Girls in the Country

We spent some time outside on this beautiful afternoon.

I felt the girls' beauty had to be captured in pictures.

First, here is Abby in the chicken yard.  She and Daddy got it all ready for her chicks.  For the past six weeks, she has dutifully cared for these birds without many reminders from Mom at all.  She has fed and watered them morning and night.  She has changed their stinky bedding several times.  She has captured them when they escaped their indoor home (a box in the dining room) and then mopped up the poop they left behind.  Now they are feathered and ready for a new home outdoors.  I am so glad to get them out of the house!

This is the one "pullet" that's not actually a pullet!  It's a rooster!  Abby hopes for fertilized eggs and more chicks!  We've got to keep them safe from foxes this time.

Here is how Ella helped in the yard.  She is Maggie's buddy and she cares for her so patiently and lovingly.  She'll hold her happily for long periods.  She's wearing her soccer shirt.  She played in her first game today!  "Exhausting, fun, exciting, dehydrating," is her description of the event.

And here is our girl in green, Miss Feliss. She is admiring the red buds on our tiny red bud tree.  "Look at the blooms!" she says.

Riding her bike is her favorite activity.  Sometimes it's the first thing she does in the morning, even before breakfast!

This 7-year-old is blooming herself!  This week she auditioned for a part in the community play by singing a song on stage in front of others.  She bounded out of the auditorium and said exuberantly, "That was fun!!"  Felicity!  My shy, never leave my side, never talk to others daughter just auditioned and called it fun!!??!!  Today she had callbacks and it will forever be one of my favorite memories to remember her onstage reading lines with a few other actors.  She was so beautiful and small compared to the others.  Her voice was so quiet you could hardly hear her, but she was so joyful on the stage, you could see it in her face and hear it (barely) in her excited voice.  It is so fun to see her grow!

Maggie pictures

This new baby of ours is heavenly...

Beautiful...

Miraculous...

Precious...

Adorable...

Delightful...

A wonder and a joy!

I thought Abby would be the one to hold her the most.  Nope, turns out it's Ella.

She's not so sure about Kian holding her.

He loves to hold her too.  He talks to her in a sing-song voice.

A friend of mine made these designer jeans for her.  

More pictures with Ella.  She is sunning Maggie to avoid jaundice.

And while Mommy's attention is almost all on the new baby, this handsome boy is up to mischief!

What a beauty!

Burrito style.

So cozy with big sister, Felicity.

She reminds me most of Ella when she was a baby.  Maybe that's why they've got such a tight bond.

A princess in my arms.

Into more trouble.  Up to no good.

Maggie's Birth Story

Maggie Rose is born!  She arrived Saturday, January 10, 2015 at 7:39 pm at Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe, Missouri.  Her birth experience was different from any I've experienced before.  Here are the nitty gritty details in case you want them!  Be warned: there are some personal details you might find a little too personal!  If you don't want to read the details, you can just scroll through and see the pictures!

The kids and I hadn't really gone anywhere the week before she was born.  We had stayed at home most days that week so by the time Saturday came around, I was eager to get out of the house.  With Matt home on a Saturday we decided to go out and do something as a family.  We thought about going to the zoo but it was bitterly cold and I didn't think I could walk that much being 39 weeks pregnant.  Matt and I had been to the new Ikea the month prior and thought the kids might want to visit the store as well, so we all got ready for a family adventure to Ikea.  I called one of the young women that I teach at church, Jenette, to see if she wanted to join our fun which she did so we picked her up on our way and drove the 1½ hours to the giant furniture store in Kansas.

Ikea was packed!  We walked through the store surrounded by masses of other shoppers.  We weren't planning to buy anything but it was still fun just to walk through the maze of the store see the different items they offered for sale.  The kids were more interested in the pizza and soda we told them would be available at the end of our trek through the store.  I could feel contractions as I was walking but this was normal for me.  Whenever I did anything active I would feel contractions.  I didn't think much of it at first.  But by the end of the walk through Ikea the contractions were strong.  I was surprised by their intensity.  When we bought pizza and soda for lunch I had to sit down for a rest.  The contractions were tiring.

