We've been busy!

Well, things have been in high gear around here. In addition to multiple orthodontist, dentist and doctor appointments we've been busy with the activities detailed below...oh and we are back to a full school schedule too :)!! Today Mercy had an appointment with the pediatric dentist to have a crown put in over a tooth that was badly decaying. After the procedure, the tears started(quiet tears!) as soon as she saw me in the waiting area(this dentist prefers the parents wait in the other room) but she was reportedly a total gem during the procedure. She even was given a refreshing popsicle by the dentist to help with the discomfort.She was such a trouper and as we drove home, I was reminded of our first doctor visit and what a contrast to her experience today ....my, what a work God has done!! We came home and everyone was so excited to see Mercy's 'golden tooth'. It is actually a silver cap and Mercy was quite impressed with its shiny shiny quality. L admitted he wanted one too and displayed his eagerness by peering closely into Mercy's widely opened mouth!!! Yikes, let's hope we can avoid another one of these pretty but pricey tooth ornaments! Next week we head over to the orthodontist who will be fitting Mercy with a custom made spring loaded mouth piece to correct her cross bite. She will wear this 24/7 (except for brushing) for approximately 6 months. Our already challenging Phonics lessons are about to get really interesting as she attempts to speak clearly with the new contraption in her mouth:)!!
On Sunday during worship at church my heart was full as I heard Mercy singing the words to this song,
" Your blood has washed away my sin, Jesus thank you-
The Father's wrath completely satisfied, Jesus thank you.
Once your enemy, now seated at your table, Jesus thank you."
I didn't realize she had memorized the words to this song...such rich truth that she has yet to fully comprehend but my heart was stirred that if even for a brief moment, she was actively participating in worship instead of asking when she could sit down.
Once again, I am amazed by His grace!
Thanks for stopping by,
MamaB.

Look who turned 4?! On the Sunday before his birthday, we had Mimi and Pop Pop over..the Kach kiddos joined us too. Grandmom and Pop-Pop B were away visiting with family up North but Odesco was thrilled to receive a card from them in the mail!.

His first birthday cake (and celebration!) ever :)
Mimi always makes the kids their cakes. Odesco was having a hard time deciding so Mimi creatively combined the two...Batman and Curious George!!

Odesco sure loved having Jenkins join in his celebration!!

Another birthday celebration...We were blessed to participate in '50 days of splendor' to honor our friend Mrs Di. Her hubby creatively set up different people to bless his wife for the 50 days leading up to her...um __th birthday. Well, I can't tell you how old she'll be---you guess and fill in the blank :)

The little ones sang a song and made her special creations...then we enjoyed a lunch together with Mrs. Di's kiddos...lots of fun. How grateful I am for this special lady who has blessed my life in countless ways. She also bravely takes all 6 kids on a regular basis for a few hours for our 'kidswap'. On an alternate afternoon I have her 2 kiddos here...hmmm who gets the better end of that deal?!?

These 4 enjoy the simple things!! They were so excited to have a 'picnic' under the swing set! The added benefit is less mess on the kitchen floor :)

Fun at our friend's house ( they live a few houses away) for a marshmallow roast...then the big boys and Daddy stayed to watch the Monday Night Football on a 'real' TV while I got the littles in bed.

We had 3 of the Kach kiddos here on Odesco's actual birthday . What better gift for Odesco than to be with his special buddy on his special day?!

The Birthday Boy enjoying the Rhyme Game he received from Jenkins. This was actually his school time on Tuesday...a fun break from the routine :)

Odesco's special birthday request was Potato Green Soup...these 3 were the only ones who ate it and they wisely found the bibs in the drawer used for our toddler visitors. Red palm oil is bright orange as you can see and stains everything it splatters on!

Our little pirate donning his birthday gifts (Pirate hat, sunglasses and rubberband gun)

Grandmom and Poppop B sent Odesco money...I took him to a very fun local educational store ( Lakeshore Learning Store) and let him choose a game.Initially he was content to sit and play with a sample toy cash register...finally C and I coaxed him away from that to choose his game. He was so funny as he aimlessly ran around from aisle to aisle trying to make up his mind. Finally I chose 3 games for him to pick from, he just pointed to the game above and let C and I know he was ready to go home...sensory overload for sure!!

