Children are a Blessing!

Jesse - January 2012*

2012-01-05T00:36:00.002-06:00

I do hope that you enjoy these photos half as much I did in getting the opportunity to take them.

Jesse was quite the cooperative little subject! ~Jess

Jesse's first week

2011-12-31T11:42:00.000-06:00

This is Jesse Daniel on day 7 doing his favorite thing...SLEEP in bed with Mama!

He was very active in the womb, and I was very sleepy. Now, we've traded roles! He is the sleepy on while I am very active! I love it!

Hannah loves to stick her fingers through her crocheted
blanket, and now we have another cutie who is starting in much earlier.

His older brothers insist he is signalling a touchdown.

Hannah wanted her baby on my lap next to Jesse.

This is true brotherly love. Samuel volunteers to change diapers.

He is very good with little Jesse.

Samuel took the picture below as we prepared some garlic bread to go with lasagna brought by a friend from church.

My four little boys.

What a blessing!

This is one of my favorites taken on December 24th while helping bake pumpkin pies for Christmas dinner.

Here is proof that Jesse does open his eyes. He was actually awake for about 2 hours on this particular morning. I figured it must have been newborn insomnia! Isaac is one of Jesse's biggest fans.

Hilarious!

2011-12-31T10:45:00.001-06:00

Some recent pictures

2011-12-24T15:32:00.001-06:00

Samuel, 9

Isaac, 4

Hannah Kate, 2

Josiah, 6

Bethany, 14

Special Announcement!

2011-12-24T14:22:00.001-06:00

I know it's been forever since we've done anything with this blog, but SURPRISE! I'm on here to share our exciting news that we just got the best Christmas gift we could have hoped for this year, just 5 days early.
Our 11th child and 6th son was born at 1:57 am on Tuesday, December 20th, two whole days BEFORE his due date!
His name is Jesse Daniel.
He weighed 9# 6oz. and was 21.5" long.

It has finally SNOWED!!!

2011-01-12T17:03:00.005-06:00

I laid the camera down on the ground on our driveway
I thought this one was very pretty !
The tree line , very pretty place in the winter !!!

Our temperature has been very low for us, ( in low 20's.)
Jessica went skiing with friends in Indiana and returned today .
Dad and 2 Anderson boys plus Jacob went down to Orlando, FL
for a Homebuilders Expo .

2010-12-22T20:51:00.002-06:00

Ready to face life . She's having a lot of fun!!

Because my camera cord is missing , I thought I'd
re-post old pics .....
Some day I'll do a real long post , but I do not have a whole lot to say !!!
Beth

summer trip 2010 to creek

2010-12-20T17:06:00.004-06:00

me floating down the creek with a balloned dress!!

hannah's a messy eater !

Hannah's latest pics

2010-12-19T19:55:00.005-06:00

hannah wants a drink !

reading a book .

Hannah rides

2010-12-09T21:03:00.000-06:00

A few recent pictures...

2010-12-05T16:52:00.003-06:00

This is Samuel trying to quiet a cough while hunting with Jacob.

He really does try to NOT scare off the deer!

Isaac and Hannah sure like playing in the rocking boat at Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Samuel, Isaac, and Hannah enjoyed playing in the leaves in their backyard.

Hannah.....need I say more?

2010-11-12T16:01:00.004-06:00

She's been watching me drive, so she was certain she could handle that giant van if only I would put the key in the little hole and turn it.

Hannah insisted she could handle that bag of garbage, but she cheerfully allowed me to finish the job.

What a cute little body!

Pigtails are my favorite!

The Upchurch Work Crew

2010-11-12T15:24:00.010-06:00

Bruce has been working on heading up a volunteer framing crew to build a parsonage in Gallaway, just minutes from home. On a recent Monday, he took our personal work crew, aka our children, to work for the entire day.

They...........loved.............it!!!!!!! (and so did I!)

Rebecca was building a cute little wagon with scraps. It even has wheels. You can see it next to her in the above picture.

Josiah worked on building his very own grill out of scraps. It had wheels, too! He smoked BBQ on it that very night in his bedroom at the foot of his bed. Of course, the meat was actually blocks of wood. He was serious.

Samuel built some good-sized boats that I don't see in this picture.

Jacob was all business, working steadily all day with Bruce and another adult helper. He works as well as most men out there!

Bethany appears to be putting together a wall. She was good help all day long, also helping keep up with the young helpers.

Bruce's number 1 man!

What a fine looking crew!

One of Isaac's favorite part of a work day---lunch!!!

These boys are NOT afraid of heights. They climb all over the structure.

(Thankfully, Mom, the paranoid one, was at home with little Hannah.)

Equation

2010-11-05T08:39:00.004-05:00

If you take three brothers.....

plus an adorable baby sister........

(she looks seriously ready to work!)

plus trucks, tractors, scrap lumber........

and a nice hole in the middle of the yard.....

that equals a load of FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crazy ramblings of backyard campers.....

2010-10-30T10:54:00.003-05:00

This is a sort of long clip of our children while they were camping out on the Rainbow in our backyard. I think it's worth a watch!

Our cake decorator in the making...

2010-10-30T10:47:00.002-05:00

Bethany loves to play around with decorating and stacking cakes. Hopefully soon we will take a course together, and then she can learn how to do it even better!

