Two years

A lot happens in two years.  I forgot completely about this blog, until someone asked a question that made it all come back...
I still can't believe my oldest two have graduated and will both be off to college soon.  Number  three will be starting her senior year.  I still remember being "underwater" with the five under ten.  The crazy ADHD kids that I had that left me little sleep and constantly on the go, are now all self sufficient.  Thankfully they still love each other and go to movies, play games and hang out together.  I am glad they have each other.  I think of the time that Paul and I are gone...and they will have each other.
I hope to get back to blogging.  Facebook is more annoying than enjoyable right now.  Everyone who has an opinion thinks they have the right to express it, even when not relevant or warranted.  I've taken to hiding posts from annoying people, just so I can get a moment's peace.  Facebook for me was relaxing; was a way to unwind and "hang" with friends in a virtual world....now it is anything but.  So save the drama!  I have enough drama in my own life to keep me stressed enough as it is!
Blogging allows me an outlet and also to keep family on what is up in our world, when they are so very far away....
If this is your first time here, peruse the history and enjoy the stories!  Until we meet again....

Enough is enough!!

My clothes were too tight, my energy too low and my irritability at everything was at an all time high.  I just didn't feel well and knew I had to do something.  I tried striking out on my own.  I'm old enough!  I know how to do this!  Yeah, five more pounds later and I thought I was just forever to be fat.  My whole body ached and I was depressed and didn't want anyone around me...even the kids.  Before you think...wow this is really sucky to be having to read this, let me continue...

I was listening to the radio and an ad came on for Diet Center.  I've heard about them for years, but with my challenges (celiac disease) it is just plain hard to always be able to follow a plan.  I emailed, I called, I went into the local branch and found out....many of their items ARE GLUTEN FREE!  Yay!  I started with much anticipation...yes, I wanted to rewind the clock twenty years and get back to the weight I was when I only thought I was fat...not like now; now I KNOW I am fat!  

Because my life is so caught up in 8 other people (not including friends),, thinking ahead is not always easy.  Having this diet plan that says, "7:30 water enhancer, 8:00 breakfast with shake..." has been extremely helpful!  I don't have to think and because of that, the pressure of putting together food is no longer a stressful challenge!  I actually lost 6lbs my first week AND FEEL GREAT! Apart from not sleeping as much I am no longer the bloated sloth that couldn't get out of bed--hence the blog journal entry ;)  I'll keep you posted on my journey.  I have to weigh in and meet with my counselor 2xs a week *privately*.  For me this is better than WW--which I've attempted three times in the last twenty years and coming close to being successful only once before getting pregnant again...yea, that is one thing I don't have to think about anymore.  Anyway, this is more for me than anyone else, and I think that makes a huge difference as well.

Kids are doing well and everyone is enjoying Katie being home for the summer!

