Well stake my Ter-mater's!

 I sent my children on an expedition to find me some sticks for stakin' my Tomato plants.
Not necessarily because of their large size, rather in hopes of motivation them to grow.
"Grow, grow BIG, grow gorgeous; and please, my dear stunted little tomatoes, GROW SOME FRUIT for goodness sakes!"

So anyways, I told my fellers and their sister Sue, that I wanted some straight stakes five feet tall:

"That's from the ground to the tips of your fingers when you reach toward the sky"


And about four inches in circumference (they know this word):


"That'd be about the width of your wrist."

I wanted 19:


"...5 tomatoes at 3 stakes each, plus 4 for the peas to lean on...  
If you find me 12 to 19 stakes in a timely manner 
I'd consider it worth 2 dollars for each of you, 
and I think that's very reasonable 
considering it's YOUR garden too and I could send you on a stake-hunt as a 
chore-that-you-do-because-you're-part-of-this-family..."


They agreed.



Well I'm here to tell you they knocked my socks off , those industrious 4 foot tall plus-a-reach people! 
They came to me an hour and a half later with 14 near-perfect beauties and only stopped there because they forgot the total number I had requested.


The boys told me they'd found a Ceder tree that "was just right", and I still haven't gone into the woods to see if the tree has any limbs left.  We like the trees near our yard to be healthy and whole, bu the general deal around here is that if it's not within sight of the house, one is allowed to take a hatchet to it.  (If you visit with boys, please don't quote me on that - the deal might have changed by then). :-D

Don't they look tuckered? 

And the Garden...


























It was so happy to have a few stakes.  We all wanted to see the tomatoes be motivated to grow.  Maybe this will help.

 

 
Thank YOU Nasturtiums - you're divine!

Oh Borrage - I love you also....

And that's that for now.
My ter-maters are happily hedged in,
I've lined a few or 6 pockets with spending cash,
I've documented the growth of the garden and provided you with proof,
and after all is said an done,  if the kiddo's aren't tired out, I am!


TTFN
(Tah-tah for now)

My son - a Warrior

"But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."  Luke 2:19

I can only imagine the depth and width of things the mother of God had to ponder, but I want to follow her example.
That's the purpose of this post.
I want to remember.

This morning I was wakened by wiggling at the foot of my bed.  

Prying my eyes in the dim morning light I noted that Clayton was trying to make himself comfortable with a pillow and blanket on top of my quilt.

Quietly I suggested that he cozy back into his own bed for the remainder of the dawn.

He collected his bedding and with head hung, slid off.

My eyes once again shut, I felt the whisper of his breath near my face.

"Mom?"

"What sweetheart?"

Head near mine he asked,

"Can you pray for Bryce, that God will protect his spirit?"

Suddenly alert.  I assumed that this was inspired by his dreams but I didn't question.  

I pulled him into bed and drew him close.  

Then I prayed for Bryce, believing well it could be important beyond my comprehension or understanding.

I prayed that the Lord God would protect his spirit; 

his mind, heart, and body too.

I also prayed for his big brother.

And when I was done praying out loud, silent prayers continued to pour forth.

Then, we slept.

Later this morning I asked Clayton if he had a bad dream.

"Yes."  He replied,
"I dreamed that Zachary fell off the upstairs porch...
and I dreamed that an evil snake was trying to get into Bryce's heart and tell him terrible things."

Wow.

You can chalk it up to the subconscious, but I know better.
There is a realm we do not see with our eyes, but  at times our other senses detect it.

I don't understand it, but I believe it.

Clayton has a heart that's  profoundly sensitive to spiritual things.
I'm so glad he didn't dismiss his discomfort.
I'm thankful he wanted to pray for Bryce.

I could learn a thing or two.

Bryce will likely benefit from Clay's prayers in ways he'll never know.
What a privilege to have a brother praying for him already!

This was a good opportunity to talk about listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit; 
to pray for those the Lord puts on our heart just out of the blue;
and to bring every concern before the Throne of God.  He will wage war on our behalf;  
He is faithful, and knows all about that "other" realm to which we are blind.

