{b.i.f. seventeen}

I just finished helping Amelia get dressed to play outside in the snow.  I found her missing mitten, and this was the conversation:

A: You found it!!  You're a genius!
Me {smiling}: Thank you.
A: What does "genius" mean?
Me: It means you're really smart.  What did you think it meant?
A: I thought it meant "I love you".

I'll take it either way. :)  

{Merry Christmas 2012}

To all of my readers in blogland...our family wishes you a very Merry Christmas.  Here is the Christmas letter that we sent out this week to our family and friends.  Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!  It has been a rather uneventful year in our household and will be fondly remembered as the “Year of Steady”.  Let it be known that I will take as many steady years as I am offered.  Josh and I celebrated 10 years of marriage in July, and took an absolutely glorious vacation to the Riviera Maya, Mexico, with some of our best friends, Dave and Deanna.  We spent the majority of our time holding down lounge chairs, turning pages of books, admiring the ocean, and eating and drinking the offerings at our resort.  It was relaxing, refreshing, and needed.

This year, Josh prioritized our back deck as his project of choice.  He replaced all of the deck boards, stained it, and is hoping to have it screened-in this coming summer.  He is also currently making plans to add on to our house.  We are looking to add an extra room and an attached garage.  {Please note that I am claiming this garage as my own, and all other parties will need permission to store their belongings in my garage.  I’m hoping this doesn't sound too selfish…I simply want to be able to park in it on a daily basis without being squeezed out by tools, lawn mowers, and huge bags of plastic duck decoys.  Is that too much for a girl to ask?  Long ago, Josh claimed the entire 30x40 pole barn as his own, so it only seems logical that I would be first in line for this space.}  Speaking of the barn, Josh spent many hours in his workshop this year building a full-size standing mirror and a beautiful new headboard for our bedroom.  {See, he does such nice things for me, and yet I get all possessive about this new garage.}  Hunting season has stocked the freezer with three deer and a few ducks, and we’re hoping at least one more deer will feel the need to nourish our crew.  Only time will tell.

I continue to manage and educate the crazy brood.  I have found this year to be a very enjoyable one since Olivia has become mobile and independent.  It is also much easier to keep track of a toddler who is under so much surveillance by her three older sisters.  We all really do work together to keep Olivia’s sticky little hands out of trouble.  I don’t typically have a hunting update in my section, but I am pleased to announce that I shot my first animal this fall:  a chubby little groundhog that had made his home under our barn.  I’ll be honest…I kind of felt like a big deal, and Josh was certainly proud.  This past fall, I also ran my first 10k.  I was completely disheartened when I crossed the finish line just seconds over the 1-hour mark {which was my ultimate-absolute-best-scenario-goal}, and then was completely ecstatic when I realized that the timer on my bib didn't actually begin until I crossed the start line {which took about 30 seconds off of my time}.  These things happen to people who are sheltered and only run in small town races.  I’m hoping to train for a mini-marathon next summer, which is something I would have considered virtually unachievable a couple of years ago. 

Claire {4^th grade} is growing up before our very eyes.  She turned 9 in May, and it felt like life handed us a bit of a gut check when we realized that she was halfway through her childhood.  {I may have even shed a few tears over this.}  Claire has seen an increase in schoolwork this year, which has proven a challenge to her time-management skills, or at times, lack thereof.  She really enjoys reading and has taken it upon herself to read aloud to her sisters several nights a week once they are all in bed.  This year, she is taking an art class at our local elementary school; she’s made a couple new friends and really likes her teacher.  She wants all of you to know that she enjoys running, sewing, baking, attending local festivals in the summer, and watching Daddy work in his workshop.

 

Meredith {2^nd grade} had her tonsils removed at the beginning of June.  We had thought for quite some time that they were abnormally oversized, and the ENT confirmed it.  Her tonsils were dangerously obstructing her throat, and she sounded an awful lot like Darth Vader at night when she slept.  Once removed, she immediately slept better, felt better, and of course she enjoyed eating ice cream and popsicles in front of her sisters for two weeks straight.  Meredith continues to be enthralled with Olivia, and Olivia loves it.  I've often found the best way to work the grumpies out of either of them is to shut them in a room and snuggle them together with a book.  It is absolutely heart-warming to watch the two of them interact.  Meredith would like you to know that she loved picking blueberries over the summer, going to the county fair with Grandma and Grandpa, dressing up as a 50s sock hop dancer for Halloween, and going hunting with Daddy a couple of weeks ago.

Amelia {4 ½} never stops moving and rarely stops talking.  Her energy is both contagious and exhausting, and she keeps us hopping on a daily basis!  This year has brought her the ability to write her name, write her numbers, and make her bed.  Josh took her on her first hunting adventure this fall where they bagged three squirrels.  To say that she absolutely loved it would be a gross understatement.  She couldn't be more excited to start kindergarten in the fall, and she’s hoping that her two wiggly bottom teeth will have fallen out by that time.  Amelia would like you to know that she loves to count, likes eating meat and steak, and is disappointed that I won’t let her draw her name across this Christmas letter. 

