Brotherly Love for his little sister..

This morning I was brought back to my childhood and my heart was full of love:)
Before I was the mother of girls,
I was first the mother of 4 boys:) Those years are so fond in my memory:) I loved having all boys! It was really a beautiful time in my life, one that I am thankful to have had. There was just something special about having all boys. Maybe it was that I had all adoring eyes on me, no other girls to share there affections with..

But I do remember that having a daughter was also something I really wanted to experience..and having my boys have a sister, was just as desired.
I enjoyed being the princess of the house, the only feminine essense around. There was something about putting your lipstick on while looking in the mirror with ‘little men’ in the reflection ,taking in your every move. The way they would give me there fly by hugs as they were busy at play, just to let me know how much they loved me. They still come give me fly by hugs several times a day. I'm truly blessed to be the mother of such loving boys.
As much as I enjoyed it, I still really wanted my boys to have a sister in the most intense way. At the time I didn’t know what it was that drove me to that feeling that something was missing.. I just assumed it was part of being a girl and wanting to enjoy my more feminine side with another in the family. This morning though, as I watched my oldest I was reminded why for me it was.. SO important. There are many mothers that have all one gender and don’t feel that need to have a gender balance, and I so admire those content mama’s. They truly are complete. What drove me was the fact that though I had sisters, I did not grow up with them.. instead I grew up with a brother. I LOVED having a brother. We were very close Kent and I.. We were only a year apart but in the same grade..and shared everything..toys,friends, homework answers;)... He was the best brother a girl could ask for.Relentless teasing, in adoring big brother fashion..and a fierce protective father bear when anyone tried to hurt me.

Being that it was just the two of us, my brother and I learned how to interact with the opposite gender,quite naturally.. Learning each others differences and how to speak too those differences. On the other hand my Hubby grew up with one brother and the dynamics of his house did not lean towards learning a whole lot about that more sensitive, nurturing feminine side. Honestly I must say I feared this fate for my boys..girls can be 'complicated' and I needed them to learn young this lesson;) Some Dads have it covered in this 'department' because they had a sister. So they naturally teach there sons by the way they interact with there wife. Troy was still learning 'girl 101' by trial and error..poor guy it been painful for him at times!:D
I must say our daughters have taught Troy even more than he could learn from me;) Often times I hear Troy say after watching the girls doing something particularly ’girly’.. something along the line of... ‘wow, girls are So different.. and I thought you were just SO ‘off’ all these years.. Guess its normal!!’;) I FEEL VALIDATED in his mind, FINALLY.
Even years ago, I noticed Titus was always so loving and nurturing with girls. He seemed to adopt little sisters wherever he went. He reminded me of my brother and I.. When I'd watch him play with another girl. He wanted a sister in the worst way too.. He’d tell us matter of factly, 'the next one NEEDS to be a sister'.. God knew, and his wait made it all the sweeter. Watching the two of them is something else!Unlike my brother and I, they are 8 years apart..so not only do I get the joys of seeing there sibling bond, but I get to see this older mentoring, protective way he tends to 'father' her. What a blessed girl to have brothers like the 4 she has. I don't know what its like to have a sister as a little girl..only through my daughters eyes.(which is a whole other post;)I met my sisters as an adult..but I do know how great it is to have a brother and it brings me great joy to watch them interact much the way I remember from my years growing up with Kent.
Anyway back to this morning.. Titus and Talia were playing for a couple hours out in the snow..chasing,
throwing snowballs,






tackling and building forts..Watching them brought me back.. he was so tender and sweet, When she fell down in the shrubs and lost her shoe..he stopped the game to see if she was okay..then he..

swooped her up

so careful with her...but then he couldn't help but get her to smile again and laugh..so he did what any good big brother would and he threw her under his arm like a sack of potatoes,and carried her back into the house where the little princess could warm her feet:)
I watched with a greatful heart to God, because he knew exactely what our family needed, and I can't imagine it any other way.

Behind every 'bad' thing, Good is found..behind every good thing 'bad' is found...

I LOVE, Love Blogging..Its my outlet, hobby, chronological journal of my families life..all our memories..the good stuff and yes, even the bad things.
I HATE, Hate Blogging..My sharing is 'TOO' much for some.. or is it?
..Honest..'too' honest? Raw? sometimes but Real..well yes its my life. Its how my blog started.
My blog used to be these things....
real, honest, sad, happy, thankful, disappointed, confused, clear,
funny, serious, struggles, changes, growth, falls, excitements, stagnant..
You know, just life!
When I started, I shared 'most' all of it ..and for the most part, unsensored..
Then the more people that I invited on here,the more I found myself 'filtering'..Filtering can be good and it can be bad..but in filtering, I lost both good and bad.. This blog has become so dry, I even find myself avoiding it..something I loved to do!
I use to have a different blog and I changed it around the time that I went'dry'..
I think how I got dry was I got stuck figuring out how to share the 'bad'-'good'... and the 'good'-'real'!
We have had alot of struggles in the past 2 years and I didn't know how to be real without sharing 'too much'.. I didn't know how to be 'shallow-good' Either..
it needed to be real in my mind..so I just found myself completely lost as to what to write. Today I realized I lost my journal..its like a scrapbook with no words!
So I hope to get back into it and find my balance;) Not very many or maybe no one follows it anymore, but that doesn't matter to me.
It matters to me though, that I have a place to share it. For the future, for others to relate to, disagree with,learn from,smile at, be encouraged by, and to remember how far God has brought us, where we are, and where we are headed. To keep it to myself and take it to my grave would be a waste of alot of 'Good-Bad';)!

