Life with my sister

The new school year is in full swing and the Fab Five are having a fantastic start.  Henry Patton started Kindergarten this year at Valley View. He is enjoying it so far. He has lots of old and new friends with him. His teacher is a great fit for him too. We are so proud of how brave he is becoming.  (Julie, we really need a school picture of our best girl! This is the most recent one I had of her up close from July) Anna Kathryn started the 6th grade at Beavers Academy. She is so bright and sweet. We are loving watching her bloom into the beautiful woman God has created her to be.  Samuel Charles started his senior year at Watson Chapel as a full time student. He is playing football and baseball. Watching him develop into a Godly young man who puts his convictions first is very inspiring. This year is going to be full of cheers and tears watching it all unfold for our first born love.  David Robert and Daniel Stephen started 9th grade at Beavers Academy and Watson C...

This past weekend we went fishing to begin our April birthday celebrations. If you are new around here, Anna will be 8 on the 20 th and David and Daniel will be 11 on the 24 th . We celebrate birthdays for days!!! Samuel was at a D-Now weekend, so Stephen and I took Daniel, David and Anna to Heber Springs to trout fish. I have never been fishing before. I actually got my first fishing license right before we headed out of town. I wasn't real excited about going, but the kids could hardly wait! Daniel caught the first fish and Anna soon followed. By the end of the day the 5 of us had caught 23 rainbow trout. I was so excited. Everyone got their limit but me, but I didn't mind. The kids had such a great time. Our feet were covered in mud, many of us had fallen down because of it but it didn't dampen our spirits one bit. We had a great time! Now to celebrate with cake, ice cream and presents for the rest of the month! Julie

The kids enjoy dyeing Easter Eggs every year. Since I am far from being OCD or a type A personality, the kids get to dye the eggs anyway they want. They can use every color for one egg or just one color. It doesn't matter to me. Their creativity gets to shine! We were at Aunt Janet and Uncle Mike's house this Easter weekend and Aunt Janet was so sweet to let us use her kitchen to dye our 3 dozen eggs. And to let us use her refrigerator to store them in. her frig may never smell the same again! I spent Easter morning with Mom at Aunt Janet's. The kids and Stephen went to church and then joined us for lunch. I missed being at church (It makes 2 years in a row. Last year Daniel was sick.) but enjoyed being with Mom for the last time for a while. We had Whole Hog BBQ for lunch. It was Mom's choice, but it is our favorite BBQ restaurant. I made a cake and the kids had a couple of Easter egg hunts. We spent the rest of the day in front of the tv watching The Masters. I hav...

(Daniel to the far left with his arms up and Samuel has the ball) Tonight is the last basketball game of the season. Samuel and Daniel started playing in October so its been a good long season of games. We've had a disappointing season but #12 and #32 have played hard with good attitudes and character. I couldn't ask for anything more. Well, more wins would have been nice, but oh well! I'll settle for good attitudes. Stephen helped coach the team and received a technical in one game. The head coach was thrilled it wasn't him getting it and I was appalled that Stephen would get one! You just never know what kind of day the referee has had before he comes to call your game. The boys have made some good friends and so have I because of basketball. It has been a good season and tonight we will celebrate with the team at a local pizza place. I'm hoping for some baked potato pizza! Julie

Julie sent photos from the Beavers Academy Christmas party and like a good sister and aunt I have to post them for all to see. The children in her school are 4 of my most favorite children in the whole wide world. Watching how they do school is always so much fun. Their school administrator, teacher and nurse rocks! Beavers Academy had a school Christmas party. Isn't the student body adorable?! The handsome teenage student had just gotten in from duck hunting. The look alike students had been playing in the ditch and the prissy student was still lounging in her pajamas. I love the students at Beavers Academy, don't you?! Their party spread looked so yummy. They went to a lot of effort with the cheeseball and celery boats, etc. The student body at BA has a great home ec teacher, that is fo'sho ! The Skittles on the Christmas plate is my favorite dish of all. The little grin on that face in the background is the best part of this picture though. I heart that face! The pa...

