with the responsibilities of his internship at church. He'll be overseeing Children's Ministry and a Care Group, which will begin in the autumn. We are loving getting to know our new church and its people - they are an amazing bunch of individuals, and we already feel blessed in the new friendships we are forming, both for the grown ups and the children alike.
As for me, I'm now just waiting for a baby. Yesterday was her due date, come and gone. Can't say much seems to be happening at the moment, but I'm in faith that I won't be pregnant forever, trusting that God's good timing is better than my own.

Right now

The world keeps turning, and life keeps happening...

Toby had his 39th birthday this week. Amazing. I remember when 39 seemed so old - just one year from 40! Now, we both still feel like a couple of kids who are playing at being grown ups. Bizarre.

Easter was lovely. 12 adults and a couple dozen children combined at our house for food, fun, and egg hunting. I did little cooking, and had a nap - loved it all.

Walking Bridge over the Ohio River

There are now 6 1/2 weeks to go until graduation. I can't believe how quickly this time has gone! It's been good, intense, fun, full. It has not, however, been normal. I'm not completely sure that the word "normal" applies in this situation, though...

I'm looking forward to the next phase of life now. Funnily enough, we're not really sure what that is. We don't yet know where we're going after graduation, but one of many good things about this season at PC is that it has made us eager for the next phase of our life. We're excited to see how God's going to use the training and investment we've had here.

Which all means we're in kind of a weird time now. Lots of getting ready without knowing what we're getting ready for. Gonna move, but don't know where. Need to start packing, but don't know where to send a moving truck. Planning school for next year - should we order now and pack the supplies, or wait until we're in a new place? And don't get me started on where this little girl is going to be born...(I'm kind of hoping in a hospital, somewhere, rather than on the side of a road).

In the crazy not-knowing, there is peace; there is faith. The wheels are turning, decisions are being made, and something will happen at just the right time. We may not know what comes next, but we know the One who does, and it's in Him (not the plan, not the ticked boxes and met deadlines) that we place all our trust.

 

It was time

Beneath the mop of this "Cousin It"- like creature...

...I began to uncover the strangest thing...

 

 Behold, a charming little girl with a beautiful smile!

 

 This little hair cut was long over due...

 

I don't know who is growing up faster...

 ...the gorgeous little boy...

 ...or the beautiful young lady looking after him.

Shake things up a little

Recently, I was finding that our daily school schedule was in need of a little shake up.

 

You know how, sometimes, the same old routine just isn't working for you all of a sudden? The schedule that worked so well for a while, now just ain't cutting it? Sometimes, the needs change; sometimes, we just need a change of routine - whatever the reason, it's time for something new.

 

It's important to recognize that it's okay to make changes sometimes. There are times to press in when doing a hard thing, but generally how we do those hard things are fairly subjective. I still need to school my kids, keep the house fairly sanitary, and put food on the table, but how I go about those things is pretty much up to me. But since I do not exist in a bubble and how I structure our day impacts several other people, I took some steps:

 

1. I talked to the kids. My three big kids (generally known as "The Students") have the most work to do and need to work around the needs of their younger siblings. They are also able to do a certain amount of work independently of me, so I wanted to get their feedback on when they would like to do certain subjects and see how their desires would work for the family as a whole. For them (and me), it seemed like a good idea to modify our schedule so that they were doing most of their independent work in the morning, and we would do our "together" work when the little ones were down.
2. I sought to prefer my little guys. Ellie is Kindergarten - her school work takes about a half an hour. Dan is about the same - he loves his workbook (he's probably my only "enthusiastic" student!). With the old schedule, I was fitting in their work where I could, which often meant that it only happened a couple times a week. With the new schedule, they get my full attention for an hour while the big kids are doing their own work. They know that their school time is important to me, and it's not getting missed. Score!
3. I made note of my own needs. I'm generally a morning person, so it's good for me to give my attention and energy to needful projects in the morning. So now, for half an hour after breakfast, I get busy with my own to-do list, whether it's prepping dinner in the crock pot, chipping away at a larger project or just folding laundry. A half an hour isn't long, but it's more than I'd had before and I'm finding that spending time, little and often, on a job is better than waiting and whining for that 3 hour window of peace and quiet. When's that ever going to happen with 6 kids running around, anyway? 

