Darby

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I see trees of green, red roses too…

September 3, 2010 in Brittany, Darby, Jacob, Jarvis, Justice, Paige, Random by Petra | 6 comments

Another random list… cause that’s how I roll…

  • Justice has a job!  He is helping with the filming of the local high school football games.  This was his 2nd week, and he loves it!
  • Speaking of Justice, he’ll be 15 in 5 days. Crazy town!
  • I finally caught up with my bcf, the Kendster! We chatted for 2 1/2 hours the other day and could have gone on for another 12!  That’s what happens when we only talk once every six months.  We really need to chat more often, but between my 6 kids and her 10 kids – finding time to chat on the phone is challenging. :)
  • I need help. I Timothy 2:15 says “Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” (NKJV) and I can’t figure out what it means. I’ve read three commentaries, and they all said different things, and they were all pure conjecture. I’ve worn out my concordance.  I have a couple of ideas of what it might mean, but I’m not satisfied yet.  So please, if you have insight to offer, please do. I need to move on. lol (I won’t share what I think it might mean with you yet, so it doesn’t cloud your opinions on the verse.)
  • We are on day 2 of a 10 day field exercise wherein the hubster can’t even call.  *sad face*
  • I forgot to get laundry detergent the last two times I went to the store, and now I’m completely out.  I’ve been out for two days. Which means I have an ever-growing pile of laundry.  Must go to the store tomorrow!  (I don’t think I’ve ever actually run out before – it’s so unlike me.)
  • Paige’s eye teeth need to just hurry up and cut through the gums.  She was sleeping so well, but the last couple of nights she’s been up fussing.  She usually gets a runny nose and a fever when she’s teething, but this time she has diarrhea which means diaper rash (which we are keeping under control, but still – it’s no fun)… and this has gone on for nearly two weeks.  I just don’t function properly on interrupted sleep!  Here’s hoping she sleeps all night tonight!!  I gave her Tylenol before bed, but she usually wakes up around the time it wears off, and even if I give her more, she is up for a while – last night? from 1 am to after 3 am… *sigh* (eta 9/4/10: Paige slept from 7:30 last night until 9:20 this morning!! Hallelujah!!) :)
  • Paige has been talking more – it’s SO cute. I LOVE this age. (aside from the teething – ha!) She’s so playful and giggles when we tickle her or chase her. She gives the sweetest little hugs and kisses (and I can’t get enough of those).  Now she says “eat” as she does the sign for it.  She’s walking a little bit.  She’s still nervous about it though. 
  • Jarvis is loving his soccer team – games start pretty soon.
  • Jacob went on his first “friend” outing without any of us.  He is friends with our pastor’s son, and they brought Jacob with them to the children’s museum in Raleigh on Wednesday.  He left at 8:00 am and came home in the early afternoon. He had a BLAST and has been talking about it ever since.  :)
  • Brittany has been researching colleges and has a list pretty narrowed down.  She wants to major in Anthropology (and possibly minor or double major in Art or Linguistics).  She’s all signed up to take her SAT’s in October, and I need to get her signed up for the ACT’s.  All the fun ‘senior’ stuff. :)
  • Darby doesn’t really have much going on lately – just being busy being 9.  I’d like to get her in a gymnastics class or something of the sort so she has an extracurricular activity.  I missed the fall sign-ups (no funding was available – lol), but the winter classes start in November, so hopefully she’ll be able to do those.
  • I think I’m going to start doing crossfit again.  I want to get in shape and walking and yoga are great, but I want results FAST!  I’ll let you know how it goes. 

That’s all I got for now…

the other day, I saw a bear, a great big bear, a way out there…

August 25, 2010 in Breastfeeding, Brittany, Darby, Homeschooling, Jacob, Jarvis, Justice, Lists, Paige, Random by Petra | 6 comments

Lists are our friends.

  1. Andy’s parents and sister came for a visit this week, and we had a blast. I definitely hit the jackpot when it comes to in-laws. And I’m not just saying that because they read my blog. I really, truly mean it. Love them!

    It was more difficult than it should have been to take this photo - lol.

    I had to use the flash to get a semi-decent shot. Ideally, I'd have taken this photo during daylight when everyone was all fixed up (note the freshly bathed, pajama'd three in front), but alas, I forgot to even touch my camera during their whole visit until the last possible second).

