For the last time.

It's a sad day for me.

I've nursed all my babies for a year. I just do. It's cheaper, it's good for them, it's good for me, it's convenient. And I love it. I love just being forced to sit. I love to feed the baby and play with her hair and check her ears and her fingernails and feel her soft skin and just enjoy her smallness. They just don't stay small. I've loved every stage, but I think I really love that little-baby-wholly-dependent-on-mommy stage. This one has an independent streak of determination running through her blood, but she still liked nursing.

Well, remember those nasty poison ivy vines and the nasty poison that leaked through my shirt (yes, I was wearing a shirt! Good grief!) and infected my entire stomach. I went to the doctor last Monday, but all she could give me (nursing) was a topical ointment, not a whole lot stronger than the over the counter stuff. By Saturday, it had spread everywhere, and I do mean everywhere (except my face, thank goodness). So I called the doctor again and she gave me a steroid prescription. I have to take it for 10 days, then wait two more days before my milk would be okay for Adelle. I hate pumping more than I love nursing and did I mention that the poison ivy spread everywhere?! Ugh. So I fed Adelle for the last time this morning.

We've both had kind of a rough day. She walks up to me saying, "Mamamama." And I pick her up and hand her her cup. I know it may not seem like a big deal. In a few weeks it wont be a big deal at all. But it is today.

Videos for Gigi

We made some videos for Gigi last night. Gigi my grandma, the kids Great Grandma. She just had hip-replacement surgery and has to stay in bed for a while to make sure her incision is healing properly. The kids decided to provide her with some entertainment. :)

Hudson Reading

Alayna discussing Princesses

Pierce and his favorite things

Hudson and his favorite things

Alayna again :)

Kid quotes and crop tops

My favorite kid quotes of the weekend happen to come from my four-year-old, Pierce.

First he came to me sobbing. This kid can turn on the crocodile tears faster than anyone I've ever seen. I asked him what was wrong. He got control of himself a little bit and said. "I just hate Adam and Eve." First of all, we don't say hate. Second of all, Adam and Eve?? What? "They just sinned and ruined the whole world and now we can't even pet bears. I just wish we could pet bears." Oh boy. We had a great talk about the things sin ruins and the great things that will happen when Jesus returns. You just never know when a deep spiritual conversation will spark. :)

Saturday we took the kids to a near by town where daddy has a credit card customer who sells frozen custard - YUM! We told the kids we were going to a new town and Pierce asked, "Did God just make that town?" No, it's an old town, but you've never been there. :)

And, I have poison ivy. No surprise there. I thought I was well protected and could get away without getting any. I was wearing jeans, and gloves and a long-sleeved shirt, but my belly is covered with itchy, oozing poison ivy bumps. I went to the doctor to get some kind of high-powered something to make it stop. She asked me if I was wearing a crop top! Now there's a pretty picture for ya!

In my spare time ...

We've lived in our current home for about 5 years. We love it, even though we're outgrowing it. However, we chose this property mainly for the land - 3 acres to be exact. We're close to town but the land makes us feel like we're in the country. We love our neighbors, but their not right on top of us. It's great for the kids to run around and play. The people who livedhere before us did a great job with the yard - or hired someone to do a great job with the yard. The yard right now is well utilized by our children and their play things - littered with colorful tubes to crawl through, pink and blue slides, a teeter totter, a swing, a grill, lots of pecan trees a water well house, and a double clothes line - and that's just on the front acre.

The fence to the west is a privacy fence. The fence to the east is chain link and barbed wire, but it's covered in vines and the most awful bushes ever. The privacy is nice, but these bushes are taking over, and underneath them is growing a mountain of poison ivy. I learned that the hard way the year I was pregnant with Alayna and decided to trim up the bushes. Huge pregnant and covered with poison ivy is as miserable as it sounds.

Anyway, this year, I'm not pregnant and the bushes are coming down!

Here's what we've done so far.

Here's the mess that we still have to work on. I'm no girl scout, but I'm pretty sure those vines are poison ivy.

Daddy and the little cutie pie. Adelle is walking and trying to JUMP. She's also trying to repeat every thing I say. In this shot she was telling me hi. :)

The boys with their lego letter creations. Don't you just love the pose?!

Pierce doing his reading lesson - so proud of him. :)

The little jammy princesses with their waffles. Golly, they're cute!

Here's a couple of funny videos if you're interested ...

Alayna describing the bug that was on her finger. Hang on for all 27 seconds of this one for a good chuckle.

Adelle trying to jump with me.

What I've been reading

I've been on a World War II kick lately. Before that it was Amish, and before that it was pretty much anything by Francine Rivers. Once I find an author I like, I pretty much read everything they've written.

There is a lady in my water aerobics class who I run into at the library every once in a while. Once she'd locked her keys in her car so I gave her a ride home and made sure she was able to get into her house. We talked about books all the way to her house. She brought a book she thought I would like to then next water aerobics class and that's what got me started on this recent reading rampage.

Sarah's Key - the saddest story I've read in a long time. It's historical fiction. While the characters in the story are not real, the sad history of it is. I got fancy this time and linked all the books to review sites or interviews.

After reading Sarah's Key I looked up World War II on my Kindle. Clara's War popped up next. I was craving a true story. This one is incredible. Click the book to see a real youtube interview by Clara.

