Going Ons in the Hand Household.

May was a busy finishing up with school and the with Elijah and Zeke testing. Got to end the month of May with a great visit from my folks. It happened to ran everyday they were here but we made the best of it. One of the best parts was that they were here from my birthday.

My folks took Elijah and Zeke back to Oregon with them and they will return once I'm moved to Virginia. Its been nice just having my 3 youngest with me. I just had another great week with my sister Amanda. We had a great time and much better weather. We went to the beach twice, the pool, the zoo, shopping.

I've also been cleaning out different areas of the house to make sure nothing moves with me that I don't need. Just 2 weeks and my chapter in Florida will come to a close and a new chapter will begin.

JoAnna sporting a new dress and sunglasses. Ezra showing his personality.
Joshua mixing his love of baseball and cowboys.

JoAnna has been getting her 2 year old molars and quite disagreeable to be around but we caught her in one of her sweet moments. Giving her mommy a kiss.

With all the rain we had to get out of the house so we went to Dolphin Mall.

Elijah, Zeke and Pappy went to the Alligator Farm that's just 10 minutes from where we live and had a great time learning, seeing, touching the alligator. They even went for an air boat ride.

Up To

Well I've survived over a week on my own taking the kids with me everywhere, and locking the house up at night. I have a nice big bed and was looking forward to a few nights with it all to myself but each and every night I have one or more kids end up in my bed in the night. To cute. I haven't had to sleep alone even though I would like to know. Everyone always ends up on the diagonal.

Tonight JoAnna wasn't happy about going to bed and Ezra follows me in to tuck her in for the second time and Ezra says "I know why she is said she thinks she will be alone but she isn't Jesus is in here with her." So I rubbed JoAnna's back and prayed with her and we said good night, shut her door and we haven't heard from. :) Ezra is such a good big brother.

Fall brings Change!

Fall is my favorite time of year. Growing up in Oregon I could always count on it being cool in the mornings and still heating up in the afternoons. Then without a moments notice it would stay cool all day and you could plan out cute outfits with sweaters, jackets, and boots.

Then seven years ago I moved to Maryland in January and had the coldest whitest winter I have ever had. I also experienced my first New England fall. Oh my, I fell in love. The cool mornings, warm afternoons, and the changing color of the trees and the leaves falling. I wanted to go for a drive in the countryside every weekend in the fall it was so beautiful.

Now these last four years fall has only brought hurricanes and then less humidity. It sill gets quit hot. Last week it seemed if fall was arriving her in Florida the was a nice breeze, humidity was down, and the temperature was staying in the 80's, and I noticed the air conditioner wasn't coming on as much. This week brought hot temps. and still warm nights.

The Fall means change. I have already rearranged me living room furniture and I have only lived in this house for a year. It means start working on school more. It means holidays are just around the corner. I love Christmas.
It meant that two of my kids were off to school and I'm still not total happy about it. It means our home school group starts meeting again yet I have only been able to make it once.

I felt there was going to be a big change in my household these last 4 months but not what is in store. My hubby has been job hunting and has a few phone interviews and jobs that thought were going to happen and fell through for what ever reason. All the changes that have happened and all that are coming and I don't even no of yet I know I can relax and have all my faith in Jesus. What ever is to come Jesus is enough. (There is a really good article about Is Jesus Enough. You can click on the purple words above to read it.)

Whatever changes are coming for you this fall rest assured that you can always count on Jesus. He will never change!

~Amy

~Found Memories of 2008! SO FAR~

If you you read my blog entry The Only Way to Live. I talked about how hard and challenging 2008 has been. Well I thought it appropriate to remember all the good that has happened in 2008 and I still have 3 months to go to add more wonderful memories.

Well January 2008 my daughter JoAnna turned one ( it feels so neat to type and say daughter ). Also in January my Nana and Papa from Independence, Oregon came for a visit. They are my kids great grandparents and have more energy than me most days.

Then in February Joshua turned 3. We bought a dinning table that seats 8 people so my whole family can sit around it together. You could sit more people around it if I hadn't picked out such big chairs to go with it, but the chairs are great.

With March we have another birthday Ezekiel turned 9. The weather was still cool enough to enjoy the out doors. I had lots of blessed days with my kids, staying home and baking cookies or just watching a movie together.

April started with another birthday Elijah turned 11. How did that happen. How do the grow so fast and were did the time go. Lots of schooling with the kids.

May came and our neighborhood pool was finally opened. We went 3 times a week most of May. We finished another year of homeschooling. JoAnna walked on her own on Mothers Day.

With June I turned 31 and had the best birthday I have had in a long time. My sister Amanda and her friend and now mine came to visit for the week before my birthday. It was a fabulous time.

That brings us to July the month Ezra turned 5. JoAnna and I then get a 10 day trip to Oregon to be in my sister Ali's wedding. It was beautiful and so was she.

August brought the start of school for two of my boys and Kevin's 31st birthday. He would have me not that pre-season football games start being played.