So, that' s what we're doing. It's not perfect, but it's working for now. I'm fully aware that the time will come, probably sooner than I'd like, that we'll have to change things up again to make allowances for a new need. And that's fine, because in the end, whether the schedule is strict or flexible, it's there to serve me and my family (or you and yours), not the other way around.

 

Are you seeing any areas that need a shake up? Share your thoughts!

What have I to fear?

 I am surrounded by super heroes!

Our Little Dude

Tomorrow, Dan turns 4 years old. Some days, I can believe he's survived that long...

The boy is a riot. Seriously. The stuff he comes out with is typically ridiculous, bordering on the bizarre, so that we can't help but laugh. Fortunately, he always seems to know that we're laughing with him, rather than at him.

 

He's such a ball of energy: always talking, moving, playing; never, ever still...until he sleeps.

 

 

 He's so affectionate, snuggling on laps, giving hugs and kisses, interrupting Daddy's study time just to let him know how much he loves Daddy. And if anyone in this family would be considered the outgoing one, it's Dan. As soon as he meets someone, he introduces himself and makes sure that they know when his birthday is. So, everyone who knows Dan can celebrate his big day with him.

Happy birthday, little dude. You crack me up.

Respect for the Babysitters - Old and New

So, Abigail finished her Red Cross Babysitter Basics course, and passed with flying colors! She had to take a final exam, and they won't pass you unless you score an 80% or higher - she received 96%. I am so proud of her, not only that she passed so well, but that she worked diligently through the various lessons, and really took the whole thing rather seriously, rather than a glorified game.

She's now had several opportunities to serve some families at church as a Mother's Helper, going over for a few hours to play with kids and generally lend a hand in any way necessary so that Mom can get some things done. It's been wonderful - to see her serving in such a practical way, for gaining experience of looking after kiddos and how other families do things, and hearing the feedback of what a big help and great kid she is (I know this, of course, but it's so good to hear!).

If you're at all interested, I would highly recommend the Red Cross Online Babysitter Basics class. It's only $25, and since it's online, you can fit it in around your schedule. They also offer a group class, too, but it didn't seem necessary for us - most of what they would have you practice there (changing diapers, feeding little guys), she already has lots of opportunity to practice at home!

She's really looking forward to growing this new skill into a marketable business, but for now, she's content to take it all one step at a time, getting to know the ropes and working at being the best babysitter she can be. We have been so blessed to have so many wonderful babysitters over the years, she's had lots of models she can borrow from. The babysitters that have cared for and influenced my kids over the years now have the privilege of blessing others they will never even meet, simply because of how they have modeled what a great babysitter should be.

If you've ever watched my kids, thanks for the way you've cared for my family, and how you have influenced my kids to care for others.

Ramble

At this moment, three children are running through the house, one is reading, one is out on an errand with the Daddy, and one is sitting on the dining table. This is how we roll.
Caleb is impossibly cute - I'm pretty sure he stole some other babies' cuteness somewhere down the line. Fortunately, this makes his life a little easier when he's been playing in the toilet, unrolling whole rolls of toilet paper, or upending everyone's cups all over the table. Last week, he swiped Abi's retainer after dinner and dropped it in the toilet...which hadn't been flushed. Ugh. She was a good sport about it, especially after we boil-cleaned it.
Dan's been loving "school" lately - it's so cute! At least one kid begins the day looking forward to school...He's got a little workbook that he's loving and after he's finished 5 or 6 pages each day, I have to make him stop. It almost makes up for the whining we are working through when it comes to waiting for food.
Ellie's starting to read! So cool. Every now and then she has a brain blank and forgets a letter (usually "e", interestingly enough), but then she'll read a whole paragraph without a hitch. Of course, she still has wild woman hair, but still - baby steps.
Noah's gotten to be pretty close buddies with one of the boys who live across the street, asking to go over his house almost every day. I'm not sure if their greatest shared interest is Lego or screen-based games, but I'm glad that he's got a friend.
One of Anna's great joys at the moment has been giving Dan and Caleb baths. She's pretty good at it, and it's obviously a big help to me. Such a blessing to see her tangibly serve others, and enjoy it.
Abi is almost finished an online Red Cross class in Babysitting Basics. She's really been enjoying it and doing well, and has big plans for serving some families as a mother's helper. Again, it's so nice to see my girls growing in maturity and work ethic.
Toby's breathing a little easier tonight - he's just finished his first major project, his Biblical Theology paper. It's due the end of this week, and he's been working so hard on it, but still being faithful to keep up on his other work (like Greek, ahem) and spend time with all of us. Yesterday we went to a local park for a wander around in the snow, and he delighted in pelting the kids (and being pelted by them) with snowballs. If it were up to me, I still would have been napping. That's why he's the fun parent.
As for me, I'd say I'm almost back to normal. I'm still loving early bedtimes and afternoon naps, but at least an "early" bed is 9:30, not 8pm, and a nap is 30 min, not 2 hours. It's all in the details, I think.
I must confess, though, I haven't been reading much, and I haven't knitted in months! I know, it's crazy - I'm starting to question my identity/sanity! I've been thinking about knitting quite a bit recently, though, so that's something. Gotta start somewhere, right?

