Our Fourth of July

I guess dad didn't quite agree with the "Old Navy" aspect of the shirt considering he's a Col. in the Army. ;)



My goofy hubby of eight years now!!



Silly faces! Tongues out!!!




LOL, I love my dad, trying to be serious, yet get a laugh out of all of us. <3 :)


Our Fourth of July,...
Was interesting! We normally make it a family day and take the kids to see the fireworks, but this year Tim and I decided to celebrate our anniversary on our own. So we let Nonnie and Pappy take all three of them to a friends for a big fun BBQ. With lots of games, a trampoline, and kids their age. From what I hear they had a blast!

Plus they were with there uncles, and cousin and thats always a big bonus!!! :)

SO Tim and I went to downtown Greenville and had a wonderful dinner just the two of us then we walked around town for a bit. Then we went early to Falls Park to get a good seat for the fireworks. It was a perfect spot. Right in the middle of the river on an island made up of the rocks. The fireworks were directly in front of us!

It was so much fun getting to spend some time together and talk without having to find the potty in five seconds flat, or making sure nobody was drowning in the river.

But then,..the crowds came, obnoxious teenagers sitting behind us making out, cussing every other word. People directly in front of us smoking up a storm. (Being preggo makes me very sensitive to cigarettes.)

Then we had to walk back with this crowd that was easily more than a thousand people, marching to our parking deck. Along the way trying not to step on anyone or get stepped on.
Then realizing they downside to having flip-flops on when a man going the opposite direction than me drops his ENORMOUS bottle of alcohol he had stashed up his shirt right next to my foot.

No I wasn't cut, I dont know how, but the rest of the way my feet were sticky and I smelled like I'd had a little too much celebration goin' on!

When we finally get to the parking deck it takes us over an HOUR to get OUT of the parking deck! Not to mention home.

I love my country so, so much! But 12 minutes of fireworks wasn't worth that.

I really missed that year we had celebrated the 4th at Devil's Tower in Wy. Now that was a blast! Only about 100-150 people, karaoke, beautiful spacious skies, children running barefoot in the grass dancing to the music. And the fireworks lasted forever!

I guess I just love being out in the middle of nowhere. I love the country. The whole city scene doesn't work with me.

Besides all that, Tim and I had a wonderful anniversary together, and the kids loved being with their grandparents. So for our last fourth,,,, It was Interesting,.....AND FUN! :)

Little house, Big Love

I just realized that I have not formally announced that I'm pregnant with our fourth baby (due Dec 3rd.) Sorry about that! I guess the way life is if you post it on Facebook then everyone on the planet knows about it. :)

I have to say I was scared ay first, mainly because of the idea of four kids ages 6 and under, SCARY MAN! But Tim was so excited and giddishly happy that it caught on to me. Now here I am planning all the ways this labor and delivery is going to be different, calm, and a wonderful experience.

Tim on the other hand is having reality checks (enter my giggle here :p ). He's realizing we have a very small house full of furniture, and we just dont seem to fit as it is. Adding another person who may be small, but comes with its own line of clothing, bedding, bathing essentials, etc. (Not to mention these small people keep getting bigger.)

Without me even being prepared he starts sending me e-mails from work about bigger (more pricey) houses that we could move too. I was a little taken aback.

For me moving means a month of finding boxes and packing, saving for not only the deposit of the house but also the moving van and other expenses, and explaining to the kids why were moving further from friends, park, and dance class.

TOO MUCH HASSLE!!!!!

No thank you. I'll keep my ever widening preggo hips right here thank you.

Talk about heartburn. ugh.

I decided I could go about this one of two ways:
throw a tantrum and insist I was not going through all that stress. I can get away with tantrums right now, for some odd reason nobody but my mother in law bats an eye at it. I think they all know I'm insane while pregnant.

OR,


I could thank him for taking the incentive to go ahead and start planning for our family and its needs. He such a good provider, and he really was thinking of my sanity through all this, trying to find a house that had a "school room" for me.

I opted for the second choice. (yay me.) :)

I went along with the house hunting, and we prayed about it together. And even though he's still kinda keeping his eye out, I convinced him that I have the feeling were not supposed to move just yet.

I have friends and have read about people who had more children than we do living in just as small houses as we have. If not smaller, on account that they only had one bathroom and we have two.

I think if we can get rid of some furniture, rearrange, and basically simplify some things in our life, we can most assuredly fit another person to love in this little house.

