Some recent photos

This is a picture of the front of our new house.. and the back of the 'new' van.
This is the back before the play equipment came from my Grandparent's yard.
These are the kids modeling the barn. I know you can't see much of the barn. It's a barn. It needs paint. It has a tin roof. It's dark and dirty inside.

This is Micaela and Nathaniel playing train. Appaerantly this is what you wear when you travel by train to California. Those are the floors Ian laid, but in this picture we hadn't yet put down the baseboard. I know. I have a fettish for green walls, I guess.

These are a few of the lilies that bloomed before we left for California. This picture was taken in the small lily bed. I didn't get pictures of the big one in bloom, but you can see we have a lot of colors.

This is Asher being confined in the stroller, so I can take pictures :)

Science Lessons

Last week we read in our nature reader about how the mommy mud wasp (I've always called it a mud dauber) makes a mud nest, lays her egg, and fills the nest full of spiders for her baby to eat when he hatches. Then she flies away and never comes back. We talked about how God provides for the baby mud daubers through their mother. Today we found a mud dauber's nest in the barn. Ian took it out and handed it to Micaela (in my mind I'm wondering if those spiders are alive or dead...). He didn't hear our lesson, so we explained to him what we had learned. Ian decided to cut open the nest so we could see inside. We found a white grub (the baby mud dauber) and about 10 living black widow spiders. The grub was eating one when we opened it. I've decided that mud daubers are NOT pests, and we will leave their nests alone :) It was fun to get to see the science lesson. Micaela said it was so cool.

On Southern hospitality

We've been blown away by the friendliness of our neighbors. All month we've had several people bringing squash, okra, cucumbers, tomatos, and now corn to the house. Last week we picked blackberries, and tomorrow we're supposed to go to P&J's down the road to learn to shuck corn. We can take as much as we want to freeze. Tonight the neighbor accross the road sent some more corn. His daughter and granddaughter brought it as we were reading stories to the kids, and putting them down to bed. She probably didn't know what to think of us. I'm sure my mouth was wide open-I said thank you like 10 times, and I didn't know whether to say yes or no when she asked us if we like okra. Micaela said okra was her favorite, so I guess we'll be getting some later. I feel guilty taking all this produce! I'm very grateful though. Money has been tight, and this has definately been a blessing!

Things I hope to remember and get into scrapbooks...

A couple months ago Asher became fascinated with the kitchen trash can. It has a lid that flips up and down. He was probably just 9 months old. I would say 'no-no' really loudly and firmly, and he knew to stop- momentarily. Once I said 'Asher No No,' and he turned, made an ugly face, pointed his finger, and said "DO DO" (as in dodo, not due). At that point I knew he was ready for spankings. hehe

On the subject of aquiring verbal skills, just a few days ago Asher was laughing at his brother Nathaniel and tried to say Bubba several times. We were at the doctor's office, and Nathaniel was doing something funny. Asher would laugh and clap and say Bub-bah.

While we were at the office, Micaela got some shots. They boys were absolutely amazed. They watched in wonder as the nurses uncovered the needles and put one in each leg. They were long needles! I couldn't stand to look. Nathaniel tried to comfort his sister when it was over. He has a gentle and quiet spirit. It's just not often part of his body :)

Today Nathaniel put together his very first interlocking puzzle. We have puzzles with three pieces, five pieces, eight pieces, and so on. He decided to start with the 24 piece puzzle. It took him about 40 minutes to work it. 15 minutes to take it apart piece by piece, and then 30 minutes to work it again. Then he took it apart and worked it again. I'm very proud of him. It's funny to see him concentrating so hard.

In other news, Gabriel has spent the last several weeks in his new-to-him yellow rubber boots and Nathaniel's fireman hat. He's worn them to Walmart, to the office, to the park, to Nana's, to Nana's YMCA pool, to VBS at the church, to the playground, to the doctor, and of course daily in the yard. He does not wear socks. His feet- and his precious boots- STINK!!!

Also Gabriel prays. This is typical meal time prayer. Thank you for Bubba, thank you for Caela, (squinting around the table) thank your Mama, thank your for Caela, thank your for Bubba, thank you for Daddy, and thank you for Asher baby, and thank you for MY BOY!!! Gabriel calls himself My Boy. If you ask his name he says right away- No, I'm not Gabriel, I'm the BOY! When he sees his reflection he says That's My BOY!

I know I have things to remember about Micaela too, but I can't remember them. She is so filled right now with the wonder of the growing things at our new home. She loves the gardens, the trees, and yes, the mushrooms. She's also into bug collecting. She picked up a gigantic buzzing/singing cicada- as big as her hand- to stick in her bug cage today. YUCK!

It's been a while

It has been a while, and so many people have asked us to keep updating. Here we go. We officially own our home in Georgia, about 25 minutes from Ian's office in downtown Chattanooga. We have 6 mostly cleared acres on the top of a mountain (more like a hill). It's really pretty property, and there are flowers and flowering shrubs everywhere. The children love all the room to play, and we look forward to adding some livestock and a vegetable garden in the coming years.

We live in a rural area and have been attending a small local church. We really enjoy the teaching and feel very welcomed by the people. My dad and his parents were members of that church when my dad was in grade school. Some of my grandparents' cousins and nieces still attend there. Several different families have brought us fresh garden produce, and once we got to visit a cow farm around the corner to go pick the biggest blackberries I've ever seen. Country churches are definately different.

As the newest ticker proclaims- yes, we are expecting our fifth baby, and (hopefully) she will be born before Micaela turns 5. Since we all want a little girl, I half expect twin boys. I think that would be a fine joke, and be a lot of fun for Nathaniel, Gabriel, and Asher as they grow. I have experienced some morning sickness (day-long sickness) this week, and that is NOT normal for me. I've never been sick during a pregnancy- except once with food poisoning. Anyway...

We are also planning a big cowboy birthday party for Nathaniel and Asher in August, so if you live close plan to be here :) I hope to let the kids have a camp fire and make hot dogs and s'mores that day- in addition to having target practice with coke cans and water guns, roping practice with a 'cow bale', and either horse or wagon rides. Even though I'm completely horrible at crafty things, I intend to make cowboy and cowgirl outfits for my kids. We'll see how that goes.

I have to go now because my little Ash is wanting me. He makes faces and grunts. I have faith that some day he'll talk. I suppose he'll be nearly two though before he's interested.