When a change is as good as a rest, for the most part.

Many thanks to all and sundry for their kind and enthusiastic welcome of baby number 7. It's encouraging to know that even if our friends and family think we're nuts, they're kind enough to keep it to themselves. :)
As for our Christmas vacation, it was heavy on the "social" and light on the "rest". Driving through the night from KY to NJ was long - 15 hours with constant rain - but the kids were so good through the whole thing. They didn't sleep as much as we thought they would, but there was very little complaining, and the dreaded question "How many minutes until we're there?" didn't come up very much. It was great seeing family, being cooked for, and generally being spoiled for Christmas. Our trip down to MD for a weekend was a special joy, complete with more spoiling, visiting with excellent people and visiting our church family. Being in church was such a bittersweet time, as for the first time I realized just how much I miss "my people".
We headed back to NJ for a few more days and spent some time with my brother, sister, and assorted families. So much fun - I've got some great family. :) I'm not sure if the highlight was winning the soup cook-off with my corn chowder (redeeming myself from last year with a dismal loss in the chili cook-off), or playing trivia games while my brother does a frighteningly good job reading the questions in an effeminate voice - both were good moments!
We were supposed to head up to Boston to visit a church there, see some friends, and give Toby an opportunity to preach before we headed back to KY, but alas, it was not to be. There were some concerns about a winter storm getting in the way, and the airline called to cancel our first flight. We were able to reschedule for the next flight, but that was cancelled, too, with the added problem of all flights into Boston were being cancelled until Saturday night. That was going to be a little too tight and a little too difficult, so we decided to drive back a day early and travel during daylight hours - so much better! We are looking forward to scheduling another visit up/over to Boston another time, though - I've got some sightseeing to do!
We're now back into the thick of things - Toby's back to class, kids back to schoolwork, I'm back to...everything I do. I'm feeling fairly good, overall - not 100%, but almost woken up, so to speak. I'm looking forward to getting my brain and energy back - I've got stuff to do!

"You're WHAT?!"

Wow, I can't get away with anything! Clearly, those who know me know me pretty well indeed, because it seems that the only time I get really tired is when there's a bun in the oven...so our friends all knew that the Gayners were expecting baby number 7 without having to say much at all!
We are all very excited, though both Toby and I made the observation that we might be crazy once or twice. After all, a new baby during Toby's year of intense study was not part of the plan, but God always seems to choose better for us than we would choose for ourselves, doesn't He? Besides, being a little crazy seems to be the hallmark for our family, so why not just roll with it?
The current due date is July 27, which falls after Toby's graduation, and into that strange frame of time where there is no concrete plan. Always ready for adventure, we are - I wonder what state this kiddo will be born in?

Week, Interrupted

Wow, what a big bust last week was!

About halfway through Monday, I started feeling tired, achy and heady. Off to bed I went, and there I stayed, off and on, until yesterday afternoon.

We managed to continue with school through the morning, but I was committed to staving the early stages of a head cold as much as possible, so I was determined to rest when I could.

Tuesday night came and went, having to miss my monthly ladies' meeting. They carried on without me, soldiering through, though I know it must have been difficult. ahem

Thursday was interesting, as Dan got up from a nap, gave me a hug, and promptly vomited on the floor next to me (at least not on me). The next 18 hours saw a mild D&V bug course through his little body, but he was still fairly merry through the whole thing.

Thursday night, Toby got hit with the D&V, too, and he got it bad. He was able to make it to class the next day, though, staying well away from everyone - at this point, there was nothing left to get rid of, poor guy.

