And That Was My Day

MUST. DO. SOME. BLOG. HOUSECLEANING!

(not tonight though.)

I was going to get with it today and post something for "Help For Growing Families"
(see sidebar), but I didn't.
Nor have I yet cleaned up the clutter accumulating on the side of my blog. Not sure yet what will go - I can never decide what to get rid of - but clean I must, so (eventually) clean I will!

Tonight though, I review the day and it was good.
We learned about sentence structure for school work.
The boys and Susanna played outside in the snow for a couple hours.
I unpacked our clothes from, uh... when we got home two weeks ago. (It was an accomplishment, so I had to list it!)
Zachary made dinner tonight.
Carolina got her first molar, and was a much happier little girl once it broke through!
Olivia is all growed up with her big girl underwear, and trips to the bathroom:-)
I wrote a letter today.
The boys shoveled half the driveway of snow when they were outside (I owe them now!).
We all napped.
I had a couple nice phone conversations:-)
And... I won this award from my friend Katrina.

The Lemonade Award:

For blogs with great attitude and/or gratitude
and I am so honored that my friend thinks I fall into this category!
Thank you Katrina; and part of my blog cleaning-up involves adding some new blog links to my list - may add yours to "my favorite blogs?"

I pass this award on to my friends at these blogs:

1. In Due Season
2. The Life and Times of Jess
3. 2Homeschool
4. Life is Short. Eat Cake.
5. Down From The Door
6. Cultivate Your Family
7. There's No Place Like Home

It's far too late to be getting to bed early, and really to late for me to be gallivanting around to all your blogs to let you each know that I think you're super at making lemonade... so, please accept this award with my thanks for your friendships.
I love you gals:-)
And that was my day!

-me

By No Means Comprehensive :-)

My Husband is not a blog reader - too manly for that I guess.
Not even a reader of MY blog... until lately. I guess the pressure was too much, the reading audience was growing. He was hearing feedback from his own friends, and thought he'd better know what his wife was saying about him (or us, or whatever)!
So... I have come to notice him lurking about his own wife's blog (thank you to the live feedjit for that piece if info). I could be more nervous about what I am saying, but instead I feel a sense of glee that I am now so popular that my own husband has to keep up with the latest of Momma Bug!

Now that I know you're keeping an eye on me Mr. Bug, here's one for you!















<3 Because you love me

<3 Because you know me... and love me still

<3 Because you have good taste in women ;-)

<3 Because you want me along for company

<3 Because you buy me all the gear: snow shoes, gators, helmet, boot pegs, life jacket, paddle...

<3 Because you don't mind if I'm always pregnant or nursing, which means all that gear is stored still waiting to be used

<3 Because you dream up wonderful adventures... and we do them together

<3 Because you love Truth, search for Truth, and are willing to speak Truth

<3 Because you laugh at my jokes

<3 Because you make me laugh :-)

<3 Because you always come back

<3 Because you always do what you say you'll do

<3 Because you treat me like you love me - every day

<3 Because I know I'm lucky

<3 Because you love me..............................................

<3 And because I love you too :-)

Potty Training...

Potty Training.

I have always had to work at it, so it is not an event I look forward to.
Don't get me wrong... I like potty "TRAINED", just not the "training" part!

I totally believe in people who potty train their infant - I just think they are nuts! I have never been tickled to stop shopping in the middle of a ginormous grocery store with a cart heavy laden with groceries AND a baby who can't walk yet, only to troop four children into a public restroom, and snap repeatedly "Don't. Touch. ANYTHING!" Figure out what to do with the baby while setting the pottying child up on the seat, then figuring out how to help wipe, and then the fiasco of washing hands without them taking a full-on bath, because by this time EVERYONE needs to wash, and the counter is always wet just at armpit level...

You get the picture, and I'm with Morgan. If it isn't groceries in the cart, public opinion means very little to me and I guiltlessly wheel the whole thing into the bathroom. In fact, I've almost forgotten that bathrooms also have "normal people" stalls, since I always beeline for the biggest thing they have at the back! Some of you even know the looks of astonishment that comes from the waiting women when you open that door, and child after child after child files out. You know it's uncanny how similar it is to like circus clowns stuffed into a VW Bug. In fact, it is rather a circus of sorts!

Anyway, I digress...

Olivia has been ready for a long time, but I haven't.
I could number the excuses, but I'll spare you. It has been my M.O. to wait until my children are older because it's less of a battle to train, and I like that they are usually able to hold their bladder a bit longer - hence avoiding the scenario mentioned above.