Matt and some of the kids walked back to the freezing cold parking lot to bring the car around to the front of the store where Jenette, Klaus and I waited.  While waiting I could still feel contractions and I also felt something leak from me which wasn't pee!  I started wondering to myself, "Could I be in labor?!?!"

We drove towards my sister's house in South Kansas City to hang out with cousins.  I wanted to take a picture of her and I with our big pregnant bellies.  I figured if the contractions continued while I was sitting and resting in the car, then this could be the real thing!  If the contractions abated, then labor was not imminent.  We took a scenic route through some real nice areas of Kansas and then through downtown Kansas City.  The contractions continued and I felt like it would be a better idea to drive towards home than to drive further south to my sister's house.  We texted back and forth and she called me a "lucky bum" that I felt I might be in labor.  (She is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her eighth baby, Maggie's soon-to-be-born boy cousin).

Now we were driving north toward home again and I timed the contractions.  They were about 2 minutes apart and they were increasing in intensity not decreasing with inactivity.  This could really be it!  I was getting excited!  I called our babysitters to see if either of them were available to watch our older kids but one family was sick with strep throat and the other family wasn't answering their telephone.  We made alternative plans with Jenette's family.  We'd drop off Jenette and drop our kids off too.  Then their mom could be in touch with our babysitter's mom to get our kids for the evening.

We stopped in Kearney to drop off and pick up books at the library and for a bathroom break.  We all had drunk a lot of lingonberry soda for lunch!  When I went to the bathroom, I lost the mucous plug and had a little bit of bleeding.  I knew then that this was labor for sure!

Matt sped towards home when I told him I felt this was the real deal.  I did not want to get to the hospital in Chillicothe too late to get an epidural.  I wanted to get there quickly!  The contractions were getting stronger, still about 2 minutes apart.  We dropped off the kids and zoomed to the hospital which was another 30-40 minute drive.

About 5 pm we got to the hospital which felt deserted.  There were not many people around.  I was put on the monitors and checked by a quiet and petite nurse, Martha, who determined I was about 2-3 cm dilated.  That surprised me because I felt the contractions were strong enough to put me further dilated.  She called my doctor, Dr. Peniston, who advised me to walk around the hospital to see if I would progress further.  Matt and I explored the hospital and I felt the contractions get stronger and stronger.  By 6 pm, they were strong enough that they hurt and I had to stop and breathe through the pain.  Matt made further babysitting arrangements on the cell phone during our walk through the hospital.  The kids would be well cared for Saturday night and even into Sunday afternoon.

When we came back to the OB department I had progressed to 4 cm dilated and my water had broken! I began leaking fluid everywhere!  I was admitted to the hospital and changed rooms.  This delivery room was bigger and nicer than a hotel room!  There were huge windows lining one whole wall.  There was a couch and a recliner and of course all of the medical equipment needed for labor and delivery.  The contractions were painful and I had to stop to concentrate on breathing through them.

I had made it clear to Martha that I wanted an epidural and I didn't want to miss my window of opportunity for an epidural and that I usually delivered quickly so the next nurse who was in charge of me, Sarah, got blood work ordered and all other details necessary for receiving an epidural.  I was told that Anesthesiologist Joe was on his way.  He explained the procedure to me and got me all set up by 7 pm-ish.  The contractions were strong and painful but they quickly went pain-free with the spinal and epidural and Fentanyl he gave me.  He gave me a spinal because I had mentioned I progress quickly through labor and didn't think the epidural would reach low enough quick enough to prevent pain during delivery.  The contractions continued on the monitor but I couldn't feel a thing.  I laid back when the epidural was placed and felt great.  If the baby had been born a boy, I think I would've called him Joe.  That's how grateful I was for the pain relief!

