the flammily

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-02T17:14:00.020-07:00

Welcome 2012.

Below is a quick synopsis of 2011 in photos...and as of this edition, I have not decided if I will narrate each picture or not......

Question???

2011-04-06T10:30:00.005-06:00

At what point...

Does it become WRONG...

To intentionally DESTROY....

A developing human being???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-6VLUVglG8

Great video that shows LIFE!!!

Brio Birth

2010-12-29T20:06:00.003-07:00

OKAY........so we had to change the name of our childbirth organization due to some very grumpy people. HOWEVER---things are better than ever here at BRIO BIRTH!!!!

Check out the awesome website!

www.BrioBirth.com

And for a LIMITED time, you can become a Brio CCBE, CBE, childbirth educator for a very special price!!! No where else will you receive such amazing, up-to-date information and training....and your students will be SO informed and LOVE the student workbook and materials. There are also so many wonderful things in the works over at Brio----so NOW is the time to join us!!!

Bradley Reborn

2010-11-30T08:40:00.003-07:00

Alrighty.....I am SO EXCITED to share about the updating of Bradley!

As you may know, I taught Bradley many years ago. I left because of it's outdated materials and general lack of concern for working with OB's and CNMs.

Well, NO MORE. That has all changed with Bradley Reborn!!! Take a look at their blog....with their new website just days away from being launched!!! On this link below you can see some of their new materials, workbook, etc. as well as participate in the "Hot Topic" discussions for the day.

I will be telling you all more about Bradley Reborn in the days to come!!! :) Big news on the home-front!!!

WWW.BRADLEYREBORN.COM

ENJOY!!!

TEENAGER

2010-07-17T14:26:00.003-06:00

We officially have a teenager in our home.....however, we do not use the term teenager much. It is typically derogatory. We have always said that at 13 you are a MAN...and so that is how are kids view "that age". Ethan is now a man. He is 13 today. WOW. This morning I asked him how 13 felt and he said it feels different to know that he will never be a kid again. Such a sweetie! Photos and video to come soon!!!!

Washington State!!!!!!

2010-05-19T21:57:00.010-06:00

I just returned from the BEST trip!!! I went to Seattle to "help my cousin move".....ie, hang out with her and her fab family and have FUN!!! :) We did do some work, but we had to get some playing in as well!!!

Deacon with his new ride. Just kidding! But I would keep this in mind, mom and dad, for the future :)

My fabulously gorgeous cousin Melissa. We have been best buds since birth and I LOVE THIS GIRL!!!

My newest sidekick: Sofia Lauren. Such a doll!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We cannot forget Copper :)

Melissa has a wonderful Hubbalicious named Jim. Or, the Jimyster. Or, Jim-ba-ro-nee. Whatev. He is a great hubby and dad!!! And very sweet to put up with a distant relative via marriage crashing at his house and introducing his wife to new stores like IKEA, Anthropologie and REI :)

So I hear that Seattle is rainy, however, I was there for 4 full days and I saw nothing but sunshine and blue skies!!! We took a great hike one day to this waterfall.....

My cousin Melissa and her beautiful family...Hubster Jim, son Deacon and daughters Madi and Sofia.

Melis

Tiff

Hiking through the wilderness.....

Sweet Madi!!!

The waterfall we hiked to see. Notice the tiny little things on the rocks? Yeah. Those are PEOPLE.

The hike was beautiful!

The view from the TOP of the Space Needle.

My gorgeous cousin Melissa!

THE CUZZES, brunching on top of the city.
SO. MUCH. FUN.

Yes. I take photos of food.
Why?
Because I LOVE GOOD FOOD!!!

Oh my word, it was outta this world GOOD!

Lookout belowwwwwww......

The Space Needle

HAILING MY FIRST CAB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First cab ride. One word for ya: TERRIFIED.

Melissa trying on a $20,000 ring....SO tempting!!!

At Pike Place Market watching the street performers. This guy played guitar while twirling a hoola-hoop, playing the harmonica, playing the maraca's and dancing. It really was a mazing! We gave him some cash!

About the THROW THE FISH!!!!!

Throwing the fish!!!

Melissa kissing thrown fish :)

Pike Place Market

The jeweler at Pike Place market that made the ring I got. Amazing guy with an amazing story!

Mothers Day Thoughts

2010-05-07T21:43:00.004-06:00

Pre Mother's Day...and I wanted to remind myself (and encourage other moms) with a few thoughts.

For the past 12 years...almost 13...I have been a mother. This has been the most important "job" I will ever have; the hardest job I have ever attempted; and by far the most rewarding job one could imagine. The blessings are far reaching........generations are affected by this "job" and the world can and will be changed because of it.

God chose me, for reasons only known to Him, to guide 5 (so far) sons into manhood. I am inept, and yet, He gave me the greatest gift in my sons and entrusts me to lead them. Humbling, to say the least, for this unqualified girl. Thankfully I am not alone in this task. I am accompanied by the greatest of men, Josiah, and never left alone by my Savior, Jesus Christ.

For years my goal on Mother's Day was to NOT be a mom on that day. I wanted A DAY OFF. And for years I was always sorely disappointed.....that never happened quite the way I envisioned. Thus, a bad attitude was formed from moment one of Mother's Day and continued throughout the day and into the the following week. It became a miserable day for me...knowing that I would not get what I wanted and therefore ruining the remaining week. I have even lamented to other moms about how MY DAY was not what I had wanted; and how my family just did not do what I wanted them to do (which was, of course, to leave m alone for a while).

All this to my shame.

Last year, my dear friend Audrey posted a blurb on her blog about the general attitude on MD and how wrong it was. WRONG? Excuse me ma'am, but I am a mother 364/7/24 to 5 rowdy boys and for the love of PETE can I have ONE DAY TO MYSELF? As I read her comments, I was pierced to the core. I was THAT MOM. The one who wanted nothing to do with her family on HER day and who was always upset at her family for destroying her idea of a good day.

God help me.

And He did!

I now see the perfect Mother's Day. I now look forward to that special day TO BE A MOTHER. What better way to celebrate the blessing God has given than to be with them, interact with them and cherish them on my special day?! Now that is what I call the perfect day! That is what I can look forward to!

Because at the end of the day...it is not about me. It is about the blessings God has poured out on me through my husband, children and family. And I want to enjoy them to the fullest :)

So this Mother's Day I will not be napping alone in the house, eating chocolates while reading a book (unless, of course, the Hot Hubby supplies them!!!)....nope. Lord willing I will be enjoying a fabulous sermon at our church, hiking with my husband and 5 sons through the beautiful Colorado foothills and picnicking while watching the sapphire blue sky meet the snow white mountains....accompanied by the most precious sound in all the world.....my children's laughter.

Presley

2010-04-16T22:40:00.002-06:00

Apparently, Tarin threw something and hit Pres in the eye.

His left eye.

Pres was fine, but he came up to me and said, "I can't believe Tarin THREW A TOY at me and it hit my eye. This is one of my FAVORITE EYES. I only have TWO and this one is one of my favorites."

Smart kid :)

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

2010-03-04T10:43:00.002-07:00

I cannot wait till summer!!!

As much as I love the winter here in Paradise, it is TIME.

Time for swimming in our backyard pool...having BBQs with friends...taking the fam hiking and camping...spending the day in Winter Park riding the Alpine Slide...oh, I could go on and on.

As for the present...March is the month when we get the most snow. SO for now, I must be patient and dream of the days to come!!!

Thanksgiving 2009 Photos

2009-12-17T12:10:00.006-07:00

Our whole family went to Texas for Thanksgiving and then Georgia for almost 2 more weeks for a little vacation. We loved seeing all our friends and family!!!
My sweet friend Casey (from WAY back in the day...we met when were were 14!) hung out with us in Ft. Worth one day and brought her camera along. She captured some AWESOME shots of the kids and I! So sad Josiah couldn't be there...he was tiling the bathroom for my grandparents. Such a great guy :)

Birthday!!!

2009-11-06T23:21:00.004-07:00

On the 5th we celebrated Josiah's 32nd birthday! I made a special dinner and we had cheesecake and gifts with the fam. I actually put 32 candles on his cake, which was a minor mistake. Sorry honey!!!