Everyone loves eating her trial cakes!!

Rebecca

2010-10-30T10:45:00.000-05:00

Here is Rebecca holding a sweet baby girl from our church, Imani.

Summer Bounty

2010-10-30T10:30:00.005-05:00

We put up 2 bushels of Ginger Gold apples in the form of delicious, sugar free applesauce.

I wanted to start small, since I've never done it before. It made 39 quarts, and we are already down to about 25! Next year, we will hopefully put up at least 8-10 bushels.

Since our tomato crop was piddly, I was thankful that my friend Rhoda shared her abundance with us. We were able to can 18 quarts of salsa. It is very good though quite mild. Next time, I hope to put a lot more kick to it!

Here is Samuel with the only thing that grew well for us this year, an enormous cantaloupe.

It appeared that the fertility of our entire garden went into this whopper! We had a few other melons, but this one took the prize for size!!!

Recent happenings...

2010-10-30T10:12:00.002-05:00

Jacob was helping Hannah on the air pogo on our swing set.

She was loving it.

Below is Miss Priss in a skirt Amber sewed. Hannah got to spend the entire day with her oldest sister, and this is the cutie I found upon my return. She was just strutting all over the place with her little potbelly hanging over that cute skirt.

Samuel was pulling Isaac and Hannah around in our latest garage sale find, a new-to-us red wagon. They love it!

Here are Isaac and Hannah enjoying lunch at church.

Hannah's favorite horsey of all is her wonderful Daddy!

Rebecca decided to bundle up our sweet tiny girl to take her outside on a recent chilly morning.

Though she prefers freedom, Hannah loved it for awhile, because she loves being outside.

A friend gave us this sweet little skirt for our girl, and she marched around in it with her tiny size 5 cowgirl boots on. Very cute!

Samuel, Josiah, and Isaac went on a henhouse adventure a few days ago.

They wanted to play inside it, too, but I didn't think it was quite clean enough if we wanted to remain free of e coli.

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Hannah loves to be outside and she loves snacking, so she was very happy in this picture.

She was enjoying a good swing in the backyard on a beautiful fall day.

She begged to get close to Diaz and finally convinced me to let her get on with Rebecca.

She is our youngest horse lover yet!

Below is Hannah at the annual Fall Fest in Whiteville, TN.

Hannah phone pictures

2010-09-17T15:37:00.003-05:00

See that sad face?

I had just dug this treasure, yes, a worm, out of that sweet little mouth. YUCK!!!!!!!

On our way to church!

Horrible quality, but can you see those cute pig tails?

Notice the pink flip flops on her arms? She loves wearing any and all shoes on her hands and/or arms. She was pretending to talk on a nonworking cellphone.

Hannah was saying good night as she and her dollies settled in for the night.

Farmer Boys

2010-09-17T15:34:00.001-05:00

Here are my three handsome boys standing by a load of hay rolls we had just picked up for our animals for this winter.

Sweet and Sleepy

2010-09-17T15:31:00.001-05:00

This is our precious little cutie after shopping at Aldi yesterday.

That girl hadn't had a nap ALL day and was so SWEET and SLEEPY!

Treadle table

2010-08-29T21:08:00.001-05:00

Aunt Joanne gave this treadle sewing machine base to Amber, and Tony just completed a beautiful wooden top for it. It looks really nice!

Samuel looks nice, too, all dressed up from church!

Jessica Sings!

2010-08-29T21:05:00.002-05:00

This evening, Jessica sang with the Whiteville youth to bless another local church.

She and all the others did a fantastic job glorifying our great God in song!

(I took this picture with my phone.)

Happy 1st Birthday, Hannah!

2010-07-29T09:34:00.003-05:00

Hannah loves her birthday present. It's just a simple set of Fisher Price stacking rings.

She loves to put them on her arms and can even use one as a phone!

When she puts the "phone" to her ear, she says, "He-wo."

She is not yet walking, but she has taken steps.

Life is never boring with little ones in the home.

Praise God for children; they are such a blessing!

Memphis Zoo 2010

2010-07-28T15:12:00.003-05:00

The five youngest and I went to the Memphis Zoo yesterday.

It seemed like such a small group!

We had a wonderful time seeing all the animals that the littlest ones have never seen before.

Josiah almost got kissed on the face by a piglet that was desperate for supper!

Seeing God's animals up close is such a blessing with youngsters who are so full of life and curiosity.

It was a fun day!

I think the cow felt relieved that everyone wasn't with us. Such a small family.

The boys were pushing the buttons to hear the farm animal sounds.

Below, Isaac is watching a young grizzly bear playing in the water. It appeared to be having a fabulous time. Teton Trek is a great new exhibit.

We all enjoyed watching the little train go around the little track.

Isaac chased it around and around.

Samuel is such a funny boy!

My little sardines were packed in the single baby stroller.

Hannah kept hydrating herself on command. She loved being outside and didn't fuss at all the whole 3 hours we were at the zoo.

Rebecca had a lot of fun and was a big help to me.

Puzzles are fun!

2010-07-14T07:29:00.002-05:00

The younger Upchurch children have been enjoying putting together this puzzle given to them by Grandpa and Grandma Gardner. It really is fun to work together.

Finished product!!!

Three sweet girls

2010-07-14T07:27:00.001-05:00

Here is Rebecca with Kimberly and Alyssia at Jessica's birthday celebration.

