To much time gone by

Wow!  It has been so long since I've blogged anything.  That's what happens when you don't have a computer anymore.  Thanks so my parents I can get back to blogging again on our new laptop :)  I'm just going to sum up these past few months and share some of my funny "kid" stories.  If I don't this might be the longest post ever lol.  Back in March we made the big move to Tennessee.  We decided to sell most of our stuff and drive over.  Justin piled what we had left into his truck, trailer and my sis' car and we were off.  Before I start on our trip let me say that saying goodbye to your family is sooooo hard.  It was very emotional and I cried for a quite a while before I decided that it was safer to see while driving instead of bawling my eyes out.  You have a new kind of love for your family when you leave.

That being said we headed down through California.  I don't like California nor do I appreciate California drivers.  Enough said.  When we got to Arizona we were able to spend a couple of days with my Grandpa and Grandma Franklin and my Great Grandpa and Grandma Liddle.  I love that they got to see all the kids and meet Justin.  New Mexico was gorgeous to drive through and Texas was pretty decent.  Oklahoma and Arkansas are two places I don't care to drive through again.  It was such a great sight to see the Welcome to Tennessee sign. 

Our home was bigger than we expected and our front and back yards are huge. The boy's schools are great and we love the town.  Justin was blessed with finding a job right away and he's been busy ever since.  Nic and Jaime moved here a month or so before us with her parents and they happen to live right down the road.  It's really nice having them so close.  Another great thing is they are expecting a baby boy in August!  So exciting!  Oh and Trent graduated from kindergarten!

School is out for the summer  and now the fun begins.  Camping, fishing, swimming, lots of library time, a new nephew, and my parents coming to visit and possibly my grandparents.  Oh and did I mention I'm supposed to be getting married and my 7 soon-to-be step kids are spending the summer with us.  Plus over here school starts on August 6th.  Yeah that's how we role.  Busy, busy, busy!!!

Before the pictures here are a few funnies from the kids:

Kris- Who made stop lights turn green?
Trent- God did.  He turns them green so mommy can get home to make daddy dinner.

Kris- Mom I have an owie on my little foot?
Me-  Where?  I don't see it
Kris- Right there on my little foot.  (pointing at his little toe)
Me- You mean your little toe?
Kris- (thinking)  I guess is can be a toe

Kris- ( after putting a pair of socks on) I'm a genius

Trent, Kris and Marley chose to have huge temper tantrums after I told them to go to bed one night.  Jakob heard their crying and screaming and came out of his room to investigate.  Upon seeing them all throwing a fit he walked over in front of them, started shaking his finger at them and yelling really loud.  They all immediately stopped, got their jammies on and went to bed. :)

Trent was the only student in his class to spend all day crying because school was out for the summer.  He made his teacher cry several times because she felt so bad.

Our new house

Justin's new bbq since it's always nice and we can ACTUALLY bbq

Jake and Uncle Nic at Jake's school

Playing outside before the storm

Yes I know my glasses make me have bug eyes but I love them and the sun!