The next night I planned a surprise "guys night" for him and his men. Yes. I AM the best wife ever! :)

Happy birthday!!!

Those darn trick candles kept lighting back up again and again! In fact, the fire alarm went off THREE TIMES!

Cheesecake with strawberry topping. YUMMMMMM

I did have to scrape off the top layer because of all the wax, charcoal and....ummm, spit. :)

He needs some "help" opening his gifts :)

Kell closed out the evening by serenading us! He played AND sang the "Revelation Song" ....and did a great job! The guitar is as big as he is :)

Mama and Laz

Snow day!!!

2009-10-29T16:50:00.003-06:00

It began snowing Tuesday night. It is now Thursday evening and it is STILL. SNOWING. Usually, here in Paradise, we get a good snow for a day and then it melts the next.

The boys have had a BLAST playing in all the powder. Sledding, sledding, sledding all the days long. Insert some rounds of shoveling as well, of course.

The first day we got about 8 inches of snow. Then overnight and day 2 we got another 17ish inches! WOW! We have only seen this much snow twice since we moved out here!

All boys on day 1.

His first real snowfall.

Laz LOVED eating the snow!!!

Shoveling on day 2. Hard workout!

The infamous basketball goal!

My Presley! He was barely tall enough to walk through the snow! I did not even allow Laz outside on day 2. He is not tall enough!

Check it!!!!!!

2009-10-21T18:37:00.002-06:00

Check out my other blog for a beautiful birth story from last week! Click HERE.

This is Megan with her brand new daughter, Stella Claire.....born technically 18 days over her "due date" safely at home. :)

October...so far!

2009-10-21T11:39:00.008-06:00

I LOVE the fall in Colorado. It can be 80 degrees one day and snowing the next. As a fickle female I adore that kind of change in the weather.

October has been a very fun month so far! We are well into our school year and things are going well on that front (other than having an almost 2 year old climbing me during every lesson!).
I attended the birth of Beckett Daniel on September 19th...the 4th child of my sweet friend Christy! I have officially confiscated him and hold him whenever humanly possible!!!
On October 14th I was blessed to attend another birth...Stella Claire was born at officially 18 days post-dates! At home! In the water! I will be posting some beautiful pictures from these births soon.

So let's delve into October in Paradise.....

Presley

Presley. I have a LOT of photos of this little man! He loves to ham it up for the camera :) I have NO idea where he gets it.
He looks just like my Uncle Noy here!!! :)

I got the BEST deal at the store the other day!!!

The Boyz and I went to a super cool reinactment of the 1770's called "Living History Day" put on by Visions Heirs.
We had such a good time!!!
Not only is it twice a year; but it is FREE! And the Boyz got to participate in all kinda of period activities.

The Redcoats are being challenged by the ragtag United States Army. My young sons are in the line on the right, about to attack the Redcoats!!! AH!

Presley putting all his strength into carving a piece of wood for his house!!!

Tarin and Kellen using a REAL saw to cut wood chunks. HARD WORK. I now remind them of this chore every time they complain about their chores around here!

Laz. Just enjoying the food :)

This past weekend our sweet friends took us to the Ritz Carlton again!!!! It was their "thank you" for me being a part of their birth. The birth was a blessing to attend but I do feel quite honored to receive such a thank you!
I did not take a ton of pictures this time simply because I was so busy RELAXING :)
We only brought up the two oldest Boyz and basically that was like being kid-less for the weekend! We walked around Beaver Creek village, we ate at a lovely resturant and the men took the kids hiking.....but for the most part, Christy and I relaxed by the pool and at the spa. For hours on end. It was truly exotic.

Christy and Beckett Daniel

The kidlets at the Ritz.

Ethan and Maddie

Christy introduced me and the kids to Gelato. WOW. Now they are circling like ravenous wolves for even a small bite!!!

Ethan reading to a friend in Beaver Creek Village.

SWIMMING! In October! In the mountains! At the Ritz Carlton! Life is good. REAL gooood :)

John and Josiah took ALL the kids for a hike while the mamas went to the Spa. NICE. Here John has Beckett in the "Sleepy Wrap" sling...great for hiking with Daddy! Ummmm, I'm thinking he gets Dad of the year after this trip!

We got home on Sunday evening from the mountains...and early Monday morning I took Laz to the doctor because he BROKE his clavicle!!! (collar bone) Poor little guy! They gave him a "vest" to wear for a few weeks, which he thinks is SO cool...since the Boyz told him it was. :) It has taken 12 years and 5 boys to get to our first broken bone...kinda sad there is no cast to write on!!!
The following pictures are from Wednesday morning....we awoke to SNOW! It is simply beautiful outside right now.

Boyzzzzz

SNOW!!! The first real snow of the season!!!

More Boyzzzz....

...and yet, MORE Boyz :)

Blogging for Chocolate

2009-10-02T18:56:00.002-06:00

As you may know, there is little I will not do for a high quality, gourmet chocolate.

*Ahem*

So when I saw THIS offer, I could not refuse! Free chocolate in exchange for blogging about the chocolate and the company. I have officially registered and will see what delicious chocolaty items arrive at my door in the next few days...and I will be sure to let you all know about it!

Until then every knock at my door will be met with eager anticipation...

Thank you chocolate.com!

Yes. I am shameless *sometimes* :)

Why?

2009-08-31T12:53:00.004-06:00

Why won't hospitals allow a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)?

Why will hospitals not allow a breech birth that does NOT included a cesarean

HERE is an OBGYN who is under fire in California for allowing his clients to VBAC and push out their breech babies. His hospital is mad and threatening to deny him privileges there. WHY? Read his interview to see through a little window into the heart of the ACOG and hospitals in America. If you dare.

My 31st Birthday

2009-08-10T23:29:00.003-06:00

*sigh*

I am SO OLD!!! Oh well...nothing I can do but enjoy it!

Our sweet friends kept the Boyz and Josiah and I went to eat at Indulge, a new little place near us. YUMMMM-O!!!!!
Here we are enjoying our meal!

13 Years of Wedded Bliss!

2009-08-04T10:35:00.003-06:00

Josiah and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary August 3!!! We praise the Lord for His goodness towards us and his mercy. Without Him we certainly would never have seen this anniversary. Selfishness creeps in and if left unchecked ruins the best of relationships. I am glad to say that Josiah and I are still BEST friends and we love each other so much!

Here is a stroll down memory lane. These are scanned pictures because they were taken back in the day before digital cameras! AH!

Josiah and I about 2 months before our wedding...going to Prom and graduating from High School!!!

Lunch during our honeymoon.

The wedding....with my folks and his folks.

The Luvbirds

My friend Aran is standing on front of our first house in Travelers Rest, SC. It was a beautiful 200 year old farmhouse on about 41 acres. We loved living here...well, except the $200 per month electricity bill (which was a FORTUNE to us back then!)

Riding the light rail in downtown Denver for our weekend trip. MAN we look OLD!!!!

Winter Park

2009-07-30T13:45:00.006-06:00

Last week my sweet grandparents came in town from Texas! We took a day and went to Winter Park to play...and boy did we! It was a blast!

We ALWAYS stop at Burthoud Pass for pictures when going up to Winter Park. We have literally hundreds of them from the past 30+ years!

Mommy with Tarin and Laz.

The Boyz overlooking Burthoud Pass

The Boyz with my mom (Grammy) and my grandparents, their great grandparents (GGmom and GGdad).

Pres is enjoying the serene pond.

Presley on the ski lift!!!

About to ride down the mountain on the Alpine Slide. SO FUN! We have pictures of the kids standing here from many years past...including me and my brother when we were kids!

Tarin flipping OUT

Laz enjoying the wide open spaces.

GGmom and her Pres. He LOVES to sit on her lap and play with her hair!

GGmom and the Boyz

Tarin about to embark on that horrific spinning thing. He loved it. So obviously his father's son!

My wonderful Granddad!!!

My cousin Dawn, playing with her Julian, her youngest.

Presley on the bungee jump!!!

SO TIRED. Starbucks will give them the energy they need! Ha!

