Piano Lesson Ideas

I have started keeping my laptop on my piano.  I teach about 22 students a week and have found it to be a great tool for teaching and adding variety to my lessons.  I have to be a bit choosy (especially with the naked lady paintings from the baroque era), but I have been able to use it to show students who are playing a theme from a symphony the utter majesty and power of the original work, and help them to put some of that into their simplified version.  I am doing a "unit" on baroque music and have been able to find almost every Bach, Handel, etc. piece played by a student up to tempo on Youtube (usually they are played by fabulous 5 year olds, which makes them think, if a 5-year old can play this, then certainly I can!).  They are able to experience the new and beautiful sounds made by the clavichord and harpsichord, as well as learn about the customs, culture and dress of the period.  They enjoy the change of pace and are inspired by the videos.  I saw that one teacher had even posted tutorials for her students with her playing the piece and the camera giving a birds-eye view.  If you have any other deas as to how to use the internet in teaching, please share!

I am excited for our Baroque recital.  I am going to buy some "powdered" wigs and other fancy garb for the students to wear when they perform.  I'll let you know how it all turns out.  Most of the students are pretty excited about it!

-Mom

Scripture Journal

Here's something that Matt and I have been doing kind of hit-and-miss (thanks to his work schedule) over the last six months.  Our kids have really grown to love it, actually, and ask about it almost every Sunday. 

Since our oldest two are getting to be familiar with books of scripture and reading, we decided to study a gospel topic each week.  We pick a topic and head to the "Topical Guide".  We give each child an assignment to find a scripture about our topic in one of the books of scripture. We make sure we get one from each book.  We have them read it, we write it in our "Scripture Journal" and then we discuss what we learn from that scripture.  It has created a great environment to discuss the gospel doctrines. We don't spend much time, since attention spans are short around here.  Some silly recommendations for study have been offered too. We studied the "MOON" awhile back.  (We are pretty crazy about space around here :) ).  

We highly recommend it. It has become a great teaching tool and we hope it is a resource our children can use in the future to prepare talks and lessons.
-Heather

Sugar Cookie Bars

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law. It is a super-yummy way to enjoy sugar cookies without waiting for refrigeration, or even cutting out.  I think I'm going to try to put a little almond extract in the batter too - maybe 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.

Sugar Cookie Bars

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

5 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, micxing after each egg.  Add vanilla and mix well.  In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and stir with a whis to combine.  Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined.  Spread on a greased baking sheet/jelly roll  pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean (they won't look clean)  Cool completely and frost.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter room temp

4 ounces cream cheese softened

1 tsp vanilla (can use 1/2 almond extract)

1/4 tsp salt

4 cups powdered sugar

5 TBSP milk, (or amount needed to get to desired consistency)

-Heather

Kids Crafts: Pinwheels

I am always looking for little crafts or things to do with my children. I have a 4 year old who LOVES to do anything crafty, and a 2 year old who loves to do anything the 4 year old does. 

As spring is coming upon us I found this super easy idea that my kids will love. 

I love that they are so versatile you can use them as cupcake toppers or decoration or for a fun toy for the kids to play with.
-Megan

Baby Quilts

I am going to try a new baby quilt this week.  I love the soft and silky, but am going to add a new twist.  Maybe I could call them "sweet expressions" or something.  I want to quilt a sweet phrase or poem or something inspirational or funny in the middle of the silky side.  I have found some great quotes and thoughts on the "fabulousness" of a new baby.  I will pick my favorite so far and quilt it into the blanket and see how it looks.  I have some really great fabric, too.  I have this one with really cute dinosaurs and I thought maybe I could even do something silly like:  Dinos are scary, dinos are big, you don't scare me, my daddy works a rig!  Actually, I had something more clever than that, but I can't remember what it was.  Living in "oil country", I may be able to sell something like that around here, as the oil rig workers really have the last laugh.  If you have any "expression" you think might work, PLEASE share.  I will post a picture when I get one done.  If I can remember how to do that.  Ah, technology!  I wish it came a little faster, and stuck a little longer!  

