putting stuff in it's place

Hi Again,

I've obviously not given up completely (yet) on blogging. I can't seem to fit it in but I sure want to.

The picture relates to nothing in genreal. Just a day with a box full of Kiley's clothes that needed to be gone through and gotten out of my house or put into the "Jillie may use this" catagory.

Tip #1 If your girls are 10 years apart in age, you really should not be saving very many things at all! What was cute and in style and couldn't be parted with in 1996 doesn't look quite the same in 2006! Yikes!

So another box sorted and a few pieces saved or put into circulation (do you like the vest?) . I have figured out that at the rate I am able to go through these boxes which are taking up the entire storage side of my basement, I will have a neat and organized basement somewhere in the neighborhood of 2010. Yup, just in time to wonder what to do with every last one of these Fisher Price and Little Tikes toys I have been saving, recycling and letting my kids hang onto for oh. . 20+ odd years.

This is so nuts. I actually participate in resales, consignment shops, give things away regularly, and keep the donation boxes at goodwill quite full on a regular basis so where oh where does this all come from? Guess the secrets out of the bag, I love to shop and love even more when I get a bargain. oh bother. (which reminds me, picked up 2 winnie the pooh tapes videos for 1.50 today. . .)

So all of that to say this, it's just stuff. Having 6 kids sometimes really makes you stop and think. Tonight the thoughts are how precious each one of them are. Different, unique, even trying but precious, absolutely precious.

Sometimes stuff clutters my life so much I lose sight of what matters most. I get busy with cleaning or sorting or shopping or even attending Bible study or church and before I know it another day is gone. Finished. Over.

This week baby Jillie had a one day stomach flu. Yuk. Just plain yuk. But not completely. I found myself relishing the entire day of holding her, cuddling her, knowing she needed me in a big way and then, even though I was dead tired and not feeling so good myself, I found myself looking at each of my other children and wondering how it would be if I never forgot what a special gift they were and never thought about tomorrow with them but focused on today?

Guess I needed that "slow down" more than I wanted to admit. Sure am glad the good Lord knows what I need and when. I never seem to on my own!

And so tonight, after Jillie was in bed (well, Daddy put her down after we went out the door. . .)
Kiley and I had a little bit of Mommy and daughter time at the Old Navy and the WalMart. Yup, she doesn't fit into any of the clothes in her closet at the moment so we have to pack them all up in a box ( no, just kidding, we are over that! really! just save one or two of the bestest things) and go hunt for more! Fun stuff! But so tiring. Good shopping, good company, good memories.

Not sure what the point of this post was but just wanted to think through my fingers maybe. . .

'nite.

Jillie's 1st camping adventure

So, did I mention Mommy and Daddy took all five of us kids camping (yes, that would be tent camping) for an overnight?

Isn't Jillian adorable in her gap denims and white fallish turtle neck and her red goose leather hiking boots? After all when you are one and Mommy can still afford to dress you this way, you must take advantage of it! (um, shh! don't tell Jillie Mommy is an excellent shopper and gets most things at 75% off or better!)

Anywho! We got scrumciously filthy and no one cared, we ate way to much sugar in the form of toasted marshmellows and hot chocolate with whipped cream and it was okay. We played in the dirt, picked up nasty things off the ground and even tasted a few and it was still okay. Then we burnt the baked potatoes in the campfire and they still tasted good! We slept in two different tents and one of us even ended up in the car but that worked out too. Oh and then we also got to see stars, play with flashlights, take hikes, play on the playground, eat ice cream bars, and it was so fun! Daddy makes really good eggs and bacon and Mommy can sure mix up that quaker instant oatmeal with the best of them. . .we even had toast and juice!

You should try it sometime, it makes home look oh so good when you get back there!

pondering my blog life

I've been reading blogs on and off for most of the day. I haven't done that in a while I guess, usually just an hour or so here or there once a day or every few days.

I'm busy you see with life. I so wanted blogging to be a part of that and to be honest it has but in a different way.

I started out reading Lisa Whelchel once a week and getting so much from each of her daily journals. Occasionally I'd have time to play around and look other places on her site but mostly, I just read her once a week journal. Ben doing that for at least 3 or 4 years.

Then she sent me over to Sarah's blog, In the midst of it, and I got steamrolled into something so addictive I was up to my ears in reading and trying to write. Yikes.

As a mom of 6 (only 5 at home now, actually soon to be 4 again in January) I have more than enough to do with my time.

Actually when ever I hear people make comments about "well, in my down time. . ." or "sometime when you have nothing to do . ." or "when you are looking for something to do. . ." I just feel so insanely jeoulous it is almost unbelievable.

I truly do not ever have a time with nothing to do. Don't get me wrong, I do quite often choose to do one thing over another but there is never just "nothing" on my plate.

Like today I am suppose to be cleaning, laundering, getting packed to go away with hubby, getting kids organized to stay home without us, etc. . .and instead I have chosen to slip into this chair every hour or so and read between folding, giving instrustions, making list, picking up, feeding lunch, etc. . .

Thankfully, she says with sarcasm in her voice, my wireless interent connection has been out for several weeks on and off so I've had very little ability (using dial up) to upload pictures and other stuff I would typically like to put on here.

I am of course ramblnig but it does have a point I think. Instead I've had time with my books again. I do so love to read. I've had time with my Bible study and have even caught up on my scriture memory and gotten the kids memorizing along with me. I've emailed a few in the flesh friends and gotten back in touch and it is good.

But I have to amit, I am addicted to this blogging. I love to put my thoughts into words, remember and record stuff, and most of all I love to read the insights everyone has. So I know I will continue to read blogs for now. I hope also to post. But pray for me (if you get this far in this epistle!) because I want to use my time wisely and do feel the need for a break here and there but so many things call my name and yet the daily responsibilities do overwhelm me at this point in my life.

So in the never boring, always consuming, never ending, always enlightening adventures of parenting which go from here to there and across the board and back again it seems, I'm just typing for pleasure today and parenting as I do it from 1 year old to 19 year old. How fun is that.

Keep up the good work you faithful bloggers. I so envy you and enjoy my peeks into sanity every now and again.

Oh and to Tammy I think it is, thanks for tagging me for that meme a long time ago, it was just to long for me to get to but a short one would be fun. I've seen a couple of those lately. I'll be around lurking and learning from you all and commenting as I can.

time to switch the laundry . . .