These 4 do lots of clowning around together...Odesco initially was upset when everyone laughed at him in this 'jester hat'- a treasure he found in our dress up bin. We had to explain that the purpose of the hat was to make people laugh...so, once he processed that information, our smiling boy was back again :)

Last week we headed up to the Pocono mountains for an overnight to join our gracious hosts, the Di family as they vacationed for the week. The ride up was just beautiful as the leaves are on the cusp of change. It was a wonderful break ...above is the view from the house. Daddy joined us after work on Monday and we drove home after dinner on Tuesday night.

One of the highlights for the kiddos was relaxing in this monstrous hot tub outside the back door! Little man L exclaimed," Ahhh this is the life!" How right he is...these kids are so blessed!!!

Daddy and Mr. Di enjoying a rare quiet moment to chat.

The kiddos conquer the sand hill and give the moms more laundry to do!

The B Bunch...all 8 of us :) You can't tell in this picture but we were being attacked by pesky gnats that attempted to fly up or into all exposed orifices-Blech!!!

On Tuesday afternoon, the Kach family joined in the fun. Odesco was thrilled to spend time with his buddy Jenkins! We left after dinner but were grateful for the fellowship we squeezed in before the drive home...the Di's even take their gift of hospitality on the road with them inviting guests to spend each day with them !!

Our little man L gets to ride in style on one of his first playdates at his friend's house. It was too funny seeing him secured in his carseat as my friend L took off in her sporty convertible. He had such a fun time and was full of stories when he came home :) I just love this part of mothering-having the opportunity to rejoice with our kids when they rejoice!!!

Our first home school soccer game . On both teams, (the older and younger)kids played against our good friends, the G's . As you can see from this picture, they are friends first and even sat together as they waited to get back in the game.

The cousins... on Saturday we got together with my 'blended' family for a reunion of sorts. My one 'sister' is in the US with her hubby and 4 children on furlough from their time in the Honduras as missionaries. Mercy and Odesco fit right in with this crowd of busy kiddos!!

Oh Lord, how wondrous are your works! In wisdom you have made them all- Psalm 104:24

I know these are repeat pictures but I love to see the progression of God's handiwork :)

What a difference a day makes!!

7 days later...Not a great picture but you can actually see the butterfly under the now transparent chrysalis...such a dramatic change from the evening before.

L was the first to hold the butterfly....here you can still see the totally transparent chrysalis on the jar lid...amazing!!

For some reason, this little critter really liked L...it crawled up his shoulder and later when he was sitting , it crawled up and down on his legs!!

Everyone gets a turn!

"God's creation is sooo cool!"

"Mommy...it tickles!"

Poor creature was probably exhausted when we were finished holding/handling him (or her!)

Good-byes are never easy! Time to set 'George Washington/ Queen Lily' free he/she is perched above the kiddos heads on the 'butterfly bush'....
A few hours later in the day we had soccer practice and there was a Monarch butterfly hovering over the field..L was convinced it was 'George Washington' coming to visit...too funny!!

Taking its first sip of nectar outside! Just beautiful :)