  2. Darby got baptized on Sunday morning (and Andy’s family was here to see – so cool)!  So proud of her that she genuinely wants to follow Jesus.  :)

    Darby was too short to see much during the actual baptism, but I managed to take her photo just after. :)

    Getting her baptism certificate (I was using Andy's point&shoot camera and I have no idea how to work that thing - lol)

  3. Jarvis had his first (soccer) scrimmage with another team last night and he did great. Looking forward to his games, which start in about three weeks.
  4. Have I mentioned our school plans on my blog? If not, fyi (and for prosperity’s sake), we are homeschooling all the kids this year. That’ll be 5 kids. Homeschooled. Grades K, 4, 7, 9, and 12.  Once we start, if you don’t hear from me for a while, check in and make sure I’m still alive and sane, would you? ;)   Seriously though - I’m looking forward to it. We aren’t ‘officially’ starting for a couple more weeks-ish, but are doing some things to prepare such as diagnostic testing (starting today). 
  5. I went to Darby and Jarvis’ old schools yesterday to withdraw them (school started today — what? you don’t wait until the last possible minute to do things? whatever.), and my decision was just completely confirmed.  Ahhhh… feels good to be doing the right thing for your family. 
  6. And please don’t take that last sentence to mean that I think everyone should homeschool. I definitely do not feel that way.  But I do know that this is the right thing for OUR family right now. 
  7. I caught the Dojo Sensei in Mousehunt a few days ago. Exciting, right?
  8. As you know, my iPhone got wet.  So sad.  I did manage to get it working again, but the LCD screen is all smeared and ruined. I can only barely see 1/2 the screen, and when I try to turn it on, I can’t slide the bar to get to the main menu.  So it’s useless to me.  It’s okay, you can cry too.
  9. Since I don’t have a few hundred dollars set aside for replacing phones, Andrew found his 5 year old Motorola Razr L7.  We charged it, and lo and behold it works. So, I have a phone now, which is nice.  The downside is that I have to pay the iPhone $30 monthly fee until April, when my contract ends, and it’ll probably be April before I can afford another iPhone.  Oh well.  At least I can check my yahoo mail on the Razr, and set alarms on the calendar.  I’m just happy to be able to talk and text again – not that I talk/text often, but it’s nice to have the option.
  10. Note to self: record Brittany playing the piano and post it. She totally rocks.
  11. (disclaimer: this point includes the words ‘breast’ and ‘mastitis’… move on to the next point if you aren’t interested)… A few weeks ago, I cut down on the amount of times per day that Paige nursed, thinking that I’d wean her by 18 months.  She got down to nursing 3 or 4 times a day (at bed time, nap time, sometimes in the morning, and sometimes if she woke up in the middle of the night).  Well, then she started teething again (and no, those eye teeth haven’t poked through yet), and she wanted to nurse ALL THE TIME.  So I accomodated her since it seemed to comfort her, and my milk supply went up again.  Then, one day, about a week and a half ago, she refused to nurse.  Ever again.  She went from getting my milk supply WAY up to absolutely nothing.  With no warning whatsoever.  It was so weird. Anyway, so that led to mastitis in BOTH breasts (fun for me), which I quickly nipped in the bud with garlic, but because of the process of going cold turkey on the breastfeeding, it was kind of a long week or so.  I did pump a few times for relief, but I’ve never had much luck with pumping (and I hate doing it).  I’m finally feeling ‘normal’ and my energy is starting to return.  Thankfully.
  12. I made some barbecue chicken when Andy’s family was here that turned out really great, if I do say so myself.  I’ve been struggling trying to find a barbecue sauce that we all like that is 1. gluten-free, 2. chemical-free, and 3. corn-free. Corn-free is nearly impossible to find.  The last barbecue chicken I had made was kind of gross – dry and the sauce not tasty (an organic Annie’s sauce – I do not recommend).  And of course, we had company when I made it (so sorry Pastor Josh and Trisha! I’ll make a better main course next time!  Not that you read my blog, but just in case… I really can make chicken taste good. lol).  Anyway… the homemade barbecue sauce had rave reviews, it cooked well with the chicken, which came out really moist and wonderful, and of course, I have no idea how I made it.  I did write down all the ingredients I used, but amounts?  Who knows?  I just threw stuff in there until it smelled right.  If I can replicate it, I’ll share the recipe. 
  13. Speaking of corn-free… have you seen King Corn?  We watched that the other day.  Other food documentaries I’ve watched lately are Food, Inc. and The Beautiful Truth.  I recommend them all (and they can all be found on netflix’s instant play list).  Watch them, make changes, and stop killing yourself by ingesting poison.  When we’re all old and I am clear-headed and healthy (because hopefully I made my changes before it was too late – my health is slowly but surely improving), and when you have Alzheimer’s because you thought I was nuts for eating organic and not using harsh chemicals in my home?  I’ll say “I told you so!” and you won’t have a clue what I’m talking about because the dementia will be so bad, but I’ll say it anyway and you’ll say “who are you again?” and the nurse will come wipe your drool and wheel you away and I’ll go for a jog.
  14. Yes, the correct spelling of ‘BBQ’ or ‘barbeque’ is actually ‘barbecue’.  In case you are judging my spelling of the word in point number 12.  Not that I’m ever very aware of grammar on my blog, but misspelled words is a pet peeve of mine.  Fragments and run-on sentences are okay though.  Unless I’m writing a book – in that case, I’d be more careful with my grammar.  Believe it or not, I do understand proper grammar.  I really am qualified to teach it to my children.  :)
  15. That last point was FULL of terrible grammar.
  16. Did I blog about Josh’s visit last week?  I think I just posted a few photos from our trip to the capitol (in the things-I-love post).  Well, Josh visited last week and we had a great visit.  Jacob thinks Uncle Josh hung the moon and gets a little hyper excited when Josh is around.  What can you do?  He’s four.

