Weekend on Snaggy Mountain in Boone, NC

As a family we have lots of holiday traditions.  I think traditions help build family bonds and give kids roots.  So I really like traditions and the holidays seem to lend themselves well to traditions.  However....as a family we don't really have much of a Thanksgiving tradition.  So each year we kind of decide what we will do this year.  Sometimes we stay at home and celebrate with my extended family or with Randy's family.  We used to go to Pennsylvania to visit Randy's grandparents but they've moved here.....This year....we headed to the mountains with my parents, my sister Stacy, my brother Matt and his wife Holly and their kids Joshua, Gray, and Julia.  We arrived Wednesday evening and woke up on Snaggy Mountain to this beautiful view on Thanksgiving Day.

My kids were delighted to start Thanksgiving Day off with "Pa" Cakes (aka as pancakes....but evidently Pa makes the best in the world and my kids are always thrilled to have them!)

After breakfast Mama, Stacy , and I got cooking (Matt, Holly, and her kids didn't arrive until later on Thanksgiving Day....Matt had to work that morning)

While we were working on lunch Pa and Daddy took the rascals out exploring. 

The highlight of their morning adventure was finding and climbing on an apple tree!  We even used the apples to decorate the table for Thanksgiving!  Way to go Daddy bear!

Next came lunch!

and boy did we eat: Turkey, Ham, Rolls, Stuffing, Crock pot Mac and Cheese, Deviled Eggs, Sweet Potato Casserole, Corn Casserole, Green bean Casserole, Gravy, Salad, Some Yummy Cranberry Dessert, Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Peppermint Bark, and Pineapple Upside Down Cake.....YUMMY!  UGH....a little too yummy!

After Dinner Mom and I took some of the kids on a walk around the neighborhood.....we were so full!

We met a sweet golden retriever.  Who reminded us of our Mindy!

she hung out with us throughout the trip.

More Apples!

The rest of the trip involved...lots of football for the adults (while the kids watched movies on the laptop)

Board Games

Playtime with the cousins.....which THE TWINKIE BOY loved! He gets so tired of playing Barbies with his sisters!  So they wrestled, played Batman and Robin, Trains.....lots of boy fun!

Lots of Stories...

While Nanny, Holly, and I took THE GIRL and baby Julia window shopping in Blowing Rock
Pa, Daddy, and Matt took the rest of the kids on a hike to "Bear Rock"

My crew headed home this afternoon.  We stopped at Krispy Kreme in Winston Salem on the way home!

YUMMY!

A sweet ending to a nice weekend.

I love my family!

I'm so Thankful!

A (Big A)  I am thankful for THE BOY....he is thankful he is done with Spanish for the week!  The boy is becoming THE MAN. He is growing so quickly and I love seeing who he is becoming.  He is facing fears, making good choices, and learning and I LOVE MY BOY!  Our family would not be the same without him!

a (little a) I am thankful for THE BABY.  She is thankful for her new big girl bed!  She was the BIGGEST surprise of my life (I was nursing twins AND on birth control....I know TMI).....and although I was VERY overwhelmed (I had JUST had twins....they were 4 months old!)  She has turned out to be the cherry on top of our family.  SWEET, COMPLIANT (usually), CUDDLY, JOYFUL.....MY BABY DOLL!  So glad that God had a plan different then mine.  I cannot imagine my life or our family without her!

I am also thankful for
B The BABY'S Big Girl Bed.....THANK YOU MOM AND DAD your cleaning out to move has been a HUGE BLESSING to us!!!!

C I am thankful for Co-op

D I am thankful for DADDIES!!!!  My Daddy and my babies Daddy!  LOVE YOU BOTH!!!

and DRESS UP because they both make our days so much happier!

E I am thankful for Eternal Life....in Christ Jesus my Lord.

F I am thankful for FAMILY!  I am so blessed that ALL of my grandparents are still living AND Randy's grandmother's are both still living.  THE BOY and THE GIRL also are blessed that they got to know and love GRANDPA HALSEY (Randy's maternal grandfather) before he passed away.  What a gift to know 7 great grandparents and have them ALL living in the same city so you can see and know them!

and Friends.....awww....I LOVE my friends.  They are my sanity and my support and my encouragement.  Friends really do make life more bearable.

G I am so thankful for God's Grace. I am also thankful that God has begun to give me a tiny understanding of just how much a gift grace really is.  THANK YOU JESUS! Now I pray I can extend grace cause boy has it been extended to me.