How Great Thou Art

Six weeks ago, we found out I was pregnant. We were thrilled, you see, because we had been planning on a baby for some time now.  As a matter of fact, last August, I had decided to make some changes in my life and really prepare myself for this baby.  I have had trouble with bad hips in past pregnancies and so I decided to make a real effort to exercise regularly to try and strengthen myself. I wanted to be ready to have another little one.  I exercised faithfully, six days a week from that time on, rarely missing.  This pregnancy was going to be different. I was feeling so good, and had made so much progress, that I decided to run a 5k- pregnant or not. I signed up for one that same week we found out we were expecting.  I was ready.

For some reason, though, during the next couple weeks, I began to doubt. I didn’t understand it, but I was unable to pray for our baby and its safe arrival in our family.  I began to bleed a little here and a little there, and resigned myself to the probability that we would miscarry and lose the baby.  And so in anticipation of the miscarriage, I decided to lie low for a couple weeks. I had one miserable day of cramping and headed to the doctor.  It was soon confirmed by an ultrasound- there was no baby in the uterus.  It was only a matter of time before I would lose the baby and bleed everything else out. 

I mourned.  I was upset to say the least, but understood that it was all part of the plan for us. I had experienced this before.  My prayers were now that my body would be able to take care of what it needed to take care of, so that we could try again.  And so I waited.

February 26^th I began to cramp again. Only this time the pain was so intense that I could not get rid of it.  I talked with Matt and we just didn’t know what to do. Finally, I called Mom.  She thought things sounded suspicious and recommended that if I had any question, just to go in to the ER.  And so within the hour Matt and I made the decision, and we were on our way.   We went through a series of tests and another ultrasound.  Within a short time I had another IV placed and monitors placed on my heart and lungs. By this time, I knew something was seriously wrong.  We were told that I was being prepared for surgery for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.  At that time I had no idea what that exactly meant. My greatest fear was that it meant I was never going to have another child.  I was terrified and could only ask Matt to call our families and ask them to pray for me.  I was too shocked, and it hurt too much to cry.  Matt gave me a quick blessing and I was whisked away.

Upon waking from surgery, I learned that I had lost 1 ½ liters of blood into my abdomen from a ruptured pregnancy in my left fallopian tube.   In order to save me, they had to remove my fallopian tube.  But my life was spared. 

It is hard to describe what has happened in my mind and heart the last three weeks.  The mourning process has been much more difficult than I thought it would be.  For weeks, I could not even really cry because of the pain.  In the moments when I was alone, or when just Matt was there, my thoughts would turn to everything I had lost, and my heart broke. But I just kept telling myself to be tough, just hang in there, and I’d be ok.  Mom and Sam, and the Rachel and Dorian were so helpful the first week of recovery.  I felt so much strength from the prayers of the family, even though some of you are so far away.  Recovery was slow, but it was coming.  When I was finally able to have a good cry, I felt so much an increase of the love of my Father in Heaven.   Little by little I began to see with new eyes. I am healing a little at a time, and the spirit is strengthening my heart.  I still feel like I lost so much that day.  I lost my health and strength that I had worked so very hard to gain over the last six months, I lost a baby, and I lost part of myself.  I still have moments when I think about it and weep. My heart still breaks.  But I was given LIFE that day.  I was spared.  I now cry in gratitude.

