look inside for the elusive goldmine

I'm so excited!! Tonight Dave and I are going on a date for the first time since last year, and to make it even better, we'll be listening to Over The Rhine in concert! OTR is one of my FAVORITE bands of all time (maybe tying with Toad the Wet Sprocket for 1st place) and we haven't seen them live since we were dating. Speaking of dating, one bit of Slaughter nostalgic trivia for you...today is the 11th anniv. of our first date :-) Now, our first date did happen to include Aubrey, Dirk and tiny baby Jonathan, but it counts nonetheless. Can't believe its been that long. Wow. Anyway, you should be jealous of us tonight. And if you're not, why not? One thing that you could do to make your life better is listen to OTR. Trust me.

UPDATE: Yeah, that's why we love them. It was phenomenal, to say the least (and fun to be there with you Janelle!). Hope we'll see them live more than once a decade **sigh** FYI, sis...Karin opened with "Born"...wish you could have been there.

sure it's trippy, sure it's sweet

Ok, its been a while! Here's the delinquent blogger, ready to bring y'all up to speed on the SlaughterHouse 7. We have been busy (hence the delinquency) though for the most part, mundane busy-ness. Things are good around here though as we move into spring in VA, and continue to adjust to life with 5 kids. Somehow there is a part of me that thinks I'll always be saying "trying to adjust to life with 5". Do you ever get there? Or does it just hit you when its over?

The kids are doing super, their most prominent theme right now being "When will it be WARM, Mom?". These Texans are still adjusting to the weather out here. We've had such back and forth weather, and its cool and wet again this week, but hopefully some sunshine and tank-top temps coming soon! Molly and Warren started soccer, and love it so far. They look so cute in their shin guards and cleats and I'll put up pics of them in their gear soon.

School is going fairly well, though its still haphazard depending on Liam's naps that day and how cooperative Carrie and Henry decide to be. We'll continue on through the summer at 1/2 speed to try to make up lost ground. Plus, since I've finally beaten my 2nd born nature into submission and put myself on a rigorous school-week schedule, I think I'd never be able to get back to it if I took the whole summer off :-)

My new project lately has been a throwing myself full-force into all things frugal. I'm trying new creative ways to cook cheap, dress cheap (sorry Tami, no sewing though), shop cheap, live cheap. Its been a fun challenge, which is good since it was also a necessary one! I've also begun the foray into ebay selling, which is going well so far, though my kids are nervously hiding all their belongings lately.

This past year, I have missed the fellowship of the HOPE women in SA so much, and though they can never be replaced or reproduced, God has allowed me to facilitate the beginning of a similar group out here. So far a small group of other homeschooling Moms (or prospective HSers) are meeting once a month for encouragement and idea sharing. I'm so excited about this since I know how much I need the support and fellowship! Hopefully it will be a blessing to each woman involved.

Work for Dave is still great -- Praise God! He has more work of his own on the horizon, plus plenty work for Welty Homes every week. God has been so gracious to provide, and we look forward to seeing how He shapes the business. One not-so-fun note, Dave hit a deer in his work van earlier this week and we are so grateful he wasn't hurt. Insurance is taking care of it well, and he has a rental in the meantime. His other main responsibility, as an elder in our church, is also going well and a great blessing.

Annie is having a baby!!! Woo-hoo! I'm so excited for her, Caleb and Erin! Lord-willing, her pregnancy won't be as tough as her last, but I'm glad to be here to help in any way (which I'm sure will mostly involve having Erin over so that she and Carrie can make endless messes and bother Liam). Can't wait to meet the new little one in December!

Nathan is coming to visit in a couple weeks, during which time we'll also see Dirk for a day while he's in DC with his class from school. Shortly after, Mom will come for a week, so May will be a treat for us as we get to see some family. The rest of you better plan to come in June so that Annie and I don't get too upset :-)


thy mercy my God is the theme of my song
the joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue
thy free grace alone, from the first to the last
hath won my affection and bound my soul fast

working at building a mystery

that's how it is with you and me

This is Molly with one of her best friends, Katelynn. They are very silly girls, but have so much fun together. We're so glad the Alexanders moved here from TX too, cause they're good people!

I was raised up family

Here are some grandparent pictures from our weekend in TX. It was too short, but it was so good to see them all. Grandma & Pawpop both wanted to take a million pictures with Liam, and they were so happy to finally meet him. Pawpop is the original William in the Warren family, and now that he has another namesake he's pretty proud. He does refuse to refer to our little guy as "Liam", preferring instead to call him "Little Will". I think when you're 83 and still feeling good enough to tar a roof, you can pretty much do whatever you want.