David and Daniel earned their Arrow of Light award last night and crossed over from being Cub Scouts to become Boy Scouts. I am one proud Auntie! Yes, this is Aunt Abby and not their mom writing this. She is busy packing up their home to move them to a new one. I did not want to miss the opportunity to brag on these precious boys. I hope Henry is as disciplined, faithful, loving and convicted as his Juju's boys. What a blessing it is to be their aunt! I adore these look-a-like faces more than this keyboard will express! Abby

I don't think I've told you that Samuel and Daniel are playing basketball for a homeschool co-op in Pine Bluff. We have friends that use the co-op and they asked if Samuel would like to play basketball for their junior high team. Well of course he wanted to. I had just told Stephen that we had to get that boy in some kind of competitive sport with a ball or he was going to go crazy ( or maybe I was going to go crazy!) He was carrying a ball with him everywhere he went just aching to throw it, shoot it or hit it. The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday in Pine Bluff. Practice was going good for a couple of days and then they realized they didn't have many players and asked if the twins would like to play. So, Daniel, my 10 year old, is playing for the jr . high team. It isn't ideal for him or the team, but he is able to let some of the players rest a bit. We have played six games and have lost them all. But we lose with great spirit! One game ended in a tie and we...

Outside my window...a rainy fall day. This is the kind of day I long for our home in Camden because it had a screened in porch. I was too busy with a 1 yr old to really enjoy it, I sure would enjoy it today. I am thinking...That this rainy day has given me a headache and I want it to go away! I am thankful for...my husband. My heart is so full of love for him today. I am wearing...Strangely enough the same shirt I was wearing last week when I did this, but this time I'm wearing it with gray sweatpants that have a hole in the most inappropriate place. I am creating...the program for the state Minister's Wives Conference. This is one of my most favorite days of the year. I'm so fortunate to be a part of the leadership team. I am going...grocery shopping today! Woo- Hoo ! I'm coming home with butter, bread and oil. Staples that we've been out of for longer than I care to share. I am reading...The Brotherhood (Precinct 11) by Jerry Jenkins. Chapter 3 made me cry until I...

Our boys all have ipod touches. Samuel received his for Christmas last year and D&D got theirs for their 10th birthday. Samuel dropped his and cracked it something terrible in March. Tile floors will do that to an ipod. He got a new one when D&D got theirs but he had to pay for his second one. I mean, a lesson had to be taught! When the pool first opened he jumped in swam a bit, got out, felt his pocket and there was his ipod touch! It was the Saturday before he went to church camp and he wasn't going to need it there, so we put it on the microwave (read it on google), and when I bought rice 3 days later I put it in a bowl of rice and left it there for six days. Six days later it worked! We were so happy, Samuel most of all! (The same kind of thing happened with David and our garage door opener last year. We didn't put it in rice or on top of the microwave and it has never worked since!) Anyway, I love their ipod touches. Love them. I just knew I was going to g...

We're home from Siloam . And laundry is washed, dried, folded and put away. Can I get an hallelujah for that? Camp laundry is the worst because it contains, clothes, towels, sheets and blankets for all of us. This year Samuel was too old to participate at Siloam (it was children' only week) so he spent the week with Stephen's parents in Branson . I got a text from him on Wednesday saying he had ridden Wildfire 22 times. Wildfire is a roller coaster that I've been on twice and I don't see anymore rides in my future. But he loved it. He now holds the claim-to-fame for riding it the 2 nd most times. The most times on one day is 50. I can't imagine 50! He said he was " epically dizzy" after the 22! Siloam was great fun. I got to see my blog friend Judy (she is just the sweetest and most beautiful person) and my friend Melinda who is also beautiful and sweet. Neither of them had to endure the heat of camp because they just camp up for a short amount o...