Nurse Sarah checked me and commented that sure enough, some women progress quickly when an epidural is used.  This was a fear I had discussed with her previously, that the epidural which I had never had before would slow progress down.  Without telling me that I was fully dilated and ready for delivery, she ordered that Dr. Peniston be called right away.  I thought that meant I might be close but honestly, I was just so happy to be pain free that I didn't really care what was happening in my body.  I really felt so relieved the epidural was working.

Apparently, 5-10 minutes after calling the doctor, the baby's head crowned and Nurse Sarah then ordered that the ER doctor be called upstairs because Dr. Peniston hadn't shown up yet.  This all happened within minutes.  But even the ER doctor couldn't walk up the stairs in time to catch Maggie.  Her head came out and I didn't feel a thing.  Sarah asked me to give a little push.  I strained the tiniest bit and out she slipped into Sarah's hands.  The ER doctor walked in (TOO LATE!) and minutes later Dr. Peniston showed up.  I caught a glimpse that the baby was indeed a baby girl and I was full of relief at her birth, gratitude at her health and wonder and awe at the miracle of life.  The baby's nurse, Kelli, put her immediately on my chest and we had over an hour of skin-to-skin bonding time and nursing.

Her birth was incredible.  She literally slipped out of me.  It was pain-free.  She was healthy.  She was perfect.  She was smart.  She was busy sucking on her fingers.  I felt so much love for her!  Daddy called the older siblings to let them know Maggie was born.  What an amazing experience it was.

Geometric Discoveries

Found on the floor of Kian's bedroom: a lined paper with the following information.  It looked interesting to me, so I picked it up and read it.  "What is this, Kian?" I asked him.  "Oh, I've been using my ruler to learn about triangles and squares."

Is he a future scientist or what?!

Triangles, squares and circles

laws I have found

1. a right triangle's hypotenuse is directly proportional to its other sides.

if Lx and Ly increase by one, its Hypotenuse increases by 1.4

(here is drawn a triangle with sides labeled H, Lxy, Lyx)

2. adding on to the first law, some triangle's hypotenuses = their other side length x 1.4

(here is a triangle with sides labeled H, Ly, Lx)

H = Lx * 1.4 but only if Lx = Ly

3. when a square with a triangle inside increases by 1, then

(here is a square with a diagonal line across it splitting it into two triangles, the sides each labeled L)

T.P = 3.4
T.A = ( (L-1) + 0.5)

I found his protractor today which somehow made it's way onto Felicity's bed and he was so excited to continue explorations which could now include angles!

Homeschool 2014-2015

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Abby to Mom: “Do we get to do Shakespeare again tomorrow?!"

I spent dozens of hours this summer preparing for this homeschool year.  I do every summer actually.  I love to plan!  My favorite resource for homeschool is www.milestonesacademy.com.  The woman who has put together this “curriculum” is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and promotes a few educational styles that I have come to love: Montessori, Suzuki and Charlotte Mason.  Check out her site if you aren’t familiar with these learning styles and want to know more.  I have enjoyed every resource she recommends!

I have come to learn about myself that the better prepared I am for homeschool, the easier it will be to execute.  Homeschooling five children isn’t easy.  They range from high school to preschool and all require daily personal attention in addition to subjects we study as a group.  I know that the more I have prepared ahead of time, the more successful our school year will be.   So I plan A LOT.

Here is what our week looks like.  (This semester we are working extra hard, knowing that next semester will require a couple of months off to celebrate and enjoy our new baby sister!)

Daily:

8:00-8:45 am  Devotional during breakfast (this includes prayer, primary song, hymn, scripture memorization, poem, praise, character training and scripture study.  We are continuing our study of the Book of Mormon this year.  The character qualities we are trying to develop include orderliness, hospitality, contentment, responsibility, patience, gentleness, joyfulness, obedience and thoroughness—one per month)

8:45-9:00 am Brush teeth and cleanup after breakfast

9:00-9:15 am Team Clean Up (this is where we all work together and do some deep cleaning.  Our house is divided into five areas and we all pick something to do in the same area.  For example, vacuum edges of the living room and hallway or clean under couches and couch cushions, etc).

