Showing posts with label everyday rambling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label everyday rambling. Show all posts

Thursday, June 4, 2009

They Got Their Chance...

...to rescue us that is. And boy was I glad! Tommy did not believe that the girls had seen a "huge snake". I don't think the boys believed them either. Those of us that saw their pale faces and their little trembling selves did though. We all chose to believe that the snake was just passing through and not living in the bush outside of our garage or we would not have wanted to go outside ever again :)

We were sitting in the garage yesterday evening watching heavy rain fall as a storm passed over and discussing our disappointment of another game cancellation. All of sudden, my husband's clip board full of game plans goes flying along with his lawn chair and he jumped back, I mean jumped in between me and a huge snake that came out from under the bush just outside of the garage. After a second to collect himself, he did grab a hockey stick and thankfully Jacob was not afraid to help and the two of them wrangled him into a bucket. Jacob was very brave, and did not seem afraid at all. He is the one in the video picking up the snake, playing with it, and then putting it into the bucket. He watched a LOT of Crocodile Hunter growing up and loves Survivor Man too.

Now much to my disappointment, we could not kill a "good snake". So, after tiring him out and letting everyone inspect it as much as they cared to, everyone (except me and Rose) took him to some nearby woods and let him go. Hopefully, never to return. Please don't tell me if you think it's possible that a wayward snake can find his way back "home" . You know like the stories you hear of dogs and cats traveling miles and finding their way back. I really wish the poor creature no harm, I just don't want to share my yard with him ;)

And like any good homeschooling family, we did some research about local snakes. We discovered that our snake is a rat snake. The only kind of snake in Virginia that grows over six feet in length. If your curious and want to see lots of neat snake pictures check out The Virginia Herpetological Society. Even the pictures give me the "willies".

Thursday, April 16, 2009

In Memory...

of those who lost their lives on the campus of Virginia Tech.
April 16, 2007
and
In honor of all those who answered the calls for help that day.

**click here to see the pictures I posted last year**


Sunday, March 22, 2009

Talking Over Oatmeal...

Wendy and Lily had this conversation over oatmeal this morning....

Lily, "When I grow up I want to have lots of babies, and I will hold them then put them in the floor to play."

Wendy, "When you grow up, Lily, God will put an egg in your body and it will grow. You will wait a long time , then you will have a baby. Then another baby, then, another baby, then, another baby."

Lily, "Mmmhumm."

Wendy, (with enthusiasm) "But FIRST, you have to pick a boy. A husband. IF your a girl you pick a boy, if you're a boy, you pick a girl. Right, Mama? (I nod yes.) Wendy continues...That boy will be your husband, Lily. BUT, you can't pick Daddy. He's Mama's."

Lily, "Mmmmhumm. I won't pick Daddy." (smiling at me)

Lily asks me, "Then who will you be?"

I said, "I'll always be your Mama, but when you have kids I'll also be Grandma." =)

Wendy adds, "But you'll have different hair, right?"



Thursday, February 12, 2009

25 Random Things About Me

1. If a frog landed on me I would be more upset than if a spider got on me.

2. When I was a little girl, I wished I was Laura Ingles Wilder and would wear my robe tied around my waist like a little pinafore.

3. I could keep having babies until I was no longer physically able.

4. I love feminine, frilly things. But you would never know it if you saw me in Kroger in my sweats and tennis shoes.

5. I LOVE coffee. Just plain old coffee with lots of half-and-half.

6. My family means everything to me.. I am blessed.

7. I was saved at summer church camp and baptised in a swimming pool. I was twelve years old. I will never forget it.

8. I have loved being in church as long as I can remember.

9. I have nursed all of my kids and they have all slept with us for some period of their babyhood.

10. I dream of being a grandmother. I pray that my house will be filled with visiting grandkids.

11. I love peanut butter.

12. I struggle with the decision to grey naturally or color my hair.

13. I dream of owning a little property in the country, but I'm really more of a city girl.

14. I volunteered at a hospital for a couple of summers in college. I worked on the floor for the terminally ill. There were at least two times that I remember answering a call from the nurse's station to find to patient had stripped off their clothes. eeewwwwwww!

15. I loved my Mamaw and Papaw and miss them something awful. They were a huge influence on who I am today.

16. I love taking pictures of my family.

17. I think of cookbooks as good reads.

18. I used to be a ballerina and a cheerleader.

19. All of my birth stories are unique, but I am most proud of my two home births and wish I could have had them all at home.

20. I love a coconut candle. It reminds me of the beach.

21. I can be really grouchy and have to constantly keep my attitude in check.

22. I used to love roller coasters and want to go white water rafting. Now I'm too chicken.

23. I was asked in kindergarten if I was kin to the Beverly Hillbillies. I wasn't sure so I asked my Mom;0)

24. I grew up camping, but now you would have to drag me kicking and screaming.

25. I love God and want to do my best for Him!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Blog Anniversary and Giveaway!