Winter in Georgia:)

Our Winter Waiting Angel, Talia

Dear God, PLEASE let it snow! Thanks, Talia

ITS SNOWING!! Troy, Lydia,and Simeon and Isaac are all jumping up and down with excitement!

This is what you call a 'southern snowball' ;)

Well okay..they did manage to get enough to roll out this one!

Can you see Simeons excitement as he spent a good hour collecting this snowball pile:)

Lydia seemed to find more in her hair than on the ground!

Wow-ZA, LOOK at this SNOW!

Snow flakes are falling on my tongue...

...gonna catch them.. One by One!

This is what a Arizona girl does when there is snow..When you enjoy the sun, you get out your chair and towel and soak it up.. When you enjoy the snow you get out your chair and blanket and you...

Soak it up:)

Its fall!! A trip to the apple orchard:)

Slides..pulleys,

Petting farms with kitties,piggies,calfs,sheep,goats,bunnies and chickies...

Tractors..

Lots of Apple cider..

Pop..a rare treat for our kids who savored every last drop;)


Hiding in the apple tree's..

Lots of Big Smiles:D

Lunch time sillyness..
The whole gang, all together..all tuckered out after a run through story book land..home to make some apple crisp:) YUM!!!

September where did it go...

We started off with our fall birthday girl Talia, turning 6..can't believe my baby girl is 6 already~


Below is a picture of Talia and Gracie. As Gracie and Talia put it.."We are the bestest friends in the WHOLE world!" I must say I like Talia's choice in friends, she is a sweet thing and they seem to bring out the best in each other:)

Talia had about 14 kids over for her first ever real big party..It was alot of fun but will likely be the last for some time to come;)

Talia~ our babygirl, 6 you are..and what a big life you have already lived! You are such an amazing girl and have taught me so much! You were the baby in the family and then became a big sister to Victoria..you took real good care of keeping mommy company on a long bedrest.. all for your baby sister.. you kissed your little sister hello and then kissed her sweet angel face goodbye.. ...You then traveled halfway across the world to Africa to help mommy bring two new sisters home. You gladly gave your right up as the oldest girl in the family and went back to being the baby despite your strong leadership skills and desires. You gave up many of your things to give to them and never complained about anything, despite the fact that there were so many moments you had the right to complain. You have lived in 3 different states in your short life and 5 different houses!Now you are enjoying school where your teachers get to be blessed by all your sweetness. They tell me how sweet you are to all the kids there and that you have such a sensitive spirit towards kids that are sad or hurting..like a little mother you fix them up. You are always so excited about life and seem to have grasped the true meaning of capturing every moment to its fullest. You are my sweet, silly, girly- girl, who taught this mama how to live again..what a gift to others you are!
I Love You, Mommy

Titus my oldest.. going to Highschool..can't believe it!! Am I really old enough?Is he?? When I asked him how it went he said, 'good'.
I said, "thats all, just good?"..and he said,
" its not like it was great or anything Mom, its JUST school!".
No, he didn't let me walk him to the bus stop. I'm sure its because he still loves to hug and kiss his Mama goodbye and maybe he just didn't want his peers to see
;)

The middle schooler's were so funny as they all had parents at the bus stop sending them off.. yet parents were on one side while the students stood quiet and nervously on the other.




Talia was SO.....READY. I was shocked at how confident and excited she was! Especially since last week she cryed she didn't want to go. Once she met her teacher this past Friday though, her tune changed and she was non stop talking about it all weekend and all the way out the door and on the bus. I tried to let her know that she could rest her back at the bus stop by taking off her backpack..but no she wanted to keep it on the whole time she waited. The smile on her face as the bus came around the corner was priceless! She was the first in line and after big hugs and kisses she got on and waved from her seat goodbye!! I on the other hand waved choking back the tears as I walked back home..my baby is growing up!

Isaac and Simeon were both very Excited to start there new school.

First day of School...

Lydia instead of joining the crew on the bus, hopped on a plane for Arizona for corrective ear surgery that was a SUCESS:) She should have restored hearing once the swelling goes down..we think we have already noticed a difference..her speech is MUCH clearer:)NOTE: Lydia had a wonderful first day at school and the second night she woke up shortly after going to sleep (an hour later) thinking it was already time for her to eat breakfast.. silly girl!

Well I did it..
I sent my baby off to kindergarten
and my oldest to Highschool,
and My 'tweeners' of to there first year of Middle school!
New schools for everyone.
The house has been in a state of excitement and anticipation all weekend. Everyone woke up SUPER Early without trouble:) We will see how long that lasts;)
Its strange to see myself as a mother with KNOW kids home anymore. There has always been SOMEONE home with me for the past 14+ years!!! Its quieter than quiet and feels nice, yet at the same time a bit lonely:) No problem with finding things to do..there's laundry, cleaning and cooking, and shopping and all the mounds of paperwork there is to do with running a household with 7 children..and if I get good at budgeting my 5 hours of silence..maybe time for scrapbooking and photoshop-n:)