It seems like its been forever since I've been on here. I've been busy but not busy enough not to blog. I think I have a case of writer's block! We've been swimming, swimming and swimming. I told Stephen the other day that our next house is going to have to have a pool in the backyard. I love it! My lips, however, not so much. I have had a fever blister (or 9) every week this summer. As much as I like to blame Samuel's leaving for camp on them, I know better. It's the sun. Samuel survived Boy Scout camp. He didn't want to go but did "just for you Mom". Gotta love the teenage years! He ended up having a great time and is even thinking of working there next year for a couple of weeks. His last night at camp he had to hike a couple of miles, fix his supper, find & construct his shelter, and sleep. BY HIMSELF! Oh my! He loved it! The next morning he woke up, hiked back down and swam a mile all before breakfast. I'm thinking of calling home ...

My kids are growing up. I knew it would happen, but did it have to happen so fast? I can't really believe I wrote those words! I remember the times it was so difficult to go anywhere because of my four kids under six, or my three kids under three. Oh, those were the days! But these days are different and maybe better. But different for sure. Anna has spent the last few days in Fort Smith with some of the grandparents. I had trouble the first couple of days. It was like part of me was missing. No one was needing me. She is pretty independent, she can make her own breakfast and lunch but she still needs me for some things. And I missed being needed. Today Samuel left for church camp. It's the first time he's gone without a parent. He can't have a phone or ipod . So, no texting , status updates, or calls. I can hardly stand it. In fact, when he left this morning at 6:15 I cried. I layed in my bed and cried. And then I texted my mom. Because no matter what, she can make i...

Last week when the twins were in Fort Smith I cleaned their room. It's what we moms do, right? I made their beds, threw away trash and toys and made the room look clean and neat. When they got home and went in their bedroom they were excited. I think because their room was clean and they didn't have to do it. A few minutes later, Daniel came out and asked if I had thrown his rocket away. ( ok , here's the backstory ...while I was in Hobby Lobby with Daniel Thursday I suddenly remembered throwing away his model rocket/spaceship. It had been in several pieces in different parts of the room, so I just threw each piece away. I called Samuel from Hobby Lobby & asked if he had taken the bag out to the trashcan & he had. So, I didn't say anything hoping that Daniel wouldn't notice.) I told him I had thrown it away and it was outside in the big trashcan. The next morning he came to me about the rocket/spaceship again and in a very motherly moment I told him I'd ...

A couple of weeks ago after Sunday morning services Stephen suggested we have a picnic and fly kites. Of course, we were game!! Luckily, the twins had bought kites in hopes that we would fly them one day. Our little town had no kites to be bought. How can that be? Samuel and Anna had to take turns flying D & D's kites. We had sandwiches and snack cakes for lunch. We went to the Veterans Memorial Park to picnic. The park is home to two old army tanks that my kids love to play on. It also has a walking track, a golf range(that we never knew about) and a large open area. It's a great place The park also has an on-site manager. Its an older couple and the day we were there, he was in the little shed-like building, which I believe he is making into his man cave, trying to get his satellite to work. It was a little unnerving. But besides that, we had a great afternoon together! And let me just point out that Anna's shorts and headband match! Yes, she is cool like that! p.s....

I'm not going to give you excuses as to why I don't have pictures in this post. All I'm going to say is my desktop computer doesn't have internet access at this time. I'm sure if I plugged something in to the proper place it would, but I don't even know where to begin to look for the something or the place. So, life goes on. We went to Branson on Thursday of last week to celebrate Daniel, David, and, Anna's birthdays. We (except for Stephen) love Branson . The kids love Silver Dollar City and I do too, the shopping is great there too. It was fun, but then it rained. And rained. Saturday on the way home Daniel began complaining about his stomach hurting. We gave him Pepto and it still hurt. Sunday morning he woke up with the same complaint and asked me to stay home with him instead of leaving him home while I went to church. So I, the preachers wife, missed Easter Sunday services. I also missed the Sunday before Christmas. I'm a preachers wife failure!...

