The Happel Happenings

Did you know?

2012-01-04T16:43:00.003-06:00

That we are alive over here despite my absence in writing? Or that if you have a cavity in one of your baby molars and the adult tooth is coming in, it can crack that baby tooth? Reegan learned this today and had to baby tooth parts pulled out and low and behold an adult tooth is 3/4 of the way in already.

Since it was just Reegan and I in town today, I decided to make a field trip out of it, and do some price comparisons. Why? Well, when I was at Wal Mart on Monday getting a prescription filled for a sick Kyler, I picked up a few things and it was hurting me a great deal to be paying the prices I was. 98% of my items could have been bought cheaper elsewhere. But who wants to drag a sick little guy to another store and through that wind? Not me. It got me thinking, if a person had to grab just a few items at a store where could they get the best price?

So I came up with a list of items, bananas (2lbs), appples (3lbs), 1 dozen eggs, a box of fruity rice cereal (in honor of Kyler - his favorite), sugar, gallon of milk, and a box of powdered milk. Powdered milk is odd I know, but I wanted to see if this is a cost effective way to have milk for a recipe. The answer to that is no.

I started at Hy Vee, they had their eggs on sale, thank goodness since I needed them and they were the cheapest. Those items would have cost me $24.04. We went to Wal Mart next, where one would most likely believe to be much cheaper then Hy Vee. Nope, those items cost $23.88 there. Then to Fareway, where I like to buy a majority of my groceries. $21.90 there. Then to Aldi $18.41. From my shopping experience, I would have expected Aldi to be the cheapest on these items - but take caution, eggs there are $1.99 - seriously wrong, and therefore also the most expensive of all four stores.

I make many stops on my shopping adventure. I shop the sales at Fareway and Hy Vee, I know what is cheapest at Wal Mart (not much), I know the bread store is a great deal, I also know on many staples Aldi is where to buy them.

What I found not so surprising, is there not being a big difference between Wal Mart and Hy Vee, I expected that.

What kept me busy in December? Wrestling, school, life, Christmas, and exercise. I partook in a kettle bell challenge. It went 1 Turkish Get Up(TGU) for each day of the month and on each side. So December 1 - 1, December 15 - 15, December 31 - 31, you get it. Also 1000 kettlebell swings week 1, 1500 week 2, 2000 week 3, 2500 week 4. 7000 total. I threw in 348 burpees as well. This was a true challenge. I started the TGU with a ten pound bell and ended doing all 31 with my 30lb bell.

How do you follow that challenge up? By doing 10,000 swings in the month of January. I am also adding a pistol squat a day similar to the TGU, and other exercises as well. 1700 done so far and 8300 left.

Things that make me giggle..........recently

2011-11-19T21:30:00.002-06:00

Addy calling me a lover of socks because I asked her to put some on.

Kyler standing outside in cowboy boots, Thomas pajama bottoms, no shirt, with a gallon of chocolate milk in his hands, saying "someone open the door, someone open the door, someone open the door"

Watching the boys get all excited to go to a wrestling tourney and hear their mini trash talk.

Farting. Especially when Jaycie does it and then giggles and tries to push another one out.

Carter accidentally pronouncing something wrong, trust me on this one, it was funny, but for the sake of not embarrassing him, I will not say more.

Reegan playing basketball, not that she is bad, but she looks a little awkward out there, well actually all the girls do, and it is a real struggle to score sometimes.

The way Cade makes his face when he gets all excited about something.

Boys who wear cowboy boots with sweats and how it immediately changes how they walk and act.

Having to be the cause of a pause in play during the basketball game when a few stray balls went onto the court, compliments of my younger kids.

Stories brought home by Quincy about almost anything, including his own antics in the wrestling room.

Cael's voice when he explains why he needed to throw away his art work.

Quincy' story of the boy who peed on his finger in the home school bathroom.

Mackenzie putting popcorn in the gap of Reegan's pants when she leaned forward at Carter's wrestling meet and Kyler picking it out and eating it.

Two things right now not making me laugh:

This never ending cough which feels like my head will explode.

Wal Mart!! They have America brain washed into thinking they 'Always' have the low price. They are wrong, they do not, and it makes me mad the way that they have everyone thinking that they do.

The thing that is super exciting:

Lisbon Lions are the class A State Football CHAMPS!!!

What happens next?

2011-11-15T13:54:00.002-06:00

When you approach a day like I did last Friday and it ends like all other days, what happens next?

Well, lets back track to Friday, my friend who was excited to be an old pregnant lady with me, well she and I spent most of the day together. We went to a town nearby with Amish stores and we shopped, and ate, and blew out weekly budgets. We laughed and we thought about getting tattoos! Well it was a passing thought anyway. I had a very nice day with her.

Why did I write such an entry? I felt God asking me to. Throughout the whole thing the one thing I would have changed is the outcome but not what I have learned about myself through the process. It bothered me that I could not witness through this, but with my post I have been able to. I have had others share their story and their heartache and for that I am happy. We do not have to hide these thing and we do not have to "get over it". I have had many messages, and even a card sent to me. The outpouring of love was amazing. Thank you to all.

Saturday Dean tried telling me we were on a date, but what we were really doing was working at the concession stand in Iowa City at the Hawkeye football game. We were doing it as a fund raiser and truth be told, it was fun.

Lost my voice on Sunday morning, surely my Dean was lonely without me talking. It did start to return later that day, but is still not back to normal yet.

Monday I went to a junior high wrestling meet and back at it again today. With classes tomorrow it makes 3 short days in a row for getting "stuff" done around here. I have decided to go with the flow. It will all get done in its time. No need for stressing. "Stuff" can quickly take over joy. I want to enjoy what I have, including the day to day. When I first came home I remember how being a homemaker felt so right. That feeling I am 0n a mission to recapture.

Due Date

2011-11-10T19:26:00.005-06:00

This is one of those posts that I wish I did not have to write, and the reality is I do not have to write it, but I am choosing to, because it will feel good to get it out.

Today is my due date, for the 10th child that I lost in April/May. Last February we found out we were expecting our 10th child. We were surprised and excited and busy and we never told anyone. I did tell my girlfriend who was also old and expecting and we got real excited about being old pregnant ladies sipping lemonade together. She lost her baby and I was so sad for her.

March rolls around and we stay very busy with wrestling, and life, and we still just keep the news to ourselves. For a few reasons. One is we are busy and one is it is hard to be excited about something only to have most people not be, or ask the crazy question about whether or not we know how this happens, etc. So life just moved on.

April comes and we prepare for our vacation. The day before we leave I have a slight bit of spotting and it stops me in my tracks. I get sad, worried, and even a bit angry. We leave the next day and are gone for 12 days watching two boys wrestle and taking a vacation. While gone my sister Janice finds out via a post I had made on a website and expresses her excitement. Life moves on. When we get home the spotting continues and I just have a feeling.

May 5th, I go in for my 1st appt, 12 weeks, and she cannot hear a heartbeat. She sends me to the radiology dept for an ultrasound. I call Dean and tell him and he meets me there. No heartbeat, the baby had not made it past 8 weeks, right about the first time I had spotting. I asked not to see the baby in the screen, and later really regret that decision. I take a call from the doc with all my options. I am in a bit of shock and tell her I will talk with her on Monday. I text the only two people who know and who also know how I feel. I come home and go straight to Mackenzie who had figured I was expecting and told her the news. She held me in her arms while I cried and we shared tears together. My friend came that same day with a plant, pizza money, and love.

Mother's Day and I start to really bleed - how nice. I am also in a gym all weekend watching 3 of my boys win wrestling triple crowns, I feel like everyone is looking at me like the lady with the dead baby. We also go to Dubuque to see Mackenzie and Brandon off to prom. He also knows too, because she told him, but no one else.

