PHOTO DUMP!

So I'm a week late with my photo dump.  Life happens and we've all been a little under the weather.  Lots of nose blowing and coughing and snuggling going on.  But we've still been running around like crazy....hopefully starting tomorrow we'll be able to hang low, do extra school work, and still have a chance to keep recovering.....anyway, here they are in whatever order blogger loaded them in.  I don't have the time to sort....but I will caption

L was a "fairy" for halloween this year.  I've never shopped for girl costumes so we had to kinda make do since I won't put a 2 yr old in a costume that looks like it belongs near a pole.  I'll start early and make her a costume next year.

M was Captain American....

G as Iron Man

A as Robin Hood.

A did a "live in program" at Lincoln Log Cabin recently.  He is the boy in the stocking cap and the red plaid shirt.  They got to live like pioneers for a few hours.  He loved it.

We painted pumpkins instead of carving this year

another pumpkin painter

L and G working some pumpkin painting magic

We had the boys birthday party at our favorite gym...I took pics of the action but they are all blurry.

The King and I had a chance to go ziplining with another couple.  We didn't mess with cameras while ziplining but this was the entrance to the ranch where we went.  SO MUCH FUN!

Llama farm field trip.  

There ya have it.  All the pics I can get my stupid slow internet to load today....:)

How time flies when you're having fun!!

It has been 2 weeks since I've posted anything on here.  How did that even happen?  (well, I really know that answer....I am chasing my tail most days).  I'll try to do a photo dump the end of this week.

But more importantly....today is "gotcha day!"  We've had L at home for one whole year.  ONE. WHOLE. YEAR.  How did THAT even happen?

One year ago today we...

...had gotten into Kansas at like 1 in the morning the night before and still didn't sleep much.
...got up early to find a target/walmart or something to buy a car seat and groceries for in the hotel. (trying to                 keep busy while we waited some more)
...waited to hear from the social worker about when we would be able to meet/get her.
...met L at the agency's office.  She came right to me but not the King.
...had to take her immediately to a dr that none of us knew. (I hated that part)
...discovered we would get to meet first mom the next day.
...fell in love with a little girl.


In the last year we....

....bought a bunch of clothes.  She grew through 3 sizes last year....and she's a girl!  ;)
....potty trained (I think we finally got it)
....learned how to do hair very very different from my own.
....celebrated L's second birthday
...experienced the "terrible twos"
....became a family of 6
....enjoyed our first family vacation as a family of 6.
....answered more stupid questions from complete strangers than imaginable
   (Is she adopted?  seriously people! - One day I'm gonna answer "Nope, I had an affair with the mailman!")

L has shown us....
....girls like superheros too.
....and they can "rassle" with the big boys.
....mood swings start early.  ;)
....so do opinions about clothes.
....the best thing to do in a car is sing 2 lines of the same song over and over and over and over again.                 LOUDLY!
....toddlerhood is fun albeit a little hard sometimes too.
...Kids are resilient....shockingly so.


The adoption journey has been an amazing one for our family.  It was a long, long wait.  Each of those years of waiting felt like a lifetime (see our story here).  Now that the waiting part is over, time is FLYING again.  It is crazy!  Life is crazy!  And it's even crazier when you have 4 little ones at home.   Speaking of which, I'm gonna go join them....if I don't I might miss something.


If anyone reading this is unsure or has serious questions about adoption...the process, how it worked for us, whatever.  Please Please Please ask me.  I am an open book to those considering this option for their families.   I can't answer all questions....but I can tell you what it looked like for us.

Missed a week! But here are some pics.

I'm not going to say much and get right to the pictures.  Pictures are worth 1000 words after all!  These are in no specific order....

This week we had a guest student for 3 days.  She has been adopted from Mexico and is hearing impaired....learned and used sign language all week.  And really enjoyed spending time with her.

L is studio ready.  

We got to go to a birthday party at a gym that we love.  The boys party is booked there for later this month.  (I did try getting action shots but every one of them is a blur)

Field trip at a local apple orchard.  L hitched a ride up the BIG hill and I worked up a sweat.

Feeding the fainting goats at the apple orchard.  On a side note: fainting goats are hysterical.

playing with a baby lamb.  So sweet and soft while on the field trip

We made challah bread for social studies as an example of Jewish culture....everyone helped.  (I really wish L would smile for pictures)

Everyone got to knead and roll the bread for braiding.  

Finished challah bread.  YUM!

We also learned about life in an Ancient Roman town.  One of the several projects we did was designing Roman mosaic tiles.  M is just getting started

A is working on a second one....(see the images on the wall-we got the projector out and are using it for school-it took WAY too long to think of this.  It is great!!!!)


So there it is.  A few pictures to represent the last couple weeks in life at our house.  

TOTALLY FUNNY STORY!!