Grandma June was (and still is) in a rehab hospital after a scary spell that is still somewhat of a mystery. She has Parkinson's and in the 16 months since I had seen her, has not done well. It was hard to see her like that, but we are hopeful with some new meds and therapy that she'll be home soon and can lead a more normal life again for a while. I was so glad for even a brief visit after so long away.
I think so often what a blessing it has been in my life to have known all 4 of my grandparents into my adult years, and have known 5 of my great-grandparents in my childhood, along with one great-great-grandmother! God has been so gracious, and I hope that I'm around to see that many generations of our family.

oh so loverly, sittin' abso-bloomin'-lutely still

I know I'm slow -- finally getting some pics from my Texas weekend. I'll add some Warren family pics later. Here is one of our (in)famous "sisters pictures", and as you can see, Lisa and Kim are both highly amused. And below is my awesome friend Stephanie, who was busy hogging Liam at La Madeleine. I think he slept on her for almost an hour. Babies love Steph. The WholeHearted Mothers conference was wonderful, but even better than years past. All the women had fun and enjoyed the messages that encouraged us to remember that mothering is the most important job we can have for the rest of our lives. And we had a blast after the messages, goofing off and (for me) catching up on the last year of everyone's life in TX. I'm so glad Annie got to go too, so that meant sister fun. Liam was kept company by his new buddy Ethan and the weekend resident princess Jules, and they were well-cared for by Ethan's sis Cheyenne, and our very own CJ and Beth. So, loads of fun and needed respite. To the gals that went, I was so glad to see each of you and wish I had had more time to spend chatting (imagine me, wanting to talk more!?). I promise, more pics to come soon.

ain't no stoppin' us now

This was from my visit to TX last weekend...I'll post more when I get them uploaded. I miss you sis!

everything around her is a silver pool of light

Here are some current pics of our very own resident princess. Carrie spends most of her time loving (bothering) Liam, dancing, singing, and wearing pink. We're pretty sure she's related to Abby.

I'd gladly stay a thousand years

baby, its cold outside!

We finally got a big snow, complete with a layer of ice on top. The older kids spent about 5 hrs outside today, playing on the huge mountains that the plows made in our neighborhood. They are still in awe of winter, having known only summer and "fall-ish" in San Antonio. Carrie didn't go out today. She likes the snow when its powdery and can be thrown on her brothers. So she stayed safely inside fighting with her best friend Erin most of the day, which is a favorite past time anyway. And Liam isn't ready for snow yet. He's still trying to figure out why he ever has to leave the house.

Its hard to tell since I didn't get enough background, but the kids are actually lying on the ground. Even though the snow was about 4-6 inches deep, the ice kept them on top of it the whole time.
Henry is our resident "Superstar!". I think Warren is pretty embarrassed by his brother most of the time.

Ok Jackie -- happy now???

the manliness of his charm

I need to give appropriate props to my wonderful, gorgeous, thoughtful husband. Yesterday was 10 years since the day he asked me to marry him. Now, my Mom and Dad would say that Dave and I have been engaged for 10 years. As a kid, whenever they would expound on this assumption, I would feel the need to argue (surprised, right?) that this was not the case, and that I would NOT be engaged once I got married. So I can't bear to surrender my long-held antagonistic position that the marriage vows end the engagement, but I will say that I am very thankful that on 11 Feb 1997 Dave asked the smartest question of his life. Anyway, yesterday he remembered (I forgot!)and gave me (us) a new french press, since we had greatly missed having one after our last broke, and so I enjoyed coffee in its purest form. And coffee press or not, I'm the luckiest girl on earth to get to be Dave's wife.

sometimes late, when things are real and people share the gift of gab between themselves

Ok, no more football posts (other than to say GO COLTS!!!). I know we are sickly rabid fans, and the fact that we regularly give thanks for a whole network now dedicated to the NFL is probably a troublesome sign, yet we are what we are. Anyway, life as of late....

Liam is huge. He's almost 4 months, holding toys, talking to everyone, sleeping well too. He still hates the swing, car seat, and bottles. We've figured out that he somehow came with an "entitlement" complex, that I'm sure must have come from his father. We're enjoying watching him grow and change, but it happens so fast!!!

The other "chads" (my Dad's language) are good. They've been a bit sad about the lack of snow so far this winter, but we might get some today, so we're holding our breath. But it is cold, and we'll have some HIGHS in the teens! We're definitely not in Kansas, er...Texas anymore. Looks like in the spring we'll have Molly and Warren in a homeschool soccer league and they are really looking forward to that (guess that makes me a "soccer Mom"??), but the fact that I have kids old enough to be in soccer makes me feel old. Hopefully Henry and Carrie will enjoy watching the practices and not make life too difficult for me...what are the chances?

Within 2 weeks, my brother Nathan was in a car accident that totalled his truck and also fell 10 feet through the ceiling at the warehouse where he works! We are all amazed that he wasn't seriously injured either time. The fall sent him to the ER for tests/scans but nothing broken, just soreness and concussion. Maybe Nate is part cat.

Dad will be here next week!! We should get to have dinner with him a couple times while he's in town. And CJ will be 20 next week -- wow! In 3 weeks, Liam and I will head to San Antonio to see the fam, and drive to Dallas with my old homeschool-moms group for a conference. I'm looking forward to that and the fact that the rest of the family, including my grandparents, can finally meet the little man.