Friday night, Ellie woke us around 2am to tell us Abi was calling us. Fortunately she'd made it to the bathroom in time, but she was in a bad way. And how did her caring, sympathetic mother comfort her? By tying her hair back, patting her head and running for the other bathroom, leaving Daddy to sort her out. Not that anyone actually likes when people get sick, but I can normally handle it. This time, not so much. I spent almost a half hour in my bathroom, waiting for my stomach to settle or get rid of dinner. I didn't actually get sick, but it was an uneasy night after that, I can tell you.

Saturday saw Abi, Anna, and I all in bed, sleeping with bowls nearby and fighting nausea, while Toby and the others played/shoveled snow outside. I missed the Pastor's Wives Tea, which was so disappointing, but I was still able to enjoy some of the lovely goodies that were brought home. I was especially blessed by letters from some friends from home - so encouraging!

We were planning on missing church on Sunday anyway, not wanting to share any lingering contagion, but church wound up being cancelled anyway. It was fairly quiet, everyone testing their bellies to see what they could handle (I think it was my neighbor's chili that finally cured me!). More playing in the snow, watching movies, and practicing at feeling human again.

So, here we are. I think we're all soundly back in health now, and praying we remain so for the remainder of the year - we have big holiday plans to look forward to!

This week, I'm...

...reading a few books, including Grace for the Good Girl, Jesus + Nothing = Everything, and some library books on my Kindle. I'm loving that little machine! I use it on the exercise bike, in bed (where I can see the screen with the lights off), and I've downloaded some school pdfs to assist in our schoolwork. Excellent.

...listening to Pandora a lot. Sometimes it's Adele radio, sometimes 80s cardio mix (Vanilla Ice, anyone?), sometimes PG Comedy. I like the comedy if I'm cooking at night. It makes the work seem less like work. Our old CD player broke shortly before our move and we never got around to replacing it, so Pandora is where it's at.

...knitting this little something for Dan. It's been good to use up some yarn I've had hanging around for ages, and this boy needs some extra warm stuff, but the pattern isn't grabbing me. I don't know why, I think perhaps I'm not paying as close attention as I ought. I  think it'll pick up when the neck decreases finish and I start doing the body.

...playing games with my kids. I know that for a lot of superstar parents out there, this is a daily event, but that's not really how I roll. Usually by the end of the day, I've had enough interaction that a groupon to a sensory deprivation tank sounds like a real treat, but I've been trying to push the limits of my comfort zone in an attempt to bless my children. A couple of times it kind of back fired (more like a conflagration), but mostly, it's been kind of cool.

...getting excited about the holidays - isn't most everyone? We're staying local and having Thanksgiving with about half of the PC families this year, which will be mega fun, I'm sure. Christmas will have us heading back east to do some visiting. I'm a little daunted by the travelling, but I'm choosing not to think too much about that yet...

...being thankful for a healthy family. So many are coming down with the dreaded lurgy, but so far, we are unaffected. Watch this space...

...proud of my kiddos. Sure, there are times when I can totally understand why some animals eat their young, but I've been seeing lots of grace in my kids. Ellie is just beginning to sound out small words, I regularly get offers of help in the kitchen, Abi and Anna really seem to enjoy helping Ellie and Dan with their workbooks on occasion, and it's so sweet when an older kid sits down to read a story to littler one.

...proud of my husband, too. The man works so hard, loves what he's doing, and doesn't mind being ragged on for being the "old man" in the class (on his Greek quiz this week, he had to translate "Toby is old but cool" from Greek to English. No joke.). He spends time with all these crazy children every day, changes diapers, takes me on dates and lets me beat him at bowling (but just the one time). And I don't think I know anyone who loves to serve as much as him. And he's mine, so back off. :)

At present...