Monday comes and I tell the doc I will wait it out and let the baby pass on its own. The bleeding continues. However, as time goes on and the days stretch out and I know nothing is happening other the bleeding, I start to get scared at my decision. So I call the doc back a week or so later and they send me in for an ultrasound. The baby is still there, and this time I look and I will never forget that little bean (Sarah), and how sad I felt, and what it felt like to wait in the waiting room for her to call the doc, this time without a baby. All other times I waited in that room it was for pictures, and I cry more. I no longer care that I cry in public.

We sit the kids down and tell them. I will not soon forget their faces when they thought I was pregnant, all the excitement, and then the faces when they realized the baby had passed. I loved them all so much at that time. We wanted them to know how wrong it was that we did not share with them right away so they could have shared in the joy. We wanted to let them know there was a sibling in heaven waiting to meet them. We shared more tears.

I always had thought that when I miscarried I would roll with it, not really having much issue with it. I was wrong, very wrong. What I was not prepared for, was the raw emotions in brought out in me. One of the hardest parts? Not having told anyone. I did not have to tell everyone the news of losing the baby, but I was also so alone with my feelings. I finally shared with another friend. Wow, how hard to say what was and yet is no more. There are so very few people who know about this, even family. While you are going through it, you find it hard to share, when it is over physically it becomes even harder to talk about.

I am referred to an OBGYN because at this point we are getting close to Mackenzie's graduation ceremony, and I fear have a full fledged miscarriage in the midst of it all. She schedules me for a d&c, and I go in two days before Mackenzie's graduation party. I think I have the slightest feeling how a death row inmate feels being the 'dead man walking'. Exactly what I felt like walking into that room, having them explain the process, seeing the machine, having them refer to my little bean as a product of conception, and then waking up and it is over. And I cry and apologize because I wanted to be strong. After, I come home and just sleep. Two days later our oldest daughter graduates from high school, a joyous celebration. A week later we have a large party for her, again a joyous celebration. And life moves on.

While life moves on, I get angry that I am not allowed just a little bit of time to grieve. I would like to say that time has healed my wounds but that it not true, I still struggle with this emotionally, and I still cry. I know I have 9 children and I am richly blessed, but it does not change my love for the 10th child that I do not hold in my arms. The one due today. The one in the arms of Jesus.

This post is brought to you by.......

2011-11-10T15:34:00.003-06:00

The letter M:

Mackenzie was starting her algebra homework yesterday and I sat down with her, and she was studying Monomial. So I said to her, did you raise your hand and say "Ya, I had mono." She said that you do not raise your hand in college. So I said then you just sat in the back row and said "Ya, like I had mono once." I laughed and laughed, and she just shook her head at me.

Microwave - as in we have none. Dean was cleaning ours out and realized we had a hole on the bottom of it. I said to him how long has that been there? No one knows and so lets keep on using it. That lasted about another few days and then it started to make an odd noise and spark. So it left us. I said to Dean, lets see if we can live without one. So far, I am not missing it and enjoying the extra counter space.

Making things from scratch. I have really gotten into reading labels and trying to figure out exactly what we are putting into our bodies. Of course all this while drinking Diet Pepsi (I regress). I told you yesterday that I made syrup and today I am making chocolate syrup for ice cream. I will let you know how it turns out. These are both very easy and will save money as well as give me some control over the ingredients going in.

Masses - Wednesday nights I go over to the church and help cook for the masses of children who come to Wednesday Night Witness. It is so much fun.

The letter C:

Creativity - I told you how Reegan has plans to become a jockey. She has been designing jockey uniforms now and has a folder filled with her designs. She has Addy doing the same. Not to be left out, Cael is designing singlets.

Chaos- yesterday when Dean got home the kids thought it would be fantastic to hide and jump out from all over yelling surprise and jumping about. Of course not wanting to be left out Jack went nuts barking and barking and for about 2 minutes it was complete chaos. Funny thing is, none of us cared and we all just smiled.

Coughs - I am tired of coughs really tired of coughs. Seems almost all the children have them and for some they have gone on just a bit longer then I can tolerate. What ever happened to a bottle of good old fashioned cough syrup. Not cough syrup + fever + sneezing + HFCS. Just cough syrup.

Carter - he had a pair of pajama pants that my mom made for him. They had his name on the back where the butt is. Quincy had them on last night and he was sitting on the couch on his head with his legs over the back and I said we really ought to change that to farter now that you are wearing them. If you know Quincy well, then you know this is relevant. So Carter jumped all over that and got a shaprie doctored up those pants.

Happy Birthday Dean!!

2011-11-09T15:15:00.003-06:00

Today my handsome husband turns 46, which means his twin brother Dale also turns 46. When I started to date Dean he was 23, so half of his life we have been a couple. That seems just crazy when I think about it. He continues to work hard so I do not have to. Well work hard outside the house anyway! I work plenty hard in the house.

Addy is taking a class at the homeschool building called Manners Matter. Today, she showed me how to fold a napkin in a fancy way. It was impressive and precious too.

Reegan, Cael, and Quincy are also in classes. They take an hour of science where they are building bridges and an hour of art where they are doing Story-gami and fold all sorts of neat things while she reads stories.

While they were in class I was running errands, in and out of a few stores, buying they deals and picking up some things for Wednesday Night Witness supper tonight. While I am at Aldi I smell something, and think to myself that the store really smells. After I leave and I am in the van I still smell it. Now I think there is something in that store that smelled so bad that is stuck to me. So I begin to sniff myself to try and figure this odor out. It does not take long to realize that our dog Jack peed my coat! I was the smell in Aldi!! Oh my, I wonder how many people I offended or who felt bad for me because I smelled like dog pee. I really wish I could say Aldi was my first stop, but it was not. I had quite the nice conversation with the cashier at Fare Way smelling of dog pee.

The offender!!

After telling the above story to my friend Ruby (Skeeter), she suggested that it could have been Kyler. This gives me food for thought

After classes today, we went and got some lunch. 4 children and I around the table and we had an impromptu class. We made sentences where we were each a sentence part; adjectives, nouns, verbs, and adverbs. We had a great time with this, and it reminded me once again that school can happen anywhere and anytime.

Last night I put a loaf of French bread into the bread maker and this morning I made French toast out of it. I also made homemade syrup yesterday. Not to toot my own French Horn, but it was really good!!

Kyler Kyler

2011-11-08T08:57:00.002-06:00

Our son Kyler is really a ball of energy, fun, laughter, frustration, and love. He has it all. God saved him until #8 and then blessed us with a sweet baby girl to offset him.

Saturday night we were at a wedding reception, and like a lot of kids Kyler wants to go to the bathroom with me each time I go. I was in a stall and Mackenzie was in a stall (girls go in pairs), and of course he is crawling under the doors of stalls, then he asks "is that a bird house?" LOL He was referring to the sanitary napkin receptacle. This gives me an idea, maybe I could get ones from bathrooms that are being remodeled and make bird house gifts. Swinging front and back doors, every bird's dream home.

This morning he was running around naked (with socks), in that time I had to use the words "Kyler, take the waffle off your penis." I have never had to use those words before. He made it to the bathroom to go #2 (this is cause for celebration) he got a bit of toilet paper stuck in his cheeks, when I took it out and asked him to throw it away, he chased his siblings around with it first. Short celebration as I just finished cleaning poop off the upstairs bathroom floor with him standing in the shower giving me directions on how to pick up the chunks.

Kyler stories can go on and on. He alone has enough material for a book. Chapters like Potty Training with Kyler, Shopping with Kyler, Eating with Kyler, Going into Public with Kyler, the list goes on. I love this little boy dearly. He has brought some real fun times into this house. He is a lot of work but he also is a lot of life and love.

