The Dolls In My Past

Yesterday was a day of stunning revelation for me. We cleaned out what remained in our shed at our old house. This included the bassinet that all four boys slept in as infants and a box of my dolls from childhood. I very carefully set up the bassinet and decided to lay my dolls in it for safekeeping. Suddenly it struck me! My dolls were very decidedly male, or at least the ones that survived up to the present day. I made sure that my Mom was aware of this new information, since she was primarily responsible for my doll collection. I just have to wonder if this was some kind of foretelling of my future. The picture that you see here is of my two favorites. Does anyone else remember when every little girl had to have a Cabbage Patch doll or life just wasn't worth living. My parents did their Christmas shopping a little late that year so all that was left were boy Cabbage Patch dolls. His name was Xavier, at least that's what the box said. I named him Jaylen. The other dolls name is Joey. My Aunt Barbara gave him to me one year when she came to visit. My parents convinced me that I must take good care of him since he came from Belgium. I don't know if that is true or not, but he did survive quite well. There was also the doll that was supposed to be the same size as a one year old. He actually started off as a girl. The problem was that he/she had a long red ponytail that grew when you pulled a string on his/her back. We had lots of fun with her until the neighbor girl stuffed the ponytail into the hole it originated from. After that I just dressed him like a boy. Now the fact that the first doll I remember had red hair and was rather stocky must have some significance.

Now I must clarify that I did have some girl dolls, but I also had cousins. Since they are some of my fellow bloggers and can defend themselves, I will tell of the destruction that they heaped upon my dolls. First there was Kimberly, she never really played with her dolls much. They were used more for decoration and she always informed me that she didn't want them to get messed up. Well you should see what she did to the ankles of my Barbie Dolls by making them dance so wildly that their hair would swoosh around. I don't have a picture, but you can imagine how those poor rubber legs looked after being bent so violently in every direction. Next came Liz, whose Mom was working for a surgeon at the time. She took a black marker and made a nice little mid-line incision, complete with staples, down the belly of my little cloth doll. I have found it in my heart to forgive them, but now you understand why the only survivors are boys. The only conclusion that I can come to is that I was just made to nurture boys whether they be plastic and cloth or flesh and blood.

Note of Concern

Landon has taken quite an interest in the dolls that are now in our home. As you can imagine this is stressing Harold to immeasurable limits. His reaction when Landon tried to take the doll on a ride in the van was to be remembered. Last night Landon walked out of the guest room and informed us that he was "putting music on so the babies could sleep", I think Harold's eyes might still be rolling. Do you think that the fact that the dolls are boys makes any difference, or will I have to box them up and store them away again?

Still Alive?

Yes, I am still alive despite the fact that my last post had people writing epitaphs for my tombstone. (They were both older than me) I haven't succumbed to the evils of Facebook either, although I have had fun reconnecting with people I haven't heard from in years. My absence is due to the fact that my life is incredibly busy these days.

I started a new case a month ago that was supposed to only last for two nights. Well a month later it has ended. I ended up working almost everyday. I will say that it was the most fun case I have ever worked. The people were from GA so their Southern Hospitality extended to even the hired help. I got fed things such as fish and grits, and was called "kiddo" on a daily basis. You can only imagine what this did for my self esteem.


Then last week when I thought things were getting back to normal Dylan started coughing again for the fifth time this season. It kept getting tighter and tighter until on Monday after being up most of the night before I took him to the doctor. He was diagnosed with severe bronchitis that was most likely due to Asthma. Now after a week of steroids, antibiotics, and nebulizer treatments he is doing fine. Here you can see just how fine he is.




So with working, keeping up with four little boys, trying to keep my house somewhat presentable, along with doing my best to be a good daughter to my aging parents and a devoted wife to my hard working husband, time at the computer came to a screeching halt. I should probably be doing something more productive right now. Oh well, it feels good to sit for awhile.


This is for those of you who long for the ocean breezes of South Florida. It will also help you understand why I am not a beach bum. A few weeks ago someone told Harold that this had washed up on the beach, so of course we had to load the boys up in the van and go see it.



Yes, it is a 12ft Hammerhead. Someone had already broken the teeth out, so the boys didn't get that thrill. Makes you feel comfy, huh?