...I am enjoying the settled peace that descends upon a house where are children are asleep in their beds and a husband is out of town. Very soon, the quiet will be too quiet, lacking the noise of a man studying, but for now, it's nice.
...This evening had several of the PC wives and kiddos visit a local deli that is foolish enough to offer free kids' meals - we know how to make good use of that offer!
...I've been enjoying the leaves on the trees and the brilliant colors they turn, but that seems to be done now. Last Friday, the county sent some street sweepers around to collect any leaves we could blow into the street. We cleared the whole front yard of leaves - the kids worked hard, and it looked great. Now, the leaves are falling so thick and fast, you'd never have known we ever picked up a rake.
...Since we've been here, I have been using my phone as my alarm clock, as I'm sure most people do. I've been finding, though, that it acts as quite a distraction, sucking time from more noble reading pursuits. So, I've resurrected my old alarm clock and will relegate my phone charging to some other place, in the hopes of making better use of my time.
...For history, we are reading through a book called The Children of the Covered Wagon, about the emigrants who headed west in the mid-1800s. As we read, I am reminded afresh how thankful I am to live in the time and place we do, with plentiful medical care, easy travel, and flush toilets. It never ceases to amaze me what some of these incredible people were willing to endure - suffering loss after loss, yet pressing on with a perseverance I know little of.
...Last week, for history, we were learning about the Alamo, and the lesson plans included a suggestion for the children to watch the 1960 classic The Alamo, with John Wayne. I thought it sounded like a good idea, so without previewing it, we streamed it free through Amazon. The first 2 or so hours (stretched out over 3 days) was okay, though somewhat slow. When we finally got to the battle itself, I realized I'd made a major parenting fail - Ellie had her hands over her eyes and was squeaking, and the others were horrified! They were simply unprepared and rather upset to see these brave "characters" who they'd come to like, killed in battle, even though they knew how it all ended. The one redeeming factor in it came out when it occurred to me to mention that they men in the movie were not the actual men in the story, but actors - no one died in the making of that film. That helped quite a bit, but my lesson has been learned - always preview your movies, even in the curriculum company recommends it!

How it really is

I'd like to let you all in on a little secret: that homeschool family that seems to have it all together? They don't. Ask me how I know...
I think there is a simple truth that applies in almost every area of life - we only see what we are shown. To put it another way, we see what someone is willing to show us, and that's often the sweet, lovely, crafted, Photoshop-ped version of life. I do think, though, that there is a unique temptation within the homeschool community to idolize and hero-worship "that" family. Whether we actively homeschool or simply interact with homeschoolers, we need to be aware of this fact, because believing that the highlights (or gag reel) are the whole show does everyone a disservice. 
What am I talking about?

• The family who started school in July because the kids were so excited to get into their new books? Those kids still would probably rather ditch school to play in the dirt/leaves/snow/water, if given half the chance.
• The mom who taught her baby to sit quietly on her lap while she teaches her older kids? That baby still cries when she teethes, does horrendous diapers and wants to be held when there are no free hands.
• The oldest child who's a great help around the house? It took a lot of time, energy and dedication to train him, and that's still no guarantee that he will always do his best effort, every time, cheerfully.
• The husband who faithfully sends his wife out for a couple hours of alone time every week? He may still leave the toilet seat up, his socks on the couch, or forget their anniversary.
• That amazing lady who has a clean home, scrapbooks, serves in church and has great hair/nails/workouts? She works extremely hard to make it happen, probably gets help in some area, and doesn't do everything. Maybe she doesn't watch the latest TV shows, read a lot of books or get enough sleep. Anyway you slice it, she doesn't do something.

Why do I mention this? Because I think we are all so used to looking around and seeing our weaknesses and failures in someone else's strengths and successes, that we are unable to be grateful, we are unable to recognize God's working, and we are unable to bless.

Grateful - I might not scrapbook, but I'm sure thankful my mom does. She made me a scrapbook with all sorts of incredible family history in it. I couldn't have done it, and wouldn't have enjoyed it if I tried, but now I have this wonderful collection of family history to thank God for and show my children. I don't feel bad that I don't make a scrapbook for each of my children every year, but I'm grateful that my mom has those skills and passions.

God is working - Most of my kids are not self-starters and they often drive each other nuts, which makes it all the sweeter when one kid will read to the others, when one of them works extra hard at an assignment, or when one chooses to share with or encourage another. God is at work in their lives, even if it's not always obvious, because He loves them.

Be a blessing - When I've looked at my friends with eyes of envy, I've failed to notice where they may be in need. Maybe the hard work of child training is discouraging, maybe she's exhausted from another sleepless night, or maybe, just maybe, she's simply needing to hear how much God loves her and that you'll be praying for her. Wouldn't you like to hear that, too?

