Happy to Be So

might as well sing along

2011-03-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

So....looks like I missed Christmas. Oops. At least this time I have a GOOD reason, seeing as how I'm pregnant. Again. And the 3rd trimester is a doozy, so I should get plenty slack for forgetting to post. I think I may have a few pictures from the past few months of our new life in Fort Worth, so I'll really try to get those up here. We're enjoying being in FW, have finally found a church home, and are starting to make friends and develop a routine. Baby will wreck that routine of course, so I know this is temporary. If all goes as planned and I stay healthy, I'll be delivering the new little bugger at the folks' house in San Antonio, so that I can use my lovely midwife whom I adore. So you can at least count on my posting again when I announce who showed up, and some cute pics of whoever it is!

I'm older now and still running against the wind

2010-07-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

Top 10 reasons why Kristen is a bad blogger:

#10 "I'm just technologically impaired" (thanks, Weird Al, for the idea)

#9 Dave got a new job, moved to Fort Worth, we moved out of our house, into my parents' house, are living out of suitcases, and Shelley keeps making oatmeal raisin cookies to keep me full which makes me sleepy and then I forget I have a blog.

#8 Fussing about missing Dave takes up a large part of my day.

#7 Henry is in charge of reminding me.

#6 I feel the need to take large breaks to find out who my true bloggity friends are.

#5 My computer died. (last week, but still....it DID die)

#4 My friends' blogs are all way cooler and there is no way I can keep up.

#3 I'm busy reading an awesome book about beer.

#2 So you'll have something to nag me about.

and the best reason of all.......

#1 I was predestined to be that way, so, what are ya gonna do?

I have no pictures of my growing-way-too-fast kids because my computer is on life support. Would you just believe me if I tell you they are cute? We are incredibly thankful that Dave has a job! He was hired by Farmers Insurance Group in Plano, and is now finished with his training. He is a property claims adjuster, and really likes his job. Right now he is camping out with my grandparents in Fort Worth, while the kids and I camp out at the Warren homestead. Later this summer we hope to be moving, and are praying that God leads us to the right house, church, friends, etc at just the right time. It will be nice to be closer to our FW family, though we are sad to be leaving our SA family behind (again! sheesh....common theme). And my sister CJ is getting married in October, so we're busy planning that and looking forward to welcoming another bro-in-law to the crowd. They'll live in Shawnee, OK, so we'll actually be much closer to them once we're moved north. Sister Annie just had her 3rd kiddo, Savannah Joy, and I'm sad they are so far away and I can't hold my new niece!! Can't wait to see them this fall!

I'm out of news, so, next up....Christmas!

I learned to laugh through my tears

2009-11-12T10:57:00.001-08:00

What's better than girlfriends??? Girlfriends and new babies!! Last weekend I got to hang out with my 3 college buddies in South Carolina. We hadn't seen each other in 2 years, and it didn't look like Posse 09 was going to be a possibility, but graciously God allowed it to happen and we spent 3 fabulous days together. Jackie flew in from Utah, Janelle drove down from the DC area, and I jetted from TX. Amy, the baby of the Posse, had struggled with infertility for years, and was finally blessed with little Jackson in August. Naturally, as his favorite Posse Auntie, I felt that I needed to see him at as young an age as possible, to confirm my favored status. I was right. Duh! Seriously, we ate too much food. I will say that as the only Posse member who does not possess a sweet tooth, its hysterical to watch 3 girls put away 2 bags of Snickers in the blink of an eye. Hehe. Some celebratory beverages were had, we watched some football, fought over Jackson, played fetch with Lucy a mind-numbing number of times, and it was all wonderful. These girls are fantastic, and I'm truly blessed that God brought us together those 14 years ago and has kept our friendship strong. If you don't have a Posse, go get yourself one!

I told Jackson he didn't need to be nervous since he has the fanciest baby bath I've ever seen.

Whoever feeds him is the favorite. Score!!

Lucy, waiting for us to pay attention to her instead of Jackson.

Ames and me

taking a much needed walk (remember the Snickers?), and Janelle looking illegally cute for her 30-something weeks of pregnancy.

Jackie woke up extra early the first day to hog him first.

Glitter toes!!

He's digging me. I can tell.

Can't wait for next year!!

he's going the distance...he's going for speed

2009-10-27T12:41:00.001-07:00

Runners are an interesting breed. They obviously love punishment and inhuman amounts of perspiration, or maybe those are just the necessary trade-offs to be in better shape than the rest of us. Whatever. My husband loves to run, and started running more regularly this summer, presumably so that he can be a "bona fide" runner, and talk all the crazy, mumbo-jumbo runner language with all the other interesting people. I fully support this. And he fully supports my support-without-participation. Its a good thing we have going. So he signed up for an 8-miler (his first race since we've been married), along with my brother Nathan and some of our friends. Of course I went along to cheer and congratulate, and Beth kept me company, snapping pics. All of them did great, and Dave was happy to beat his target time. I'm proud of him!! We're a fabulous, glamorous couple, and here is some proof:

Ok, ok...keeping it real. it was early. and cold. and early.

The two bros trying to stay warm before the gun

they are in that crowd somewhere, promise.

here he comes! woo-hoo, Babe!

Celeste was next. she runs like a gazelle. you'd hate her for it if she weren't such an awesome girl. I don't even think she was breathing hard when she crossed the finish line. **sigh**

then came Blair and Candace! look! see Candace trying to cut Blair off and beat her to the line?? man, I love this competitive vibe!

and then came Cheyenne and Nathan! he wasn't very sweaty, so I was suspicious that he had made Chey carry him part of the way. and she looked just as cute as before the gun. argh!

Dave, Blair, Candace, Chey, Nate, Celeste, a.k.a. "Team CoG" (Covenant of Grace, our church)

one step at a ti-i-ime!

2009-10-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

I really had planned to blog this sooner, but once again, if I keep your expectations low, it works to my advantage. In my reality, 2 weeks late really isn't late at all! Earlier this month, our kiddos joined in a production of Psalty's Camping Adventure, with all the kids from our church (I think there were 36 performers). My sister CJ was the director, and some of my other siblings, along with friends, were involved somehow in putting on this fabulous musical. For about 7 months they worked, memorized lines, learned songs and dance moves, built sets (Dave was resident set builder), and made costumes, culminating in a show that was fun and creative. A couple of my children actually cried when it was over because they were so sad. Dave's parents got to visit and see the performance, and they kids had a total audience of over 150! Here are a few shots:

That's Molly in the middle. She was a total ham (I'm sure that comes from Dave).

Henry was hysterical to watch, totally into his character! Warren was Farley McFirefly, and did great!

Carrie is a drama queen. Again, the Slaughter side....

The whole crew!

Oh, and if you're wondering where Liam is, and if he was in the musical.....

I ask you, would you let this character in your play? I rest my case.

gimme, gimme that high-ten

2009-10-14T13:27:00.001-07:00

My baby turned 3. "They" said it would happen, but I hardly believed "them". I've never had a 3 year old and not had a younger child, so this feels really weird, but wonderful too. Liam is so good to remind me though, that babies aren't the only tough children, and a life without babies is not a life without stress, mess, and insanity. He had a great party, with all 4 grandparents and whole mess of other relatives. Since he loves trucks, he got a couple of those, and since he loves hurting people, he got a sword. One of his Aunties was sweet enough to buy him several packages of pasta. Did I ever mention that pasta is all Liam eats? He asks every night if I'm making pasta for dinner, and if I say "no", he says, "OK, I'll take noodles". Oddly enough, he's my child and he hates meat...go figure. Obviously the large quantities of steak I consumed while pregnant with him did not have the desired effect. Anyway, this cake was his favorite part of the party....blowing out his 3 candles made him feel important. Its the little things, you know? For those of you with that question in the back of your mind....NO, he is not potty-trained. After over 2 months, we're still battling. I.hate.this.more.than.anything. Hopefully he'll decide to figure it out before Christmas.

waiting for the world to turn

2009-08-05T10:47:00.001-07:00

So Liam will be 3 in 2 months. Aside from the fact that that detail is impossible, that also means my procrastination in potty-training must come to an end. I'm not hyper about early training, in fact I waited until Henry was 3 1/2 before even starting, and it went beautifully/quickly. But with Liam having a fall birthday, I didn't want training to linger into the holidays. I also don't like to put a training kid into pants (or even underpants), to avoid excess laundry and the problems of them not being able to pull pants up/down alone, so it helps to train during warm months. Uh...no problem there. Today its 103. Sufficiently hot for nudity. Anyhoo...I'm giving it a whirl. If we do not have quick success, with signs that he is self-motivated, we'll pack it up and wait until spring. He's not my easiest kid, definitely a hard-headed little peanut, so I'm crossing all my fingers and toes.

we could keep chillin' like ice cream-fillin'

2009-05-04T11:01:00.001-07:00

The wonder. The mystery. The tramp. Liam's favorite activity at Papa and Granny's house is jumping. In fact, when we pull up to their driveway, he immediately asks, "I jump, Mom? I jump now?". Sometimes he's even lucky enough to have a Dad around to steamroll him on the tramp (which Liam fusses about, but secretly loves. I think.). And in my book, anything that causes Liam's energy level to be quickly used up is one of my Favorite Things.

Silly Dad, silly boy

working hard to avoid the steamroll

considering his best move

hmmm...not as much fun anymore. fussing is in order.

post-tramp activity when we get home. ahhhh. yes.

like children, true love, and wine, the best things in life take time

2009-04-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

Easter morning

two girls are better than one (in our case)

too much cuteness.

what happened here?? my goodness.