Holiday fun and a big change for 2011

I haven't written on here in ages and I haven't figured out how to post pictures from my cell phone onto this page so you'll have to do without pictures for now. Our holidays were great this year. Thanksgiving brought forth another deep fried turkey and some great, relaxing family time. Holiday shopping was crazy but I got it all done with plenty of time to spare. All eleven kids were extra spoiled this year and so was Justin. Every time I turned around I found something to get him. We celebrated Christmas a week early with my family this year. My sis and her mom hosted. It was fun and the kids went crazy when it came time to open gifts. The day before Christmas Eve we took the kids to PIR and Peacock Lane which was a first for Justin and I as well. It was soooo much fun. Jakob has always loved lights and exclaimed loudly over each house, Trent found every flaw with the lights that you possibly could, Marley REALLY like the "princess" lights (pink and purple) and Kris wAs to busy checking out the cars and trucks passing by since that is his main interest. We were all exhausted by the end but we had a blast. Christmas Eve we had our family Christmas at home and just had a lazy day. We of course watched A Christmas Story (Jakob still pretends to shoot his eye out) and Jim Carrey's Grinch. Marley always mentions that the grinch needs to brush his teeth. We headed to bed with a messy house but anticipating our day in the snow on Christmas Day. We drive out to Mt. Hood the next morning and of course it was raining. By the time we got up to Timberline it was extremely windy with stinging ice pellets. Needless to say we did not last long and our snow day was a complete failure bu we again had a coast just being together. Marley was just happy to wear her pink snow pants. It took three days to clean the house but it was worth every minute. Christmas decor is put away and now my focus is on organizing and packing. Packing you say? Why yes packing. We have decided to make the big move to Tennessee. Not only do I get to live close to my brother, sis and her family but we are that much closer to our other seven kids :) we are so excited about this new change. We decided to sell practically everything so right now I'm just going through things and getting ready to post them on Craigslist and Facebook. Even the kids are enjoying the sorting process. Trent has learned a lot about people in need this year and has taught a lot to the twins. They were more than willing to give away a good amount of clothes and toys to those in need. I love to see that kind of growth in them. They are really excited to move. Kris is constantly grabbing the globe and showing me Tennessee. It should be quite the adventure driving across country with two vehicles, a trailer and all the kids. If I can figure out how to post pictures I will. I will also be adding some more Trent stories as well as the twins. Happy New Year!!!

A Little Bit of Everything

It's been so long since I've posted on here!  This past month has been crazy.  I was very thankful to have school finally end but now I'm kind of wishing for my own sanity that it was starting lol.  The end of school brought my soon-to-be stepchildren Paige and Alex.

Paige and Justin

Alex and Trent

First of all I was wrong that adding two more kids was no big deal.  Definitely a lot more work.  But these two are so helpful with the other kids that it has made things quite a bit easier on me.  I truly have fallen in love with them and am praying with all my heart that God's place for them is with Justin and I. Second I was completely unprepared for a ten year old daughter.  Paige is wonderful but I was not expecting to discuss becoming a teenager and such. Like the "P word". I was not prepared to discuss that.  Marley is only three for goodness sake!  I'm sorry but I think I need a refresher course of Growing Kids God's Way.  Just thinking off it makes me panic lol.  I struggle with having to give them back but hoping my time with them again will be soon.
So summer fun with six kids has been crazy fun.  We spent a couple of days down in Molalla playing in the water at the park.  The kids could spend hours upon hours there and I enjoyed relaxing in the shade :)  Even going to the library and checking out books was a success. Lego night with a bazillion kids was insane. Fourth of July was insanely loud and I still jump at every loud sound I hear lol.  We did a lot of playing in the sun and this week they are all enjoying Vacation Bible Camp.  Enjoy the pics and keep us in your prayers as we go to court for custody next Tuesday : 

Alex, Paige, Jake and Trent

Paige and May

Lilly

Kris and May

Kris and May

Wonderful, fantastic and what were you thinking?

There are some some simply wonderful, fantastic things that my kids do and then some that I have to sit back and wonder what they were thinking.  The last few weeks have been eventful to say the least so her is my wonderful, fantastic and what were you thinking top five:

1. Jakob read his first book ever which is both wonderful and fantastic.  I was so proud of him and literaly cried when he signed "the end".  I couldn't help but ask what he was thinking when I opened said book and it was covered with buggers.  Enough said.

2.  Kris was running around in a diaper while I was dressing his sister and was cleaning up his toys in the living room. Wonderful!  But so he could carry a bunch of toys to his room at one time he shoved them down his diaper. His poopy diaper. Yeah.........gross pretty much described that.

3.  Trent has been learning about ir, ur, er and ar during school.  He wrote out the word shirt. Fantastic right?  He's only five.  But then came, "Mom if you don't put the r it says SH@* just like the bad word we shouldn't say." I'm sure he thought long and hard about that in time out.