Jessica turns 17!

2010-07-14T07:08:00.002-05:00

We had a big gathering of friends and family for Jessica's 17th birthday celebration.

The Andersons were there, as were Tyler and Emily, Grandpa and Grandma Gardner, the Bylers, and Tony's family. It was a good time!

Cane Creek, Loblelville, TN

2010-07-11T15:17:00.005-05:00

We try to make a trip to Lobelville, TN at least once each year. There is a beautiful, clear creek to enjoy. There are old-fashioned stores (Cane Creek Market) where we can buy bulk foods, bowls, pots, pans, kitchen goods and our children's favorite, gummy eggs.

We also go see the Oberholtzer sisters and Hope who do some sewing for me and the girls. There is also Miller's Woodworking Shop where we have bought two large and two small cedar hope chests. They also make porch swings, rocking chairs, and many other furniture items.

This last trip, we found a new street sign that showed us just how close we've been many times to some of our favorite authors of child training and how to be a better wife books, Michael and Debi Pearl. We saw their many times mentioned Church at Cane Creek and their volleyball set-up.

Here is the Church at Cane Creek I've read about. It's on stilts due to Cane Creek flooding at times. They had a big flood there just a few months ago.

(You can see the creek in the background.)

Here is what we saw in the Cane Creek Market parking lot.

Below is a schoolhouse/church that we have attended once.

The picture following this one shows where the folks tie their horses and buggies while at church or school. We played in the creek just on the other side of the trees.

This is a sign we pass on the way to the Oberholtzer's place. This last time, the road was really rough due to recent flooding that washed out the gravel pretty badly.

Here is an interesting rock we found in the creek.

Josiah went fishing with haystring attached to a stick.

It was a perfectly hot day to play in to cool, clear water.

Bethany and Rebecca used air-filled dresses as floats as they let the current move them downstream.

Josiah found a good climbing tree right at the creekside, so he did what came naturally and climbed it!

Below is proof that Mom was there, too!

Jessica and Hannah mostly stayed out of the water, but they enjoyed being near it.

Tony and Amber's engagement announcement.....

2010-05-07T08:34:00.000-05:00

2010 Jam-athon!

2010-05-07T07:17:00.016-05:00

Our day started with five 10# flats of strawberries like this.

This may look like a lot of sugar, but it was really only the tip of the sugary iceberg!

We used well over 50#!

Here is my sweet little dishwasher helping prepare containers.

Isaac scrubbed and scrubbed lids, bands, jars, and plastic containers.

Samuel and Josiah were having fun capping strawberries.

The evidence shows that Isaac was enjoying EATING some of the berries.

They are delicious!

Samuel was eating berries, too!

Josiah liked describing all the interesting looking berries he found.

Bethany is always a good, diligent helper when it comes to making jam.

This one had many "udders," as he put it.

Here is our first load of capped berries, ready for washing, crushing, and sugaring.

Jessica has been working at Byler's Berries picking many, many pounds of strawberries every day. She leaves the house before 6 AM most days and is enjoying her work there.

Rebecca is an excellent stirrer.

Here, Jessica is stirring in the load of sugar while Josiah dreams of eating the goods!

Rebecca stuck with the task with us throughout most of the day.

Amber joined us for our second round after returning home from a job.

She took right to it like she'd been doing it all day.

Bethany can prepare berries better than most!

My happy helper is always smiling!

This happy helper has his hopes set on that half pint jar of jam as pay for his efforts!

He looks pretty determined!!

Of course, Rebecca also has one in mind for herself. It must have lace if it's for her!

2010-05-05T19:22:00.002-05:00

I put this on here because it looks excellent and I want to win a copy for Emily!!

http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/?p=304

Book Giveaway! Start Your Family by Steve & Candice Watters

Posted By Jennie Chancey on May 5, 2010

The folks at Moody have been kind enough to provide a copy for us to give away to a reader. This is a book I highly recommend and am happy to spread around. You can read my full review HERE.

To enter this drawing, please post a link to the Start Your Family review (on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter), then come back over here and leave a comment with a link to your post. I’ll draw a winner at random Monday, May 10!

Book Review: Start Your Family

Posted By Jennie Chancey on March 29, 2010

Steve and Candice Watters have championed marriage for many years, encouraging Christians to pray for it, prepare for it, and look forward to it. Back in 2008, I reviewed Candice’s excellent book, Get Married, and I was thrilled to hear that she and her husband had written a follow-up. Start Your Family sounds like “start your engines,” and the book more than delivers on its promising subtitle: “Inspiration for Having Babies.”

Kurt Bruner’s foreword sets the stage for what’s to come:

Hard as it may be for our generation to believe, bearing and rearing children were once considered the joyous reward and ultimate purpose of marital intimacy. It was a universally accepted given that parenthood was the highest honor and greatest purpose in life…. Raising kids makes us, like Christ, “humble ourselves” and “take on the form of a servant.” Maybe that is the unspoken reason many in our generation de-couple marriage and parenthood.

