Happy Birthday, Ya-Ya!

One of my darlingest girls turned three today.

I've actually been a little melancholy today. I can remember the day she was born with startling clarity. I remember holding the precious bundle in my arms and marveling at how tiny she was. At 6 lbs. 9 oz., she was the smallest of my bunch. Even then she was teeny.

Now she's three. Oh, my.




Even now she is still on the small size. But don't let her size fool you. She's wee, but she's mighty!

She was my one unexpected pregnancy (doesn't everyone have one of those? lol). I knew from the moment I found out about her that she was going to be the one who made me realize how much I needed to lean on God!




Here is my top ten list of favorite things about my Ya-Ya:

10. She loves clothes. She loves to shop for them, wear them, throw them in the washing machine, and dress up in them. It doesn't matter, she loves them all. And she can match outfits together without my help. That's my girl!

9. Ya-Ya was four weeks early and so needed to be held more than the previous two kiddos. The only way she could sleep at night was to be buckled into her car seat with my hand somewhere on her body. Precious, but exhausting.

8. She has the incredible heart of a servant. Wanting to be my big helper is just the beginning. She consistently is looking for ways to help and bless others.

7. She really wants to be a mama someday. Yay for future mamas!

6. Ya-Ya is our family's cheerleader. She loves to encourage and celebrate each of us.

5. She's a ham. She will stop and pose anytime she sees a camera. It can be pretty funny.

4. She is incredibly witty and funny. She doesn't have to think about being funny. She just is.

3. Ya-Ya has the cutest little voice! A friend recently said that she should be doing voice over work for cartoon mice. She may be the one soprano in our family.

2. She loves to climb up on laps. A great snuggler from the moment she arrived!

1. She is the best surprise of my life! The Lord knew we needed her in our family. I am so glad He gave her to us!

Happy birthday, dear girl!

Happy 85th, Shirshee!

This is my grandma:

She's pretty great! Today is her 85th birthday. Holy cow! 85. The things this woman has seen in her lifetime are momentous. She's one of those Greatest Generation people. She was born into a seemingly different world. It was gentler, harder, simpler. You know what I mean?
She remembers the years of the Depression when homeless people stayed in an empty lot across the street from her house. These people were making soup out of dandelions. Weeds for dinner? That's gonna impact you in some way.
She remembers meeting the love of her life during a dancing school lesson when she was in junior high. They were paired together because they were the tallest in their respective classes. She ended up being 5'2" and he was 6'2". Go figure.
This woman in incredible! After raising four children, she went to work full time. After becoming a widow, she has supported herself for 28 years. She still is a substitute teacher in special ed classes, as well as working for a homeless shelter, making countless pies for church functions, and blessing her family members with quilts, jammies and slippers.
Such a godly, blessed woman! She has been an example of godly love and womanhood. I'm doing my best to emulate her in so many ways.
She's the one who taught me how to make jam, sew a button, and wash dishes properly.
She has celebrated the birth of each new great-grandchild with joy and love.
She has encouraged, supported and loved me every day of my life.
Thanks, Grandma! I love you so much!
Happy Birthday! May the Lord bless you through out this next year in countless ways.

PS We are celebrating Ju-Ju's 6-month birthday, as well as Shirshee's 85th today! I can't resist bragging just a little more. He's now decided he can crawl, much to every one's delight - except mine. Things just got a little harder around here. ~sigh~ But ~ I am still the beneficiary of the majority of his snuggles. I guess I can handle the crawling if he's still snuggly.

Dollar Store Treasures

Matthew 6:21 says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart is also."

Apparently, some one in my family has their heart at the dollar store. And it's not me.

Our family has been working together every night during family worship memorizing the Ten Commandments. It's pretty funny to listen to Ya-Ya try to get her two-year old pronunciation around number 7: Do not commit adultery. It comes out: do not tome it ah dole ti wee. It's really cute. The pronunciation, not the sin.

When they each recited them last Sunday for a proud Mama and Daddy, we promised them that they would each be able to pick out a treat from the dollar store. When we went today, they all picked exactly what I would have predicted. Here they are with their treasures:



Gi-Gi picked silk flowers, Bubba picked pirate dress-up and Ya-Ya picked a fairy dress-up skirt. Yup, couldn't see that one coming from a mile away.

I have to admit, like any sane Mama, I had to guide their choices. I honestly had to stand in the aisle explaining to one of my children that we don't buy art work at the dollar store because it looks cheap. "Of course it looks cheap. It is cheap," was the reply.

They get their intelligence from me.

Thankfully, another decorating crises averted.

I have to say, I think it's pretty ironic that Bubba chose to dress up like a person who routinely commits sins number six and eight.