My enthusiasm is still raging, as is Tim's! Were on number four!!! I'm so ready for another tiny around here. Ever since Timmy weaned himself and started doing his own thing, I've been wanting another cuddly one.

My main way of getting organized right now is getting the kids into a chores routine. That way after the baby comes everyone knows what their in charge of. The girls absolutely love it.

All I have to do is say, "Have you taken care of your juristiction today?" and they both jump up and say "Oh Yeah I need to clean the bathroom, today I want to use the cleaner on the mirror please Mommy." Or , "Oh Yeah I need to start a load of laundry!"

Hopefully when I'm having to juggle baby too, they will still be as enthusiastic. That way even though were in a teeny little house it will be a bit more organized, and we'll be able to appreciate all the "Big Love" around us.

Here's Hopin' !!!

For Fathers Day

In honor of fathers day this week end I found some recent cute pics of Tim with the kids or the kids impersonating him. I love Tim so much and he is an amazing Dad, you can tell by the way the kids want to either be with him or constantly have his attention. I really lucked out with such a great guy!

Here's Timmy trying his best to be like Daddy by playing with his PDA, which he gets a hold of whenever he can.





Even the dog loves to get Tim's attention while he tries to do homework.



The Tim's reading about Dinosaurs, lots of growling going on here. :)



She wants to ride the motorcycle SO badly but Mommy says not yet!

YAY CLEMSON! Daddies college of choice is now everyone's favorite! (This is also a proof of play picture, when we play, we play hard!!)

Good Morning Superman

Every now and then Tim will come home with something for one of the kids that he saw and just had to get them, his last discovery was a pair of p.j.s that apparently no little no boy should be without.

Not to Brag

Tim did really well in my eyes this semester. He was the project manager for all three of his projects. His time was well spent and I could tell he was happy with his work. Of course being Tim, he says there was a lot that he would have improved upon. If it were up to him he'd keep working on things until they absolutely perfect, ahem, work-a-hol-ic, ahem.

Here's a picture of the geo-dome that he welded together. It may not look like much to the uneducated eye, but the math and skill that went into it are amazing!

Old stuff

Here's an journal entry I did a few months ago, I thought I would share it on here, just because I like to share what my life is like during the school months. Summer is a little different with going to play-dates and Story time @ the library. Since I cant come up with any thing juicy to share here's something from my Homeschool Mommy journal. :)





Yes it is a job, the pay stinks and the hours are intense, but its the most rewarding job there is!

You see I wake up at about 3:am to nurse a crying four month old and kiss a hubby who has just come home from working third shift,
after unattractively falling back asleep with baby still attached, I wake up again at 7:am to welcome babysitting children sing "Good Morning Beautiful girls" to the messy headed grumpy faced teenager wanna be’s, they actually are five and three yr old beauties who "love" to be awoken!

As Dear Hubby rushes off to his 9:am class we get started on a day full of craft paint, glue, scissors, crayons, rocks, bubbles, string, flour, eggs, goldfish crackers, and anything else mommies crazy imagination can cook up! Mommy gets much inspiration from wonderful places like Five in a Row, Jumbo Alphabet book, the Iron Rod, and other noteworthy sources.

By noon were all crafted "funned" out, and sit down either outside or in to a lesiurley lunch of pb&j or what ever mommy has created!

We then take turns doing workbooks and one on one reading while the others build cities of blocks and use stickers to decor the walls.

Playing outside is fundemental in mommies sanity control! Needless to say on rainy days Mommy has to hide in the bathroom for a few minutes.

Nap time is loved, ah , I mean accomplished by those in need of it, Mommy exempted.
After which to earn a little computer time all kiddos do their chores!
Little do they realize that the computer time they love they are just doing more school work!
Muahahahaha, evil Mommy laugh!

By this time Dear Hubby has rejoined us only to go get some much needed sleep, and babysitting kids go home.

Dinner together is a must other wise, our world will fall down!
After cleaning up and playing with Daddy for a bit we pray together, kiss Daddy goodbye for the night, and ride off to dream land, where Mommy gets foot massages and the kitchen is always clean.

Sure there are days when our little world is turned upside down but that’s what makes this job exciting.

Did I say the pay stank? Well scratch that, the four month baby boy just learned to give kisses, the three year old just learned to write her name, and the five year old just told everyone at dance class that her Mommy was the best teacher ever.

The pay is awesome.