Monday December 15 will be the first anniversary of Joyful Nine. I can't believe quickly the past year has gone by. It seem like yesterday that I was counting the days waiting for Rose to be born!
I have enjoyed learning to blog and still have a lot to learn . I love sharing photos with family and sharing recipes and just the day to day things of our home with my real life friends and my blog friends, like Monica. Blogging is great for sharing all our frugal finds!
I don't have as much time as I would like to write about homeschooling and our day to day life. This is why you usually see more pictures than words here:) I love taking pictures of everything and if I didn't need sleep you would see multiple posts everyday. However, since I need sleep and we need food and clean clothes, it is more hit and miss here than I would like! Lord willing, I look forward to another year of blogging!
To celebrate my blog-a-versary I will share my favorite blogs to read:
In no particular order...
Now...help me celebrate my anniversary by leaving me a comment! Every blogger loves a comment! If you are a regular reader, let me know!
I will randomly choose one person from the comments to win a $10 gift card. I will even let you choose what kind of card! You can choose from the following....CVS, Kroger, Wal-mart, Walgreen's, Food Lion, Starbuck's, or McDonald's.
So, leave me a comment! Be sure to tell me what gift card you want if you win and your email address if you don't have a blog. The contest will end at midnight on Monday the 15th. I will announce the winner sometime Tuesday.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Kiss My Lipstick...


Actually Kiss Sarah Palin's lipstick! One of the many buttons I read last night at a rally in my town! I wasn't sure all day that I wanted to fight through fifteen to twenty thousand people and thirty-five windy degrees to see her and say I was there, but I did! If you know me, you know it takes something special to bring me out in the cold and a crowd to do anything!
I decided I liked this lady in the first couple of minutes of hearing her speak at the republican convention. She is well spoken, extremely poised, and smart. Read all about her on the biography page of her website.
Her conservative stand and Christian worldview is enough for me to get excited about, but I love the fact that she is a breastfeeding, baby wearing, mother of five! I told Tommy, "It is ridiculous how excited I am" waiting for her to come on stage last night. Here are a few pictures from last night....

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

What we've been doing....

We have been working hard and playing hard. Here's a little of what we've been up to, my style. more pictures than words...
Jacob turned 15! Happy Birthday...we love you!
Ro-Ro is working on her culinary skills!
We watched lots of baseball...which made for fun evenings at the ball field! Samuel's team won their district and had a good showing in the state tournament. We were very proud of him.
A beautiful rainbow after a storm before a ball game....
Our favorite time of day is first thing in the morning. We go outside to play and have a little Bible time before it gets hot.


Summer school piano lessons....


We continue a half day version of home school so we can do fun things like slip and slide after lunch!

We've been organizing, gardening, visiting the library every couple of days for movies and books, bike riding, and playing with friends!One last picture, my cutie nephew, Jackson!

Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy 4th of July

Patriotic Freedom
Patriotic Freedom


John Quincy Adams:• “Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [the Fourth of July]?" “Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity"?--1837, at the age of 69, when he delivered a Fourth of July speech at Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Read more quotes from our founding fathers here. If you've not ever read the Declaration of Independence, today is a great day to read it and be thankful!
picture from allposters.com

Thursday, June 26, 2008

A Chat With Lil'

While snacking on craisins.....
Lil'...."You wike my shoes Mom?" (not mommy, just Mom, she's so grown up:0)
Mom...."Yes, they are beautiful, love them!"
Lil'..."Where did you get these shoes for me, Mom?"
Mom...."Umm, not sure."(I had never seen them before, she pulled them out of a bag of hand-me-downs in the garage)
Lil'..."You pwobwee bought them at CBS for me." Interpreted...you probably bought them at CVS for me, it's such a great place to shop you know?!

Saturday, June 21, 2008

"Take Me Out ToThe Ball Game" Re-Mix

Take me out to the ball game,

When we all come it's a crowd,
Buy me some popcorn and freezee pops, We don't care if we ever get back,
'Cause we'll Root! Root! Root! for our bubba's and sissy,
If we don't win it's O.K,
It's One Two Three strikes or goals,

And our Daddy's the coach and we've all had fun,
At the old ball game!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

We're Not Promised Tomorrow

Faith
Faith



I have had several reminders recently that we are not promised tomorrow. I have a Uncle in a battle for his life against lung and liver cancer. Today I read this devastating story. Steven Curtis Chapman, a christian musician, and his family lost their youngest daughter in a tragic accident. You can read the details here and see a sweet video of Maria here.
I can only begin to imagine what these two families are going through. It does however give me a clearer focus and purpose. My prayer is that I will live each day I'm blessed with serving the Lord and treasuring every precious moment with my family.