Mackenzie has been busy with school and just did real good on an Algebra test, she is not a math wizard and really needed to do well on that test to bring her grade back up.

Carter had his second junior high meet this week and is 6-0 now. He has this really good friend Hunter. Hunter is good for Carter. Carter has a tough exterior and often interior as well. Hunter is tough but also gentle and loving. He pushes Carter's comfort level and I love it.

Reegan is playing basketball and has a game on Saturday but I will have to miss as Dean committed me to working the IA game. This also means I have to miss a college football game I wanted to go to to see a dear friend play. I must look at Saturday as a date or I will be grumbling. Hey, I may still be grumbling. Oh, Reegan has made a life choice to become a jockey. She has jockey college in her plans and now says she will need to not grow much. She plans on working out for this too.

Cael is full speed into wrestling now, and loving it. My boys are very happy when they are wrestling, it just mixes well with thier personality.

Quincy is also full speed into wrestling, and it fighting a cough that will not quit. It is getting better and so I am optimistic he will be no longer be hacking up a lung in a few more days.

Addy is Reegan's play toy and she is usually playing along with whatever horse training or game that Reegan plans for her to do. She is becoming quite the helper too without my asking her to.

Cade is Cade, just sort of hangs out in the shadows and really is trying to fit in with the older boys. He is just enough different from the other boys to make that a little bit of a challenge.

Kyler - no need for more.

Jaycie just fits in so well, as Kyler says, she is like a toy. She plays and hangs out with the girls and the boys and has so much attention on her.

Trick or Treat

2011-11-03T14:56:00.006-06:00

Mackenzie, making good use of her homecoming dress as a fairy, Cael as Cael, Reegan as pajama girl, Quincy as a skeleton, Cade as a dragon (with the best fat butt), Jaycie as a dog, Addy as a 50's girl, Kyler as a pumpkin. Where is Carter? He was dressed in sweaty shorts and t shirt as he was still at practice when we took this picture.

Speaking of practice - look what started? Junior high wrestling. First meet was Tuesday at home, Carter had 3 matches and won all 3 by fall. It felt good to be back in the gym watching wrestling. Carter is the one on the left. They have black singlets this year which are b o r i n g, and look like everyone else.

Cael started practice on Tuesday and Dean had Carter stick around too, Quincy joins them tonight. Reegan has basketball practice.

Dean, Carter, Cael, Quincy, Mackenzie, and Reegan will all be leaving tomorrow for Wrestlers of Faith retreat. Mackenzie and Reegan are serving there, and the boys participating and Dean is one of the organizers. We have company coming in tonight from Council Bluffs and they will be leaving tomorrow for the camp as well.

Got this great big chocolate bar from Gene and Cindy, they made it in Hershey PA, and the paper that wraps the box has my name on it. I say that because of that, I do not have to share that chunk of chocolate delight.

The other day I brushed out Jaycie's hair, and I could have sworn I had brushed the hair of the wilderness baby. Leaves, food, grass, dirt, snot, etc. God gave that child a lot of hair and she hates to have it brushed and hates worse for it to be washed.

Bag Boys

2011-10-31T07:10:00.003-06:00

What can you do with some brown lunch sacks and some duct tape? You can pretend you are a robot.

We went to Des Moines on Sunday for the AAU Banquet, where the boys were given awards and jackets for being National Champions last April. It took 3 attempts to get this picture of the boys with their friend and teammate Nate, and Quincy failed all 3.

Team IA Black - National Champs.

Said good-bye to a friend for many years, a husband, a dad, a coach, and a good man this weekend. Very hard.

Carter had a bon fire on Saturday night and Dean's cousins husband came over with a mask and chain saw to scare the kids. Oh my, I just laughed and laughed for a long time!

What happened today?

2011-10-27T21:04:00.003-05:00

My mom and grandma stopped by, grandma has been here for a month and a half I think. She lives in Mesa, AZ and comes to visit each year. She left for home this afternoon.

Mackenzie left this morning to go to work and has not come back - oh this is intentional, as she hung out with a friend and then went to a hall-o-ween dance tonight at Kirkwood. I gave her the 'do not drink the punch' warning, just in case.

Carter worked real hard this week to get all his schoolwork done in 4 days so he could have tomorrow off, went to wrestling, and went to a movie with some friends tonight. He is having a bon fire at our place on Saturday night with a few friends. Poor guy, he keeps trying to figure out why his chin keeps breaking out. Son, this just may be happening because you are 14.

Reegan went out and rode this afternoon. She loves going when Mike is there practicing his calf roping. She gets to help out with the calves. Plus when she goes out at night they light up the arena and play music. She is "at home." Then she rushed off to basketball where she is not "at home." Before she went to bed, I saw her practicing her horse jumping by "jumping" over a rolled up blanket in the hallway with Addy on her back.

Cael and Quincy are growing up way too fast for me, and I have this disconnect because their age keeps going up but their size stays so small. They had typical days, Quincy sits down, makes a feel jokes, says a few things he should not, and then just finishes up his schoolwork. Cael sits down quietly then find reasons why he should not be working on his school. He ended up doing math and reading tonight with Dean which is good on many levels. Gives Dean some time with Cael working on school and gives Cael some time with Dean to show him how he is doing and where he needs help.

Addy learned more about money today and she has picked up on this really fast. She also works on phonics and I love how she tells me that she should watch Super Why and copy the words down that they write, well actually Addy, that is not a bad idea.

Cade spent a lot of his day asking for snacks and having me tell him no, and occasionally yes. He also enjoyed the movie that he checked out from the home school yesterday on animals, and for 20 minutes he sat still. He also stood in the kitchen this morning in only socks trying to convince me he needed my help to put his clothes on, his efforts were in vain, and he dressed himself.

Kyler, celebrated pooping on the toilet and then pooped his pants 3 minutes later. Guess we will have to work on completing the job.

Jaycie - sweet baby Jaycie must have woke up on the wrong side of the crib not only when she got up in the morning but when she got up from her nap too. GRUMPY!! And I am trying to figure out why God gave that girl so much hair when she hates to have it washed, brushed, or fixed.

Dean had his early morning Bible study this morning, and was able to breeze in for lunch today. He worked with Cael tonight with some schoolwork, and Addy wanted to show him what she has been working on. I hid in the tub while he was working with them trying to find the joy that I had somehow lost during the day today.

I decided to quit Diet Pepsi, and appendage since my teen years (oh then I was a Tab girl). Anyway, I did good for a week and a half and then fell off the wagon. I am also on one real good food bender right now. Such is my life.

Hello all

2011-10-26T20:24:00.003-05:00

Mom of 9 active children and a hard working husband here, I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I am not sure why I am so lame with updating this blog, I seriously love writing in it, and trust me I have plenty of material. I just get LAZY!

The other day Reegan says to me that I should write down all the stories that happen in our housein a day and then says like that time Quincy was potty training and somehow got poop on the end of a stick and chased us around the yard with it. What the? I had forgotten about that, maybe conveniently or maybe because I did not write it down. The memory came back after she reminded me how is smeared it on the door. So hey, she is right, I could write down a story a day and I may just make that my goal here. There are plenty of adventures, misadventures, laughs, joy, frustrations, and life that occur here in a day to keep me busy writing.

Kyler is working on learning how to use the toilet for pee and poop and not for play - honestly he is doing better then I expected but is far from being close to completely trained. For him it is like a celebration each time he makes those bubbles! It goes almost without saying that anything involving the toilet, underwear, body parts, and excretions are to be giggled at and repeated often.

Cade went on a shopping trip with me today in which we starting working on our stockpile which is dwindling. I never thought I would walk down to where I store and find myself out of certain items but I have been. I am not an extreme couponer, but I do like free and close to free and we go through a lot of toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Speaking of free we made a trip tonight to Theisens so Reegan and Addy could buy some horse stuff and on the way home I saw a bottle of laundry soap along side the road. Dean turned around that that bottle was FULL!! HELLO - a free 48 load bottle of Gain Apple Mango Tango!!! Thank you laundry fairy!