We are still in September but I will note that Kevin and I celebrated our 12th Wedding Anniversary. Was safely taken out of Ike's path. It been an amazing journey so far with the addition of 5 great blessing. Now I really got to buckle up and hold onto Jesus because in these next 12 years I will start raising teenagers.

I know I have left stuff out but I'm pretty proud of my list. My entire family had birthdays and are healthy. In these last few weeks I have gotten a tighter hold onto my Jesus and better grasp of who I am. That my confidence in myself comes from being a daughter of the King. I pray I make him proud and that I can make lots of more memories these last 3 months of 2008. It is my favorite time of the year.

~Amy

Joshua & JoAnna at the Park today!

JoAnna on the teeter-tater with Josh. She is always

pooching her lips and scrunching her nose.

Josh climbing!

Josh trying to go fast and knock JoAnna off but then slowed down for her.

My J.J.'s together.

SWING BABY SWING!

DON'T FORGET ME!

Taking a break in the shade.

I'm going to go explore now.

Joshua bang'n the drum.

JoAnna on the running. Nothing stops her as long as "mama" is close by.

This was just one small part of our busy day. I don't have any of Zeke because he was off playing with his Home schooled Friends that he hasn't seen all summer. Tonight I'm off with Ezra to his Open House. I hope to get pictures to show you.

I hope you all have a great night.

Safe from Hurricane Ike but still discouraged!

I spent all Friday and Saturday preparing for the worst of Hurricane Ike. Thankfully Ike is just going to give us some rain days and get pretty windy. I still find myself this morning discouraged, under the weather, wanting to crawl back under the covers and not do anything. I am very thankful that I not packing up what I can carry and praying I have a home to come home to but still why do I feel so discouraged.

What I do know is that I've started my period. Elijah was up set that I didn't get him to school in time yet I had to yell at him 3 times to get out of bed. I do my part I get him up, feed him and have a clean uniform for him to put on and get him to school with 10 minutes until he had to be sitting in his first class. Where is the love where am I going to find the strength to make it through 5 teenagers. At least they come at one at a time. I do all I do for the family but were is the love. My big boys say I never do anything with them.

I also know that my husband is unhappy. He has gained most of his weight back and is discouraged that he doesn't have a new job offer yet. He is mad at himself about his weight gain and unhappy with his job. He brings all those feelings home and there isn't much I can do to help. I've tried.

I don't want to end this post without speaking goodness, thankfulness, and the truth.

The truth is that Jesus loves me and my family. He cares about my needs and concerns I just have to lay them down at his feet and he will lighten my burden. Jesus will show me His love even when I don't feel the love from my kids and hubby. So today I'm doing the mounds of laundry for Jesus, creating a weekly meal plan for my King, and I'm going to do the dishes as if Jesus himself were coming to have a cup of coffee with me in my kitchen. And while I'm working on those things. I will also be preparing meals, changing JoAnna's diapers, making sure Zeke gets his school done, and play with Josh so he doesn't get into to much mischief. Yesterday I found an empty white out bottle and the furniture he was painting and all the the drips that landed on the floor. My 5 gifts from God sure so keep me busy

Thankfully all my kids are healthy, I have a home with air conditioning, a fridge full of food, and a hard working husband and sisters and parents who love me and a Savior who has already saved me from myself.

I hope you have a blessed week. I will let you know how the day turned out. When I post my menu later today or Tuesday morning.

~Amy

School Is Not So Bad After All!

Well its week 3 for my 6th grader and Kindergartner being at school. It has been nice with the house being quieter during the day. I've been able to spend one on one time with Joshy. I've been doing alphabet flash cards with him telling him the letters and sound and he repeats after me. He sometime traces the letters. I'm also able to focus in on Zeke ( I still can't believe his is a fourth grader) and give him one on one attention with his school work. There is even time left for me to do much needed things around the house.
By 1:30 I start watching the clock because I really start missing them. But I feel good that they are their because they enjoy school and Elijah is get challenged and learning to be accountable for his work more than I was able to give him. I do wish they got out earlier and weren't so tired in the evenings but I'm also able to focus in on those two because the other have been with me and have had me attention earlier.
I think what has helped is that they are in a Charter school which you have to apply for. Its publicly funded but since its a Charter School they can set up higher expectations of the kids and parents and enforce these expectations.
Anyway some of my kids went off to school this year and I thought its was the end of the world but guess what it wasn't. It has actually helped my relationship with Elijah and opened up are ability to talk about different things.
Ever family needs to do want they feel God telling them to do with there child's education. I have always taken it year by year and having them is school this year doesn't mean they wont ever be home schooled again. Its just what was right for our family right now.

Have a great day and live in the moments that God gives you and enjoy the journey.
~Amy

Some Pictues of the Kids!

Zeke is in the 4th grade this year and is still at home with me and JoAnna and Joshua. He just learned how to play solitare and loves it.

Little Miss Jo Jo is a busy little bee. She loves to know where I'm at at all times but does toddle off to play by herself. She is growing so fast. 19 months old and can entertain herself crazy. Her smile sure does make me smile. I love her crinkled up noise.

