It's A...

Oh my, has it been a pitiful week around here! I'm so used to staying busy, both doing activities with the children and working on various "projects" that I have going--usually several at a time! So it's pretty sad to have to admit that the high points of this past week have been crashing for a nap with the littles every afternoon! I don't really feel sick anymore, but oh boy, the exhaustion is sticking around WAY too long!

There has been one other highlight this week...yesterday I finally got in for my ultrasound. It turns out that our seventh little munchkin is a healthy little baby BOY! Surprise, surprise, huh? I have to admit I was hoping Joanna would have a little sister, but Jeremy and the boys are THRILLED to be adding more maleness around here. Because, you know, we have a serious testosterone shortage and it's way too quiet in this household. Ha ha.

On a practical front, now I know which baby clothes to dig out and wash, and can start thinking about how to rearrange beds and such in the boys' rooms to accommodate another. And, of course, I can start sewing little blue blankets and such...as soon as my energy comes back!

So Glad That's Over!

We are more or less on the mend over here, finally! All 6 children and Mommy ended up getting sick. Yuck! Jeremy managed to avoid illness, but didn't emerge entirely unscathed--he managed to step on one of Joanna's toys just right (wrong?) to completely injure his foot. Then, what started out as a trip to our local urgent care clinic for x-rays ended up being a trip to buy a new car battery.

Yes, turned out the van wouldn't start. He tried jumping it with the ATV to no avail, then called the road side assistance program we have through our auto insurance. By the time the battery was jumped and then subsequently replaced, the urgent care clinic had closed. Bummer!

He's hobbling around on crutches for now. We're hoping it's not broken or anything fun like that.

I spent some time yesterday playing with my Photoshop Elements trial. It was one of the few things I could do while sitting propped up in bed. I'm so thankful that my wonderful husband replaced my ancient computer with a lap top--I'm sure it's pretty hard to use a desk top while lying in bed half-dead with the flu. I learned a few things. I'm happy, so far. I definitely have a LOT to learn, though!

I managed to get up and cook breakfast this morning, which was thrilling for my children. Apparently sandwiches, quesadillas, and canned soup only satisfy this group for so long. And we've exceeded that time frame. I made breakfast tacos--super easy, really, just scrambled eggs, sausage, cheddar cheese, and salsa in flour tortillas. But after several days of Cheerios, it's downright gourmet.

In a moment of brilliance, I actually cooked double the amount and am now the proud owner of 12 breakfast burritos neatly tucked away in the freezer. I feel so accomplished. It's easy to feel that way when your main contribution to your household for the past three days amounts to making sure the 3-year-old made it to the potty before throwing up.

I'm pretty sure I accomplished that feat at least twice. We won't talk about how many times we didn't make it. I'm focusing on the positive here.

I'm looking forward to a healthy week ahead...full of school, chores, playing outside, and hopefully getting back to my sewing. My biggest challenge this week?...getting my little darlings back on task. You see, after several days of having everything done for them they've started to think that they're entitled to getting out of any and all work. Some of them have even taken to flopping down on the couch and clutching their tummies or coughing dramatically when asked to do the simplest things.

Yet they're fine while chasing each other in circles or playing Wii. Sorry darlings, I know you guys are feeling better now. This gig is UP!

Cough, Cough, Sneeze...

I had 3 children under the weather today! I just hate it when my guys don't feel well, poor babies! Jordan started out with a cough yesterday, which has turned into some sort of tummy bug today. Poor kid spent all day on the couch cuddled under a blanket! Jonathan skipped the cough altogether and went straight to the tummy bug...he's much more efficient, that child.

I feel SO BAD for them, but I have to admit I'm glad it's not the babies...at least the older boys can reliably make it to the potty before being "sick." Hopefully that doesn't sound too awful of me!

Even Joey spent a good part of the day on the couch. I still can't figure out what actual symptoms of illness that boy has--he didn't seem to actually be sick. But I know something is just. not. quite. right when that child lies quietly for any length of time during the day.

I got online after lunch to look up a recipe at The Pioneer Woman Cooks (love ALL the recipes I've made of hers so far!) and found that she also has a photography blog. Since everyone who was awake was laid out on couches (and therefore not making any trouble) I poked around for a while.

After all, I SO need to learn to actually USE my nifty (and expensive) camera that I convinced Jeremy over a year ago that I just HAD to have. The guilt is starting to set in--I'm basically just using it as a point-and-shoot right now. I could have spent a LOT less and bought an actual point-and-shoot. But I didn't. So I feel obligated to actually learn to use the thing.

