Super Wy!

We took supper over to Kevin and Tracy who you may remember from here. I had to bring my camera as I only had a few beautiful pictures of this sweet boy. He has this cute little head crinkle he does and he looks like a little old man…simply adorable.

Ceili Rain’s feet are on the right and big W’s are on the left. Yep, his feet are almost exactly the same size as my five month old. She has these petite little feet and he has these massively big ones!

Can my kids resist holding a baby??? Nah…they loved it.



“Give me the baby!!”

Why are you taking these pictures, woman!?!

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Where’s the Beef??

We finally jumped in and did it. We purchased 1/4 share of cow. The best price we could find was a place in South Carolina. The plan was we would travel an hour away and meet them at a market and pick it up there. However, the processor labeled it wrong and as such we had to travel to a farm two hours away to pick up the beef. It just so happens that the farm, Sharon Rose Farm, had “Family Day on the Farm.” So, after rushing to a birthday party and then rushing to leave, we hit the road to travel. We would have made it for more festivities, but we took a wrong turn (if only we had a GPS, huh Grandmere) and got there just a little late. However, the owners of the farm were extremely nice and gave us a tour and gave our hot tired children water. The kids got to run around and, hopefully, learned a little about farming (school day).
The farmer uses these old Farmall tractors and he had two of them out. Liam and Josiah were enthralled. They loved climbing on them. Oh, that’s a prince or a cowboy on Liam’s cheek. I didn’t hear the conversation between him and the artist but it looked like a doozy.



She’s a tiger…look out!!


The funnest thing was meeting the baby chicks. Now, folks, these aren’t laying hens. That’s right! I just held and petted someone’s supper. He was so cute and fluffy though. I love baby chicks. I remember my grandmother hatching and incubating them (mostly laying hens for them) when I was growing up…ahhh, nostalgia. None of the kids would pick them up.

Don’t you just love the way my face “glistens!” It felt like 100 degrees in there as they were “incubating” the chicks.
Freshly weaned baby pigs. Here’s your bacon and sausage.
They also have a milk cow. In South Carolina it is legal to sell raw milk, but you have to be liscensed (and raw milk dairies, so I’ve heard, are much much cleaner than regular dairies…I’m just saying). This is their milking trough/area. Liam thought he’d just have a little seat here.

Uncle B raises free range chickens (for food) and I thought he would get a kick outof seeing all their many cages.
I think Josiah was trying to whisper escape plans…not quite sure.
Someone’s steak, burger, and other assorted meats (Sorry if your vegetarian…I’m not, obviously). Liam asked me why the cow had to die and I borrowed an answer I read from Uncle B and Aunt B, “That it had done what God had created it to do” He was very happy with that.

We were too, as we had some sirloin tip roast kabobs marinated and grilled today! Yum yum.

This is only the bottom half of our 20 cubit foot freezer. It barely took up two shelves! So, see not much room needed for the food.

We purchased the meat from Native Meats. We did not buy a box but emailed them personally about purchasing the 1/4 share cow. We got 70 pounds of meat out of 1/4 share.

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Faith & Family

Mark and I just completed reading a book I bought for him for Father’s Day called Family Driven Faith by Voddie Bauchum. For anyone who is utterly desiring to see their children succeed (in the true sense of the word…as in…following Christ with their whole heart) this is a must read. Mark and I got a lot out of it and it basically has reiterated to us what we feel our role is in being parents and members of a church.

It’s easier now, armed with the knowledge that we’re not alone in our parenting/church/family philosophy. We’re part of a minority right now but we so see the need and urgency for our children and others’ children that we want to just stand up in our church and yell that this is it…this is how to beat the statistics of young people leaving the church. But we can’t do that because then our secret would be out…everyone would know we’ve gone loopy. As such, we like to just keep them guessing right now!

So, to vent my frustrations and desires, I’m using my blog…because it’s mine (all mine!…mu-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha). So stay tuned for some information on how we do it…faith style! And while you’re waiting, go get Voddie Bauchum’s book!

*I must admit that it’s taken me over a year to correctly pronounce his first name…ugh. Don’t you just hate it when you have to work to pronounce weird names. Why can’t people have simple names like, Ceili Rain? (ahhh, sarcasm)

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Why I’ve been semi-absent this week

So, my first attempts at real sewing with Zoe’s swimsuit, I got brave and decided to make some more things. I found this website and really got pumped at all the adorable outfits. So, I just had to make one for Zoe and a matching one for Ceili Rain. Then, I found a dress for Zoe that was just a little short for a six year old bouncy girl so I needed to make some pantaloons to go under it. I found that pattern here. And then, going through all of the clothes, I realized Zoe needed some pjs/nightgowns. I also realized that I had a ton of fabric that my mom had found at some place and given to me and that my mother-in-law had persuaded me to keep when I went on a cleaning rampage. So, I bought a nightgown pattern from Simplicity to make one. After announcing all of my ambitious pursuits to Grandmere she set a time to travel.

