Baby Dear.

Six Months. . .

We aren't really sure what color Baby's eyes are yet. They change depending on what the lighting is. Sometimes blue-gray, sometimes hazel-green, sometimes a hint of brown. Her hair doesn't seem to be growing much at all but what is there has a tiny tint of reddish. I like to kiss her ears. I love every minute I have with her. Each is a gift, undeserved. Her personality is coming out more - she's not as high energy as Lake was at her age, but not near as laid back as Morgan and Brighton were as babies. I am very content to keep her the baby forever. . .

Though this past week she graduated from the pack-n-play in our room to the little white crib in the girls' room at nights. I miss her already.

When I think back to her nine and half month pregnancy, how horrid it was - if I wasn't very, very sick, I was in a lot of pain. Natural labor doesn't even light a candle to the pregnancies I have. Not even close. Robert and I really wondered if we could survive this past pregnancy. It was a huge trial, to put it lightly. I am still recovering physically from her pregnancy. I am grateful the nights pacing with carpal tunnel are over.

Most of all, I am grateful for every single day of pain and sickness to get her here in my world, in our life. 

We never dreamed of baby #8. I could have never dreamed up Haven. . . she is beyond my loveliest dreams.

I am just very grateful. Very.

P.S.

On Easter Sunday Robert asked Scott if he would take a picture of the two of us when we got home from church. At high noon it was hot and bright so we just got in the shed there by the carport (also pretty bright though!) and took a few - not exactly the prettiest background in the world but some Easter shots we got. None with all ten of us 'cause I didn't even want to try - fun, exhausting weekend and we were all ready to move on to a peaceful afternoon by the creek. We went for the easy of getting all the guys, then all the girls. 

A. Ann

What to do?

Good encouragement this morning: javascript:mctmp(0);

A good book Robert has been reading through; life changing and very encouraging for him (and me!): "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764201379/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1556611609&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ZZ86FXNZV232031432S  

This is not a new book, but new to us. I would really encourage this read. Just get the book, especially if you have ever struggled with performance based religion/people (maybe you are even now but it's subtle), performance based relationships, church or "christian" organizations or ministries that all follow one man and his ideas/idolize him, etc. I could write a whole blog on this subject (have personally experienced quite a bit in this area in the last 16 or so years,) but no need, the book has been written already, and in a way better way then I could ever write! Even if you have never experienced this personally, there are many who have and who are caught and don't know it and need help. Subtle is a key word here - things are hard to see when it's maybe all you've known. . . I pray God will use this book to free many people trapped in this type of abuse. Maybe you are an abuser and don't know it. . . maybe because it's what you were told was "being a good parent." Spiritual abuse takes place in the family setting just like it can in churches. Want to be aware of how to not have spiritual abuse take place in your home and family life? We can all easily fall to this and not even know it. But it is SERIOUSLY destructive and has so many very sad consequences. This book was an answer to our prayers.

 ~

On an even happier note!

What a wonderful Easter - and weekend!

A. Ann

The verse that I've got here for my day is:

1 John 3:18 "...Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

It's got so much in this one little sentence I think I will have to chew on it for awhile.

Here is a little video I took with my 7D camera (the camera I shoot my photos with too) on a hike a few weeks ago.

I'd never shot video with it before until that afternoon - I decided to instead of taking pictures, only problem is it's so clear here on my computer but so not clear here transferred to xanga. Oh well ~ song is by Matthew West -  new fav this past month.

Enjoy your spring day! 

Wanting to love in more than talk (yeah in that way too though) - but in deed, and in TRUTH. (like not fake, idolatrous love, but the real deal selfless kind.)

A. Ann

Special Times.

She loves the details of things. Like me.

In their own little worlds.

He is growing so fast.

Bub and his girl. He is soooo sweet with her!

But sometimes she just wants mommy.

Itty is still teeny tiny and cute. . . but she keeps reminding me she will be FIVE. How in the world.

She started it. The rolling down the hill stuff.

These two are a lot alike in so many ways.

Love this shot. She really wasn't fearful of a thing, she just likes to be dramatic and make faces.

Pompom flowers.

Christian spent lots of time trying to figure out how to get these turtles home with us.