From that launching point, Steve Watters tells us a story that illustrates what divides modern couples from their grandparents. Early in their marriage, Candice told Steve she wanted to have a baby. Relates Steve, “I thought, in this particular instance, that Candice meant a hypothetical baby set somewhere in the future. So I agreed that it was a good idea. Then she clarified that she wanted a baby now.” Immediately, Steve began trying to “talk her back from the ledge,” believing that having a child was just too much of a leap so early in their marriage. After talking logically through all the reasons against having a child–the expense, the disruption to their schedule, etc.–Steve felt he had successfully “hit the snooze button” on Candice’s biological clock. But then the Watterses took a walk with an older couple who had mentored them when they were dating:

The Morkens weren’t just casually interested in when Candice and I thought we might have kids–they wanted to know why we weren’t having kids right now. It was one against three. I felt like a superhero outnumbered by his foes. I had to use my superhuman strength. So I pulled out my rationality, offering numbers and facts to make the case that we weren’t ready to have a baby. The Morkens came back strong. “Budget for everything except kids,” they said. “Kids aren’t just another expense; they’re wealth.”… [T]he Morkens were on to me. They recognized that my caution wasn’t so much evidence of my patience and prudence as it was my fear and trepidation–mostly tied to my desire to hold on to freedom and youth as long as possible.

Such refreshing honesty and transparency is what makes this book such a page-turner. Even if you’re already committed to having children, you will find yourself reflected in its pages, as Steve and Candice dissect this generation’s unwillingness to let God govern the womb. We’re all human, and the same fears haunt all of us from time to time. But, as the Watterses ably demonstrate, most of what holds couples back from starting their families isn’t real fear at all. Steve and Candice boil it all down to a single term that neatly captures what hinders us from embracing the blessing of children: the quest for “par.”

Every week it seems we got a new catalog from Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware, or Williams-Sonoma. Their pages were packed with must-have stuff for our home, temptingly arranged, with not a single distraction from people, let alone families. They seemed to imply that the ideal home is a lot like a showroom–something that works best when it’s perfectly ordered and undisturbed. Under the influence of that vision, it was easy for our neighbors and us to fantasize about what we could do, where we could go, and what we could have if we put children off a little longer.

Open just about any home decorating magazine, and this is exactly what you see. In our materialistic culture, happiness is held out as a zen-like state of people-free (particularly child-free) order and uncluttered perfection. Unfortunately, American Christians have bought into it with everyone else. But we should know better, as the Watterses engagingly demonstrate. Beginning with God’s desire for a godly seed in Malachi 2:15, they launch into a diagnosis of the modern Christian marriage, noting that “the great majority of Americans believe marriage is primarily intended for ‘mutual happiness.’” Because of this, there is a “tension between the unions we design for ourselves and the design God established in the beginning.” Couples today are encouraged from every side to mold marriage into their own image instead of mirroring God’s glorious image, which includes fruitfulness. With quotes from Scripture and a wealth of other sources, Candice and Steve demonstrate beyond the shadow of a doubt that child-bearing and child-rearing is kingdom-building work designed by God.

Next, they fill a chapter with evidence that children are both a blessing from God and a means He uses to pour out His grace upon us. I found myself nodding through paragraphs about how the Lord often calls us loudest through the very dependency of our children. Children serve as constant reminders of our own need. Bringing up godly children is a lot of work–work that is often unrewarded in the short term–and the Watterses do not deny this. In fact, this work is really a crucible in which God refines us. “How does God use the family to shape us? He uses the family to reveal who we really are, to work the selfishness out of us, and to condition us to serve others.”

But how can you want to bring children into this crazy world? many ask. Chapter 4, titled “Hope,” gives a clear call for courage in the face of a sinful, fallen world:

While fear and anxiety are a natural emotion for would-be parents, the choice to be fruitful is an enduring and courageous encounter with hope. In the face of all types of anxieties, children are the antidote. They are the hope. In a paradoxical way, they are the solution for many of the problems we worry they’ll face. Far above the concerns of our world, a sovereign God who sees everything from beginning to end designed new life as one of the primary means of hope…. “Let this be written for a future generation,” says Psalm 102:18, “that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.” The hope God brings through children requires a long view.

This illustrates what I appreciate so much about Candice and Steve Watters: their commitment to push Christians to think long-term and multi-generationally. Life isn’t just about us. Ultimately, it’s about the glory of God. Candice and Steve handle this so capably in Start Your Family by dealing with questions that naturally arise when Christians are confronted with God’s command to be fruitful and multiply:

How can we afford it (especially with student loan debt)?
Don’t we need a few years to get our marriage established first?
What about buying a house?
Will we have to trade in the car for a mini-van?
Does this mean putting off that trip to Europe?

Turning always to Scripture, the Watterses declare, “Biblical principles provide high-level direction. And they’re better than tips and techniques, because they work for all people in all places.” God has a plan for us when it comes to finances, timing, and even the fear of the unknown. Ultimately, God’s plan leads us all to embrace sacrifice–a duty our grandparents understood better than we do:

Previous generations had to make sacrifices.Our grandparents’ generation sacrificed their personal dreams, ambitions, and material goods to care for their spouse and children. Many of our parents’ baby boomer peers did the opposite. The yuppies of the 1980s looked for ways to combine the two pursuits. They didn’t want to choose between their personal ambitions and the opportunity for family. They looked for ways to have it all. By the end of the century, however, books and articles started trickling out from those who had tried in vain to maximize work and family. Their concession: “You can’t have it all; at least not all at once.”