9:15-10:00 am Preschool with Klaus (see below for more details about preschool!  The older kids begin their individual workboxes including English lessons, math and literature)

10:00-10:15 am Mom Time with Felicity (we work on reading out loud together, writing practice, and poem memorization.  Klaus has preschool-aged activities to work on during this time which I call “tot trays”)

10:15-12:15 pm Snack and Block 1 (this is usually as a group while Klaus has an activity box to work on to help him be quiet)

Block 1:

M: Zoology with Girls (Kian has literature and Latin on his own)

T: Zoology with Girls (Kian does biology on his own)

W: Read Aloud Literature (all)

Th: Voice and Piano Lessons (all)

F: Wild Day/Nature Study/Drawing Lesson (all)

We break for lunch and do lunch cleanup.  Then back to school by 1 pm.

1:00-3:00 pm Block 2 (Klaus is supposed to nap)

Block 2:

M: History/Geography (all)

T: Plutarch and Shakespeare with Kian and Abby (Ella and Felicity do drawing lessons, Read Aloud biography or history, and science selections)

W: Spanish and Chinese (all)

Th: Biology with Kian (girls do their own work including Read Aloud, handicrafts)

F: Music and Picture Study (all)

The kids then have to earn screen time by playing outside for as many minutes as they’d like screen time if they haven’t been outside previously during the day.  I’m usually making dinner by 4:30 pm so screen time has been drastically reduced this semester.  That makes me happy!

I have been very surprised at how I’ve had the energy to get through and even enjoy these longer school days.  I give all the credit to my generous Heavenly Father answering my prayers.  I’ve experienced a greater happiness as a mother and enough energy to handle such busy days.  Considering that these are exactly the blessings I’m praying for, I am thankful for direct answers!

Preschool: I divided each semester into 16 weeks.  Each week covers a new topic.  We read some fiction and nonfiction books on the subject, learn a song and poem related to the topic, and do a different activity each day, also related to the topic.  Some of the activities we have done for week 1 have included going outside to observe ladybugs, using clay and pipe cleaners to make our own bugs and spiders, using string to make spider webs, doing bug puzzles, sprinkling cookie crumbs and watching ants collect the pieces, etc.  They have all been fun for Klaus and I’m glad to make the time for us to have just him and I.  That’s why I planned for 2 semesters.  Even with a new baby, I hope to keep the tradition of he and I with quality time each day.

Week 1: Bugs and Spiders

2: Trains

3: Dinosaurs

4: Trucks

5: Weather

6: Colors

7: Fall/Leaves

8: Apples

9: Animals

10: Maps and Neighborhoods

11: Plants

12: Pumpkins

13: Airplanes

14: Indians

15: Thanksgiving

16: Gingerbread/Christmas

Semester 2 Week 1: Teddy bears

2: Snow and Winter

3: All About Me

4: Families

5: Birds

6: Love

7: Cooking/Food

8: Houses

9: Springtime

10: Counting

11: Ducks

12: Ships and the Sea

13: Easter

14: Farms and Gardens

15: Butterflies

16: Camping

Collage Making Fun

Here is a collage I made today expressing my feelings and inspired thoughts from General Conference this weekend.  President Uchtdorf's talk about Jesus Christ as the light of the world inspired it.  It may be hard to see in the picture but the bottom half represents a sun.  As I do the things mentioned here (trust in the Lord, serve, have faith, pray, give to the poor, etc), I will experience His light and the many blessings which come from Him including clarity, peace, joy, strength, testimony, courage and personal revelation.  These are the rays of the sun.  I will feel God's influence and God's love for me more fully.

This is a collage I made last month for our forthcoming baby, Maggie.  I have pondered on a middle name and I think I like the sound of Maggie Rose best of all.  Hence, a rose collage.  It is already hung up in her nook in my bedroom.

