Welcome to our "Family Room". This is where I will share about our family, what the Lord is doing in our lives as well as random thoughts! I hope this serves to keep family and friends updated on us and to allow future friends to get to know us a little better. Check back often and enjoy! ~Roxanne~

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2008

Once again last night, we were confronted with the fact that our current "problem" situation isn't over. I am so ready to get off of this ride! There are too many highs and lows for me. If you know me, you should recognize that I am mainly an even-keeled person. Proverbs 18:10 became a reality to us when we lost our baby girl, Olivia, and it is once again sustaining me - His name is my strong tower . . . especially when the winds are blowing this strong.

We had a good day in the Lord's House. Our church is making some major changes in how it "does church". Lewis and I are excited about what the Lord is doing at AMRBC and how they aren't afraid of breaking tradition. We will be praying this week about making AMRBC our new church home (and moving our "letter" from Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, KY). We also attended a Youth Parents Meeting after church. It was encouraging to hear of Bucky's new changes for the student ministry which focuses much more on discipleship - woohoo! We will continue to pray as to whether we'll allow our teens and preteens to participate.

We rested this afternoon then Lewis and the children played tennis and swam - two of their favorite activities. Oh, I almost forgot - Nick took L, P, Q, and J to see the new Star Wars Clone Movie. The boys loved it!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2008

This morning began much different than yesterday morning. Jax woke up sick saying he needed to throw up :o( Thankfully he made it to the "throw up bucket" all 3 times. He had a low-grade fever all morning and wanted me. Nick, Katelyn nor Marisa were here so that left Lucas as my helper! If you know Lucas very well, you know he doesn't do "throw up"! Our plan was that if Jax got sick while I was nursing Selah, Lucas was to grab Selah and I would help and hold Jax. I'm glad we didn't find out how that would work out. Actually Lucas was great and he prepared everyone a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Jax had fallen asleep on me on the couch so the boys had to fend for themselves for a little while. By lunchtime, Jax didn't have a fever and was acting like himself again. He preceded to eat a good lunch and has been fine ever since.

We drove to Clinton tonight for my cousin's Wedding Rehearsal and Dinner. We took some family photos while there, so check these out!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2008

Today Selah is 6 months old - can you believe that? She is such a sweet, delightful baby. If you've seen her lately you know what a "chunk" she has become - you just want to squeeze her and rub those chubby legs! Oh, she's just precious.

My morning started out 'slow' since we had another late night (I think I went to bed around 3am), but quickly became a good morning! As I began my morning routine in the kitchen, I saw the answering machine was flashing with a message. It was someone I've recently met at church. I returned the phone call to hear this humble, Godly woman on the other end asking forgiveness of a possible offense. She acknowledged God prompting her to call and having me on her heart for over a week. I am sure our conversation was hard for her in the flesh, but I pray she is rewarded a hundred-fold for her obedience to the Holy Spirit. I was blessed and encouraged from our talk. It was such a good way to begin my busy day. I hope to get to know her and other women from our church that have reached out to me recently. Honestly, I make it a point to be in circle of women that aren't just like me. No one in our SS class homeschools and no one has more than 4 children (although that is considered a "large" family these days). I want to befriend women that aren't in my comfort zone. I want a mutual relationship where we challenge and encourage each other; hold each other accountable; laugh togehter and even cry together. I look forward to what the Lord is doing in these new friendships.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2008

Tonight our church hosted a family night at a local amusement park, Family Fun Bees. Our family paid $10 to enjoy 2 hours of unlimited go-cart driving, putt-putt, bouncers and using the batting cages - what fun we had! Selah enjoyed getting attention from complete strangers while Rowan and Jax had fun in the bouncers. Quentin wasn't tall enough to drive the go-carts, but enjoyed riding with his Daddy and Katelyn. Patrick and Lucas loved driving the go-carts and Lewis, Katelyn and Marisa enjoyed the batting cages the most. Wondering what I did? I watched my family have a great time and I chatted with friends and even made new friends. A good time was had by the "Mann Clan" tonight! Nick didn't go with us as he was playing volleyball AGAIN with his new friends. Volleyball is the current sport and they play almost every day at Upstate (for many, many hours!) and usually swim there or come back to our house to swim. The nights seem to get longer around here since the house is usually still popping with teenagers well after midnight :o) (That's not a complaint - just a fact!) Here are the photos from Family Fun Bees.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2008

You know I mentioned in one of last week's post about a 'blow" that hit us a few days ago? I wanted to share what I read yesterday in my quiet time. Most mornings I use a little book called "Streams in the Desert" given to us from a friend. August 11th's scripture was from Habakkuk and expressed being joyful in the LORD in times of trouble. The devotion explaines that in our time of distress we need to flee to God; that we will maintain our spiritual composure under the darkest of circumstances; and that in the midst of everything, we will delight ourselves with a sacred joy in God and have cheerful expectations of Him. Wow - that really allowed me to put everything we are going through in new perspective. Also tonight Lewis had to deal with another component of this trial and my prayer for him throughout the day was that he would maintain his spiritual composure because I realize what a difficult situation he was in. Now I need to seek that sacred joy in this valley.

MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2008

Read The Wall Street Journal article: Treating the Pill as Abortion, Draft Regulation Stirs Debate

SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2008

It's been one fo those odd weeks for me! I was already "on the edge" when I went to church this morning and then someone said something that pushed me OVER the edge! By the time SS began, I couldn't hold back the tears. Thankfully I was sitting in the corner of the room and Lewis could shield me with his body by leaning forward. I was in no position to discuss things, so I quietly sat there, allowing the tears to fall as I pretended to be reading the lesson. I certainly didn't want to be a distraction to the class or a stumbling block to anyone. I just needed to weep over a situation and in my spirit cry out to the Lord. I needed His comfort and His peace. By the time class was over, I could speak again. In that crowded room, I had a personal encounter with my personal Savior. I called out to Him and He meet me there. How precious He is to me!

Today Lewis and I had our first "internet date" with another couple! Well, it's true :o) I was contacted a few months ago by someone that was searching for "quiverfull families in sc" and there we were! We began emailing and eventually I suggested we meet. So today at the Olive Garden we met them for lunch. They're a great couple that's truly seeking the Lord in many areas of their lives. They recently began homeschooling and now are questioning their methods of trying to control their family size. I remember having many of their same fears and questions about 8 years ago. We talked almost non-stop for 3 1/2 hours :o) I am sure they are still trying to "digest" everything and we hope to see them again soon for an update as to how the Lord is working within their marriage and family. Oh, how I pray we encouraged them and allowed them to see that we are "normal" and real!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2008

Last night Marisa had 2 friends sleep over. We usually don't do sleep-overs, but this was one of those rare exceptions. Her birthday party was this morning from 10 to 12. She really did have a good party and it wasn't alot of work for me :o) One of the young girl's goggles shattered in our pool and thankfully she was not injured! I am so grateful that pieces of the tempered glass did not go into her eyes - especially since her mom was an hour away from us. Lewis vacuumed the pool several times before thinking he had gotten most of the pieces. In the process he received several small cuts on his fingers as he would rub the bottom of the pool. He wanted to be sure that the children wouldn't touch the bottom and get cut. I didn't realize that goggles would shattered that way nor did I know the tempered glass would be so sharp. We saved the goggles so we could show the girl's mom and she could see how blessed we were that the glass didn't cut her face. Here are some pictures of the fun day!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2008

Tonight we went to Family Fun Night at our church. They fed us a great spaghetti supper and entertained us with a Gospel Magic Show. Unfortunately, there were only about 30 people there - I guess 1/3 of that was our family! I wonder why more families weren't there?