We went to Gulf Shores, AL for vacation at the end of August.  On the drive down, one of the "distractions" from so many hours in the car that I had in my bag of tricks was fake mustaches.  They stuck on and they were HUGE hits (much to my surprise, honestly).  A wore his off and on the whole week we were there until it fell apart.  We let the kids do things like that.  It doesn't hurt anything and, lets be honest, it is hysterical.

We drew the line on Sunday morning when we found a church to visit.  There we required a certain level of respect and that does not include a stick on mustache.

So I bet you are wondering where the funny part comes in....a friend shared this link this morning on facebook.  It is a map showing the 2 weirdest laws in each state.  Many of them are funny (although not all are kid appropriate)....read Alabama's 2 weird laws.  :)  And A might remember that sometimes mom and dad just need to be obeyed.  Hehehehehe

Our New Addition!

We have a new addition in our family....his name is T-bone!  And the kids love bottle feeding him every morning and evening (wonder how long that will last).  However, his name is indicative of his destiny....but that is 3 years or so down the road and we'll have gotten more calves between now and then (names may include Sir Loin, Ribeye, or A1 as determined when we get them).  :)

Now for pics.....

Introducing T-bone.  He was born July 20 so he is about 2 months old.

getting ready to feed him.  (one day G will learn not to wear flip flops in the pen...he's been told but some people gotta learn the hard way.)  :(

G giving him his bottle.  L wants to do it so bad but he sucks the whole bottle right outta her hands....so she assists

M got a turn with the bottle on his first night.  

A taking his turn with the bottle....

This little guy is going to be buddies with the kids till he gets big enough to pasture (and then he'll be friendly enough to be dangerous I'm afraid)....By then we'll have another little guy to be buddies with.  :)  He bawls all night long and then bawls at us if he hears us all day (and it's only been a few days).  When he gets a little bigger I'm guessing he'll be giving rides.  HA!

School week 3!

Ok, first of all I can't believe that I've been able to do a blog post every week about our school year.  This week did not go at all as planned but we still did pretty well.

Karate was fun and more challenging this week.  We had to do a plank (oh man do those hurt) and we got to do some more complex moves.  As we were practicing I thought of the new karate kid because we were all pulling "faces" trying to get it right.

A is working on flash cards with his multiplication facts on them  We are just gonna hang out here until he can do them quickly and accurately.  M is doing well with addition and is working on money.  G is doing well with the new reading program but we are taking it REALLY slow.  I am not hurrying him thru ANYTHING!  We are going to get this.  L is having fun making huge messes!

We were planning on a field trip to a nearby airport to see the planes but I didn't get us signed up in time so we didn't get to go.  We joined a new homeschool group this year and I'm still learning the website.  We were all bummed but it was ok.

In social studies this week, we used the projector (how have I never gotten that out for every day school) and we did an online archeology dig for Roman artifacts, put them back together and decided what they were.  We got many right and when we got them wrong, we learned what they are.  Then as determined by what we found where in the "dig" we were able to see what the little town may have looked like.  It was great fun and we all learned something.  Did you know that at the baths Romans would rub themselves with oil and then steam and then scrape the oil, sweat, and dirt off themselves (or a slave would do it) with a "scraper" (think big old fashioned razor but made of wood).  That was news (and kinda gross) to me.  :)  We're also working on mosaics.

We did a science experiment this week.  I don't have pictures of it because despite 3 tries, it was a total failure.  :(  Moving on to whales next week.

I am enjoying guitar and now that it has new strings it is even better.  And A is jamming on his drum lessons.  So much that we had to get him a drum set.  It is just coming to easily.  We were blessed by another homeschooling family with an awesome price on exactly what we need.

Now for some pictures from the week....

I peaked around the corner and saw this in my living room.  Heart melting image!

Fun at the fall festival parade!

A and daddy pitchin washers at daddy's family reunion

school outside on a beautiful day!!!

MOre outside school

And more outside school!!

We even brought our lunch out that day.

Some ag class up on the roof trying to figure out why our chimney leaks with Pappy.  

More ag class prepping the pen for a new addition to the family.  Pictures to come soon.  He's still a little skittish.

Soon, I'll post some more weekend fun pictures (we've had a birthday and another coming next week)!!!  We are so busy! 

Chunky granola

Recipe from more with less cookbook

Preheat oven to 350

In ungreased 9x13 put
      6 cups rolled oats

Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and add
     1/2 cup each.  Sunflower seeds or nuts, coconut, wheat germ, dry milk powder

In separate bowl combine
     2/3 cup honey,   2/3 cup oil, 1 teas vanilla

Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Make sure to get it really coated (I use my hand even though the oats are hot).  Bake 10-15 minutes longer stirring every 3-5 until golden.  Do not over bake.  Let cool undisturbed.  Then break into chunks.

Chopped raisins dates or dried fruits can be added (I do this as I serve cause sometimes I want them and sometimes I don't)

To turn these into granola bars add to liquids 1 egg, and about 1/3 cup milk.  Press mixture firmly into  two 10x15 well greased pans.  Bake until nicely browned...cut immediately and remove from pan when cool

I am trying the granola bars soon...maybe today :)