The latest in pictures.

Waiting at the orthodontist and fun times at the Y.

I can't figure out how to control where my pics go when I blog on my iPad or iPhone. Ah well. Might have to go back to using my pc.

So glad it's Monday! We've had such a pile of hectic days! I need some regularity, routine, mundane work to cleanse my system.

We went to Schlitterbahn on Friday with my mom, my sister, and the kids. It was good to have several adults, but really, now that the kids are older we didn't have to keep up with them. We just told them to check in with us every few hours. Hazel seemed to enjoy the water and the people watching and did beautifully throughout the eleven hours that we were out. We had a full house both Thursday and Friday nights, five extra bodies. On Saturday morning my mom and Leah took all the kids except Hazel out to Burnet. I finished decorating cakes, Brian and i gotnout forba run, then drove up to Round Rock for the McCutcheon-Evans reunion. We had some catchup time with the Evans cousins and visited the Hutto farmhouse. There was a barbecue and speeches made by the old folks. It was a two day event, but Brian and i decided to skip the Sunday morning breakfast and go to church instead. We needed to rest and we needed to spiritual food.

We went to lunch at Trudy's after church, then came home and lounged around the rest of the day, watching Hazel and cat napping on the couch until Mama brought the kids back.

I've had big plans to do some sewing and some painting projects, but I haven't been able to find a decent size chunk of my day since Hazel commands more and more of my time now that she's crawling and getting into everything. She doesn't nap regularly and when she does, her naps are short which only leaves enough time for me to tidy things up. I've been wearing her on my back in the Ergo if she just won't nap, but there are just some things that can't be done while she's attached to me.

I haven't been away from Hazel for more the two or three hours in her life. I know that's really not that odd, but with my other kids I was able to offer them something to fill their tummies in place of mommy and therefore go out on a date with Brian, even go over night, or just spend some time out running errands without baby. She's so different. If this was five or ten years ago, i'd probably resent the clinginess, but since she's the child of my old age, I cherish it. I am in no hurry to push her away. That said, I have dreamy thoughts of when Brian and i will be able to have our room to ourselves again, or go away on an overnight trip, just us.

Well, she's finally asleep in the other room, so I'm going to try to get a few things checked off my list.

***********************

Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.
-Jacques Maritain

I made a spontaneous decision to take the kids to the Barton Creek Greenbelt yesterday morning. We took our lunch and went to the far end, the Scottish Woods Tr. entrance. We were out for a few hours, ate, played in the creek, and read some books.

Yesterday afternoon I went down to east 6th to buy a new sewing machine pedal. There's this guy who owns this repair business in a little garage behind his house just a few blocks east of the interstate. His name is Maurice, and he's been repairing sewing machines for over forty years. He charged me half of what the hoity-toity store in NW Austin where i got my machine wanted to charge me to replace the pedal. From now on I'm taking my business to him. The only negative factor us having to back out of his skinny alleyway driveway. I'm so excited to have my machine up and running again!

I've felt a little blue this week. I don't know why. Maybe I'm just weary. Or maybe PMS. I've forgotten what that's like. Haven't had to deal with that almost a year and a half, and the way Hazel eats, I probably won't have to deal with it for another several months.

Sometimes I wake up and am totally bewildered by what day it is, where am I, and what am I doing here. I guess I'm just so worn out at the end of our crazy days. This morning was one of those mornings. Brian and i were supposed to go over to Starbucks for coffee and breakfast and Bible study, but i completely forgot and ate some breakfast and got the coffee going before he got up. Well, we'll go tomorrow. We've started studying the book of Mark together and have a weekly "share session" at Starbucks. Just us, no Hazel. We sneak out before she wakes up.
Yesterday we took a cookie pizza down to daddy's along with a framed picture of the kids - father's day gifts. He wasn't there, so we left them on his with a "sorry we missed you" note scrawled in a paper towel, then headed downtown to the library. love the downtown library because the wealth of books to choose from and the nostalgia: it's where we always checked out books when i was a kid. What i don't like is the number of homeless people that hang out in front of and inside it. I always make sure that the kids go potty, especially the boys, before we go to that library. Inevitably, one boy ends up having to go #2 while we're there, and i stand outside the men's restroom the whole time praying that some freak isn't molesting my boys on the other side of the wall. I always make them go to the potty in pairs, but still, things can happen.....