    Britta and Josh imitating Justice on the bench. lol

  17. Darby and Paige wore matching dresses to church on Sunday – and of course, these were the only two photos that I got.  I’ll have to make them wear them again and take some real photos. Darby was the one that picked out their clothes, so don’t be all “why are you forcing your children to match” on me – it was HER idea! ;)  (dresses are complements of our good friend Robyn who passes her girls’ clothes down to my girls). :)

    Paige is tugging at her face in the one on the right, which explains why her eye looks all wonky. lol

…and I think to myself, what a wonderful world…

August 19, 2010 in Andrew, Brittany, Darby, Jacob, Jarvis, Justice, Paige, Random by Petra | 11 comments

Inspired by my friend Rebecca‘s blog post…

“We love the things we love for what they are.” ~Robert Frost

Saucy shrimp at Bonefish Grill. Mmmmmmm… now I’m craving it… again.

What happens when my 16 year old has a bedroom under construction, and I buy her a pack of Sharpies.

My little left-handed cutie who gets excited when he can draw on his big sister’s wall.

My All-Stars. I want lots of colors.

Funny teenagers who entertain me on a daily basis.

A father/son relationship filled with so many similarities and great mutual respect.

A creative 16 year old who thinks outside every box.

A squishy one year old to love and cuddle.

These three silly-heads.

Watching my children play.

Funky paintings by the aforementioned artist I live with.

The love we share.

My wonderfully awesome family.

And so much more…

Darby Aliya Petra Carden is 9!

July 26, 2010 in Darby by Petra | 4 comments

I know Darby’s birthday was 13 days ago, and her party was 7 days ago, but I’m just now getting a chance to post the photos and blog about her. :)

At nine years old, Darby is starting to lose all the Disney princess stuff and replace it with blue and green and funky. She still likes pink, but light pink has been replaced with hot pink. And all that purple stuff in her room? It’s SO two years ago. *sigh*

Darby is caught in between the ‘little kid’ world and the ‘teen’ world. She’s too old to be considered part of the Jacob and Paige group, and too young to be part of the teen group that Jarvis is just starting to become a part of. Darby and Jarvis have always been kind of paired together, and she’s kind of ticked that he is in the youth group now and gets to go places with Justice and Brittany and they all get to go to youth camp next week… and she’s not included.

She’ll get over it though. ;) She’s only got a couple more years before she’s in that group too!