Olivia {21 months} is one big bundle of sweetness.  This little peanut brings more joy to our family than we could have ever imagined.  The three older girls think she is the sweetest, funniest, cutest baby, and only occasionally do they get annoyed with her ability to find each and every pencil, marker, pair of scissors, or important book left unattended.  Thankfully, Olivia has recently ceased her daily attempts {with varied success} to climb onto the kitchen counter, nearly giving her mother a heart attack; she is now focused on mastering door knobs.  This girl absolutely adores shoes that are at least 3 sizes larger than her feet and can be found wearing several different pairs throughout the day.  Olivia would like you to know that she loves giving hugs, she loves crawling around and roaring like a lion, and her favorite part of the day is when Daddy walks through the door. 

This fall brought a couple of major changes to our daily routine.  At the beginning of September, we purchased a newer mini-van.  It’s crazy to think that this van could possibly be the first vehicle Claire drives…yikes!  And the end of September brought us new neighbors.   We had grown to love our former neighbors, Mo and Kay, but we were overwhelmingly blessed when some of our very best friends, Brian and Kristi, purchased the property that sits directly in front of our own.  Josh and Brian have been scheming all kinds of fun ideas and are like two little kids constantly running back and forth to each other’s houses.  We’re looking forward to many great memories together. 

We pray your families are well and hope you are truly enjoying this Christmas season!

Much love,

Josh, Jackie, Claire, Meredith, Amelia, and Olivia

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”  Luke 2: 16-20

{gingerbread houses 2012}

I'm just going to let these pictures speak for themselves.  I absolutely loved doing this with the girls today.  Such a sweet day.  Amelia and I worked on hers together. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{menu plan: december 2012}

It's nutso to think that my next meal plan will be for 2013!

December 1-8

1: no cooking

2: no cooking

3: whole chicken {slow cooker}

4: chicken and noodles {with leftover chicken}

5: french toast bake and bacon

6: frozen pizza

7: pork stir fry

8: sloppy joes

December 9-15

9: chicken patties

10: beef stew {slow cooker}

11: calzones
12: tacos
13: almond chicken and rice
14: baked potato soup {slow cooker}
15: leftovers

December 16-22
16: no cooking
17: chili
18: pancakes and bacon
19: deer steaks
20: chicken cordon bleu {slow cooker}
21: frozen pizza
22: no cooking

December 23-29
23: deer and noodles
24: grilled pork shoulder
25: sticky buns
26: homemade pizza
27: parmesan baked chicken breasts
28: grilled rosemary pork chops
29: baked creamy chicken taquitos {new}

December 30-31
30: no cooking
31: smoked ribs {I'm drooling already}

-make ahead smoothie bags for snacks
-pecan bars
-raspberry thumbprints
-scotcharoos
-chocolate chip cookie bars

Do you see what my "sides" looks like this month?!  Not trying anything new...just donating 10 dozen cookies for a cookie walk that supports one of our favorite ministries.  Going to be doing a lot of baking next week! :)

Happy cooking!

{b.i.f. sixteen}

I put Olivia in some old bib overalls today {complete with a hole in the knee}.  A couple of hours later, I noticed that she had leaked through her pants and needed a complete change of wardrobe.  I laid her down to take her bibs off, and she began to wail. 

And I mean wail.  

She grasped onto the front of those bibs and hung on for dear life.  She was yelling, "Noooo! Doooh! Daahhhp!"  {In English, that would be, "No! Don't! Stop!"}

I began to chuckle and said to the girls, "I think she doesn't want to take these off!"  They all agreed.  

I did my best to try to pull them off of her, but she continued to cling to her beloved bibs.  The girls and I couldn't contain ourselves; we were laughing hysterically.  At this point, her little face was beet red.  I think she was even sweating.

I finally pried those overalls out of her sticky little hands while she spewed baby obscenities in my general direction.

This entire scenario made my day.

{keepin' it real}

I've been thinking about this post for a long time.  And by a long time, I think it’s been at least a couple of years, if not more.

We have a lot of fun in this family.  We work hard, and we play hard.  Josh and I work hard to make memories for our children and each other.  

I say it on this blog, I say it on facebook, and I say it in real life over and over and over again.  We are so blessed…and we are blessed beyond measure!  God is good…all the time.

People often tell me how much they love to read my blog and my facebook status updates, and they also enjoy seeing the beautiful pictures of my girls that I post.  I love all of those things, too!  I wouldn't post them if I didn't like them. 

My continued fear, though, is that people will think that we live a perfect little life.  I sure hope that you know that we don't.  Hence, the reason for this post.