Why would we go to Theisens for horse stuff when we have no horse? Because I think Reegan has a bit of a 'hope chest' so to speak for horse stuff and she actually plays with all of it. She bought a rope on this trip. Tonight, I heard this really loud noise upstairs and then the Reegan and Addy came downstairs all excited, so we had to go upstairs and watch Addy (wearing a large straw hat) ride Reegan as she cantered down the hallway. Their imaginations are simply fantastic!

We got to Theisens 12 minutes to close. Plenty of time to find a few horse things and get everyone a bag of free popcorn, but not nearly enough time to browse the aisles and pretend you own a small farm house with a few farm animals. Come on, surely I am not the only one who does this. Who does not love a store where you can feed large animals and yourself at the same place?

Carter finished up football and started wrestling a few days later and is such a happy guy now. Thank goodness!! Man has he grown too.

Cael and Quincy are done with football and they will start wrestling next week, man have they not grown.

Reegan starts basketball tomorrow.

Jaycie is Jaycie, a sweet little princess with a bubbling emerging personality. I am her mom, I get to be biased.

Mackenzie is recovered from mono, I hope anyway. She is feeling better and back into the normal swing of activity. I keep an eye on her to be sure she is getting enough rest and keeps her stress levels down, I am most certain she does not want a relapse.

Ok, enough stories for today, I will be back soon with more, with any luck it may even be tomorrow.

A few trampoline tricks

2011-10-05T08:25:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRApu_Cjg-o

Happy Busy Weekend

2011-10-03T21:13:00.006-05:00

This weekend was one of those you just wish you could bottle up and repeat.

Started out on Friday night with a junior high dance for Carter and he had a few friends over beforehand for dinner and a few more over for an overnight.

The next day was such a beautiful day and simply packed with joy. We started with 2 flag football games at the same time. Quincy in Mt Vernon and Cael in Lisbon. Mixed results with a win for Quincy (including a touchdown run, a touchdown pass, an interception, yada yada) and then there is Cael whose team lost and who played to the best of his ability.

We also got to go to college. It was family day at Kirkwood, and it was a great time. Dean and I got Kirkwood parent t -shirts (for free). Mackenzie got a t shirt (for free). We won a blanket as a prize. There was music and we ate (for free). We had one of Carter's friends with us and everyone was sitting under a tree eating (free food), and there was live music going on (also free), and I felt so HAPPY!!

Me and the Kirkwood mascot.

We got home, got Mackenzie partially dolled up, and finished the dolling up in the van on the way to Dubuque for homecoming pictures. We took some outside, some inside, and went to Balltown and took some on the scenic overlook. (this is Mackenzie and Brandon's "place").

Saturday night I went to see the movie The Help with Reegan, Carter, and his friend Hunter. I was a major prize winner too - winning a free medium popcorn and pop. However, the real prize was me running the van out of gas and it not starting after the movie was over. In my defense, I really think it had more to do with the fact that I was on a slight decline and the 2 bars of gas my gauge had shown was just pushed to the back of the tank.

Tonight it was confirmed to me what I know is true - school can happen anywhere and at anytime. Addy found some measure tools, spoons, a cup, and water and went about teaching herself all sorts of things. Jaycie has to join in too and she was a dirty little baby having enjoyed many hours outside today.

Giddy up!!

2011-09-23T15:57:00.004-05:00

Reegan did a presentation for us today all about the ins and outs of riding a horse. I have to add, I was really impressed by what she knows and how confident and comfortable she is on the horse.

She has also been practicing her barrel racing and hopes to ride in a rodeo very soon.

I found this quote while on facebook, and I love it. I must admit I have spent a lot of my life making sure things are where they belong and for a number of reasons that I will not get into. This made me think about why things get out of place and how for this season; sometimes it is ok.

Dirty dishes prove I feed my kids, full trashcans prove I change my baby's diapers, messy floors prove that I let my kids have fun, piles of clothes prove I keep my kids in clean clothes, a messy bathroom proves that I bathe my children! So next time you walk into my house and see a mess, think twice… before you judge!!!

I like the last line, I can tell you I often feel judged by others on our family size and our decisions on how to educate our children. I have broad shoulders and can handle it. I hate seeing my kids have to get teased by other kids about it. I use it as a life lesson. How to stand up for what you believe in. Life is not going to be easy, but that does not mean it cannot be fun along the way. Learning how to work through the persecution I hope will help them all later in life.

Found it!!!

2011-09-13T21:55:00.010-05:00

Found the camera cord so I can upload pictures. Of course it was in with the games, not sure why I did not check there sooner, makes perfect sense.

We have been as busy as usual around here.

Boys got their triple crown awards.

Mackenzie started college

We took a passenger train ride.

Got the storm damaged tree removed.

Rockin club the kids built.

Had four kids get baptized.

Watched "the first of the last" football game. It always strikes me, this is the first of the last - the last year of junior high for Carter.

This is the good life!!

There's more to the story....

2011-08-24T16:04:00.002-05:00

Touched on a few things yesterday that are going on here, thought I would take a few minutes to expand on some of them.

Mackenzie started college, she is going to Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids and studying human services. She is living at home and also has a work study job. She has classes three days a week and works on the other two. She says it may either kill her or make her stronger, either way the 25lb backpack will help with the stronger part. The killing part she has covered too, just ask the paper shredder in the office she is working in. The greatest thing so far I think, is her getting lost trying to return from the print shop and the mailman at the college knowing about it.

Kyler needs to learn how to use the potty. As in putting his #1 & #2 in it. If the goal is to sit on it, with underwear/pull up still on and make awesome toilet noises, well then he is good. I was more thinking along the lines of pulling them down, no noises, and produce something in the little bowl. Hey, I would even go with the noises if something was in the bowl. What we got today when I put him in underwear was a lot of butt showing, wet underwear, and playing the game of where the pee puddle is. We found it, on the wrestling mat in the boys room. Kyler, kyler, that is just so wrong!!

Forgot to mention Carter got a hair cut - big deal right? Well, this was not just a cut, this was a buzz. Carter loves his hair long, he has not had it this short since 2nd grade. I, who have been his mom for over 14 years now, is having a hard time getting used to his new look, I have had to do a few double takes. Plus he seems to be looking at me eye to eye now, which is another thing I am struggling with. Who said that a boy can grow that fast?

I would love to throw some pictures on here, but seem to have lost my cord to do so. I leave it hanging out the back of my computer so I know where it is. Well the invisible kid "not me", must have removed it. If I every find "not me" a lot of life's mysteries would be solved.

Is the earth flat?

2011-08-23T15:53:00.003-05:00

Well if it was, I would have fallen off of it. I know I have been lame in keeping up with this. I get reminders now and then from readers, Dean, and myself that I need to update this. I really want to update it too, but .......................... ok I have no excuse.

Little run down.

Cherry tree still split and somehow just wedged and not fallen.
Mackenzie started college. Yes, COLLEGE!!
We have not officially started school here yet.
Carter is playing football, he is in 8th grade this year.
My sister Lynn and her family came up here from Alabama for the weekend.
Mackenzie went home with them and flew all by herself home.
Cade was in the Sauerkraut King contest, no royalty this year.
Cael (4th grade) & Quincy (2nd grade) will be playing flag football.
Addy (K) will be playing soccer.
Addy lost both her bottom front teeth at one time.
Kyler needs to learn how to use the potty, but thinks diapers are just fine.
Jaycie walks now, it makes me smile.
Dean is very busy at work, he took us all out for supper last week.
Carter, Cael, and Quincy got their triple crown awards, the awards are really cool.
We are leasing a horse for Reegan, she has been out to ride twice already.