Yes, we do have boys. No, I did not take Easter pictures of them. Yes, I guess that makes me a bad Mommy. In my defense, they were probably wrestling, messing their hair up, and running around the house like wild dogs (only because this is usually the case). But seriously, girls are way cuter on Easter. Right?

we're far too serious

2009-04-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, still neglecting the blog. I'm consistently inconsistent, and you can take that to the BANK. Would you believe that I have not taken ONE picture since we moved to Texas? Not one. Not of the kids. Not of any kids. Not of our new house. Not of spring (but there's a good reason for that...spring doesn't exist). But I will. Probably. One major depressing thing is that right after we moved, we had to back up our hard drive to an external drive (is that even real computer-speak?), and now can't seem to get it to talk to us. This means all our pics that were on the computer are effectively gone. **sniff, sniff** And that is probably why I'm hesitant to take more pictures. The pictures won't commit to me for life, so I'd rather not get attached. As soon as I get over this (mostly) irrational fear, I'll try to get some shots of the kids up on here.

So lately...

*Molly made dinner, by herself, for the first time ever. It was scrumptious, and she did a great job. My plan here is to quickly work myself out of a job. Well, one anyway. Wonder of wonders, she hates diagramming sentences (which is as pointless as learning cursive) as much as I do. But FI.NAL.LY she is getting a grasp on her multiplication facts. whew.
* Warren lost his 2 front teeth, and sounds so funny w/ his temporary lisp. love it.
* Henry lost his first tooth. he was underwhelmed.
* Carrie now knows all her letters, their sounds, and a some blends. she is not, however, interested in school. this is fine with me. I am not interested in adding a new student yet. ever.
* Liam went pee in his new little potty. he was very excited, proud, and happy about the Skittles we gave him. that was 3 days ago, and he will not sit on the potty again. that is fine with me. I am not interested in potty training a new student yet. ever.
* Dave is awesome, though that is not a new happening, just thought it was worth mentioning.
* I am enjoying having a produce co-op again, and loving the raw milk co-op! I like to get my milk before the government gets their hands on it, but that's just me.

Better start Wednesday, now that it's halfway over.

the best we can hope for is to make a beautiful mess

2009-02-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

Man, oh man...I know. I really do know. You've probably already quit me by now, tiring of checking a petrified blog with the perpetual Christmas Eve post at the top. **sigh** In my defense, I'm terrible at multi-tasking. "Why have 5 kids?", you ask? Yes, I agree. Anyway, this post is nothing more than an apology of sorts, and for those who don't know (uh...no one?), an announcement that we are once again Texans. I'm not going to go into all the details, as its all sort of a blur right now. But, in recap...we felt (and still feel) that God clearly led us East. His hand was so evident in provision during those years: a new member added to our family, experience for Dave with an awesome company, a church we loved, my fab sister as a neighbor, and friends who overflowed my cup. We then believed He was leading us back. While the thought of living near my folks, friends, grandparents, etc. again had us very excited, we did leave VA with a heavy heart, really knowing what we were leaving behind. And that bittersweet mix is what life is all about. So we arrived in TX, blessed my a multitude of family, friends, and new faces who welcomed us and helped us quickly (read: in 3 hrs) unload and unpack our belongings. Our home is wonderful, and within 10 minutes of my folks and Aubrey & Dirk. Dave is launching his remodeling business, as we pray that God will bless his efforts and bring more clients. The kids are thrilled to be here, and while we have some adjustment issues with them, hopefully "normal" life will settle in soon. Though the SlaughterHouse never really knew normal. Normal is for wimps.

I promise not to take another 2 month break, and hopefully I'll have some pics up soon.

the hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight

2008-12-24T06:25:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I see biblical characters through rose-colored glasses. I think about my own failings and wistfully imagine what it would have been like to be a Super-Christian, those who just had a smidge of extra holiness, an unavoidable effect of having lived in such proximity to the Messiah. While I get caught up in hooplah over trappings and commercialism, or worry about temporal struggles that can make Christmas tough to celebrate, I can easily assume that this kind of attitude would have been foreign to those saints gone before. Celebrating the Incarnation (at its appointed time and thereafter) must have been without the crippling worldliness and difficulty that we experience. Wouldn't that be nice??? And yet they were sinners like me. They worried about paying their taxes to corrupt governors, travel that could be hazardous, persecution, providing for their families...on and on. Human nature being consistent as it is, I suppose they had to consciously focus their thoughts on the joy of 'God become flesh' and not let their own flesh (or anything else) distract them from the pursuit of celebration. And though it must certainly have looked different, they celebrated the same things that we do today. Salvation. Adoption. Freedom. Life. And its that one Life that leads us to life eternal that I consciously choose to meditate upon today. Immanuel! Our God is with us!

For all those who live in the shadow of death,
a glorious light has dawned!
For all those who stumble in the darkness,
Behold! your Light has come!
~Michael Card

let loving hearts enthrone Him

2008-12-23T04:50:00.000-08:00

The Magnificat -- Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

all is calm, all is bright

2008-12-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

Today was a busy Lord's Day, and 4th Sunday of Advent, and I haven't had a chance to sit down and decide on something to post. But I thought I'd quickly share that in church this morning, during our annual Christmas program, the SlaughterHouse 7 sang "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus", the song that I have been teaching the kids during the Advent season. They did such a wonderful job, singing out so loudly and confidently that Dave and I got many comments afterward from people wondering how we get our kids to do that. That struck me as so funny, because our kids have loved learning the carol and were excited to hear that we'd sing it as a family. Its nice when others notice my kids doing something well or right, and I hope that it can also be a blessing to others. And of course, any time I don't look like a slacker Mom is just a bonus for me.

soon it will be Christmas Day

2008-12-20T05:44:00.000-08:00

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men!”

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1864

Jesus, our Emmanuel

2008-12-19T06:48:00.000-08:00

The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap,
His hair was like a light.
(Oh weary, weary was the world,
But here is all alright.)

Ah, dearest Jesus, Holy Child,
Make thee bed, soft, undefiled
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber, kept for Thee.

My heart for very joy does leap
My lips no more can silence keep,
I must sing with joyful tongue
That sweetest ancient cradle song.

~G.K. Chesterton

Son of God, love's pure light

2008-12-17T04:19:00.000-08:00

Jesus, Lord, we look to thee,
On this day of thine own Nativity;
Show thyself the Prince of Peace;
Bid our jarring conflicts cease.
Let us for each other care,
Each the other's burden bear,
To thy church the pattern give,
Show how true believers live.
Make us one of heart and mind,
Courteous, pitiful, and kind,
Lowly, meek in thought and word,
Altogether like our Lord.

~Charles Wesley

our God is with us

2008-12-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government
or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and
righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

~Isaiah 9:6-7

until the Son of God appear

2008-12-14T05:14:00.000-08:00

Prayer for the Third Sunday of Advent:

Stir up thy power, O Lord,
and with great might come among us;
and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,
let thy bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost,
be honor and glory,
world without end.
Amen.

a human baby bearing undiminished deity

2008-12-13T07:51:00.001-08:00

"If Christmas means anything to you, then it must mean everything. It is a beginning and an end. It is a time of darkness and inexpressible light. It is a time of blessed relief at finally seeing all God's promises come true in one person. It is a time of tension as well as we look ahead in the life of this dear little one with a kind of historical omnipresence because we know how it all will end, on earth anyway. As our family gathers around our faint, flickering candle to read the Christmas story, the loneliness of the stable reminds us of the loneliness of another place on a hill outside Jerusalem. The rough trough seems almost as cruel a place as a cross. The infant cries we hear coming from the stable seem no less desperate than His final cry, and no less forsaken".

~Michael Card

a thrill of hope

2008-12-12T05:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry for my lapse yesterday...the long day provided no time for posting. Hopefully I'll be able to have something here for these last 13 days of Advent! I hope that your celebrations have been as meaningful as ours in the SlaughterHouse. For today, a quote from a precious saint:

"When I think of Christmas Eves, Christmas feasts, Christmas songs, and Christmas stories, I know that they do not represent a short and transient gladness. Instead, they speak of a joy unspeakable and full of glory. God loved the world and sent His Son. Whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. That is Christmas joy. That is the Christmas spirit".

~Corrie ten Boom

here we are, as in olden days

2008-12-10T04:44:00.000-08:00

Every tradition grows ever more venerable -- the more remote its origin, the more confused that origin is. The reverence due to it increases from generation to generation. The tradition finally becomes holy and inspires awe. Is this ill or fine? If the accumulated wisdom and the tested habits of the ages accounts for naught, then surely it is ill. But if such things afford security and sanity, then it is an auger of great good. Sense and sensibility should sway us toward the confident latter and not the impetuous former.

~James Gleason Archer

a man of God's own choosing

2008-12-09T04:47:00.000-08:00

During the month of November, I taught my kiddos the words to "Come,Ye Thankful People, Come", as one way of preparing our hearts for the celebration of Thanksgiving. They loved it, and still run around the grocery store singing it at the top of their lungs...nice! So for the Advent season I wanted to pick a song that they don't hear as often in our Christmas music (mostly because we listen to John Denver & the Muppets Christmas album and Harry Connick, Jr's 3 masterpieces...but I digress), but also a song that would be "singable" for short folks. I thought that "Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus" was a good choice (and a personal favorite of mine). We sing it before each meal and during our nightly Advent reading, and so far they have memorized the first verse and about 1/2 of the second. Not surprisingly, last night Carrie was singing (uh...yelling?) it loudly in Walmart. Interestingly enough, the Maryland shoppers were less than amused...but I digress again. These are powerful words that Wesley wrote over 250 years ago, inspired by Haggai 2:7, "And I will shake all nations, and the Desire of Nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory".

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born and child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

~Charles Wesley, 1744

who but God would condescend for us?

2008-12-08T05:56:00.000-08:00

“How can God stoop lower than to come and dwell with a poor humble soul? Which is more than if he had said, such a one should dwell with him; for a beggar to live at court is not so much as the king to dwell with him in his cottage.”