Let me start by sharing some self-imposed guidelines for my facebook page and my blog:

-You will never see me speaking poorly of my husband.  It is not becoming of any wife.  I will not do it.  {On a side note, Josh does have his faults.  However, I speak about them privately to him, my bff Deanna, or his family.  These are people who are discerning and will not take my side undeservedly.}

-I will put a positive spin on almost any situation...or at minimum find a little humor in it.  This is who I am, forever the optimist.  I might grumble about something today, but by next week, I'm sure I'll be doing my best to find a positive side to the story.  Whatever the case we'll be making the best of our current situation.  How else will we endure it?  

-I will encourage others and share what works for us.  This is one of my constant goals in life.  I realize that what works for us may not work for other families, but I crave knowing other people's routines and tricks because that's where I get all of my ideas.  I steal almost all of them.  Rare is the idea that was mine first.

-I will write about memories that I don't want to forget.  This is especially true for our blog.  You will see our highlights and bloopers because those are the memories that I treasure.  This is our highlight reel.  These are the parts that would make the scrapbook if I had one.

And here is some imperfect, kinda grimy, non-supermom reality for your reading pleasure:

-On days when we don't have to go anywhere, I often stay in my pajamas all day.

-If I don't dress Olivia during her first diaper change of the day, you can bet that she stays in her pajamas all day, too.  On a positive note, she has spent less time in her jammies than any of my other children.

-We use paper plates for lunch almost every day.  For $2 a month, my sanity is saved.  Well worth the money spent.

-Sometimes, I let my kids watch t.v. just so that I can get stuff done.  {You might not think this is a big deal at all, but I have issues with the t.v.  This one is a big one for me.}

-My pots and pans accumulate on the stove because I hate washing them.

-Sometimes I lose it and yell at my kids.

-As soon as I clean a room, someone messes it up again.

-My kids truly do enjoy being together, but they also know how to push each other's buttons. One or two of them are awfully good button pushers.

-My house looks clean and picked up when you come over because I knew you were coming.  Stop by on a Tuesday morning, unannounced, and you'll get the real deal.

The organizational side of me that you see has been born out of necessity.  I am not naturally an organized person.  I have good intentions, I know how to organize, and I can probably even tell you how to organize some parts of your own life.

Personally, I struggle with disciplining myself to use my systems.  They are in place, but my motivation and energy often seem to be in short supply.  Still, it is extremely beneficial to know where to start and how to go about it when I find time, motivation, and energy.  Again, I would lose my sanity if I didn't at least have a plan.

Now about our stuff.  {Another fear of mine is that people will think that we have a lot of money because we have nice stuff.}

I will be the first to say that we do indeed have a lot of nice stuff.  Josh works really hard to provide for our family so that we can have and do a lot of things.  He is also an extremely skilled do-it-yourselfer, and this man can find a bargain like no other.  We have saved thousands and thousands of dollars because of these skills.  {We have certainly not saved any time because of these skills...just money...lots and lots of money.}

Our finances are a huge priority to us.  We are awfully disciplined when it comes to our money.  I'll be the first to say it:  we are cheapskates!  We have a whiskey appetite and a beer budget.  Actually, I think our biggest problem is that we have a top shelf whiskey appetite and a cheap beer budget. :)

We aren't big spenders on a daily basis.  A lot of the nice things we have were birthday or Christmas gifts from our families or each other, or we've saved and saved to make a purchase.  We are not extravagant.  When we do shop, we often shop at resales/resale shops, garage sales, or get hand-me-downs from friends.  We are frugal, and it works for us.

My birthday dinner the other night?  That once-every-few-years extravagance cost us almost 2 months worth of our eating out/babysitter budget.  Trust me when I say that I enjoyed every single minute of it.  My commitment to cook dinner each and every night of the month has served me well this year.

Our priorities do not include "keeping up with the Jones'".  I certainly struggle with this from time to time.  I think we all do, but we need to remember that the Jones family is probably in debt up to their ears and miserable because of it.  We will not be that family.  We will not fall into that trap.  We will be thankful for all that we have, knowing that we've been given more than we need and certainly more than we deserve.

I will do my best not to play the comparison game.  It is my hope that I am real enough that you actually do see some of our struggles and challenges...we certainly have them.  I want you to be encouraged and to enjoy watching our family make memories and grow.

What you see is what you get.  This really is us...just remember that a lot of it is the best of us.  It's the favorite-edited-photo side, the we-cleaned-the-house-before-you-came side, and we-probably-baked-some-chocolate-chip-cookies-too, side.  This is our best foot forward.  Please remember that sometimes we trip and fall flat on our faces just like the rest of the world.

I pray that you see our family continually loving each other, continually forgiving each other, and continually falling at the feet of our Heavenly Father in thankfulness and humility for all we have be given.

Thank you for being faithful followers of us.  We love having you share in our memories.