So...

This was the week! It took her two days to figure out how to turn her plumbing on, and for those two days, I spent some relaxing time in the bathroom discussing big girl panties, and peanut M&M's.
(note to self: even if I never needed it before, some good reading material in the bathroom might be nice next time)
Once she figured it out though, we were home free! Just a night-time incident here or there, and the real trial comes tonight, because...

We went shopping today, and the highlight of our outing was Olivia picking out underwear.
She has really been a champ this week, and I had promised her (yes - totally different from a bribe) we could buy big girl underwear.

Purple. That's what the girl wanted, so I vowed to help her find it if it existed!

What she actually chose was the princess 7 pack. I am not a fan of Disney's princesses or any other popular icon placed on clothing (perhaps especially underwear!), but I am a fan of Olivia, so that's what we bought, and without batting an eye!
I did not exactly see any purple in the package, but the princesses were mesmerizing, and I should have known.

The first pair Olivia strategically pulled out of that package were... you guessed it - Purple. (and is that princess Jasmine srtiking a rather seductive pose? We won't talk about that:-})
She was a very happy camper, and of course as was predictable, she didn't relish the thought of returning to the old fare even for sleeping.
So tonight we see just what the capacity of this girl's bladder really is. That or I may be wakened several times in the night, which may be a superior option to the alternative!

Either way, I am extremely proud of my girl! (and proud of her momma :-))
And I'd be reallyreallyreallyreally thankful if I never had to set foot (or more like twelve feet) in a grocery store bathroom EVER AGAIN!!!

(yeah right!)

Homesick

This is a good opportunity to introduce my beloved friend Sarah whom I met at Richardson Springs YWAM base (how long ago Sarah? was it in '96) twelve years ago!

She is precious precious friend, and today she posted some pictures she took when she and her Hubby and two boys came to visit us at our home in Northern California two Summers ago.
I hope you say hello to her, and check out our rooster, the famous Mr. Fancy Pants!

Thanks Sarah! I was a bit homesick looking at those pictures. That place really felt like home to me. It was fun to reminisce:-)

A few more "oldies" from the Las'Lenas farm

Uncle Ben


















Uncle Dan


















Auntie Mattie Grace (And our barn in the background... sigh...)


















My boys:-)

Good Greif!

Not only is Susanna a collector of... stuff, she also stores it in a heap BESIDE her clothes dresser - along with her clothes mind you. When she wants to look for socks and underwear, she searches through those drawers. This is fruitless of course, because everything she takes off goes into that heap (rather gross when you take dirty socks into account!).

Anyway, that is the pile I am attacking this afternoon, along with sorting through the other children's clothing too.
Won't they ever take a break from growing and wearing things out?!!
It's a small price to pay, I guess :-)

If I make it out alive, I'll keep you posted!

Party Anyone?

Who's Invited:

All the little Bugletts I love!

What Time:
After Nap -O'clock. That'd be four-ish today.

The Occasion?
Just for fun! Who doesn't like a party?!

The Agenda:
We will eat dinner (once again provided by a fairy); set up camp downstairs by the "theater"; pop corn, or have some other treat to eat; stick in an episode of the old "Get Smart" spy show, and cozy up!
Make sure you are ready to go with the flow, and have a good time!

Attire:
Pajama's recommended

What To Bring:
Your very best attitude along with a smile - mom will provide the rest.

P.S.
A pillow would be good too:-)

A True Truth

It's as if the Lord says

"Walk in obedience, and I will prove myself faithful."

Not necessarily

"I will prove myself faithful, then you can walk in obedience."

Marvel Hill and More...

This is the sweet little dusting of snow we received at Marvel Hill the day we left. It was the first snow of the season, and I while lovely, it was rather a cold way to wash the last enormous pile of dishes!!







































Wouldn't you say this spot resembles Lantern Waste or some other place in Narnia? I almost expected an umbrella carrying fawn to appear from that path through the birch!


































Finally, it is probably unkind to taunt my beloved Idahoian neighbor with these pictures, because since we left, there's been more than a little snow added to what you see here.

And so... it is time, with great fanfare to introduce you to queen of the regions westerly of Marvel Hill: Mrs. King.



Those of you who love me will enjoy a closer glimpse into our new Idaho lives through the unfolding of God's plan for the royalty next door.
PLUS, you will get a kick out of what the snow looks like NOW! Thankfully for Mrs. King, they have indoor toilets;-)

Enjoy!