I had a whole Mother's Day post planned in my head, but never had time to get my thoughts together. When I have had time to clear my head I plan to be a little controversial and write a tribute to "working Moms". Until then you'll have to be satisfied with a picture of me and my crew on that special day. As usual Landon was having a moment of crisis and Dylan was concerned. Maybe one day we'll actually get a picture of everyone smiling.

As Alumni President Harold has to give a little induction speech every year at graduation. He just emailed me his speech for tonight to read over. He included the quote by Robert Louis Stevenson, "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant". This is not only a good reminder for those who are heading out into their fields of service, but for those of us who are Mothers. It is very easy to climb into bed every night exhausted and feel like you've accomplished absolutely nothing, like the people in the next room are still heathens. You'll sleep a lot better if you determine to plant as many seeds as possible during the day and count them before drifting off. It will make waking up the next morning a little easier too, as you look forward to the day when the harvest is ready.
I'll leave you with a few pictures of what life is like around our house. Enjoy!

I bought the boys butterfly nets with visions of little children running through fields of wild flowers with butterflies fluttering in the cool breeze. I should have know better.



These are my handsome and highly intelligent sons. They make me so proud, sob, sob. Okay, they were dressed up for Mix-Up Day. Don't ask about the facial expressions, they just thought they looked cool.



The goal here was to get a sweet picture of Harold reading to Dylan, but as soon as he saw the camera he started saying "sheese".



This is Landon in the helmet that he and his Pawpaw bought at the Thrift Store. He insists that it is NOT too big for him.



Ethan is smelling the coffee he just ground on his field trip yesterday. From the look on his face we may have another addict.

Tidbits

As I write I am watching six little boys swim. This is because eight years ago today I gave birth to my first son, thus starting a chain of events that led up to my continually being surrounded by males. You might think that this would be disappointing to someone who exudes femininity such as I do. Think again, all these male are part of the reason that I feel so feminine. As women our ability to bear children plays such a vital role in our identity. Before Ethan started this chain of little boys in my life, I had lost hope of ever experiencing the child bearing process. Most of you probably know that Harold and I lost three babies before I was able to carry out a full term pregnancy. Every year as his birthday draws near I start reflecting on how God has blessed us so immeasurably. He not only carried us through a time of deep grief, but he also touched me physically and made the life we now enjoy possible. At the woman's conference I attended a few months ago Shanon Wexelberg talked about her struggle with infertility and sang the song that God gave in her time of struggle. "In the Waiting" describes my feelings so perfectly now as I look back. It says "You were in the waiting, in that moment of my life when my hope and faith collide. When my hearts anticipating just how and when you'll move, that's when you prove that you were in the waiting too". I'm so glad that God has used difficult circumstances to mold me into a more grateful person and hopefully a better mother that I would have been before. So as we celebrate today we are not just happy about another year on Ethan's calendar but we are celebrating God's blessings and the gracious gifts that he has bestowed on us.

Last weekend I was privileged to have my best friend come for a visit. She's one of the people in my life who have seen me in diapers, skinny, fat, with strange hairdos, etc, etc, etc, and still loves me. We had a wonderful visit which included late night conversations and coffee. The boys are greatly missing her. She has been a wonderful aunt to them since they don't have one on my side of the family. I'm already having to answer the question "When is Aunt Kimmie coming back?" about fifty times a day. We made wonderful memories, but unfortunately my camera was set on video and I didn't know it. I now have some of the shortest, strangest video clips ever made. Go to her blog to see normal pictures.

Despite the fact that the color is a little off in this picture our door is now a beautiful cranberry color. Thanks so much for all the input that was given on this decision. I didn't realize how many decorators are reading my blog. I should have given you the opportunity to express yourself before my house was done, who knows what splendour I could now be experiencing.

Normally I wouldn't be so open with the information that I am now a year older. On April 2ND I celebrated my 34Th birthday. Thanks to MaryEllen for the picture, it is the most recent one taken. As you can see I am aging, four boys will do that to you, but I didn't realize the effect the noise was having on me until last week. Talitha and I were doing hearing and eye testing for the school. We were having a bit of trouble figuring out the audiology equipment, so she decided to test me to see if it was working. After putting on the headphones and going through the test I proclaimed "It's not working on the right side". "Are you sure?" she asked me. "I didn't hear anything on that side" I replied. So after testing me again and then testing herself she had to bear the sad news to me that I may have some hearing loss on the right side. I tell you all of this for a good reason. Many of you see me on a regular basis and I have a request. If you see me at church or in town and I am being unusually loud, please come to my left side and discreetly yet clearly tell me to tone it down some.