Playing music near the pond.

Climbing wall fiends!

Kell-O

Laz and Jules

Ethan is 12 years old. AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-16T21:50:00.003-06:00

My baby is 12.
I cannot believe it!
After 44 hours of labor, my sweetest was born at home in the water. (After the idiot doc told me I was to small to squeeze out a kid. Thank the Lord for wonderful midwives!!!!!

AND NOW HE IS 12!!!!!!!!!
Isn't he handsome? And he is just as sweet on the inside as he looks on the outside. He is such a pleasure to have around the house...such a great big brother and loving son.
Now, let's hope I can still say that on his next birthday!
AH! :)

4th of July Trip

2009-07-06T11:31:00.017-06:00

Our friends, the Hsin family (pronounced "Sheen"), invited us to go with them to the Ritz Carlton Club in Beaver Creek/Bachelor Gulch for the holiday weekend.

WOW.

We had a spectacular time! I have never been to any place so luxurious where they spoil you so very rotten!!! We arrived on Friday and were immediately made to feel at home. Anything we needed they provided within minutes. My favorite part? They come clean your suite and do all the dishes twice a day. YEAH. BABY. We did not have to wash one dish, even after feeding 12 people 3 times per day!!! So we would eat and head out to the pool or spa and come back later to find everything pristine. It was fabulous.

About to head out!!!!!!!

You can even get married at the Ritz!

Not only do all the adults have fresh robs, but they have them for the kids as well!!!!!

So sweet!!!!!

First day at the pool. It was heated to the perfect temperature so one can swim at any time of the day or night.

At the spa they have "the Grotto" where adults (no kids allowed!) can go relax....and relax we did!!! The waterfalls feel like a massage on your back/shoulders, so Christy gave her pregnant back a small break.

My boys LOVED the bathtub!!!!!! All the bedrooms have private bathrooms with heated tile floors. SA-WEET.

The beds were all so soft and comfortable that little Laz slept and slept! It was after 9 am here!

7 of the 8 kiddies.

Pres wall climbing on the rocks in the lobby :) That's my boy!

On the 4th we were shuttled to Vail to watch the parade from the private balcony of the Ritz sales center. They also fed us tons of food and gave free face painting to the kids!

The beginning of the parade!!!

Watching from the balcony. Typical Presley here!

Face and hand painting :)

Sam and Tarin sword fighting on the streets of Vail.

Silly picture.....

Nice picture!!!!
Sam, Kell, Olivia, Laz, Maddie, Ethan, Tarin and Presley

Fascinated by the 'mime' sitting SO STILL.

Enthralled!

Christy is more woman than I. At 7 1/2 months of pregnancy she walked around Vail all day long in the hot sun! Thankfully we hit the spa as soon as we got back to Beaver Creek!

Josiah and Laz

Tarin :)

Waiting for the Ritz shuttle to take us back to Beaver Creek.

MMMMMM....dinner!!!

Playing games out on the lawn.

The building behind us is where our suite was.

Every evening the Ritz people would light these 'camp fires' and provide materials for Smores!!!

Getting ready to roast marshmallows.

Olivia and Laz. She was a GREAT babysitter and will SO enjoy her new little brother or sister!!!

Me watching the kids roast.

Me and my Hubbalicious :)

Sam and Ethan loving the Smores :)

Mom, Dad and Lazzers

Making the *perfect* marshmallow.

The view from our balcony. The tiny people on the trail would be our husbands and kids going on a hike. Christy and I decided to lay at the pool :)

Ethan....just days before he is to turn 12! AAAHHH!!!!

John, Josiah, Sam and Laz.

Presley Solomon

Laz LOVES the water!

The kids playing games while the Ritz people loaded the cars. SO COOL. They do everything for you!!!!

Christy and Tiff ready (?) to head home.
*sigh*

We loaded up both families, all the kiddies and said goodbye to the Ritz. That was around 2 p.m. We drove about 15 minutes before we were engulfed in dead stopped traffic on I-70. Seems everyone in Denver decided to head on home at the same time!!! After about 4 hours in traffic we stopped to eat...so the 2 hour trip turned into about 6 hours!!!

This was the traffic just trying to get into the Eisenhower tunnel!!! I think we sat here for about 1 1/2 hours.

Texting while dtriving is okay when you are sitting still!!!

More. Traffic.

At least the scenery is beautiful in our traffic!

We stopped at Beau Jo's for some famous pizza!!!! It was delicious!

The waterfall at Idaho Springs looked a little...dirty. I think it was from all the people stopping by the side of the road to pee after sitting for numerous hours in traffic (after drinking a Grande' Java Chip Frappachino).

Almost home as the moon makes it's appearance.

Summer

2009-07-01T13:07:00.005-06:00

I really do have a plausable excuse for taking so long to update. REALLY!

We moved in late May to a wonderful home on almost 3 acres...and that home also has a hot tub and in-ground swimming pool! So not only did I have to move but every spare moment has been spent swimming all the days long :)

So you see....I could NOT update before now!

Oh-and I still have not found the battery charger for my camera battery so the pictures you are about to see were taken from my iPhone.

Our first day in the pool...early June.

Tarin just lost his front teeth!!!! He is simply adorable!

My Laz

Best Friends!
Celebrating Tarin's 8th birthday.

Laz and Granddad

Tarin on his 8th birthday!

Laz at the playground

Ethan with one of the MANY snakes that live in our yard. YIKES!

The deer that lives in our yard...which I like far better than the snakes.

Laz and Hubbalicious

2009-06-01T09:07:00.000-06:00

Just had to share!!!

Repeat cesarean consent form for an OB to sign

2009-05-25T23:15:00.002-06:00

This is a FABULOUS consent form for an OB to sign if he/she is forcing a mom to undergo major abdominal surgery (cesarean) and not allowing mom to VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). FINALLY someone can confront a doc with the risks of such a procedure.
I did not write it. A brilliant lady wrote it and is so generous to share!

A Different Kind of Consent Form
I am so irate at the lack of patient choice and the asinine mentality of doctors here. I am very, very frustrated. So, I thought I would vent some of that frustration by doing something semi-constructive. To that end, I wrote my own consent form. After all, if the doctor wants me to sign theirs, they should sign mine first.

Here 'tis.

I, the undersigned physician, have, in violation of the Consumer Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, the Patient Self Determination Act, the ethical guidelines of the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Constitutional Law (the right to privacy and self determination protected by the 1st and 14th amendments), international tort law, and case law (of particular interest "In re A.C.", 1987, "In re Fetus Brown, 689 N.E.2d 397, 400 (Ill. App. Ct. 1997)", and "In re Baby Boy Doe, 632 N.E.2d 326 (Ill. App. Ct. 1994)") and the Patient Rights as determined by this institution, deprived my client,________________, of her right to self determination and her right to bodily integrity by ignoring her repeated refusal for delivery by repeat cesarean section. I acknowledge that by refusing to honor my client's denial of consent, I have not only violated the above laws, but I also affirm that I have used unwarranted and unethical pressure including emotional threats to my client's and her unborn child's life and safety, in my attempts to obtain such consent. I further affirm that I have stressed the risks of vaginal birth after cesarean, but neglected to inform my patient of the risks of delivery by repeat cesarean section. I further affirm that I understand, that should I resort to physical force, including but not limited to physical or chemical restraints to compel my client's cooperation, I will be guilty of criminal battery, which is defined as "any form of non-consensual touching or treatment that occurs in a medical setting".

In compensation for the above violations of my client's rights, I hereby guarantee the following:

a healthy baby, born in perfect condition, with no physical, mental or developmental defecits whatsoever, whether arising from surgery or any other cause

no complications for the infant, including but not limited to: persistent pulmonary hypertension, transient tachypnea of the newborn, respiratory distress syndrome, iatrogenic prematurity, lacerations, or hematoma

a speedy, uncomplicated post-operative recovery for my client. Specifically, I guarantee that my client shall not experience nerve damage, organ damage, hemorrhage (whether sufficient to require transfusion or not), disability or disfigurement, intraoperative or postoperative infection of the wound or surrounding skin and tissues, post partum depression and post partum post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other conditions not listed here.