That's all for now folks!

Riding the Storm Out

2011-07-25T20:28:00.010-05:00

Great REO Speedwagon song indeed, but also something we did here over the weekend. Got a big storm on Friday night which put a damper on Mackenzie's concert that she was at, she says running around looking for a car in the dark with rain pelting her face, water coming out of the top of her boots, and tree branches flying all around was rather scary.

We also ended up with some damage to our trees out back. Saturday the kids went on a bike ride early in the morning and came back to report tree damage. I went to look out our back window and asked it anyone had seen the large branch laying across our garage.

We had chain saw action and the kids were real excited to drag branches around and even cheered on Dean when he was cutting the big log off. Three of these children are my sisters, they walked over and joined in on the cheering and cleaning up.

While at church on Sunday another storm blew in and true to Lisbon form we lost power again. The only positive on losing power so often is that you simply hope it will save you a bit on the electric bill. When we got home, there were more branches in the yard and the large cherry tree had split and is now being held up by another tree in the backyard. This will require a professional.

Tonight, Dean and the kids built two really cool lattice type things for our grape vine.
One done!

Dean giving a lesson on power tool safety.

Cael screwing in the second one.

Father/son construction.

Sawdust playing.

Cade is "on break" eating blueberries.

I was looking for Jaycie, and found her where I often do, under the raspberries eating anyone that she can reach.

Dean thought I should get in this picture. This is the end result of tonight's work.

Mackenzie is going to play in the community band for our town's Sauerkraut Days celebration in August. I am totally jealous. I have always wanted to play in the community band but it has been so long since I read music and had my hands on my flute that I can no longer remember how. I am so proud of her and look forward to hearing her play.

Happy Trails to You!!

2011-07-22T14:16:00.003-05:00

Wow, where does my time go? I seem to forget to get on here and share with you all what is going on in our beautiful lives.

We got Reegan picked up from horse camp. No need to tell you that she had a blast and had a hard time saying good bye to her horse cloud. They did a skit and a show with the horses. We also had a pot luck with the other families of other campers. Her grandma and grandpa came with us. She is now set on buying a horse and finding a place to board it.

We are in a heat wave right now, summer is in full force. We have spent a lot of time at the pool, and Quincy has become quite good at going off the diving boards. He decided to give it a try on a Friday and by Saturday he was flipping front and back off the low board and by Monday he was front flipping off the high dive.

We had family reunion weekend last weekend. The Happel family reunion in Waverly on Saturday and the Long reunion and Lake McBride on Sunday. After the Happel reunion we spent some time at the pool in Waverly which is where Quincy started the back flips.

Mackenzie and Carter are still working in the corn fields de tasseling. They have had some shorter days during the high heat. Carter got his first paycheck last Saturday and he was thrilled. Let me assure you that he makes more in the corn then he does in allowance.

Mackenzie and Brandon went to the Jason Aldean concert last night in Monticello and are going to Lady Antebellum tonight. We got her tickets to the Lade A concert for Christmas and she got Brandon tickets to last night's concert for his birthday.

Yesterday we drove to Lake Rathbun and met some friends and their children for the afternoon. Dean had work to do in Albia on the way down. We got there around 4. It is a beautiful lake and resort and it was fantastic to see everyone. The kids had an amazing time and I drove a jet ski for the first time. I have to say, that was a BLAST!! We got home after midnight and it was a short night, but well worth it.

I have fallen in love with green smoothies, although they are not always green. Here are a few combos I have thrown in my blender and enjoyed. Kale, spinach, frozen mixed berries, frozen blue berries, juice, flax seed, oats. Another has mango, pineapple, kale, romaine lettuce, bok choy, banana, orange juice. Today was frozen mixed berries, fresh blue berries, spinach, romaine lettuce, pomegranate & blue berry juice, strawberries with the tops still on. These give a tremendous amount of energy, and as you can tell are full of great foods.

A little of this and a little of that

2011-07-12T19:39:00.013-05:00

Well we did finish up those crazy ball schedules and lived to tell about it.

We also managed to squeeze in a few other activities.
A visit to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum. Kyler would be the one sort of not cooperating. That is how he rolls. I wonder if and when he will make going out into public an easy thing. However, today after shopping with him and 5 other of the children, I decided I may make my millions penning a series of books about Kyler and Me. One will be all about our shopping adventures. We are missing Mackenzie and Carter in this picture. Carter is getting ready to play baseball, and I am not sure where Mackenzie was.

We moved this enormous play structure and it was as red neck a move as I have ever seen. If you are a red neck I am sorry if that offends you. We were amused by the whole thing. The kids play on this daily. My friend Ruby, offered up her two boys and they came in right away on a four wheeler and a moped. Only the four wheeler was used in and effort to turn the structure.

The man in the white shirt is not my hubby, he is my brother in law.

Went to a civil war re-enactment. This was a re-enactment of an actual battle held in MO. This is a fascinating hobby and these people are so very knowledgeable. I learned a ton, and spent quite a bit of time talking to a few of the re-enactors.

Mackenzie and Carter are now working in the corn. They did some rouging and now are in full de-tasseling mode. Dean saw these two coolers are Menards and was kind enough to buy one for each of them.

Took Reegan to horse camp. We will be picking her up on Thursday. They will be putting on a show for us and then we will have a pot luck. I am super excited to get to see her. I know she is has to be having the time of her life. Missing the older two in our picture again. It was their first day de-tasseling.

Addy will be 6 on Thursday and she is having a bit of an issue that she has to go to pick up Reegan on her birthday. On Sunday we had a pool party at Dean's twin brother's house and celebrated 3 cousin birthdays at once.

Jaycie is growing up and changing so much. She now stands by herself but has still not taken a step.

Should I use this picture on the cover of my book "Kyler and Me"?

Mission accomplished

2011-06-30T11:42:00.009-05:00

I got my 100 miles walked this month! Finished up with a 4 mile walk today. So the exercise goal for July is to just mix it up! I set up a face book page to encourage moms who are trying to exercise as well as raise a family. You can find us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Movin-Mamas/208457792532181.

This is how you keep track of five ball schedules. You wake each morning and look at where you need to be that day or night and figure out how to cover when you need to be two places at once.

We were in Ft Dodge this last weekend for state softball with Reegan's team. The team did not win a game but despite that I was thrilled with the way Reegan played. She was on base every time she came to the plate either with a hit, walk, or even hit by a pitch. She played catcher for the weekend, all but one inning of the first game. She learned a lot as she went a long.

After the tourney we hit a park with a friend of mine from CO.

Had a great day here weather wise the other day and we enjoyed it as much as we could.

Addy, Quincy and Reegan are now done with ball. Carter has four more games and Cael has one more.

Did you know that super heros need their rest too? They also need Swiss Cake Rolls to re energize.

Think Quincy should pull this tooth?

What cha been doing?

2011-06-22T14:31:00.004-05:00

Laundry? Oh sure, there is always laundry and plenty of it in a family of 11. Cade and Kyler finding a fantastic mud puddle to play in adds only a little to the never ending pile. Hey, I think laundry is great job security.

Ball? Sure game after game after game. Lovin it too. It is a great way to spend a month. This is Carter, Cael, and Reegan. I will try and get pictures of Quincy and Addy too.

Walking? You bet - 82 miles down and 18 to go for the month, all with Leslie - enjoying it too!

Been swinging my kettlebells too - I was super excited the other day to snatch a 25lb bell and do a whole workout with the 30 - a few times now. Love these things!!
.

Getting rid of things? Oh my yes, I now have 137 less things in the house and I swear I have not even started. Once I really get going I truly believe I will have no trouble removing 1000 items from our house.