This week we decided on a change of scenery and took a trip to Southern California to stay with Matt’s brother.  I sang my babies to sleep one night, and as I was going through a whole bunch of our favorite primary songs and hymns my very favorite came to mind- “How Great Thou Art”.  I have sung this to my children and my sisters more times than I can count.  (My sisters lovingly call it the “fall off the mountain song”)  It always reminds me of my loving Great-grandma Evans.  But as I sung this to my little ones this week, I felt like everything came into focus.  As I looked at my precious children, I had an overwhelming love and understanding wash over me.  I was reminded once again that HE, our Heavenly Father is in charge.  He knows exactly what we need to pass through.  He loves us more than we can understand.  His greatest “Art” is us- who we are becoming.  He gave me a second chance at life.  Life, that is so full of so much joy.   Life that is full of sticky fingers, slobbery kisses, noisy dinner tables, and sweet bedtime prayers. Life that is full of families that love each other enough to pray, fast, and spend time together.  Life is his greatest art and so I hope that I can proclaim “How Great Thou Art” for the rest of my days and bring honor to HIM who has given me everything.

Thank you dear family for everything!

-Heather

Family Home Evening: Love One Another in the home

One of my most memorable Family Home Evenings as a child was the time my mother made a crown...

She started by reading about King Benjamin - how he treated people right and desired the best for everyone. King Benjamin spoke to parents about taking care of their children, not letting them quarrel or fight. We talked about why it's not good to quarrel and fight as a family, and what we can do in our lives to be peacemakers at home.  We then discussed how sometimes we treat our friends better than our family, but how important our family members are to us.  Mom asked us "how we would treat a king, like King Benjamin?"  She then asked, "how should we treat each other?"

We then took turns wearing the crown. When it was our turn to wear the crown, all the other family members would go around saying something they loved about that person. It could be something about their outward appearance or personality trait, a thank you for doing something for them, or whatever you could think of. I can still remember the feelings I had that night, the spirit was so strong. Most of us ended up in tears. It was a great learning and growing experience with our family. It really brought family unity and really helped some people open up and share their feelings that otherwise might not have been expressed. 

As I grew up those thoughts would come back to me many times when I would have a disagreement with one of my siblings, and I would remember that night. It is a really simple lesson, but had a lasting impression on me.

Now, I'm waiting for the right time now to use this idea with my own family. I want it to have a lasting impression, but feel my children are too young right now. What do you think is the best age so it will really sink in?

-Megan

St. Patrick's Day meals

Dad and I were talking this morning about the green stuff Mom used to make for us on St. Patrick's Day.  I vividly remember green pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast, and green milk that (naturally) I was not too excited to drink.

Now my husband LOVES corned beef and cabbage, so we have that for dinner every year.  I like it too, in small quantities.  One year I tried to make some Irish soda bread that ended up hardening and getting thrown away....

Does anyone have favorite St. Patty's Day meals?  That kids actually like to eat?
I'll tell you what, just thinking about that green milk still makes me feel a little funny.

-Rachel

It's a Small World

I cancelled Dish and went to Netflix because football season was over and we hardly ever watch TV anymore.  Besides, daily news is quite depressing.  I read the paper, but a photo or two doesn't tell much of a story. Last night I pulled up a few videos on youtube of the tsunami.  I watched with horror and awe the power of Mother Nature sweeping the earth, and it reminded me very keenly of my own nothingness.  I watched as a vehicle sped down a street, the wave behind, only to see it stop in the middle of the road, as the wave came crashing in front of them with nowhere to go. Haunting visions.  
And those that are left?  No homes, no food, no family, no job, possibly radiation damage, and the formidable task of putting it all back together. Where would you even begin?  How do you not lose hope and wish that you were taken as well?  I find myself wondering about my preparations.  I have some food stored, a safe place to go, a basement in case there's a tornado, stuff like that.  
But none of these will matter at all if I am the one "swept away".  Am I ready to meet my Maker?  What have I become?  Do I possess that charity I should?  Sadly, no.  My hope is that I will have many more years to work to soften my heart, put off my 'natural man" and be prepared to meet my Savior.  Today's a good day to start anew.  I have wanted to send a few notes and make a few phone calls. Maybe even before I finish the dishes, because once I start on that,  the rest of the day is TOAST!  Have a great day.  I love you all!  Thanks, little Kate for calling me yesterday.  I love you, too!
- Mom

DIY Hanging Bookshelf Tutorial

So my little H has become quite the avid reader. Every morning I find stacks of books on her bed and floor. We don't have a bookshelf in her room, but I came across this idea:

found here

Isn't it darling! I cannot wait to try it! It's cheap, so cute, and I can pick whatever fabric I want and can change it up whenever. Maybe it will help with the mess all over her room too. :)
-Heather

Dinner Exchange?