Well I should bring this telling of information to an end. The boys are now home on spring break, so I am looking forward to a week of nonstop swimming and eating. Speaking of eating I will leave you with a little video that may make you hungry for Mexican food tonight. Sorry it's sideways, but it does make it more interesting.

OUR FRONT DOOR

Today I enter Blog World in need of advice. We are having a hard time deciding on a color for our front door. I know , I know, it seems like an easy decision, well maybe for some people but not for us. I am leaning toward the cranberry color of the shutters, but Harold is wanting the same cream color as the trim. Now don't get concerned, there is no marital discord happening here. I was quite amazed when I Googled front doors and saw how many forums there are out there discussing front door colors, so I said "why not ask my friends (whose opinions I usually trust) about my door". Now I know that it is easy to get too caught up in symbolism, but there are times when it can be healthy to incorporate a little into our lives. The Chinese are very into the color of your front door symbolizing the harmony of the home. They even go so far as to say "If there is an imbalance at the front door it can affect every aspect of life". As Christians we would probably say that is taking it a little too far, but then again the outside of our houses should reflect harmony within. There have been a few that I have been afraid to knock on since the lifestyle they reflected left me feeling a little wary. I found a quote that says "The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live". Hopefully our front doors symbolize that God's Word has been "written upon the doorposts".
Please understand that we are still working on our "curb appeal". The landscaping is still a work in progress. The picture will give you an idea of how the finished product will look. Some of you will be brave enough to write down your opinion for me. For those of you who wish to remain anonymous I will let you vote in the the poll to your right. Thanks for your help.

PS Those of you who remember that the front door of my trailer opened into the laundry room will understand why I am so excited about my new front door.

Alumni Stuff

As I sit here at my computer this evening the Alumni officers for the HSBC Alumni Association are congregated in the next room. Harold has called a meeting to get everyone in gear for the annual golf tournament. This is not exactly a topic that holds a lot of interest for me. Sorry if that offends anyone. Having them here though reminded me that I never posted any pictures of the reunion and reception that happened at the beginning of the year. There may some faithful alumni out there who would like to see a few familiar faces.


In Jan. Jennifer S. and Ricky C. planned a reunion for those of us that attended the Academy. It was mostly the classes of 91 and 93 with a few others mixed in. We had a great time of reconnecting, laughing at old pictures, and eating. There were six of us there from my class.

The girls: Kayla(me), T.C., Ginny, and Jennifer


The guys: Jason and Harold



Me and Angela



John J, Brent and Anthony



In Feb. we had the annual Alumni Reception during Sea Breeze Campmeeting. It has been moved to Fri. night instead of Tues. night and the attendance has greatly increased. The evening always starts out with poor Paula wondering if we have enough food.


John J. prepares fruit trays while Harold talks.




Bill S. faithfully washes the dishes every year. Paula and I are very grateful for his servant's heart.


Let the festivities begin.
Debbie and Gay give me big smiles.


Two brothers (John and Arnie) chat with an old friend.



Sharon A. and Paula P. take a pause from their visit .




One of my favorite missionary couples, Glen and Stephanie G. with their daughter Kaitlyn.





Bart and Julie with the youngest of their four daughters.




I would love to know what Mrs. B and Paul S were talking about.



Doyle and Sherilyn B enjoying the fun and fellowship.




Well my living room is now empty and the house is quiet, so I better get some sleep while I can.

Hope you enjoyed this brief pictorial view of the events. There will be another reception in Apr. at IHC for those of you who plan to attend. I know that you will be bitterly disappointed to know that we won't be there. There is good news though, Jonathan and Emily will be taking our place, and they have something new to show off. Now you can go through the rest of your day singing "I Want A Principle Within" or "Beside the Mighty Ocean" , which ever you sing I hope you sing with great gusto and fond memories.

"This Kid, This Kid"

It's perpetual motion,

It's continual fits,

It's the carnal nature comin' out in my kid,

This kid, this kid,

So terrible,

This kid, this kid,

So beautiful,

It's the way he giggles,

It's a feeling like this....