Believing No more Doubting!

I don't know if my kids go off to school is a crisis but it feels like one. Tuesday was another busy, day and I was still trying to fit everybody in and feeling over whelmed. I read this and it helped me. This morning I'm tired but got up when Kevin did 5:30 a.m. because I knew it was better for me to take advantage of the quite alone time than try to sleep until 7 a.m. I was having trouble falling back to sleep and I knew I would just be cranky and thrusted into breakfast and getting kids ready for school. I'm learning and listen to God's small still voice. YAH! I can learn. :) I made my coffee and re-read James 1:2-5 out of my Bible and then kept going. Verse 6 was a slap in the face. James 1: 6-7 "But when you ask you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave in the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Those who doubt should not think they will receive anything from the Lord; they are double-minded and unstable in all they do."

Can you say OUCH! I don't want to be unstable or double-minded so I take a stand today NO DOUBTING FOR ME, I BELIEVE I BELIEVE!

Have a great day believing.
~Amy

I'm Back!

Its been a couple months sense I said I was done blogging. I do miss it and realize that the blog is for me and I don't need to compare my blog to others or post what I think people would want to see and read. Its for me and I want to honor myself and God with what I write and picture.
I have had quite a summer. I lived at the pool most of June with the kids. The first 10 days of July I went to Oregon to be with my mom, dad, and sister. The last one of us got married on July 6. I got to have a break from all my men but it only took a few days for me to miss them. Since I have been back I have been trying to schedule this next year homeschool for my oldest boys and to organize and simplify the running of my house. I feel like my house; laundry, meals, cleaning is running me. I have started something to simplify and hope to share them with you soon.
Remember to enjoy this last month of summer time with your kids before they head off to school or get set into your homeschool routine.

Glad to be back!
Chooseing Joy, Love, and Peace with Jesus!
-Amy

Finally Friday!

I'm so happy its Friday. My 2 school aged boys just finished up their testing and we are glad its over. Our schooling wont be over though. We will keep doing school at least 3 days a week and finally do those fun hands science and art activities. My boys finished up their baseball season this week, our home school park group had our last park for the year.
It just nice to not feel like I have to remember were I have to go to day what time, for what child, and where. Its going to be very nice to have a more relaxed pace at home. My 3 year old is completely potty trained and my baby (16 month old) is know walking like she has been doing it for months but its been only days. She seems happier now that she know she can walk like the rest of us.
I'm so thankful that I get to be home with my kids and see them grow and wonder. I'm going to try to keep reminding myself that though when my 11 year old once to do a science experiment in a clean kitchen.

I hope you have a great weekend and wish you all God's blessings. He has them for you all you have to do is claim them.

Motherhood!

Who new. I sure didn't know of all the challenges that lied ahead of me. I've been a mother for 11 years now and still everyday seems like I don't know anything. The babies make your tired but its easy to love, feed, change, and play with them. Toddlers more challenging with potty training testing there boundaries. Its tiring always telling them no but it pays off later. To teach them to listen the first time. Not that my children always listen the first time but most of time. My pre-schoolers are fun time but always want to a project of some sort. I find it hard to find the time. Then there is the elementary age. They can do chores and be very helpful with the younger siblings but are in a new stage of testing there boundaries (how much they can get away with before mom will blow).
I'm very happy to be a mother and love that I have 5 children. I don't like feeling that something didn't get down today or that someone didn't get enough time with me, or that someones needs weren't met. I feel like I've tried different organizing tools but nothing seems help run the day smoother. Even my Monday Menu's are a good plan but this week alone something happened, time flew by and I missed 4 of my planned dinners and had to give the kids sandwiches or resort to fast food. Yuck! I would love any suggestions of running a smooth day for a homeschooling family with 5 children and a husband that works very long days and so leaves Me with very long days on my own.
I want my children to have happy memories with there mom and not just remember me as being a task master that is always frustrated and yelling. Pray for me and offer any advice that you can.
Have a blessed weekend. I'll keep you posted on my progress (on my journey).

Trusting Tuesday

This mostly likely wont be a weekly thing but for I thought it was a catchy title. I've realized I need to do a lot more trusting. I take control so many times. How am I ever going to see the work of God in my life or the anwser to my prayers if I don't sit back and let God do His thing. I have to trust that God who created me wont leave me when I feel alone. I'm not sure how a woman with 6 people asking for and wanting her attention daily can feel alone but I do. I msut trust that God beleives I'm fit to raise these 5 children and school them. Trust that God didn't make marriage up as a cruel joke. LOL! There have been some days lately were it seems the hubby and I just don't see eye to eye. I know one things for sure God has used my marriage to mold me and make to the daughter of the King that He sees in me. I just need to believe I am that daughter of the King. Most days I'm good but there are those days when I don't trust anything. I know I can't see the bigger picture of my life and where will I be in 5 years or what I will be dealing with each of my kids and hubby. But I'm trusting that know mater what hardships and challengers come my way God will always be there. Thanks for reading my rambling.-Amy