Have you ever heard of a dinner exchange?  With an exchange, you only have to cook dinner once or twice a week. My friend started this up with 3 of her other friends and they LOVE it! 

Their families are about the same size (about 3-4 kids each). They get together at the beginning of the month to make a meal plan. They each choose a day of the week, which day would work for them. (Stacy has every Tues of the month, Camille has every Monday, etc.) They usually plan a main dish and one side to go along with it. They also write down the pans/dishes that the other person will need each day and set up time to have dinner done. Each family will then go pick up dinner at the time assigned (unless it needs to be cooked at your own house, then you pick it up early). 

Example of dinner calendar:

Of course there is always something that comes up in your schedule where you may not need dinner that night, but that is why you have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on your own. You can make your own dinner or have leftovers.

Your group can be as extravagant as you want and make up your own rules (dessert, budget, etc.).

I thought it was a pretty fun idea, now if I can find 3 other people to join in with me! :)

-Megan

Chores...Jobs...Chores

Growing up, we always called our responsibilities “jobs” instead of chores. I’m not sure why, but it seemed that calling them “jobs” made them less horrible.  While our friends had to go home and do “chores”, we just had to do our jobs.
The first jobs I remember doing were ironing Dad’s handkerchiefs (with a very cool iron), folding washcloths and towels, and washing and drying dishes.  Scrubbing our little kitchen floor on hands and knees was a fun one too. I couldn’t have been than five years old when mom included me.  She must have known it would take so long to teach me responsibility!
To me, one of the most memorable attempts Mom used to get us to help around the house was a simple poster board. She had drawn a picture of a house on it, and each window was a little envelope with our pictures on them. When we came home from school, we were in charge of the jobs in our envelope. As I got older, the poster board ideas weren’t so cool, and Mom just simplified things. Every afternoon we came home to a jobs list. She wrote our names and our responsibilities down and we could check them off.
Mom was always creative. We’d turn the timer on the stove on and try to beat it. We’d have partners to work with. If we were really luck she’d put in a little surprise, like “eat a cookie” or “get a drink”. This way we never knew what we were going to get.
Now I have begun the task of teaching my own children to work. Our most successful attempt thus far, is the Saturday morning “JOB JAR”. I put little jobs on pieces of paper in a quart jar and they love drawing them out one at a time. We always work as a team because it makes things go quicker and I can keep tabs on what is happening.  Any little bit of encouragement can go a long way.
If there is anything I’ve learned from Mom, it is “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try (and try, try, try) again.”  Something will work. Not for very long, but it will sink in eventually.  Then you’ll try the same tricks with your own kids all over again.
-Heather

Dinner Ideas

Hi Everyone....

So rather than giving any information with this post, I am requesting ideas. We are having the annual (sometimes more often) Elders Quorum Progressive Dinner this weekend, and my sweet husband signed us up to host and serve a main meal, plus salad/sides.

Does anyone have any ideas that would serve about 8 people that wouldn't be too much work, but still good? I would appreciate any input/recipes.

Thanks in advance!

p.s. plans are in the works for 2 bridal showers to be held on March 26th in Salt Lake...keep the date open if you can attend!

Cleaning House - Problem Solved!