New Calling

Waaallllaaaa! A spot needed to be filled in primary, a sister is being released from her calling due to the impending birth of her new sweet baby. So the primary presidency looks over their list of people in need of a calling. (As you read remember I love my primary presidency but I think their a tad CRAZY.) ENTER, me, Sister Stark. I love kids, I need a calling, some of my best friends serve as teachers, happy, happy, happy! Ohhh, And I LOVE being in nursery, there is a nursery spot available, please God, put hide me in with the babies and let me play all day! P.S. I have NO music experience or background what so ever, so there's no chance anyone would ever consider me for a calling in music, right?!!!! RIGHT????? WRONG!!!! Oh SO Wrong! I my jaw hit the floor when I was asked to be the ward Primary Music Director. What is God thinking? What is the Primary Presidency thinking? They all know I cant carry a tune in a pick-up truck! I cant even read music! My memory is awful so I cant remember words, and not to mention the intense FEAR I have of speaking in front of people, even Little People! Then as the Icing on the cake they mention the end of the year sacrament music program,....sister Stark almost fainted in church. (For my non-member friends that's where the kids get in front of the entire congregation to sing, guess who gets to direct.) Well I did the only things I knew how, I prayed, and cried on Tim's shoulder. My prayers have been answered by way of, The Lord is trying to teach me something new, he wants me to learn. I've been hiding behind babies for too long. For some odd reason I have a VERY musical child, and I was going to let Tim take the lead in her music education, but I think the Lord is preparing me to be apart of her musical life. I have done my best the past few weeks. It was very rocky at first, with the older children pretending to be asleep, and telling me I wasn't doing something right, and the 5 yr. old sunbeams trying to get up and walk out, (I'd try to get away from my singing too.) But now I find myself putting on a show and performing each week now in fun new ways. With ALOT of support from the presidency, the pianist, and Tim, and help from the Lord I'm starting to fool myself into thinking I can do this! This website has also been a gift of God as well! I'm still coming home completely drained and I don't look forward to the next Sunday, but eventually it will turn around, and I'll look forward to hearing many beautiful voices. I have a firm testimony that the Lord gives callings for reason's and you never turn one down, so here's me doing my best on the calling that's the furthest thing from my talents there is. WAAALLLAAAA! (I do however get a bit of satisfaction thinking of Tim getting the baby for the majority of church. 'Evil Mommy Laugh'---Muuaahahahaha!!)

The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit. Rush Limbaugh

Wow its been a REALLY long time since I was able to sit down and blog, ahem, I mean Journal. :) As I've said before I have a sweet determined younger brother in California on a mission for our church, so sorry if this seems like a news letter with updates for him. At least when I say I've got to write David, it gives me an excuse to be on the computer. (giggle)

I've been extremely busy keeping up with kids, house, and church calling. But I can officially say were as ready as we can be to start school. I'm really excited for this year because along with what I hope will be a fun curriculum, were learning to play the VIOLIN!

Now to understand what a big deal this is I have to take you back a few years to a very young me watching Disney's Fantasia over and over again! I was obsessed with the fact that the music told a story. Then my family got the entire set of The Forgotten Carols by Micheal McLean on cassette tape. Now I know he mainly does piano but I was completely in love with the stories told to me by music. My mother would get sick of hearing the same music over and over but my father understood what I was thinking he himself being a lover of Peter and the Wolf.




I eventually chose the violin as the one instrument I HAD to have! If any unsuspecting adult asked what I wanted to do the got the prompt answer , 'play the violin.'
I now realize how sad it made my parents not being able to afford lessons. It was a big thing I asked for! The Violin alone was a major expense for them.
After a few years of being teased of not being able to carry a tune, and realizing that I had no talent, and couldn't read music to save my life, I put the idea aside and did my best to develop my other talents.

My sixteenth birthday rolls around and my Grandfather shows up with a brand new absolutely gorgeous Violin, bow and case. I was totally dumbfounded, I had given that dream up. I didn't know what to do. So I am ashamed to say I let it sit for years. I always took care of it, I took it to WY as a newly wed. I moved it with me every time we moved. I never let ANYTHING happen to it. But I never did anything with it.

I have always been sad by that, but kept telling myself one day when I had the money I would pay someone to teach me.
ENTER HUBBY.