Picture borrowed from allposters.com.

Friday, May 16, 2008

I've Been Tagged Again!

Tisha has tagged me to share some things about myself. As I made my list I realized how boring I am, but even those that know me well will probably learn something they didn't know!
5 jobs I've had:

  1. Golden Coral Steak House
  2. Advance Auto Parts
  3. A window factory print shop
  4. Radford University Library
  5. Wife and Mommy- by far the best job and the only one I ever really wanted!

5 Movies I like (disclaimer: IF the children let me pick these are my requests)

  1. Mary Poppins
  2. Monster's Inc.
  3. Winnie The Pooh
  4. Time Changers
  5. Beverly Hillbillies on DVD

5 TV shows

  1. Biggest Loser (mine and Tishas) It's really ridiculous how hooked I get!
  2. Wheel of Fortune
  3. People's Court
  4. Everybody Loves Raymond re-runs
  5. the local news, especially the weather

5 Places I've lived

  1. Price's Fork, VA
  2. Florence, SC
  3. Goldsboro, NC
  4. Christiansburg, VA
  5. Staunton,VA

5 Favorite foods

  1. Coffee...cold, hot, frozen...But mostly I just really look forward to my morning cuppa with lots of cream!
  2. deserts in general, ice cream, cheese cake, you name it! You know ladies that say "oh, that_____ it's so rich, I can only eat a bite or two." Puleeze, not this girl:0)
  3. coconut, the taste and smell!
  4. Italian food
  5. salads, I love a good salad!

5 Places I'd like to be

  1. Home
  2. Closer to family, my family and in-laws are all out of state, we miss out on a lot.
  3. Hilton Head Island, SC with my family during off season
  4. Any quiet beach anywhere with just my family
  5. Home, really there's no place like home!

Now I'm tagging Sarah!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Just Curious...

I don't want anyone to think that I go through life making decisions based on what people may think. I guess that is fairly obvious based on the facts...seven children, two born at home and all home schooled, breastfeeding past a year, sometimes past two years. With that said, I am curious about something. You see, we live in a neighborhood of lovely homes, most built in the seventies, all well maintained, with about an acre of well manicured yard. Our back yard connects with the backyards of five other homes. It is really pretty especially this time of year with everything green and blooming.
So now I have a question for you. Should I put up a clothesline? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Fireproof


Fireproof will be released in the fall of this year. This movie is written by the same man that made Facing The Giants, one of our favorites! Visit the movie's website for more details!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

April 16, 2008

Virginia Tech Memorial
Hokie Stones...one for each of the fallen
We remember
Picture credit...my Dad, Thanks, Dad!

Friday, April 11, 2008

A Conversation With Wendy

After Wendy (just turned four) and I read a book we had this conversation....(Baby Rose was on a blanket right in front of us)
Wendy..."Why is she smiling?"

Me..."Because she is happy."

Wendy.."I love Rose."

Me..."Yes, me too."

Wendy..."I don't want a baby in my house."

Me..."You don't?"

Wendy..."We could give her away, and what would you say?"

Me..."I would be sad."

Wendy...(with a big smile)"We could give her to Nana and what would you say?"

Me...."Nana would be happy!"

Wendy..."Would you cry, Mama?"

Me..."Yes. A lot."

Pause and much thought...

Wendy..."Mama, you can keep her. I love Rose."

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Technical Difficulties

I may be the only person on the planet that doesn't know what "the blue screen of death" is when it pops up on your computer. Well, I do now. Thankfully, I did not lose any treasured pictures. Yes, I am one of "those" that have not backed up the last year or so of digital pictures. Well, I am in the process of doing so now. I am very "computer challenged" and hope to get better organized with the whole picture thing. Until then, I am not doing much else on the computer.
Maybe by the first of next week I will have all photos copied to discs and will feel safer using the computer. I am looking forward to posting about baby Rose (it has been a while since doing an update on her) and a great recipe I want to share. I also want to post on Wendy's 4th birthday and our trip to Maryland to see my new nephew!
'Be back soon.....

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The Beauty of Spring


I love the change of seasons. This is the time of year to open the windows and enjoy the crisp air and birds singing. The grass is getting greener and the buds on the trees will soon give way to new life. And I love going barefoot and just needing sandals to go out! We can pack away mittens and hats and gloves! Did I mention that I love this time of year?

I came across this website for kids today. There are poems with printable coloring pages and craft ideas for children. I copied this poem and coloring sheet for Wendy and Lily today.

These verses came to mind today also. I am thankful for the beauty of the season and God's promises in these passages.

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; and they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, and even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, oh ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For all of these things do the Gentiles seek) For your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God , and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:28-33

Thursday, January 17, 2008

In case anyone was wondering....




What a two weeks past due pregnant belly looks like.....Still patiently waiting:)