Darby has always been a complete and utter diva. Nothing has changed there. lol

Darby is SUCH a good big sister to Paige! She loves to play with her and dress her up. And she loves how much Paige loves her too. Darby is always one of the first to volunteer when I need a helper to occupy Paige for a while.

Darby and Jacob play well together too. Sometimes Jacob is way too much of a boy with her – but that’s okay. They get along anyway. :)

(no photos – please – haha)… Darby looks up to Britta so much! She wants to play the piano like her, and be able to be an artist like her. Darby has been drawing a LOT lately and Britta is the first person Darby runs to when she wants someone to see what she has created. Britta has been letting Darby practice on her piano too and she’s starting to really get the hang of it… we may have another musical prodigy on our hands. :)

Darby and Jarvis had a blast going on a trip together this summer! They got to go visit Grandma and Grandpa in Knoxville for a week. They have always gotten along really well, and that hasn’t changed. I love how close they are!! (even though they do get on each other’s nerves sometimes, but that’s just part of being siblings) :D

Justice specifically asked me not to photograph him during the party, but he doesn’t get a pass just because he didn’t want to button his shirt. haha! Justice is a good big brother to Darby, and she looks up to him as well. He gets annoyed when she gets whiny (something she’s working on fixing!!), but all in all – they get along well. She LOVES it when Justice decides to play games with her and the other younger kids.

Darby was dressed up in ballerina clothes for her party. She still loves to dress up all the time! I’m not sure that’ll ever change.  :)

(another photo of Paige because she’s so cute, and also because this was the first time she used a fork properly and actually got the food from the plate to her mouth using it – birthday cake is very inspiring)

Darby got some toys that have resulted in much backyard water fun this past week!

More about Darby right now:

-she’s super smart! She’s a learning sponge!
-she’s been loving Hannah Montana on netflix lately.
-and Mary Kate & Ashley movies.
-she learned how to swim this summer and is doing really well.
-she never met a stranger! the girl will talk to ANYONE!!
-she LOVES attention. From everyone and anyone. Anytime. All the time. :)
-she’s been having some stomach issues for a while, so we just started experimenting with a gluten-free diet for her. she’s only two days into it, but she’s been a real trooper so far.
-she’s very loving and affectionate.
-she asks some very insightful questions.
-she’s hilarious! she has a great sense of humor!
-she talks a LOT. :)
-she looks more like me than any of the other kids.
-she’s wonderful and lovely and we are very thankful she is ours!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARBY!!

“I wouldn’t say I’ve been missing it, Bob”

July 15, 2010 in Darby, Jacob, Jarvis, Paige by Petra | 11 comments

Recent-ish iPhone photos and an update…

This has been a busy week so far! On Monday, Andrew left for the field and my parents left after being here a few days. Justice started driver’s ed, which is from 8:00-11:oo every morning M-Th this week and next week, and the kids have been going to VBS (preschool through 12th grade, so everyone except Paige) from 6:00-8:30 every evening (tonight is the last night). Add to that, several trips to grocery stores, Jarvis’ 1st soccer meeting to fill out all the paperwork, a trip with Paige up to Apex to go to Target, and a 2nd flea treatment of the house (which Andrew usually handles that stuff and I just help with cleaning the house to prep, but he was gone, so guess who was in charge of that operation this time — ).  Oh, and I’m working hard to get Paige to sleep through the night while Andrew isn’t here to be kept up with her shenanigans. I’m a little bit tired. :)

Now I’m paying bills and working up a budget for the next couple of months. Question of the day: Why is our electric bill 80 bucks more than it was last month? I don’t recall running the A/C more than last month. But maybe we have. Ah, bill paying fun. ;)

…aaaaaand about six hours since I started this post, I’m finally getting a chance to get on here and add the photos… :D

In no particular order because they are unfocused, unedited, iPhone photos anyway, so I just put them in the order that they uploaded…

Darby, the last week of school, sitting in her 3rd grade classroom after the school award's ceremony.

During one of the flea treatments last week, I took Jacob and Paige to the train park in downtown Sanford. Paige was a little zoned out staring at the fountain. :)

Jacob loves the train park!!!

Paige was not interested in cooperating for photos, and I only had my iPhone, so I wasn't really trying that hard anyway. :)

Yes, she is single and fabulous. And only picks her nose sometimes.

