Million Billion Trillion

Okay, so in my last post or two or three, I have tried to convince all my "blog friends" that I haven't forgotten that I have a blog. Well, I pretty much have. Or, in all honestly, it has fallen down the priority list for the time being. Us Wards are super busy . . . in a good way, but still, BUSY! We have all been through the flu and colds. Jojo is getting over strep throat. Karl and I attended the Youth Ski Retreat out church goes to. I am now on a worship team at church. I quit one job, started another (although I think I mentioned that in my last post), and am taking a leave of absence from our farm job next month! The kids are all in the midst of practices for the AWANA games that are coming up very quickly, in fact the day after that all happens, we leave to North Carolina and Tennessee for a few days. That trip will entail fun, seeing family and friends, and even business - as a friend is having a Pampered Chef party that week! We are all excited about that trip. But if you don't mind, I'm going to chat at you about how amazing my life is, in spite of all the chaos!

I am so blessed! I know the Savior of the world! Jesus Christ! He never fails to reveal himself to me, when I need it the most. The ski retreat was designed to be an amazing time for the kids, but it was also an amazing time for me! I was reminded how God has cared for me, all of my life. How He loves me as a daughter. How He desires to know my heart, and for me to know His heart. I was also reminded, that no matter how long I have been a Christian, there will be a room in my heart that needs renovation - the kind that requires a master carpenter. I happen to know the best carpenter around! He loves me more than I will ever comprehend, and when we are in the demolition phase, I can trust that He will rebuild me stronger, for His glory! How great is that?!?!?!?

Then, there's my Karl . . . can I just say - he's perfect! He's perfect for me. I love him (seriously) more than I ever imagined was possible. I pray fervently, that my Katy will meet someone as great as her Daddy. Who loves the Lord, and serves Him. He spoils me with his love. It's not grandiose gifts that make me know he loves me. It's how he looks at me from across the room. Or how he listens as intently as our children do, when I read aloud to the kids. It's that he stays up all hours of the night so that I won't have to stop writing my blogpost to go to bed! It's that he reads God's Word every day. It's that he serves our country despite all it's flaws and failings. It's that he wants our children to know God personally - and that while Daddy loves them more than just about anything - he loves God more. It's that he makes me a priority, even over our kids. (Controversial to some people maybe, but I think it is a living demonstration of Christ's love for His bride, the Church.) I could go one for pages and pages, but I'll spare you all of that. I just love my man!

Then, there's our kiddos!

Katy, my dear sweet daughter. She is scarily growing faster than I can buy new clothes! :) She is turning into quite the little lady, and while we are starting to hear a bit of attitude every now and again from her, she is the best daughter I could ever have asked for. When we were all sick, I was literally in bed for 3 days straight! Karl had to work, so who managed the house and the boys, and even most of the cooking??? That's right! My Katy bug! She is such a joy. I thank God for her daily!

Hunter, my hunter-man. He is growing like a weed as well! He is becoming a fine goose hunter, and that is all good. You see, after deer season, he was beginning to think we named him wrong! No way! We knew what we were doing! He got 6 geese in two outings! He beat all the old veterans of the sport that were with them that day too! Hunter, if you don't know him well enough to know, has the sweetest heart. He cares when someone is hurting, and his heart breaks for people in a way, that I have only seen in adults. He is a friend to the friendless (literally), and stands up for the defenseless. I love him for that! He really wants to invent something really spectacular, but doesn't have any ideas yet, so stay tuned for posts about his inventions!

Andrew . . . well, Andrew is in a stage . . . Hunter was there a couple of years ago, and we are glad to know it isn't so much a personality trait, as a stage. He likes to be involved in every conversation, and he usually thinks he knows it all, and he is right! :) It is a frustrating, but often times very comical stage. I amthough, hoping he will take this and run with it. A man who firmly believes in something, is a force to be reckoned with. It is my sincere prayer, that God will use this to Andrew's benefit, but moreso, to further God's kingdom! Andrew has a willing heart, and I believe that God has big plans for him! I love my Drewly!

Well, then there's Jojo. He is a goof ball! He says the funniest things, at the funniest times! Sure to be the class clown. He is trying to figure out whether he is a leader . . . or a follower. I get the privilege of being one of his homeschool group teachers, and watching him work through that is absolutely hilarious! He has started into the phase of trying to lie to Mommy and Daddy. It's not working out so well. Which is great if you ask me! He recently tried to lie about a candy or cookie or something, and when I asked him "Josiah, are you lying to Mommy?" He just lost it! Crying so hard . . . he knew he had done something wrong, and that he had hurt me. His heart was repentant right away, and I loved every minute of it! He is asking a lot of questions about Jesus, and having Jesus in his heart. I pray constantly for his salvation. I trust he will know Christ as his personal Savior.

Okay, so I have rattled on and on about my wonderful blessings . . . there are so many more . . . it would take a million billion trillion blog posts to list them, and I am sure if I tried that, I would miss a million billion trillion more! So, for now, know that if you are reading this, you would certainly show up in one or more of those million billion trillion posts.