Signed,

Families share their birth stories...SO GOOD!!!

2009-05-12T16:57:00.000-06:00

Laz Pazazzz

2009-05-10T22:39:00.002-06:00

Laz likes to stick his head through the "doggy door" to the basement...here he is being SO adorable!

And hey....don't judge me. He is kid #5 and if he likes the doggy door and the doggy door makes him happy, by all means, he can play with the doggy door :)

Presley

2009-05-10T20:45:00.003-06:00

We had a big moment last week.

Presley got his hair cut. Short.

He had been asking me for a while for short hair, but the final straw was hearing him playing with Kell and asking, "Kell, do I look like Princess Leia?"

Yeah. Guilt enter HERE.

So we went down to the local barber shop and he asked for a "short haircut with a faux hawk" and that is what he got.

BEFORE

AFTER

the Birth

2009-04-15T14:29:00.015-06:00

There is always something the Lord wants to teach us. He ordains events in our lives to build character and trust in Him. So many times we cannot see what He is doing, but we learn to trust Him completely and fully...and when we are past our trial we can look back and see how every little event led up to His plan being revealed and His trustworthiness being so evident!

Courtney and Nate hired the best midwife in Georgia to attend the birth of their first child, Hannah. They loved her so much that they hired her again for their second child's birth. (Claudia also attended the births of our first 4 sons). She is a wonderful midwife who is full of love for her clients. This is not her job...it is her calling.

During Courtney's prenatal visit on the Monday after her due date (she was 3 days "late" at that point) Claudia said that she had some news...she would be leaving to go out of town due to her daughter having surgery. She would not be leaving till the following Monday, but she wanted Court to know.

The freak out ensues. Isn't this a big reason we hire homebirth midwives??? So we KNOW who will be at the birth? Why is this happening? The planning was so careful and deliberate.

Odds are that Court will have her baby before Claudia leaves. At that point she would be 9 days "late" with her 2nd baby. We try and calm down, all the while thinking WHY. Claudia can not help the timing and is devastated even at the thought of missing this birth. She is totally committed to her clients and to miss out on a birth is not a small matter. However, her family is paramount and she must go to her daughter.

Court and Nate go through a lot of soul searching during the next few (laborless) days. What is God doing? Why? Do we really trust HIS plan instead of our own?

Courtney prays and decides not to try and 'induce' labor. God is in control and He already has the future written...and that includes this baby's birthday! (I personally found this to be very cool. Seeing that kind of trust in the Lord coming from my brother and his dear wife strengthened my own trust in Him)

A week comes and goes. Ups and downs occur when thinking of a Claudia-less birth. The back up plan is for her midwifery partner, Debbie, to attend the birth. Debbie is a wonderful midwife and Nate and Court know her very well. At least there would not be a stranger there! (I personally had Debbie at two of my own births and really liked her a lot)

On Sunday night I get a call from Courtney...her waters have broken! It is 2:15 a.m. She describes it feeling like someone with a 2-liter Coke bottle pouring water everywhere! Ha! She is planning to just go back to bed and sleep for as long as she can. After her first birth lasting 3 days, she now knows the importance of sleeping when you can sleep!

I fitfully sleep as well...praying for Courtney, the baby, and the fact that Claudia doesn't leave till mid-morning the next day. Court gets some sleep on and off...her brain is going as well!

She calls later that morning to say that she has started having some sporadic contractions and they are cleaning the house, hanging out with Hannah, etc. It is apparent now that Claudia will not be attending the birth and Courtney seems very fine with that fact. She is confident that the Lord is in control and she is trusting Him.

All through the day her contractions continue. 15 minutes apart, 10 minutes apart. By that afternoon they are getting a bit stronger and she has to think about them. Her and Nate go to the bookstore and the library...enjoying the day they have together with the fun anticipation of their new child!

That evening they settle at home again. Court's mom makes a delicious pot of chicken soup for dinner...yumm-o! Contractions are getting closer but not to bad yet.

My mom has gotten my kids and left, knowing that I will soon be going to be with Nate and Courtney. I decide to grab a salad from Zaxby's (yummmm!) and read a book there. While sitting and eating, Court calls and says things are getting more serious...could I come over now?

I hop in the car, grab a Starbucks and head on over to their home. It s 8 p.m. when I arrive.

When I get there Debbie (the midwife) is there as well. Courtney is contracting about every 7 minutes and they are lasting about 55 seconds.....right on the verge of active labor! I try and help her body jump over the cliff...so I have her walk stairs (she loves me for this) and suck her thumb (way better than pitocin!). Wow. This does it! Within an hour or so we have contractions that are over 1 minute and about 4 minutes apart.

Nate and I alternate between helping courtney and Facebooking to keep everyone in the loop :)

Courtney would alternate between walking, stair climbing, the birth ball and the birth stool. She was quite determined to keep the labor going and NOT to end up with a 3 day birth again. She was worried that things were just not progressing, so around 10:30 p.m. Court asked Debbie to check her cervix. This was the ONE and only exam during the entire birth and it was such good news...Court was 5 cm and the baby was at a +1 station!!! Things were happening perfectly. I think that this info helped Courtney to just relax and have her baby.

Around midnight things became pretty intense. Courtney really wanted to get in the birthpool so we began to fill it with nice warm/hot water. She laid on the bed, bundled in her favorite quilt and continued to labor beautifully. Nate was right there with her, rubbing her back and supporting her. The music in the background was Psalms set to music...beautiful.

We were also excited once midnight arrived because we knew this baby would be born on our (mine and Nathan's) dad's birthday! What a cool thing :)

The tub is finally ready and Courtney jump in. Well 'jumps' may be pushing it a bit :)

We had discussed her contractions slowing down for a bit once she gets in and that if that happens it is normal and they will pick right back up. Well, no slowing this kid! They continue to come every 2-3 minutes. Courtney is in "labor land" and sleeps in between contractions. She awakens to work at relaxing during the contraction and then falls back asleep in between. A great way to labor.

Transition: the hardest part of labor but the shortest! Courtney is doing awesome! She is relaxed and allows her body to work.

At one point she turns her head towards me and says, "Tiff, I do not think I can do this anymore..." and a contraction begins...and she relaxes...and continues to labor. I am, of course, happy to hear this because it means labor is almost over!

Pushing begins slowly. Court is feeling 'pushy' and just goes with what her body is saying. No one is counting, no one is telling her what to do...she is just allowing her body to do it. (less pain, more progress!)

Towards the end she begins to push will all her might! Nathan is holding her up as she is floating in the pool. I am on the side of the pool with 3 digital cameras and a video camera! Ha!

The baby's head emerges perfectly. A small rest and then the body follows...Debbie guides the baby out of the water and into Courtney's waiting arms. She takes a second to evaluate things and announces that it is a boy! Nate is so excited, he keeps saying, "A son! We have a son!!!!"

Rylee Chandler was born on April 7, 2009 at 3:42 a.m. on his Grandfather's birthday. Chandler is our dad's name and is a family name we have traced back to the 1500's!!! The name has been used in every generation since. My first son is Ethan Chandler.

Looking for Mama. Little Rylee did not cry at all...he just looked around at mom and dad. So peaceful. So perfect.

Nathan holding his son for the first time.

So sweet!

Let's weigh this baby! 9 pounds and 3 ounces!!! 22 inches long...WHEW. Where did she keep this kid?

The baby exam is done on the bed, next to mom, gently and with everything explained. Rylee did not even fuss once!

The midwives dated him at being 40 weeks gestation, NOT 11 days "over due". Had Courtney been under the care of a doctor or hospital based midwife she would have been induced...the baby forced to be born on the date the doctor decided...and he would have been early. This can cause many problems, one of which is an NICU stay due to his lungs not being ready, a common risk of induction. Nor did he have the jaundice that usually accompanies a pitocin induced birth. Thankfully the midwives know the best outcomes come to babies who are born when they are ready to be born!

My Boyz were very excited to meet their newest cousin!!!