Jacob didn't actually get *in* the fountain, but he played around it enough to get pretty wet. We usually aren't up there when the fountain is on, so that was fun for him! :)

Cuteness all around. Paige wouldn't get in the fountain, but she had fun crawling around where the ground was wet.

crazy wet hair and eyebrows. :)

:)

Still sweaty, but in dry clothes after playing at the train park (and yes, I know it's time to take the little doggies off the seatbelts and throw them in the washer - it's on my to-do list, okay?)

Yes, she is 15 months, and No, she still isn't walking. She can't be bothered.

Britta had to take a photo of the way Jarvis was laying the silverware out to dry after he washed it (our dishwasher doesn't work, for those who don't know - it's on the "appliances to buy" list).

Last night, during VBS, Paige and I drove to Apex and ate dinner at Qdoba and shopped at Target - on the way back, these guys were outside my window at a stoplight.

Paige finishing up her evening snack with some milk on the couch last night. She doesn't really like me to put the barrettes in her hair, but she likes for them to be there - so they go in fairly messy as she squirms, but then she leaves them. At least her hair isn't hanging in her eyes?

I don't know if I've mentioned Paige's aversion to shoes. Well, she has always hated them. Recently though, she has been trying to wear our shoes (which is really cute!). So last night at Target, I was trying shoes on her to see if she'd let me, and she INSISTED on keeping them on her feet and got mad when I took them off. I took that to mean she is ready to start wearing shoes. So we bought this pair. I went ahead and took off the tags and just paid for the box - she kicked her little legs and was so proud of her new shoes. Cutie. :)

Paige shoveling some cheese into her mouth at Qdoba last night. :)

My new treat. Since I gave up dairy, my choices have been even more limited, but I really love this chocolate coconut ice-cream. So yummy! Um, yeah, the coffee table was a bit messy when I took this the night before last. :)

Jarvis and Darby a couple of weeks ago :)

Darby the Diva at one of her swimming lessons a couple of weeks ago.

Jacob enjoying the kiddie pool during one of Darby's swim lessons (he picked out these trunks). :)

Darby jumping off the high dive towards the end of the two week swim lessons. She did so good!!!! :)

Darby checking email: Headband? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Silly bandz? Check. *sigh*

 Next week shouldn’t be quite as busy as this week, so hopefully I’ll get more chances to blog. :)

It’s time for healing, time to move on…

July 1, 2010 in Andrew, Darby, Elimination Diet, Health, Jarvis, Justice, Love, Marriage, Paige by Petra | 7 comments

It’s July 1st?! How is 2010 halfway over?! Wasn’t it just 1999??? I’m really beginning to understand what my father-in-law meant when he said “the older you get, the faster time goes.” *sigh*

Yesterday’s menu:
breakfast – sliced strawberries, dry Rice Chex (yum?), hot green tea (not the best b’fast, but my energy levels are just starting to return after being sick, so I had something that one of the kids could easily grab for me ;) ).
lunch (see photo above) - baked wild alaskan cod filet (olive oil, fresh lemon and lime juice, minced garlic, sea salt, pepper, dried cilantro), fried sweet potatoes (fried in olive oil with sea salt to season), more sliced strawberries, water
dinner – stir-fry [shrimp, broccoli, onions, garlic, zucchini, carrots] served with quinoa, fresh sliced pineapple, water

~snacks were things like peanut butter, carrots, and… I can’t remember anything else though I’m sure I had more than just that~

So yesterday was my first experience with quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). I’ve been meaning to try it for a while since it cooks up quicker than rice and it’s also more nutritious. I liked the taste, it was similar to rice. But there was something no one warned me of! When quinoa cooks it leaves small circles along the top of the pan that look like something you’d find at the bottom of the sea, and the actual cooked quinoa looks like a big pile of bug eggs or something grosser. That was difficult for me to get past. I had to chant “this doesn’t look disgusting, this doesn’t look disgusting, this doesn’t look disgusting” in order to get that first bite down. lol. I’ll eat it again though. I’m all about getting more nutrients out of my food!! :)