Fishing? No thanks for me - but Mackenzie, Carter, Cael, Quincy, and Cade along with friends are all enjoying fishing the last few days. I sense a summer of fishing for them. I may have to tag a long a few times, I am sure they are entertaining.

Dean, Carter, Cael, and Quincy went to WI Dells and Carter wrestled in the USA Northern Plains Regionals. He had an outstanding tourney. Finished 3rd in greco roman, and 1st in free style. Over the last two weeks he has wrestled 27 matches. His record was 23-4 after those two weekends. All losses in greco roman. He says he is now done for this year.

Mackenzie went to Adventureland with Brandon on Monday, his gift to her for graduation. They had a great time, and he only threw up once.

Reegan is at a one day horse camp today. She could hardly contain herself. I decided to celebrate the second day of summer (one where the temps will be in the 60's) by wearing a fun outfit that contains bling and boots. The boots, jeans, belt, and shirt cost $7.68. Love those thrift stores!!!

Setting goals

2011-06-14T15:29:00.002-05:00

I like to set goals, just little challenges to keep things interesting. This month of June I decided to walk 100 miles. I have a real like for Leslie Sansone's in home walking workouts. She just makes me feel good about myself and there are times in my life where that really matters to me. Right now, that is where I am, and so I go to her. As of today I am 54 miles in and 46 to go. I keep up with my weight training and even had a fantastic kettlebell workout the other day with a 30lb bell. Thought it might be fun to lose another 5lbs too. Not sure what I was thinking there. I am content with me right now, but hey why not? I do not want to live a life where I am not happy with me, always looking for a new eating plan or exercise plan. I just want to live as I am, exercising with what I like and eating when I am hungry, and being who I am.

I also look around and see a lot of stuff, which I am sure cannot be avoided with a houseful - but I think it can be controlled and so I would like to get rid of 1000 items. (this will not include children or a husband) I am at 6 right now 994 to go! One trip into a closet or the family closet and I should have no trouble!!

We had a successful graduation party for Mackenzie and right now she is unemployed as she is done at Hardees and will start her work in the corn at the end of the month and into next month.

Carter is playing baseball and just got home from Indianapolis IN where he wrestled on IA's schoolboy National Duals team and finished 4-3 in Greco Roman and 8-0 in free style. He will also work in the corn.

Reegan is playing softball and has improved so much, and I no longer drag my feet to watch her play as I have developed a real liking for softball.

Cael is playing baseball and is the cutest out there. He is small but mighty. He remains a diligent hard worker and makes sure he is where he needs to be when he needs to be there.

Quincy is playing baseball. Now no doubt he is the smallest kid in that league and maybe the league below him. He is one small boy. He can whack that ball and then run like the wind.

Addy is playing tball. Talk about cute and funny watching her. It interests me to see how they try and fit into a group that they are new to.

Cade and not old enough to play ball but is growing up so fast. He cracks me up daily with what he says.

Kyler is a pipsqueak, and bit my butt the other day - he is all of 2 and then some.

Jaycie is moving around items on her feet but has yet to stand on her own or walk.

Dean went to Indianapolis with Carter and he, Carter, Cael, and Quincy will be going to WI Dells this weekend. Carter will wrestle and the other boys will be his fan club.

Our lives are going at break neck speed and I find myself thankful for an easy day now and then. What does easy mean? I guess just a day where there are only a few places to go, or better yet, none at all!!

Lost and Found

2011-05-30T21:12:00.004-05:00

I was lost but now have been found.

You may have thought that we did not come home from our vacation. But we did and life got busy and we get handed a heartbreak and I have been working through those emotions and letting my blog slip. I think I am on the mend and ready to write and one day may even share our recent trial. But today will not be that day.

In a family of 9 children a lot goes on in one day, I am sure you can imagine what goes on here when a month goes by.

Reegan turned 11 on April 11th - a GOLDEN BIRTHDAY!!! Jaycie turned 1 on April 28th. Mackenzie turned 18 on May 4th.

Carter, Cael, and Quincy all won USA Freestyle and Greco state which means they all three were USA Triple Crown winners.

Carter has decided to continue with his wrestling even though we all thought he was going to be done for the year after that state tourney. But he asked us if he could wrestle in June in Wisconsin Dells for a weekend and Indianapolis IN for 4 days. I asked where he would work out and he had that part figured out and so we agreed. I think the opportunity will be great.

Addy, Quincy, Cael, Reegan, & Carter are playing baseball/softball. This means that we have times when there are a few things going on at one time, but we just take it one event at at time and when needed the adults in the house split up and we get it all covered. I really want the kids to have opportunities and I do not want them unable to do things because it means a bit more work for me. This is a short period of time and a busy period of time. Although my physical body is moving a lot my mind has slowed down a great deal. I am enjoying every bit of what we are doing. My eyes have changed and I see things and feel things very differently.

Mackenzie went to prom with Brandon in Dubuque. They were a lovely couple.

Mackenzie also graduated high school!! 1 down 8 to go!! It was a fabulous ceremony, and I thought I would cry, I did get a bit teary eyed but it was such a celebration that is was hard to be sad. It has been such a privilege to have educated her at home, to have spent so much time with her, to have gotten to really know her. We experienced so much. I do have graduation photos, but they are not uploaded yet. So hopefully very soon I can share those.

Jaycie is not a walker yet.

Kyler should be nicknamed "the pistol"

Cade stays as funny as ever and I look at him and cannot believe how fast he is growing up and changing.

Day 9

2011-04-22T09:00:00.002-05:00

We took our time at the hotel. Got a really good breakfast with protein!! YEAH!!! We then went to hang out with Gene and Cindy for a bit. Lynn came out too with 3 of her kids and we had a great time sitting around and visiting.

We took off for Nashville at about 3 and got here around 5. It amazes me that people would drive in this traffic everyday. WOW! We checked into the hotel and then walked over to Cracker Barrel for supper. Our first time there. I am not sure if every Cracker Barrel has customer service like this but ours was beyond any we have ever experienced. It was phenomenal!!

We jumped into the van and took a little driving tour of downtown and the Grand Ole Opry. Downtown was alive with neon and music. We were driving down the street when a peddling tavern passed us. Something we had never seen. About 15 people peddling this thing. It had a cover and a driver. Everyone faced the middle which was a large table. We were all amazed. Addy pipes in "That is a good workout!" Not sure any of them are thinking of the dual purpose of drinking and exercise.

Interesting site here is the duck swimming in the pool.

I forgot to mention an unfortunate event while we were at the ocean. Jaycie pooped the beach. While Dean was "cleaning" her up in the ocean, a wave came and knocked his sunglasses off. They were not to be seen again.

We will be in Louisville on day 10 & 11.

Day 7 & 8

2011-04-21T09:24:00.007-05:00

Day 7 - THE BEACH!

We took the kids to Folly Beach on Tuesday. WOW - there really is no way to describe seeing the ocean for the first time through your kids eyes. The weather was perfect and the water just slightly cold but no one cared. Cade and Kyler were running in and back out with the waves. Everyone had a blast. The only downfall was out poor white IA skin was no match for the SC sun. Despite applying sun screen a few times some of us were a bit fried!!

We took off for Atlanta and had yet one more unfortunate GPS incident. That would be thinking we could make up time by driving shortest distance vs fastest route. Not quite possible with a two lane highway and we ended up losing about an hour and a half of time.

We got to Atlanta and did some laundry and went to bed.

In the morning we went to Centennial Olympic Park and walked around there, it was really neat to do, and again, the weather was almost perfect. We then went to this awesome drive up hot dog place called The Varsity.