I just love how the marvels of nature declare God's glory! Watching the metamorphosis of our little caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly was quite the experience- especially with the little ones to share my enthusiasm in the wonder of it all!! The changes in the chrysalis were almost imperceptible until Saturday night when I noticed it darkening and decided to move it into our netted 'butterfly pavilion' just in case the butterfly(affectionately named 'George Washington' by L and 'Queen Lily' by G!!) made his/her grand appearance while we were not home.When we woke up on Sunday morning , I knew that our butterfly was coming soon! The chrysalis had changed dramatically overnight from its bright green color to a transparent covering...we could now see the dark underside of the butterfly's wings. I had read that most often they emerge between 8-10 in the morning and I remembered that 5 years ago when we did this, the butterfly emerged in the morning when I was vacuuming. It was a coincidence I'm sure, but the floor needed a quick pick me up so I decided to vacuum the room the pavilion hung in hoping the noise might 'scare it out'....still no butterfly. The 4 littles were all dressed for church and wanting to meet their new friend before we left!
Next, we prayed that if God wanted us to witness this miracle of nature, that He would allow it to happen in the next 15 minutes since we had to leave for church...still no butterfly. Then the kids put on a "Gospel song" video and sang and danced their little hearts out...this probably scared that little critter into staying right where he was! So, without a butterfly sighting, off to church we went....
When we arrived home after church, the kids frantically bounded out of the van and into the family room... George Washington/ Queen Lily had arrived!! The 4 littles were so excited-jumping up and down, shouting...it was quite the celebration!...Mercy kept saying, "God's creation is so cool...I can not stop thinking about it!!"
On that first day, we were all able to hold it. We put some flowers and a paper towel soaked in sugar water on the floor of the pavilion hoping to witness the butterfly use its straw-like probiscus to drink the sweet water/nectar.
We kept him until Thursday when I noticed it (he/she?) was beginning to flutter about quite a bit in the pavilion - a sure sign that it was time to set it free. L was quite concerned and came to me..."I need to talk to you about something...I'm afraid the butterfly will be too cold and die when we let him go...can we pray?" So, after assuring my deep thinking tearful little man that God would take care of 'George', I prayed with him and that seemed to ease his little heart. We unzipped the pavilion and away 'George/Lily' fluttered onto a high branch on our butterfly bush. We watched him for a few minutes before he flew away.

Enjoying this visible reminder of God's handiwork made me ponder His control over all things. I could obviously take no credit as this tiny caterpillar changed before our very eyes... I was faithful to feed it milkweed but even then, it was God who provided the very sustenance/ the only food this creature needed to survive. It is the work of a powerful all knowing God who sovereignly orchestrates the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a gorgeous butterfly while sustaining the universe and caring intimately about us, His children. Amazingly,He is a God of the details-even knowing the number of hairs on our heads. It is mind boggling, isn't it?? This is so comforting to know as I contemplate the hearts of our 6 children. Yes, we must be faithful to nurture, instruct, train , admonish and encourage them but it is HE who will bring forth the fruit in their lives. He is the ONE who will change their hearts and transform them into trophies of His grace. And, Lord willing, when fruit does come forth, we can not receive any of the credit.... it is ALL a work of His amazing grace and He deserves all the glory. So, just as the miracle of transformation was imperceptible as that caterpillar remained in its bright green chrysalis, I must not grow discouraged when it appears from the outside that nothing is happening in the hearts of our children (or my own sin-filled heart!) Ultimately, a new creation was brought forth--without any help from me - and likewise, I trust that so it will be in the lives of our children :) Incidentally, Mama K also had a monarch chrysalis sitting on her kitchen counter (a mutual friend found all of the caterpillars on milkweed at our church property so several of us were doing this simultaneously). She was wondering if perhaps something was wrong since her caterpillar formed its chrysalis the same day as ours but had not yet emerged. Sure enough, it transformed eventually...again a reminder that God is at work regardless of what appears to be happening on the outside. Oh, how challenging it can be to be patient and wait on God's perfect timing ....praying that He will help me to remember this picture when I am tempted to doubt He is at work!! What a hope filled promise is contained in the verse below!!