But the Watterses tried to do it anyway, as they candidly admit. They thought perhaps new technology would provide a way to have it all, as Candice telecommuted to her job as an editor. As she wrote about “fitting kids into life,” she received feedback from other moms who wanted to do the same thing, hoping “to achieve some personal goals and dreams” without cheating their children out of a real childhood. But it didn’t work:

[F]or all our juggling, use of improved technology, and our creative efforts to make up the difference, our “kind of having it all” strategy grew more tenuous as time passed…. Instead of having it all, we felt like we were carrying it all–all the work, all the headaches, and all the pressure…. Ultimately, what was driving our “kind of have it all” mentality was what drives so many other couples starting a family–the desire to add kids to a life that remains, as much as possible, like it was before the kids arrived…. The approaches we tried–and those we so often see recommended to young couples–are attempts to create hybrids between the adult-only and child-rearing worlds. The sticking point with such hybrids is sacrifice. In the adult-only world, it’s an unwelcome nuisance. In the child-rearing world, you can’t make it without it.

Steve pushes this point home with a painful anecdote from early in their marriage, when he and Candice purchased a home they could only afford with two incomes. Writes Steve, “I didn’t realize it at the time, but Candice was suffering both the curse related to the pain of childbearing as well as the thorns and thistles intended for men.” Sadly, this curse is all too common in Christian marriages today, where the double-income lifestyle is seen as a blessing but ends up being a burden and a hindrance to having children. The Watterses provide a way out with excellent advice and time-honored principles learned from other couples–all of which involve sacrifice but mean blessing in the end.

I found the final two chapters on community and mission absolutely vital to understanding the “how” of fulfilling our call to bear and bring up godly children. Young couples simply aren’t meant to go it alone! Steve and Candice provide a thoroughly biblical view of intergenerational connections, covering everything from the damaging effects of the age-segregated church to the incredible importance of a woman’s support network of family, friends, and older women. The Watterses urge reconnection with parents and grandparents even if it means overcoming bitter past disagreements in the family. As Candice mentioned in Get Married, we need the network. It is just as vital to child-rearing as it is to meeting a godly spouse.

Finally, the Watterses give us a solid call to visionary living:

What many marriages lack is a mission that’s bigger than each spouse, and even bigger than who they are as a couple. Consequently, husbands and wives resist starting a family because popular culture has convinced them that anything good that will happen in life will happen before they have kids…. From the marriage of Adam and Eve in Genesis, to the marriage of Christ and the church in Revelation, the marital union has been intended to model a selfless exchange of love for those who participate in it as well as for a watching world. How might God use the decision about children in your marriage to demonstrate oneness to you and those around you?

I could go on and on, but I want you to read this book! In fact, I hope you will purchase several copies and give them away to all the engaged couples and newlyweds you know. The message of Start Your Family is so clear, so biblical, and so winsomely given that I consider this book a must-have for every Christian’s personal library. It is hard to believe how much Steve and Candice crammed into 161 pages, but this book overflows with a wealth of biblical counsel, seasoned with a hearty dose of humility and real-life honesty (and, yes, childless couples are included, too). I look forward to seeing what else the Lord leads the Watterses to write, but, most of all, I look forward to seeing how powerfully God uses their family to live the gospel through the day-to-day work of parenting, discipleship, and love. Their example inspires me to put my own shoulder to the wheel with fresh vision. Thank you, Steve and Candice!

Steve and Candice with their four children.

Josiah's 5yr old birthday camp-fire

2010-04-23T09:51:00.001-05:00

Family pictures from the wedding

2010-03-29T14:46:00.002-05:00

Someday I just know Josiah will smile for a picture!

Here are the Upchurch and Riley families with the happy couple.

We've had a wedding!

2010-03-28T17:48:00.001-05:00

What a gift they have given each other...their first kiss....their absolute purity.

Those are PRICELESS!

Praise God!

Flower Cookies!

2010-03-28T17:30:00.002-05:00

Aunt Joanne and Uncle Mike and their friend Linda came to see us this weekend for the wedding. They brought us some goodies, and the children have been having fun!

Bridal Shower Pictures 2.27.10

2010-03-20T08:28:00.004-05:00

Funny phone text sent by Jessica

2010-03-20T08:16:00.002-05:00

Good grief! Would you believe what we just saw going down the road? This little mini pony must be an absolute angel! Thought for sure it must be a big dog, but this guy gave us a windblown glance as we passed him =) the lead is held through the window.

Putt Putt Go Carts!

2010-03-14T18:00:00.001-05:00

On February 27th while the bridal shower was in progress, Bruce took the little boys to Putt Putt. They actually got to drive the go carts and absolutely loved it! They have the best dad!

Bruce said Josiah kept bumping into the back of Samuel's cart.

Recent pictures from my cellphone...

2010-03-14T17:44:00.002-05:00

Here is Hannah sticking her foot up on the tray.

She thought turning around backwards was even more fun!
Here are two handsome boys trying out their wedding attire.

Isaac was getting ready to go on a date with Dad. He took his doggy, Plato, with him.

Below is Hannah just seconds before falling asleep in the van.

Rebecca put these boots on Hannah while we were shopping for boots for the little boys.

No, we didn't buy these, though they sure were cute!

Isaac was very happy to be going out with Amber. She said he didn't even ask for a Capri Sun, he simply wanted to hold the box. He had his piggy bank along for the ride.

