it's a beautiful life..

                                                                                                   

 

  beautiful things right now..

1. Late nights by the fire with my husband. Nine children sleeping while we re-connect

2. Christmas crafting


3. Nursing Seamus in the rocking chair as he plays with my hair.


4. Laughter. These twins are such a precious gift in our home.


5. Teenage boys with babies on their hip. We have some up and coming fantastic dads.

6. Freezing nights and friends to hand out hot chocolate with downtown.


7. My home. There truly is no other place in the world I'd rather be.


8. Getting lost in a story with my children.


9. Candle light dinners.. music softly playing...


10.  Snow flake paper cut outs, pine needles, string, glue, tape and a relaxed mama.. because this kind of childhood merry is gone in a flash.

Bucket List

 I know this summer is going to fly by an I really want to make the most of it. 2014 has already whizzed by and it's time to make some joyful family memories.
So here is our summer bucket list. And friends you are more than welcome to come up for a visit this summer!

• Kayaking in the evenings
• Park days with my littles and friends
• Bon fires
• Pot lucks and bon fires
• Beach days
• Reading on the deck
• Sun tanning
• Waterslides
• Lots of eating on the deck
• Water balloons
• Swim
• Outdoor movie night
• VBS
• Paint in the yard
• Slip & Slide 
• Homemade popsicles

Father's Day

 I started this post on Father's Day evening and keep coming back to it in my spare time HA! what ever that is?

We spent the day with family having a BBQ took our kids out shopping for new swim suits. It's always an adventure going to the mall with everyone. We get lots and lots of comments about how many there are etc..  the other day I took everyone shopping and this lady flipped out and called other people to me shaking my hand like I am a celebrity saying that she had been watching us shop and how happy and well behaved our children are. Funny thing was I woke up with a headache not in the mood to shop didn't feel like a great mom at all and yet God used a stranger to encourage me.  Unfortunately the comments Chris gets are all sexual in nature, and yet what people don't  look at it is what I see and live with ever day. He really is the most amazing dad I have ever met, I really am so blessed to be married to him.

*He amazes me with his heart he has for each one.
*He amazes me with his patience and tenderness.
*He amazes me with his energy to keep up with them!
*He amazes me with his passion to encourage them and build them up.
*He amazes me that he takes turns getting up with them in the middle of the night.
*He amazes me how hard he works to provide for them all.
*He amazes me how there is hardly an evening he hasn't read, sang and prayed with them since they were born.
*He amazes me how he actually spoils them.
*He amazes me with his devotion to pray for them in the late night hours or even just in the middle of the day.
*He amazes me with his ability to babysit all seven so I can get a few hours alone on Tuesday nights.
*He has amazed me with his laundry skills and dish washing skills and bathroom cleaning skills and cooking for a pregnant woman skills and fetching crying baby skills. Now, he didn't come by all those before I met him, but decided to be the best Daddy he could be!

Count Down

Once everyone goes to bed, the elf flies back to the North Pole to report back to Santa about what activities, good and bad, took place throughout the day. Before the family wakes up each night, the scout elf flies back from the North Pole and hides. By hiding in a new spot each morning around the house, the scout elf and the family play an on-going game of hide and seek. The Elf on the Shelf explains that elves get their magic by being named. In the back of each book, families have an opportunity to write their elf's name and the date that they adopted it. Once the elf is named, the scout elf receives its special Christmas magic which allows it to fly to and from the North Pole. However, the magic might go if touched, so the rule 9,000,000,000 for The Elf on the Shelf states: "There's only one rule that you have to follow so I will come back and be here tomorrow: Please do not touch me. My magic might go, and Santa won't hear all I've seen or I know." Although families aren't supposed to touch their scout elf, they can talk to it and tell it all their Christmas wishes so it can report back to Santa accurately. On Christmas Day your elf will leave for the rest of the year until Thanksgiving comes.

( Our children know there is no Santa or an elf that does naughty things but it sure it fun to play pretend)

We changed the house around for Christmas, it really opened up the space.

 My busy girl found the markers while I was busy on the phone one morning. She was a little unsure when I said "Oh no Hannie what did you do?" She was all smiles when the camera came out.