And I am sure of this that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6

Now onto some household happenings:
**Last Saturday while Daddy and the kiddos were working outside, I was ironing ( my least favorite chore that gets attention very rarely!) and listening to a parenting cd a friend had loaned me. On it, a panel of moms were describing some difficult times with their strong willed children...one mom imitated the demands of her 3 year old son just as Odesco was coming in for a drink- he looked at me incredulously and said, " Mommy that tape is not honoring God because he is not asking for food the right way!" I got a good chuckle over that and then saw this amazing evidence of God's grace in our little boy's heart...that he would even recognize this as inappropriate is quite significant because just 9 months ago, he could have been that little demanding fellow on the tape!
** Yesterday Mercy had her first play date ever :)!! We were at our friend's the L's house for coop and Mercy was playing so nicely with their little girl that when it was time to go, she was invited to stay for the remainder of the afternoon and dinner. We have been trying to get a date on the calendar for Hannah to come to our house for a play date but it just didn't happen yet so this was a big surprise and a wonderful positive consequence for Mercy's good behavior. I was able to help her see that she was enjoying God's favor because of her obedience and choosing to honor Him. When I went to pick her up at 8:30, she reminded me of Tigger as she practically bounced her way to the car. She was bubbling over with joy and she talked non-stop all the way home telling me all about her wonderful time at Hannah's house. My mommy heart was so full as I listened to her babble on and on- a few times she would pause just to say, "I had so much fun- I just can not stop thinking about it!!" How precious to see her growing in friendships and really digging her roots down deep in the soil God has planted her in! A special thank you to the L's for opening your hearts and home to our little girl!
** We made it through week 2 of Homeschooler's Day Out with no major incidents...only little reminders here and there (ie: please take the rhythm sticks out of your nostrils!!(really!!) but no meltdowns...Hooray!! To God be the glory great things He has done!!

Thanks for reading this lengthy post!
So grateful for His wondrous works!~
Love,Mama B.

School Days, working and playing...

We are settling in to our schooling routine and new workloads. I am grateful that we 'tested' out the new schedule in August so that many of the kinks have already been tweaked before the 'official' start of our school year. Still have more 'tweaking' to do but at least our days are a bit more manageable:)
Having the 'light bulb' moments with the younger 3 is such a treat! I am so grateful that I have the privilege of watching them 'get' something for the first time. Our morning Bible and phonics time is always exciting with Mercy around. Her exuberance is contagious and before I know it, I have a kitchen full of singing, dancing kiddos as I attempt to get through the lesson of the day! My reading sessions with Mercy waver between pure hysteria and total exasperation. We both get the giggles when she tries to pronounce the sound of the letter 'R'...she pooches her lips out and concentrates so hard that she trips herself up. Her Liberian English causes her to drop the endings of many words so when we are reading the word 'meat' she will often say, "me'...but curiously enough when she is to read the word,'me', she will often pronounce it 'meat'!?! (Perhaps because of her preoccupation with food??) Soooo....daily I have opportunity to flex my 'patience' muscles as we do our lessons together. Despite occasional bouts of dramatic whining that school is 'so hard' , she is an eager learner and I do enjoy working with her. L is also doing the same reading program and he is progressing quite well too- he also has those moments of 'brain leaks' where he just isn't getting it but then will surprise me later on by making a giant 'brain leap'.( I borrowed these phrases from my friend and fellow home school mom, Kim) Since I've already had this familiar experience with the oldest 3 as they learned to read, I know now not to panic...they will eventually get it when they are ready!! Odesco is blowing through his preschool work and enjoys his 1:1 time with Mommy while L and Mercy have 'buddy time' upstairs and G is busy with her independent work. The big boys (especially P) are really taking responsibility for their work and becoming more independent learners.
Yesterday was our first day of Homeschooler's Day Out...it was a full exhausting day but really went so well. My heart is so grateful for the ladies I am blessed to home school alongside of. The wide array of classes and moms dedicated to teaching them just blows my mind. I am excited to be teaching a "Heroes of the Faith" class and look forward to seeing how God uses the true stories of faithful men and women to spur on the hearts of our young children! Again MAJOR evidence of God at work as I consider how well Mercy and Odesco did in all their classes...we had a FULL day and only minor issues to deal with...Hallelujah!!!

Today was our 2nd day of home school soccer. All 6 kiddos are participating this year. The 4 youngest are on a team together and coached by a good friend of our family which is a huge blessing. Watching these 4 from the sidelines is quite entertaining. Odesco amazes me with his coordination and natural inclination and speed , L is the character...waving, giving me thumbs up signs , moving his body in his unique 'rubber band man' manner...Mercy is one of the more demonstrative players on the field...her voice is definitely heard above all the others...I love watching her skip to her side of the field as the others are jogging into place...she is also the Drama Queen...today she was instructed to throw the ball out to a team mate and instead fell to the ground laughing! G is the Cheerleader...always ready to give a 'high five' when one of her teammates scores a goal and jumping up and down squealing when the ball approaches her end of the field. Today Mercy was at the bottom of a pileup and lay there wailing...she was fine...just needed to be encouraged to shake it off and get back on the field but L was being the protective brother...he had his little arm around her back and walked with her over to the rest of the players. It was sweet to see his tender heart for his sister...especially cute since Mercy is a full head taller than he is-
The big boys are all business and really working on their skills with the rest of their team mates.So, we are settling in to our new routine and I am enjoying the structure after a rather carefree summer of pool hopping :) Thanks for checking in!!
Mama. B (Sorry about the underlining and font colors...can't figure out what I did wrong!!)