Shine. 

Tired black eyed cocoon.

My Baby turned six months! I adore this age. She is so happy and loves crawling backwards all over the house.

On one of our hiking afternoons - rest stop!

The bluebonnets have been wonderful this spring.

Some fav flowers from the gardens.

Brighton is always a little amazed with what Lakelyn will do and say!

There are only a few things that get quiet little Morgan aggressive . . .

Scott and Shelton are aggressive non-stop no matter what!

Love this shot of them - Scott had just scored - Shelton had run over to give him a high five.

It's warm enough to swim now ~ we have our special places we like to hike off to on the weekends.

Itty can hike like a big kid.

He would prefer living off the ground.

She sees her reflection.

"Morgan, you go first and see if it slides. . ."

Farmer tans and cool springs.

Bub for the big jump. Scott helping the girls into a cool little cave.

Robert took this of us hiking (Christian crawling!) through the creek back to the car. . .

Brotherhood.

Bub running free.

Of course, Shelton. He yelled for me to take his picture on the left one; when I shot, he was already jumping to the next. 

Teach them to love to discover the earth, this life, this world for themselves. All the entertainment of today - I'm not against it. . . but I guess I just hate seeing kids sit around these days, eyes glued to something, fingers doing all the movement - but true adventure and creativity and living being lost.

Kids have to be taught to know what is good for them. 

A. Ann

Not-so-sure-butterfly.

I took Christian out of school one afternoon last week and the five youngers, wait that would be six, went with me to the botanical gardens. Butterflies were the theme. 

For four hours we roamed the gardens. Or rather, I tried to keep up with them as they explored. They had so much fun.

Some thoughts from today:

*Our ability to control the circumstances in our life does can not give us peace.

*What are my weaknesses? Know them - be ahead of the ballgame - because those will be the areas where the enemy will attack me.

Repel those attacks with the Word of God.

*Interesting to me that in Luke 4:10-11 where Jesus is being tempted by satan in the wilderness, Jesus replies to his temptations with the Scripture. Then it's like satan catches on and when asking Jesus to jump from the temple, he in turn gives Scripture to tempt Jesus to obey him. But notice, satan when he tempts with Scripture, he twists the truth, pulls out of context, or omits certain parts. . .

Nothing much has changed. I think he still uses Scripture today to try to tempt us - using powerful type personalities to twist the truth, pull out of context and omit so that we follow blindly, thinking, "Well, it is after all Scripture - it must be truth. . ." When it is merely a test to see if we will follow someone other than God - even in the place of God, or let another man's interpretation of Scripture take the place of our own personal study and searching out.

The temptation can come from the enemy in this way: man makes new rule, new things you must do as a christian, teaching a lifestyle possibly? He uses Scripture to back up and persuade. Do we stop and ask what is omitted? Is it taken out of context? Is it twisted so that people will think it is God's will when it is not?

*Robert lost his voice after coaching the older boys double header soccer games yesterday. Exciting games (yes, and it was soccer, I know, possible?), I couldn't even sit, was walking stroller in circles! Today I was reminded how grateful I am that he normally has a voice! Doing all the talking, commanding, etc. around here is not really my thing! I look forward to his voice returning. In the mean time, seems everyone keeps whispering, which really isn't half bad.

*These little self-serve frozen yogurt places coming up all over the place in our area are really great. I've made a tradition now of taking all the kids after school on Wednesdays. We use to have them around when I was a kid out in California. Seemed like they disappeared for a bit, but now have returned, along with fluorescent clothing. I am all for the yogurt returning, but really? Did we really wear fluorescent yellow in the 80's? Little Ked tennis shoes in fluorescent orange?

Just pray the tall hair sprayed bangs never, never return. Only my sister did the solid fluorescent yellow, if I remember right, but we both did the bangs. My mom made us hair spray them outside the back door, which was probably loving because the chemicals could kinda blow away in the wind instead of rest upon our faces and get breathed in and cause brain cancer. When I walk into Target and see all the fluorescent things I think, "Ahhh! But I did that already!" 

Then I feel old.

I hear my kids say things like, "Ya know, that was like way back then, in the 1980's when they didn't even know what an iphone was."

A. Ann