Just a cute picture

Floppy, Cream and Zeb

A trip or two down the dirt hill...

Oops, facing the wrong way...

That's better

A different angle

Common Phrases Heard in our House

Sit down.
Get off the table.
Get out of the sink.
Honey, do you really need that?
No, you may not eat the dog food.
Mommy, tell me a story about Tirzah, Azariah, Zebadiah and Jessica.
Tell me a story about when you were little.
How much milk did you get today?
Owwwww
Noooooo
Not me.
Can I have a snacky?
I'm hungry. (We finally taught them not to say "I'm starving" since they really weren't)
Are you glorifing God?

The Chores of my three year old

I recently bought a product called Accountable Kids. It is a board with pegs on it and the children have cards that go on the pegs. As they complete the chore they turn the card over on another peg. It has been working well, the children can look at the pictures and do what they need to without me needing to tell them what to do next.

This morning, I was in the barn doing my chores and Azariah came out in his PJ's crying while asking if I sold his goat. I told the children yesterday that we are going to sell our new buck and he doesn't want to, he afraid I am going to sell it without him knowing. I assured him I haven't sold it yet. He begged me not to sell it. I told him we needed to and that he needed to go do his chores. Tirzah came out with Zeb. She had done her chores and dressed Zeb for me. I was very pleased. Azariah went back in the house.

When I was done with my chores I went in the house and found Azariah with his chores done. There was only one problem, he isn't real good in choosing clothes to put on.


Azariah put on one of Zeb's sweatshirts and a pair of Tirzah's capri's. I believe he looked at the pile of clean clothes on the couch and chose a couple of items he liked and put them one, even though the sweatshirt doesn't really fit and the pants aren't long enough. I haven't told him he isn't wearing his own clothes because I was so pleased he did what he needed to do.

If we go into town I will make him change.

We have baby goats...

Azariah with the Buck and Tirzah with the Doe

Mocha, finally decided to have her babies last night at about 10 PM. She had a buck and a doe. They are light brown with some white on them. Everything went well. Here are some pictures of the cute little things. Names are yet to be given, though Tirzah has some ideas.

Two Children, Two Goats and One Bucket...

We arrived home from church to get ready for a get together. I sent the older two children out to fill up the goats water. Azariah wanted to go help daddy, but I informed him that he needed to help his sister and as soon as they were done he could go help daddy. This job for one child would probably take about 5 minutes, but with two it was a twenty minute comedy routine.

I looked out the window and saw that the bucket was not upright like it had been when they first ventured out. Tirzah held the hose but since the bucket was sideways no water was going in it. So Azariah decides to climb the fence right there, but that was a bad idea because it is only a wire fence and not real stable with a person climbing on it. He showed some thought and figured that out, so he then travelled to the other side of the pen and tried the fence on that side (right next to the gate). He had the same problem. By this time his sister had stuck her hand through the fence and put it upright. She was now filling up the bucket. Azariah did not notice so he decided to go through the gate. I was watching in case the two goats escaped (they didn't). Eventually Azariah went back to where Tirzah was on the same side of the fence and then the fun began.

Tirzah took a drink of the water (ditch water that is). Then doused her brother with it. After getting 'Riah wet she then decided her feet needed washed so she picks up her foot and washes it, not realizing that she was going to put her foot back in the dirt and this water would make her foot dirty once again. Azariah was not happy at being wet and tried to turn the water off. Some how the water bucket, I think due to the fence hitting it, was on it's side again. Tirzah was able to set it up right and did the same thing a second time, take a drink, wash off her feet and fill the pail. Finally the water bucket was at least partially full. I am not sure if it had anymore water in it when they finished then when they first went out but it sure was fun to watch.

My Father and Grandpa (Grandpa decided to sit in a chair instead of the ground...)

We also had the privilege of playing Crochet with the grandparents. Grandma Peg at 83 was comical to watch.

Grandma Peg palying Crochet...

When she wasn't hitting the ball more than once on her turn, she was pointing out someone else that would. And she also enjoyed hitting the wickes more than her ball. It was an enjoyable time. Grandpa, my grandfather, almost needed the backhoe to get up after he ate his hamburger on the ground, but he made it O.K. He did have this weird reaction to the Homemade Goat Milk Ice Cream that I made. It seemed that after he ate it, he started bleating like a goat. So did my Uncle Wylie, but then again they are my dad's relatives.

Grandpa at the game of Crochet...

A Family Get Together

Nighttime Wanderings...

First the three year old comes in to sleep with me, being his mother I immediately check his clothes for "wet". Sure enough the pull-up leaked and I am up changing his clothes and putting him back to bed.