Obviously I’ve added some things to my diet since my last elimination diet post. Peanut butter and rice don’t seem to bother me. Potatoes don’t bother me either. Last night was my first foray with shrimp since I started this diet and it didn’t seem to bother me. I have discovered that dairy definitely bothers me (!), which is what I suspected was the main culprit but had been in denial. That makes me a sad panda, but it’s nice not to be in a fog! There are a few fruits that I can only eat every other day, but I can live with that. I’m trying to have more of a variety in my diet anyway. Oh, I added another snack in as well – Kettle barbecue chips. They’re my big treat. :)

In other news, Paige still isn’t walking or trying to walk. She has her 15 month checkup on July 9th. I’m pretty sure she *could* walk if she wanted to – she just doesn’t want to. She’s perfectly content to be carried or to crawl or to walk alongside furniture as she holds on.

She is saying a few more words now and then (‘uh-oh’ is her latest favorite word), but she really doesn’t talk very much. I mean, she makes noises and she grunts and points as she demands we bring her where she wants to go, but actual ‘talking’? She can’t be bothered. She does understand a LOT of what we say though. And she knows the signs for “eat” and “bird” so she can tell us if she’s hungry or if she sees a bird. Both very practical. ;)

Jarvis and Darby are hitching a ride with our good friends, Mark and Kim Lilley, to Tennessee tomorrow. They’ll be visiting my parents for a week, and then Grandma and Grandpa will bring them home. They’re excited to be going someplace without the rest of the family (as are most kids that age). I am not a huge fan of having my kids gone, but I like for them to do fun things so I’m happy for them that they get to go on a little vacation. :)

Justice shoots ball as often as possible. I actually took a couple of photos today. He starts drivers ed in a week and a half. Oh yeah, and I need to call again about the basketball camp next month. They weren’t organized last time I called and told me to wait a month and try again.

Andrew is home for a four-day weekend so I’m super excited about that! I love having him here. He still rocks my socks after all these years. I don’t think we’ll ever run out of things to talk about or stop being attracted to each other. I love our marriage. Love it! I’m still so amazed and grateful when I think of all we overcame. If you are reading this and you think your marriage is over and there’s no hope – please call me! I have a story of hope for you. Us! Nothing is impossible for God!! He heals – not just illness but relationships. So awesome! :)

In case I don’t get a chance to blog again over the weekend (although I have big plans to blog every day – hahahahaha), I hope you all have a wonderful weekend of celebrating our country’s independence!! Happy July 4th! :)

Ohhhh… mares eat oats and does eat oats…

June 29, 2010 in Brittany, Darby, Random by Petra | 5 comments

  • I’m 34. Well, I will be in 5 hours and 51 minutes.
  • Last night, I found a whole slew of silvery white hairs that I didn’t know where there. Note to self: Don’t examine hair too closely again.
  • Paige keeps getting cuter and cuter. She is so hilarious!! And she is getting sillier. And more cuddly. I love her.
  • Britta put some red streaks in her hair last week. It’s funky and cute.
  • My diet is still going on – updates coming soon.
  • Andy is awesome. Best husband ever.
  • That’s all I got.

Britta’s hair

One of my healthy breakfasts. (and filling and delicious)

Another of Darby from our trip to the park the other day.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…

June 21, 2010 in Darby by Petra | No comments

Princess Darby got a few photos taken at the park today (see facebook for a few more). I cannot believe she’ll be 9 in a few weeks!! Wasn’t she just born the other day?!

You should’ve seen by the look in my eyes, baby…

June 19, 2010 in Darby, Elimination Diet, Health, Natural remedies, Paige, Random by Petra | 3 comments

Randomness
{and I don’t know what’s up with the REO Speedwagon reference in the title today… apparently I’ve got the ’80s on my brain? Maybe it was in my dream last night? There’s no telling. Sing it with me now… “there was something missing… You should’ve known by the tone of my voice, maybe… but you didn’t listen…” Okay, I’m done.}