~William Gurnall

God and sinners reconciled

2008-12-07T04:29:00.000-08:00

Prayer for the Second Sunday of Advent

Merciful God,
who didst send thy messengers the prophets
to preach repentance
and prepare the way for our salvation:
Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer;
who liveth and reigneth with thee
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
~from the Book of Common Prayer, 1789

its that time of year

2008-12-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

While at times the "secular" trappings of Christmas can seem to become a distraction from the intended focus of the Nativity, we need to remember that God hard-wired our brains to work within our memory. Some of the ways that we show our joy of the season may not be inherently "Scriptural" and yet nonetheless they manifest the celebration going on in our hearts better, at times, than our vocabulary can accommodate. A wiser woman than I could ever be has already expressed:

"There is something about saying, 'We always do this', which helps keep the years together. Time is such an elusive thing that if we keep on meaning to do something interesting, but never do it, year would follow year with no special thoughtfulness being expressed in making gifts, surprises, charming table settings, and familiar, favorite food. Tradition is a good gift intended to guard the best gifts".

~Edith Schaeffer

hail, hail the Word made flesh

2008-12-05T04:14:00.001-08:00

How proper it is that Christmas should follow Advent. For him who looks toward the future, the manger is situated on Golgotha, and the cross has already been raised in Bethlehem.

~Dag Hammarskjold

the Glory of the nations, a Light for all to see

2008-12-04T04:39:00.000-08:00

The implications of the name "Immanuel" are both comforting and unsettling. Comforting because he has come to share the danger as well as the drudgery of our everyday lives. He desires to weep with us and to wipe away our tears. And what seems most bizarre, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, longs to share in and to be the source of the laughter and the joy we all too rarely know.

~Michael Card

how great our joy

2008-12-03T04:50:00.000-08:00

Blessed Babe! What glorious features
Spotless fair, divinely bright!
Must He dwell with brutal creatures?
How could angels bear the sight?
Was there nothing but a manger
Cursed sinners could afford
to receive the Heavenly Stranger?
Did they thus affront their Lord?
Yes may'st thou live to know and fear Him,
He who deigned to incarnate earth's days;
So go and dwell forever near Him,
See His face, and sing His praise.

~Isaac Watts

a glimmer of a day in the sun

2008-12-03T04:19:00.000-08:00

I'm running way behind, but I have this fabulous friend Jen, who tagged me to post my 8th picture from my 8th folder, and since we've been friends for 1/2 of my life, I obliged ;-) I was hoping for one with all of us, but here's what I got, and now I'm sniffling in my morning coffee, remembering how little Liam was...still a baby. I think I'll be sniffling for a while.

So...who to tag? Who won't ignore me, and will obey? Hmmm...I'm gonna go with Kim May, Steph B, and Annie (yes YOU, sister).

let every heart prepare Him room

2008-12-02T05:44:00.001-08:00

"Most sensible people say that adults cannot be expected to appreciate Christmas as much as children appreciate it. But I am not sure that even sensible people are always right; and this has been my principle reason for deciding to be silly -- a decision that is now irrevocable. It may be because I am silly, but I rather think that, relatively to the rest of the year, I enjoy Christmas more than I did when I was a child. My faith demands that such be the case. The more mature I become the more I need to embrace the joys of the incarnation. The more mature I become, the more I need to be but a child".

~ G.K. Chesterton

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

2008-12-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

The Advent is precious. And it is not only precious to me, but to the whole of Christendom, including the saints gone before, who learned to embrace the celebration of the incarnation. Yesterday was the first Sunday of the Advent season, and I had hoped to post beginning then, but will be attempting to post something most days throughout. This is more a reminder for myself to meditate and reflect, but I certainly hope it can be a blessing to you as well. For today, this great quote:

"The true Christian religion is incarnational and thus does not begin at the top, as all other religions do; it begins at the bottom. You must run directly to the manger and the mother's womb, embrace the Infant and Virgin's Child in your arms and look at Him -- born, being nursed, growing up, going about in human society, teaching, dying, rising again, ascending above all the heavens, and having authority over all things".

~Martin Luther

Come, ye thankful people, come

2008-11-27T18:29:00.001-08:00

Our SlaughterHouse Thanksgiving Day was wonderful, and here are a few tidbits to share with y'all. After several weeks of Dave working long hours it was so nice to have him home for the day. The kids were thrilled and didn't even seem to mind that we spent a majority of the day in the kitchen preparing quite a spread. And when I say "spread", I mean "tons-o'-food". While I blog this, I'm sitting on our couch, contemplating a comparison between me and a pig. Or cow. Or both. I ate so much that I mused to Dave that maybe I looked pregnant, but don't worry, its just a food baby...I had a big dinner. This morning while I cooked, Dave prepared a perfect addition to our dinner, some family worship time centered around Thanksgiving, even making up programs for each of us. They were beautifully done! I'll include the text of the program at the end so you'll be super-impressed with my husband. So at the end of the day, despite each of us missing celebrations with our families, we were able to feel truly grateful for the blessings abundant in our lives. I hope that your day was equally blessed.

I forgot to take a picture before we cut up the turkey, so here it is partly demolished. I will add that I was surprisingly impressed with the turn-out. No dry meat!!

Our lovely table, with name cards designed by Molly and Dave, and thankfully it was cold enough to have a fire.

Finally ready to eat!

Slaughter Family Thanksgiving 2008

Giving thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for His mercies are new every morning and His grace that is unending.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 46

Hymn: Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Litany of Thanksgiving

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all His gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea,

We thank you, Lord

For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ

We thank you, Lord

For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,

We thank you, Lord

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,

We thank you, Lord

For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,

We thank you, Lord

For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,

We thank you, Lord

For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,

We thank you, Lord

For the communion of saints, in all times and places,

We thank you, Lord

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord; To Him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Amen

Thanksgiving Day Prayer:

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labor of those who harvest them. Make us, we beseech thee, faithful stewards of thy great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen

Thanksgiving Day Feast

Oven Roasted Turkey

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized onions

Fresh Snapped Green Beans

Stuffing with sausage and apples

Sweet Potato cranberry bake

Raspberry Jell-O salad

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Pie

Buttermilk Pie

Eggnog lattes

Christmas Blend Coffee

Sparkling Cider

Shiraz

Expression of Personal Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day Charge

A Prayer for our vocations and ministries:

God has so graciously placed us in different vocations and areas of ministry as so we pray this prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you: through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

it just may be a lunatic you're looking for

2008-11-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

The Warren clan (my family) keeps a blog for the amusement of others, and though it is largely ignored for months at a time, we occasionally pop in to post pictures of the kids or share funny stories. In a concerted effort to get the blogging-ball rolling again, the 9 of us offspring have been working on a list of "Warren-isms", including our own strange vocab and odd phrases that have no intelligible meaning if you haven't been around us long enough. If you're so inclined, head on over to Yours Mine and Ours and see what's already been posted. I'm sure more will be added (semi-) regularly, so y'all check back now, you hear?

you're not to blame, it always ends the same

2008-11-07T05:30:00.001-08:00

Liam, this morning after finishing his breakfast: "I'm all done, Mom. Eggs all gone. Want more eggs, peeze!"

Who told him he could talk? I mean, I didn't teach him that. I still speak annoying baby language to him in hopes that it will slow down his development (aka - growing up). So, if my son is speaking to me like this, guess I have to stop calling him "The Baby"? Yesterday I called him "Baby" and he said, "No Mom, I Wee-um!" He's against me. They all are.

you're the top, you're the Colesium

2008-11-03T10:09:00.001-08:00

Yeah, we are just the luckiest. Today the UPS man handed me a precious package, containing two more original paintings from my oh-so-talented father-in-law! When Mom and Dad were here in the summer, on July 4th we headed to the Antietam battlefield in nearby MD, the sight of the deadliest one-day battle of the Civil War. As we drove through the different areas, we took some time to get out and walk around by the Burnside Bridge. Dave was instantly taken, and after shooting a few pictures he mentioned to his Dad how awesome it would be to have a painting of the bridge (of course this was not coercion, but merely an offhand remark. I was there. I know, ok?). Now, another time during their visit, I was admiring the work of Dad's already on our wall, the painting of Mt. Hood and the other of Multnomah Falls. And I thought, here we have representation of Dave's childhood environment...wouldn't it be way cool if we had something to contrast it from my childhood?? Granted, I grew up "everywhere" and don't have the same attachment as Dave, that stems from spending 18 years in one place. But Texas is still home (or at least has always been "home base"), and if I could have one thing on my wall to reflect my roots, I choose bluebonnets. Fortunately Dad was receptive and immediately started looking for inspiration, searching the internet for pictures of the flower. Wow! I wasn't ready for what I saw this morning, and blinked back tears as I soaked it in, recognizing the love that went in to creating this perfect painting. **sigh** I love it, and now am trying to tackle the problem of where to hang our new additions in this tiny house. But that's a pretty good problem to have, in my opinion. And of course I have other ideas tucked back in my mind of potential works of art that I can see added to my collection, but I figure that I'll give Dad a respite of sorts and allow him a few months (I mean a week) to rest before I drop the bomb. Thank you Dad...you're AMA-ZA-ZING!!

there's someone else I've got to be

2008-11-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

After more ridiculous blogger issues, I was finally able to get some pictures loaded of our annual Halloween fun. This year in attendance was a soldier, power ranger, Venom spidey, Cinderella, and the cutest little dragon you have EVER seen (and for those you keeping track, yes, the boys recycled costumes from last year...this is what happens when you have a bunch of kids without the Halloween budget to match). Plus, they were joined by cousins (and neighbors) Erin, as Sleeping Beauty, and Judah, as Robin Hood (or Peter Pan...take your pick). Of course they had a blast amassing levels of candy approaching illegality, and showing off their costume finery. And here I am shaking my head that I, in all my motherly concern, had finally thrown away the last of the candy from the Independence Day parade, and here we go again. I imagine I'll throw away more to allow for one or two candy-free weeks before Christmas stockings. AAAAHHHH!! I'll never win the "make-my-kids-healthy" fight, so I might as well quit trying.

Don't you want to take this dragon home? I know! Too bad he's ours.

The SlaWel kids, ready for the bounty.