Happy St. Patricks Day

We love St. Patrick’s Day! We started our day with a healthy
fun breakfast of Lucky Charms.Later in the day I made green shamrock soft pretzels for
snack time along with a story of the true meaning of St. Patrick’s Day. Then
later we will finish off our day with the older children watching St. Patrick the Irish Legend movie.

Mothers Day

Mothers Day used to really frustrate me, I had this idea in my head of how it should be "the perfect day" but every year I would fall disapointed. My husband has bought me flowers for 12 years and small token gifts, we have done dinners, luches, picnic's you name it. But it's not like I could go off duty with small children and a nursing infant and yet that's not even what I wanted. I love being with them, the older ones are getting to an age now where we are becoming friends all the hard training seems done and we move into a mentoring type relationship. Yet with many little ones life is very much hands on.
Chris is wonderful he has NEVER EVER said anything about me going out for coffee or shopping with friends. He jumps in when I jump out, we make an awesome team together.
So Mother's Day has always felt like one of "those holidays" Yesterday I was nursing my little Hannah watching Rachael and Natalie play "house" the way they would coo over their dolls, rocking and changing there clothes. They get all the play dishes out preparing dinner for when the daddy comes home. And they are so joyful. It rememeber being the same way!!! I used to dream of this life and now I am so blessed by the grace of God to live it out. Yet it was convicting watching them play and laugh and smile at what I sometimes grumble about.


Is there anything sweeter than holding a newborn baby,
or rocking a small child to sleep?
"Reading a story aloud with children tucked in all around me," as a friend says,
is one of her great delights in life.
Such fondnesses are the mark of biblical femininity.
Let us shamelessly embrace it.
May God give us grace that overflows our cup,
that we may model it,
passing on a love of nurturing to the next generation.

CAKE!

Tomorow is St. Patricks Day, we always do the green food but this year I made a rainbow cake,

the children just love it.

This was what we did last year

http://fruitfulabundance.blogspot.com/2010/03/happy-st-patricks-day.html

Tomorow we will read the true story of St. Patrick's Day, the little ones will color some shamrocks for fun.

Hapy New Year!

As you can see the Christmas season was a busy time for us, time spent with family and friends.

Now as we enter into the New Year we are preparing for the arrival of our much anticipated baby. Everyday that passes I get more and more excited to hold and smell this tiny little one in my arms. But as every New Year that comes change is also in process..
I often like to make plans and goal each January, and they are kind like how you feel at 11:59pm New Years Eve to how you feel at 12:01am New Years Day..... The same. Nothing really happens.
So my goals and passions also tend to stay the same, but one thing that does change a little is my vision it becomes deeper with more passion.

This year in 2011 I want to become a better wife,
I want my relationship with Chris to radiate joy to our children and beyond the boundaries of our home. I want to take a good look at what I am bringing to the table of my marriage. I want to be that bride he vowed to love and cherish for the rest of his life. But am I still that bride he fell in love with?. I want to give him everything that I have this year.

The scripture I am using as a reminder to be a Godly help meet is "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD."
~ Proverbs 18:22.

My commitment to mothering and raising arrows for the Lord, my * World Changers*
My goal in this area is to watch my tongue, Not in the scene of yelling or being critical to them. But to be sweet and pour out encouragement on them everyday. Being aware of every word that is coming out of my mouth about my children. Not only to them but about them. I don't need to feel pressure to share negative things about them or to "have a mommy time vent". I want to speak blessing this year not curses. I know I can not be the perfect mother but that doesn't change what God has called me to do as a mother. Every word I speak to or about my children will affect greatly the future.

~This is from J. R. Miller's classic book, Home-Making, originally published in 1882:
What we want to do with our children, is not merely to control them and keep them in order-but to implant true principles deep in their hearts which shall rule their whole lives; to shape their character from within into Christ-like beauty, and to make of them noble men and women, strong for battle of life. They are to be trained rather than governed. Growth of character, not merely good behavior-is the object of all home governing and teaching. Therefore the home influence is far more important than the home laws; and the parents' lives are of more significance than their teachings. Whatever may be done in the way of governing, teaching or training-theories are not half as important as the parents' lives. T...hey may teach the most beautiful things-but if the child does not see these things modeled in the life of the parent, he will not consider them important enough to be adopted in his own life.~

My home.