On the road again we went until we got to Huntsville, AL where I again had a GPS incident and put the wrong address in where we were to meet Gene. We were in one of the roughest areas on Huntsville and Gene said stay right there and he would come and get us. He got us to the hotel and we met his other two children for dinner last night. They had no idea we would be there and it was quite the surprise. It was evident he was very happy for what he said may be the only time we would all be together.

Today we are going to spend a bit of time with Gene and Cindy and then head to Nashville. The girls are hoping we spy a budding country music star!

Day 5&6

2011-04-18T17:28:00.009-05:00

Day 5 was filled with excitement! The boys finished up the tournament as National Champs as their team won the National title. Beating the OH Grapplers 39-34. Both boys finished the weekend 8-1 and All American Silver Medalists. I am proud and amazed - these two were warriors. The competition if tough. Carter wrestled down there for 3 years, he went unbeaten only once. Lost 2 & 3 times the other years. More then he did in IA in that three year time frame. That I am using as a point of reference. Both boys were beaten by kids who went unbeaten on the weekend.

We took off for Charleston, SC at around 5, we finally arrived at our hotel at midnight. Oh my!! A longer trip then we had anticipated and a wrong address put into the GPS and we ended up at someone's house. I am real sure they were not expecting 11 people for the night.

Today, Day 6, we went to Boone Hall Plantation. Talk about amazing!! I am not sure there is a textbook around that could teach us all we learned today. There is something to be said about experiencing history, walking the same grounds, touching the same things, walking in the actual slave quarters. Listening to the guides and running into fisherman. We had a guy on our tour of the plantation who is my nominee for man of the day. This was a simple man, who knew a lot about what he needed to know. He was so knowledgeable and at the same time used the word ain't quite often. He told us he was wearing 3 layers because he is cold - we were in shorts. He was a unique man, and it was evident he was right where he wanted to be.

Took 8 of our kids to reach around this tree on the plantation.

On the way back to the hotel we had another GPS issue. This time a dead battery. Dean was pretty sure he could get us back but nope, we ended up crossing this amazing bridge, seeing lots of ships, and topping it off with seeing a naval air craft carrier. Man that baby was big!
Tomorrow we will see the ocean and then head to Atlanta!

Day 4 - heavy on pictures!

2011-04-16T15:56:00.007-05:00

This is early today because I have a few free minutes this afternoon.

Today we have wrestled 3 times. Our team IA Black is still unbeaten as are Cael and Quincy. We will start the medal bracket tonight. We will be in the Gold bracket which means we are wrestling for the title. It all starts tonight. It is set up right now with the top 8 teams in the Gold bracket the next 8 in Silver and so on. This is determined by the pool play which was the 6 duals we just wrestled. I am impressed with my boys. I am not sure if anyone would have told me they would be unbeaten at this time I would have believed them. It has been fun to watch them. I did miss Quincy today because he had a :14 second fall.

Met the man of the day this afternoon. No, not a cashier per say, but he is going to be named the man of the day anyway. After our first dual we had a couple of hour break and so we hit the laundry mat again!! 4 loads today. I went and started 4 loads took the kids to get some lunch and they ate it picnic style in the van while we kept running in and out checking on clothes. Reegan had to use the bathroom and we just happened to pick a laundry mat with no toilet. So we went next door to the barber. This barber was so cute. He was maybe 70+ years old and a white coat and cute hat. He let her use his bathroom and he and his customer talked to us for a while. It was awesome and I enjoyed the experience. I keep thinking about different things in life that we can experience through some odd circumstances.

Day 3

2011-04-15T21:43:00.002-05:00

Today was a busy day. I had to organize a cookout for over a 100 people and also organize a sandwich making party to make loads of sandwiches for the rest of the weekend for the wrestlers to eat. The boys loaded up on the charter buses to go weigh in this morning, they were instructed to walk in with a swagger. Cael has that covered. They came back and we had the cookout.

They started wrestling tonight. Cael and Quincy's team won all 3 duals. Against FL Hurricanes Quincy won by fall and Cael won 4-0. Against Alabama both boys won by fall. Against GA Quincy was in a battle and then won by fall and Cael put the beat down on a kid and tech falled him. It was such a mix of emotions for me tonight. Honestly, I am used to doing this sort of thing with and for Carter who wrestled down here for 3 years. To be back down here with Cael and Quincy is almost surreal. To see my little 7 year old getting his game face on and leading the team off with falls was so sweet. Then another kid and then Cael and he has come into his own over the last year. I have to say I was a proud mom sitting up there tonight. Seeing my guys loading up with their teammates on the buses all decked out in their IA stuff - super sweet.

It was warm here today but light clouds. Well know what that means? Sunburn. Had to make 3 stops on the way back to the hotel to find some Aloe, finally found it at the last stop and also stumbled onto the cashier of the day who may not have had a full set of teeth, but did go and find me the aloe then yell down the store to me that it was over by the salad. I said thanks so much - we got a batch of Southern Fried Iowa kids!!

Cade may have to quote of the day. I took some of the children up to breakfast and he looks at some donuts with jelly on them as says "I have to puke up jelly!"

Day 2

2011-04-14T21:26:00.007-05:00

Today we were up and on the road at 8:13am EST or 7:13am back home. We were 13 minutes behind schedule. Oh well. Some may be my part, I accidentally slept in. The luggage did not quite fit in the same way it did yesterday and some was threatening to fall onto Mackenzie. Jaycie started out the same way she finished yesterday - crying. We went through KY and let me tell you - it was fantastic! Beautiful and amazing, totally a work of art created by God. We also went into VA, which makes the equation 12 days, 11 people and 10 states. We then found our way to Kingsport TN at 1:30.

We have been playing this game called "Waffle House". Waffle House is where you yell "Waffle House" every time you see one. I currently am smoking everyone!!

While in KY, we saw a van FOR SALE that was shaped and painted like the Mystery Machine. Just like it - even had the words painted on it. I was thinking I would look pretty good in that van.

Took turns picking out songs on Mackenzie's ipod. The boys' songs always required us to turn up the bass. I am sure that a large white van tootling down the road with music up, bass high, painted windows, nine kids, and wall to wall luggage is a happen' sight. We may be able to one up ourselves if we bought that Mystery Machine and let all the kids pile out the back of it when we get somewhere.

Cashier of the day came at the first pit stop. I ran in for a few suckers for the kids and plopped down 12 on the counter. The young guy behind the counter in his great accent says "those are either .25 or .35 so $3 is close enough". Thank you cute cashier guy with the great accent.

Oh, Mackenzie saw a mullet today.

The boys weigh in tomorrow about 11 and then a team cookout will follow. The eat fest will begin. I for one, will be glad when the weight management is over for our house for this season. I have been in charge of getting food for the cookout and for sandwiches for Saturday and making and organizing. Been busy with that this evening and will be tomorrow too. Wrestling begins tomorrow night with opening ceremonies at 5:30. My boys wrestle 3 times tomorrow night 6, 7:15 and 8:30.

This evening after the boys had a team workout they went to this place called Fun Expedition. I took the six remaining children with me and we hit our favorite drive through burger place here in Kingsport - Pals!! We took Pals back to the hotel to enjoy? No way, we took Pals to the laundry mat to eat on a table used for folding laundry and did 4 loads of laundry. I find laundry mats intriguing. Everyone has a story as to why they are there.

I am feeling very blessed right now. Blessed to have this family, blessed to be away for a while, and blessed to have talented boys who are representing their state this weekend. Blessed above and beyond anything I could ask for.

I finished my book last night and I highly recommend it. Mackenzie is reading it now and having the same issues with being able to put it down that I had. I was going to start a new one but could not take my eyes off the scenery. It was so incredible. The weather here is also fabulous (sorry IA folks).

Well I have a notebook in the van with everything jotted down that I wanted to write about tonight but I am too lazy to walk out and get it.

