All Area Schools are Closed...

Cute as they maybe...

I think these guys are going to soon find their way 

back up to my attic!!                   

When the local radio station reports...all area schools closed...

I have to admit, I am so happy!  However, this snowing and blowing and being cooped up

is really starting to take a toll on my mental health.  

It probably doesn't help that I'm married to a snowmobile fanatic

 (maybe addict would be a better word to describe him).  For me that means

days and days alone with no adult contact.  I really need spring to come, and if  Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow in a couple days...I might lose my mind.

On the bright side it's pretty warm out today...

20 degrees feels pretty good compared to what we've had lately,

 and I have these nice JERKS to shovel for me.

 Aren't they nice?

I sure think so!!

                                      

 They had lots of play time too!

 Sally likes to play in it too...

and Papa Jerk keeps the house toasty warm.

So, that's where I stay most of the time.

Little Brown Eyed Jerk Gets a Haircut!

Lots of Hair!

A new man and oh so handsome!!

He just wanted to eat his candy...no more pictures!

Battle of the Sinuses :(

Today i feel like I should be on a Nyquil commercial. You know....The night-time sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so- you-can-rest medicine.  The only thing they forgot is, how do you get up at 3 a.m. with the night-time sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever baby Jerk, when your taking their medicine?  


I've always wanted a large family.  Many people would say four children IS a large family, but when I was a little girl I dreamed of a family with seven children.  After the night I've had, four children is great plenty.  Not only was I up for a few hours with a baby at 3 a.m., my 3 year old coughed a good majority of the night and my nephew (who spent the night) woke up puking at some point in the night.  He, being 14 in a couple days, was on his own.  I couldn't even bring myself to get up and see if he was ok.  This morning he looks fine, so I guess I made the right call.  


Perhaps the saddest part of all, I had to miss church.  I hate missing church!  It's like a fueling station, that gives me what I need to get through the week.  Thank goodness I live in a country, where I am free to worship my savior!  


Today I will try to remember, even though I don't feel well, tomorrow is another day.  I love my children, and tomorrow I may very well desire more than four.  Some days are hard, but the good days outweigh the bad.  I have recently been doing a study, by Joyce Meyer, called Battlefield of the Mind.  I highly recommend it, but be prepared to be convicted.  I have, on several occasions, realized the battlefield that Satan has set in my own mind.  I'm thankful for Joyce's obedience to Christ, and how she allows him to use her help others learn from her own life.  

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Standards of Motherhood

Today I'm thinking about how standards change throughout Motherhood.  What brings this up?  Well, as I look at my 3 year old half still in his jammies, with a shirt and shorts (well it is 20 degrees out today compared to 30 below that's kinda hot) over the top of his  monkey pajamas and a trace of ketchup left on his face from lunch...I think to myself, before I had children this never would have happened.  Before I had children, I had a picture of clean faced, booger free children...who always matched, were on an organized routine and of course very well behaved.

With Big Jerk, I was able to uphold that standard pretty well, but with each additional child my standards have become quite skewed.  To be honest, I was so busy trying to keep Crazy Jerk (my 2nd child) from killing himself, I just had to ease up or I would have been in the loony bin.  However, even with the 1st two children, their clothing often at least coordinated if it wasn't a perfect match.  They were at least usually clean when we went in public, and we did a lot more organized activities together.  As soon as they turned one year old, their bottles and pacifiers went in the trash.  So, I'm not sure what happened between then and now, but I just laid my 17 month old down for a nap with a bottle and a pacifier.

 Most likely, I've realized what really matters.  I've learned to give my worries to the Lord, and ask him for guidance in raising these young men.  Surely they will not take they bottle or pacifier to kindergarten, nor will they pee their pants (at least not without a little teasing which may very well fix the problem).  Now I'm not saying I've given up completely, but I realize most things work themselves out in due time.  Life happens, and it often happens in the midst of potty training or breaking your child of their security.

Last year at this time, I could have (and did) called my mom at any given time, and she would have come to help me out with whatever it is I needed help with.  If only I would have known she was going home to Jesus last August, I would have appreciated her even more.  It sure makes the little things we worry about seem so trivial.  Now I look at my mismatched little boys, and I see something different.  I see a child who is learning to be independent...I see something they did that makes them proud.