I arrived home from a week in AZ late Saturday afternoon to a house that was in, thankfully, pretty good shape - except for the "surfaces" - floors, countertops, etc.  Angie offered to sweep, I mopped, then started wiping down the kitchen cabinets.  Little Lily (age 4) saw me with a spray bottle and informed me that she "cleans house for Nana" (her other grandma) all the time.  I let her have a go at it, and before I knew it, all the cabinet fronts were clean (with only a few puddles at the bottom), fridge and stove front, doors and walls, and she was begging for more to do.  So, I showed her the baseboards and she was so excited to get to work!  Woo-hoo!  Cheap, willing, always-available labor if the job involves a spray bottle and a rag!  I haven't considered grandchildren as labor saving devices before - I'll have to re-consider! -and keep a stash of quarters handy.
-Mom

Magic Yarn Ball

I was cleaning out some old yarn awhile back and decided to make a little yarn ball for each of the kids.  They loved them! They played with them for hours and hours, very cheap entertainment.  Teach them to wind and unwind it. Challenge them to make letters or shapes with the yarn. Finally, don’t forget to see how far down the stairs, or across the room, the yarn can stretch.  If they’re anything like my kids, they’ll want to keep the little ball forever in their top drawer.

Should we have More?

This morning I had a great visit with a dear friend. She just gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl. This is her second beautiful girl, and her older one has just turned two. When I asked how she was doing, the first words out of her mouth were, “I hate nursing.” She explained that to her it is the worst time of the day because her older child takes advantage of Mommy’s down time and runs wild. Even deeper than the feelings of sheer irritation at her two-year-old, though, was the sadness she expressed. This sadness comes because she doesn’t feel like she can provide her older child with the same attention and guidance that she used to. Everything is out of control in their lives right now.  Boy could I relate!

This scenario has played out time and time again probably in every family with more than one child. Somehow, though, the struggle for the Mom never gets easier. Looking back to my own experience, I remember having an inner conversation with my oldest just weeks before his sister arrived.   He was only 18 months old, and I still remember the sadness that came over me as I watched him play. I said to myself, “This is it. No more one-on-one time with him. He and I are never going to be as good of friends. We will never have time that is just ours anymore. We will never be this close. You are just going to have to suffer, because Mom will never be able to give you the attention that you once had.” It was awful!

So I have thought all day about what advice I would give my friend. When I was there, I told her not to worry, that things will get better. Older baby will begin to settle down, and feeding will get easier for little baby. I told her she is doing a great job.

As I have thought more about it, though, I am afraid there little comfort to give when dealing with feelings of inadequacy. I think that is one of the greatest trials of motherhood- feeling like you give enough attention to your children. I have learned that there is no such thing as EQUAL attention. There never will be. It is a hard pill to swallow. So is the answer to have only one child? I believe NO.  Sure the adjustment is difficult. There is no “easy” stage.  But when I look back to each decision to spread myself a little thinner, I remember all the times my children have spent together. They love each other, and where I may lack in my attention to them- they have made it up to each other in very sweet ways.  It was the same growing up. I cherish the relationship I have with each of my siblings. Never, have I wanted for the love that I needed at home.
I have decided that the best thing to tell myself over and over is - just give it your best shot! That is all you can do. You will always wonder if it is enough, but if you have done your best, that is all God requires of us. And it will be good enough.   What advice would you give?
-Heather

March Fourth ... March Forth

March 4th.  That date has a certain ring to it.  It is our Grandma Eddington's birthday, but I didn't learn that until this year.  What I did learn a couple years ago is that this date is a sentence, a command.  March Forth.  I read once in a magazine article about a family that celebrates this as a goal-setting day, a day to progress or march forth.  I thought that that was a great idea and now use it as a day to analyze where I am in my life and where I want to march to next! 