So much has happened, and much to you all's (I'm sure that is not a word, but whatever . . . ) bitter diappointment, there will be no picture with this blog post. I know, I know, my writing is not what you all come here for, but our camera is broken (got dropped on Christmas) and we just found out, the warranty we purchased for it expired on the 28th of December. :( So, pictures will be at a minimum for awhile, as the priority for funds right now is to get our whole family to Oregon again this summer, for what is going to be another fantastic Saemenes' girl wedding. Yup, if you hadn't heard anywhere else, you heard it here . . . Linnaea is getting married! I really don't know a ton of details, but the family is really enjoying getting to know he Tommy, and Bellcastro (his last name) will fit fine just after Linnaea's name. :) Our family is very excited to see all of what God has planned for their lives together!

Hunting season is essentially over . . . there is just some really, REALLY cold bow hunting to be done until the 31st for the die hard or desperate hunters out there. We don't have to be out, as we have 9 deer in the freezer! I got one, my first, a buck, and Karl got 5! Also, we had a friend who gave us a couple to help feed our little, but evergrowing army here. (No, that was not an announcement - we are not pregnant. Our kids just don't stop growing!)

Hunter wasn't so sure we named him correctly, as his deer season didn't shape up like he has imagined . . . each time deer were close enough to get a shot at, he was either snoozing away in the stand, or he was too excited (Buck Fever) to pull the trigger. One time, he told Karl that his finger wouldn't move! :) So, we figured we had to find a way to convince him we named him right . . . so, on to goose hunting it was. Hunter's first time out was last Saturday, and don't you know . . . he shot two! Of twelve guys out that day, he got 2 of the 8 they shot as a group! The smallest went to Hunter, as did the biggest! Oh, and the goose jerky . . . Yummy! It's amazing! I hear boiled goose hearts are good too, but I left that eating to the boys! :)

I did take Josiah (5) out hunting on one day. He was so cute all camo'd up! He wasn't too sure about the sitting still or being quiet thing, but he loved using the range finder to see how close the trees were, as the deer were much to far away to even see! ;) And I loved seeing him enjoy his time with his mommy and in nature!

Andrew is chomping at the bit to get his Hunter Safety Course under his belt! He loves to shoot the bb gun and airsoft guns that we have, but he wants so badly to hunt with daddy! We are excited that next year, assuming he passes the course, will be his first year hunting. We just aren't too sure how we are going to take each of the kids hunting enough to give them a real shot at getting a deer, and still have time to get the deer we need to fill the freezer! We'll figure it out.

Katy, has been saving for almost a full year, to buy an American Girl doll for herself, and she finally got all the money she needed - and then some! So, we have a new doll in the house. She's a look alike doll, that doesn't look a thing like Katy! Katy named her Justine, because she does look like a sweet friend who used to babysit the kids all the time when we lived in Maine.

We have a lot going on this year, and any numbers of changes that could come down the "pipeline" so to speak. I just signed to be a Pampered Chef Consultant - working this business will help us to afford the plane tickets for our entire family to be at Linnaea and Tommy's wedding in June! Then in March, we find out the results of the officer package Karl put in. In April, if we don't get the officer package, we will start looking for our next set of orders - that could lead us - who knows where! In May, we have Hunter's birthday, and who knows what else, and then in June . . . the wedding! (Oh and Birthdays galore and our anniversary - 14 years!?!?!?!?) And then we will get to the summer . . . maybe! :) In the midst of all of that, we plan to get more chickens and guineas, raise another pig, keep our jobs at the horse farm, continue homeschooling and still have sanity! Looking toward the fall . . . the biggest couple of things on the agenda are a hunting trip for Karl in Wyoming (the kids and I MAY be going, but not sure yet.) AND . . . our cousin Abby Michelle, getting married! There's no firm date yet that we have heard, but we just can't wait . . . we have had the opportunity to get to know her Matthew over the past couple of years, and they are a great couple, make a great team, and with them, we are excited to see all of what God has planned for their lives together!

So, as you can read (assuming you can read) we continue to stay busy and continue to love our lives! The busy-ness may make for craziness, but the craziness makes for fun, and who doesn't love to have fun?!?!?!?!

No, I haven't forgotten that I have a blog . . . I have though had little time to invest in it! I mostly come here to get a quick and easy link to the other blogs I follow. Sorry. Not that too many people follow mine, but those that do (Abby) are surely missing my life. Yeah right?!?!?! Anyhow, there is so much to write about these days . . . we have come way past Halloween and Thanksgiving, through the "holidays" and emerged on the other side. 2011! The past couple of months have held many exciting times for us. New friends were made, first deer were shot, and oh - so much more. I will hopefully get to update you on some of the details of a couple of the key events . . . but for now, I guess it's just a request that you few followers not give up on me and my blog . . . at least not yet . . .

On to our next stop . . . .