I have enjoyed being a mom so much more with my ability to relax a bit.  They make messes, and I try to use the mess to teach them to clean up after themselves.  They pour their own milk, and when they spill I simply tell them to get a towel and wipe it up.  I guess it took being a mom for me to learn not to cry over spilled milk.  I guess my point is, to find out what matters most.  Is it having everything perfect, or taking opportunities when they come, allowing God to work out the details?

Matthew 6:34 

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. 

Each day has enough trouble of it's own.

Bath Time!

Rub a Dub-Dub...

two of my little men are in the tub!

No butchers, bakers, or candlestick makers...

Just Rock Stars!!

Priceless!!

                                                                  

It's a bowling Birthday!!

This is our good friend (and neighbor).
We will call him Double "D", 
since he is the 2nd of the "D" boys

We  got to help him celebrate his 4th Birthday at his 

Bowling Birthday Party!    


  

It was really cool, watching the guy get the balls unstuck!

 Awww man...Gutter Ball!                 

Bowling is cool...I'm cool,

Chics dig a guy who bowls! 

(Family Joke)

Little Brown Eyes had fun bowling too...even though

                 his ball seemed to stop half way down the lane.  Like mother like child!

"Will I be cool too someday?" 

Is that you with the top score?  :)

If only there were some chics around...

"Playing with Papa "D" is fun!", says Triple "D"!

Baby "D" says, "Anytime is a good time for a nap!"

This is my only picture of Big Brother "D",

he was a little out of sorts, but we love him anyway!

...and Baby Jerk says, "Bring on the cake!"

All gone...except the frosting in my hair!  :)

What a fabulous time!!  

What do little JERKS do on cold winter days?!!

Well, we practice shaving of course!!

                                                                    

This is one of our favorite activities 

for those, stuck inside kinda days.

It might look messy, but it cleans up quick

with a squeegee, a towel and a bucket of water.

The happy children are totally worth the mess!  :)

We also make fine jewelry...

      While still in our jammies!!!

We will be taking orders soon!  :)

  

The leftover jewels get fed to our puppies.

Play Time!

I love watching kids play!  When they are really into what they are doing, and their little imaginations are at work...it's better than any t.v show.  Today the JERKS and I ventured to my neighbors house to play for a while.  Between the 2 of us, we have eight little boys.  At first they were a little rowdy, but it always easier to deal with the chaos when you have another adult with you.  After time, the excitement of being together wore off a little bit, and they began to play.  It's neat because little boys set up stations...legos/blocks, playdough, trucks, etc... and they usually split up in groups as they meander around the room to different stations of play.  For three hours they were indulged in there "work".  The only time we had to redirect anyone, was when we were trying to keep Baby Jerk, from being a Jerk to the neighbor baby we will refer to him as Baby "D".   Baby Jerk likes to whack him in the head, and it's kinda hard convince him he's not being nice, when Baby "D" keeps smiling at him.  Weighing in at 17 lbs at 4 months old, I think Baby "D" is secretly thinking, "SOON I WILL BE BIGGER THAN YOU!"  So what did Mommy "D" and I do while the boys played? Well...don't be jealous...but...we...sorted toys!!!  Yes, her play area is now neatly arranged with each type of toy in alphabetical order. :)  Just kidding, we aren't that crazy!  I know...I know...it will never last.  Maybe we will have to take pictures.  Unless, of course, it's too late.

Well Papa Jerk just came in from snowmobiling, so I guess I better quit (as he calls it)  blah blah blogging!  Until next time!

Swimming in January!!!

To break up the cabin fever, that's already set in, we decided to take the boys to a nearby hotel for a one night get-away. Regardless of the look on Little Brown Eyed Jerk's face in the photo, I think he had the most fun of all. He just did NOT want his picture to be taken with his brothers.

It was a lot more fun to play with his big brother, Crazy Jerk.

Baby Jerk stayed pretty close to mom. He isn't the brave soul that his older brothers are. He did wander away, long enough so I could take his picture.

Big Brother Brainy Jerk took him down the slide, and that went over pretty well.

 .

Mostly he really enjoyed being a spectator from the chair.  He sure is a sweet baby!

There's a reason why he's called "Crazy Jerk"!!

Simmin'  (swimming)  is lots and lots of fun!!!