Aunt Tiffy sure does love her new nephew :)

All in all, the birth went VERY well. All of our prayers were answered...shorter labor (it was a total of 25 1/2 hours from water breaking, 8 hours of actual labor, less than an hour of pushing), no bleeding (she hemorrhaged last time) and a safe birth for her and the baby. The Lord had this planned prior to the foundation of the world and was brought glory and honor through Nathan and Courtney trusting HIM during difficult circumstances and decisions. Having Debbie at the birth was wonderful. She was absolutely fabulous and Courtney really bonded with her during the whole labor/birth. Praise the Lord for TWO awesome midwives serving families in Georgia and Tennessee!!!

Update!!!

2009-04-09T14:44:00.002-06:00

So sorry these updates are so few and far between. I have no access to a computer so I must bum internet in order to post!

Courtney and Nathan welcomed their son, Rylee Chandler, into this world on April 7 at 3:42 a.m.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rylee was born at home, in the water, after about 8 hours of active labor, 18 hours of early labor, 26 hours of broken waters and 11 days past the "due date".
Court did AWESOME...and did I mention...Rylee weighed in at 9 pounds 3 ounces?!?!!!!! And 22 inches long. Yeah. Have you SEEN Courtney? The kid is bigger than she is! :)

Rylee got his name from the Bishop R.C. Ryle and they added the "e" to make it Rylee. Chandler is a family name that we have traced back to the 1500's...every male in the family line has a Chandler in their name, so it is a pretty cool tradition.

I have a ton of pictures but no way to transfer them from my camera. I will be home in Colorado next Tuesday night and will post pictures shortly thereafter. This baby is SO adorable and you MUST see him!

The trip so far.....

2009-03-27T15:00:00.006-06:00

The trip so far has been good. The driving to Dallas (18 hours) and the drive to Atlanta (18 hours in 1 day) was harrowing, to say the least.

The older boys did wonderful...Laz...not so good. Poor little guy is no traveler. Ick. I have no idea how we are getting home cause there is just no way I can survive that long in the car with him again!

The oldest 4 Boyz are at Disney World with Josiah's parents fr a whole week. Great for them...bad for Mama. I miss them! So Laz and I have remained busy spending time with Courtney and Hannah, Karen and her 3 kiddies and Noelle and Fin.

Laz had his very first icecream cone!!! I figured that Brewster's was the only place to indruce him to icecream :) He loved it!

Laz is also LOVING playing with cousin Hannah!!! She mommy's him very well and he plays along. They are SO CUTE together.

My little bity Courtney looks adorable with her baby belly!!!

We took Hannah and Laz to see the baby chicks and ducks...and this is a picture of Laz petting one MOMENTS prior to him hitting the poor thing. Yeah. My violent little man. Who knew.

My little Red Neck child in his John Deer hat! (okay, it is not his....don't worry!)

C-L-A-S-S-I-C Courtney.

Court at her prenatal visit with Claudia, world's best midwife.

Hannah and Laz Pazzzzazzzzzz

A synopsis of the trip so far :)

My brother and his Family

2009-03-06T14:14:00.002-07:00

My dear 'little' brother, Nathan, and his beautiful wife courtney are expecting their 2nd baby in March!!! Here they are with the sweetest niece ON EARTH, Hannah. Hannah just turned 2 last week and is very excited about having a baby brother or sister.

The kids and I will be leaving for Georgia in 1 week and 2 days. WHOO-HOO!!!!!!! We will stop in Dallas to see my grandparents for 2 days and then on to Ga to get ready for the birth. Court is using my midwife (i.e. the world's best!) again like she did for Hannah. Courtney had a 3 day labor with Hannah and eventually gave birth in her home, as planned. Lord willing she will have another beautiful homebirth...but for her sake, a faster one!!! Believe me, I will keep everyone posted on the events surrounding this blessed occasion.

Hubbalicious

2009-02-03T09:29:00.002-07:00

I must brag for a moment.

Josiah loves me!

Even through his stress...losing his job, finding another, having to move (again), etc...he finds time to show me he loves me.

Yesterday he came home to chaos, which around here, is business as usual. I cooked dinner, we ate, the boyz cleaned up. I mentioned how exhausted I was from the day (school, grocery shopping, detailed the Yukon, Library, etc) and that a nice hot bath sounded so refreshing.

The problem? Our bathtub is filled with clippings of hair from giving the boyz haircuts. I did not have the energy to clean the tub to take a bath.

Oh-and our hot water heater does not even fill up the tub with enough hot water to make it even a warm bath.

So I was downstairs, going about the evenings business, when Josiah called me upstairs. I went into our dark room and he led me into the bathroom.....

...and there was a candle lit room with a *clean* bathtub filled to the brim with bubbles and HOT WATER. He had boiled 3 pots of water and filled the tub for me :) My book was laying on the side, ready for me to devour.

Ahhhh. The bliss.

As I soaked, Josiah put the kids to bed...another stress he took on alone just to help me.

All this to remind he that after 12 1/2 years of marriage, 5 kids, 3 states, countless jobs, many houses, stress and tears....he still loves me. :)

Kellen Micah

2009-01-29T21:12:00.004-07:00

Kellen Micah is 9 years old today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These are all very typical pictures of Kell. Never a serious one, Kell loves to laugh and joke ALL the time. He keeps our entire house in stitches most of the time and really makes life fun :)

He has been wanting this bike for almost a year now....and was STOKED when we brought it out!!!!!!!!!

We had a wonderful little party with just the family...he wanted to go skiing with friends for his birthday instead of a 'real' party...so much easier on mom as well :)

And I had to add my little Laz :)

So sleepy....

It was so cute watching him try and pick up his Cheerios with the Hulk hands on!!! Okay, it was a tad mean so I took them off :)

And the difference is......

2009-01-22T13:40:00.003-07:00

Check THIS out :)

Ha! I found it quite amusing.

Thanks Nate and Courtney!

2009-01-20T15:57:00.004-07:00

Hannah (and Nate and Court and the new baby) got Laz a little Curious George for Christmas. He LOVES it!!! :)

Nathan and Courtney gave Josiah and I a gift card to Texas De Brazil...our favorite place to eat! Not only is there more food than you could ever eat but that food is DELICIOUS....like, Marriage Supper of the Lamb good :)

Ready to go out on our date...no kids, just us!

Staring at the pretty ceiling. YES, the ceiling really is THAT pretty!

I tend to take pictures of food. Yeah.

This was plate #1.

Of 5.

YES, f-i-v-e.

The all you can fit salad bar.

Oh....and the FANTASTIC drink!

THANK YOU NATE AND COURTNEY!

Inauguration

2009-01-20T13:11:00.002-07:00

The kids and I had school in front of the TV today!

I wanted them to witness history in the making...the first African American president of the United States.

Although we did not vote for Mr. Obama and we certainly do not agree with his politics, we do think that our country has come so far in the past 50-70 years and we are happy about that. And the Bible tells us that God appoints our leaders and we need to pray for them and treat them with respect. So that is what we are going to do.

This also gave us a great opportunity to talk history...racism, slavery, segregation, etc. My kids, who have only been exposed to such in very limited ways, were very rightly appalled. One of them cried and cried, overcome by the fact that one human could treat another so badly.

This led into a discussion about how God could allow this to happen...and what good has come of it. Great stuff.

All in all, it was a learning experience and something that, I hope, they will always remember.

Now...off to send some sort of petition to President Obama regarding the murder of innocent babies! I mean, why is there a difference between a person taken against their will and put into slavery and a person killed while in the womb?

More talk for another day. :)

Excuse me......

2009-01-15T17:20:00.002-07:00

.....call me crazy, but am I the only one who thinks that Mr. Obama is kinda stepping in a tad before his time? I mean, he is not the president YET, but he seems to be doing a lot of presidential stuff prematurely. Asking Congress to approve his stuff...BEFORE he is sworn in?

Perhaps I am just not familiar with the 'transition' and when/how that takes place.

SO...is he jumping the gun? Is he just getting a running start? Is he overstepping his bounds? Please let me know!

P.S. the things he is pushing to get passed within his first few months are APPALLING. However, I am keeping my word and am going to allow him a grace period to prove himself. I am going to give him a chance. No matter how much I already disagree.