Learning to trust the Lord with my kids, that's something I'm yet learning.

I came away with some delicious books. It's so thrilling to come home with a bag filled with a variety of titles and then to feel them out to decide which ones are worth my time.

Karen and I didn't run last night. She was busy with something else, and Brian had a deacons' meeting, so I needed to be here to man the fort. We'll get back to running tonight.

Brian and I slept with Hazel wedged between us. She was hopping and bopping at 10:30 last night and just wouldn't go down in her bed. She is constant action, more than all my others, if my memory serves me right. She drags herself all through the house now and can pull herself up steps. She has started pulling up on furniture, too.

One thing she isn't doing is eating solids. She gags on everything. Everything! The only thing she can tolerate is mommy milk. She thought I was trying to poison her when I offered her a sippy cup with formula, and gagged and choked for a good thirty seconds. I guess it'll be awhile before we can leave her for more than a couple of hours. I guess it's nice to feel needed.

And speaking of feeling needed, she's ready for breakfast.

I'm sitting here in bed early on Monday morning. Hazel sleeps beside me there in her pack-n-play. I carefully slipped her back in it a little awhile ago. She slept most the night between Brian and I. I think I slept well. We listened to the audio bible as we were going to sleep so my mind is renewed. I'm ready for this week.

Father's Day was a nice, lazy kind of day. Brian and i started the day off with a three mile run together. We went to the first service, but Brian had to stay for the second, as well, since he's the DOM this month. While he was gone we cleaned the house, made a special lunch, put the finishing touches on his gifts, and made him some cards. He loved the little surprises. He's so easy to please, just one of the many things I love about him.

We gave the pool a second (third?) chance. Maybe i never mentioned the pool, but my mom passed on this pool to us, one of those "easy setup" pools with the blow up ring at the top, the kind that bulges put on the sides. You have to have the ground completely level for it to work which we did not the first two attempts at putting up the thing. The side collapse and we sent a wall of water into Clay's yard. He was standing out there with a friend drinking a beer, and said, "Bring it on!" he was happy to get some free water on his lawn.

Well, we made a third attempt to level the ground and set the pool up and spent yesterday filling it up. I think it's going to work this time. We need to hook the pump up and put the ladder together and then we'll be set. I'm hoping this will provide lots of entertainment and exercise for the days we don't get to the Y or another pool. And just when our neighbors thought we couldn't get any noisier....ha!

Margaret and Brian ran some errands and got the three of us iPhones. We spent last night playing around with them. It's Margaret's first smart phone, so she's especially stoked.

We all stayed up late watching the basketball game. Lately we've had so much fun with the kids! They're getting to the age where they're such a pleasure to hang out with. They're more like friends.

A family from our church just moved back to their home state of Colorado. The wife, a friend of mine, was 18 weeks pregnant with her sixth child. Right after they got to Colorado, she discovered that she'd lost the baby, a boy they've since named Galen. She was induced earlier this week. My hear hurts for her. Her milk came in yesterday. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to deal with the emotions surrounding that. Pray for Jasmine with me, please.

Just about the funniest thing ever.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=595672710337&set=p.595672710337&type=1&theater

It's true, my neighborhood is full of target addicts. One thing I'd disagree with the artist on is the locations of the bands and baristas. They're further southwest of where he put them. I would've pasted the picture in this post, but I am still trying to figure out how to do stuff like that on the iPad.

