Redhead Roaster

I got this coupon out of the Sunday paper awhile ago for a free coffee from Wendy's, so I stuck it in my purse and forgot about it. Well at my last ob checkup I pulled it out to look at the details. Lo and behold, it is a reusable coupon for free coffee for this entire month!!

Not only that, you can get coffee, or flavored fancy coffee, or flavored iced coffee. And what's more, the coffee is awesome! It is soooo good.

Like a good and generous mother I have allowed some of my children to redeem the daily coffee for themselves, but mostly I've hoarded it like a miser!

You need to go in and try a caramel roaster. It is divine goodness in a cup, my friends. I love it so...

United on the Homefront

I am so, so happy to have all of my children home!!

I know it's difficult to imagine, but my life is more simple, more quiet, more organized, more laid back when even one of my seven children are gone. But it's just not right. I miss them so much. Usually I use the time to clean out the missng link's room. It's always a relief to unload the countless trashbags and vacuum the carpet. Once tha's done, I am ready for them to come home.

This past week Leila and Deisha were at my mom's for Little Girls' Camp. They had the time of their lives. Leila even cried a little on the way home because she already missed her sweet Nana. I can't blame her. I miss her too.

I wish I could take you all to Nanaland. My mother is one of the most selfless and most hospitable people I know. She is a shining symbol of godliness to our children without fail!

I know I will tire of the rat race at some point, with a houseful of children, but right now I am really loving my life. The Lord has blessed us and I am grateful!!

Lvb

So Excited!

My sista is scheduled to be induced tomorrow morning, and I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve! I can't help but thank God that He brought us home so that I don't have to experience this via text updates a million miles away!

She is considerably calm, regardless of the chaotic circumstances with the gestational diabetes and doctor ordered induction. And she is looking soo cute!

We are all thrilled to snuggle sweet Piper Jayne! Pray that all goes well and that the Lord's blessing is evident on this precious family!

Emporia

My sister is days away from having her baby, so we are here in Emporia, eagerly awaiting sweet Piper's arrival!

I have never been on this side of anticipation. Usually I am the one begging God to make it all end and scouring the internet for a remedy to induce myself.

If you have seen us together, you know the similarities between me and my sister. This is one place we part ways. She is patiently enduring every false alarm. Her hope is to wait as long as possible. I have never experienced this inside the final month. It's amazing!

On another note she steadily continues to lose weight as her pregnancy draws to a close. The doctor prescribed diet has helped that I'm sure, but in all of my eight pregnancies, I have yet to come out at the end looking any less than the size of a small vehicle.

I am so excited to watch her function in her role as a mother. With these monumental differences in her attitude toward pregnancy, who knows how she will tow the line in the great parenting journey. She has been with me through almost every stage of my parenting journey and watched me fall to pieces countless times. It will be interesting to see how she handles the ups and downs and carosel of chaos that a new baby brings to your world.

In the meantime, I am enjoying a quiet couple of weeks with nowhere to go and nothing much to do! Loooove it!!

Lvb

Birthday Fun

Deisha's birthday is Saturday, but with all the craziness of Michael's graduation, we gave her a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party early to curb the loss of the actual day. Dana took her to Build-a-Bear immediately following, and then to Yogurtini. It was a day of Kansas City revelry and mayhem. She loved it.

I am tired, but it was a good day. Dale took the big kids for a bike ride, Leila, Deisha and Jasmine are doing yoga, and Tre is practicing his guitar. Hello, summer; I love you.

I hope things are going well on your end!
Lvb

What's goin on

Maybe you heard, I'm pre-ga-nen-te!!! And this while working a real job for too long on top of raising seven and schooling five children leaves only a wink for anything extra.

I seriously miss writing. I miss telling you my funny stories and amazing epiphanies. I miss knowing that we are connected here. And that, my sweet friend, is what brings me back.

So this morning God answered my prayers definitively. I have been agonizing over my job since before the positive pregnancy test. My children, these blessed gifs of life, have needed me here at home with them. I struggled to let the extra income go but felt the end coming. After I announced the new baby coming, the hunt began for my replacement. I thought I would continue to work one day a week after she was hired, but I found out this morning that I will not have that option.

It's funny... I should be thankful, and I am. But I feel strangely about leaving. I want to be as productive at home as I have been at work.I want to work as hard at saving money as I worked to earn it.

Ultimately, I am anticipating a wave of relief in two weeks when I wake up early to serve here at home as Dale's wife and Kennedy's, Micah's, Jasmine's, Tre's, Leila's, Deisha's, and Scarlette's Mom.

And maybe I can spend a little time here with you too!!

Lvb

John Gibson Paton

He was born in a Christian home near Dumfries, Scotland, in 1824. From an early age he had a special awareness of a closet in the three-bedroom cottage,  where he lived with his parents and ten brothers and sisters. He described it thus:

"The closet was... the Sanctuary of that cottage home. Thither daily, and oftentimes a day... we saw our father retire, and "shut the door"; and we children got to understand by a sort of spiritual instinct...