Favorite Things

This is mine. My own stuff that is "me".
I am very eclectic, and don't have a style other than "Happy" or something along those lines, but it's been over a year since I've lived in my own home with the stuff Analene (that's me) would make a nest with.
Uncle Wyatt's has been very fun, and I have enjoyed homifying his bachelor pad, but besides my desk and the shelf behind it, this particular house is not me. There are pieces of me here and there, but I have been decorating someone else's house, and I miss having my own spot.

In Idaho this last trip, I mudded and painted the two rooms downstairs: the kitchen and living rooms (more pictures to follow). My dear husband let me pick paint colors, and that is saying a lot when the priority is really more along the lines of, say, indoor plumbing.

One of the highlights of putting my mark on Marvel Hill, was receiving a large package from Gramsie and Pops back in California, containing a few of my favorite treasures.

This sweetie is a chipped-up-glued-back-together piece of work, but that made it pretty affordable at Salvation army for a dollar fifty!


















Here's the thing, I don't normally go for trinkets of this sort, but as you can see, she has a personality and I needed her. That's that!
The daisy-girl made her residence on the windowsill over the wash basin (one day sink).

This clock is new, but it's still on trial because it has aloud tick, and in a house where there are absolutely zero appliances, we think that tick is kinda annoying!

















Even if the clock goes, the plates that flank it will have a place somewhere where a splash of color is wanted. They are both from my mom and remind me of her, because she is the one who shared with me her LOVE of vibrant color!

This is an old magazine Gramsie gave me as a birthday gift. I framed it and hung it in the Bird Cottage kitchen in California, and now it lives inside the front door of the Marvel Hill cabin in Idaho.
Gramsie didn't think it would pack and mail very will because of the glass, so unwrapping it was a lovely surprise!!


















It was the most home-like feeling to hang this picture by the front door. It just said "this is Analene's home".
I like that.



















It's nice to have a home home somewhere when you've been a Gypsy for any length of time:-)

A Garbled Account

New post, new post... what should it say? I don't know, that last one just came to me in a creative flash. I like those kind of posts. They're much easier to write!

You haven't seen THIS one, have you? Thought some of you might appreciate it:-)























Okay now, I have been wanting to ask: Is there someone watching behind a tinted piece of glass to see the reaction of people typing those crazy word verrifications where you leave a comment?

The reason I ask, is because those "random" piles of letters often shock me!
For instance, WAX BUN was the last one I had to type, and I was looking over my shoulder to see if anyone was giggling!
Do you know what I'm talking about here? Okay... uh, never mind.

---------------------------------------------------------

Today:

One child over ear infection.

Dinner delivered to us by a sweet friend (who will surely spoil me!)

Nap - uneventful, which I consider to be a good thing.

Trip to Chiropractor, discovered that three of us are Zinc deficient (at least three), and glad to be getting on the road to wellness.

Stop in at Dollar Store for some new puzzles. Clay had to spend his birthday money too, so he bought a puzzle, paper clips, and scissors. The other three dollars were spent at our...

Jaunt in to Michael's for beads and pipe cleaners, where I got sidetracked by the 50 cent bargain bins in the front of the store - OH! What Clay bought with the last three dollars? A Jelly Fish.
(what do you mean, "what do you mean?"!)

Grocery store where my children were out of control when this man pushing a cart with two-year-old twins in it says: "Hey! I saw you in the Post Office once - your children are SO WELL BEHAVED!" and his wife: "OH! He told me about you!" then under her breath: How do you do it?! They (pointing to her children) are just wild!"

I'm thinking two things here.
One: okay Lord, I get it.
And two: if possible, don't wait until you are 45 to start having kids - especially TWINS!

At home, a much-subdued momma sweetly puts on the delicious dinner made by some other busy woman, and proceeds to end the evening by...

Starting Clay's puzzle with him. THAT was fun! :-)

Another child and an ear infection.

I am debating whether to go climb in bed, or if my night would be better spent puttering at projects so I'm already awake for the umpteen crises that will arise once I am comfortably tucked in.

See? Aren't you glad you asked? That is what you get when you don't ask for it - my garbled account of a strange day. It comes from a strange personality with very little on the brain consisting of more than what time Zack can take Tylenol again.
The truth of the matter as it concerns recent pictures on this blog, is that my computer is talking back to me, and my husband isn't here to make it behave.
One of these evenings I'll work through it over the phone with him (he's out of town), but he's got plenty to do without my computer issues.
Later anyway.
Tomorrow's a new day:-)