Thankfully, it's from the dollar store. It will have disintegrated by tomorrow. I hope.

Our "Day-Cation"

Like many people, this year's vacation has had to be put on the back burner.

Bummer with a capital B.

That being said, the month-long cruise around South America had to be cancelled. That okay. I'm not much of an ocean type of girl anyway.

We got to do something better. Much better.



My hubby knew of this fabulous swimming hole in Eastern AZ that would be perfect to take the children to. We were going to have to hike to get there. I was up for it! I'm a rugged kind of mountain girl.

Do I hear scoffing?

Just because I have to be close to a Tar-jay and Walmart...

And besides, Eastern AZ is one of my favorite places in the world!


So, we headed for the swimming hole. Here's the count: two families, four adults, nine (yes, nine) children, countless water bottles, one pair of ugly walking shorts (mine) and a partridge in a pear tree.


This swimming hole was well worth the hike! Oh, my goodness. Talk about God's country! To see my children's faces light up was priceless. It's a gift to be able to share the joy of God's creation. Are you wondering why Ya-Ya is carrying around a stick? That's her walking stick. Yup, can you see how it is assisting her? It was about 11 inches long.


Those kids (and dads) swam and swam and swam! Friends, let me tell you! That water was cold!!! The mamas and babies were chickens and didn't get swimming. At least, I was a warm and dry chicken.


The perfect end to a perfect day! ICE CREAM!! Hey, I had hiked off all those calories. Smiles + swimming hole + only a few owies + ice cream + best friends = perfect day!

Ju-Ju at Five Months

Isn't he muy delicioso? Oh, my goodness! Wait, is that drool on his jammies? That's embarrassing.

Anyways...

My boy is such a heart-stealer. Just like his - wait, I'm not sure who he's like! Well, I guess I'd just have to say me; if I was being honest, which I'm not. Because if I were totally honest, I would say he's in the the deep end of his Daddy's gene pool. But I'm not bitter or anything. *ha!*

He's now five months old and a ton of fun. And he's so advanced. He's now sitting up. He beat the previously held family record of earliest sitting up, held by Gi-Gi. She's only a little miffed about that. Okay, not really miffed. The competitive streak runs deeply in our family, though.

This has been my favorite stage with all of my little duckies. I can still put him down and he doesn't go anywhere - for the most part. He laughs and smiles, coos and generally entertains us all.

Oh, and he also eats. A lot. He's like off the growth chart. Yeah, that's the way we make 'em out here in the West. Big and beautiful. I mean, handsome.

God is so good!

Back to School!

It's that time of year again!

Time for bouquets of sharpened pencils (no. 2, of course) and the smell of new books.

Aaaahhhh!


Being homeschoolers, we don't really get into that whole back-to-school thing. There are no new clothes, backpacks, or lunch boxes. Being the product of public school, I have a tendency to feel sadly about this. And then I remember that the first day of school is only the first day. Then reality sets in. It's in this "reality" where you would find our reasons for homeschooling.


Anyhoo, I do try to make it special, but I think my attempts go overlooked. To them, there's no difference in the way breakfast tastes or the fun-level in making their beds, no matter how I try to convince them. They remain skeptical. And I get the feeling that my kids do get tired of me saying, "It's the first day of school!" over and over in an attempt to make them feel like we should be celebrating in some way.

They do, however, appreciate the brand-new sharpened pencils.


This year we have a third-grade veteran and a preschool newbie. Of course, Gi-Gi, being more experienced at this "school-thing", is so gracious and encouraging of Bubba. For example, while he's coloring a picture she says, "Oh, Bubba! That a good job, for a preschooler." Or perhaps while he's putting beads on a string, "That's great, Bubba, for a preschooler."

Catch that?

What are big sisters for?

I'm just waiting for the comment, "That was a good meal, for a Mama."

So we're off on our grand adventure of learning this year! Ready to go with us?

Bathroom Conversation

Just a glimpse into my day:

Overheard the other morning while I was applying makeup:

(Upon the raising of the curtain, two curious children are seen playing with their mother's bathroom scale. They're adorable, even if they are continuously picking the scale up and dropping it to see the needle move.)

Bubba: "Ya-Ya, look! I am forty!

(The precious child means forty pounds)

Ya-Ya: "What am I, Bubba?"

(Ya-Ya stands on aforesaid scale)

Bubba (peering down): "You're tooty, Ya-Ya." (again meaning twenty pounds)

Ya-Ya: "Yay! When I'm three, I'll be three-ty!"

Bubba: "Mama, you should get on the scale!"

(Curtain falls quite rapidly and forcefully)