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2008

Lewis returned from a business trip to Chicago early this morning - he is truly missed when he is out of our home! He walked about a mile from his hotel to get a picture of American Girl Place for Marisa. He actually entered that "danger zone" of a place filled with tons of little girls with their American Girl dolls and moms, to find a gift for Marisa. He has great taste and his purchase was well received. He got her a red purse with "American Girl Chicago" on it. She quickly changed purses and modeled it for us! Lewis is such a good Daddy.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2008

Have you ever experienced those times when you believe things are going along just fine, then wham! - something blind-sides you? That is what today has been. A time of disappointment, confusion and a massive headache. But we serve an amazingly, faithful God! One who we trust because He has proven Himself faithful and because His Word tells us we can trust Him. We have to remember that He is still in control and loves us beyond comprehension. Oh, how I am so thankful for my Jesus in times like these.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARISA! I can't believe she is 11 . . . where has the time gone? She is such a wonderful young girl with a servant's heart and an enormous love of books. We are blessed with her in our family.

Today we hosted the first meeting of our homeschool Girls Book Club. We had 15 girls and a few moms packed into our den with 5 girls that couldn't make it today! The girls were very quiet while I explained how the book club will work, but once we shared a snack and they jumped into the pool, they all became chatty and quickly made new friends. Marisa enjoyed her birth day very much!

MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2008

From my MOMYS list: I found some little clips on Discovery interviewing Michelle Duggar on her pregnancy and she gives tips/advice about pregnancy. There is a cute clip of her and the toddlers "behind the scenes". The little ones are "interrupting" her interview. I loved this clip on how she handles the children. She doesn't get offended and she doesn't leave to "spank". It just shows how real this family is and not perfect disciplinarians. Click here to watch!

Tonight at Bible Study, it was obvious that the comment made last week regarding how many children I have did NOT go unnoticed! A big deal was made about us having 9 blessings. One week they are mistakes and the next they are blessings - go figure? To Lewis and I, they are ALWAYS blessings . . . no matter what. Anyway, it was a good bible study :o) You know you can never go wrong with a Kay Arthur study!

Oh, today was also our first meeting for Lego Club this school year. We were pleasantly surprised that there were 20 children in attendance! Lucas, Patrick and Quentin all participated with their Lego Contraptions in hand. Jax and Rowan played with the other siblings there and Selah enjoyed seeing everyone.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2008

I found this awesome family online today - The Ahlers Family - check them out!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2008

We spent most of the day rearranging bedrooms. Nick has decided to stay with us and transfer to a college in our area. He is a junior pursuing a nursing degree and plans to be a Nurse Anesthetist. Originally, Katelyn had her own bedroom downstairs and Marisa shared with Rowan upstairs. Since Marisa had the larger bedroom, we moved Katelyn and her "truck load" of stuff upstairs. We moved Nick into Katelyn's old room and moved Rowan to the main floor with Nick. It actually worked out very well and the rooms look nice. We moved the bed in the girls room and even with all of Katelyn's belongings, the room seems much bigger now. I know that all of the children would have been willing to all share one room to have Nick live with us again :o)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2008

Tonight we hosted Lucas' Birthday Party. He had a GREAT turnout of friends! Fun was had by everyone and you can tell by viewing the photos here :o)

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2008

Tonight our Sunday School class gave a Surprise Baby Shower to Wendy who is expecting a Baby Boy in about 6 weeks. We can't wait to meet Jackson! The shower was a Copper River Grill in Boiling Springs. The food was good, but the fellowship was even better. We even planned class events for the remainder of this year. Here are the pictures.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2008

Today we drove to Laurens to meet the Wilsons and Martins for swimming at the B's house! Lots of families came to the pool today so I really didn't get to catch up with Tracey and George. Ashley even came, but with all of our kiddos there's too many interruptions to carry on a conversation :o) The children loved it and that's worth the drive.

TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2008

Tonight we had Patrick and Quentin's Birthday Party. Patrick's birthday is in April and Quentin's is June, but I just couldn't get it scheduled until now. I can't believe how packed our summer has been. The party was great and they enjoyed splashin' around with their friends. Click here for the pictures.

MONDAY, JULY 28, 2008

Today a fellow homeschool mom came over for counsel. Oh, how I love sharing about parenting, homeschooling, organizing, honoring our husbands, etc. Our time seemed to fly by :o( She brought her 2 girls with her and they are about the same age as Katelyn and Marisa so that worked out great. I think the girls enjoyed their time together - almost as much as us moms did!

My RANT Of The Day: I can't remember if I have mentioned before that I am participating in a Bible Study at church. We are studying Kay Arthur's "Lord, Teach Me To Pray". We have a large group of women which is very encouraging. Unfortunately, a lady there tonight said something that cut my spirit deeply! As usual, it's a "big deal" that I am a mom of 9 children (although 9 honestly doesn't seem like many to me!) The leader called three women to the front (which included me) and asked if anyone could remember one fact about us. I was first. Several women said (almost in unison) that I had 9 children, I heard someone say we homeschooled and there was other jibbering that I couldn't understand. In that moment, someone said "she has 8 too many" - and that was followed by a few chuckles. I honestly don't know who make that terrible, unbiblical comment. I didn't respond - mainly because I was caught so off guard, but I also know from experience that most Believers don't understand, nor will they no matter what I say and actually they don't want to understand. Most are VERY comfortable with their 1 or 2 children and can't grasp the blessing, reward and heritage of children. Why do people have children just to rush them off to daycare, put them on medicine, complain about buying them the lastest fads, wishing summer was over so they could send them back to school all day and the list goes on? People don't understand me, but I honestly don't understand them! Which of my 9 children should I "send back"? Which ones are "mistakes"? It is a privilege to mother ALL 9 of my "babies" and it will be a privilege if the Lord blesses us with more. Maybe when He sends us to the Foreign Mission Field, we'll return to the states with a large sibling group! I am often asked how many children I want or what number we're trying for - people just completely miss the point! It's not about ME - it's about God. What has He called me to do? I don't go up to other women asking why they don't have more children so why am I asked all the time why I have so many? (I love when I am asked this and the person is seriously interested - then I can share my heart.) And who decides that 9 is "so many" anyway? Like Lewis told our Sunday School class when we first starting going there, we have "thick skin" - which is true, but these snide comments really do cause pain in my spirit. I am broken for the families who aren't embracing their children and loving the short time we are given to parent them. Yes, parenting is hard - but it is sooo worth it! These are our "treasures" that we can store up in Heaven! Here's a simple analogy: If you were given a $10,000 raise at work, you would take it without question. Money is NOT evil, but can be the root of evil. But if you were given 5, 7 or 10 children, you wouldn't accept them - right? Remember, the Bible calls children blessings, a reward, a heritage, etc. Look through scripture - how did the Lord often bless people? By giving them children! NOT money. Why don't folks want God's best? Why do we try to "control" our wombs? Don't we trust God to know what is good for us? If we can trust him with our finances, jobs, providing shelter/food, etc. and even giving us so many of our "wants", then why is HE not trustworthy to open and close our womb? Wow - I didn't mean to write so much, but as you can read, this is so close to my heart. I only pray that this has given you "food for thought". Make it a matter of prayer and study scripture for yourself. Feel free to ask us questions if you sense the Lord pricking your heart. I'll step down from my soapbox now!

SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2008

Today Lewis taught Sunday School since Gerry was out of town. Oh, how I love to hear Lewis teach/preach. (I enjoy Gerry, but I am partial to my husband!) Lewis shared how to study God's Word and spend time meditating - not just reading. He showed how to look for Truths, Commands and Promises. We all need to go back to the basics some time!

THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2008

I spent much of the day sorting through mine and Selah's medical bills. Even though Selah is already 5 months old, new bills continue to arrive! As usual I came to the fact that insurance and medical billing has to be a 'racket' :o( The good news is that I was offered 40% off of a bill if it was paid by the end of July - and of course we paid it and saved about $100 I think. I called another office and offered 50% of my bill - unfortunately they turned that one down, but counter-offered with 30% off, so I paid the bill in full while on the phone. I tell you this so you can see that medical billing *may* accept an "offer" for medical services - but you won't know that unless you call, make the offer and be prepared to pay the bill in full.

MONDAY, JULY 21, 2008

Someone asked for the Crockpot Lasagne that I made for a friend tonight. Since I had it all typed out, I thought I would post it here as well :o)

Crockpot Lasagna
1 28-oz. jar of spaghetti sauce
1 package frozen cheese ravioli (about 24-oz.)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom and layer with half of the ravioli.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese and another cup of sauce.  Layer the remaining ravioli and top with the rest of the sauce.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Bake on low for 3-5 hours, depending on how hot your crockpot cooks. (The crockpot lasagna cooks in about 4-5 hours.  If you work during the day, that may be inconvenient since you cannot put it on before leaving for work.  In that case, you may wish to prepare the lasagna in a 9x13 pan and refrigerate it until you get home or until someone can start baking it in the oven (about 45-55 min. at 350) in the afternoon.)

We usually add more sauce and cheese than the recipe calls for.  We also add parmesan cheese!  Since my husband likes meat at supper, I usually add ground beef too. The kids like garlic bread so we usually have the texas toast kind.

Another good side is:
Apple, Grape and Walnut Salad
3 sliced and cored Granny Smith apples
1 bunch red grapes, pulled from the stems
Chopped walnuts
8 oz. vanilla yogurt
3 oz. cream cheese

Combine fruit and nuts and serve with vanilla yogurt mixed with cream cheese (use a mixer for a smooth blend).

Enjoy!

SUNDAY, JULY 20, 2008

This afternoon I took 7 of the children to a friend's birthday party at Pump It Up in Greenville. It was a great party with lots of friends there. My children enjoyed the bouncers and had fun. Lewis couldn't go with us as he went to church to participate in the "1/2 Mile Churchwide Outreach". He was a team leader - which shouldn't surprise you if you know him. Any opportunity to share the gospel and preach/teach God's Word is what Lewis is made of! He was so excited when he got home as he had an awesome team with some young couples that had an apparent love and excitement for the Lord :o) I pray that the Lord blesses their efforts.

SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2008

We spent the entire day at Lake Greenwood. We have some generous friends (Greg & Wendy) that hosted our Sunday School Class at their families' Lake House. Even though only 4 families attended, we all had a blast. The kids loved the Wave Runners, riding in the boat, tubing and just swimming around in the water. Greg & Wendy supplied hotdogs and hamburgers and they really hit the spot after being on the water for a couple of hours. Selah enjoyed a long nap in the large pack 'n play upstairs while I enjoyed swinging/relaxing while watching everyone in the water. A highlight for me was watching Lewis as he thoroughly enjoyed going VERY fast on the Wave Runner. It was great seeing him relaxed and having fun! We only intended to stay until mid-afternoon, but didn't leave until 8:00pm - and had to pull the kids away then! We hope to get back to the lake once more before the summer is over :o) We have a lot of pictures of today so take a look! Be sure to look at the ones of the Wave Runner being repaired by the neighbor since Gerry got a buoy sucked up in the bottom!

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2008

I just had to share a rave review for our pediatric dentist :o) Dr. Robin Wilson is excellent and has the best staff around. Since we are in Spartanburg now, I actually asked around for recommendations of local dentists for the children. Honestly, I got many replies, but a lot of mixed reviews and I just didn't have peace about any of them. Then Rowan chipped his tooth a few weeks ago, so I made the call to Dr. WIlson's office. We saw her the next day and she and her staff were even more wonderful than I remembered - so I made appointments for 6 of the children to have their teeth cleaned :o) If you are in the Upstate of SC, I highly recommend taking your children to see Dr. Wilson. Here's her info: Robin WIlson, DMD, 864-250-1100, 1376 Cleveland Street, Greenville, SC 29607 (Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry). Tell her that the Manns sent you! Hello to Sommer if you read this!

On another note, today I paid $4.79 for diesel - yikes! That is outrageous. I paid that in Greenville and I think it's about 15 to 20 cents less here in Spartanburg. Needless to say, I didn't fill up the tank at that price.

TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2008

Tonight my cousin (Gail) and her children (Davis, Layne & Abigail) came to our house. Gail was having "computer issues" and asked Lewis to take a look. We invited them to swim and have dessert with us. The children took a little while to warm up to each other, but then played very well together. I enjoyed talking with Gail and getting caught up. It's a shame that we don't spend more time enjoying fellowship and meals with family and friends. I think they'll come again soon - I know we'd like that! Here are pictures that were taken with the Cunninghams!

MONDAY, JULY 14, 2008

We have found that tennis is a great family sport. We have been playing for a few years now. I say "we" - but I guess I actually mean Lewis and all of the kids! I'm usually on the sidelines with a baby :o) They all have their own racket, even Rowan. Last year Lewis ordered over 100 tennis balls from eBay so they wouldn't have to stop so often for "ball pickup". Our neighborhood has 2 courts for us to use and one is only about 4 houses down the street (very convenient!). Now they like to play a few rounds of tennis (get hot and sweaty) then come home and jump in the pool. Here's some pictures from today.

SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2008

My cousin sent this to me today and it's worth passing on to you. It's a Creative Movement done with white gloves and a black light - very cool!

SATURDAY, JULY 12, 2008

Splashin' with Homeschoolers 2008 - see pictures here

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2008

True quote to share: Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. - Will Rogers

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2008

Our church (AMRBC) Youth Group's summer Wednesday night event is called Warehouse on Location (WOL). We hosted WOL tonight! Even though rain (and lightning) pushed us from the back yard into the den, I believe the night was great! The teens enjoyed having fun in the pool and Lewis and I enjoyed hearing their sweet praise and worship resound through our home. Here are a lot of pictures from WOL tonight.

SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2008

During our time at Ridgecrest, it was confirmed to our friends (Gene & Amanda) that he was to resign as Pastor of their church. With Amanda having 3 little ones age 3 and under, Tracey and I began making plans on Thursday as to how we could help Amanda with the upcoming move. We decided to make a quick trip to Oxford, NC. Tracey called 2 other friends (Stephanie & Margaret) and asked if they could come as well. We know that "many hands make light work" plus we all love Gene, Amanda and their precious children very much. Of course I had to bring Selah and I asked Katelyn to come along to help with Selah as well as Luke, Rachel and Ava Grace. So at 7:30am yesterday morning, Tracey, Steph and Margaret arrived to pick us up and the 6 of us headed to NC. We enjoyed our time in the Brooks' home and hopefully we can visit more often (they are moving to Wake Forest, NC). I think we may have gotten 3/4 of their belongings packed and stacked in the garage. We left their house around 2pm today to make the 5 hour drive back home. Here's pictures of our quick trip!

FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2008

We're home from Ridgecrest - and I'm not sure how we feel about that! MORE TO COME . . .

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2008

This afternoon we had several hours of "free time". After lunch we raced back to our apartment to settle everyone for a nap since we had been so busy for 2 1/2 days. I think we had everyone (yes, all of the children) asleep by 2pm. I took a quick nap and was up by 3pm getting things ready for the afternoon and evening activities! I began gently trying to awake everyone beginning around 3:30pm. We met the Wilsons and Brooks in the parking lot at 4pm to spend the afternoon letting the children play together. Rhett & Tracey had found a wonderful nearby park (Montreat) that had great playground equipment and also a creek through it. We made it to the park and the children (especially the boys) loved the creek! They played there for over an hour and then we had to hurry back to Ridgecrest for supper and our evening Worship and camp time for the kiddos. Here are the photos from Montreat.

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2008

Since registration didn't begin until 3pm, we decided to spend our day at Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. We all enjoyed touring this beautifully, amazing home and best of all, we did most of it with our friends, the Brooks Family! Marisa took lots of great pictures so click here to see them all.

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

We are heading to NC this afternoon to attend the 2008 National Discipleship and Evangelism Conference. I am so excited and will write about it when we return. I am thrilled that "camps" are offered for everyone in our family. Our kids are calling it "Family Camp" :o)

SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2008

Today we attended my mom's Family Reunion. It was held at Pine Island Club on Lake Murray near Columbia, SC. We haven't been in several years, so it was great seeing everyone again. We have lots of photos here: Allen Family Reunion.

FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2008

Our family was given tickets to enjoy a Suite at the Greenville Drive! The suite and seating area were beyond my expectations - it was so nice! This is the way to attend a baseball game :o) We even had a hostess that delivered our food to our room. Check out our great pictures of this night!

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2008

I just have to share with you a personal email that I sent Lewis this morning:

Oh, I wish you were here to enjoy the laughter coming from our pool :o)  It is wonderful having 8 of our children out there together and 1 snug in her crib :o)  Those sounds are a sweetness to my ears and a blessing to my soul.  And people wonder why we have 9 children?  You are a man to be honored!  To have your quiver be a heritage and reward to you.  Hold your head high today my beloved, the Lord has indeed blessed our union.

Completely in love with you- Roxanne

And Lewis' reply:

I understand completely the words of the Psalmist (127),  

“Like arrows in the hands of a warrior” 

I can imagine the feeling that a warrior has standing on the battlefield with the knowledge his quiver is full and in his hands rests those arrows poised for battle!

We often quote verses 3-7, while ignoring verses 1 and 2:

Unless the LORD builds the house

Unless the LORD watches over the city

For HE grants sleep to those he loves!

Praising the maker of our Arrows!!!

Maybe now people won't wonder why we have 9 children?! Oh, I must be dreaming :o)

MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2008

Selah had her 4 month check-up today and all is well.

Nick arrived safely tonight. I am so grateful that he is here. We were all out back at the pool tonight when he drove in. It was wonderful hearing his car come up the driveway. There really was a sense that he is "home". I don't know how long he will be here, but I'll take whatever amount of time. I'll sleep well tonight having the love of my life beside me and all 9 of our children under one roof again! God is so good.

FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2008

I think we had about 370 children in VBS this week. What an awesome opportunity to share Jesus :o)

THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2008

Early yesterday morning, Lewis, Selah and I headed out for a quick (or long -- it's according to how you look at it!) day-trip to Louisville. We made the 6 hour drive to see Nick. We went to ask him to come "home" for the summer. His living situation had changed plus we all missed him terribly so our solution was to ask him to come to SC at least until school starts back in the fall. We packed all of his belongings (which have multiplied) into the Sprinter and left him with only essentials. Nick has some loose-ends to "tie" so he plans to head here in a couple of days. Praise the Lord!

SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2008

Tonight began AMRBC's week-long VBS. I am helping with Registration and counting the offering - plus nursing Selah when she needs it! We look forward to the work that the Lord will do this week.

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2008

Tonight Marisa is at church participating in a Girl's Lock In. We are quite particular as to what/where our children go, so this was new for her. I pray she will make some new friends and grow current friendships. Marisa hasn't made *good* friends here like she had in Louisville. Oh, how we miss those precious young girls in KY!

MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008

This morning one of Lewis' best friends lost his father who had been in the hospital for over 3 weeks. Rhett's dad, "Dag", went to be with the Lord in the early hours of this day. We are praying for Mrs. Wilson, Rhett and family.

THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2008

UCH (another local homeschool group) planned a field trip today to Happy Cow Creamery. What a fun trip this was! We enjoyed a tour of the milking process, bottling procedure, tour of the farm and best of all, we were able to taste the milk. We tried buttermilk, whole milk and the wonderfully, delicious chocolate milk. We left with a half gallon of buttermilk, 2 gallons of whole milk, 1 gallon of chocolate milk and ice cream (that we ate while waiting on one of the cows to deliver her calf!). We also picked a large basket of strawberries that were possibily the best we've ever tasted. Our friends, the Wilson's, joined us which made the day even better :o) Look at our pictures here.

FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2008

We went to Field Day this morning hosted by HOMES (a local homeschool group). The children enjoyed the great events that Shay had planned and are already looking forward to next year. Thank you HOMES! Be sure to check out our photos by clicking here: HOMES Field Day

TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2008

Happy Birthday Lewis! I love you completely :o)

MONDAY, MAY 12, 2008

Text Messaging Abbreviations: A Guide to Understanding Online Chat Acronyms & Smiley Faces

A MUST READ FOR PARENTS . . . . From the wesbite: "With the popularity and rise in usage of real time text-based communications, such as instant messaging, e-mail, Internet and online gaming chat rooms, discussion boards and cell phone text messaging, came the emergence of a new language tailored to the immediacy and compactness of these new communication media. If you have ever been in a chat room or received an instant message or text message from someone that seemed to be in its own foreign language, this Webopedia Quick Reference will help you decipher the text chat lingo by providing the definitions to over 800 frequently used chat abbreviations."

SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2008

What a special Mother's Day this has been. I am indeed honored to have 9 blessings so far. The girls gave me a basket of goodies (including a card, lotion, linen spray, etc.). Lucas gave me the dollar that he had earned from me just a few days ago. Patrick gave me "cow" corn holders (that he retrieved from Papa's yard sale box), a miniture cat face that we painted last year, his soccer metal and a card. Quentin gave me a card with 4 drawings of different lego pieces. Jax gave me a certificate with his little handprints. All of the children wrote in a card for me. Lewis gave me money - and if you know me well enough, you know this is my favorite gift! I am so indecisive when buying things for myself that it will take me a while to spend the money :o) Also my Mom gave my sister and I a gift certificate to have a manicure and pedicure - yippee! I'm saving this for the next special occasion. We had my family in our home yesterday for a lunch cookout. We enjoyed great food (way too much of it!) and fun fellowship. You guessed it - we took lots of pictures and they are here.

SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2008

Tonight our Sunday School class had a Progressive Dinner. It was great fun, food and fellowship. Everyone's home was so warm and welcoming! Check out our photos from tonight.

FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2008

Katelyn attended the Homeschool Formal tonight at First Baptist North Spartanburg. She had a wonderful time with her friends. Please look at her beautiful photos!

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2008

Today UCH hosted a field trip to Chapman Cultural Center. See our educational and fun day here!

SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2008

We have enjoyed 4 wonderful days at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's (SBTS) Preview Weekend. We loved being back on campus and staying at The Legacy Center - and especially spending time with Nick. We have lots of photos from our long weekend that we'd like to share with you.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008

Here is Anthony's 2nd video. This one is meant to remind Lauren, Jonathan and Matthew of their mother's Legacy.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2008

Check out Greaser Babies

SUNDAY, APRIL 20, 2008

Happy Birthday Patrick. He's 7 years old today. See his birthday pictures in "Our Photo Albums" dated April 2008.

FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008

Our dear friend Anthony has created a wonderful You Tube video in memory of his precious wife, Sondra. She had Stage IV Esophageal Cancer and was healed May 11, 2007 when she entered Heaven. (Here's the CaringBridge site.) Take a few minutes and watch this beautiful display of how Anthony continues to honor and love Sondra. Home Free Video Tribute

TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2008

A friend sent me the link to Todd and Angie Smith's blog. Todd is with the group "Selah". They have very recently experienced the loss of their newborn daughter, Audrey. They have a beautiful testimony. This site is worth reading.

MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2008

I found this video in one of my computer folders from October 2005. This is a Weather Class conducted by a local television station in Louisville, KY for homeschooled children. Some of my children can be seen when the camera crosses the audience! When the video begins that is Lucas (in the red shirt) standing at the front with the Meteorologist from Channel 32.

SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2008

"Sex Has a Price Tag (Part 1)" by Pam Stenzel. "Sex Has a Price Tag (Part 2)" by Pam Stenzel. "Sex Has a Price Tag (Part 3)" by Pam Stenzel. EXCELLENT message for teens to listen to - it's only about 20 minutes each.

SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2008

Babies can cause 'momensia' - finally there's a name and proof of my "condition"!

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2008

Check out the photos from Katelyn's Birthday Bash tonight at our house!

THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2008

Happy "sweet 16th" Birthday to KK!

The kids got in the pool yesterday for the 1st time this season! Yes, it is freezing, but they don't seem to mind. Here are some photos.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2008

Here's a topic close to my heart. I miss our precious daughter Olivia, who would be 8 years old in June. We treasure our photos of Baby Olivia, but really wish I had known about NILMDTS back in 2000! What an awesome ministry.

When A Baby is Destined to Die (article at msnbc)

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS) - A network of volunteer professional photographers who create portraits of terminally ill newborns at the family's request. (*This website has beautiful, powerful photos.)

Perinatal Hospice: A Gift of Time

Videos you should watch:

A Life in 29 Days

Photographer Helps Parents Heal - The Today Show ran an extraordinary piece on the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation on March 5, 2008.  The segment journals the relationship between Olivia Lundberg and her family and NILMDTS photographer Jessica Person.  This story is the perfect representation of what we do here at NILMDTS and why our mission is so important in the communities we serve.  All life deserves to be honored no matter how short its time on Earth and that is exactly what all of our phenomenal volunteer photographers are doing each time they help a family in need.

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2008

FIRE PROOF the movie is coming out in August 2008 (from the creator of Facing the Giants). Watch the trailer.

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2008

Check out David Routh (17 years old) - a budding new CCM artist singing "Thanks for the Rain". (I think David was homeschooled.) If you like this one here's his website: David Routh Ministries

SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2008

Full Color Mommy Cards - A friend sent this to me since it has 9 little chicks! I want to order this one.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2008

The Crucifixion Praise God we worship a RISEN Savior!

FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2008

Nick shared these videos a while back and I think they're worth passing on: Life's Greatest Miracle

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2008

The Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2008 - Ready for a big dose of encouragement? Need some real help homeschooling, but... No time to travel? No extra money for hotels…parking…and eating out? Can’t break away from your family? Well…we have the PERFECT solution! Join us for our Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2008!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008

This is a funny video regarding homeschooling. You may have to have a warped sense of humor to enjoy this one! Stereotypical Homeschooler

TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2008

A local homeschooler Justin Robinson has a great talent for starring in, directing and producing videos. Here's the link to his YouTube videos. I think there's about 18 of them. Be ready to laugh!

MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2008

Today was Mom's 4th treatment. The scan results have shown that the treatment is working! The largest mass that the doctor has been worried about has shrunk to not quite half it's original size. We thank the Lord for His Goodness.

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2008

Elderly woman witnesses to a man trying to rob her - Way to go Ms. Jacobi!

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2008

Modesty Survey of The Rebelution

FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2008

Silencing Christians - Lesbian couples sue a church for the right to hold a civil union ceremony. A mother is told reading from the Bible to her son's class is against the law. A Canadian pastor faces a hate crimes tribunal for writing a letter to his local newspaper.

THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2008

This is Homeschool - The Freedom to Express

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2008

This is from Sarah R (from the MOMYS group I am a part of) regarding her dear friend Amy R:

Some of you may remember her, some of you know her from the MOMYS message boards and some of you may have never heard of her, but a fellow MOMYS, my very best friend, Amy Roberts' baby died on Sunday. She had been through surgeries to correct a birth defect where her small intestine and colon became wrapped around each other and cut off circulation. She had come a long way and was doing so much better although still having problems with not gaining weight. They had come to stay the night with us so that they could go to a dinner that night for husband's work. I kept the kids and they took Emily with them to the dinner. There was no sign of anything being wrong with Emily that night. She awoke at 1 in the morning with a fever and was fussy most the rest of the night. By 8 in the morning, they awoke and knew that something serious was wrong and took her to the hospital. By 9:51, she had died. She had died of septic shock. You can read the story in Amy's own words on her blog Raising Arrows - look for the February 12th entry (there's a beautiful photo of Emily).

MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2008

A movie worth checking out EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed. Watch the Super Trailer and look around at the website.

SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 2008

Here's a funny for you today. I hope you enjoy Top 10 Ways to Tell Your Husband You're Pregnant . . .when You're 58 years old from Familyman Ministries. Actually I found most of his Top 10's for Dads quite humorous!

THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008

Honestly, I struggled for almost 2 weeks with the reality of having to undergo a c-section for Selah to arrive. I can't really explain all of the emotions that I have dealt with, but prayerfully I have come to terms with not being able to have a natural labor and delivery (maybe next time!). Recently I read Cindy's 9 C-sections and everything has been put into perspective for me now (Cindy is a part of the Quiverfull Digest that I am a member of). I am extremely grateful for all of my children - no matter how they were born (6 induced & epidurals / 2 induced & natural / 1 induced, ending with a c/s). Please take a minute to read of Cindy's courage and complete strength in the Lord.

TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2008

Tonight we had a small party to celebrate Jax's 3rd birthday. A few friends and family came to Chuck E Cheese to share cake and a good time with us!

SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2008

Jax turns 3 years old today! Happy Birthday!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008

Selah Jorryn Mann arrived via c-section at 8:33am today. She weighed 9 lbs and was 20 inches long. Selah is beautiful and has a head full of dark hair. To read about her arrival please look under the Family Events tab at the top of the page. We also have lots of pictures of her in Our Photo Albums.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2008

Paradise 08 - Thy Kingdom Come Take a minute to visit this website. I challenge all college and high school students who have accepted Christ as their Savior to attend Paradise 08 in Kansas! Lewis would love to be able to take our oldest 4 since they have know the Lord personally.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2008

In Touch Ministries with Dr. Charles Stanley - Life Principles #14: God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him . . . Watch this - good message - and it's only 7:46

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2008

Of course I don't agree with everything in this article, but there's enough truth (and laughter) to share it anyway. The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List! This is a must-read espically if you do NOT homeschool, but have friends that do!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2008

Today Lewis preached at Community Baptist Church. It was great to see some high school friends as well as others we haven't seen in years. Lewis did a wonderful job of bringing God's Word and we enjoyed our time there today!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2008

Tonight Lewis and I went to Jim and Cindy's house for our Sunday School Class Missions Potluck Dinner. We heard from Scott and Wendy Dukes of Impact Sports. It was a good time of sharing and enjoying great food, but we didn't have enough time to fellowship together.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2008

Everyone needs to watch this:

The Twelve Days of a Large Family Christmas by the Harrison Family (to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2008

I've been somewhat following this blog and wanted to share. This family gave birth to a baby girl (Gwyneth Rose) 15 weeks early on January 8th. I think she weighed 1 lb 2 oz. The mother has CF and was due to have a double transplant when she found out she was pregnant. They kept baby in-utero as long as possible, but she was deteriorating so they needed to do the c-section. This is the Dad's blog. You must see the incredible pictures.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2008

Amazing Mother - This is a video of a mother who has no arms but still has a baby and does incredible things. She does it with a great attitude as well. You'll be amazed!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2008

Katelyn has a job! Thanks to our friend, Heather, Katelyn now works in the Nursery at The Westside Club. She's been working there for several weeks and enjoys the job as well as the pay check!

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2008

Today my Mom had her 2nd chemo treatment. It took 2 nurses and 4 "sticks" to get the IV in place! I think Mom has "disappearing veins" or something like that and nurses usually have a hard time finding a good vein to use. The doctor changed the chemo schedule a little and now Mom receives one treatment every 4 weeks. The first week is hard as she doesn't feel well, but she's not "in the bed sick". The second week is the roughest and that's when she IS sick. The third week is usually trying to recover from the second week. So really she only feels "ok" during the fourth week.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2008

Today we arrived back home from a mini-vacation at Myrtle Beach! A friend of Lewis' was generous enough to allow our family to stay in his condo at Ocean Reef Resort. The condo was wonderful with 3 large bedrooms, 2 full baths, a great kitchen, an ocean-view balcony and a view of God's creation that was breathtaking. The children loved every minute of it and at least one of them asks every day "when can we go back to the beach?" It was great to have my Dad go wtih us to help with the younger ones, but my mom was not up to making the trip this time. One thing we did learn is that our family enjoys Shuffle Board!

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2008

Moms have to watch this:

The Mom Song sung to the William Tell Overture by Anita Renfroe. What a mom says in 24 hours condensed into 2 minutes and 55 seconds!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2008

Today we attended Chestnut Ridge Baptist Church because Hendrix was baptized! We had a wonderful day with friends celebrating Hendrix's "new life" found only in Christ Jesus.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008

Tonight we hosted our "Gathering of Friends Prayer Time" and once again our time was amazing. I don't share many details here because this time is very personal and intimate. We shared a meal together and then gathered in the den for consentrated prayer. We expected the presence of Jesus and that's exactly what we received. Before leaving everyone enjoyed Hot Fudge Cake and/or Jello Parfait!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2008

Today we are praying for our good friends, Rhett & Tracey, as they are in the studio recording their 2nd CD. This CD is composed of Rhett's original songs as well as the song he surprised Tracey with during their wedding. We can't wait until this CD is ready and released. Soon I'll post info regarding how to purhcase one in case some of you are interested!

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2008

Today is Lea's 1st birthday! Lea is our unexpected, but greatly loved niece. See her party pictures in our Photo Album section.

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2008

Today my mom began her chemo treatments once again. She was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) December 1992 and has out lived the life-expectancy more than double! She is a fighter and a real trooper to have endured everything she has been through. We are blessed to have her sister and bil (Mary & Don) from Virginia staying this week to take Mom to her treatments and care for her when she's sick.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 2008

I want to give you all a heads up about a new Aldi website called "Aldi Meals". It has thousands of recipes using Aldi products (general products would work too, if there's not an Aldi near you), you can convert the recipes to the number of servings you need, store the recipes in your own cookbook, create a weekly menu, create a shopping list, etc. It is amazing! And FREE! Try it.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2008

I've got a funny to share with you this time . . . and his name is Tim Hawkins. Take a minute to view his website (just click on his name) and you'll be glad you did. He has several video clips that will have you laughing out loud! I have been "introduced" to him numerous times over the last several weeks as his "A Homeschool Family" video is cirulating around on every homeschool loop that I am a member of :o) Lewis and our children would love to make a video like this. ENJOY!