Here is Hannah on her throne while grocery shopping at Aldi.

The little boys enjoyed trying out some saddles at Frontier Ranch Supply Store.

We didn't buy saddles, but thanks to a grandparent donation, they got some new boots to wear to the wedding in a few weeks!

We had a beautiful day recently, and Hannah discovered how fun swinging is.

She was all giggles and smiles!

10 Blessings

2010-02-07T14:32:00.002-06:00

Hannah

2010-02-06T16:46:00.002-06:00

Isaac tried going outside in the snow like this today: ...

2010-01-29T16:25:00.000-06:00

Upchurch framing crew out

2010-01-27T19:46:00.003-06:00

Dad had four of the boys out framing today- such peace at home i imagine! =)

10 perfectly smiling people- I dont think so! but close enough in this one

2010-01-19T11:39:00.001-06:00

11-14-10

Cutie patootie!

2009-12-27T16:28:00.002-06:00

Surrounded by handsome men.

Miss Priss on her throne.

Bethany is 12!

2009-12-27T16:05:00.002-06:00

Bethany turned 12 on December 19th.

For her birthday supper, she wanted scalloped ham and potatoes and dirt dessert.

We did add a few side dishes to go in between the ham and dirt.

I couldn't ask for a better daughter than Bethany. She is such a big help to me, always willing to do whatever she is asked without complaint. That is a wonderful trait!

I love you, Bethany!

Camping and Old Time Festival at Eminence, MO

2009-12-27T15:32:00.005-06:00

Rowdy boys having fun in the camper.

Camping, to our children, means a lot of bike riding!

Josiah rode so fast, he just about needed a speeding ticket.

Isaac went mudding on his tricycle.

Rebecca and Samuel checked out the corn grinder.

Here we are in front of the spring and big water wheel house.

Here is an old, one-room schoolhouse.

A fine bunch in front of an old chuck wagon like the one on which my Papa Gandy was born.

Below, the man was making bullets.

Bethany and Rebecca got to make candles.

Above and below watching a man making a wooden bucket.

Handsome fella.

Check out these locked antlers.

Mr. Peanut was kind of cute, but not as cute as those two boys.

Hannah's prissy hat

2009-12-06T17:05:00.001-06:00

Hannah looked so perty in her sweet little hat at church today.

A glimpse

2009-12-05T16:19:00.004-06:00

Samuel took this picture of himself and Josiah with my cellphone.

Ain't she wonderful? A resounding "Yes!"

Too sweet for words!

Good big brother!

Jacob's buck on the first day of rifle season!

2009-11-22T16:30:00.003-06:00

I heard the shots. On his very first time out with his new deer rifle, Jacob shot a 5 point buck. We took the it to a professional deer processor, so we can get good use of the meat.

Big Buck

2009-11-22T16:25:00.002-06:00

A man has a hunting lease on Papa's place, and he got a 14 point whopper this morning. He estimated it to be about 275#. He's been hunting for years and never seen one this big!

Bass Pro Boys and Bonnet Girl

2009-11-21T11:42:00.003-06:00

The boys, Hannah, and Mom went to Bass Pro yesterday.

There were a lot of fun things for them to do. Their favorite was rifle shooting!

Hannah appears to be quite impressed with her new bonnet.

Hannah's latest pics

2009-11-14T21:04:00.002-06:00

Hannah definitely loves mornings!

She is all smiles as soon as she wakes up.

Amber caught this little sweetie smiling one recent evening, so maybe she's just a happy girl at any hour of the day!

Polar Bears Swim

2009-11-10T17:52:00.003-06:00

Samuel chases a polar bear!

Memphis Zoo 2009!

2009-11-10T17:28:00.004-06:00

I think the most impressive part of the zoo is the new bear exhibit, Teton Trek. Everyone ought to go see this!

These two pictures show us at the top of a tall water fall overlooking the bears' range.
This large elk statue was outside of the huge log cabin which is part of Teton Trek.
Since Samuel likes pigs so much, I had to take this picture of him in the farm exhibit.

The polar bears are great to watch, too! They were having a great time swimming back and forth, pushing off the glass.

Josiah joined everyone climbing on a large rock.

Here is Jacob with two of his friends.

Rebecca posed for me in a rock cave.

Isaac is freshly hatched.

We got our annual cow picture, but there were three children missing this time.
(Josiah wanted to be missing from this picture!)

Bonfire

2009-11-10T17:17:00.002-06:00

We had a nice get together at our place this past Saturday night. There was a bonfire, hayride, lots of good food and visiting.

Here is the S'mores crew hard at work.

Here is the bonfire cleanup man. He had no idea he had soot all over his face.

But, he did know about the dirty hands!

Rebecca's Gift

2009-11-10T16:59:00.002-06:00

Last week, Rebecca decided to make a gift for Papa, and this is what she made all by herself.

It's a Welcome sign for his flower bed made from old lumber and some large nails!

She is a very creative girl, always coming up with great ideas and making interesting things.

She reminds me a lot of Jessica!

3 months old and getting sweeter every day!

2009-11-10T16:51:00.002-06:00

Here she is wearing the sweet little cap Aunt Joanne sent her.

What a prissy little hat!

This past Sunday, she discovered something new...her yummy thumb!

