lots of stuff so little time...

Well, where to start. I visited Maryann in the hospital when she had her new baby Sidon. It was great to see her. I had a good time visiting her and Brian again.
Home school is going well. Of course I have moments wondering if I am going insane. The kids are great and for the most part listen to what I have to say. Traveling is fun in a way because we get to spend the better part of the day in a pool. The school part is just slimmed down to a few core subjects because I can't bring the whole library. We get it done and enjoy being with dad.
Adam turned 8. I will do a separate blog after the baptism on Sat.
Ian is 1. Halloween was fun and we went to lots of parties and I did the kids makeup 3 times. With each time I got better and faster on putting on the makeup. It was fun.
Thanksgiving was nice. We all were not feeling well. We canceled having Marcello and his family come, they were really sick. We were invited to another friends house but we declined because of how we felt. Sam and I did do all the traditional TG stuff. She made rolls from scratch and did all the sides. She was a big help since I really didn't have the energy. I did do everything GF except rolls for the family. I even made an apple pie for Ty. I got really frustrated with that one! The crust was really the constancy of mashed potatoes, I even added more flour and it never firmed!!! Oh well everything tasted great.
Joe has been able to hunt whitetail deer on our land for the past few months. He has been very successful in putting meat in the freezer. Two does and one buck. Our freezer is full. I feel blessed.
We really have been blessed this year. I am so grateful for my wonderful family, health, a roof over our heads and such wonderful family and friends. I could take up all the post on just the things I am grateful for. Joe knows I could he hears my long prayers;)
I have been really been bitten by the ancestry bug lately. I have gone back on my mothers side starting with myself, 8 generations. It is not complete, but finding pieces. I am really finding it interesting finding out where they came from and stuff is really exciting. We were given a copy of my grandma Bennee's journal and I really enjoyed a brief look into her life. I guess it has hit me more how sad I feel of how little I knew of my grandpa Storey. I know that it can be the case that when the grand kids are ready to listen sometimes it's too late or life gets in the way. I am typing with tears in my eyes and not being able to think clearly. I just know we each have a duty to write down things about ourselves, and any family member we can remember. WE are the only link future generations have to their past. If knowledge leaves with us, no one will ever know. Even if it is a paper with names and dates, pictures with names on the back, or even journal entries. We get glimpses into lives of others, maybe see a picture and say, oh that is where... got those eyes. Maybe traditions we would like to pass on or recipe book. Things are endless. I think that just starting on any memory is a good place start writing or recording. Just be brave and take it one memory at a time.

Ty

Being Gluten-free has it's challenges for us. Tyler is adjusting well and we have seen tremendous growth in his body and he is calmer. His appetite is back and he is not afraid to try new food. He was not eating much before and it makes me happy to see him enjoy food. A few things I noticed that I wanted to share. We went to a home school field trip day and he waited patiently for his food. He picked up a pretzel and looked at it and then put it back down. (He didn't look sad). He asks me if he can eat something and says "hurt tummy?" Then I answer. We went to the health food store the other day. I don't like going there and I usually don't want to take the kids if I have to, but I went anyway. Ty got to the gluten-free section that he has never been to and yells " glut free glut free" "my fooda"all with a huge smile on his face. This made me so happy getting food he can eat and him being so happy to get "his" food.

Yesterday was a bad day. Not one really bad, but for Ty. I found him hiding under the table eating a home made role. I don't blame him, they are good... he had half the role already eaten. I really wanted to cry! I picked him up after explaining the bread would hurt his tummy and gave him a long hug. I was sad because, Ty gets really rowdy, his stomach does hurt, rash, bowel problems. Later in the afternoon, Ty starts yelling that he is going to throw up, that his tummy was hurting. He was on time outs a lot and had all the other symptoms above.

Today is getting better he is a little calmer. I am glad we have him diagnosed so we can help his body heal.

finally more pictures

Adam log throwing at the Father Son camp out John went too, but Joe only took one picture. too buisy to take pictures. They all had a wonderful time.

Adam taking pictures of Johnny and this is their editing

Adam taking pictures again

Adam # 8 in first soccer game

Adam and John sneaking out before church

Adam in game

Sam in first game

Sam #9

Before the first game

Family picture in NC

Sam

Joe's friend Marcello in a tree picture didn't rotate

Sam playing miniature golf on a mother-daughter (and 2 brothers date)

Ty having fun. He would hit the ball and say "oh man" when he missed the hole. Then would pick up the ball and move within a few inches of the hole and try again. very cute.

The beginning of the shot

Ian and Ty waiting their turns

Today, outside jumping in the leaves

Today Ian vacuuming

Last week Ian pulling grass and loving it

a few days ago Ian can whistle (on purpose)

not a very good picture, but one of Ian's faces he gives people when he thinks he is cute. squinting his eyes

drinking out of the straw getting ready to try mate next

Here is the other face. He was so wiggly

the boys asleep on my run

a few weeks ago now. the first day he actually got his legs under himself and started officially crawling.

photo dump and more to come....