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2008

I received this from an online friend and wanted to share:

The Business of Being Born - There is a new film being released soon to educate women about natural birth and raise awareness for our state's need for more Midwives and natural birth advocates. There is an attack on families in this Nation and one way the Enemy gains victory is through horrible birth experiences and interventions that prevent mother-baby-bonding the way God intended.

This movie is not Christian based - but will reach young women who are scared of birth and also women who need to change the way they "think" about birth. It's a documentary and there are some excellent worldwide statistics and historical data on Obstetrics in America that are alarming! (Warning: it does have some foul language.)

Here's some info:
Check out the NEW trailer online at http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/

TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2008

Happy New Year! It's still hard for me to comprehend that it's 2008 already! Oh how time passes quickly.

Well we did end up having plans last night. Our friends, Chris and Georgianna, decided last minute to host a small New Years Eve gathering. So I prepared left-overs from our SS Fellowship Saturday night, got everyone dressed while KK baked some chocolate chip cookies for us to take, made myself presentable (!) and off we went. We enjoyed being with "old friends" again and catching up with them. We headed home around 9:15 since we had a 40 minute drive ahead of us. Of course the children had a great time playing with their friends! We had our 4 little ones in bed by 10:30, but M & L wanted to try to make it to midnight - which they did. I even stayed up, but was probably asleep by 12:30 :o)

We still have our Christmas decorations up! I have really enjoyed our wonderful tree this year and am having a hard time thinking of taking it down. We *may* undecorate this weekend if I can bring myself to do it! We'll see . . .

MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2007

As some of you know, when I was pregnant with Jax and again this pregnancy, I have pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome.  The first time (over 2 ½ years ago) the splinted wrist bands relieved enough of the numbness, tingling and burning that I made it through without medical intervention – but this time is different!  I've had way too many sleepless nights and finally asked Dr. Ketchen what she recommended.  She referred me to a hand specialist and I received a shot of cortisone in each wrist.  Since that day I haven’t had any of the carpal tunnel symptoms (which means I am getting my much needed sleep), but now I have pain all day in my right thumb.  Maybe a nerve was damaged somehow, but doing the simplest things (buttoning, zipping, opening anything, holding the hair dryer, changing diapers, etc.) sends burning sensations from my wrist to the tip of my thumb.  I believe this is the lesser of the two pains, so with only 7 weeks to go I am going to try to endure it. Lewis has encouraged me to call the doctor so I finally did today. Unfortunately, there isn't anything he can do.  Like I tell Lewis – I can go through anything to have this precious baby girl join our family! 

As for our New Years Eve plans - I think we'll stay in tonight with a warm fire and watch a family movie. Katelyn has plans with her friend Elizabeth. They were going to a local Christian concert, but today are considering other ideas. I hope I can stay up until midnight (maybe if I get a nap today it will be possible!) to ring in the New Year with Lewis! Lewis doesn't have to work tomorrow so we *may* undecorate the tree and house. I am still enjoying our beautiful tree and don't look forward to moving it out of here! Plus I love the lighted garland on our 2nd story banister and stair rail. Would it be tacky to leave that up until Valentine's Day? I do have big red bows on the middle posts and at the bottom of the stairs :o)

SATURDAY, DECEMEBER 29, 2007

Lewis and I hosted our Sunday School Class Christmas Fellowship at our home. My Dad drove up this morning to help out around the house and shortly after lunch he left with 5 of our children. After Rowan's nap, he and Katelyn headed to Clinton as well. Around 6:30pm our guests began arriving. By 7pm everyone was here - we prayed and began eating together. We had plenty of food and the spread looked delicious. There were 12 people in attendance and we had lots of laughs and great fellowship. At least we now can say that we know 10 to12 people's names in our class! It helped us so much to get to know some like-minded men and women and I believe friendships will develop from tonight. By 10:30pm everyone was gone and Lewis and I had the house to ourselves! Katelyn will drive everyone home by lunchtime tomorrow. We plan to host another fellowship in the near future.

THURSDAY, DECMEBER 27, 2007

Today I returned for another ultrasound. Dr. Ketchen wanted to see if I still had Placenta Previa (this is basically where the placenta is in the way to have a baby vaginally - which calls for a c-section). I've had this before and my placenta has always moved in plenty of time to avoid a c-section. The ultrasound technician, Jill, said I no longer technically have Previa but there is a "lip" of the placenta that is still in the way. The placenta is only about 1 cm away from my cervix. The problem with this is that when labor occurs and the cervis begins to dialate and expand, it can press on the placenta causing a Placenta Abruption. This is dangerous and life-treatening. Jill was confident that the placenta will move on up a bit getting completely out of the way so the baby can pass through. I am terrified of having a c-section and am praying for another birth like all of the others. I will have another ultrasound in January.

TUESDAY, DECEMEBER 25, 2007

Merry CHRISTmas! This is the day we celebrate the birth of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ.

What a wonderful day we had! The children awoke to many gifts from their "want list". They were so excited and enjoyed looking at what everyone received. Jax couldn't understand why he didn't get to see Santa. Rowan was absolutely sweet. His mouth dropped open immediately as he gazed upon all those new toys on the ottoman. Lewis and I enjoyed watching the children all morning. Once again we had too much food as my parents joined us for lunch. I especially enjoyed having us all together in our family room in front of a nice, warm fire. I didn't want our day to end.

Here are the kid's favorite gifts of today: Nick - "P90X"; Katelyn - "7th Heaven Seaons 1-3" DVDs; Marisa - "Kathleen McKenzie Life of Faith" book set; Lucas - Lego Star Wars Trade Federation MTT Troop Carrier; Patrick - MarioKart Nintendo DS game; Quentin - TMNT Auto Attack (all 4 turtles); Jax - "Barney" DVDs; Rowan - cell phone

MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2007

It's Christmas Eve and our children are very excited! We enjoyed a restful morning and early afternoon. Around 3:30pm we headed to Clinton to have "Christmas" with my parents, sister, b-i-l, nieces, brother, s-i-l and nephew. With so many of us in my parent's den and tons of gifts, it quickly became a little chaotic! After a quick clean-up and account of all the opened gifts so far, my sister decided the children should open their gifts one at a time so everyone could see what they received. This worked much better. My parents have always bought the children a lot of presents at Christmas, so times that by 8 and you can imagine our van load! After gathering all of our things and straightening up the den, we all headed to the "Howell Christmas Party" - my Mom's side. Again, we had too much food, but enjoyed the fellowship. We tried to leave a little early since we had about 40 minutes drive time to get home. Once home, Katelyn, Marisa and I quickly made piles for everyone on the dining room table. We then put away everything that already had a "home". Things that needed assembly or batteries went into a large basket for Lewis and Nick to begin working on. All other gifts were left displayed on the table. Everyone quickly got into their pajamas and met back in our family room. Once everyone settled down, Lewis read the Christmas Story and afterwards we discussed it. Finally it was bedtime!