Our big boys just keep getting bigger!! P with friend at soccer

C looking rather stylish with his tie-dye socks!

Our little guy with the fancy footwork :)

L with his buddy M at practice...

Our girlies...

The night before our first Homeschooler's Day Out...these 2 decided to get dressed like 'schoolgirls'. I actually have all 4 littles dress for Wednesdays on Tuesday nite'(minus the shoes!!)...makes for a much more peaceful transition out the door on those early morning scrambles:)!!

These 2 were supposed to be brushing their teeth and getting dressed in prep for our early morning departure...technically, they obeyed-teeth were brushed and clean clothes were donned-they just had a little imagining to do...I love seeing their little 'brother bond' growing!!

First class of the morning..."Teddy's Button" with Mrs. C~

Hard at work during 'Literacy for the Young'

Odesco, Jenkins and Mercy learning to use rhythm sticks in "God of All Creation'...and thankfully , they didn't attempt to 'make music' on each other's heads :)!!!

We had an impromtu 'family night' . While the kids folded laundry, I snuck down to my 'secret drawers' in the storage cabinet in the basement and I pulled this game called 'Journey to Bethelehem" I had purchased at the home school convention in May. While the kiddos were busy folding, I put on some Christmas music as they all tried to figure out what we were going to be doing! Talk about great motivation to get a job done!!! It is a very fun game that kids of all ages can participate in...there really is no winner- as you cruise the game board, there are goofy instructions ..."the last rest stop before Bethlehem...get up and flush a toilet!" ( a definate favorite among the littles!)...sing a Christmas song as loud as you can!' ( I think our neighbors heard this...and all the windows and doors were shut!)...' you're a shepherd- put a towel on your head', it's getting cold, put socks on your hands until you roll a '4'.. we made a memory, that's for sure!!! So, for any of my local friends...feel free to borrow it!! (sorry about the underlining...can't figure out where it came from or how to get rid of it!!!)

Wondering what Daddy is up to? He is rescuing L from his adventure(actually Daddy was there the whole time L was up in the tree)...L was 'on a mission' and staking out enemy territory as he spied way up high in this tree....hope the neighbors didn't see him peering into their yard!!! I just love his vivid imagination :)

Hard at Work...All 6 kiddos helped Daddy split and stack wood in preparation for those frigid winter days! It was great to see them all working together...often our days are filled with 'opportunities' for conflict resolution so when they pull together like this it is a joy to see and a reason for celebration!!

~ More Hard Work!! L's turn to control the log splitter~

Miss Mercy is such a diligent worker when she puts her mind to it!

A job well done ...that's alot of wood and believe it or not we will probably use it all!!

The transformation begins...after devouring lots of milkweed, our little caterpillar finally climbed onto the top of the jar lid and formed a 'j'...the signal that the next part of the amazing process is to take place. L enjoyed talking to this little critter while it was still in its creepy crawly state...L would sit at the counter and have a conversation...don't know if Mr. caterpillar heard him but I sure enjoyed it!!

We woke up the next morning and found the fully formed vivid green chrysalis...amazing!!! At the top of it is a shimmering thin gold line-when the sunlight hits it looks as if it is real sparkly gold... It reminds me of a a king's crown...I wonder is that why it is called a Monarch butterfly?? I love how the intricacies of God's creation often serve no other purpose than to cause us to marvel and give Him glory!!

Little boys at play...we never know what 'get-ups' they will have on next!!

C helped Odesco do these puzzles during his scheduled activity time during school