H I am thankful for "HALSEY K"  (not his real name just a funny nickname) aka TWINKIE BOY (also not his real name :)

This boy is my snuggle bug!  He loves kisses and hugs and talking and has NEVER met a stranger.  I could eat him up!  LOVE MY TWINKIE BOY!  He is very laid back and go with the flow.

He is squishy and lovey!  Our family would not be complete without him!

I I am thankful for In-LAWS.....particularly mine.....They love me, they love the kids, they raised an amazing son.  They are WONDERFUL to us!  I love them all Randy's parents, siblings, their spouses, and kids, grandparents!  The whole crew!

J I am thankful for JESUS!!!!

K I am thankful for Kids!  They keep me laughing... like when I discovered our stairwell had been redecorated in magnetic letters or our ficus tree had been mended with bandaids!  Hmmm....I wonder who did this?

L I am thankful for..........

THE TWINKIE GIRL!  She is spunky!  She is FUNNY....she is NOT shy.  She LOVES people and loves them without strings attached and holds nothing back.  She will tackle random preachers at church (sorry Marc and Shay) and will love on EVERYBODY.  She feels EVERYTHING deeply.  She loves deeply, she is wounded deeply, she is offended deeply.....she is going to keep us on our toes and our family would not be the same without her special spark!

M I am thankful for Mama!  She has taught me so much!  She has been a mentor to me.  She is AMAZING!

and of course N

NANNY!

These Grandkids have NO IDEA how blessed they are!

and one more N

Neighbors!

This is Mrs. Burch....my neighbor growing up!  She is the original mom to 5!  I loved living next door to her and loved growing up with her kids and she is what I will miss most when my parents move next month!  I love you Mrs. B!

O I am thankful for the Ocean.  It is my most favorite place to go!

P I am thankful for Pastors!  Pastor Chasteen, Al, Shay, Marc, Jason!!!!  I am thankful for how you guys have spoken into MY life and encouraged me to grow in Christ.  I am also thankful for how you have spoken into MY MAN'S life and been not only his mentors but his friend.  AND I am THANKFUL for the prayers, the intentional love, and investment you've made into my kids!  I LOVE YOU ALL!  I am also thankful for your WIVES who are AMAZING and whom I am honored to call friends.  I love your wives and they have each (Scarlet, Jean, Linda, Joan, and Charity) blessed my life and I am a better person (and cook....thank you Linda for ALL your recipes!) for knowing and loving them.  I am also thankful for your families what precious people they are and I smile whenever I see or hear or think of them!

Q I am thankful for Quesodellas. (sorry can't spell)..especially Peter Lilje's YUMMY!

R I am thankful for RIDGECREST....cause it ROCKS!

S I am thankful for......

THE GIRL!  She may be one of the kindest and gentlest soul ever created.  She is a treasure. She is soft spoken and she is tender hearted and she is tough.  My girl is a hard worker and she is so loving....she finds it hard to express her feelings sometimes but if you take the time to know her she is a GEM!  Our family would NOT be complete with out her gentle, sweet spirit.

T I am thankful for TENTS and Tea Parties because they are just FUN!

I am thankful for U
UNBELIEVABLE technological advances.....so when THE BOY goes on a middle school retreat......

and is faced with his biggest fear....heights....and high ropes courses and zip lines which he has spent his entire life avoiding

and decides to take an UNBELIEVABLE RISK and face that fear!

I don't get to just hear about it.....I get Nathan Smith to email me photos just moments after!!!!!

LOVE IT!

V I am thankful for Vacations! In fact I think I could use one!

W I am thankful for Washing Machines!  I can't imagine my laundry issues without one!

X I am thankful that I don't have one!

cause I do have the BEST man on EARTH!!!!

Y I am thankful for the letter because it is how you say (although not how you spell) one of my favorite words.  I love to ask why!

Z  I am thankful for Zebras.....I guess....that really is a hard one....but they do show how creative God is...

And I am thankful for so much more!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving week.  We really do have sooo much to be thankful for!

Bloggers Block

I have not written in a while.....because.....I don't know what to write about.  I have a case of bloggers block :).  Life has been clipping right along here.  Nothing extraordinarily exciting to post and nothing overly weighing on my mind, which is rare being the mental case that I am :)

So.....I  do feel like I should post something......

This past week was a little different because our school load has been lighter.  Not doing any grammar, reading, writing, or spelling with THE GIRL has freed up a LOT of time.....so we've read more books and I've been training in her new tutoring program and we've snuggled more and been working on my laundry issues....