A few hours later my mom ears hear something...that wasn't the one year old throwing up was it? Surely not. I stay in bed for another 30 seconds willing it not to be so...I get it up and sure enough he threw up. But he is happy so I change his sheets and PJ's, put him to bed and go back to bed myself.

Forty minutes later my five year old comes and and says that she just threw up. She did not get any on herself, but it is all over her bed and beloved Oliver, a stuffed dog. The distress at that time was that Oliver was wet and icky. I rinsed him off, but he had to be put on the washer to be washed the next day. That was the most stressful part for my little girl.

Why did they throw up? I have no idea, but both were fine. These events happened Wednesday night then last night I am awakened by cries of "Mommy, I can't find Oliver, I had him and now he isn't there." As if a little stealer came in the night and took him just for fun. I go out to her and look for Oliver when she says "I have to go potty." She goes potty and I can't find the stuffed animal. Finally I find it above her on the table. But not just at the edge but the middle. I put it by her, but she is already back to sleep even without her precious Oliver.

I go back to bed and enjoy the sleep until the alarm goes off at 5 AM. I tell my husband in the morning "I can't figure out how Oliver was were he was." He informs me that she was probably making him do acrobatics and she threw him up and left him. Until of course the middle of the night.

Like a friend of mine says "I think the children get together before they go to bed and say 'you take 1 AM, you take 2 AM and I'll take 4 AM.'"

What a gift from the Lord. As we were waiting for the children to get there beds put out on the floor last night, we had to keep saying "Enjoy the children, enjoy the children." What were they doing you may ask? Well they sleep on crib mattresses that we place on the living room floor. During the day, we put these mattresses up. They were putting them out. The three year old put his flat on the ground and then both the three year old and five year old put their faces to the ground and pushed the bed where it needed to go using the tops of their heads, while the one year old took a ride on it. This was only stressful because it was taking a long time, but we did enjoy the moment nowing this is a precious time.

Home, home again

Well I am back in Colorado. I am so blessed to have the family that I have. The children and I arrived home at Midnight on Tuesday. We left Texas at 7 AM and arrived in Colorado at Midnight. I did not plan on travilling the whole way like that, but the Lord was ever so gracious in allowing me to be alert and awake to make it. We have enjoyed spending time with Daddy the last two days.

On our way home Zeb threw up four times. I am still trying to decide if it was McDonald's hamburger or if it was car sickness. It wasn't fun, but it helped keep me awake.

Still no goat kids. I should have some by Sunday.

Some pictures...

Peanut Butter?

Yesterday morning, I woke up early so I could make breakfast for the boys and take them to some friends house for the day. I went to the Homeschool Bookfair all day and some friend watched them. It was 6:30 AM and I made a peanut butter sandwich for Azariah and got some bread ready for Zeb. I then put the boys and the things they needed for the day in the Suzuki.

As we were driving, I gave them their breakfast and started thinking. "Do I have enough diapers?" Since the kids had beans and rice at a mexican restraunt the night before, I knew that he would probably have a few big diapers.

Azariah finshed his sandwich and Zeb was eating his bread. I looked back and saw Peanut Butter all over Zeb's hand and car seat. I am going 65 MPH down the highway. I then realize, "I didn't give Zeb peanut butter this morning, he is only one year of age...that's not Peanut Butter all over his hand...that's..."

I then quickly take the next exit off the hightway and pull into a gas station. As I clean up my sons blow out diaper I reminded myself "Make sure to put a lot of diapers in his diaper bag for today..."

Mommy, how do worms go poopy?

The wonderful questions of three year olds only get better as you are on an 18 hour drive. We travelled from Colorado to Texas in two days. On the first day of the trip, the children earned enough points to get something at the gas station when we filled up. My son, Azariah, chose gummy worms. As we were driving and it was his turn to sit up front with me, he looks over the gummy worm and in a contemplating voice asks "Mommy, how do worms go poopy?".

The drive was long, but the Lord was good to us. Once, we arrived in Texas, we unloaded the vehicle and went to dinner with my younger sister Kristy. She then went and took her last final while the children and I killed two hours playing ticket games at Mountasia. We won 265 tickets and got about $5.00 worth of cheap toys from the tickets. It took us a lot more than that to actually get the tickets to buy the $5.00 worth of toys. But we had fun. It is kind of hard when your son wants to play and trucking game and mom gets sick from watching the video screen, but I had to press the gas pedal and help steer so I was stuck, with a turning stomach.