Lots to think about;
to ponder.

And so I do like Mary
and tuck this tidbit away in the recesses of my heart.

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, 

but against principalities, against powers, 

against the rulers of the darkness of this world.  

Against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Ephesians 6:12

I am a Venti Mom

"Venti" is a size.

It would be less confusing if it were called "Large" or "Largest", but it's Starbucks.
They size their drinks to sound important.

Maybe a Large is "Venti" and a small is Tall so that you feel you're getting something big either way, but all you have to do is look at the cups to know there's a difference between something otherwise referred to as "Large" and what Starbucks calls "Tall".

The truth is, I was never a "Tall" mom because I didn't truly discover all the glory of Starbucks until child #5 and an 8 hour stretch of road to drive.
I went straight to the biggest size Java Chip Frapucinno made.  Why mess around?


Today as I loaded my babies into a cart at Wally World, I noticed a mom next to me loading Little's into her cart.  In the empty bottom sat a Starbucks frappucinno.
What is it about Starbucks that makes shopping with children seem like a vacation? 

My Frapucinno was already gone.  Savored to death in the first hour of our outing while I searched for Pita Pockets in a new grocery store.
That had been several hours prior and I assumed that Wally World was this lady's first stop.

I noticed that her Frap was a size "Tall" and wondered if she knew when she ordered that "Tall" meant "small", and did she figure it out for next time?
I need every ounce of caffeine that a Venti can deliver when I'm shopping with the crew.

Then it hit me.
She had 2 children.

I really think that Starbucks should find an Italian word for "Monstrous", or "Humongous" (in fact they could just call it that) because what about those moms of 10 out there?
I can't imagine that a Venti does it in their case.

To be fair, I rarely see a mom with that many kiddos with her.
Maybe it's because the bigger ones are old enough to babysit a few at home.
Maybe mom and dad divide and conquer when they shop, and dad is at the other end of the store.
In that case maybe they're a 2-Venti-Frap. family!

But honestly?
I think it's because Starbucks doesn't make a Frappucinno big enough to fuel a mom shopping with 10 or 15 children.
Laws of nature (or something like that).  What goes up... must come down.

I was happy for the "Tall" momma, that she had found the secret to making Wally World a slice of heaven (or at least a piece of sanity).
I felt strangely sorrowful for mothers of 15 - they have to get out to shop too!

But me?

I really enjoyed myself.  
I am a Venti mom,
and there was just enough caffeine in the biggest size that Starbucks makes to last me through ALL my errands.

And home again.

Early Morning Garden Helper

Another Hike. A rather LONG one.

The weekend after our last guests left, we decided to join our cousins for a hike to an un-hiked to lake.
Un-hiked to by us anyway.

This proved to be an expedition which produced many good pictures, but also many tired legs and feet.
I'm not ashamed to say that AJ and I turned around after lunch and headed back to the base of the trail with Bryce and the 3 girlies.  The boys followed their cousins on in search of the illusive lake - a lake which we were always "so close" to, but never quite "arriving at".
As the trail was dwindling, AJ and I were a little concerned that we'd arrive in time to carry ALL the children out, not just the couple babies already on our backs.  And darkness would possibly envelope us before the completion of our trip.

As it was, the story ended happily with us all sleeping in our own beds.  AJ tramped half-way in a second time with the double jogger to help tired little cousins back and I really don't know how a 5 month pregnant Sis-in law carried her 27 pound boy all that way!  Whew!  Wears me out just to imagine it.

They DID find their lake though, so congratulations to them!
And we kept our "happy hearts" so good for us.

Carolina walked most the whole hike interspursed with hitching a ride with me or her dad.
Susanna and Olivia walked the whole time.
In mud boots none-the-less.

This equaled probably 10 miles all told.  TEN MILES! I'm glad to know we could do it in a pinch, but I sure hope we're never pinched!

