Park

Applesauce

While I've been ironing, lifting weights, and such Moroni (12), Natalie, Hyrum, Tank, and Adelynn have been making applesauce. They are working so well together. Tank washes, Adelynn moves cut apples from a bowl to a pot, Natalie and Hyrum cut apples, and Moroni cooks and purees. They have kept a tidy kitchen as well. Amazing!

Ella was busy folding a huge pile of laundry on the couch. Jessica and Benjamin are studying for their AP Chemistry class at the dining table.

It's been a great morning! The lay few days I haven't had a much morning sickness. What a blessing!! I'm grateful Heavenly Father lets us feel the weakness of the flesh on occasion. It helps me develop sympathy and humility. But I'm ever so grateful when I feel normal and healthy!

Raking Leaves

The kids are out enjoying raking leaves.  Tank (4) is blowing them with the shop vac, having a fabulous time!  It's such a gorgeous Saturday!

The big boys are at a Scout camp, but should be returning shortly.  Then we will do a bit of yard work.  The boys have a window job this afternoon.  Awesome!  Jessica is going to a movie with her friend this morning.  Finally, she is doing something with a friend!  Around noon Jaremy is going to help Benjamin and Jessica with their AP Chemistry.  I'm going to try making applesauce.  Sometimes I mean well, but get sick.  But in a couple weeks morning sickness will be gone.  Hurray!!!  This evening Jessica is working at China Chefs.  We will get everyone bathed and read for Sunday.  It's going to be a great Saturday!

I'm so grateful Heavenly Father sends us lots of wonderful, simple days!!!

Reading

I'm so grateful Heavenly Father has blessed us with great books. We are reading books by Dr. Ben Carson right now.  Excellent! I just ordered an audio nursing course.  On YouTube we watch fascinating lectures and tutorials. We have so much knowledge right at our finger tips! We are so blessed! Our whole family can get a world-class education right at home for practically free. Amazing! I just hope I can choose the knowledge Heavenly Father needs me to have to improve our lives and serve others.

Dancing

When I start to feel nauseous we turn on some fun, upbeat songs and dance.  It lifts my spirits and eases my morning sickness. Oh, I wish it were just morning sickness, but mine is pretty much all the time.  But this is a great relief!  So is going on a walk outside! A beautiful thing!  I'm so grateful Heavenly Father has allowed me to be healthy enough to dance, walk, do yoga, and move around!

Large Families are Tons of Fun!

I am so grateful Heavenly Father has blessed us with a relatively, large family!  I'm so grateful baby nine is on the way!  We have so much fun together!  Homeschooling allows us to enjoy being together all the time!  We love it!!!!

Mother Teresa said, “Children are like flowers.  You can never have too many of them.”

We share this sentiment.  

We are all children of God.  Before we came to earth we lived with our Heavenly Father as His spirit children.  We rejoiced in the opportunity to come to earth to receive physical bodies created in His image. Of course, that requires being born.   We are partnering with God as we provide bodies for these precious, children of God.  We are honored to help as many spirits as we can to obtain their earthly bodies.  We are blessed to have these dear, sweet souls join our eternal family.  We welcome them with loving arms.  Our children are our greatest treasure and joy!  They are worth any sacrifice!

Our children are one another’s dearest friends!  They are inseparable!  Our house is a constant party!!!   While there is an epidemic of loneliness in many countries our children are surrounded by a huge family who cheers them on, waits for them, plays with them, and in short adores them.  We are together 24/7 and thrive on it!  Our home is filled with laughing, tickling, chasing, and joyful chaos.  As I am answering this question our five youngest and our huge dog are tearing around the house, yelling, and having the time of their lives.  Boredom never exists here!  There is always someone with whom to talk, play, or cuddle.

We lived in a large home for a couple of years, but we discovered something unexpected. We really only used the kitchen and large dining room.  We lived in those rooms.  We did all our homework, projects, reading, cooking, eating, planning, etc. in one big open kitchen and dining room.  The whole family gravitated to each other.  We would ask the teenagers, “Why don’t you go study upstairs or in your room where it is quiet?”  They would just say, “No, it doesn’t bother me.”  They wanted to be with everyone else and just be apart of the constant commotion. 

  Our kids feel terrible for only children! Or even for kids who only have one or a few siblings. Our house really feels like a constant party! It is filled with love from basement to attic! The Lord has given us such joy!

Vehicles

I think one of the blessings we have received from paying tithing is our appliances, vehicles, and home have required little or no repairs. This saves so much time, money, and stress. We also are very healthy and protected from accidents and injuries. Considering how many active children we have this its a miracle! I'm grateful for Elder Bednar's talk about tithing. It has helped me recognize even more blessing from the Lord. It has also helped me change my prayers to all for strength, wisdom, and courage instead of Heavenly Father just fixing problems or challenges for us. He has blessed us so much!