The terrible threes

It has been a hellish day.  For the past several days, I don't know what has gotten into me, but I have been utterly exhausted.  I have a difficult time waking up and have been sleeping rather hard.  Now I am up because a certain two year old, who I must say is ushering in her terrible threes with such gusto that I fear we will not survive it, awoke with such screams of nighmarish fear that my blood was pumping from all that adrenaline.  I rushed to her door in time to hear her pleading with her big sister to get her (they sleep in separate rooms, so I assuming she was in her nightmare).  The poor child was dazed and visibly shaking.  She didn't even recognize me when I bent down to pick her up.  I sat with her for awhile, til she nodded off and then put her back to bed.  But now, I am awake.  Oh, and the three teen girls who were up giggling at midnight, yeah, that sent my blood boiling too.  So, here I sit updating once again...hey, I asked for more time to blog, and now I have it; I shouldn't complain!
As I mentioned before, I am having a tough time waking up.  I am not usually much of a coffee drinker, but seem to need at least two cups lately to get me going.  This morning was no different.  Except I couldn't even see straight, so I poured out two bowls of cereal (as my menu planner clearly did *not* state) and flung myself on the couch.  I proceeded to fall back to sleep while the two youngest talked to each other and ate their cereal.  Time flew by.  The next thing I know I am hearing a sandpaper sound and it stirs my brain enough in my sleep to make me wake up.  "The sound" is coming from the dining room.  I come around the corner of the living room to see Roni bent over and throwing something in the air.  Kimmi is "skating" on  this whitish substance on the floor.  I don't have my glasses on, so I ask, "what is this?"  Bending over and touching it, I realize it is sugar...that and a quick glance on the floor I see a half empty storage bucket of my six month supply of sugar....all-over-the-floor....that we.just.spring.cleaned!!!!!!!!!!!!  Seriously!  If you've ever lived in the south you know just how hard it is to stay ahead of the bugs; this was a serious setback!
After the paddling was handled, it was time to throw two kids in the tub and get the sugar up off the floor of the kitchen, dining room and hallway.  That done I told the girls to stay in their room until I tell them to come out...then I go in and make coffee as my non-morning-person husband showed up mid clean and stood staring at me and then the coffee pot, then me, then walked away as to stay out of my way...smart man!
Better breakfast made, two cups of coffee down, I decided to catch up on emails, laundry and grocery list.  We use cozicalendar, so it takes a little time to get the meal planning, recipe lists and grocery list made.  Once that is done I go downstairs to find Little Bit had not stayed in her room, but had gotten out, went outside into the garage, and promptly broke 2.5 dozen eggs on the garage floor.  This cleanup takes up all the paper towels I have, bleach and kills the shopvac in one fell swoop.  Honestly, the smell of bleach and a burning motor are far better than lukewarm eggs on concrete in 90 degree weather.  Another paddling, another bath...yeah, you are getting the hang of it!  But wait, there is more!
I make sure this time to assign Lauren the task of watching her while I go take the older girls for a driving lesson.  An hour later, we walk in to find the sugar ONCE AGAIN on the floor...not as much this time, but it was still there nonetheless!  Great!  This time more kids are awake, so I assign #1 to sweep and vacuum, while Roni gets her third bath of the MORNING.  After that I decide I need to get to the store.  Two kids come with and the rest are informed of the need to have eyes on Roni AT ALL TIMES!
Shopping trip done, come home, now, yogurt is on the garage floor! Seriously?  Repeat above steps, only this time, Lauren has to clean since she failed to watch her.  I should have done it though, as she got a towel soaking wet and promptly went outside to clean up the cement with it....I threw a new roll of paper towels and a plastic bag at her and told her not to use my good towels and went and hid in my room.  There has been more messes, not nearly as dramatic as the above, and yes, the yogurt went from one little carton to six in about 15 minutes as Roni got past her sisters and managed to escape the house while I was hiding.  I give up!  I forgot what trouble three year olds can be.  My last one wasn't ever this bad...the first two definitely kept me running, but I am older now and I'm not enjoying this at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

UNDAUNTED

This was the title of a blog post I read a month ago and it has been swirling through my head for the last month.  What a great one word description of my life!  I have continued to press on "undaunted" by life events...but enough about me, now on to the kids.  So much has been going on it is hard to pin it all down to just one writeup.  I keep promising to get better about blog writing, but time does get past me!
Katherine is struggling with decisions...real grown up decisions.  Her courtship relationship is getting harder to keep separate from school and family, which I have to remind her is normal.  That is the way God designed it.  She is very torn between him and going to school and the accompanying frustration of knowing they can't be together yet as they would be poor as church mice.  So for now, the daily grind and monetary commitments push the wedding date further into the future.  We did all have a wonderful time on our family vacation this year...to Kitty Hawk, NC!  It was cold, but fun!
We thought it would even get better if we brought boys for Stephen to hang and play with...and we were right!  Two of his friends who are used to being part of a big family came along, as well as their big brother, Katie's intended.  So Paul and I, undaunted, dragged ten children 15 hours east for a week at a beach house we'd rented.

(There are so many pictures I am going to have to inundate you now with loads of beach footage)

and that's a wrap!
(btw, we found a pelvis bone of some animal, heavily toned in ocean water...that is what Paul is holding up)

Catching up on the madness!