I guess Tim got tired of seeing that black case move with us everywhere we went, because he took a sudden interest in the neglected violin. Without my knowing he replaced the strings, and had it tuned, then he started to teach himself to play it.
Maybe it was because I was pregnant and hormonal, or more likely it was years of guilt, but I lost it. I had a 'woman fit' about him playing it, "it was mine and I still loved my music and my Grandfather had wanted ME to play it!!!"

Well lets just say the Lord blessed me with the most patient man. He put it away and said, "I'll wait until your ready."

Eight months later I go to the Homeschool Conference in Atlanta. Its just myself and Timmy and I'm missing my family like crazy. So very unlike me (but very like my hubby) I take a lecture/class on music and how it develops parts of the brain that normally go unstimulated. It helps children to learn to read, but the biggest seller to me was the mathematical tributes of learning music.

I think, "how on earth can I afford classes for the children, much less me?" Then I run into a booth at the conference selling a music tutorial for parents to be able to teach children to play the violin and/ or the viola. EVEN if the parents cannot read music.
They also sold tiny violins, cases, and music stands. (Pictures forthcoming.)

I very humbly returned home and told my husband to take my violin and teach our girls music. (He's also tutoring me on the side. :)

I'll post some pictures of the girls and Tim playing when I can find my camera.

(The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit.
Rush Limbaugh)

Laughter is the best Medicine

In 2006 Tim, Mae, and I lived in a tiny little apartment in Gillette Wy. Having lived there the longest we got to see a fun turn over of neighbors. We became known to everyone in the building as the "Religious People", who if you talked to us we would try to either get you to our church or get you to talk to our missionaries.
Generally that was laughed off because as soon as people met us they realized we weren't TOO scary! Also the fact that Mae was a chubby two year old with golden curls that told EVERYONE she loved them didn't hurt either.

During this time I was pregnant with Eliza, and working a 3:am newspaper route, we really were busting at the seams in that tiny home, and Tim wishing he was in school was working 13-15 hour days. We had no right whatsoever to be happy.

During this time we also had a very sweet, beautiful, American Indian, Grandmother living in the Apartment below us. She had moved to the area to become a nurse at the local hospital. she lived by herself and knowing that any Grandma living by herself would love a two year old, I introduced her to Mae! It was love at first sight of course.

She taught me some yummy new recipes, and I took her to church with me. Needless to say we were good friends.
One day I went down to visit her and she was looking very tired and discouraged.
Her daughter who lived in another state was in trouble with life, and my grandmother friend could not get to her to take care of her.

I offered what words of comfort I could, saying that even though I could not relate to what she was going through I was sure My mother or Tim's mother could. Considering both Tim and I were in Wyoming alone and our parents were living in South Carolina and Georgia!!

She started to laugh! I thought I was being pretty sympathetic and she was laughing! I was confused.
"What's the joke?", I asked.
She replied, " I don't want you to be embarrassed, but from what I can hear through my ceiling, your parents have nothing to worry about!"

HOLY CRUD! I thought. What the heck has she heard?!?!?!

From the look on my face she must have guessed what I was thinking because she hastily said,
" Don't worry, its nothing bad, I just constantly hear ALL of you laughing, and sometimes when the window is open I can hear you say your family prayers.
I think to myself, what can these poor children who are struggling to get by, and have no family near, possibly have to laugh about?"


I started to laugh myself at the irony, and told her more about the church and our wonderful family support through our ward, and that saying our prayers together was one of the many things we did to keep a happy spirit in our home.
We joked some more and Mae and I left her a little more cheerful than we found her.


I was thinking of this story last week as I was laughing at something a friend had posted online.
I thought, "Man it feels good to laugh!"

I then realized I don't laugh as much as I used too.

Why?

Is reality finally catching up to me , as Tim and I work like crazy to make ends meet, we are barely surviving, and like before I'm pregnant and not much help.

I'm not as happy as I was and I don't know why. I think I'm being put through a test to see how I'll handle different circumstances, but the same problems. I'm making a goal to hold my past self (and other great women I know of) up as examples to myself.
Perhaps that will help my disposition and attitude improve.

I want this baby to come out and hear mama's laugh and know what it is.

If the next time you see me laughing and you cant tell why, just think, "she's not crazy, she's happy, and that's what important!"