Our own Cowboy

2009-01-09T18:02:00.002-07:00

My Baby is 5 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-04T18:02:00.008-07:00

5 years ago today, Presley was born into his Mommy's and Daddy's hands. We were surrounded by our fabulous midwives, Claudia and Debbie...as well as our dearest family and friends. The other 3 boys were right there as well to welcome their new brother!!!

HERE is the birth story in it's entirety.

Laboring with my wonderful hubby and watchful midwife, Claudia.

The older 3 boys with Grammy and Moo-Ma.

The boys are holding up 4 fingers for 4 boys.

Little did we know that 4 years later they would be holding up 5 fingers for 5 boys!!! :)

Moments after his birth.

Presley at 1 day old.

Fast forward 5 years!!!!!!!!!

Pancake breakfast!

A typical Presley face.

Presley wanted to go to 'the fe-ater' (theater) instead of having a party...so we went last night. Today the fam did gifts and cake.

He said, "I am 5 this time Daddy!!!!"

Yes, he got a piggy bank for a birthday gift. HELLO....we are Dave Ramsey freaks! Cannot start him to soon on his baby steps :)

We asked him if he was a "how-boy" and he looked at us like we were insane. We had to explain that he called himself a HOWBOY for years before he could correctly pronounce Cowboy.

*sigh*

He is so old.

REI has the best deals. It is seriously my FAVORITE store!

Hulk cake, of course :)

2008-12-31T13:45:00.002-07:00

“C.S. Lewis once observed, “I haven’t always been a Christian. I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”

I took this quote form my preacher-man brother's blog...he has some interesting comments. Enjoy!

Funniest birth story EVER

2008-12-27T13:37:00.002-07:00

In all my 11+ years of attending births, I have yet to come across such a delightfully written, humorous birth story!

This Mama of 6 knows how to make birth not only a blessed event, but a HYSTERICAL one :)

Please read...and note the "Where's my baby?!?!" line, for it will be displayed on this blog in the future.

Classic.

FIRST installment

SECOND installment

THIRD installment

Christmastime and Laz turns ONE!!!

2008-12-26T09:22:00.011-07:00

Christmas Eve the boyz can open one gift...their special Christmas PJs!!!

Oh-and a gift card to Chick Fil A :)

Christmas PJs :)

Christmas morning....STOCKINGS BABY!

Josiah gave me a stocking full of 'relaxing' themed items. LOVE IT :)

Laz and his new monkey!

Kell upon seeing his Star Wars gift.

Tarin and his Hulk.

Laz enjoyed his wrapping paper!

Hulk was very popular at our home this year.

NEW COWBOY BOOTS!!!

New climbing shoes!!!

After the mayhem.

Josiah and I made clues for the boyz to follow to lead them to their last gift.

I had bought about 8 costumes for them and hung them up in the bathroom...the clues led them in there....

MooMa and Laz

Gotta try out the new Legos!

Tarin.

Errr, Hulk!

Laz loves his walking 'thingy'...unfortunately, it will propel him to walking sooner, so we are discouraging that behavior.

Around 2 p.m. we had our cousins Noy, Dawn, Maiza, Bella and Jules over to celebrate Laz's first birthday!!! He did not know what to think of the cake...at first. then he dug on in :)

All the older cousins.

Opening some -more- gifts!

I LOVE my hubby! :)

Ethan build this helicopter in a few hours yesterday with his new Erector set.

Yeah.

I am amazed. the kid is incredible! He takes apart circuit boards and creates new things...amazing.

Beautiful Slideshow

2008-12-23T09:03:00.002-07:00

HERE is a stunning slideshow of a labor/birth by a professional photographer. She really captures the JOY of birth!!!

Beware...you will want to have another baby when you see this :)

ONE YEAR AGO........

2008-12-19T10:35:00.004-07:00

I am in such a reflective mood today! This time last year I was VERY pregnant and awaiting the birth of our precious Laz. Noelle was here waiting as well (she had to leave before he was born, though. sniff sniff) and we were having a great time. Her visit was the only thing that kept me SANE those last few days. Seriously, I was in SO much pain (pelvis and back) AND our house was up for sale, we sold it and had to be packing to move...all the while preparing to birth any day. I am forever indebted to my Noelle for her visit!!!

Little did I know what a wonderful blessing this baby would be to our family. Laz has been such a JOY to us all...how did we ever live without him?! :) SO GLAD we did not 'stop' at 4!

3 days before the birth.

5 Days before the birth

Noelle and I being a little whack-o. I know you are shocked :)

At a Christmas party. I was SO miserable. Little did I know I still had 10 days to go.

Lazarus Jude was born at 5:56 a.m. Christmas morning. I will be posting a little 'happy birthday' post probably Christmas day (or the next, depending on how busy we are!)

Talk about freak out.....this time next year he will be TWO!!!!

Oh my word. And Ethan will be 12 1/2.

AAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas -take 1-

2008-12-15T08:32:00.007-07:00

The boyz and their blankets. Perfect for snuggling during movie night!

Laz and his very first Christmas gift! He is trying to figure out what to do with it.

OH! You are supposed to eat the gift!!!

Laz is singing :)

We call this his iPod.

The Batcave!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tarin got exactly what he asked for...Transformers!

Kell and his high powered Nurf machine gun. Watch out.

Ethan has his free ski pass this year so we got him a helmet. I know, I worry to much!

He also loves making circuit boards and such so we got him a kit....honestly I

just wanted him to stop taking apart EVERYTHING in the house!

The aftermath....

Last, but not least...stockings!!!

Laz @ 11 months old (sniff sniff)

2008-12-03T15:17:00.002-07:00

Just starting the boy off right.

Yeah, he loves it!

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-01T16:34:00.005-07:00

Thanksgiving this year was SO great. We were actually supposed to have quite a houseful of guests including my grandparents from Texas and a bunch of friends from church. However, my kids got sick (nasty cold) and so we ended up with just my grandparents...which was especially wonderful. It was nice to be able to spend time with them all weekend and enjoy their company. The Boyz adore them and count the minutes till we see them next!

GGMom and Laz

Many hours of cooking later. And the horizontal stripes are doing me NO favors.

Loading the table up!

Diggin In

GGMom and GGDad

The Boyz with GGMom and GGDad

GGDad being thanked for giving them each a $5 bill

GGMom and her babies

Mama and Laz getting ready to go out into the snow!

LOVIN this birth story :)

2008-11-28T19:39:00.001-07:00

What a great and empowering birth story!!!

So much for 'marginal pelvis' and CPD.

Docs, GIVE US A CHANCE.

Click HERE

Enjoy!

Freedom of Choice Act

2008-11-19T13:31:00.003-07:00

President elect Obama has stated that he will sign the FOCA within his first 100 days as president. It may take a bit longer than that, but the point is that it is on his mind as a priority.

The FOCA is a horrendous piece of legislation that MUST be stopped from becoming law. Er, anti-law. It will actually negate other laws that we have in place regulating abortion.

I am trying quite hard to temper my remarks and to not go overboard here. (aren't you all proud of me?!) However, when faced with the reality of this bill it is difficult for me to remain composed. Partial birth abortion, specifically, is an abhorrence to our nation. As a midwife, doula, childbirth educator and mother I know far to much information about this 'procedure'...information that honestly I would love to be without. For the sake of others I will not put the details here but will allow you to research them yourself. Partial birth abortion is just that....a partially born child who is aborted. It is never...allow me to be repetitive...NEVER done for 'the life of the mother'. That is a lie.

Okay, I gotta stop or I will never be able to rein myself in.

All this to say...check out THIS site to know more about the freedom of Choice Act, how is effects you, moms and babies...and how you can have a voice in this matter.

the Boyz

2008-11-13T16:28:00.006-07:00

The Boyz love having mohawks....as if we do not get enough funny looks when we go out. :)

He did NOT want to cooperate. Completely fake cry!

The light in Ethan's room burnt out so here is where I found them reading before bed!!!!

High Fructose Corn Syrup

2008-11-13T09:37:00.002-07:00

No doubt you have all heard the new advertising campaign to make people believe that high fructose corn syrup is just as 'natural' as sugar or honey.

RIGHT.