Made it through this week! I can't tell you how exhausted I've been! Karen and I ran three times together at a swift pace, four and a half mies each time. I plan to run five miles with Brian tonight. I always know when i'm in need of more rest because my left eyelid starts to twitch. That's been happening since about Tuesday. Last night I decided to skip out on the 5k this morning. After i texted Karen and let her know i was too tired, she enthusiastically said she would be glad to sleep in this morning. She works full time doing custom paint jobs for high end residences, so pretty physical work, then comes and runs with me. Anyways, we'll resume our running on monday, i guess. Hazel is keeping me on my toes. She's crawling around everywhere, can sit up from a crawling or lying position, and has starting to pull up on things. I'm always amazed at how fast babies learn and develop. One day they're just lying there playing with their hands, and the next they're on the move. She's at a fun stage right now. I enjoy taking her places and watching her watch people. Everything is so new to her. I wonder what she's thinking. I'm so glad to have her in the family! Brian took Margaret to her swim meet this morning so that I could rest. I did rest a little, but mostly ran errands getting ready for Father's Day. I ook some pics of the kids and had them made into 8x10's for Brian. I got some frames at Texas Thrift and painted them to match some the colors in the pics. I really hope he likes them. They're the first real pictures of all five kids together. We went to central market last night. We planned to meet up with some friends, but they had to cancel because their daughter wasn't feeling well. I bought Brian two six packs of Real Ale, his favorite beer. He was so excited, lie he had won the lottery or something. Now he has some decent beer to drink while watching the Finals. Lately I've found myself stressing too much about what happens on the Internet. Online relationships can be really good and valuable, but sometimes they're real superficial, just a pain in the behiney to maintain, and are no substitution for the real thing. I've lately discovered a few people that have blocked me on Facebook or put me on "limited access" for no reason that I know of. Ok, they have a reason, but I have yet to figure it out. Yes, I admit to doing this to a few people, but it was mostly because I was made aware of them slandering me on sites that I no longer visit. But some folks I considered friends have left me high and dry. What gives? Anyways, i start to dwell on these things and it just steals my peace and makes me want to jump through hoops and do things to make people like me and, well, it makes me feel like I'm in junior high all over again. Someday I'll grow up. I hope.

i picked up this book at the thrift store last week. It has been exactly what I've needed.



below are three passages of Scripture that i was reminded of in te chapter i'm currenly reading in this book. i'm going to make it my aim to meditate on these this week. i wrote them out on large note cards to put in the kitchen since that's where i spend most of my time.


Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.   Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.   Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.   Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;   bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

 isn't it funny how you can be so familiar with some verses that you almost can't hear them anymore, but then one day you read them and they're like NEW and like you're hearing/reading them for the first time? that's how some of these are to me today.

another good read that I picked u at the library a couple of days ago -



this book has lots of good ideas, many of which we're already doing with the kids, but many are new suggestions that i've never thought of.

Hazel is at that stage where she needs constant supervision and i'm kind of running ragged today. i've had four cups of coffee in an attempt to stay ahead of her. now i feel jittery and grouchy. must down about a gallon of water to make up for it.

Karen and i ran together on monday night, then grabbed a drink at Cherrywood Coffeehouse before i had to be back at Patterson to pick up Margaret from swim team. i ran/walked by myself last night, and tonight we meet to run together again. she and i plan to run Vern's 5K this saturday. i think it's gonna be fun having a female running partner.

well, the kiddos are having their quiet time, or not so quiet time, as their are animal noises coming from the boys' room. best make the most of my free time before Hazel wakes up.

Lord, please give me strength for THIS day!

Picture challenge.....

Silhouette

Photo challenge.... not very creative, but here are my "high angle" and "animal".