About two weeks ago I downloaded the most recent Photoshop Elements trial onto my new computer. The version on my old computer is about 5 years old and waaaay outdated--as in I can't find a "Photoshop Elements For Dummies"-type book that goes with it. My plan is to purchase the newest one, which runs about $80, when the trial runs out. So I'm looking through PW's regular Photoshop tutorials and marveling at all the fun effects that Photoshop does. Naturally I think, "I should look into the full Photoshop instead."

A quick mosey over to the Adobe site reveals its $699.00 price tag. Yikes!! Yep, I think Elements will do me just fine, thank-you-very-much!

At any rate, I'm going to take some time, maybe over the weekend, to dig out my camera manual and play around with some of the settings. I'm aiming for stunning and amazing things. We'll see what actually happens in reality. At least I have some really cute subjects running around here...cute subjects make up for a lot of shortcomings in the actual talent department, after all.

All the little people are sleeping peacefully now. I'm hoping and praying that all are well in the morning, and that the 3 that are currently well STAY well. After a day of quiet resting, I really miss the normal chaos of 6 healthy, boisterous kids running all over the place!

Introducing...us! :)

Uh, oh! Looks like I'm just a wee bit late to the party! (See the cute little button on the left if you want to know what "the party" is!) That's not too surprising when it also happens to be the day of our big beginning-of-the-month shopping trip, and I've got to complete said trip with small "helpers" in tow!

Well, as I like to say (for FAR too many occasions), "Better late than never!"

So allow me to introduce myself and my fabulous family (not a BIT of bias here!) Those of you who already know me can feel free to skip this, lol!

This is the most recent family photo I have of all of us. We were going to take a cool Christmas card-worthy picture in Manhattan after church one Sunday, but it was raining, windy, and cold so we settled for this one inside--do please ignore the evidence of wind and rain on everybody's hair! :)


I am Jenny, wife of Jeremy and Mom to the 6 precious little people you see above. I am a stay-at-home, home schooling mom who enjoys crafts of all varieties, cooking, gardening, traveling, and having fun with my family. I do not enjoy the cleaning aspect of my job, but I'm working on that!

My husband and I have been married for almost 13 years. Jeremy is the founder and president of a non-profit Christian collegiate ministry. Our "headquarters" if you will are in Austin, TX, but we were called to work with campuses in NYC and the northeast almost 3 years ago. We spent two exciting and challenging years living across the street from Columbia University in Manhattan before moving a little bit upstate for more breathing room and space to run for our going on 7 children. Jeremy commutes to the city, while the rest of us hang out in our little bit of country which we share with two kitties and 21 chickens (so far).

The kiddos...

Joshua is 11 and is our resident history expert. He also knows everything there is to know (okay, tons more than I'll ever know) about WWI and WWII aviation. He loves to invent things and will make a fabulous engineer someday, but he's convinced for the moment that he is meant to be a lawyer--because he's "good at arguing and talks a lot." (His words!)

Jonathan is 10 and is our resident jokester and technology expert. He delights in making everybody around him laugh, and to this day I can't operate half of our electronic gadgets without his help. Usually he helps patiently, lol! He's also very attentive to the needs of the littlest people in the household. While he says he wants to be a scientist when he grows up, he currently spends his excess time and energy trying to convince us of all the reasons why we "need" to buy him an iPad.

Jordan is 7 and is ALL BOY, for better or worse! He loves sports and rough-and-tumble play, and is the only one in our family (thankfully!) who delights in burping as loud and as often as he can, and then laughs hysterically like it's just the funniest thing in the world. He can throw a football like nobody's business, and tells us that someday he's going to be a professional football player--but only on the weekends. During the week he's going to be an artist! :)

Joseph is 5, and is FULL of mischief! He is our little active, bouncy monkey who has figured out the EXACT right moment to turn up the charm--to avoid getting in trouble for whatever he was just up to. He'll be in kindergarten next year, but is learning to read and has an AMAZING memory. He beats all of our socks off in those memory/concentration-type card games, and never lets me forget any "promise" I've made to him.

Josiah will be 3 this Friday, and is still my little cuddle bug. He wakes me up every. single. morning climbing in our bed to snuggle for a bit, which lasts for about 20 minutes before he wants to turn it into a wrestling match! He's also tough and fearless--a bulldog at heart in a three-foot-nuthin' little body.

Joanna is 15 months old, and in spite of all the masculinity surrounding her, is as girly-girl as they come. She adores her Daddy (Da Da is the only word she says with any regularity) and she can usually be found carting around some stuffed lovey or other and giving it lots of hugs and kisses. She is just starting to walk and is so proud of herself--she stands up and then squeals and claps her hands...SO adorable!

So that, in a nutshell, is our (not so) little family!! Feel free to poke around here in my previous posts for more pictures, glimpses into our everyday life, and of course our often crazy adventures! Thanks for stopping by!