What ways could we celebrate this?   I think the family wrote their goals on cutouts of their feet and then placed them on the wall.  Ideas??
-Kiana

25 Principles for the Family

By:  Elder Daniel Jones

1.     Assist sons and daughter is Eagle scout, Duty to God, and Young Womanhood Recognition

2.     Eat at least one meal together each day

3.     Kneel together in the morning and evening as a family, call down a shield of protection

4.      Teach them the importance of (graduating from) seminary and institute

5.      Help your children save for missions and post-high school education (minimum of 1/3)

6.      Study, teach, know and review often the Family, A Proclamation

7.      Teach thrift and how to avoid unnecessary debt

-   Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without

8.      Attend church together and sit toward the front

9.      Hold meaningful family home evenings every Monday night

10.  Teach the plan of salvation and especially emphasize the saving ordinances of the gospel

11.  One hour of companionship time and relationship enhancement daily

12.  Arrange schedules for at least one parent to spend dedicated time with one child each week  

13.  Don’t give allowances, give work opportunities and pay them for work well done, and teach them to budget

14.   Search the scriptures daily, individually and as a family

15.  Have a picture of the temple prominently and teach of the blessings

16.  Fill your home with worthy literature and music

17.  Strictly monitor TV and internet for the family and yourself

18.  Arrive ten minutes early to church for meditation

19.  Obtain, Study and reflect regularly your patriarchal blessing

20.  Teach your children their individual worth comes from who they are and not what they have

21.  Correction should be timely, firm, consistent and while you are in self control

22.  Make your home a place where there is peace, understanding, security, love, and quiet communication (Satan is extremely organized.  It is not a little here and there, it is everywhere and he and his angel’s know exactly how to get what they want)

23.  Follow strictly all the words of the prophet (He first wanted Joseph Smith, then it was the Book of Mormon, but now all of Satan’s work has been directed towards the family)

-      A father protects his family with his time

24.  Be prepared for temporal emergencies and get the “all is safely gathered in” pamphlet

25.  Teach your children to enjoy hard work

Menus. How we (don't) love them.

Mom: I never know how many people will be there for any meal.  Plus, I don't like anyone telling me what I have to cook for dinner!  Even if it is just a menu.

One: I don't have money by the end of the month for what I WANT to cook.

Three: Life is never the same for long enough for me to plan ahead!  We throw last-minute parties, join parents for dinner, etc.

Fourplus (who actually does follow a menu) says: I plan a month's worth of meals and do my shopping 2 weeks at a time.  I follow it unless I don't feel like what's on the menu.  I think it saves money..... unless I forget to get everything on my list!

Five: My husband likes to cook, and he likes to eat what he wants to eat.  I hate to cook beforehand, because I never know what he will feel like eating.

Do you use menus?  Do they work for you?

Growing Pains

Originally posted November 3, 2008 here


One week ago, I was pregnant.  It wasn't really a surprise.  The pregnancy test only confirmed what my husband and I had already known for almost three weeks; without ever actually discussing it, Slice and I had both mentioned our suspicions to other people.  
A week ago I was scared and excited; my husband was ecstatic.  I wanted to wait a while before telling people, but didn't have a real reason.  Just a feeling.  So we laughed and planned, and began announcing the pregnancy to family members. 

Two days ago, I wasn't pregnant anymore.  Once again, somehow, it wasn't a surprise.  My husband and I knew - before any confirmation – that the baby I carried was gone.  I didn't want to believe it.
We talked about the origin of life, the miracle we had witnessed in only a month's time.  We learned firsthand of something that we had only read or heard discussed before.  I gained a powerful witness of the connection between Heaven and Earth, the spirits we parents are entrusted with for only a short time.

And I wept.

Three lifetimes ago, I thought I knew a lot about pregnancy, life, mothering.  After all, I'm the fifth of twelve children.  My mother is a fountain of knowledge and love and wisdom.  (Dad too.)  I've done plenty of my own studying as well: Women's History classes, classes on the history of The Family, demographic studies, research papers, personal accounts.  I thought I knew.

But nothing I read, or saw, or knew could have prepared me for that.  After the thinking and the talking came the pain.  THE PAIN.  My poor husband held me as I writhed in bed and cried, bled and cried some more.  I was falling apart.

After only a few weeks of carrying a baby, I felt loss more keenly than I have ever felt it.  Everything else I had experienced—childhood struggles, teenage inferiority complex, high school relationship drama, college 'education'—seemed insignificant.  I had written three journal entries to that baby already…and I had lost a life.