Take a look at THIS article to see the truth...and not just what the corn farmers are feeding you (get it??? FEEDING you?? HAHAHHAHA!)

Kinda reminds me of the "got milk" commercials and the "milk...it does a body good" commercials paid for by the dairy farmers. What is so funny is that everyone seems to believe them! Hello....they are selling a product people.

And since when does a good, healthy product need million if not billions in advertising costs to make people believe it really is healthy and good?

Homebirth in the news

2008-11-13T07:59:00.002-07:00

There is a wonderful slide show in the New York Times about homebirth....Enjoy!!!

My Baby....

2008-11-12T12:01:00.002-07:00

....is STANDING!!!!

Alone!!!!!

Isn't it terrible?

None of the other boys stood by themselves until they were over 1 year old...and Laz is only 10 months. Wow.

I took the cutest video EVER of him standing but this stinkin' blogger will not upload it (after me trying 372 times) so I will post pictures soon.

Also....pictures soon to come of Josiah's surprise climbing birthday party :)

Quote

2008-11-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

"I contend that for a nation to try and tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle" -Winston Churchhill

Smart man.

Hiking a 14er

2008-11-06T13:31:00.004-07:00

Josiah went with his friends John and John to hike Mt Missouri...a 14er here in paradise. A 14er is a mountain that is over 14,000 feet high.

One of the Johns took these pictures!

Socialism

2008-11-05T10:00:00.002-07:00

Google the term and see what it says. You may be shocked...or you might not.

Below is *my opinion* of why Obama won. People just do not THINK...can I say a 'shout out' to public education for that?! :)

Fall has fallen

2008-11-03T20:53:00.007-07:00

The Aspen trees in our yard are just beautiful...the bright yellow leaves sparkle through my windows all day long!

I decided I needed a few pictures of the kids and the leaves on our back porch (before they are raked) so I told the boys to run outside real quick for a few shots.

We always have to take a moment for silliness :)

Our little Laz. We love having him sleep with us most nights and love waking up to his smiling face every morning!

Costume Party

2008-10-28T15:38:00.009-06:00

Josiah and I had a BLAST at the costume party this past weekend. We went as '1980's Prom' couple....which was just SO much fun! I got our outfits at Goodwill for a total of about $20, borrowed a hair crimper and wore a ton of blue make-up. Josiah wore a NICE wig and man, was he HOT :)

FYI...this is the LEAST flattering dress E-V-E-R.

This was seriously a REAL dress. It had a bow at the top of the neck and a bow at the bottom.

the Dread Pirate Roberts!!!

The Phantom of the Opera and Christine

Prom King and Queen :)

Buttercup with The Dread Pirate....Wesley

McCain and Palin showed up!!!

McCain was campaigning the WHOLE TIME.

Don't worry, it is a fake cig....and a real belly!

Snow White and Marilyn Momroe

Even pirates love babies!!!

Speaking of adorable babies....!!!!!

My friend dressed as her hubby!!!!

Mrs. America and the Nerd

A Jailbird with a princess.

The hot guy in the mullet is MINE.

Where else can you see the broke-back cowboys talking with the Dread Pirate Roberts?

(and the guys were SO not happy with being called the broke-back cowboys)

More campaigning...as if pirates are registered to vote. Well, I guess with ACORN around anything is possible...

Towards the end of the night people started jumping into the -heated- pool.

Look closely...the Nerd is coming down the slide upside-down and backwards :)

Obama and 'spreading the wealth around'

2008-10-28T10:09:00.001-06:00

Obama and his redistribution of wealth views.

i.e. Socialism

Saturday Night Live

2008-10-19T14:16:00.002-06:00

Disturbing

2008-10-17T13:15:00.002-06:00

Perhaps I am shocked far to easily. Apparently I must live in a bubble for some to things to effect me the way they do.

Today was no exception.

The kids and I were headed to COSTCO (L-O-V-E that place...and they know us by name) and we were stopped at a red light. I immediately noticed the older lady in the car to my right, front lane...she looked a bit lost. I was wanting to help her out but could not pull up beside her. She kept trying to get the attention of the younger man in the car directly in front of me but he did not see her. I felt so helpless! She wanted to talk before the light turned green...I could feel her frustration. I have been there!

OH! Finally the man looked her way and she asked him a question. Now, I could see his face in his rear view mirror and in his side mirror...and I was kinda irritated when he rolled his eyes AND his head (you know, the head-eye role that gets our kids in SO much trouble?!) and rolled down his window. She was very polite and asked him a direction question.

*What happens now is why I am so upset*

He rolled up his window, without saying a word, and looked the other way.

The light was still red and he was just sitting there.

She said, "Sir? Sir????????" and then with a shocked expression she gazed forward in a stupor...the same stupor I was in.

I could not believe it!

He just DID NOT HELP HER. For no reason other than he did not want to.

My brain jumped into gear and I quickly conjured up numerous ideas that would let him know my anger at his actions. About how his mother might need help one day and did he want her to be treated such, and that one day he himself WILL BE in a position of some need...is this how he wants to be responded to? Those thoughts as well as physical harm came to mind. :)

I dismissed them all, of course. I did not want him to respond in a flurry of curse words that my kids would later ask about. (not that the neighbor kids have left out any)

Why does someone treat another in this manner?

Did no one teach him to think of others more highly than yourself?

Does he always respond this way when he is inconvenienced?

Again, I am disturbed. I have thought of little else.

Such a blatant show of selfishness, arrogance and pride is not seen by me every day (except in myself...which is a constant battle) and it leaves me....almost....speechless.

A humorous video

2008-10-16T10:57:00.002-06:00

A funny video about moving to Canada if the Republicans win.

Disclaimer: This is a JOKE. It is not meant to persuade voters. It is not spreading lies, hatred or bitterness. It is COMICAL. :)

One thing that scares me.....

2008-10-13T16:22:00.002-06:00

.....about Barack Obama is his wealth redistribution plan.

No, he would probably not call it that, however, the more he talks the more it is sounding like it.

THIS article in particular caught him on camera talking about "spreading the wealth around..." which the very socialist view that scares me about him.

The comments are also interesting seeing as how people from both sides weigh in on the comment. I especially like the one about how the state of California has 'spread the wealth' so to speak around south L.A with terrible results. Giving people free money will not help anything. People will only appreciate it if they have worked hard to earn it ...and no economy will flourish in a socialistic society.

Funny Bumper Stickers

2008-10-11T15:38:00.004-06:00

New Presidential Candidate

2008-10-10T16:57:00.001-06:00

I have decided to do something CRAZY. Check out this video (in case you are not on my Facebook and did not get it).

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=46832&altf=Ujggboz&altl=Gmbnn

Jot back a note to let me know what you think!

-the Hoffman's -the Zoo and -the Boyz

2008-10-10T14:53:00.008-06:00

The past week has been SO much fun!!!

The highlight was having the Hoffman family stay with us for a few days. Their kids are SO good and all the kiddies got along great. Pictures below...but first, I took the boyz to the Zoo on 'free day'...along with the rest of the state.

The giraffes are now my FAVORITE zoo animal. They are just SO beautiful!

And the little baby giraffe nursing was so cute!

Oh! More nursing animals! Made me want to whip out my baby and nurse him as well :)

-I actually did right by the lions!

The elephant doing tricks.

This guy was scary. Seriously! He would kick his...poo...all over the place. We steered clear of him after he peed...on the wall...like a fire hydrant. No kidding! It was weird, gross and funny all at the same time.

Can you tell I am the mom of 5 sons?

The brood.

Yet more fun was awaiting us. The bear in the background IS doing his business. And is stunk SO BAD that we had to walk away.

Watching the lions and wishing they would get up and roar.

When the Hoffman's were here we took the kids to the bass Pro Shop that is as big as a mall. We all had fun!

Luvbirds

This will be the motif for my next child.

*cough*

Oh, if only we had a boat!

Tarin and Bretton

Lookin at all the big fish!

Ethan+Sushi=inseparable

Bree LOVED Laz!!!

Wasn't it nice of Kellen to write his name on their car?

I was mortified.

Oh. A bear.