Sitting here on Sunday afternoon sitting on the sofa sipping coffee and being kicked by a baby who is fighting sleep. Hazel just doesn't like to sleep. What a week we've had! Monday was John's eighth birthday. This kid has been such a great addition to our family! John is pleasant and friendly, the most outgoing of the kids fir sure! He's been this way since birth. He's a thinker and a tinker. He's so curious about how things work and I often find him studying things to figure out how they fit together. John is a real people person, but he also likes to be alone to think. He is gentle and affectionate and, unlike his siblings, does not like competition. He's so much more than can be described in a paragraph. I'm just so thankful that I get to be part of his life and watch him grow into a man. I've been trying to blog on my iPad, but it's not very easy, which is why my blogging has been so sporadic the last couple of weeks. For one, typing is difficult. Also, I can't figure out how to insert pictures into a post, so they all end up at the end. I'd blog on a pc, but it seems they're always being used by someone else. Like right now John is playing with his webkinz one laptop while Brian does budget stuff on the other. I guess we kind of look ridiculous the three of us in the den on three different computers. All that to say that the pics will be at the end of this post. Brian and I took John out to celebrate his birthday Monday evening. He chose Kerbey Lane Cafe, then shopping at Terra Toys. We got ice cream at Amy's Ice Cream, and then on to Half Price Books where he wanted to get a "grown up" Bible . He at first wanted this waterproof Bible he'd seen last time we were there, but decided on a giant prit one instead since it seemed a lot easier to read. He's only had a storybook up to this point. I think it's cool that he wanted a Bible for his birthday. My mom and I took the kids out to Thomas and Meredith's house on Tuesday to swim. Their house is like a paradise for children. Set on five wooded acres in Westlake, they have a creek with a waterfall running behind the house, a huge pool and hot tub, a trampoline, a fabulous playscape, and much more. We had ten of the eleven cousins in the pool at once. All of them can swim but the two babies, so my mom, Meredith, and i could chill out for the most part. I cant remember all that we did the whole week, but some good memories were made. Margaret had a swim meet Saturday morning, the first of the season. After that, she and Samuel had a soccer tournament. They didn't advance, so they were able to come home and not worry about a second game. We went over to Central Market in the evening. It was weird, kinda nice for it to just be us after a week with my mom and the cousins. Our friends the Elliot's were there, so we visited with them and made plans for swimming and other adventures before the summer ends.This morning was church and Brian being deacon of the month, or DOM, had to be there early and stay for both services, leaving me to get us there by myself. We weren't too late.;)This afternoon we've just hung around the house recovering from our busy week. Brian and I coordinated our calendars and made plans for the next few weeks, if the Lord allows. This evening he and i ran to Mueller, cir led it and ran back, about five miles. It was so hot and I didn't run very well. I am off to a pretty good start overall in my running. For my first week of training I covered fourteen and a half miles (2 four and a half mile runs and 1 five and a half miler).

My biggest challenge will be to stay hydrated. Hazel is still getting about 95% of her nourishment from nursing and nurses half the night. Some mornings I wake up feeling like a raisin I'm so dried out.

And speaking of Hazel, she's mobile now. She drags herself through the house getting herself filthy on our hard floors. She's started pulling up on things, but not "cruising" yet. Everything she does is such a huge deal to the other kids. They just adore her!

Well, I've been trying to get this post out for awhile now, so I'll end there. A new day is here, let's rejoice and in gladness serve the Lord!

Photo challenge....

"books"

Falling behind again on my photo challenge. My mom and my sister's three kids have been staying with us for the week and I've been a bit busy with them, as well as getting Samuel to basketball camp every day and Margaret to swim team. I did take my "clouds" pic while I was out on my run this evening- there was this cool double rainbow - but I'm having trouble finding it once i sent it to my iPad. I still need to get a picture of "books, but here's "breakfast today" -

Catching up on the June photo challenge...

I'm doing two different ones and have fallen behind on both.

favorite shoes

hands

self portrait

Stiff and sore this morning. We tried hard to have Hazel sleep in her pack n play, but she wouldn't have it. She ended up in our bed around 1:30. The hardest part is not so much the lack of sleep, but the waking up all cramped and crooked from sleeping in a way that she can nurse all night. I feel like I need to go to that 6 am. pilates class that the Y offers.

This afternoon we leave for a weekend camping trip to the Guadalupe River State Park. Brian went and Ickes u the trailer a couple of days ago, and it's waiting to be loaded up with good food and other stuff.

I've decided to do one of those "picture a day" things this month, maybe even two at a time. The first one is "morning". Yep, that's where Hazel is every morning.