  • Paige’s two molars have finally broken through! Hooray!! I’m sure the next two  molars will be trying to come through soon, but for now, she is sleeping much better.
  • I’m recovering from the baaaaaad lamb. Whew. That one set me back. I think the diet is going well though – aside from the lamb episode, I’ve had more energy – AND my skin is clearing up!!! Breakouts, flaky skin, and itchiness are all usually symptoms of something in one’s diet that is disagreeing with them, and I have always had all three of those things. So I’m thinking whatever the offending food item has been must be gone since those three things are not bothering me for once. I mean, my skin started clearing up after a day and a half of the new diet!! It’s the little things.
  • Andrew has been working so much! And when he’s not working, he has massive amounts of homework (he’s now in school for his new MOS – until September). He did get to come home early yesterday after passing his test, though, so we are enjoying a long-ish weekend.
  • I’m especially enjoying that while I’m sitting here blogging, he is mopping the kitchen and dining room. ;)
  • Justice comes home from his mission trip today! I really miss him! I’m not going to do so well when my kids start moving out of the house. I like them too much!! Yes, I’m one of those rare breeds of mothers who actually *likes* her kids and likes having them around, even the teenagers. ;)
  • Darby is done with her swimming lessons! They had been jumping off the diving board at the end of class, and on the last two days, the kids that wanted to were allowed to jump off the high dive. Two boys in the group wanted to… and Darby! She jumped off several times and swam over to the side after she jumped in. She’s always been kind of a daredevil, and she definitely learned a lot in her two weeks of lessons. $20 well spent! :)
  • I guess I need to get off my rear and get back to helping clean the house. More elimination diet posts to come, and I’ll try to do a post with more photos soon – I’ve been lacking in the photo-posting area.
  • Happy Father’s Day to all the dads that read my blog. :)

You make everything glorious…

June 10, 2010 in Darby, Jacob by Petra | 6 comments

Jacob is playing with his trains on the floor near me and Henry just rode over to James and said in a high pitched voice, “we aren’t allowed to go into the junk yard.” So cute. And possibly a little sad that I know their names.

I am in the process of updating the blog a little. I moved the posts over here from the last blog attempt at petracarden.com. I am using a new wordpress theme, and now I need to make a new blog banner for it. And I’m going to make a new homepage at petracarden.com with a link to the blog and a few other places that I have great plans of adding on my webspace. You know, with all that extra time that I have. lol

Today was the last day of school (a 1/2 day)!!! I’m SO glad it’s over!! For those of you who don’t already know, we are planning to home school the whole clan in the fall. I’m currently researching all our options for curriculums, etc. I was going to wait until next year to start doing kindergarten with Jacob, but he is super ready, so I guess that means I’ll be teaching five kids (!). Yeah… pray for me. lol

I currently have a couple of playlists I’m listening to on a regular basis.  The first one is She & Him: Volume Two. The one playing right now is as follows (go download all these songs – they’re fantastic):

  1. Mess of Me, Switchfoot
  2. I’m Not Who I Was, Brandon Heath
  3. Intoxicating, David Crowder Band
  4. By Your Side, Tenth Avenue North
  5. Lay ‘Em Down, Need to Breathe
  6. Never Let Go, David Crowder Band
  7. Secrets and Regrets, Pillar
  8. How He Loves Us, David Crowder Band
  9. Something Beautiful, Need to Breathe
  10. Beautiful Ending, Barlow Girl
  11. Everything Glorious, David Crowder Band
  12. Give Me Your Eyes, Brandon Heath
  13. Lead Me, Sanctus Real
  14. Avalanche, Manafest
  15. Your Love is a Song, Switchfoot
  16. Forgiven, Sanctus Real
  17. Love is Here, Tenth Avenue North

I love how there is so much Christian music to choose from nowadays! And yes, I just said ‘nowadays’. Whatever.

Darby is doing great with her swimming lessons. She loves it! She goes tonight, and then she goes four days next week. They do have two other sessions which are increasingly more advanced – not sure if we’ll do those or not though. Last night, I brought Jacob with me because they have a kiddie pool that siblings can play in during the lessons. I set my camp chair up near it and Jacob was having a blast when one of the instructors came over and pointed to the sign on the gate that said “Sorry, pool closed” – Yeah, I didn’t see that?! Hello. I guess the pump broke on it yesterday. So Jacob ended up sitting on a towel next to me the rest of the lesson and emptied the contents of my wallet and purse. I put it all back together today during the car pickup line after school. Hey – at least it got cleaned out. :)

Well, this checking account isn’t going to balance itself – gotta figure out what receipt is missing and why my numbers don’t match up with the banks (not in our favor either – ugh). Good times.

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