And here is the fruit of our efforts. She was a great teacher. I’m still not quite sure how we got all this accomplished with five children constantly wanting Grandmere’s attention or needing my disciplining…but we did.

I did not get pictures of the nightgown or pantaloons but I did get some of the dresses! My plan is to make at least two to three more nightgowns/pjs for Zoe for the winter. Then she should be set for a good amount of time.

Getting measured…yep, the consignment clothes are still there. And they still are right now…I’m working on it.


Deuling sewing machines…this was Tuesday night trying to make headway before Grandmere had to leave on Wednesday.

The sewing diva…

and the wannabe!


The skirt to Zoe’s Twirl Dress (Ellie’s Twirl Dress from youcanmakethis.com to be exact). Let me just say that was a lot of material and a lot of gathering. Not sure I’ll do this one again. But it did turn out adorable…scroll down.

Zoe put it on and couldn’t stop spinning…well, she did stop several times because she kept falling, but she did love it. The pattern also came with instructions for a headband which was super easy.

Princess #2 with her twirl dress. She didn’t spin but she looked equally adorable. No headband for her but check out her “kicks.” I found the FREE pattern and directions at TackyLiving.com. And yes, these are just like those expensive leather type shoes. Since Ceili Rain isn’t walking yet, I bypassed the leather sole and went for a cute matching one…that’s the only changes I made. They were amazingly easy!

Ace asked to get a picture with her, and I willingly obliged.

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The Sound of Music

Mark and I have talked a little here and there about Zoe and Ace starting to take piano lessons. We both really feel that Ace might take to piano. So, every once in a while, I would search for pianos here and there in the classifieds and craigslist. Never really finding anything. Until…the day of Ace’s birthday party I spotted an ad. Mark called and the lady wanted $50 for the piano! Too good to be true? Not sure, but we went to look at it and Mark was satisfied with it enough to go ahead and pay for it. We had a day to rearrange and make room for it and then Mark and a neighbor headed out to get it. When they got it back, another friend showed up to help move it in. They called another friend when they realized how heavy it was and when two wheels broke off the back (stop laughing all you musically inclined readers, it was $50 okay…so they have to play an octave lower because some of the keys stick and some others make a “dud” noise). Anyways, the fourth friend never showed up, so three middle aged (yep Mark’s so there now) men hoisted it up the back steps and through the back doors. Here they are in the process:
It was really heavy, or so I was told.

Going into place. I’m hoping to have someone come and look at it in the next couple of weeks to let us know if it’s a keeper with a few adjustments or if it’s beyond hope (or our bank account). After that, we’ll start Zoe and Ace on piano lessons.

We had to move a lot of things around as the piano went where our books were. In the process, we had to get rid of an L-shaped desk. I listed it on craigslist for $50 and guess what?? It sold in two days too. Basically, we got a free piano!

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On the blink…

Grandmere (Mark’s mom) came over on Monday morning to teach me to sew a little bit. By saying “come over” I mean she woke at the crack of dawn (or before) and drove four hours.

I had a pretty ambitious goal of making matching dresses for the girls (a goal for each season), nightgowns for Zoe, and pantaloons for Zoe’s Sunday dresses. Today, Grandmere had to go back home, so I set out to finish as much as I could while I had a live in babysitter. I went to turn the tv on for Ace and the morning stragglers to watch while I got breakfast ready. Despite the fact that tv was doing great last night, when I turned it on today it had lines and half the picture missing. I guessed that the cable was a little messed up so I switched over to video so they could watch the traditional morning video. It was doing the same thing and then it went black. I turned it off, then turned it back on. Lines again. Then it slowly straightened out. I got ready to start the video and the screen went blank.

Now, keep in mind that the entire 8 years of our marriage we have never had to buy a tv. This tv is a 32 inch monster of a tv and needs about ten people to move it and was given to us by Ge and Granddaddy when they upgraded. Now it looks like we’ll be searching for a new tv.

Not that we’re rushing to get one. We watch the Duggars and Ace of Cakes on a regular basis…typically we just don’t watch any one tv show at any time. We recently swapped cable/internet/phone service and got a special promo deal with it. When it runs out in November, we’d already planned to drop cable.

I think four years ago, I may have had a panic attack if we couldn’t have a tv with expanded cable. After all, I need my HGTV and TLC! But now, I can do without the horrible commercials or the exploitation of people’s marital dramas (you all know who I’m talking about). What a blessing it is that our lives are not centered on television. I’ve been impressed that the kids have not noticed nor do they seem to care.