OH.......Now I am excited!!!!  I think I may be on the verge of a laundry breakthrough....This is what I'll blog about.....see I knew if I started rambling something would break the bloggers block!!!

Friday....my WONDERFUL sister in law came over with her 3 little ones to have a play date.  The kids all played so nicely and I had so much fun chatting with Holly that I forgot to take any pictures :(  and she has REALLY cute kids!!!! 

This is her oldest with TWINKIE BOY (but it's from a different day)

This is her Baby whom my GIRL adores!

We were just hanging out chatting about the important issues in life and of course my constant laundry problem came up as we talked and do you know what??  She helped me develop a plan!!!

It is sooo simple....get ready....this may change my life....Here it is....
THE PLAN.....
MAKE THE KIDS DO IT!!!!

Is that a plan or what?  I knew I had all these kids for some reason!  So when Holly left I put the plan into action......after sorting Mount Foldmore into piles for each of the kids....I made them all (except THE BABY because she was asleep) carry their baskets up and I made them put their clothes away.....which THE BOY always does and THE GIRL always does her fold up clothes.....but Friday.....thanks to Holly's encouragement I tackled the problems that have kept me in laundry bondage.
1.  THE GIRL and THE TWINKIES can't reach their hangers.....so THE BOY now is in charge of going to each of their rooms before laundry put away time each day and getting down hangers for them. 
2.  THE TWINKIES can't hang up their pants (they can't get the little clippers open on the hangers)......so I'm going to move all their pants to their drawers which will solve not only the hang up pants issue....but also the get dressed by themselves in the morning issue (because they could never reach their pants.....and now they can!)
3. THE MAMA likes things to be in the RIGHT category and hung neatly.....the best I can come up with on this is THE MAMA is going to have to let this go.....or spend my life in bondage to the washing machine.
4. THE laundry is never done.  While I think it will still never be done...my sister in law did suggest that I get the kids their own hampers and let them put their dirty clothes in that instead of always having a huge pile for me to look at in the laundry room.  That way it is not always in my face. 
5. Holly also suggested making sure they are putting only dirty clothes in the hamper.  Which I think may not be what is always happening.  Several of my children have been known to change several times a day....dirty or not!  Guess they will get more practice hanging!
5.  To eliminate THE PILE that is always in my room my sweet friend Emma, who is in my co-op, says to get a basket for each child, unload straight from the dryer to their basket and then send them to put them away.....which as Holly pointed out will take some time.....and that means....I get a break! 
6. To make sure they do a good job.  I'm going to sit in the loft and fold towels and socks while they hang up their clothes and I'm going to check and make sure they do a good job and they are going to keep at it until they do!
I am liking the plan....
So today I caught up on hanging up our clothes and matching up a million pairs of socks and when THE BABY gets up from her nap today I'm going to teach her how to hang up clothes.

Then....I need 6 laundry baskets for their rooms (we own no hampers) and 2 more laundry baskets for them to tote their clothes in (I already have 4) and then I need to get down all the little ones pants and put them in their drawers and then I must be VERY consistent and DAILY about making them put them away.  I think this laundry thing may end up being MISSION POSSIBLE!!!!   THANK YOU HOLLY (and Emma)

Laundry....may have just turned from the bane of my existence into a blessing.....I will let you know.....I do have hope on the laundry horizon.  I will definitely keep you posted!

This was a hard one for me

I haven't blogged in about a week.  It's been a busy week and this post is a hard one for me.... So I'm going to start where I'm comfortable....talking about books because.....
Anybody who knows me at all knows that I love to read.  I hated learning how to read....and I was a very reluctant reader best I remember....but once I finally got the hang of it I was hooked.

As a child I really liked reading the Ramona Quimby books (remind me a lot of today's Junie B. Jones books)  I remember spending hours going to so many different places....all through a book.

Another wonderful memory I have is being read to.  I had a 5th grade teacher Mrs. Hartwell that would read to us every afternoon.  She read wonderful books: like The Westing Game, James and the Giant Peach, and one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES.....Charlotte's Web.

So.....Naturally.....I still spend any free time I can find, reading.....for information, for pleasure, to my children......I LOVE TO READ.  I am so Thankful to the teachers that took the time to teach me to read.  it has been a gift.

I am going somewhere with all this....It's just hard for me to figure out the best way to get there....because I'm about to be really vulnerable....and I'm nervous....so before I get there let me continue a bit more and mention a few of my favorite books....old, new, for kids, and for adults....