Speaking for myself, I was perfectly happy to hear about the lake.  I don't need to see it for myself :-)

Here's the picture journal of our adventure.  

Enjoy, and let your own feet be ache-free.

On a brief stop to check the map, certain of our party found a new purpose for young tree saplings.
(Shhh... don't tell the forest service!)
It's like the stationary precursor to mutton-busting - and no coin slots either!

This... is me telling the kiddos about Baneberry.  

Amongst the many many berries up in these parts, most are edible or if not, won't cause serious harm.  

The Baneberry?  It's rather toxic.  NO TOUCHY!  

We have a pile pf children who want to taste every edible plant and berry - even if the book says it's not "palatable" (new word in our vocabulary).  

The "unpalatable" ones keep them from trying anything with too much unharnessed vigor.

   One of my favorites

There was a certain amount of relief in finally laying eyes on the Trooper.  In the (here) famous words of Carolina:

We MADE it!

Mah bay-bah's is all growed up!

This fellow, was the brave little fledgling to test his wings first.

Doesn't he look grand?

(not to mention that I think this a pretty nice shot!)

His brother waited until the coast was clear to take his first leap.

Olivia says you can easily tell they are boy birds:

"They have all the sticking-up hair."

She may be on to something... 

Anyhow, today's excitement may have been inspired by yesterdays excitement.

A story in which Susanna and Olivia managed to get the ladder up to the nest themselves 
 and invite two of their cousins to climb up and HOLD the chickies.  
With them.

Said culprits were caught red-handed in the act by Uncle Char who found mom (that's me) and asked: 

"Do you have any rules about baby birds and ladders?" 

Moms love being asked questions of this nature.  (I'm pretty sure my brother was laughing at me.)

"Do I NEED to have a rule about such things?"  I ask. 

Don't answer that one.

Anyhow, good ol' Unc told the kiddos 

"We don't touch ANYONE'S babies without asking first  [I think he's a genius]  

...and since we can't get the momma bird's permission, 

we just don't touch her offspring."

And I added to that:  

"Well... the good news is that momma bird came back to feed her babies, 

so I guess she's decided to let it pass this time."   

I understand how she sees the situation.

Happy launching Baby Birds! 

 

(and good luck there momma.  You may need it.)

"Uncle Charlie loves me"

you think so?

"I tink so."

My girlfriend from Oregon, her guy and critters visited and made some memories together with us!

Sarah and Nate came and were very intelligent people 

who knew how to "vacation" the way we like to do it!

Lots of staying up late,

sleeping in late,

playing,

relaxing, 

and visiting.

Sometimes bug repellent was necessary.

A few hikes were imperative. 

(The stroller was a nice addition in the outing to Marvel Hill's somewhat inaccessible creek.)

In this case I decided to forgo bathing attire and settle for changing out the wet clothes later.
Susanna really has those overall pant legs cuffed up, doesn't she?

My main question is 

"WHY(!!!) Clayton, do you insist on wearing boots to the creek?

You always let INVITE the water in right over the top!"

Then... a large crew of us hiked to a newly discovered spot 

8 miles behind our house down a maze of dirt roads.  Actually we drove those 8 miles,
but there was a little hike in to the "spot" from where we parked.

It's very hard to take,

living out a Summer like this.

In a place like this.

With people like this.

 Daddy took the boys on these natural waterfalls, and the girls wanted a go at it too 

- what awesomely brave little souls!  

Here's O. with dad before and after the first dunk.  

You might note that I tried it once myself, 

and that short little waterfall sucks you under for a few seconds 

before letting you come up for air! 

 Woo-HOO!!! Now over the little one!

 Me and my love

Sarah and hers:

Us all.  

 (we mostly don't go anywhere without the Cousins, in case you wondered)  ;-)

Thanks  for coming all the way form Southern Oregon to see us you guys!

 You're the best:-)

And we had a WONDERFUL time.

The boy likes to talk.

And he just figured out how to climb up one stair,
so it was worth telling about:

Just a little cuteness for the Grandma's and anyone else who likes cuteness like this:-)