Water Ballons

The weather has been very warm lately. Last week I decided to let them throw water balloons at each other to help them cool off and have some fun. Abby, Robert, and Josiah had a blast. Beth seemed a bit reluctant to get in on the action. She did not want to throw the water balloons. Her siblings were quite happy to help her and they threw several of her balloons. When I handed out the last water balloons, she refused to let anyone have her balloon. She started crying and yelling at the others if they got near her balloon. I asked her what she wanted to do with the balloon. She said, "Hide it." I asked, "Where?" She replied, "Outside." I told her that the heat from the sun would pop it. She then told me "put it up high." I did put it on in a safe spot and told the others to not touch it - that was her greatest concern.
Later I saw her carrying it around and kissing it like it was her baby. Than she was walking around with Robert carrying her "baby". Every one joined in the game and called it her "baby". She allowed the others to hold it for a little while, but soon wanted it back. Abby drew on it while she was "babysitting" (Abby draws on almost everything).
I was worried about it popping in the house, but I told myself, "It is just water. It will dry, and it isn't messy like other things that have spilt in the house."
The inevitable finnaly happened late in the afternoon. It popped, and she got drenched. She was very upset about it. After a change of clothes, hugs, and promises of more water balloons, she calmed down. Now everyone wants a water balloon baby!

The fight outside - yes the lawn needs mowed!

Jojo showing off his balloons - just seconds before they popped!

Beth and her "baby"

The reaction to the end of the water balloon.
With a reaction like that I'm not sure I want to fill water balloons for a while.

Wedding photos

Abby loves to dress up in beautiful dresses and accessories. She can't wait to get married so she can wear a wedding dress. Last month someone gave us a suit coat for Robert. The next day Abby wanted to "marry" Robert. Here are the photos I took after the wedding.
My internet connection was messed up last month, plus I've been busy with five kids six and under. That is my excuse for so few posts!

Group photo

I took this quickly this morning and was surprised how well it turned out (4 of 5 are looking at the camera!).

My firefighters

Last week we visited my sister, Becky, at the firestation where she works. She works at the front desk - not as a fire fighter. She took the kids around, showed them the fire trucks, and gave them fire hats. The next day the kids were up early, dressed in red, and went out early to play fire fighters.

They loaded the hose onto the fire truck (aka red wagon)at the fire the girl tended the hose at the truck, while

the boys put out the fire!

The job is done, and it's a good thing, because the wind picked up making the rest of the day bad for fires!

Hannah's birth

Sorry it has taken so long to get this posted.

Birth of Hannah Joy

A week before she came I caught a cold. I spent several nights coughing and sitting up to sleep. Since I was still pregnant there wasn’t much I could take to help with the cough. Besides, I don’t care to take medicines anyway. I did try herbal teas, Echinacea, goldenseal, wild cherry bark syrup, and a few other herbal and natural remedies. Nothing seemed to help. Usually when I get a cold I am over it within 2-3 days. This one wouldn’t go away no matter what I did.

On March 10^th I went to sleep sitting in the living room. I woke up every half hour coughing and having a painful contraction. Around one o’clock I had enough of the pain and called the midwife. While on the phone with her I had a couple contractions. I am not very good at timing contractions and deciding if they are consistent and regular. Plus, this time I had been asleep, and only really painful contractions woke me up - and the coughing fits. The midwife came around two. When she checked me, I was already at eight centimeters.

I spent a couple of hours in the tub and then decided to get out and walk of sit up right. I was coughing too much in the tub, and the water no longer felt hot enough. Being upright and walking helped the coughing and the contractions seemed more consistent. I felt like things were progressing quickly. I decide to have her on the bed. Around five I heard Josiah wake up. I thought he would come find me but he chose a chair in the living room and went back to sleep. Shortly after six Beth came knocking at the door. That encouraged me to push a little harder and deliver the baby. Hannah was born around 6:35 am on March 11^th. Beth was so happy to have a baby sister. She smothers her and begs to hold her all the time.

Gabe said she looks like Robert when he was a baby. She is much smaller than Josiah or Beth when they were born. I had to go buy some clothes for her since what I saved from Beth is still a bit too big.

I spent the next few days caring for Hannah and continuing to try to get rid of my cough. Once the cough was about gone then my muscles on my sides started hurting from all the coughing I had done. I hurt so much that the only thing I could do is sit and hold Hannah. Which is what the midwife wanted me to do, but I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t felt so bad. The kids were a great help around the house and Rueben drove me anywhere I needed to go. I was so short on good sleep I didn’t trust myself to drive anywhere.

In the week following her birth we celebrated Josiah’s forth birthday and Abigail’s and Robert’s sixth birthday. We now have four birthdays in March and they are each four days apart!

By the time Hannah was two weeks old the cold was gone and the pain in my sides was better. We are getting back into our daily routine. Hannah has been very patient and content baby. The kids all love and adore her. I never lack for someone to hold her, if I need it. However, I usually carry her in a sling or wrap which keeps her very happy, sleeping, and safe from Beth.

Once when I left Hannah sleeping on my bed while I was doing something, Beth scared me by bringing her to me! Beth has to know where baby is at all times. First thing in the morning she checks my bed, the playpen, the swing, me and so on until she finds where Hannah is.

Hannah shortly after birth

Beth seeing sister for first time. Can you see her excitement?

It's a

Girl. Hannah Joy was born March 11th at 6:36 am. She was 7 lbs 8oz and 20 3/4 inches long. Mom and baby are doing fine. Siblings are all excited - especially Beth! We will post more photos and birth story in a few days. Right now we are busy just admiring how perfect she is.

(Photo taken by Abby)

(One day old)

Funny things kids do and say

Recently, at our church there was a skit. In the skit "Oswald" was a missionary to outer space. He brought one of his converts Darth Vader (Brother Vader) back with him. Now, my kids know nothing at all about Darth Vader or star wars or any of that nonsense, but they love "Oswald" AKA Bro. Larry Don. Today while playing with their toys I heard Josiah say "My policeman is Darth Vader and yours is Oswald." I'm not familiar with Darth Vader either, but I don't think he is a policeman! That is how they view him.

After lunch I gave Beth a piece of fry bread which she took outside to eat. The only problem was the chickens were running loose. I was helping Abby with a chore and Beth came crying to me saying "bauck, bauck". I gathered from her that the chicken had stolen a piece off her bread. She still had some fry bread so I told her to eat it before the chickens got more of it. I then put food out for them to eat, hoping to keep them busy until she got it eaten. A little later she was crying again. I saw the guilt hen running with a piece of bread in her beak. The bread was gone. Robert and Beth tried to catch the hen, but that didn't work. Besides, I wouldn't have let her eat bread after the chicken had it anyway!