Hi. I'm the neighborhood candy pusher. Don't worry kids, every kid is eating this stuff. Don't worry, just take it.

I could squeeze and kiss Jude all day. He's so fun. This was Liam's suit from last year...so glad its seeing some action again!

Liam's fun pumpkin decorations came from his super-cool Aunt Beth. He looooves it, and points, saying, "Kuh-kin!"

The SlaughterHouse 5 with their hard work. Or maybe it was their loving Dad's work. Can't remember.

Pretty nice, eh? We had parents of trick-or-treaters stopping to take pics of Dave's handiwork. I made sure to tell them that the talent was solely a Slaughter trait. Warren traits are more of the "intangible" variety. Hehe.

oh sympathy! where have you gone?

2008-10-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

I am in the kitchen, doing something domestic-ish, and trying to ignore the loud screams, thumps, and shrieks that I hear coming from somewhere upstairs. After a few minutes of me wondering if I should go check, since someone clearly wants to send the message that they are in pain, I see Warren meander into the kitchen and sit down to draw at the table.

Me: hey dude, what's all that racket?

W: uh...you mean the jumping?

Me: yes, plus the screaming and shrieking

W: oh, its just Henry being a baby

Me: so any clue why he's screaming??

W: Mom, its just that werewolves are chasing him, and he doesn't like it. he'll get over it.

Ok, cool. I'm down with that. I think we'll watch "Annie" instead of "Harry Potter" for the next Family Movie Night.

you're dangerous, cause you don't know what you want

2008-10-06T09:54:00.001-07:00

(by the way, blogger finally allowed pics when I uploaded only one at a time, and my average upload time was 8 minutes. not joking. be appreciative.)

I'm a couple days late, but didn't want to miss giving birthday props to the SlaughterHouse baby prince. Liam is 2, and no, don't even try to figure out how that happened. I tried, and this is what I came up with: William Halsey arrives at 2:24 am on 4 Oct 2006, happy and healthy, born on Mom and Dad's bed, then hogged by Granny. Then, some idiot came in and sped up time, robbing us of 2 genuine, for real, 365-day years, which were replaced by 12 minutes. Nice, huh? And I do not need to hear you make any comments about another baby. Really and truly, please don't say it. (hmmm....hmmmm..nanana...lalalala...I can't hear you!!!!) Seriously, the time between the first 2 pictures below is approx. 4.6 seconds. Give or take 2 seconds. Well, I can't go back and reclaim those days that someone vindictively stole, but I can wish my little man a happy birthday (celebration to come in TX next week) and hope that he will happily survive 2, which is already off to an "interesting" start. I love you, Peanut!! Thanks for making fools of us 2 years ago ;-)

about 2 hrs old

at Antietam Battlefield

my poor little man after a nasty spider bit his eye

his favorite food to eat or wear, feijoada (black beans and rice)

the boy plays hard, and then drops

after a hike in the Smoky Mtns of Tennessee

sporting his new hat and cotton candy at Dollywood (geez, he's as cute as his father)

listen to what I'm putting down

2008-10-02T10:45:00.001-07:00

You've given up checking, haven't you? Admit it, you thought I'd never post again. For some of you that may have caused some temporary aggravation, and then for others maybe some relief (please don't tell me if you fall in that second category, lie to me). Its probably better if I go ahead and admit that in the month following vacation I lapsed into behaving like a pathetically emotional brooder, trying to recover from homesickness-based inertia. That was so much fun. Ask Annie. BUT, in the month since, Blogger decided that (presumably because of my woe-is-me lack of posting) it didn't like me. Now, taking into account my 32 years of relationship building, someone rejecting me isn't exactly a completely foreign concept. (go ahead here and contradict that, claiming that I'm extremely likable) So for right now, and the past few weeks, I can post, expound, discourse, and in all other ways offer you my verbiage, but not with accompanying photos. Not only did I have vacation pics to show, but quite a few other SlaughterHouse summer shots, mostly of some short people who happen to be really cute and do silly things. I'm frustrated!!!! I want to show you my pictures!!!! I'll keep trying, won't give up, will persevere. But I can only go so many posts of seeing little black fonts without any eye-candy, and then I give up. I think that since its finally fall (and I am consequently happy again) that I will attempt to be a more faithful blogger, but I refuse to commit. I have commitment issues. Or else I'm lazy, can't remember which. And as for the elusive pictures, for those of you that are on Facebook, you may see some of them there (that is, if you are my friend on Facebook...and why wouldn't you be???).

Happy First Week of Long-Sleeves!!!! (uh...here in VA at least)

and the distance doesn't care

2008-08-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, we've been home from vacation for almost 2 weeks now. And yes we did lots and took lots of pics. And if any of you are right now thinking something like, "Kristen hasn't posted because she's melancholy and missing her family, and too depressed to post", well....shut up, because you'd be wrong. Completely. Terribly. Horribly wrong. Probably.

take my hand, we'll make it I swear

2008-08-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, that title is a Bon Jovi reference, and if you knew that, I am your friend. If not....well, I'll still be your friend if you don't slam Bon Jovi. So really, are you surprised at another blogging lapse?? Hopefully those of you that read this have come to accept that you can have absolutely zero expectations of me other than that I am highly unreliable. The lapse is due to.....(hang on, give me a minute...), uh, see....hmmmm. OH WAIT! I have 5 children.

Did anyone else notice that its August? That is crazy. I wasn't as good at posting summer happenings as I had hoped, but I'm going "bullet" a few things to make up for it (which of course doesn't) and move on:

we are SO leaving for vacation in 5 days. You don't even know!! If you haven't yet heard, the Warren tribe is actually crazy enough to put all 27 of us (do you want me to list all the names? probably not) in one cabin together in the Smoky Mountains of TN. for a week. the hooplah that will ensue will be of monumental and legendary proportions, and a few of us will most likely post some pictures and highlights to document the fun (but in reality its more that we'll be trying to make you jealous).

Dave the Babe finally took me to see Dark Knight! He paid CJ to fly out here and babysit. no, really he did. for realzzzzz. ok, so please don't tell me something like "oooh, I don't really like comic book stuff". this one was as phenomenal as the last, and topped solely by a ridiculously A-MA-ZA-ZING Joker interpretation.

hmmm....ever have a talk with your pre-adolescent daughter about "sensitive" stuff. I finally did. your daughter wasn't as funny as mine. trust me.

after at least a year of coveting, I finally have Keens (courtesy of the Babe's early birthday present to me!). I am now happy.

inspired by my sister Annie (along with some sage advice from fashionista blogs) I got rid of most of my clothes. at this point I'm mostly glad that I read an article about what you can't wear anymore after turning 20-10, and what you need to have in your wardrobe. I was breaking rules. frequently. my closet is a lot leaner, and I have many holes to fill, but it feels good to not have junk (that I hated anyway) cluttering up my view. the point is, if Shelley would wear it, I probably have no business.

I've been trying to read more and so far this year have completed several books. but an impressive favorite is Wild Swans, which Mom bought me almost 2 years ago. it sat on the bedside table, I read maybe 1 chapter and forgot. oh man, I don't know why I didn't know how great it would be, but I'm so glad I read it. WOW! go read it.

Most likely I won't be popping my head in here again until after WarRusSlaWel Convocation 2008 (Dad really named it that), but will try to be more regular about filling you in on SlaughterHouse happenings after that. So, here's hoping that your summer didn't seem to disappear as quickly as mine.

its a sunshine day

2008-07-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

Last night was party night here at the SlaughterHouse, and according to the looks on my newly 4-year old's face, it was a good party. Carrie really wanted a butterfly cake, so thanks to this really great book, I was able (with Annie's help frosting) to make two that passed the test. We had a good group, with Erin (of course! along with her Mom) and the Alexanders, so it was a fun evening and made our princess happy.
This is her face when she saw Granny's present, a doll in the Barbie Mariposa line that she is currently digging, big time. She also got a Pucci pup (doesn't everyone carry around a cute dog in a purse like Paris?), and a "for-real" microphone, because have mercy, that girl L-U-V-S to sing, night and day, day and night. Now, she's bona fide. Add in a Barbie Wii game and some new "jewels" and her life is now complete. Little girls are something else, and while ours is thoroughly predictable, we just love it that way.

slow miracles are the only kind that will last

2008-07-16T16:07:00.001-07:00

I'll probably never win a "Mother-of-the-Year" award, getting a weepy spot on Oprah for the world to see and cry along with. Most likely there won't be any articles in the paper about my amazing feats as a Mom, and how best to emulate me. When people think of the "greats", it'll be Susannah Wesley who comes to mind, not the SlaughterHouse lady. And no one will be writing memoirs with me as the centerpiece, moving readers with tales of self-sacrifice and generosity. But sometimes the little stuff is ok too. Sometimes the miniature hands that squeeze your face and the legs that stretch on tip-toe just for a sweet kiss is enough. And it needs to be enough. Those little things are my miracles that take me from "I can NOT do this and when can I quit?" all the way to "what will I do when she's gone?". One day she won't need those tip-toes to reach me, and probably won't care to leave her slobbery kisses on my face. Dinnertime will come and go without a declaration that "I need a hug RIGHT NOW!". And requests for a bedtime song will be only memories. Thirty pounds fit quite neatly in my lap right now, curled up for family movie night, but ten years from now she'll need her own space. Will she still curl her hair around her fingers while she sleeps? How about when we are whispering...will she still demand that we "speak Engwish!" I can live without the hair-curling and the lack of her in my lap. I can live without slobbery kisses and frequent bursts of song. But I need to know that she's always mine. I guess I'll have to share her. And probably that's the way I'd want it if I'm honest. But right now I'm not feeling as honest as I am overwhelmed that her years will slip quickly through our home and into her own. But baby Carrie will always have a home here, the place she knew first.