We will be purchasing another tv though. Movie nights would just be weird with four little heads and two big heads trying to see out of a 13 inch tv (a graduation gift from my high school time).

On top of sewing and a busted tv, Josiah started running a temp…even though he feels horrible, we’ve had some sweet cuddle time. Baby sickness forces me to stop and just love on them.

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Welcoming a Sweet Baby

No, I’m not pregnant!

I had the unbelievable chance to help some wonderful and amazing friends through the birth of her first child. Honestly, the thought of doing that “professionally” (as a doula) has crossed my mind several times. I absolutely enjoy being a support person for someone, especially if they are going through their first pregnancy. Tracy and Kevin allowed me to do that. In fact, towards the end of the pregnancy, Kevin just called me Dr. Abbie. Funny, but definitely not true. There was no way I was going to deliver their baby.

However, they asked me to come and be there to support/encourage through the labor process. She was induced on Friday and I got to go up and sit and visit and laugh (thanks to some amazing friends who watched the kids for me). They told me that because she didn’t feel comfortable with his mom, he didn’t feel comfortable with her mom, then I was the neutral party. Just call me Switzerland.

I stayed, visited, laughed, and watched contractions (she had an epidural so she didn’t feel much of the contractions). Then, I had to run feed Ceili Rain. She nursed and I ran back up to the hospital. She was at a 7 when I started heading back. I relieved Kevin of his husband duties and talked with Tracy while we waited. When she started feeling some pressure I knew she was close (and so did the nurses monitoring her.

I was fully prepared to exit the room but when I asked what they wanted me to do, they told me to stay. So, I was prepared to leave when she was about to deliver…but I just never made it out the door. I spent most of the time trying to get Tracy to relax by making her laugh (in between pushes of course).

So, I attended my first delivery (other than my own five). It was an amazing thing to watch! I’m so thrilled that Tracy and Kevin allowed me to participate. She did an amazing job as a first time mom. Dad did great as a support coach and daddy. He even cut the cord…very impressive for a first time dad not knowing what to expect! They are going to be great parents. Thanks, Tracy & Kevin for letting me hang with you as you waited on Baby W. I feel truly honored and blessed to have been able to watch you bring God’s little miracle here into this world.

He loves to chew on his fingers already…he learned that from CeiRai!

Proud mom and sweet baby boy!

Okay, I’m glad I’m not done with this. One of the nurses came in as she was prepping for delivery and asked if we were family. I told her no…then we both kind of said, well, yeah…Tracy is pretty much the little sister I never had (same goes for Mark too). I love having a little sister, finally!!

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Announcing, CeiRai’s Blog

Yeah, I know I’m clogging up the blog world with pictures of my precious baby…but come on people! She’s adorable!! Am I right or am I right???

Anyway, last night we pulled down Liam’s baby book and flipped to four months…guess what? Ceili Rain is Liam with a dress on (or not as the case may be in these photos). They look exactly alike minus the blue eyes on Liam and light brown eyes on Ceili Rain (yep brown, but not as dark as Josiah’s eyes).

“Iiiii’mmmm cute!”


Even with…Drool flying out my mouth!
Ceili Rain isn’t all that’s been happening around here. Stay tuned for “How We Do Things: Homeschooling” and some more posts about a new arrival and family and faith…it’s going to be a good week next week!

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Sweet Like Sister

First of all…Don’t deny it…she’s adorable!!!

Secondly, I found this dress while sorting, tossing, and repacking all the kids clothes. It was given to Zoe by a precious family friend. Now, if you know anything about me, I’ll take handmade gifts over anything store bought any day. There’s just something about someone giving you something that they put together with their precious hands that totally makes me get full of warm fuzzies! You know they care and want to show you that…that’s special.

Anyway, this dress was made by our family friend for Zoe as a baby and I absolutely loved it. It’s a beautiful white dress with ever so light pink decorative stitching around it. Now we got another little one wearing it. Ahhh!



And third, after months of obsessing over the photos over here, Mark (the computer guy, also known as my main squeeze), has figured out how I can do it on his operating system (linux) using a photo editing program! Yippee…he’s going to see if it runs on my rusty rickety Windows as well. Anyway, give me your opinion about the “blurs” in the above photographs. I’m still playing around with the program trying to get the right look/design that will work…I guess it’s just going to depend on the photos and what’s going on. Mainly, for these, I was trying to fuzz out the mounds of clothes going to consignment! I think I like the very top one the best.

I love this little heavenly handful in her heartily handmade dress!

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