While trying to regain control of my house this morning (Monday Morning Syndrome) I became quite frustrated with the youngest member of my family. He got his fingers caught in the cabinets while trying to empty them out, he unmade his bed, and ran out of the kitchen with a box of Raisin Bran. Thankfully I caught him before he emptied that also. I know that I may be a bit strange, but this is the song the kept playing in my head. Right when I feel like wringing his neck he turns around and gives me that sweet little grin and my heart melts. He's sleeping right now so I better go get some more laundry done. Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into a mind that is coming unraveled due to "This Kid".

A Glimpse At Our Home

I'm finally back, and with pictures no less! You finally get to see some of the finished product. The living room, guest room, and back porch/pool will have to wait as they are still works in progress. I want the guest room to be perfect before I let you see it, that way hopefully I can lure some visitors to the sunny south. Those of you who know me well, know that renovating a home has been a dream for me. I wouldn't have wanted a house ready to be lived in, that is no fun. Harold and I have had an absolute blast picking out colors and flooring. It feels like our home has been custom made for us. I guess it has been. While I know that I am no interior decorator, I love doing it anyway. On nights that I work HGTV is my weakness. Believe it or not my house is almost completely furnished and decorated from garage sale, thrift stores, and hand-me downs. (That even includes my bedding, which I dearly love) My goal in decorating this house was to create a haven for my family. Kids face so much more now than we did when we were growing up, home should be a "safe place", a place that they look forward to getting back to. I also want my home to be a place that enables romance to continue to blossom through the years. We've all heard stories about the man who never wants to come home because of the chaos. While everything here is far from perfect, I hope that Harold feels like coming home every night is like going on a little retreat. We are also looking forward to having a continuous stream of guests in our home. There always missionaries coming through MFI who need a place to stay overnight. We are so excited about being able to open up our home to them and exposing our kids to some real "heroes". I know, I know, come on Kayla and show us the pictures.

I'll start with the kitchen. My dear Father-in-Law did a phenomenal job painting the cabinets. Since the previous owners stripped the house of appliances I finally got my dream of stainless steel ones. Actually they aren't the real thing, just the cheaper version, but they make me happy. I'm trying to give my kitchen and dining room a LA feel. Does anyone get a craving for a good cup of coffee or a big bowl of gumbo? Oh well, I'll keep working on that. So here's before,

and here's after.

I can't seem to find a before picture of Harold's office, but here is the after picture anyway. We were trying to find office furniture when someone brought over these two tables. It worked perfect to put one in the middle of the room looking out at the yard and the other behind for the printer, books and other junk.

We didn't have to do much to the main bathroom to make it usable, just put in a toilet. We did rip out a box light over the sink and paint it a lighter color. So here's before,

and here's after.

The boys room is definitely the most fun, as it should be. Ethan and Collin's room was done in nautical stuff before so I decided to just make it the same for all four. This room is so big that we decided to put all of them together since they prefer it that way. Here's the mustardly before,

Since I can't fit it all in one picture I'll go clockwise around the room. Here are Collin and Landon's bunks.

Dylan's bed is definitely the focal point of the room. I told you before about exchanging cheese for the boat. It is no longer sea worthy, so Harold offered to take it off the owner's hands, so with a little bleach and paint we now have a boat/bed. My Mom hit the after Christmas sales and got the tree. Harold wants to put some coins and beads in the chest, but it sounds like a nightmare to me. I don't want the rest of the house decorated with fake gold and that is exactly what would happen.

Ethan ended with the Captain's bed since he is the oldest, not because he is in charge (contrary to his opinion)

Last but certainly not least is our room. (mine and Harold's) This was the room with all the dog hair, if you care to remember.

Here it is as it appears at this time. Please excuse the curtain, I realize that it needs some work. Don't be too hard on me.

Since I'm trying to cultivate romance I'll let you see our AMORE sign under our wedding picture. Now don't you feel warm and gushy.

That's all you get to see for now, come back for more in the future.

We are still so overwhelmed with the home that God has given us. We are paying less a month to live here than we were paying for our trailer. It hasn't sold yet, but we are confident God has everything under control. Thanks for your interest in our lives, we have the best friends and family.