Happy Birthday Sunshine!

it turns me inside-out

2008-07-09T08:10:00.001-07:00

Impossible!!!! My baby is 10. Say it ain't so ,y'all! I'm sure that I'm not old enough to have a kid that has lived for a decade, and I sure don't feel it. Where did the baby go? Well, our immersion into parenthood began with this little pistol, and she was probably a good one to begin on, not being particularly tender with us upstarts who assumed (you know what that does, right??) that we could raise a kid, no problem. She kept us on our toes from day 1, in the months where Uncle Dirk christened her "Fussy Spice" and Auntie lovingly referred to her as "Machine-Gun Molly" because of her odd, staccato cry. And then there were the years of song composing/performing (how many remember "Out of Batteries" or "Everything of Joy"??). Slowly we realized she was a bona fide tomboy, who eschewed dresses and all things pink, rejecting girly giggling and instead opting for bike-riding, tree-climbing, bug collections and animal research. And her Mom loves seeing a reflection of her own childhood in this awesome girl. We love you Molly, you are way cool!

(by the way, this pic was also to show Granny and others her new haircut, courtesy of Aunt Annie. Molly accidentally blew a gum bubble into her hair, and voila, new summer haircut!)

my dreamy boy still makes me weak in the knees

2008-06-23T07:01:00.001-07:00

We went out on our anniversary date one day late, but the timing didn't matter at all. Annie was very sweet to watch our short people so Dave and I could enjoy a dinner out at The Cheesecake Factory. As is customary at such establishments, we stuffed our faces with scrumptious food, and of course had to somehow manage to eat some cheesecake. Dinner alone is such a novelty, and way too infrequent, which makes us appreciate it all the more. Annie took some pictures of us as we headed out the door. The middle one, though unflattering, makes me laugh because it appears that I (in usual fashion) am being bossy and Dave isn't on board. But I just love any pictures of the two of us...standing by this guy is such a privilege that always amazes me.

the beauty that can be when love is cultivated

2008-06-21T15:28:00.001-07:00

Another year of happiness gone by, to now add up to a grand total of 11! As Beth would say, "Seriously?". Despite the rather pensive looks in the picture, we are madly in love, more so than on the day in 97 when we (nervously) said "I do". Of course now we know that we had plenty to be nervous about (in Dave's opinion this is namely the now-infamous Warren fertility), but quickly learned that there was more wonderful than either of us could have dreamed up ahead of time. So once again I thank my husband for this great life we have, this busy family we've made, and the anniversaries to come. The SlaughterHouse is another year blessed.

I'm on a roll (I can't be bothered)

2008-06-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

An update here for those interested (I'm not offended if that's not you): Ricki Lake, after being specifically referenced in the resolution that I linked to earlier, decided to (with her publisher) write a response to the personal attack. Click here if you'd like to read what she has say. After wide-spread disgust for the AMA and ACOG's ridiculously worded smear against Lake, the two organizations scrambled to "reword" their resolution, removing the reference to her (and subsequently blaming each other for the original inclusion...hehe). For those of you who are reading this, wondering what all the fuss is about and why some of us are up-in-arms, realize that even if you aren't (and never intend to be) a "homebirther", these two bodies would like to categorize home birth as tantamount to child abuse, and if they can do that, legislation to that effect could likely follow. If home birth is criminalized, what next?

if you came to make some trouble, better make it good

2008-06-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Oh, don't get me started....too late, already did. Probably all of you who check in here are aware that I gave birth to my last 3 babies at home. Under no normal circumstances would I dream of darkening the door of a hospital while in labor, and even the thought of hospital birthing again is enough to make me need a drink ;-) Obviously I am a strong proponent of midwifery and frequently encourage low-risk mothers to consider what I believe to be the best and safest model of birth care -- STAY HOME! Some new media attention has recently been shed on the whole home birth issue, with the documentary spearheaded by Ricki Lake, called The Business of Being Born. I highly recommend it, and applaud her willingness to take on this topic in a society decidedly UNfriendly to the home birth culture. But boy did she ever scare the birth establishment! OBs and hospitals everywhere are scrambling to convince people that Lake (and the producer, and everyone in the film) are just fringe quacks and liars to boot. I love it when they get this defensive...means something is going right. So now they, in their elitist medical wisdom have passed a resolution designed for damage control in the wake of the film's success, as well as an attempt at greater future control in birth legislation. The medical establishment would never want it to get out to the masses that, shhhhhh....women can give birth on their own.

...say I'm holding up for the worse

2008-06-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

Uh...didn't I say something about injuries usually being Henry's bag? Ok, shouldn't have said that, and I'm greatly regretting. So the details are a bit unclear as to this latest SlaughterHouse incident. There was something about 2 brothers wrestling, lots of shoving, fighting as SuperVillains, and then an inevitable tumble that happened to be right into the side support of the bunk beds. To his credit, our Texas Tough #2 son didn't shed one tear or even whimper, just said "yeah, hurts a little bit". The first shot was about 20 minutes post-tumble (after icepack).

Sunday morning shiner! Not my favorite thing, going out in public w/ a kid looking like this. Thankfully everyone at church just laughed.

Day 2...looking worse before better is normal, right Aubrey??

I see myself reflected in someone I used to know

2008-06-13T11:44:00.001-07:00

In one day this week, Warren lost his first tooth (just before his 7th birthday) and also had Daddy remove his training wheels...riding like a pro already. This is entirely too much growing up in my humble Mom opinion, and I've kindly asked him to stop it. He is flying high, after finding a generous monetary contribution to his vacation spending $$ from the tooth fairy, and is showing off a bit, spinning around the neighborhood on only 2 wheels. All this, and I'm bracing for my oldest to enter double digits soon...noooooooooo!

if they ask you how I'm holding up...

2008-06-11T09:22:00.001-07:00

So far our summer has been fairly injury prone, as you can see. I'm not holding my breath that things are going to change much, though less blood-loss would be a plus. Princess here fell off a slide at our church picnic (funny: we hear someone calling "Slaughter injury!") and bled for quite some time, after which she insisted on going back to the playground and promptly fell off of the ladder, opening it all back up again. A couple of days later, we had lunch at my friend Jen's house, joined by another old friend Kim, and Liam decided to dive off of Jen's table and land on the corner of her wall. He's smart like that. Kids are so fun.

summer lovin', had me a blast

2008-06-02T06:27:00.001-07:00

Some summer pool fun w/ the Taylors. My kids are such fish, they would live in the water if I let them. Sometimes I wish I could ;-)

all I want is to feel this way

2008-05-31T17:06:00.001-07:00

As you can see, we decided to get some updated SlaughterHouse pictures and here are the results. I love outdoors family shots! A big shout-out to our friend Josh Taylor who was behind the lens -- thank you Josh (and to his folks, who donated their woods to be our beautiful backdrop)! A couple of our children are unsure about the meaning of the word "smile" and so I think I will stop saying that during pictures and just instruct them to not leave. That seems much simpler.

girl, I'm gonna miss you

2008-05-18T17:40:00.001-07:00

Beth took almost naked pictures of baby Judah

tried to turn Warren into Gene Simmons

took the kids on a picnic/hike with friends to our favorite park

conspired with Annie to pluck my eyebrows for the first time

and we're going to miss her so much!!! Thanks Beth for coming to visit, and we'll never forget that you (unlike another unnamed, yet younger sister) faithfully come keep us fussy VA sisters happy! We love you much!

why are you messing with me?

2008-05-03T06:19:00.001-07:00

Warren loves to draw. Liam loves to bother him. More specifically, Liam loves to bother everyone, and Warren is just an easy target since he is usually sitting still. But despite the regular intrusions into his creative "personal space", Warren loves his baby brother and is amazingly patient with him....until his artwork is defaced by a wielded marker or crayon (a common occurrence in the SlaughterHouse).

and I think to myself, "what a wonderful world!"

2008-04-29T05:44:00.001-07:00

I have to brag up my incredibly talented father-in-law, who blessed us with this beautiful painting as an early anniversary present! Vic has always been a wonderful artist, but has had much more time for his painting and sketching since he retired. Every now and then he sends snapshots of his most recent creations, and I have been faithfully whining to him that I didn't have any of his work on my wall...and that whining finally paid off ;-) Dave is frequently homesick for his native Pacific Northwest, and so I told Vic that I'd love a scene with Mt. Hood in the background, and I love this one with Lost Lake in view. Having this in my living room reminds me that of all the places I've lived and visited (that's a lot), the NW is my favorite. Despite some of the crazy people that live up there (no, not you Steph & Kevin!), Dave would love to move back someday, and I'd gladly follow.

all this and more...these are the finest hours

2008-04-16T17:48:00.001-07:00

Just had a most excellent weekend in TX. A lot of you read the other blogs in the family, so have probably already seen pictures, and most likely better ones (due to the low-tech nature of my camera), but I posted the few good ones. We had so much fun, you can't even know. I stayed in my PJs a lot, jumped on the trampoline a lot, ate a lot, slept just enough to keep from passing out, and loooooved being with my family. I have 8 amazing sisters and brothers, and the best parents ever, and what is truly remarkable is that for our squabbles and differences, we like to be together and I won't lie (how's that Nate?), we are quite impressive. Annie and I flew together and I took Liam with me, who was concerned about all the strangers who pretended to know him and insisted on holding him, but not quite as concerned about the steady supply of Cheez Its, vanilla wafers, ice cream and coke. I think even baby Judah had some contraband, though I'll neither confirm nor deny that I was in the vicinity when the contraband was administered. Now that I'm home, I'm already pining for everyone, and now counting (literally...see ticker at bottom of my blog) the days until our trip to TN. Warrens are really meant to be together.

With "little" brother Nathan. sigh. when did he grow up???

one of our "9 kids" pictures

Dad, trying to impress us. it worked ;-)

when will you learn?

2008-04-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Now I can stop kicking myself for bad habits...that aren't so bad.

Busting the water myth

but can you blame me? I was only a kid.