Sweet Siblings

2009-10-31T14:05:00.000-05:00

The Graduates

2009-10-31T13:57:00.002-05:00

Rebecca found a tiny graduation cap and wire rim glasses that belong on a stuffed animal and decided to try them on Isaac and then herself.

Recent misc. pictures

2009-10-21T20:19:00.002-05:00

Here's our sweet little girl at 12 weeks old.

She now "talks" and giggles and kicks her chubby legs.

The four youngest went to Baskin Robbins. Isaac really liked it.

Here are three hungry boys enjoying a bowl of oatmeal in the camper when we went to Eminence, MO recently.

Rebecca set up her little sale table to make some extra money off her little brothers. Isaac was pretty excited to be allowed to shop.

I love the happy faces that are always close by when something's cooking!

Bumbo girl

2009-10-06T17:17:00.001-05:00

Is that not a sweet little face and piggies?

Hannah had just eaten, had a bath, and we wanted her to stay clean and spit-up free, thus the towel!

New cap for a cool day

2009-10-05T16:28:00.003-05:00

One of Bruce's clients knitted this sweet little cap for Miss Cutiepie.

It was cool enough to need it yesterday!

Hannah was all smiles for Amber this morning, and I caught this picture with my phone. I think the quality of my phone pics is deteriorating. Oh, no!

Hannah looks worried

2009-10-04T15:53:00.001-05:00

Jessica took this picture of Hannah on the way home from church this afternoon.

She looks a bit worried to me. What a cutie!

Rebecca plays with her little doll

2009-10-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

She's giving her riding lessons already.

Sweet little grinner

2009-10-04T15:17:00.000-05:00

Hannah was waking up from a snooze on my lap when I caught this grin with my phone camera. She's too precious for words!

Capable daughters are very valuable!

2009-09-30T15:48:00.004-05:00

Our in-house seamstress has been whipping out the dresses this month and doing an excellent job. Here, she is trying on a finished product that turned out wonderfully!

She can even alter the patterns to make them fit better.

(I sure can't do that very well!)
She can also cook some great meals. Her biscuits are as good as mine!

Amber loves holding this sweet baby sister. She looks forward to being a mom someday herself. She has also been practicing sewing and cooking up some mighty fine meals, too.

Just a note: Bruce and I lived on frozen bean burritos for our first year of marriage, because I couldn't yet hit a lick in the kitchen. I'm thankful our girls will feed their families well!

Rebecca loves her live doll

2009-09-30T15:45:00.002-05:00

It just doesn't get much better than having your own living doll to hold and love on whenever you want.

One day I was looking for my girls and found them upstairs napping together.

Excellent helper = Bethany

2009-09-30T15:42:00.001-05:00

Bethany is a wonderful big sister and helps me every day!

I can't imagine trying to get along without her.

Isaac plays.....

2009-09-30T15:38:00.002-05:00

at the park,

and at home.

He likes building homes for his trucks.

Hannah at 2 months

2009-09-30T15:33:00.001-05:00

Our sweet pea is now 2 months old!

She weighs about 13.5 pounds and is about 23" long.

Drop the Hanky at the Girls' Party

2009-09-26T17:43:00.002-05:00

Kind of a more feminine version of Duck Duck Goose. The girls loved it!

They chased each other around and around the circle. Everyone had a turn and had a good time.

Girls' Party balloon popping game

2009-09-26T17:35:00.002-05:00

Balloons were tied to ankles, and off they all went to pop every balloon in sight.

It was noisy and everyone was smiling!

They chased and team attacked!

Check out the high-stepper below.
Oh, the exhuberance of youth!

Bethany and Rebecca had a Girls' Party

2009-09-26T17:23:00.003-05:00

Here we were playing a rousing game of Bobbin, Bobbin, Who's Got the Bobbin?

We tried it with a button before everyone arrived, but it couldn't fit over the knot in the string.

Here, the girls are ballroom dancing. Bethany has dreamed of having a ball for a long time.

No dance lessons were necessary. All the girls instinctively knew how to get around our floor, twisting and twirling with lots of giggling for background music.

For actual music, we used our large piano keyboard's classical music demo songs.
They were perfect for the occasion!

The "Tea Party" table (actually Koolaide and lemonade) was decked out with flowers from our fields that were picked by the girls. They all got to take home at least one vase full of beautiful wildflowers.

Samuel's fine swine

2009-09-20T19:59:00.003-05:00

Samuel bought some pigs at the Countrywood sale this weekend.

Above is Georgie, his lifesize stuffed swine.

Below is his piggy bank which he hopes to fill with money to buy more hogs, I suppose.

He is one happy pig farmer!

(For more pictures of Sam and Georgie, see the post below about Amber.)

Our hungry hens

2009-09-20T19:54:00.000-05:00

More Miss Sweetness

2009-09-20T19:46:00.003-05:00

This is her on our ride home from church today.

Rebecca wrapped her in lace Saturday night.

During school last week. She likes homeschool.

Ready for bed in her butterfly nightie.

Miss Chubette gets a bath just before church this morning.

Amber is now....

2009-09-20T19:39:00.002-05:00

armed and dangerous!

She and Jacob just bought hunting rifles.

You'll have to ask them what kind,

because I only know that Amber's has

three barrels to choose from and one is a 22?

Protect that pig, Samuel!