The Kindle always gives book suggestions: Those who read Clara's War also read Gertruda's Oath. Another amazing true story.

Click on the book to see a real Youtube interview from the little Michael who is now a man.

I took a break from reading for a while and then a friend gave me this one to borrow. I'm about half way through and loving it too.

So, what are you reading these days??

Procrastination is the Thief of Dreams

"The assumption of time is one of humanity's greatest follies. We tell ourselves that there's always tomorrow, when we can no more predict tomorrow than we can the weather. Procrastination is the thief of dreams."

--The Walk by Richard Paul Evans.

One of my dear friends lost her mother yesterday. Her mother, of course, was my mother's age. Young, vibrant, loving her grandkids and the life she had been blessed with. Then she was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer - "like the kind of event that blindsides you on a Friday afternoon when you're trying to plan your weekend."

Her journey through this battle is incredible. You can read about it here.

I have many vivid memories of Vicki Dees. She was my bible study teacher through middle school and highschool. She made a huge impact on my spiritual walk and my understanding of God. She was a the happiest, sweetest person I've probably ever met. All of that is a direct result of her love for Jesus.

I spent many days playing at her house with her daughter, Rissa, as a child. I grew up with their family as an almost daily part of my life. But my strongest and fondest memory of Vicki was one summer day when I was over at their house "helping" with a garage sale. I was probably 9 or 10. Vicki had us pricing things. She would strike up a conversation with every person who came to her garage sale. Most of the conversations ended up with this question, "Do you know Jesus?" Her boldness wasn't overbearing or judgmental. It was the sweetest thing I had ever witnessed. Like she truly loved and cared for every person who walked in that day.

If you read her blog you'll see her faith and you'll see one of her last profound statements, "I was created to be eternal." Her faith is now sight and mine is the stronger for it.

Funny Video of Alayna

I'm thinking about uploading THIS VIDEO to America's Funniest Home Videos - aka The Fall-Down Show. :)

Spitting Sparkly Kisses

I was at Aldi yesterday with all four of my children and every "blue-hair" in this little town. One sweet lady, who was about 85, told me she'd take those girls off my hands for me. She spent the next 5 minutes telling me about her twin boys "who are old men now." My kids could not take their eyes off this lady - she didn't hear very well so she was yelling and her "teeth" we're clicking. Adelle kept grabbing for her glasses and the lady would grab her hand and spit kisses all over it (don't worry, I'm always armed with wipes). I looked at the four of them and couldn't help but think that someday that would be me, stopping a young mom in the grocery store to share stories.

It's Saturday, which is still a work day around here. Daddy gives the boys jobs and after work Alayna and I usually go do something girly. She was watching my lips really closely last night as I read a story. She stopped me after a few minutes and said, "Mom, your lips have a sparkle. It's so beautiful!" Guess I had some leftover Burt's Bees Champagne on my top lip. :) Today we're going to find some sparkly lip stick for her. Love my girl.

babies and books

Because every time I get the camera out she wants her picture taken and she's a cutie.

This one is getting so big! Almost 10 months old :(

Look at those long legs hanging out of that highchair! She and I were rocking at 2:30 this morning (she's been working on 5 teeth - makes for lovely late-night rocking sessions). She's fills up my arms and my lap now. I'm grateful for these days of more sleep, but I do treasure those middle-of-the-night feeding sessions when she would tuck her knees up under her chest and her little bootie fit right into the palm of my hand.

And how about a book review :)

This one will put you to sleep every night. Hudson loves it though!

There are several in this series. We checked out four and Hudson has been reading them to Pierce and Alayna in the mornings while I make breakfast.

At Adelle's 9 month appointment the doctor said, "You're reading to her aren't you?" Oh yeah! We should be doing that huh?! The happy baby books are my favorite and hers too. She can identify several objects already, like "cup" and "ball".

He rented out the restaurant

My facebook status yesterday read: "February 28, 2004 I was wed to Dave Frederick. 9 months later we had Hudson, 22 months later we had Pierce, 21 months later we had Alayna, 22 months later we had Adelle. It's been a glorious blur. Happy Anniversary Love!"

Well, yesterday was my anniversary. Today is the anniversary of my honeymoon, so I think I'll take it easy. :)

Mom and dad kept the kids last night, but Adelle still needs me every few hours so she tagged along, which would have been fine except that the restaurant we'd planned to go to didn't have highchairs. I was SO disappointed. I've been wanting to eat there for a while now. There's nothing better on a special night than good food in good atmosphere with the man you love. Oh well. We went next door where they did have highchairs and ate all by ourselves. Seriously, a few people came in as we were walking out, but we were the only ones in there for a long time. Adelle behaved like the little angel that she is (we're just so glad high chairs have seat belts - she's a monkey). I enjoyed some Sea Bass and conversation with my man. We went to Target (is that sad? It was fun!) and picked up dessert at Olive Garden on the way home - couldn't help but treat myself to a little tiramisu. It turned out to be a relaxing, quiet evening and I loved it.

These last seven years have been full and fun and I'm excited to see what the next year holds. I'm hanging on to these days, loving my family and the life that we've made by God's grace and mercy.