Here are the kid's favorite gifts of today: Nick - Bravo GC (he already has reservations at Bravos for New Year's Eve with Hannah and another couple); Katelyn - Duck umbrella; Marisa - "Full House Season 6" DVDs; Lucas - Lego Mars Mission MX-41 Switch Fighter (a close 2nd would be his Hannah Montana singing toothbrush!); Patrick - "Tom & Jerry" DVDs; Quentin - Lego Star Wars ETX Alien Mothership Assault; Jax - Barney guitar; Rowan - Learning Toolbench

FRIDAY, DECMEBER 21, 2007

Tonight was the "Littleton Christmas Party" - this is my Dad's side. I think there were over 45 people there plus we had around 20 family members that couldn't make it this year. We always have way too much food, play a few games and fellowship.

WEDNESDAY, DECMEBER 19, 2007

We had a homeschool "Christmas Fun Day" here at our house with the Wilson's! Tracey was planning to come with her 3 children, but woke up very sick - so praise the Lord Rhett substituted and came "with bells on". I was finishing up some preparations when they arrived. Rhett and I did "pottying" and changed diapers before we began. We gathered all of the children in the den and sang several Christmas Carols. Rhett even played a game to where when he pointed at a certain person, he/she had to sing the next line in the song. Rhett then directed the children as they acted out the Christmas Story - it was very precious and I was surprised at how well they all did with no practice. I then explained the different "stations" and grouped the chidren. Marisa and Anna Frances were Group 1 and they started in the kitchen with Rhett making peanut butter balls. Lucas, Hendrix, Patrick and Quentin began in the school room making a Reindeer Craft (from tracing your foot and both hands). The craft turned out really cute and we actually put our children's on the Christmas tree. Jax and Dawson were Group 3 and they were at the Worksheet Station coloring some Christmas pages. They didn't last very long and ended up skipping the Kitchen Station (which was probably for our good!) and asked to watch a short video. The other groups moved through the 3 stations. After this was completed, we all met at the dining room table where we played Christmas Tree Bingo. After each child won a least one game, we stayed there to enjoy the peanut butter balls. We also had other goodies that Nana had left over from her Christmas Drop-In several days earlier. When snack time was over, the children played for about 30 minutes before the Wilson's had to get back home. We really enjoyed our fun day and I've asked Tracey about us making this a once a month activity for the children to look forward to! I have photos from our day in Our Photo Albums - take a look!

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2007

Nick arrived today right after lunch! He will be with us until the 28th - woohoo!

FRIDAY, DECMEBER 14, 2007

Our family drove to Furman University this morning to enjoy "The Nutcracker Ballet" as our last day of school before our Christmas break. The performance was wonderful and the little ones sat still watching it for about an hour. During the last 45 minutes there was a bit of wiggling and Katelyn took J and R with her to walk around in the lobby and outside. After the ballet, we meet the Wilson's at Chick-Fil-A for lunch and some playtime.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2007

Nick had surgery this moring at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, KY. The outpatient surgery was brief and the swollen nodule on Nick's pinky finger was completely removed. The "bump" has been sent for testing, but the doctor is confident that it is benign. We are thankful that Hannah takes care of Nick when we cannot be there! Nick will have the 7 stitiches removed while he is in SC visiting for Christmas.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2007

Tonight our family went to Chuck E. Cheese's to celebrate Hendrix and Anna Frances' birthdays. My children enjoy CEC very much and had a great time with friends. This is not Lewis' favorite place, but the children enjoy when he is there to play a few games with them!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2007

Tonight Lewis and I had the pleasure of having supper, fellowship and prayer with some of our best friends. The meal was great, the fellowship was long over-due and the prayer time was very special. I know I'll be thinking about this evening for many weeks to come. Hopefully we can do this again in January.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2007

Well, I actually "pulled one over" on Lewis - or at least he is allowing me to believe that I did! I surprised him with tickets to last night's Third Day concert at the Bi-Lo Center. As always, we had a great "date night" - we had time alone (to laugh and talk without interruption) as well as the opportunity to worship our precious Savior together.

Lewis spent a good part of yesterday raking/blowing the leaves from our yard while I was readying the house for Christmas decorations. After the children arrived back home from the Clinton Christmas Parade, Lewis, Patrick and Quentin headed to the Tree Farm to find just the right one. After some debating and a phone call to me, the boys returned home with a 13 foot Blue Ice tree! Since we have a two-story cathedral ceiling in our family room, the tree found it's perfect home in the corner near our fireplace. We were able to decorate the house, but didn't get to the tree since we had a "date". We spent this afternoon (Sunday) decorating the tree and enjoying the wonderful smell it has brought into our home. I have some photos of today in "Our Photo Albums".

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2007

Tonight our family had the privledge of attending The Twin Living Christmas Trees at First Baptist North Spartanburg. It was wonderful and not the traditional story line - but still presented a clear gospel message! If you missed it, I encougage you to contact the church to order a DVD for $20.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2007

I was recently introduced to the music of Go Fish Guys (thanks to someone on the Louisville HS loop). This group is 3 guys making great music for our kids!  Visit their website where you can hear clips of all their songs.   Also, here’s a You Tube video for their new release “Christmas with a Capital C” from their "Snow" CD.  Enjoy!

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2007

I just had to write quickly to share this with you all. Today Rowan is 15 months 3 days and FINALLY getting teeth! I looked in his mouth after lunch and to my surprise 2 little teeth have already broken through and are visible. I'll post pictures when we can see them a little better :o) It's weird that he's getting his teeth this late and now for the top to come in before the bottom! Oh, our sweet "Baby Rowie".

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2007

Well, I guess our "Thanksgiving Holiday" is officially over! Nick arrived back in Louisville last night around 10:30pm. After taking 4 days off of school, we "hit the books" again today. It always takes some adjusting after we've been out of our routine for several days. Tomorrow we are seeing the play "The Velveteen Rabbit" at the Spartanburg Youth Theatre and having lunch with a homeschool group afterwards. Friday we have a field trip to the State Museum in Columbia and plan to attend the The Twin Living Christmas Trees at First Baptist North Spartanburg that night. Maybe we can rest on Saturday - unless we decide to get our Christmas Tree and decorate the house! Whew - I'm tired just thinking about it :o)

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2007

Nick flew from Louisville, KY, to spend 6 days with us during this Thanksgiving holiday. He arrived at our house around 7:45am. So at least for now, in our little corner of the world, all is well!. Lewis and I are blessed to have all of our children with us for a few days. Since moving back to SC, our children have missed Nick very much. They have counted down to Nick's arrival here since Nov. 1st.