Well it sure has been a long time since I posted last. I am going to pretty much just do a photo dump and I really have a lot more to come. Joe is camping in our woods with the kids and I decided to finally sit and post some pictures. We have had a wonderful summer. We have been able to be with Joe a little more lately. We have gone traveling to where he works or going on vacations together. We just got back from NC again. Joe FINALLY found his great friend that he was comps with on the mission. They both have been looking for each other for about 9 years now. We stayed in their home for 6 nights and were sorry to leave. We all had a wonderful time.

The kids and Joe are camping in our woods now. They were so excited. Yesterday we did a bonfire and roasted hot dogs and Smores. By the time everyone was ready, it was too late to go outside. All the kids were cranky and we had to get up by 6 am to get ready for their first soccer game. I don't have the pictures for that yet but will do another post when I get those. The kids did great and had a wonderful time.

I am doing well with all the kids all the time, oh I didn't mention, I decided to home school the kids. I know I can't spell, but I sure as well will make sure my kids can! We are doing well and the kids have been doing lots of things and I am happy to report that they think home school is hard. yes!

The only thing that I have found hard is how to be a good teacher when you are sick. I have had a good cold the last few days and all I want to do is sleep. Luckily Joe has been home. Ian is pulling himself up in his crib. the picture here is the first time and he got mad at me. Yesterday, he pulled himself up and started hitting the rail with his hand and jumping on his bed with a huge smile and laughing at himself . It was great. Well for the pictures....

Johnny getting ready to go in the tent

Yesterday. it was actually almost dark but nice for cameras with night shots.Ian screaming when I get the camera out.

kids made from scratch this minestrone soup all from the garden - the noodles, hb, and pinto beans.Special soup the kids made for GF TylerJoe in a treeKids in the tent tonightA hike in the State park in Indiana

The kids on a 2 mile hike

Adam has lost 8 teeth

Garden

Well I love having a garden. I forget to go check under all the leaves some times and get 5 lb zucchini. I don't remember what type of carrots I planted, so they are small. and raccoons are destroying the corn. I really do LOVE to garden. I can walk out there and see all the hard work of preparing the soil, and all the loads of soil, fertilizer, and sod cutting, let alone all the weeding, and planting and then replanting because I pulled some plants out when I weeded, and bring inside bounty that came from a few seeds. I have been sharing with some neighbors that wanted to have a garden but didn't want to plant over the septic system that covered their yard and also 2 more neighbors. I have been able to freeze a lot and will be doing more really soon. I also love when the kids help me outside.
I love it when the kids eyes get really big and say, "is all that from our garden?" Or Ty making machine gun noises as he picks up huge zucchini, cucumber, carrots, or green beans. It all makes me smile.
Except those raccoons!

some flowers that grew in the planters around the house

I think this carrot reminds me of a charactor in a movie called Spirited Away, a spirit they called the radish spirit.

2yr olds

I found these pictures on my cell phone. Johnny's picture was taken around his 2nd bd and Ty's was close to his birthday as well.

Time in GA with Whit and Josh and also the Okefenokee Swamp

We spent a few days with my sister Whitney and Josh and had such a wonderful time. We went to the AFB and went swimming on the 4th and went to see fireworks, got attacked by fire ants, went to the preserve and saw beautiful bald cypress, kids drove these two into the ground, the kids saw their first alligator, and certainly not the last, we had a few adult talks with them and enjoyed every moment with them. I miss my sister. I miss my family each one, dearly.

Adam and Josh with lightsabors, I think it is initiationJohnny nextSome fireworks, still learning to use the cameraThe nature preserve close to Whit's houseThe first spottingThe first spottingWhitney and IanWhitney and JoshThe boys now obsessed with motorcycles after seeing Josh's and they get to try on some fun gearThis is Sam and she almost fits! scary!Now Ty's turnthis is an alligator that I think liked the sight of all my little kids. I didn't like him one bit!!!!!! He kept following us around. I know I could have lost one so easily. My stomach still churns! One of the places on the Oke swamp (history tour)

All the kids got to blow the horn of the train, just didn't put all the pictures here.

Kids looking down at some Alis, maybe if you click on the picture you could see Ty, look in the shadows by the kids legs.

on the cat walk looking down at some big ones at OKE

Some of the bald cypress, beautiful trees (could be that other cypress too I know there are two)

I know I have put a lot of pictures in the 3 posts, really, just from this trip I had 409 pictures on my camera. lucky putting pictures on takes so dang long for all of you. I tried to remember some of my favorites here.We had a wonderful time driving in IN, KY, TN,GA,SC,NC,VA,WV,OH and back to IN. Also seeing this beautiful country we live in. It is so diverse.