After spending a few days with our friends, the Moitozo's, we were on our way to some new adventures . . . we arrived in Charlotte at Uncle Dave and Aunt Joyce's house and the first thing to do after hugs and hellos . . . is head straight for the vintage Ms. Pacman arcade game! The boys can't get enough of it each time we are visiting, and I'll admit that Katy and Karl and I all take our fair share of turns on the console! :) We love hanging out at the Draxler's, especially when my cousins come to play . . . Abby played Twister with the kids, and Jeremy trapped Joe in a corner, and Rachel brought her adorable puppy "Major" over to play! We all shared a family dinner and hours of catching up . . . I love this family! Also, while we were there was when Karl and I got to go to the Nascar race. Aunt Joyce and Cousin Abby volunteered to hang out with the kids for the day and night so we could enjoy the race with no worries. They went to the park and to Chuck E. Cheese, and to the Dollar Store . . . they had a blast! The boys were especially thrilled when Mr. Matthew (Abby's significant other) showed up at the park to play for awhile. They enjoyed seeing him with hair, for the first time ever! (He's a Marine, so we often see him with little to no hair!) Anyhow, all in all the trip went very well, although, somewhere we picked up a bug, and it traveled through our family as well as the Draxler's family over the next week or so . . . As Uncle Dave said "Thanks for sharing." :) But we'll just say . . . Thanks for helping! We love to be close enough to this part of our family that we can get to know them a bit! Thank you, thank you, thank you! We love you! And, we can't wait to see you again.

NASCAR!!!

Okay, so there are plenty of you out there who have no idea that I am a Nascar fan! I love it! I record it every weekend that it's on . . . the practice and qualifying and all! I usually end up watching (sleeping through) it on Sunday afternoon. I am a Jeff Gordon fan . . .I know, BOO! HISS! Anyhow, and Karl like Jimmie Johnson - teammates. Katy likes Kyle Busch (although for the life of me, I can't figure out why.) Anyhow, we got tickets to go to the Charlotte Motor Speedway race in October . . . it was my first Nascar race, and Karl's first as afan. Itwas spectacular! I'll admit, thecrazies that come out for the races are hilarious and scary and weird and well CRAZY!!! But, I had a blast . . . we were in the 11th row, just about 75 yards past the start/finish line, so the sound was incredible, and jarring, and amazingly powerful! The anticipation, along with the adrenaline and the excitement, all brought me nearly to tears as the cars ROARED past us at the sight of the green flag! I was amazed at the display of power - to think that man could take credit for such a machine (or 43 of such machines) just blows my mind . . . how much mightier is The hand that created the sun and the moon and the stars?!?!?!?

Wow!

As I type this, the final race of the season is set to take place tomorrow,

and while my driver doesn't have a chance at the championship for this year, Karl's does,

so for today and tomorrow . . .

GO Jimmie Johnson!

Monday, I'll be back to my old favorite!

Fun with the Moitozo's!

So, backing up just a bit, we're going to head back in time to October . . . I know, I know . . . Halloween has been and gone, but we (Us Wards) had a hugely eventful October, and so much fun, that I just have to share with all of you!

We went to North Carolina to spend nearly a week with our dear friends, the Moitozo's. Steve (Dad) wasn't there, as he was traveling for work, so Karl, Katy, Hunter, Andrew, Josiah and I headed to Monroe to hang out with Glenda, Steven and Evan. We had a great time! We played outside, visited museums, took a tour of the Wycliffe/Jarrs facilities there in Waxhaw, and I think the highlight of the week was driving up to the Lazy Five Ranch! Some of you may wonder how we got friends in NC, so I'll explain. When we were stationed in Maine, we went to the same church as Steve and Glenda - we quickly became close with their entire family, and have grown to love them. We count them among our closest friend, and as a blessing from God! This spring, following God's calling they'd had for some time, they moved their family to NC, where they serve in missions with Jarrs/Wycliffe Bible Translators! We were so pleased that they moved, as they are closer now, than when they were in Maine, and we will likely be able to see them a couple of times a year still! So praise The Lord for his supplying of friends that uplift and support us in our calling, as we try to do the same for them. Moitozo's, if you read this, just know that - We love you guys!

There's are tons of pictures below, and I don't want to take (nor do I have) the time to caption each of them, so here's a list, in no particular order of the pictures below.

Cat caught in live trap, albino elk, Karl feeding a cow elk, scottish highland cattle, karl with a giraffe, Luther the rhino, zebra, watusi cattle, tortoise, on the ranch, Joe in the corn bin, pumpkin slingshot (super fun!), three-wheeler fun, Katy playing mommy/doctor to Evan after a spill, and a few group shots. Hope that helps!

No, no, I haven't forgotten that I have a blog. But, as usually happens when I start something . . . I let life get in the way . . . so this week, I am going to TRY to get one or two posted. It will be all old news to most of you, as I talk to my friends and family more than I blog these days, but just in case . . . expect some posts of Our trip to Charlotte, My first NASCAR race, Hunting update, Journey, Starbase, kitchen and home update, Andrew and water, Hunter and guns, Eggs, and Halloween . . . in no particular order, with no promises expressed or implied!