From the Mouth of a Four year old :)

Ask your child these questions! (Mae age 4)

1. What is something daddy always says to you?
Ask mom if you can have that.

2. What makes daddy happy?
A hug and a kiss.

3. What makes daddy sad?
When Bullet (the dog) runs away.

4. How does your daddy make you laugh?
Wrestle with me and tickles me. (Play Monster.)

5. What was your daddy like as a child?
Grandma says he was trouble like me and didn't sit down.

6. How old is your daddy?
Five like mommy.

7. How tall is your daddy?
TALL TALL TALL!!

8. What is his favorite thing to do?
Drive his truck.

9. What does your dad do when you're not around?
Get on the computer. (Boy she nailed that one!)

10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for?
Singing to me.

11. What is your dad really good at?
Making chocolate milk and popping pop-corn.

12. What is your dad not very good at?
Fixing the car.

13. What does your dad do for his job?
At school and he drives a purple bus.

14. What is your dad's favorite food?
Sandwiches.

15. What makes you proud of your dad?
I love him.

16. If your dad were a cartoon character, who would he be?
Spongebob!

17. What do you and your dad do together?
Ride in his truck and go to the tool store.

18. How are you and your daddy the same?
We are happily ever after.

19. How are you and your daddy different?
We eat different, daddy is loud.

20. How do you know your daddy loves you?
He gives me a hug and kiss.

21. Where is your daddy's favorite place to go?
The tool store.







Ask your child these questions! (Mae age 4)

1. What is something mom always says to you?
GO outside.

2. What makes mom happy?
Giving her a hug.

3. What makes mom sad?
Not obeying.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Tickle me and make funny faces.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Mommy was me except she had brown hair.

6. How old is your mom?
5 (fingers)

7. How tall is your mom?
Mommy is this tall, (reaching arms up to sky,) but shorter than Daddy.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Cook for me, do dishes, get on computer, making up stories.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Eat yogurt.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Being a big family.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Smiling and cooking chicken.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Making a mess.

13. What does your mom do for her job?
Cleaning up, making crafts, reading me stories, giving baths, exercising.

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Chocolate, strawberries. juice and water.

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Cuz she loves me.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
I'm Sleeping Beauty and Mommy is Cinderella.

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Play games like Candy Land and army mens, (Stratego.)

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We do the best we can do, Daddy too.

19. How are you and your mom different?
Running, Mommy does not run like me, but we are the same all the other times.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
She gives me kisses and hugs, and takes me potty at the zoo, and reads to me.

21. Where is your Mom's favorite place to go?
To Nonnies house and Chick-fil-a.

What I saw vs. What was really there.....

I dont really celebrate Valentines day unless my sister comes over with chocolate and a movie which we do weekly so it doesn't really count. I prefer to use my energy on holidays like Father's/Mother's day and anniversaries. But Tim never fails to do something special for me.

This year when I came into the house it looked like he had just thrown a rose and some chocolate on the rest of the mess on the counter top. I thought, "Gee, the least he could do is clean off the table!"

My female eyes are so trained to see his stuff as nothing but, "Junk on the table", I failed to realize that the real gift was under the chocolate and cost over 100.00. He had gotten the car parts and manual to fix my car that has been acting funny.

Tim actually fixing the car is a big deal because he doesn't have much time to do things like that with work and school.

He re-showed me the gift and I of course gave him a hug n' kiss, etc.

Now here's where I could be all female-ish about it and say that he found another excuse to go get another manual and tool,........

But I'll be good and say; I love my Hubby this Valentines Day!

SO True,.....

NINE WORDS WOMEN USE

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.
(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' . that will bring on a 'whatever').

(8) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying Go To Hell!
(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

Her Lovies

I know this doesn't have much to do with Christmas but as I was going through pictures for Christmas, I realized how many "LOVIES" my little 20 month old Liza has!

Our first model is the very sleek and cuddly, beanie baby type kitty cat, determinedly named, "Meow".





The next model is the very "in-style" sheek, awesome, BOPPY!
(History note on the Boppy, Mommy didn't have one with big sister Mae, but made a special point of going and getting one while pregnant with Liza. Who has now deamed it as "hers". Oh my Lord, save us from the war that will erupt when Mommy has another baby and needs the darn thing again!)







As always since day one, Big Sister has always been there to cuddle.






Now for the best most grande, usually dirty, most loved,......BLANKIE!







Daddy's always there as well.


(Note if this picture looks bent to you, dont worry your not crazy, it is in a frame in her room and is very "loved".)

Just looking through photos and finding that my little girl is such a loving caring spirit, I hope she never changes. Even when people inevitably hurt her, I hope she always has the strength to love.