My goal for my home this year is hospitality, but not so much in the sense of more dinners and company. But more breaking free from lies and intimidation the enemy places on me. Reminding myself of what hospitality is and is not and not worrying about the things *I* think people care about. One of the biggest things I feel the Lord speaking to me about in hospitality is that it does not ask me to be impressive - with my home, with my food, and with myself. But that it is about loving people and showing them a sacred, intimate part of our life. The verse I have posted in my kitchen is
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter 4:8-10"

Advent & new PJ's

Today was advent number 22 and our fun stocking said new pj's and a movie. So we stayed up really late and watched The Nativity.

Peace

Normally this time of year if full of stress and chaos, with shopping and visiting and everything that comes up in between.

I feel an over abundance of peace this December and when I think of the New Year coming the words peace, comfort, joy, and love go though my head. I'm sitting in my big chair with a signal candle flickering on the table. All the lights are out but my Christmas tree. I have a hot cup of tazo chai tea beside me. ~Sounds great hey?~ Well I left out that there are 6 children loudly playing at my feet with Christmas music in the back ground. :)

Peace doesn't mean quiet! nor does it mean that everything will be running smooth.

Peace is what is in your heart, two days ago one of my children flushed a handful of baby wipes. If you have been a mommy for any amount of time you know what this means!

20+ towels and a couple blankets later to stop the flowing toilet that wasn't flushed just once and a call to my husband to come home quickly to help me out, 4 loads of laundry I was pretty proud of of myself I kept my cool minus the few yelps for "get more towels"!

Im sure we could avoid these things from happening by having a perfect house but all you would gain is a perfect house. Perfect homes don't change the world and they don't raise godly children. A houseful of children means work and more work but it also means joy, blessing, wealth, and growth in your heart. So as I sit here thinking about things I'm reminded that I can choose to live by my feelings or I can choose to live by Christ who IS in me. I am so thankful today His peace dwels in my heart.

A Wonderful Thing

Being a mother is a wonderful thing,

My bedside alarm, it nevver need ring,

I'm awakened each day with bright cheerful faces,

And soon 'round the table they've all taken places.

Our meal is seasoned with plenty of chatter,

The fruit and the muffins fly from the platter,

There are stories to share and a Bible verse too,

We reverently pray -it's not always a zoo!

The day is so full of a number of things;

First chores, then schoolwork, then song practicings,

ooking and cleaning and book-reading too,

A mom of wee children has plenty to do!

I've heard busy times end as quick as they start,

So I'll treasure these day, store them up in my heart,

Small children grow up-the time goes fast,

The business of mothering soon will be past.

Be cheerful and thankful each day that you've got,

Greater joy anywhere, there surely is not!

As you work through your duties may God hear you sing

'Cause being a mother is a wonderful thing!

Walking By the Spirit.

The Lord has been reveling His awesome power to me daily, when I really get on my face before him and pray and dig into His word he is so faithful to show us more of Himself.

We have been super busy around here with Christmas preparations, Chris and the older 2 boys got the outside lights up while the younger children and I did some indoor decorating. The tree will go up next Saturday. The kids have been busy everyday creating Christmas card, pictures, and snowflake cuts outs. Today we started some of our Christmas baking despite the head colds going around our home.

I am so grateful that our children have an opportunity to be home and develop so many creative and practical skills. Even more than that I am thankful for the family unity it creates.

I was wanting to write about the Holy Spirit's awesome power in our life. It makes me so excited what He is doing and what He will do in the future!

Everything that I know and live today is because of what the Holy Spirit has taught me. It's a beautiful thing. He's been really showing me how He has anointed me as a perfect mother for these seven children. It's truly an incredible thing that when I full lean on him he shows me how I can meet each different need of each individual child. I think our culture becomes so accustom to looking to all the "experts" for advice - myself included. But as I move into a new season of mothering I am seeing how this can cripple what God has already placed within us. The world does not have better answers than God has for our families. Of course there are times when it can give us some practical help but I am seeing when we turn to Him alone His mighty wisdom will NEVER fall short. It's difficult when we live in an culture that has many voices coming at us claiming they know what is best.