Now I can see how I was gently rehearsed in the art of miscarriage.  I was reading essays only the day before on other women's experiences with it.  My lovely sister went through the same thing just months ago, and my mother did five times.
Deep down I knew that the timing wasn't right; I wasn't ready.  Maybe I needed the experience to convince myself of that, and to be okay with it.

I am okay with it.

There's one more important thing I've learned about the difference between sympathy and empathy.  One person feels bad for you, the other has been there before.  That other person knows what to say, how to comfort you—how to succor you.  There is nothing more beautiful than this succoring…nothing in this world.
-Rachel

An Introduction

Why do I have a big family?  

Big families are “created” in lots of different ways.  Some are created from a “yours, mine and ours” situation.  Some big families are a result of cultural influences, positive or negative in my view.  One family I know had 4 children of their own and were “willed” her sister’s 6 children after a car accident took her sister’s life in another state.  Some are created one child at a time, some “grow” faster than that.  Many people decide how many is good in reference to their religious beliefs, or because of pressure from their husbands.  In a time that having big families is not too popular, I would like to share my reasons why I CHOSE to have a big family.   I was raised in a family of six children, not too uncommon for my parents’ generation.  I knew my husband in Junior High and he also came from a big family.  People just assumed I would follow suit. 

Those people don’t know me very well.  I have never been a fan of being told what to do. 

When I first married, I thought I would experiment with the “motherhood” thing.  I was a full-time college student and pregnancy was somewhat difficult for me.  I got  sick, not terribly, but as the baby grew, it had a habit of sitting right on the vein that carried blood to my head and I was prone to stumbling/fainting spells.  This doesn’t work so well when you are trying to student teach a rowdy bunch of 6^thgraders.  I eventually had to get permission from the School of Education to quit my student teaching two weeks early under doctor’s orders.  Labor and delivery came and after our beautiful daughter was born, I remember sitting in the hospital bed thinking to myself, “I will NEVER do that again!”  Epidurals weren’t really popular back then. 

All difficulty forgotten, I ended up pregnant a short time later.  My friends and family thought I wasn’t “planning” my children, but they didn’t know me very well.  I was raised in a home where my older sister was 4 years my senior and my younger sister was 5 years away.  I never got to go to school with them, go to parties with them, hang out with the same friends, etc.  My husband’s family was not that way.  Most of his siblings were 18-24 months apart and they double dated, they went to high school functions, helped each other with homework, they had ice cream parties, and were never lonely!  They had so much more fun growing up than I did (with their family) and I thought that was so cool!  Having your siblings be your best friends, too??? How convenient!   It was a great plan, and one I decided I wanted to experiment with for my children.  I was determined to provide a fabulous “growing up” for them.

I couldn’t have imagined the delightful experience it was raising 2 little ones together.  They loved each other, played together, chased each other around and I found that there was plenty of me to go around, because I was not the sole entertainer.  We kept each other company when dad had to travel, and the experiment was working nicely.  So I thought to myself, let’s do this again.  What a great time we’re having! 

Time went on and we invited more children into our home.  I had lots and lots of work to do.  But I love work.  Ask my children.  Sure, you get tired and discouraged and cranky sometimes, but to have your own little “colony” of children to work with, play with, teach and re-teach, do crafts with, share with others, and be entertained by, brought a richness into our home that was not there when we only had two.  The experiment had brought me some surprising results.  We had such a good time at our house that other children in the neighborhood always wanted to hang out at OUR place because they had a friend and something to do when they came over.  I had no problem giving them jobs too, because I love work, and figure that everybody should learn to love it.  We’d let them help in the garden, tearing out trees, organizing a closet, etc.  They loved our home because of all the busy-ness and the love and respect our children showed to each other.  They liked the hot tub, too!