2008-03-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

The other day we were spending some time with our new friends, the Taylors, and those are days that the SlaughterHouse kids (and their mother) love. We were there for dinner and then a late evening of playing, came home, and the kids went straight to bed. In the morning, as the kids were coming down for breakfast, I noticed that Carrie had some stuff in her hands that she was trying to surreptitiously take to the table with her. I asked, "Whatcha got there, Sunshine?", to which she replied, "Oh, nothing...just some stuff I took from Caleb and Anna's house". Ok. What?? I told her to bring me her loot, and she lays out a crayon, purple ear plug (chewed by Liam already), blue marble, and a AA battery. Very nice. "So Carrie, why did you steal this stuff?" I figure she'll have a really good reason, and then I hear, "I was playing with it and decided to take it home". Oh good, I feel better now. We had a talk about stealing, and that if she does that again, she'll be pretty sorry. But I'm wondering if this is in the gene pool, seeing as how I have a couple nephews that had to have regular pocket checks and pat-downs every time they left someone's house. That's better to assume, because then I'm not to blame, right?

believe it or not, its just me

2008-03-19T06:11:00.000-07:00

My lack of recent posts is once again attributable only to my inability (unlike other mothers-of-many that I know) to order my life and make sense of the constant chaos. When will I figure out how to balance all this stuff? And if the answer on the tip of your tongue is "never", please feel free to lie and say something more encouraging. Just a couple amusing things the kids have been saying:

Molly (who as you probably saw recently) has been drawing quite rabidly and it takes up a good portion of her time. After a spell of only horses, she is trying to branch out into other areas. One interest that has frustrated her is drawing faces/people, and so she's finally attempting to tackle it. Her Granny sent a book about drawing faces, which is a huge help, but is still requiring lots of effort on her part. So, the other day, after drawing a picture that was supposed to be Carrie, she quit in frustration, huffing and stomping (I'm sure your kids never do that), saying she was "terrible" and would never try again. We had a little talk about patience, practice, and the like. Her face brightens after a bit, she shrugs her shoulders and says, "Well Mom, I guess when I'm learning new ways to draw, I have to remember that after all, Rome wasn't built in a day". Nice.

In other funnies...

The kids have been obsessed with how many more days there are until Dave and I will again eat sugar (which we gave up for Lent), and keep reminding me that Easter is just around the corner. Henry decided just a couple days ago that he wanted to be on the "no sugar diet" (as he calls it), and told us that since Easter was only a few days away, he could handle it. We laughed. So this morning the kids got up for breakfast, freaking out because they saw boxes of cereal (a rarity in our house), and were trying hard to choose which they would eat. Henry spent some time looking, frowning a lot, and finally asked me, "Mom, tell me which ones don't have sugar!", to which I replied, "Don't worry, have whichever one you want". He insisted, "But I told Dad I wouldn't eat sugar, and I'm going to do it". So I pointed out the "healthy" cereals (ignoring trace sugars), like plain Cheerios, Shredded Wheat (not frosted) and Raisin Bran. He chose Raisin Bran, but as I was pouring it I noticed that this brand had sugar all over the raisins (how dumb is that?) and I told him, asking if he still wanted it. He thought a bit and said, "I don't think Dad will be mad if I'm on the 'little bit of sugar' diet". I agreed.

go ahead with your own life, leave me alone

2008-03-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

Poor Liam quite often bears the consequences of having two older sisters. I'm sure he'll appreciate them a lot more when he's older....or something.

this ain't no dress rehearsal, I'm a very lucky girl

2008-03-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

I felt like posting because Dave just made me a latte. And I love him. And I love his lattes. And for the record, when you go to Starbucks for a latte, you're getting rubbish compared to what Dave makes. Feel better?

who am I and whose invention?

2008-02-25T08:23:00.000-08:00

Ok, showing off here a little. I'm not the best Mom at helping my kids be "great" at something...maybe because I'm not particularly "great" at anything. I tend to encourage them to do little bits of everything. But Molly tends to order her life according to current obsessions, and here is her latest. She has been drawing horses intently for about 6 months now, and this is her latest attempt. This is freehand!!! Maybe I'm so amazed because I cannot draw ANYTHING at all, but I think she's done a smashing job. Some of Grandpa Slaughter's genes are running through that girl, and I'm counting on her to make us rich someday (kidding). She asked me if I thought anyone would buy her pictures so she could raise money for our Tennessee trip in August...she said she'd make it a bargain at 10 cents per picture :-)

only happy endings, this we guarantee

2008-02-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

Most Friday nights, assuming we don't have big plans (such as date night or an invite to a poker group), it's Family Movie Night at the SlaughterHouse. We try to pick a movie that will appeal to all or most ages, which can be quite a challenge. Dave makes homemade popcorn (no microwave garbage for us, nosirree!) and we hunker down with pillows and blankets for the feature film. Liam generally only lasts through 1/2 of the movie (if that) and then we put him to bed so we can relax. It's a fun family tradition that our kids look forward to, and remind us of throughout the week. From a recent FMN:

Liam being "one of the brothers".
Princess gets the most comfy spot.
Pretty sure she's faking. Drama, drama.

think of me fondly

2008-02-18T12:05:00.000-08:00

Liam loves to kiss Judah. From the look on Judah's face, I'm not convinced that the affection is mutual, but we'll give it some time. When L sees J, he says, "Ooooooooh!" and then proceeds to poke him.

hit me with your best shot

2008-02-12T13:08:00.000-08:00

This one is overdue, but I'm always a bit behind :-) So now you can see CJ's favorite job while she was here visiting us in December. She's a saboteur.

baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby!

2008-02-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

I went to see one of my bestest friends, Janelle (one of the Posse), in the hospital tonight. She just had her first baby, Elijah William, early this morning. I told Janelle that she is my hero....her water broke to begin her labor, and she delivered little Eli 49 hours later, with no c-section!! I'm so proud of her and know that she and Craig will be great parents to the new wee Banta. And I'm thankful that she lives close enough for play dates :-) Congrats to Janelle and Craig, and may God pour out His blessing on this new covenant child!

Eli was awake and wide-eyed the whole time I was there.
The happy Banta fam -- I love you guys!!
Despite lack of blood ties, I am Eli's favorite Auntie already. I can tell.

this one's for the girls

2008-01-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

I know that after my meme you may be shocked that I actually quoted a **gasp** country song for my title. But since the whole point of this post was to show my sisters (who have been bugging me) my hair, it seemed appropriate. Annie trimmed my hair, colored my horrid gray, and then gave me side bangs. I was nervous about the bangs since I haven't had any since I was 18 or so, but I think she did a great job. And now I'm holding out a bit of hope that with about 80% of my gray going incognito, I might get carded the next time I order a drink. Please don't be a dream smasher.

I cried when I wrote this

2008-01-28T18:06:00.000-08:00

Sisters are just the greatest accessories a girl can have. Aubrey was in town for about 3 minutes (or that's what it felt like) and we loved every nano-second. She, Annie and I shopped, watched in horror as a talentless bimbo was crowned Miss America, ate a lot of sugar, and then fussed when she left. **Sniff, sniff**

I make my confession, I make it in public

2008-01-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

Evidently, these meme thingies aren't out of style yet, and so because I got tagged by my friend Jennifer, I will now attempt to come up with another few things about myself that you will want to know or at least not be sorry that I told you. So...here goes. The really important rules that you MUST NOT break are something like:

(1) Link to the person that tagged you. (2) Post the rules on your blog. (3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website

6 things...

1) My favorite food is red meat. Really.
2) I detest country music, and yes -- I will make fun of you if you love it, even if you are related (or coincidentally, married) to me.
3) My favorite movies are independent, black comedies. And if your husband hates movies b/c they are "chick flicks", then I probably do to.
4) I'm the only true Texas native on the A-team, which is the reason why y'all should not make fun of how loud I am and how much I talk.
5) The only red thing better than meat is wine.
6) Watching Miss America is not as fun without all 6 sisters together, and is definitely not as much fun when the only loser in the bunch gets the crown.

Since my mother already had the nerve to tag some of my best friends, I don't have many choices left. But I'll go with Janelle, Amy, Shelley, Bekah, Stephanie B and Stephanie G. You go, girls.

well, I'd want you here with me

2008-01-23T06:09:00.000-08:00

Since we all spent the week sick while Mom was here visiting, this is the only picture I got of her with any Slaughter. Since Liam had changed the most since her last visit, I figured he was top priority for a Granny photo. And next time she visits, we'll be sure to take more. We still enjoyed Mom's time here, despite the bummer virus, and wish the visits could be more often. Texas is just entirely too far away...

Thanks for making the trip, Mom! The Virginia Extension of the Warren tribe misses you.

snow angel, snow angel

2008-01-18T11:06:00.000-08:00

I had to share this picture of Molly's creation earlier today, in our backyard. We got about 4 inches of snow yesterday (whoopee!!!), and Molly quickly went to work on 2 very large snowmen (one behind her in the pic), and this super-cute dog. I love it! Too bad the bright sun and mid-40s are quickly killing them all. I'm guessing they'll "be back again some day" ;-)

you're so good, baby you're so good

2008-01-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

So....not to be outdone by our friend Nate's recent display of culinary skill, Dave was inspired to once again try his hand at recreating a Chicago stuffed pizza. We used to stuff ourselves silly on these at Giordano's, Malnati's, Eduardo's, etc, and there is nothing like it anywhere in our neck of the woods. This latest attempt was scrumpdiddlyumptious, and we savored every bite! I love being married to a good man.

there's a party goin' on right here

2008-01-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted about football in a while, so give me a minute....go Seahawks!!! They just won their first playoff game, with a 35-14 defeat of the Redskins! Wahoo! It wasn't easily won, and was definitely earned by the Seahawks' defense, as the offense looked fairly lame most of the 60 minutes. But, whatever...they won! Seattle now has to face the Packers in Green Bay next Saturday, but I won't think about that tonight, I'll think about that tomorrow (you like that, sis?). I screamed too much, and woke up my baby once, and Dave and I almost threw up our dinner a couple times, but I think I lost 2 of the 10 lbs that I made a resolution to lose! And don't worry, I promise I will bother you with more Seahawks' posts...but only if they win.