My first book series I loved as a child as I already alluded to: Ramona Quimby books (the new movie Ramona and Beezus is fabulous too!)
I also really loved Charlotte's Web and The Westing Game (GREAT mystery)
One of my favorite books that I read to my kids is called I Love You Stinky Face (about unconditional love)
One of my favorite books to read to my girls is called The Princesses Kiss (about the importance of purity)
The best book I read this year (I actually read it to THE BOY....who could have easily read it to himself...but I think reading to children....even the big ones....is so good!)  is called Escape from the Tower of London The Ravenmaster's Secret.  THE BOY and I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has given us so much to talk about.... (which an almost 13 year old and his mom don't often have) Sooooo GOOD!!!!  It provides lots of opportunities to discuss moral issues.  Very engaging story! Hmmmm....another all time favorite is Dr. Seuss Oh, The Places You'll Go! (just a very honest view of life in my opinion) and PD Eastmon (I think) Diffendoofer Day (about how being different is okay) 

I guess I'll blog about grown up books another time.

Anyway I guess I must get to the point. 

THE GIRL has been struggling with reading (like her Mama did) and she wants to read, we do reading consistently, she is trying hard, I know how to teach reading (I've taught a child to read AND I have a degree in elementary education with a minor and concentration in Reading!  So.....after much denial on my part....after all ignorance is bliss....I've finally faced the fact that MY GIRL is not a reluctant, or a late blooming reader, she actually has dyslexia. She doesn't have a few signs of dyslexia...she has almost every sign.  There I said it.

I can hear you all already WHY ARE YOU BLOGGING ABOUT THIS????!!!!  YOU DON"T WANT HER TO BE LABELED!!!!  EVERYBODY WILL KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To this I say..... so!  Nothing is WRONG with being dyslexic.  It is a GENETIC (inherited....most likely from her slow to read Mama) LEARNING DISABILITY.  She can't help it.  She didn't do anything wrong and neither did I.  It is how God in his divine wisdom and love created my little girl.  I must echo the words of the Psalmist....that "she is fearfully and wonderfully made".  If someone chooses to label her as dyslexic that is their choice.  We label her as PRECIOUS, BEAUTIFUL-inside and out, INTELLIGENT, DELIGHTFUL, LOVING, GIFTED, KIND, ATHLETIC, and CREATIVE. 

I want people to know because.....I don't want people to ask her to read and embarrass her.  I don't want people to decide, out of their concern or love, to try to "teach" her or offer her "pop quizzes" on her reading.  I want people to do as we have been instructed to do for the next year.  Read everything FOR her and give her NO outside reading, spelling, or grammar instruction so that she can get the most out of her new reading program without being confused by others well intentioned input.  She is learning and she will be able to read fine.  She is just going to have to learn to read at her own pace and in a very different way then other children learn to read.  I am glad that we know what is going on with her reading and I'm glad we can work now toward teaching her to read instead of wondering why she's not reading. 

Finally, I know many are saying.....it's her information to share..... not yours!  To that I say....I am her parent and she is 7.  I am to do what is in her best interest.  I love her and I adore her and I tell everyone out of love and concern for her.  If it is a secret....to me that denotes shame.  I want her to have NO SHAME because it is not shameful.  I don't want her to think because something is hard or a struggle or because she is "different" then other people that she should be ashamed.  She should not have any SHAME and so I see no reason to keep it a secret.  Well....kids might tease her....yes they might....and that would be a character issue on their part.....

I want to teach her to celebrate her weakness for in her weakness HE is made strong!

And most of all I'm glad God created my SWEET girl EXACTLY the way he did!  She is my absolute treasure!  It is my hope and my prayer that THE GIRL will one day be able to enjoy the gift of reading and have the same joy in reading that I am able to enjoy.  I have no idea what her future holds but I totally and completely trust the one who holds it!  Now I must go....It's time for school!

Mama

This post is actually a little early....because Mama's Birthday isn't until Wednesday.....BUT I got up early and just had a chance to celebrate with her yesterday so I thought I would go ahead and post. 

I adore my Mama.  She has been an outstanding, godly, example for me my entire life and was a great mom....and  as hard as it is for me to believe she is an even better grandma!  So for her birthday this year I really wanted to do something special that would create a memory for us.  I am fortunate enough to live very close to my Mom and she is very involved  with my children and in our lives BUT.....I don't get to see her enough without all the kiddos interrupting and don't get to REALLY talk to her enough.  So.....I'd heard her mention that the Washington Duke has an afternoon tea that she had always wanted to go to and I thought that would make the perfect gift for my tea loving Mama......