I'll try to get recent pics up soon. Maybe some snow pics if the weatherman isn't a big fat liar.

but you're not bringing back what's dead

Yet another heartbreaking day...our beloved Seahawks lost in overtime to the Bears. Our only consolation is that all the "talking heads" had predicted a Chicago blow-out, that Seattle couldn't compete ('will they even score a touchdown?'), and all that pompous, arrogant rhetoric was proved pretty silly. Still, losing that way hurts, and yet after a less-than-ideal season, making to 2 post-season games is probably the best ending. Its hard for the Slaughter household to move on after football season ends, especially when things don't go our way...we'll take this week to grieve and then try to move on.

wake up the echoes

Like all hopelessly loyal fans, despite my sadness and frustration after last night's game, I still love the Irish and am counting the days until the new season starts in fall.

we may grow different in coming years

Here are my gorgeous kids Christmas Eve morning before church. Happy New Year to everyone!

Joy to you and me

I think Liam was wondering what all the fuss was about on Christmas Day. For him, the weekend was a nightmare of long car trips, loud shouts of glee from brothers and sisters, and people trying to force him to love presents that he didn't care much about. But I'm sure he'll grow to love his new toys as he gets a bit bigger. Right now, he'll settle for an undisturbed nap.

these are a few of my favorite things

Molly was so excited to receive an authentic replica Shaun Alexander jersey from Grandma and Grandpa Slaughter! And now her parents are jealous!!
Grandma Slaughter made Superman capes for the 3 boys, and they are flyin' high!
The cousins all had fun together again when we exchanged gifts with the Finks last weekend. The grown-ups had fun too, but were exhausted afterwards :-)

Given all I've heard, hang on every word...

The kids are so enjoying the nightly Advent reading these past weeks. Problems sometimes occur when they all want to sit on or closest to Daddy as he reads, so I run interference at times. Its been a wonderful evening routine (especially for Warren, who likes things the same ALL the time) and given us the chance to talk a lot about what Christ's birth means for us as His elect people. Thanks to Mom for sending us the Advent book!

Tonight we'll go to PA for 2 nights to see Rob, Steph and kids. We'll exchange gifts with them and let the cousins have fun playing together for a couple days. This year, we decided we'd really like to be home for Christmas day, enjoying it in our own home for the first time in 4 years! There is such a bittersweet feeling in all this for us....what a blessing to see how God has kept and preserved us through a long time of struggle, how He brought us to VA and our own home, good, steady work for Dave, and so many other provisions. And yet its hard to be away from our San Antonio family for the first time in years at Christmas, as well as missing the Warren family gathering at Grandma Lola and Pawpop's house and visiting Grandma June and the rest of the King family. We're missing them greatly, remembering all the fun Christmas memories we had there. But those memories are ours to keep forever. And we'll be missing Dave's parents too, this year, as they will be staying in WA for Christmas. The kiddos were sad to not see any grandparents this year, but I know that we'll all be celebrating together in a sense as we love and miss each other, and more importantly all have our hearts centered around a rough manger that led to a cruel cross that ultimately leads to our glorious future.

you & many others in your clean well-lighted place

I know that I don't give thanks enough, for anything. I need to get better at that. My kids will learn that from me, so that's sobering. Our Thanksgiving celebration was very nice, busy, loud, and yummy. We had a great time in the Poconos with Steph, Rob and family. The kids all had so much fun playing together, raking leaves outside, going on a treasure hunt, and keeping the noise level in the house at a nice respectable roar. We feel so blessed to live near them and get to see them so much more than we did the past few years, watching each other's kids grow and letting the kids get to know each other. Dave and I are so very thankful for 2 wonderful, godly families who have been such good examples to us and continue to shape who we are. And I'm most thankful for a husband and 5 children who make my life worth living.

life gets pretty heavy and I wish it was light

Last night Liam went to sleep at about 10 p.m., and didn't wake up until 5 a.m. So today I feel a bit more human. We've had some rough nights, no pattern yet to his sleeping/nursing "schedule". By 6 weeks my others were a bit more predictable and the sleep deprivation cured. Not so this time around, and so as a result I'm thoroughly unproductive, highly irritable, and somewhat fatalistic about our chance of routine. I am definitely at the place where I'm positive that I can't raise 5 children who won't end up in prison. Or hating me. Or both.

I think I'm also just grumpy because CJ left.

Our Montana finally went to Pontiac hell, and left us with paying off a van that must be towed to the junkyard. God graciously provided us with a vehicle through the family of friends (thanks Janelle & Craig!) and so we're mobile again. The "new" van, though 6 yrs old, runs great and is such a blessing, as it was much more affordable than we had hoped for!

For Thanksgiving, we've been invited to "The Camp", Rob & Steph's lake house in the Poconos, to celebrate with Rob's family. It'll be nice and crowded, with 7 adults and 13 kids. We'll get up really early Thursday morning and drive up in time for dinner, and probably leave Sat. morning (duh, have to be home to watch the ND/USC game). After so many years in SA its hard to think about Thanksgiving away from the Warren homestead. Molly is having a hard time with the first holiday away, and we'll all be missing them while we're thanking God for them.