I'm almost finally out of words

2008-01-02T06:45:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when I leave my hard work out, exposed to short people. Carrie was really just trying to help. Really. She explained that Liam "told" her that he was hungry, and she wanted to give him (and her, of course) a little snack. I promise, the bread looks better (and not so leprous) when it comes out of the oven.

celebrate the Child who is the Life

2007-12-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting here preparing to type a Christmas post, really more of one encompassing thoughts and feelings about the Advent season and all that it means as we anticipate the Gift. I have many thoughts on the necessity of the celebration of the Advent, how crucial it is in the life of a believer as we struggle, discover and understand the fullness of the Gospel. And while I've heard murmurings lately of Christians who have convictions about they themselves (and the Church as a whole) not celebrating Christmas, or the advent of it, I'm even more convinced than ever that God made our spirits to need this time. He made us to need to anticipate. Our emotions are so tied into not only what we have, but what we sense coming. To celebrate the birth of the One who means life, freedom, and love to His sheep is a most glorious way to show that we know without a doubt what that life, freedom and love have done for us. And so after thinking many grand thoughts that I might share with you, I was reminded of a beloved passage from Michael Card (a favorite musician/singer/author. Michael writes:

"If Christmas means anything to you, it must mean everything. It is a beginning and an end. It is a time of darkness and inexpressible light. It is a time of blessed relief at finally seeing all God's promises come true in one person. It is a time of tension as well, as we look ahead in the life of this dear little One, with a kind of historical omnipresence, because we know how it all will end, on earth anyway. As our family gathers around our faint, flickering candle to read the Christmas story, the loneliness of the stable reminds us of the loneliness of another place on a hill outside Jerusalem. The rough trough seems almost as cruel a place as a cross. The infant cries we hear coming from the stable seem no less desperate than His final cry, and no less forsaken. "

So, I hope that this Christmas, He will mean everything. He is no less than the one thing you need to be at peace. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and may He grant you His grace to know Him more and more.

making spirits bright

2007-12-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

Dave and Molly decided to make colored popcorn balls for a recent Family Movie Night (which we do every Friday). It was gooey and messy, but they had so much fun together. Molly is a bit (teehee) like her mother, and quality time is her love language, so projects with Dad totally make her day, week, year. The popcorn balls were very good, and (according to Aubrey and CJ) since they've now done it once at Christmas, it is henceforth-and-forevermore a tradition.

red, gold, and green

2007-12-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

Heehee -- amuses me that I actually used a Culture Club lyric in my title...ah, the 80's. Anyway, here's the yumminess that we made yesterday! My computer was confused by me evidently, and added them all out of the order I had chosen. I'm pretty sure that you'll understand that the baked cookies came before the frosting, so I'll not insult your intelligence by numbering them. We had a great time, and I wouldn't have done it if sis wasn't here. In fact, I'm still slightly in shock that I did it at all, but now that its over, I'm very glad I forced myself to get it done. And for the benefit of those who might be impressed at my improvements, I did not burn even one cookie out of the 9-10 dozen I baked! My one disappointment this year was that I couldn't find red hots anywhere. I don't really even know how to eat a Christmas cookie without red hots, and I miss the few cookies that get blessed with 3 dozen red hots(courtesy of Josh or Henry). It was sad, and I'll make sure to look for them earlier next year. I love all the colors!!
Carrie did very well, and ate well, too.
Can't remember who won.
Finally, they get rewarded for their hard work.
Liam thought he had just won the lottery.

Here are my 116 cookies!
Details, details
And plenty more detail w/ this guy
Not so much here ;-)
Dok made it all more fun.

well, we are...yes we are

2007-12-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

My husband is one year older, one year better, one year wiser. Thank you Dave, for letting me be the one to watch you grow even more wonderful every day. I'm yours. Happy Birthday.

he ain't heavy

2007-12-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

A couple nights ago, sis, Dave and I were sitting in the living room talking when Warren comes down the stairs with a look of consternation on his face...

Warren: Mom?! Henry just said something really mean to me.

Me: What did he say?

Warren: Well, I can't remember. But it was really bad and mean!

(the rest of us look at each other in disbelief, stifling laughs, and though not caring about the offense per se, curious to know what creativity Henry had come up with)

Me: Tell Henry I want to talk to him.

(Henry comes down w/ his characteristic "Tim" frown and slumped shoulders)

Henry: Yes, Mom?

Me: What did you say to Warren that was mean?

Henry: Um...I told him that Winnie the Pooh was his girlfriend.

(and then we grown-ups proceeded to laugh, snort, and marvel at our lives. Henry slunk off quickly.)

watch out, here I come

2007-12-10T05:28:00.000-08:00

Liam was so excited about his first time out in snow that he ran out the door, tripped over the threshold, and cut his upper lip nicely. I tried to mop up the blood, but he was too anxious to get out there and keep up with his brothers. He was not ready when I took him inside after 30 minutes, even though his fingers were icicles -- he's a true Virginia baby!

as long as you love me so...

2007-12-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had our first snowfall, which happened much earlier than normal around here! We were all thrilled, and the kids were not-so-patiently waiting for some accumulation while they did school work, counting the minutes until they could bundle up and head out. About 4 inches fell, so it was enough for some fun winter activities. Carrie was inside playing with Erin, content to stay warm and watch through the window, but Liam was introduced to snow for the first time (pics of him coming). That's always a great day! Of course, for the older 3, hot chocolate was a necessary cure for frozen fingers and lips afterward.

just like the ones I used to know

2007-12-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

As you could probably guess, the second part of Tree Night is always a bigger hit with the kids. Decorating the tree is merely a means to an end. I'd be more inclined to scold them for their priorities if I didn't remember being exactly the same way. So, after the tree was successfully dressed, we broke out the mugs of hot chocolate and the ridiculously large assortment of donuts (forgot to snap a pic of those!) that Dave had brought home. And of course we continued the revered Warren-tribe ritual of recounting the memories of each Christmas past. For us this begins with the year Dave and I began our journey together. And the kids get squirmy, only getting excited if they hear their name mentioned (i.e. -- "Henry was the new baby that Christmas!"), but really focusing more on licking the pudding out of their Boston Cream. Ah, the family fun.

Dave bought individual packets, so the kids could "name their poison" (as Dad would say) and hopefully no one would fuss. Right.
This was #1 of Liam's 3 donuts.
Henry looks thrilled with the trip down memory lane.
Enjoying the plunder

haul out the holly

2007-12-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

So, Tree Night Pt. 1 -- we decorated our tree last night! We have lots of helpers now, as well as pseudo-helpers, so its an interesting game. I think we're finally collecting enough ornaments that not all can fit on a normal tree anymore! If we had space enough in our house, we could set up our smaller tree and cover it with ornaments, too. With such small kids, its so funny to watch them as all the ornaments come out of the boxes....here are the typical responses:

Liam: (ornament in mouth) Uh-huh! (his favorite word)

Carrie: I love this pink heart, its my favorite! Know why, Daddy? Cause its pink like me! No, this pretty angel is my favorite, just like I'm an angel! Oh! Look at this flower stocking -- I love pretty flowers!

Henry: (totally uninterested in the paraphernalia) Aren't there supposed to be donuts?

Warren: (arranging a line of ornaments) This is my 1st favorite, this is my 2nd, this one is my 3rd (etc, etc, etc)

Molly: I can't believe you boys don't remember this ornament! Mom, they don't even know about this stuff!!

Some pics of the hard work...

The 2nd part coming soon

I'm bound to thank you for it

2007-11-30T07:22:00.000-08:00

this morning, at the breakfast table:

Molly: Hey everyone! Don't forget...tonight is Tree Night!

Kids: yeah! hooray! donuts! hot chocolate! woo-hoo!

Henry: Is anyone coming over for Tree Night?

Me: No, just our family this time.

Carrie: What?? But I want Daddy to be here for Tree Night!!!

Me: Uhh...he will. Our whole family will be here.

Carrie: Kids! Did you hear Mom? Daddy is coming over for Tree Night!!

(Tree Night pics, complete with the honored guest Daddy, will be posted later)

picture book, of people with each other, to prove they loved each other

2007-11-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

Beth's main activity while here in VA (besides imbibing large quantities of Mountain Dew), was taking pics...

Thanksgiving Day leaf round-up...what a good-looking man!
Warren and Henry promised to help
Doesn't my baby look thrilled? NEVER too big to be kissed by Mom
I love this one! She's always in pink.

yesterday, they let me know you were gone

2007-11-27T08:17:00.000-08:00

We miss Beth! It was so good to have her here for the week, and to share Thanksgiving with our family. The kids had so much fun with her, she took tons of pics (I'll be posting some of them later), and we spent plenty of time in our PJs. Its so hard to believe that Beth is already 17, graduated from high school, and fixing to start her second semester in community college! Her dreams for the future are motivating her well, and I can't wait to see what the next few years hold for the "most smartest" sister, who is also a super-creative genius. Thanks for visiting, Beth -- we'll take you back anytime!

I'll share this love I find with everyone

2007-11-24T06:14:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day was super! After prepping for 2 days (with much help from Beth), I spent all day Thursday cooking, while Dave was cleaning and getting the place ready for guests. The turkey was my main hang-up, but I was very surprised that it turned out beautifully, better than I expected! Our guests arrived late in the afternoon, and we had some time to visit before our meal. The Pippins are a family in our church, and Andre is in the middle of his 2nd consecutive year in Saudi Arabia. Caroline has been a single mom to their 3 children, and its been a tough haul for all of them (he won't be home until June). Their relatives live far away, so we asked them to spend the day with us, and we had a great time! The kids had fun playing video games and super heroes, while the adults sat around trying to figure out why we had eaten so much food. And it was wonderful to have Beth here to celebrate with us! We feel so blessed and had much for which to thank our God!