The older I get I realize that most everything loops back around...whether fashion trends, diet trends, hairstyles or life in general. Remember hating your mom and talking back? Well, have kids and you get it all back again. Well, around here, it hadn't been that bad, but seemed to reach a crescendo last winter, then we *ALL* had a huge wake up call. I was diagnosed with cancer. It came as a complete shock and took me awhile to digest what it meant. The lab results came just about two weeks before Christmas and seemed to linger on everyone's mind the entire Advent season. Now after weeks of waiting and more trips to the hospital for yet more tests, I am cancer free. The doctors are still wanting one more surgery, but my peace is in not having another surgery and just getting back on track with my life and monitoring my body in the time frame the doctors have given me. Supplements and losing weight are top priorities for Lent. Discipline has been severely lacking in my life and this was just a wake up call to get myself back into leading a more disciplined life.
Katherine is thriving at her new college. Feeling a part of something for the first time in her life, even if it means living nine and a half hours from family and friends; and Kyle!
Megan is finally starting to leave her teenage angst behind her and becoming more mature and responsible as the days go by.
Rebecca is entering teenage angst...need I say more...
Stephen has been a bag of bones for about a year now...we check him occasionally for a pulse.
I noticed yesterday that Lauren is beginning to get accepted into the fold with the older girls. This is a new one. At Church, she sat with the "big" girls without them pushing her away or getting annoyed with her. Friends of ours used to call this "herd mentality." I see it clearly now. The little minions still prefer to be on mama's lap and occasionally getting attention from the other kids, but Lauren has now shifted into the next phase.
Kimberly still wants to be babied and really fights growing up. Veronica is the bain to my existence right now. Demanding, whiny, and all sorts of disagreeableness exist in that child. I guess it is good she is pretty...but reminds me a lot of Scarlet O'Hara...and that shall be her nickname! I think there is even a similarity there! Blue eyes and all!

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Me

Ok, Cari @ Clan Donalson told me to do this and link it to Rambling Follower, however, the first thing I have to admit is:

#1 I am a complete computer idiot. In college, I worked three jobs at one point to pay my way through school. One job used two different computers, another one used yet another type and the third job was at a dry cleaner (so no computer). I have seven children and my brain stopped working around the time that number six was born ;). Therefore, I have no idea how to link anything unless it pops up by itself.

#2 I am the oldest of three girls and spent much of my growing up years being accused of being too controlling, bossy, and mean to my sisters. We fought all the time (driving my mother batty). Seven children has cured me of that--now I am more laid back and silent more often than not.

#3 I am terrified of driving over bridges. When we lived in Haughton, I had to drive over the Mississippi River on a daily basis. My heart rate increased and I would sweat, imagining the whole time how I would get the kids out. Came up with an idea for floating child/infant carseats that would propel them up to the surface if the Suburban went down fast and I could only undo seat belts...or would I just drown with them, therefore making it fair? Who could I save?
#4 I love portraying myself as competent knowledgeable and cool. The fact is, I am the opposite. The older I get I seem to be going downhill.

#5 In high school, my mother used to refer to me as the poster child for MTV as I dressed like a cross between Boy George and Madonna.

#6 I never dreamed I would be married and have seven kids...I always thought I'd be a Lobbyist/Lawyer working in Washington D.C.

#7 I love my children more than I ever dreamed I could--and that love is exponential with each child. I still wish I could have more. The dynamics of a large family intrigue me immensely.

#8 My college degree is in Pre-law/Government and my minor is in English (see #6).

#9 My parents divorced when I was in sixth grade and I never regretted their decision. Some people are just better off apart--far apart.

#10 I love to travel--but not to busy places..I am not a fan of big cities!

There, done, now Cari, how do I link this thing?

It is fixed!

I cannot believe after MONTHS of not being able to get on blogger, I have finally managed to fix all the problems and get back on. It all came back to when we changed internet providers and snowballed from there!
This photo became our Christmas card for 2011. The main reason why is because it so aptly captured the personality of our kids. I took this in Springfield, MO when I was picking up Kat for Christmas break at a friend's house. Chances are we won't be going that way again since she now owns her own car and can drive back and forth from school. Thankfully also, she has a daddy who is a pilot and can escort her and fly back.
This past month has been filled with trials in tribulations, which I will not go into at the present moment because I have already wasted too many hours already on this computer and I fear I've lost the children's motivation to be productive today. So, be assured this blog will be updated and hopefully pictures added so everyone can catch up in the busy lives of the Mississippi Harpers!
Love,
Kris