Rather than spending my time thinking about how someone else's life looks and how mine doesn't quite measure up, I want to spend more time thanking God for the grace in their lives, looking for the grace in my own family's life, and seeing how God would have us serve and bless those around us. Cause no one's got it all together this side of Glory, and I don't want to miss all He's doing right here, right now.

Presently, I am...

...so thankful for the recent change in weather - finally put away shorts and flip flops and pulled out the woolens! Autumn is my favorite time of year - the trees turn into a firework display, and it makes me so happy!

...reading several books, including Jesus + Nothing = Everything and a biography of Susannah Spurgeon. I've been in a spate of fiction, which was a nice break for my brain, but it's time to read some more edifying stuff.

...knitting my first pair of socks, a sweater for Caleb and a bookmark. Always something to keep my hands busy.

...enjoying turning my girls loose in the kitchen. They've been making all sorts of cookies that I wouldn't have the patience for, and they love it! I'm not as enthusiastic about how the leave the kitchen, but it's an area we're working on.

...battling some pain in my elbow. I'm not sure what tennis elbow really is, but it feels as if I've pulled something. Praying rest and pain killers do the job!

...watching Caleb getting bigger and cuter everyday. He's started taking some steps here and there, and between that and his sweet little chatter, he's just about the cutest thing ever.

...needing to improve in my planning sessions. It always seems to need more time than I am willing to give it, but I'm needing to spend some time planning school, inviting folks over for hospitality, and Christmas gifts. At least the bills are getting paid!

Living History

A couple weeks ago, we had an opportunity to visit Locus Grove, a local historical estate known to be a stopping place for the Lewis & Clark expedition. They had an 18th century battle reenactment and camp that was really interesting!

 They did their "pomp and circumstance" thing, where none of us really knew what was going on...

 ...got to see some old-time cooking and meet interesting people, including the local rat-catcher...

 ...smell some really delicious food...

 ...see how life in the camps was for those who travelled with the soldiers...

 ...and how even the most basic necessities had to be made. The best part of it all is that this isn't a job for the people involved, but it's something they did for fun - it was clear that they really enjoyed what they were doing and sharing it with others.

It was also clear that these people are the sort you want on your team if you're ever dropped in the middle of nowhere. There's not much they wouldn't be able to handle...

Rental decorating

When we moved in, we decided that even though we have loads of pictures and paintings for the walls, we weren't going to hang them all because we (Toby) didn't want to deal with filling in lots of holes at the end of the year. At the same time, we (I) didn't want to live inside a bare shell for almost a year. So, we compromised.

There are a few of our special pieces up, but not in the kids' rooms yet. So, the kids' rooms became my first project.

In the boy's room, I made a little banner out of some leftover fabric and yarn.

 Since it was only a matter of cutting, and threading the yarn through holes poked into the corners of the triangles, this little project sits firmly in the "no-sew" category.

 In the little girls room, I used an idea I found on Pinterest to iron these little dots onto the walls using fabric circles I'd cut out for something years ago and some heat and bond fusible backing.

 Iron the circles to the backing, cut them out with the backing on and iron them to the wall. Avoid scorch marks by placing some fabric between your circle and your iron.

 The pin that served as my inspiration recommended doing it with your child's name, but that involved more than I could handle with half a dozen excited people around and bedtime approaching.

All photos taken by Anna!

Currently, Abigail and Caleb have a banner that I made years ago gracing their walls, and for now, it'll do. I'd love to do something else for them soon - just waiting for (more) inspiration to strike!

Avian neighbors

For at least two days this week, we've had a beautiful red shouldered hawk perch on the trampoline behind our house (no, the children don't use this trampoline. It's not actually belonging to our house, and I believe some of the neighbors have affectionately nicknamed it "The Death Trap"). Right around dinnertime, he turns up and just sits there, presumably working on catching some dinner of his own. Clearly, to a house full of people who fancy themselves amateur "twitchers", this is very exciting.

 I spotted him the first time, noticing him out the dining room window. I snuck outside and grabbed these photos as I slowly crept up on him. Not that I would somehow go unnoticed or something - he could probably hear my heartbeat from inside the house.

The second time was even better - Abi spotted him from her bedroom window while changing Caleb's diaper (yay for helpful older children!). She can dashing through the house, almost-naked baby on her hip, muttering to herself. Evidently she was looking for binoculars.

It's always nice to get to know your neighbors. I hope this one sticks around for a while.