Molly loves to fold napkins for special dinners
The house barista at work (can you say "egg nog lattes"?)
Our family w/ the Pippins: Caroline, Andrew, Rachel, David (Beth was shooting, so escaped this one)
And Annie came over after for Denver biscuits and pie -- but to be fair, I think it was baby Judah demanding the calories, not her.

blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

2007-11-21T17:36:00.000-08:00

So, tonight I'm reflecting on a few things for which I am thankful, while there are so many more that I don't have the energy to list:

*gracious provision for each and every day, from the Giver of all good gifts
*a husband who not only works hard, but tries in so many ways to serve me
*the 5 children I treasure, not just the 4 that I always said I wanted
*a rockin' 17 year-old sister who just finished helping me bake!
*pumpkin (anything)
*traditions from our families to share with our kids
*new traditions that make the SlaughterHouse unique
*an amazing heritage
*friends that spur me on to better things
*winter coming
*a wonderful fellowship of believers that we are so blessed to have
*that I can truly be thankful, really in awe of His goodness, and not just say it

Our celebration tomorrow will be joyful and abundant, yet bittersweet as we think of those we are missing. I hope that yours is rich, memory-making, and full of love!

or would you rather just mingle

2007-11-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know this is a week late, but the kids were so excited to have Grandma and Grandpa here for their first trick-or-treating ever! It was great Halloween weather, and they had such fun filling their pumpkins with more candy than they have ever seen...at least since Papa last visited :-) After strolling the neighborhood, they made their way up to the Community Center for more loot, and I stayed behind to pass out candy to a million kids (felt like it anyway).

We had a black cat, Blue Power Ranger, Black Spiderman, CheerBear CareBear, and Peter Pan
She put together her costume by herself, very proudly.
Uncle Caleb, handing out more fun
Cousin Erin dressed as a Hokie cheerleader, but when her Dad would say, "Let's go to another house now, Erin", she would say, "I wanna go to YOUR house, Daddy!" But she enjoyed passing out candy with Annie.
Grandpa and the cutest little Peter Pan you've ever seen.

I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end

2007-11-07T20:42:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin carving with Grandpa Slaughter...

Kids get the fun of watching. Some fun, huh?
Molly loves pulling out the "guts".
The finished product
Spooky Jack at night

walkin' October road

2007-11-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

We went to Harper's Ferry , WV for a day, while Mom and Dad were here. Its a gorgeous town, with tons of history. And we were blessed with perfect weather that day! The sun was out, the leaves were beautiful, and we enjoyed walking around learning about early days in the town.

Grandma with the SlaughterHouse 5
Our crew
Peanut loves to mug for the camera
Mom and Dad Slaughter

imagining the world outside

2007-11-06T13:30:00.000-08:00

Some fun in the beautiful fall outdoors...

Raking is serious business with the cousins.
Evidently there was important hammering that Robbie and Molly needed to do.
Dave was impressing the boys with his wood-chopping skills (I must say he looked very cute out there, swinging that ax)
Liam and Mommy strolling on the deck.

thank God for this new laughter

2007-11-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

I managed to get some uploaded today -- hooray for me! Here are a few shots of indoor fun, hopefully soon followed by our outdoor activity.

The kids said we were boring grown-ups, just sitting around and talking.
Carrie convinced Daddy to play Winnie-the-Pooh friends with her.
Molly and Olivia making masterpieces.
Liam and Victoria stealing toys, most likely.

trouble is I'm so exhausted

2007-11-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

I've been trying for almost 2 hours to post pics of the past week...the fun in the Poconos and Mom and Dad Slaughter's visit here. My computer is against me. Everytime I upload pics, it times out after 10 minutes or so, and I give up. I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe. I'm sleep-deprived after this nasty virus all week that keeps me up coughing all night and steals my voice, so my motivation is fairly low. But check soon, and hopefully I'll have conquered the machine.

Thanks to those who have been praying for my cousins Meredith and Matthew. For those who don't know, the 24 and 22 year old brother and sister were in a terrible car accident in Fort Worth, TX. They are both in critical condition on life support, and have already undergone several surgeries, with more to come. Meredith has never regained consciousness, and Matthew did for a bit, but is in an induced coma for now. The injuries are massive and many, too many to list here. We serve a big God, bigger than medical problems and earthly limitations, and I know He can heal them if it is His will, which is my fervent prayer. Please pray for them if you can.

hello? (hello, hello?) is anybody in there? just nod if you can hear me.

2007-10-24T03:21:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure you feel like there is no point in checking my blog, seeing as how there has been nothing new for a while. I was just telling Jackie that I am so impressed that she blogs every day or two, always w/ cute pics and/or something interesting to say. Being interesting is, of course, a prerequisite for that routine, so maybe I'll find something else to impress everyone.

The SlaughterHouse is lighter than ever before. No one has gone on a crash diet, but I went on a massive closet-purging spree, and so went a ridiculous amount of junk we didn't need. Living in tight quarters has finally forced me to attempt some greater organizational techniques, but even that was impossible until I was much more picky about what each of us can own, keep, and keep put away. Even cleaning was next-to-impossible with very little floor/wall space exposed. Things are looking better every day, and I'm feeling successful (Dave as the dutiful husband is telling me I have done a great job, but you know Dave, he'd say that anyway). But you probably shouldn't ask my kids how they feel about me eliminating 1/3 of their belongings....they haven't figured it out yet. I'm hoping it'll be Christmas before they notice, and then their new loot should be a permanent distraction from "lost" treasures.

Warren is doing well recovering from Lyme. We still have another week and a half on his meds, and then hopefully leave this chapter behind us. He seems to have been back to his normal self since 2 weeks into the antibiotics -- that was so good to see. He even played goalie in his soccer game last week, and did a wonderful job!

In 2 days, we head up to the Poconos, to spend a couple days with Rob, Steph and kids, and Dave's parents. We haven't seen his folks in a year, and the kids are soooo excited. They'll come down to our house afterwards, and spend a week here in VA. Depending on weather, we hope to go apple picking and a couple more fall-ish activities (of which I will try to get some pics so that I'll have a reason to update this blog again!).

After about 3 Indian summers so far, I'm hoping that today's cold front is not an impostor. These new sweaters that I bought with my birthday gift cards (waving to awesome sisters) are sitting in my closet mocking me, complete with their tags. And I'm pretty sure they are saying, "Texas followed you East". And that's just not right. I'm praying that it gets so cold here, that CJ and Aubrey will feel it from 1500 miles away.

More later? Don't hold your breath too long.

looks like the blind is still bluffing the blind

2007-10-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

(Scene -- Molly is outside playing, 4 other kids are in the living room watching a movie/playing TMNT, I am in the kitchen throwing food into pots to resemble "dinner"...)

Liam: (screaming with fervor)

Me: What's wrong w/ Liam? Did he get hurt? Check on him, please!

Warren: Carrie, why did you hurt Liam?

Carrie: No, I didn't do it! I promise! I'm good today!

Warren: Henry, why did you hurt Liam?

Henry: I didn't do it! I promise! I don't know what happened!

Warren: (to Henry) Well, Molly is outside, and Carrie says she didn't do it, and I can control myself, so that leaves you.

Me: (silently) Sadly enough, W's rationale actually makes sense.

my own fine day

2007-10-04T02:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the best surprise ever! Can't believe we're looking back on an entire year (though the 90 degrees today certainly reminds us of the hot weather the day he was born), amazed at this little person that we got. A very busy guy, Liam definitely makes us think of Molly as a baby: a bit high-maintenance and demanding something all the time. He cannot function without his siblings around, is offended if anyone leaves a room which he occupies, and is trying to making yelling an Olympic sport (or is at least practicing like he believes it). At 11 months, he began walking and is now attempting to run, once again offended if the floor doesn't cooperate. I'm amazed at his will, stronger than my other kids at this age, and his undeterred spirit in the face of discipline. **sigh** He loves to hug though, and make a game of going back and forth between Mom and Dad to tease us, laughing hysterically. By the way, that last picture is not the "birthday cake" picture. That is the evidence of the "I-have-5-kids-and-don't-have-time-to-remember-what-they're-allowed-to-eat" syndrome. He's been eating chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and ice cream longer than I'm willing to admit here. I'm sure the cake tonight will not be as thrilling as it was to the other kids. So, to our little Virginia baby, may God bless us with many more years with you!

we are frail, we are fearfully and wonderfully made

2007-09-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Gosh! He looks like his Dad here! Well, I get so used to our family, and my kids especially, being fairly healthy, so it really shakes me up when one gets really sick. Warren, our oldest son, had been complaining of some pain since June or July, off and on. The pain seemed mostly in his right leg/knee, and would hurt for a day or two and he would limp severely, and then one day he'd be fine, play soccer, ride his bike, etc. We just thought maybe arch problems ("stop wearing flip-flops!") or growing pains ("here's an Advil"), but it still kept showing up every now and then. Then on Wednesday of last week, he was limping heavily again and avoided walking if he could. I was a little concerned, but then when he woke up the next morning and his right knee was the size of his head, I was definitely freaking out. He could barely walk, and was really lethargic. So we made an appt, spent all day seeing nurse practitioners, Drs, lab techs, and an orthopaedist. The ortho decided Warren's knee needed to be aspirated, as there was way too much fluid to leave in there. My little guy was very tough during the very painful procedure, and the Dr was amazed at his stoicism (so was I!). Yesterday the blood/fluid tests all came back positive for Lyme disease. No, we don't remember seeing a tick, and no, we never saw the "bulls-eye", and no, he hasn't run any fevers. Very strange, but here we are. For about 28 days he'll be on antibiotics, and hopefully that will be enough to kill the bacteria that's attacking his body. Poor guy is so tired and the pain is intermittent right now. He's handling it pretty well, just asking anxiously every now and then if they'll need to stick another needle in his knee. I am thankful this wasn't anything more serious, and that there are such good treatments for Lyme these days. And I have a lot to be thankful for, including that this was the first time I have taken a child in for a "sick" Dr visit in 3 years! I think God has been very gracious. He is so good -- all the time.