We then took a drive to the airport so Kristy could catch her plane. It was a long day, but the Lord was gracious and allowed us to get here safely.

Mommy, I love Texas

Azariah "I love Texas."
Mommy "Why do you love Texas?"
Azariah "Because that is where my car hauler is."

We had some toys that we gave to GRACE when we left Texas and one of them has a purple Matchbox Car Hauler. He has not gotten over the fact that we gave it to charity, thus the above comment. I am trying to prepare him that even when we get to Texas we will not be seeing the car hauler.

The wonder under boy...

We had the delight of eating at Chick-fil-a. It was Gil, me, Tirzah, Azariah and Zeb. After eating the chicken and waffle fries, the children were delighted to have some strawberry shake. What a treat. Tirzah had finished and scampered off to play in the play area. Azariah, wanting to play also, but not willing to leave before every last drop of shake was gone, continues to eat his shake. Finally between bites, our little boy who at times thinks it is easier to go potty in his pants then it is to stop doing what he is doing says, "I had an accident."

Gil looked over and didn't see his pants wet. I walked around the table and found a nice puddle on the floor under his chair. Gil was hoping that when the lady had mopped the floor earlier she had missed that spot. She hadn't. You know the nylon wind pants that don't absorb water? Well, Azariah had a pair of those on. So instead of soaking into his pants, it ran out his pant leg onto the floor.

I picked him up and took him to the car. I started scrounging around, trying to find something to put on him. Since we still had to go shopping, this was a desperate search. There was one problem though. Some people enjoy using their vehicles as a type of storage place. I am one of those people, so usually in an emergency like this, I could find something to put on him even if it might be a skirt. The problem? We had just spend the morning cleaning out the van. And yes, that morning I had taken out a pair of Tirzah's pants that would have worked perfectly, but they were now in their proper place, the laundry basket. I did find a pair of Red underwear at the bottom of Zeb's diaper bag and put those on him.

So now "wonder under" was at least decent. We ran a couple of errands and then went to Wal-Mart. The big question, do I go in buy a pair of shorts come back out and then take him in or do I just figure, it's Wal-Mart and much stranger things have gone through the doors of Wal-Mart than a little boy with a shirt and underwear on. We chose option two. We made him sit in the cart or on Gil's shoulders. Our little "wonder under" boy made it through the Wal-Mart experience with no lasting scars. However, I am sure someone was saying "I can't believe those parents would bring their child to Wal-Mart with only underwear on."

Mountain Biking

A typical Gil look when his wife says, "I think we went the wrong way."

Gil while mountain biking

Gil and I were privileged to go mountain biking this morning. We went to Rabbit Valley and did Loops #3 and #4. Since we had never been on these trail before, we were not sure what to expect. #3 has some good continuous uphills, so we ended up walking our bikes up more than we want, but you do what you have to do. Then we had some nice technical down hill and narrow single track along a ledge. For those of you who don't know, single track is a trail that is 12-18 inches wide. It makes riding the trail seem like a roller coaster. We had fun and enjoyed the time together. No spills, but some good thrills.

Gil looking at the trail map after we arrived back at the truck.

Tirzah's Stuck

I volunteer at the Pregnancy Center on Wednesday afternoons as a counselor. My mom watches the children while I go. Well yesterday, I was getting ready to leave and Azariah comes and says, "Tirzah is stuck."
I asked "Where is she stuck?"
"In the crate."
"How did she get stuck?"
"I shut the door on her."

The excitment of living with a three year old and 5 year old.

Then today our 1 year old decided to feed the dog and himself. The only problem was that it was with the dog food. Now I do have a friend in Texas who said she and her siblings would grab a handful of dog food on their way out to play. But that is Texas and this is Colorado, so I did a couple of dog food rescue missions on Zeb today :-)

Still no baby goats...

Still No Baby Goats...

I feel like I am waiting for Christmas, but don't know what day it will be. Mocha still has not had her babies and I am anxious for her to have them. The children and I leave next Monday for Texas and I want them to be more than a day old when we leave. Every hour yesterday I went to check on Mocha, in hopes of her delivery. Every hour there was no change. I don't think I would have checked her so much yesterday, but she had one possible delivery sign which obviously wasn't a delivery sign since she didn't deliver.

When Sugar had her baby in February, the children and I missed it since we were at church. By the goodness of the Lord, Gil was here. I really don't want to miss Mocha's delivery, I know she has more than one kid and if there are any problems, I want to be able to help her.

Another day has started, it is rainy. I love the way Colorado smells after a rain. Have you ever heard how the berometer can cause mammals to go into labor? I am hoping today might be Mocha's day.