Day 1

2011-04-13T18:40:00.002-05:00

We made it into Erlanger, KY at about 5:15pm EST otherwise known as 4:15 back home. We set a goal to leave at 8am and we left at 7:57am. 1st goal met. We made it an hour and a half before making our first rest stop and it was a lovely rest area too, they must have some $$ in IL to upkeep the rest areas like they do. We were in 5 states today. I first thought the equation would go something like this - 12 days, 11 people, and 8 states. But seems the correct equation will be 12 days, 11 people, and 9 states. Today we were in IA, IL, IN, OH and finally landed in KY. It looks like we have 5+ hours tomorrow before we arrive in Kingsport, TN. Cade and Kyler were so fantastic on the way here, I actually had to check a few times to make sure they were really in the van. The 3 boys in the backseat; Cael, Carter, and Quincy were also pretty well behaved. Quincy seems to have a need to know "are we almost there?" Jaycie spent many hours crying which we figured she would, we have not had any children her age enjoy a ride anywhere. Mackenzie, Reegan, and Addy were the most restless on the way down. May have had to do with being next to Jaycie. Dean drove the whole way down, he is a driving warrior, and does not give the wheel up very often. I started a Karen Kingsbury book on the way down called "Unlocked". It is beyond fantastic. I thought I had read every book she had written but alas, I found this one she wrote last year at the Lisbon library. I will be finishing it today, it is a must. When we got here I had to make a run for a few groceries and some supper which meant I had to put the book down (bummer). I went to Krogers and the lovely check out lade Paige punched in her Kroger card number and saved me $7.38!! If you are ever in Erlanger, KY and you find yourself in the Dixie Hwy Kroger I highly suggest that you find Paige and go to her checkout. I did take a photo of what a van looks like all packed up and filled with love and children. Seriously? It ROCKS!! Plus, as tradition holds, the van windows are painted up. We have to be lookin pretty good driving down the road!!

On the road again.....

2011-04-10T21:44:00.002-05:00

I love a good road trip and this family has taken a few recent ones and has a major one coming up.

A few weeks ago we went to Des Moines for the AAU State Championships. Arrived to weigh in on Friday and wrestling began on Saturday. Bought our brackets on Friday night and as we figured there were 4 very good kids on Carter's side of the bracket. After sitting for 20 hours at Wells Fargo between Saturday and Sunday wrestling - we came out with 2 state champs. It was amazing and I was a very proud mama! Cael won his first AAU State title in his first year there and Carter won his 4th. This one Carter really earned as he beat some very good boys along the way.

Yesterday, my girlfriend Ruby (Skeeter) and I took off for Jesup Gym. I wanted another kettlebell and she is just getting started. So away we went, made a pit stop at Wal Mart and then got to the gym. Bought our bells (side note - this is the cheapest place to buy bells at $1 a pound). We headed towards home. Or at least we thought we were headed towards home. But despite me saying in my mind a few things such as; we do not turn here, why I have I never seen that tractor place, I did not know we were so close to Manchester, wow I have never noticed the red/white/blue Independence water tower, we still made a wrong turn. Which two grown women did not notice until we got almost to Dyersville. I find this amusing and in reality it was quite a lovely drive home and the company was fantastic!!

Mackenzie took a little road trip up to the Dubuque area to see Brandon on Saturday after I made it home. They went fishing and had a great time. She and I got her graduation invitations done today, hard to believe that day is coming as quickly as it is.

Dean, Carter, Cael, and Quincy took off for Freemont NE on Friday and Cael wrestled there this weekend as part of IA Blue in the USA Heartland Elementary National Duals. He and Carter wrestled in these duals last year. Cael won 2 matches and lost 6. This year - he went 7-1!! I am so proud of his hard work!!

Big road trip coming up this week. We are leaving on Wednesday morning and will be gone for 12 days. We will head to Erlanger KY on day 1 and stay there en route to Kingsport TN. We will arrive in Kingsport on Thursday and Cael and Quincy will wrestle on IA Black in the AAU National Duals on Friday-Sunday. Quincy is the 40lber and Cael is the 50lber. I am looking forward to seeing them wrestle on the same team. We will leave there on Sunday and head to Charleston SC and be there for two days, head to Atlanta, GA for a day and night. We will then head to Huntsville, AL for a day and night. From there we will head to Nashville for a night and then to Louisville for 2 days and 1 night. Head back towards home staying in IL and then make the trip home on Sunday. I cannot wait. We will be seeing and doing many things and I am so eager to get away with my family.

Tomorrow Reegan will be 11! Her GOLDEN BIRTHDAY!!!

My plans are to update this as we travel and keep everyone up to date on what we are doing as we make our travels.

Not dead

2011-03-24T09:10:00.002-06:00

Dean just asked me to update this so people do not think I am dead.

Well, as you can imagine a lot has happened in a house of 11 since I last wrote. Here are a few highlights.

Cade turned 4 and gave away up his pacifiers. Since he is child #7, I have learned to relax a bit more and let him continue to have these when he slept. He decided it was time to give them up. He is doing ok with it. He has had a few times when he cried and said he no longer wanted to be 4 but would like to be 3 again. I understand, habits can be very hard to break.

Mackenzie competed in mock trial and wow what a messed up system they have to determine who goes to the state competition. I guess it is the 3 teams that win both trials, rather then the top 3 scoring teams. So her team the #1 MHSAP team went up against the #1 Robins team (9th in the nation last year) and lost. So the #2 MHSAP team who competed against two first time teams gets to go to state. Very odd and in my honest opinion no way an indicator of the top teams.

Carter, Cael, and Quincy all won USA State wrestling titles and were named the Ultimate Wrestlers in their divisions. It was a great day of wrestling and the team also won the team title.

Reegan had her play - Excalibur a Night in King Arthurs Court. It was really well done and I had the opportunity to see it twice. She has also started softball practices.

Carter and Cael won district titles and now both will compete this weekend at AAU State in Des Moines. Carter is in a very stacked bracket and is going for his 4th AAU State title. Cael is making his first appearance.

Addy,Kyler, and Jaycie are busy growing, changing, and enjoying life. Kyler is so funny and seems to be changing daily. Addy is a very good big sister and more independent then ever. Jaycie crawls all over the place and her top teeth are coming in such a way that makes me call her out hillbilly baby.

Dean got a new position with the same employer and I am thankful that his body will not be as beat up.

I remain the mom. Keeping up with a house of 11 and still working out 5-6 times a week.

We will be taking a vacation in April - we will be making stops in 5 different states and I cannot wait!!

Life keeps us busy.

Huckabee Book Signing

2011-02-28T18:31:00.004-06:00

This in my opinion is home education at its best. The ability to pick up and meet a potential and past presidential candidate. An author and former AK governor Mike Huckabee. He is on a book signing tour for his book A Simple Government.

Loaded up the kids and took off for Barnes and Noble, bought the book and then got in line. Once we reached him and many small hands reached up to shake his, he took the photo op by stepping out from behind the counter he was standing at. He asked the children range of ages and then asked if I knew his friends the Duggars?

When we left we took a moment to take our photo in front of his bus.

After we went to the African American History Museum. This is a pretty cool museum and it is really great how fast they were able to rebuild and be back after the flood. We were there pre flood but this is our first trip there post flood.

Came home, threw some dinner into the oven and met with a couple who are here right now from France. They are looking for a nanny and would like Mackenzie to come and live with them for at least a year. They got her name from a mutual friend. Sounds like one incredible opportunity, and one she is considering seriously. So much to think about, not just the opportunity but also the changes that will occur while she is gone. Physical changes in family and friends, emotional changes, and time away from what she knows and loves. On the other hand, when would an opportunity like this present itself again? She is more then qualified to watch their 11 month old. Some things to weigh, but right now, she is ready to jump in and experience a whole new culture, language, and lifestyle.