It is that time of year again! Birthday week is here!!! Woo- Hoo !!! A week full of birthday cakes, wrapping paper, gifts, streamers and special days. It's my favorite week of the year! Anna will be 7 tomorrow! Her party is today. She has designed her cake and we have decorated the dining room as birthday central for this afternoon . We're excited. And when I saw we I mean just the females of the family. The three boys aren't sure what they're going to do during the party, but they really don't want to be a part of it! HA! Anna, You are a beautiful girl. Your smile melts my heart, your voice makes me smile. You have such a funny personality. This year we've seen you mature. People are commenting that you aren't as shy as you used to be anymore. There are still times you hide behind my back, but the majority of the time you are out front, smiling, and showing everyone the beautiful girl that God blessed us with. I am praying that this year is another year o...

The day after Thanksgiving Anna smashed her finger in a door at church. Smashed it flat. It was ugly. It bruised her nail really bad. It was her middle finger and if you asked to see her hurt finger she would show you. Just like you think she would show you her middle finger! Poor naive girl, still doesn't know why people were laughing. Well, the nail has been coming off slowly. Very slowly. But the last couple of days it has started to come off of one side, and has been bothering her. And me. And now, maybe you. Today, D&D, Anna & I were headed to Little Rock for an check-up appointment on Daniel's arm. Anna yells from the back of the van, "my finger is bleeding!!!" I had had enough. I called the doctors office, told them the problem and get this. They said to come on in. Can you believe it?? So, we stopped by the doctor's office for what I thought would be a 5-10 minute visit. It was a 50 minute visit. But the nail is off now. Thank heavens! It looks ba...

We took Daniel for a check-up on his arm yesterday. The doctor says its looking good. It is still crooked, so much that I really can't stand to look at it! That's a grand thing for a mother to say isn't it?! The lady that took the x-rays(I know she has a professional name like x-ray tech, but she was such a pretty lady and so nice to Daniel I just couldn't give her a generic name like that) came back to us after the she took the first one and said, " Lets see if we can get one with your arm more straight!" I laughed and so did Daniel! It wasn't getting any straighter than it showed the first time! So, we go back in 3 months for another x-ray and to be dismissed from his care. YAY !!! I'm so thankful for good doctors. Our doctor may not be the most personable doctor we could have found, but he is thorough and has done a good job. We've noticed the arm that was broken has a lot of black hair on it. I mean A LOT, and it goes all the way to his hand. ...

Our twins look a bit alike. There are times that from a distance I don't always know which one is which. Ok, so there are times when up close I don't always know which one is which! They had their first soccer game of the season Tuesday night. They're on the same team, thus looking even more alike. As they played, I was once again reminded of the differences in them. Differences we've known since they were in the womb. David was playing hard. He had a fierce look on his face and was kicking the ball up and down the field. He even scored the teams last goal. I could see his competitiveness coming out. Daniel was playing hard too. He was also talking to the other players and even chatting with the coach while walking down the field. He was laughing and having a good time. When the ball came to him he moved it down the field, but he did so with a smile on his face. When I was pregnant David kicked and moved like crazy. Daniel hardly moved at all. In fact, we named them bec...

Today was the big day! Daniel got his cast off!!! We have been anticipating this day for 5 long, hot, non-swimming, non-bike riding weeks. I have had to wash his hair, get him in and out of the bath (no, I probably didn't HAVE to get him in and out of the bath, but it just seemed like the right thing to do) and he has been stuck on the bottom bunk at night. He doesn't like the bottom bunk at all. I will say that he has gotten off pretty easy around the house though. He hasn't had to take the trash out, take the clean clothes into my room from the laundry room, scrape his plate into the trash after a meal (we REALLY need a disposal!), or bring in the groceries. I have a feeling his brothers are going to make sure he pays them back for having to do his share of the work for this time. He hasn't had to wear shorts that button or zip. Or wear shoes that tie. He loved that! He lives for sports shorts and crocs ! I was going to post a picture of his new free arm. But it still...