I often hear mother's talk about how hard it is or how they are not cut out for this or that. The truth is nobody is and never will be if you don't submit to your heavenly Father and have a teachable and mold able spirit. This kind of mothering takes huge sacrifices-dying to yourself-laying down all your wants for the spiritual well being of your family. We must love our children with God's love, humble and gentle. Repenting to God and our families of our fleshly and worldly hearts. You can tell if these things are present in your life by the way you treat your family. When the Holy Spirit is dwelling in your life there is continual conflict in your soul. It's a truly beautiful thing to know He is at work. The Holy Spirit and our flesh can not be one. I am daily laying on the alter all outside influence from culture and trusting the work of the Lord in my life. With out this constant humility to our Father I can't even begin to mother my children in a Godly way, it will always fail. I see in my life applying this one very thing has brought be much peace with raising my children. I have the amazing blessing of seeing God first hand answer many prayers and I anticipate many more. And I give Him all the glory.

Waiting for snow..

Natalie had big plans of singing the snow to come....

Having many children in violin and piano leaves you never void of Christmas music around this time of year.

Baking with my Beauties

My little baby is almost one in 20 days, makes my heart skip a beat.

How does this year go by so fast? I think every mommy says that, but really it's like you blink and poof they are toddlers.

My little artist spent the quiet morning drawing pictures for all his Grandparents with a little note that read "Jesus is Alive"

The girls and I were inspired by my Mennonite friend down the road and we decided to make Paska.
Paska is a traditional Mennonite Bread made only at Easter.
It was a sweet morning this bread is wonderful to make your home with smell absolutely amazing.

I couldn't help but day dream as I was doing up dishes and the two girls on chairs up with me. How fun these years are but in ten years these two will be my best friends. Raising daughters who enjoy homemaking can be a wonderful adventure and I am looking forward to the years ahead. What a blessing they will be to our home.

"One of the sweetest places a young girl may have in any home is that of big sister. What a field of happiness and usefulness is open to the girl with little brothers and sisters! They are ready to look up to her as a guide and a pattern in everything. If she manages rightly, she can have unlimited influence with them.

"Have you seen her, the ideal big sister? She is ever ready to kiss away the bumps and bruises of little heads and hearts, she know just how to mend broken dolls and balls, she like to pop corn and make candy for little people to eat, she knows such wonderful stories to tell or read, she will pick up and put of of sight those evidences of childish neglect that might bring little people into trouble, she understands and is a companion for every one of them. Yes, many homes have just such older daughters as that.

The girl who is learning day by day to be a good daughter at home and a good sister to the younger children is also learning day by day how to make in time a good wife and a good mother. She is getting ready for the greatest work a woman can do...

There is no work so good for any woman as making a good, true home for somebody. Every truly beautiful character is its best at home. Let us never neglect the home life."

--From the book 'Beautiful Girlhood' by Mabel Hale from the early twentieth century

Baby's First Christmas

Let the stable still astonish:
Straw—dirt floor, dull eyes,
Dusty flanks of donkeys, oxen;
Crumbling, crooked walls;
No bed to carry that pain,
And then, the child,
Rag-wrapped, laid to cry
In a trough.
Who would have chosen this?
Who would have said, “Yes,
Let the God of all the heavens
And earth
Be born here, in this place?”
Who but the same God
Who stands in the darker, fouler rooms
Of our hearts and says, “Yes, let the God
Of Heaven and Earth be born here—
In this place.”

Leslie Leyland Fields

Merry Christmas

All of us with my two "little" brothers.

Tis the season to be busy...

Advent day 14 was skating on the lake.

Even though it was -5 F the kids skated for hours! Coming in for hot chocolate warm ups and then back out. We are very blessed to have like minded friends whom our families love to be together. Their is something special when you truly love your friends children.

This is Abby, Rachael loves to be doted on by her.

I can't believe how fast the days are flying by. I go to bed every night thinking of what I need to get done. And really so much of it is just basic household stuff.

So I have some changes coming to my morning. A very dear friend that the Lord has placed in my life at the perfect timing has really encouraged me to get up early before my children and soak in the Word. I read this quote and it's SO TRUE " What would bread be without flour? nothing but a pile of mushy goo.- What is mothering with out God and the Word? nothing but a pile of emotional mess!"

I have been really discouraged lately in my walk and really pondering the verse "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." I am seeing so many Christians that are walking on a wide road and it scares me. I feel like I have come to this spot with some Christian friends in my life where I am waving "Good-Bye" I am not content to stay in this place. It's not all about fun, fellowship, silliness to me. I need Jesus! and I need him DAILY! I need to keep moving forward and I'm sad but I'm afraid it means leaving somethings behind.