Yesterday I turned the big 4-0.
And you know what?
It was an amazingly wonderful day.
I just realized over and over again how incredibly blessed I am. I mean truly blessed. [Read more...]
Another Week in the Mountains
March 14, 2013 by 1 Comment
Christmas 2012
January 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
It is absolutely no small feat getting this family of nine packed up and ready to hit the road!
Thankfully, a lot of my older children are able to contribute now.
I just give them an estimate of how many pants, shirts, socks, underwear, and PJs to pack- and they go to work.
Each child normally packs one duffel bag full of clothes and one backpack filled with things they want to bring along for the car ride (books, toys, iPods, etc).
I pack for myself and the three youngest. I decided my four year old wasn’t quite ready, after inspecting her bag to find- one princess dress and miscellaneous toys to last her the week. 
Christmas: Changing Things Up
January 18, 2013 by 1 Comment
December arrives bringing with it anticipation and dread…
Anticipation for tree-covered lights,
chilly air,
hot cocoa,
and
nativity scenes.
Too Much Adventure for Me!!
October 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment
There was still much to be done before we could retire for the night, and all of it needed to be accomplished with one good flashlight and four mediocre ones.
(I’m kicking myself at this point for not investing in a lantern.)
First of all the food needed to be transported back to the van…
and we needed to convince two little girls to relieve themselves in the forest or inside the dark, foul-smelling outhouse.
I convinced 1 out of 2 to pee in the leaves and the other insisted she didn’t need to go.
I took her word for it.
A Birthday Adventure
October 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment
We were brainstorming ways to celebrate our eldest son Gavin’s 11th birthday.
Over the last couple of years we’ve been changing our focus to giving the gift of an experience, rather than buying more stuff.
I might have been the one who mentioned camping as a possible option.
Gavin immediately seemed intrigued by the idea, and we googled feasible destinations.
He decided Hanging Rock State Park might be a neat place to visit for the weekend. I made an online reservation and added it to the calendar.
“Cheese” and Spicy Chicken
October 27, 2012 by 5 Comments
So tonight we went to Portrait Innovations for a family photo shoot. It had been almost 3 years since our last attempt at capturing the entire crew.
Let me tell you, it is no small feat getting 7 little people dressed, groomed, and transported to the picture place, all the while keeping one’s hair neatly placed, mascara unsmeared, and perspiration to a minimum.
I left the studio completely exhausted. But it was nothing a Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich couldn’t cure.
And the pics… they turned out well enough that we spent more than the $14.99 I planned on.
Oh yes, I did a great deal of rationalizing…
I mean saying “no” to the couple shot is like saying “no” to your spouse, right?
Gabrielle Faith O’Melia
October 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I collapsed onto my side of the master bed, exhaustion and nausea had taken their toll. It was early evening and the kids had all been scooted off to bed. I leaned against the soft pillows at my back wondering if he would eventually notice the changes, and guess the cause.
I studied his face for any indication that he might be puzzled by my pallor, fatigue, and constant hunger. He was clueless.
I had been feeling this way for several days but just wasn’t ready to speak the words.
Oh forget it, I thought, we can’t go on like this forever.
“I don’t think I can do this!” I blurted out through the tears.
Don’t You Know What Causes That?! (How We Ended Up with 7 Kids)
October 3, 2012 by 4 Comments
Almost every time I go out somewhere with my children, I get asked the questions…
Are they all yours?!
or
How many do you have?!
or
Don’t you know what causes that?!
Sometimes people just stare in disbelief…
or I see them counting the “stair-steps” as we pass on by.
Regardless, we always seem to get some kind of reaction. And honestly, I find it quite entertaining.
One Fall Day
October 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment
One fall day all of us headed out to Vollmer Farm for some good old family fun. We piled on the hayride and rode out to the “Back Forty” playground.
We started off by trying out the Great Pumpkin Jump which is a HUGE 2500 square foot jumping pillow. Duff and the 4 oldest loved it but it was a little too much for Gab and Makinley.