So yesterday afternoon, after close to a week of being housebound, due to strep throat, I got to escape for a few hours and have wonderful tea, and treats, and most wonderful of all TALK with my Mama....just the two of us.  I did feel a bit guilty because it was as much a gift to me as it was to her BUT I REALLY enjoyed her.

We had all sorts of delicious girl food from cucumber sandwiches to pumpkin bread to chocolate dipped strawberries....YUMMY!

We didn't have room for it all.....they brought out scones after this tray....and we had to ask them to package them for Mama to take home.....TOO many treats!

As if that were not enough.....they even brought Mama a special slice of birthday cake!  Which we just had to sample....It was delicious!

But as lovely as the tea was, and as beautiful as the setting was, and as delicious as the food was, my favorite part was getting to break away for a few hours and just celebrate Mama and what a blessing she is too me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!  I LOVE YOU!!! 

Life and reality were awaiting when I returned home.  It seems THE TWINKIE BOY has come down with the YUCKY strep bug too :(  UGH.....now just praying sweet TWINKIE GIRL can somehow escape and sooo THANKFUL that the rest of us are sooooo much better!

LOVE

I've been thinking a lot about LOVE lately.....Specifically how easy it is to love some people (Randy-he's a hunk a hunk of burning love) and how hard it is to love some people (I won't give a specific example here because that would not be very loving). 

Hmmmmm.....Why is it easy to love some people and hard to love others?  I don't know...Maybe because we agree more with some people then others, some people are nicer, some people are funner or funnier.....????  I don't really know why but I do know there are easy people to love and EGR people (that is Extra Grace Required people-randy taught me that too:)

Then it occurred to me perhaps I'm not easy for everyone to love.....GASP.....I may be someones EGR person!!!!  I'm sure I am!  I hope not Randy's!!!???!!

So....what does God say about love?  Well he says over and over and over that we are to love him and to love one another.  He didn't say love him and Christians, love him and people that agree with you, love him and people that deserve your love.  He actually says...Love him and love one another.

Hmmm.....does that mean sinners?  Well obviously YES we are ALL sinners.  What about the people who do REALLY bad stuff?  Well again YES....all of our sins are REALLY BAD STUFF.  They all were paid for the same way....with the perfect blood of Christ.  So does that mean me lying is the same him cheating or her killing their baby or __________________.  It doesn't mean it IS the same....but it did COST the same.

Hmmm.....Wow.  It's easy for me to slip into my holy huddle and think how nice and Christiany and loving I am (I KNOW it's sick....I'm just trying to keep it real) and others around me are and how sad, and lost, and sinful others are.....but really?  I mean seriously that is pretty pathetic and sinful in and of itself....

So....I'll end today with the words from

brad reynolds - anyway

I won't vouch for the music itself, but I love the lyrics. The second verse in particular, is one of the gutsiest verses I’ve ever seen in a Christian song.




He’s been sleeping on the sidewalk
Since the money went away
Can you love him anyway?
Really love him anyway?
He lost his mind but finds the time
To bum a dollar everyday
But my Jesus says to love him anyway

(chorus)
‘Cause love is the only evidence against us
That tells the world we’re guilty of a change
And there is not a one who lives among us
Who wasn’t lost somewhere along the way
But judgement turned to mercy
And mercy took our blame
When it all comes down to loving anyway

She did not want to be a mother
She still supports her right to choose
Can you love her anyway?
Really love her anyway?
She hates what you believe
And proudly shares her point of view
My Jesus says to love her anyway

So open up your heart and let them see
How it feels and what it really means


So drop that stone of condescension
And don’t forget to mention
That Jesus chose to love us anyway
Excuse me Mr. Christian
I sure hope you were listening
When Jesus said to love them anyway
‘Cause no matter who we are
Where we’ve been or how deep our scars
Jesus came to love us anyway
Hey there sister Christian
I sure hope you were listening
When Jesus said to love them anyway

ANYWAY......

I read on a blog (I think Carl Martin's but not sure....) and totally agree that people do not come to know Christ because we win an argument with them....BUT maybe just maybe we can love them to Christ.  Another thought that I have been challenged with this week is:

You don't believe what you say you do you believe what you do.  So how am I going to love people?  Really obnoxious, annoying, sinful, yucky people....people just like me.....hopefully a little more like Jesus and a little less like I have a tendency to.

Hope this wasn't to rambly......I've just been thinking about all this....and I've been challenged.

Learning to Love-

Kim