AAAHHH!!!!!!!!!! A BEEEEAAARRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lazzy-Wazzy

6 of the 8 Hoffman/Flamm kids

Tarin and Breelyn

My Presley

Beautiful, sweet Asher!

McCain blog

2008-10-09T22:29:00.003-06:00

Meghan McCain (John's daughter) has a blog that follows them on the campaign trail. Check it out!

'Nough Said

2008-10-08T13:15:00.000-06:00

Boyz boyz boyz

2008-10-03T16:14:00.004-06:00

My sweetie and his super hero cape.

Cowboy Pres

At the Castle.

The boyz 'dress up' almost everyday in some sort of concoction. Typically they are super heroes and take turns being the good guy and the bad guy...and they make up their own super powers and uses of said powers. It is hysterical to listen to!!!

No one better mess with this crowd.

Ethan's super power today..."Gadget Man" :)

Kell with his hair 'swooped' to look nice. He loves to comb it this way and hairspray it rock hard!

I thought he had a fever...and after the whole eardrum/doctor thing I was still a bit freaked out. He was annoyed that I made him take his temp! He wanted to do math uninhibited.

And yes, they do dress up every morning and do school in their super garb.

Never a dull moment!

Politics

2008-10-03T11:49:00.003-06:00

Had I been more enamored with the political candidates I might have spent more time blogging about them.

I am just not impressed.

I feel that John McCain chose Sarah Palin to secure the women vote as well as the hard core Christian/conservative vote. I like her in many respects and she is a tad bit more 'normal' than the average politician. However, it seems that SHE is possibly going to carry the election of McCain singlehandedly.

Why?

Because I have been hearing of SO many people that did not care for McCain at all till he chose Palin...and they are now planning to vote for him on her behalf.

WHAT?

Is she going to be our commander and chief?

No.

Is she really going to able to do...anything...of great importance as VP?

No.

So it just seems a tad off to me.

Vote for the guy not because you are particularly happy with him...but because you like his sidekick.

Odd.

She did do pretty well in the debate last night...far better than I had anticipated. It did bug me, however, that she did not answer some of the questions. AT ALL. But I guess that is typical of any politician so I should stop my whining.

I read on Fox news that Palin has -once again- boosted the ratings for McCain. It seems that when McCain is in a slump and things are looking bleak they push Palin out on stage and allow her to salvage the votes for McCain. Again, does this make sense? We are not voting just for her!

Yes, I am voting for McCain/Palin...so this is why I can dish on the whole thing so freely.

I just feel...used.

And what the HECK is going on with this bailout crap? Seriously folks...this is madness.

Common Sense

2008-09-30T21:52:00.003-06:00

I am against the $700 Billion dollar 'bail-out' that Bush is pushing.

It is...insane.

So here is a better idea from my man, Dave Ramsey:

The Common Sense Fix

Years of bad decisions and stupid mistakes have created an economic nightmare in this country,

but $700 billion in new debt is not the answer. As a tax-paying American citizen, I will not support

any congressperson who votes to implement such a policy. Instead, I submit the following three-

step Common Sense Plan.

I. INSURANCE

a. Insure the subprime bonds/mortgages with an underlying FHA-type insurance.

Government-insured and backed loans would have an instant market all over the

world, creating immediate and needed liquidity.

b. In order for a company to accept the government-backed insurance, they must do two

things:

1. Rewrite any mortgage that is more than three months delinquent to a

6% fixed-rate mortgage.

a. Roll all back payments with no late fees or legal costs into the

balance. This brings homeowners current and allows them a

chance to keep their homes.

b. Cancel all prepayment penalties to encourage refinancing or

the sale of the property to pay off the bad loan. In the event of

foreclosure or short sale, the borrower will not be held liable

for any deficit balance. FHA does this now, and that

encourages mortgage companies to go the extra mile while

working with the borrower—again limiting foreclosures and

ruined lives.

2. Cancel ALL golden parachutes of EXISTING and FUTURE CEOs and

executive team members as long as the company holds these

government-insured bonds/mortgages. This keeps underperforming

executives from being paid when they don’t do their jobs.

c. This backstop will cost less than $50 billion—a small fraction of the current proposal.

II. MARK TO MARKET

a. Remove mark to market accounting rules for two years on only subprime Tier III

bonds/mortgages. This keeps companies from being forced to artificially mark down

bonds/mortgages below the value of the underlying mortgages and real estate.

b. This move creates patience in the market and has an immediate stabilizing effect on

failing and ailing banks—and it costs the taxpayer nothing.

III. CAPITAL GAINS TAX

a. Remove the capital gains tax completely. Investors will flood the real estate and stock

market in search of tax-free profits, creating tremendous—and immediate—liquidity in

the markets. Again, this costs the taxpayer nothing.

b. This move will be seen as a lightning rod politically because many will say it is helping

the rich. The truth is the rich will benefit, but it will be their money that stimulates the

economy. This will enable all Americans to have more stable jobs and retirement

investments that go up instead of down.

This is not a time for envy, and it’s not a time for politics. It’s time for all of us, as Americans, to

stand up, speak out, and fix this mess.

We had a girl, but we sold her.

2008-09-30T13:51:00.002-06:00

The adventure today was a trip to the doctors office to have Kellen's ears cleaned out.

Long story, but it needed to be done. The kid could not hear me tell him to clean his room. (strangely enough, though, he could hear me tell him to get a cookie...)

Just kidding :)

The whole experience was traumatizing for us all.

For Kell because is was very painful. The ear wax had grown into his eardrum...yeah.

For the other boys because they had to be in there with us and watch. I actually had 4 children crying at the same time...only one of which was in pain...but I found it very sweet that the other boys has such empathy for their brother.

For me because I have never had to hold one of my children down while someone else inflicted pain on them. It was terrible. My kids have never even had a shot so this was a new experience for me.

The doctor, who was very sweet through the host of questions and tried to hide her shock at the answers, "No, Kell has never had a 'well' visit in his 8 1/2 years of life", I think actually enjoyed our little visit...minus the pain infliction, crying brothers and hippie mom.

The highlight of the visit was at the end when the Dr asked me, "So, all boys. No girls at all???"

My reply, "Nope. Just 5 wonderful boys."

Tarin, the ultra sensitive, truthful, everything-must-be-perfect child chimes in....

"Well. We did have Lily. But we sold her."

The look on her face registered, in an instant, what she was thinking:

"Hippie Mom. Homeschool. No shots. No doctors. They have SOLD a kid!!!!!!"

I immediately set the record straight. "Lily was OUR DOG."

She put her hand over her heart (no kidding) and said, "You do not know how glad I am to hear that Lily is a dog!"

We had a good laugh.

Apparently 'our kind' of people are capable of anything.

REI

2008-09-26T23:23:00.003-06:00

Oh my word.

Take a look at the AMAZING deal we got at REI!!!!

Cold Stone

2008-09-26T16:44:00.002-06:00

Now that I am an avid couponer we can actually afford to ALL get a Cold Stone :)

And obviously, the boys enjoy the ice-cream immensely.

Hence the chocolate faces.

These were just to cute to not include :)

Brunch with GG Mom and GG Dad

2008-09-25T15:24:00.003-06:00

We had brunch with my grandparents today. The original plan was breakfast, but the boys love the idea of 'brunch'...so brunch it was!

GG Mom and Laz

A rare moment of calm.

GG Mom, GG Dad, Grammy and the Boyz.....brunch at MiMi's...could this day get any better?

Yes, it could. Chocolate chip pancakes. Syrup. Does anyone want to watch my kids for me today?!

Yummmmmmm-o

Update

2008-09-24T14:43:00.004-06:00

We met Sarah and Brad in Ft collins on Sunday and had a great time with them! We only had 4 kids 'only' cause Kell went to the mountains with Grammy and Granddad.

Handsome devil.

The boys climbing....always climbing.

Tarin resting atop the Wooly Mammoth.

Running....always running.

Kell and little Laz

In the Yukon on our way to Ft Collins

As Sarah was holding Presley we discovered something...about his pants...that he had earlier put on...

backwards :)

"...WHAT?"

the newlyweds!

Yummmmyyyy......