Hannah's many expressions

2009-09-20T19:25:00.000-05:00

Country boy fun

2009-09-20T18:36:00.000-05:00

Copied email from a friend: You be the judge...

2009-09-20T18:13:00.005-05:00

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.
In his opening address he said,
"We can't keep Christians from going to church."
"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth...."
"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their SAVIOR."
"Once they gain that connection with JESUS, our power over them is broken."
"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners,BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with JESUS CHRIST.."

"This is what I want you to do," said the devil:
"Distract them from gaining hold of their SAVIOR and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered....
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."

"Keep them from spending time with their children."
"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"
"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."
"Entice them to play the radio or I-Pod whenever they drive." To keep the TV, DVDs, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."

"This will jam their minds and break that union with CHRIST."
"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."
"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."
"Invade their driving moments with billboards."
"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes."
"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "

"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."
"Give them headaches too! "
"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere.."
"That will fragment their families quickly!"
"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas."
"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about HIS resurrection and power over sin and death..."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."
"Have them return from their recreation exhausted.."
"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on GOD'S creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"
"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."
"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from JESUS."
"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

"It will work!"
"It will work!"
It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier & more rushed, going here & there..
Having little time for their GOD or their families.
Having no time to tell others about the power of JESUS to change lives.
I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

You be the judge!

Boys

2009-09-13T18:31:00.003-05:00

Our boys have a lot of fun together.

There is never a dull nor quiet moment with three little boys in a row.

They enjoy life to the fullest!

Isaac's slippers

2009-09-13T18:28:00.001-05:00

Isaac recently acquired these camo slippers at a yard sale. He has quite an affinity for shoes of all kinds. We often find a LOT of shoes removed from their places in the locker hall, and then we know Isaac has been there trying on everyone's shoes.

Samuel is 7 years old!

2009-09-13T18:19:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, we celebrated Samuel's 7th birthday.

He opened presents throughout the preceding week,

this one being on Friday, the 11th.

We are thankful for Samuel and love him VERY MUCH!

Hannah's morning smile

2009-09-11T10:56:00.000-05:00

Joy of Cooking

2009-09-09T17:16:00.002-05:00

Is this not funny?

Amber cleans a house for a family that had this cookbook.

She couldn't resist snapping a picture of it.

Rebecca and Bethany

2009-09-09T17:13:00.001-05:00

Here is Rebecca riding home with me from my 6 week checkup yesterday.

Here is Bethany working diligently on her schoolwork.

Samuel

2009-09-09T17:08:00.002-05:00

He's always helping with Hannah.

He is a wonderful big brother to Hannah and Isaac.

Pleased with his little cake.

He was about to load it with sprinkles.

Working on his school lesson.

Properly named...Isaac

2009-09-09T16:55:00.003-05:00

Isaac means "laughter" and is very appropriate for our boy.

He is almost always smiling.

No home should be without a happy 2 year old!

Here he is with an orphaned goat kid.

Below, he is obviously enjoying his big brother, Jacob.

This was right before bedtime.

Below, he was excitedly smiling to show happiness over his new shirt!

Here he is making a silly face while chasing chickens and some baby goats.

It's not a smile, but it sure was cute!

Good morning grins

2009-09-09T16:49:00.003-05:00

It's difficult to catch her just right, but Hannah grins a lot in the early mornings.

She is a happy girl!

John Deere Day

2009-09-09T16:41:00.002-05:00

Here are two pictures from John Deere Day this past spring.

Rebecca is with her friend, Alyssia.

Bethany and Isaac were having fun on the caterpillar train.

Feeling fine now!

2009-09-07T11:39:00.000-05:00

Sweet girl feeling better

2009-09-04T09:30:00.005-05:00

This was Thursday afternoon on our way home!

Once the iv was gone, she could be swaddled again. She likes that.

I gave her a bath and a hairdo to start reclaiming my girl!

She didn't love it.

I could tell she was starting to feel better on Wednesday afternoon when she started smiling again. What a beautiful sight that was!

Hannah getting chest xrays at LeBonheur

2009-09-04T09:17:00.003-05:00

Our precious girl underwent several tough days this week.
Below are pictures I took with my cell phone as the poor baby was getting chest xrays.

She was placed on a little bike-type seat with her legs hanging down.

Her arms were fully extended above her head, and the plastic cylinder that surrounded her was closed around her with velcro straps.

The technician said it was good for her to cry, because when she took her deep breath to howl, she would get her best xray with lungs fully expanded. Well, Hannah did howl!

When Jessica saw these pictures moments later, she said Hannah looked like she had been canned!

Hannah in the Hospital

2009-09-02T18:23:00.003-05:00

Hannah has been in LeBonheur Children's Hospital since mid-afternoon on Sept.1 due to chest congestion and a fever that is considered too high for a baby her age.
This poor girl has had many blood draws, an iv, and a middle of the night spinal tap.
All test results are looking very good, so praise the Lord!
Hopefully, we can get back home by Thursday evening, if all test results continue to look promising.
Thank you for praying for Hannah!

Amber and Jessica

2009-08-29T15:18:00.003-05:00

Amber was working on a sewing project while Amber and Hannah kept her company.

It looks like she's liking that sleeve.

Isaac on Mom's desk and feedin' chickens

2009-08-29T15:14:00.000-05:00