A guest post!

This is an email from my dad that I received today, one day before a General Conference of our church when all 15 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have the opportunity to hear from the living prophet and his apostles and other general leadership of the church.  It is always an inspiring weekend filled with encouraging words, beautiful music and inspiring prophetic counsel.

I asked his permission to post his email here and he agreed.  Let me know if you find it as inspiring as I did.

As I prepare for General Conference, I have another story for you.

Kind of long -- but believe me, I have abridged it down to the bone.

{I can already hear grandkids saying, "He sure talks a lot about himself !" }

Back on July 18, 2014 I sent you an email that said, in part:

"Every day I study and ponder apostolic authority.  Why?  Simply because God nudged me to do it.  {That's another story.}"

So, here's the story -- about apostolic authority -- in preparation of General Conference.

Background:

As you already know, in the spring of this year, when Jackie and I decided to start re-attending The Episcopal Church (TEC)I had already accepted Jesus as the Christ and Redeemer of the world, and I was ready to partake of the sacramental emblems of the Last Supper.  {FYI:  Pretty much anybody can receive Holy Communion in TEC.}

And although Jackie has always been a "cultural" episcopalian I wanted more than friendship or culture from the body of Christ with whom I worshipped.  So, I began to do a lot of studying about TEC, and I began to listen very closely to the sermons -- some sermons given by our resident priest, and other sermons given by visiting priests.  Please understand that Episcopal priests are highly trained -- in both theology and church management -- and that their sermons are carefully (and often beautifully) worded.

But I noticed what I would call a "slight movement" toward mythologizing the scriptures.

You might remember in a previous email, I wrote:  

"I told him {the priest} how much I appreciated him as an Episcopal vicar --  even though he did change the Gospel reading from "... for fear of the Jews"  to  "for fear of others"  -- an inside joke between us how Episcopalians flow to and fro with cultural pressures."

But it was actually not a joke when the priest did it, and after services I talked to him about it.  {FYI, Jackie was always afraid of the questions I asked.  She said Episcopalians don't ask a lot of questions -- they just go with the flow.} The priest explained that it was a way to make up for all the anti-semitism the scriptures had caused over the millennia.  I will only report two of the many questions I asked him:  

"And will you next remove any reference to the Jews who stoned Stephen?"

"Or any reference to the Jews who cried, 'Crucify him!'?"

Visiting and presiding at this same service was an episcopal canon (above a priest, but below a bishop} that I also spoke with about the issue of changing the words of Holy Writ.  She (correct pronoun) confirmed that the bishop of the diocese approved the change of wording.

Now, changing/adding/correcting Holy Writ is not hard for me to accept,  BUT it awakened in me the desire to understand HOW the Episcopalian leadership makes such decisions.

In addition, I repeat that I wanted more than friendship or culture from the body of Christ with whom I worshiped.  I wanted to commit myself to communion with this body of Christ, to sanctification with this body of Christ.  I actually started to study the process of confirmation to dig deeper into what it meant to become a full-fledged Episcopalian.

So, I read a few hundred thousand words (or more) from lots of good sources -- all of which lead me to one great question:

DID I TRUST THE LEADERSHIP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH?

And the unambiguous answer was .... No.

So, I expanded my reading to study the worldwide Anglican Communion (AC) leadership.

And the unambiguous answer was .... No.

And I expanded my reading to study various evangelical Christian groups and denominations.

And the unambiguous answer was .... No.

And I even expanded my reading to study Catholicism.

And the unambiguous answer was .... No.

Then on to the next great question:

"WHY didn't I TRUST them?"

And the unambiguous answer is/was:

"Look to the living prophets."

Which I did, and then the answer was .... Yes.

So, as I prepare for the blessing of being able to listen to God's chosen leaders at this moment when I am alive, I am filled with gratitude and anticipation.

Love to My Wonderful Family,

GranDad Chad