4. Marley finally went potty in the potty chair.  Wonderful and fantastic! She asked for big girl underwear like Kris' big boy underwear.  An hour later she came out of her room crying because she had gotten Kris' underwear stuck on her head. Seriously.  I had to cut them off of her.  I think we'll be waiting on the big girl underwear.

5. On a good day the twins and Trent like to be helpful and I usually put them to work with the laundry.  They all put their own clothes away.  Wonderful for me!  Putting Kris to bed one night I noticed that his pillow was huge. After a quick investigation I discovered several pairs of his pants that I had been looking for.  I had been looking for three days and he was sleeping on them.  He tried to convince me that he needed them in case we decided to go camping.

I love our wonderful, fantastic and what were you thinking moments.  These kids never cease to make me laugh.

A Five Year Olds Prayer

Trent is really into praying right now which I obviously have no problem with.  We pray over food, owies and such but the night time prayers are the big ones.  We've talked about what kind of things to pray for and up until now I have been doing the praying.  Tonight Trent decided to give it a try and I just thought I'd share:

Dear God and Jesus (Just in case God is busy with another kid Mom) please make Grandpa's back feel better and don't let him get any more shots cause they hurt.

Thank you that Nana only has 4 more Mondays (until school is out) then I can stay the night.
 
Please don't let Uncle Nic get sick anymore. He's getting a wife and has to work to pay bills (Hmmm).

Thank you that Aunt Jaime is going to marry Uncle Nic but he's still going to bring me swimming. He said so. Three times.

 Let Aunt Becky's baby "Wook" (Luke) get big and strong and Aunt Becky not to be so tired.  She's reeeaalllly tired and needs naps  (Can you tell he's been talking to Lilly?).

 Let Uncle Ryan get lots of money for his truck so he doesn't have to give money for it anymore (eavesdropping lol).

Lilly's stomach hurts and I don't want it to hurt her no more.

I want Daddy Justin to come home tomorrow cause I miss him and Mommy does too. 

Mommy's back hurts and she needs a new one at the doctor's.

 Don't let Jakob be mean to me anymore when I get 1st place on the Wii.

Kris has a smart mouth and needs to be nice to Mommy. 

May May is posed (supposed) to be a lady but her poop is reeeaaallly stinky. Mommy says ladies are posed to smell like roses. May May needs lots of roses. I have to put the diapers in the black garbage.

Please make the sunshine come out every day.

Oh and amen.

Although some parts were funny I was really surprised the way Trent prayed.  I expected him to want me to lead him with what to say but he just started talking to God. Sometimes it's not so bad having a five year old with "big ears". Especially when he can pray like that.

Will she ever go!?!

I have found over these past few months that I DO NOT LIKE potty training my daughter.  The boys just learned from each other but she is something else.  The potty chair is referred to as a monster by her therefore she will not sit on it.  I have to hold her every second on the big toilet because she is so little that she will fall in. And even then she's crying the whole time.  For some reason EVERY time she gets out of the bath instead of telling me she has to go she will go on her towel.  What's up with that!?!  The toilet is five steps away!  Sigh......so as you can imagine she is frustrating me.  My little, adorable princess is literally driving me nuts.   I try to find comfort in the fact that at least she's paying attention.  I mean she congratulates me every time I go.  A sweet "Good job Mommy". She's very proud that I wear big girl underwear as well.  Despite my frustration just looking at her adorable face makes all that frustration go away.  Just between you and me though I whisper in her ear at night while she's sleeping that no matter what she will be potty trained. I will not be defeated!!!!! :)

Trent and Bruce Turner

Trent was only at CCS one year in the two day preschool but he still knew Bruce Turner.  He had seen me break down and cry when I was told the news about Bruce and so I shared with him what had happened.  I wasn't sure how much he understood about death and then he said something I'm sure to never forget.  He said, "Mr. Turner was sick mom and you said we won't be sick when we go to heaven. I think Mr. Turner is eating lots of candy and riding his bike.  He can watch the kids in heaven go down the slide."  I couldn't help picturing Bruce up in heaven keeping an eye on the playground, whistle and all :)