Years passed and our family seemed to be working so well that we decided maybe we should share with someone else who hadn’t been blessed with a family.  We made a trip to Russia and brought home the most adorable little six year old by the name of Alexei Popov, a little boy raised in an orphanage from day one.  Our idea was that if you brought an under-privileged child into your home that he will feel all the love around him and blossom in that sweet, new environment.  We also thought he would be grateful to us for doing that for him.  We were dead wrong on both accounts!  Well, we have since learned that adoption doesn’t really work that way.  It’s  tougher than we thought.  Then it got a little tougher when 6 months later another little Russian boy, Vasily Krosovsky joined our family after his original U.S. adoption didn’t go so well and his adoptive parents called us and asked:  “Do you want him”?  I call that year my year from hell.  And I don’t use the “h” word very often.  This time the experiment took a lot more work and time to show the desired results than any of us had anticipated. 

But the good results did come.  Time and work and love are great blessings in all our lives.  Through the use of them all, we were able to pull our family together again and build good relationships, starting from square one.  We have some wonderful memories of those times together. 

The real test of my hypothesis would come, I figured, when my children started to leave home.  I always questioned whether they really felt the same way about our “fabulous family” as I did.  Did they feel stifled in the environment we provided?  Did we overwork them?  Did they have as much fun as I did?  What would they tell their friends?  What would they do when they married?  Would they even like each other enough to continue their relationships into adulthood?  I am happy to report that all the gathered evidence points to the fact that they are still best friends AND given the chance to go out to dinner with their sister and her husband or friends, they seem to choose the sister over the friend. 

Our children seem to be well on the road to happy adulthood.  They are educated well, have had opportunities to play sports, learn an instrument and have all learned how to milk a cow or plant a garden or build a room in the basement.  For the most part, they can live frugally and have managed college degrees with a very small investment on our part.  They know how to get and maintain jobs and how to be proud of themselves for doing that.  They have traveled the world, are very generous with others and seem to be planning some pretty amazing futures. 

The experiment of having a close, big family has turned out very well for us.  It has taken a lot of sacrifice on our part as you all know , a lot of putting aside our own wants or desires and living for our children, through thick and thin and sickness and health.  It has taken a lot of re-grouping, because we all think we have it figured out and the best thing we can do for ourselves is to admit that we haven’t and try something new.  We joke about having “miles to go before we sleep” because our youngest is only ten and we’re only halfway done raising  him, but we have all the help of his older siblings.  When he was a newborn baby and jaundiced and dealing with some other health issues I was so weary some nights.  I will forever be grateful to my oldest children who offered to get up with him during the night during their high school years to give me a little rest.  I love my children so much.  They are the sweetest part of my life.   

We have learned so many things through the years about parenting, teaching, feeding large crowds, entertaining, birthday parties, organizing and simplifying.  I am honored that my daughters want me to share some of the things we’ve learned together.  We know that the road seems long sometimes.  Our prayer is that maybe we can offer some insights that might  help you along your journey because we believe that families are forever and if you’re not finding much fun in the journey, then forever could be a very long time. 

We will share our thoughts about having children, feeding them all, family activities, adoption, surviving miscarriage, traveling with children, parties and how to make it fun while living frugally, all from different viewpoints.  We’ll share some of our funniest memories, some of our biggest mistakes and how to simplify, simplify, simplify.  We’ll discuss how to develop YOUR talents and how to feel like you’re still a person in the midst of it all.  Because “if mom aint’ happy, then nobody’s happy!”  I look forward to hearing my sons and daughters’ takes on different topics. 

But last and first, I need to thank my husband of nearly 31 years for his telling me that  “whatever you want to do with your life, do it!”.  He has loved me and supported me in every endeavor, has gotten up nights with the babies and changed diapers galore.  He has brought home the bacon AND fried it up in a pan for me.  He has helped create wonderful traditions, Saturday morning pancakes being one of the best,  that our children yearn for even when they’re clear around the world.  He’s dried my tears, bought me flowers and bubble bath and he is the BEST part of my life.  I love you, sweetheart!
-Mom