Five In A Row and Beyond FIAR.

So ill be adding FIAR to this years curric. Why? Some of the children need it.The repeat of reading the same book( words) over and over through the week I think will be huge for C10. E4 is also very interested in reading and Before FIAR was something we did a few months ago with the littles and it was nice. But now im going to take it a step futher and do the book how its planned.Our library has a few of the books and whatever books we love or cant find we will search for and buy. You can never have to many books! Oh my dream would be to do all the things I bought for this year but im realizing with adding another blessing we will in fact stick to the importance- reading alot for the ones who need it. H12 is flying through and really only needs to work on turning in book reports....she is complete book smart when it comes to school and she doesnt need me much these days to help. Or if she does its over my head and I need (have to) have my teacher book :( Im feeling really good about having my head on right this year and making changes I know God helped me with.Lots to do when you have many in row! Loven just about every min of it.
As for this new blessing, well she is keeping me up at night and making it hard to breathe.My feet are swollen and gross and ready for her to flip and engage. Im sooo ready to snuggle and nurse her and BEND over to tie my shoes!!!

Updates on the wild crew

Went to the doctors today and prayers have been heard and He is in full swing making it happen.Laura is up to 4.5 pounds now and in the 67th%! Yes thats right she is gaining and making mommy happy! I had more blood taken as I get it done every time I step out of my house it feels like. Just a few more weeks to go and we are counting it down. Husband is on the look out for a new treadmill for me once this breech bouncing baby arrives. I plan to be really strict with myself after she comes. After I had Cody I think he was like 2 or 3 I busted my butt to get into shape.I babysat my sisters twins and had my kids and managed to work out like I was in boot camp. My body was awesome! I was never skinny skinny I always had a body like an athlete. Im soooo ready to get that back and be me again.I have been in baby mode for 5 years straight now and im ready to get back to the healthy littler me. We spent this past week over in Indiana with the husband. We had a field trip to the Military Museum out there and it was amazing.History is my FAVORITE thing and to touch and see all these things just does it for me. The clothes from what these men and women wore were so small its nuts! All the letters they wrote and pics they took is so neat. From the toothbrush to the dinner plate it all is amazing. Cody is a huge Military fan and he got up close and touched all the tanks,jeeps,airplanes, helicopters he could. He was beaming from ear to ear the whole time. we also had a school melt down with one of the kids and we thought for sure that was it we were done! But nope we pulled though and prayed and prayed and have some things lined up that should help alot. I was listening to the radio this afternoon while out and they were talking about powering down parenting up. I have to say this past year has been the hardest year I have ever had with the kids. With Jeff working out of state and coming home for 18 hours on the weekend, leaving me a single parent to alot of littles and the big ones has proven to be the test of tests.granted we are all doing good and getting things done, I have failed huge on my kids.I have let things go and not disciplined where I should have.Let bad attitudes go on, screaming, fighting, just plain rudeness happen.I have been drained! Taking the kids out to the stores is now something I dont ever want to do but sometimes have to do. I remember when I would get complements every TIME we all would go out on how well my children are and Im so amazed at how well they listen. every time we would go out! Now I get oh my your hands are full or Im yelling at one or 2 of them or im losing a child to the clothes rack and freaking out. Well I make sure any time I need grocery's my mom watches the kids on Friday for me or Hannah watches half of them so im not so over stressed. Its hard to say the least to not have the support of the husband here. Well after I was praying and thinking and thinking about how Im going to parent up and figure out what we I need to do to get this house back on track it exploded right in my face! When I had listeners and good behavior, we had the Word of God in our house everyday! Didn't skip one day because we were busy or skip a day because I could do this.We had a routine of Prayer and talk. Everyday! Im pretty sure that was our ticket to good behavior. we had God on our side. back to the basics so call it we are. Theres no more running around the house with the child thinking they are over me. No more lazy, ill take care of that attitude later thinking. Im going to be back on track and parent up big time!! AS far as school goes we re now behind, yes behind! why because I parented down. I let the kids win and me lose and now I feel like crap about it! way to go JEN!

Busy playing and planning

Chase and Jolene playing the kitchen set

Yes, this is what happens when you turn your back for a second on the laundry!

My silly husband flashing me his bright whites!

This here is my niece Robin and my daughter Hannah.

So the Missouri heat is on full blast and I just happen to be huge and preggers. Well thats alright because the nice old air of my house is wonderful! We have been busy playing inside making the house a mess, which is also ok because thats why we have it, to enjoy inside and out! I do think my laundry room needs meds right away because every time I turn my back it throws up all these things called clothes and its very disturbing.Ill post a pic but let me warn you ahead of time..... its not pretty! As for school we are cracking right along. Cody got a little behind but boy when I say we need to make it up he jumps and works all day until his little hand and head can go no more. Hannah is flying right along too, I had to slow her down in 2 subjects as she was going away ahead of my planning and I just cant keep up with her. Cody and Hannah are really showing me the signs that school is neat. I have seen a huge a change in Cody this school year.Lets keep praying it stays that way. The little boys are doing awesome also.we learned the color red, began hand writing, shapes, and even a little pretend play ;0 This is just review for Ethan but Chase wants to be right along with him so we start from the start and just go with the flow. My sister dropped off a ton of toys for the littles and they have been busy away playing.It was Christmas is July for them. We also spent the day out at my sisters house enjoying her massive pool and the family.It was nice to have a day with her and the kids and my mom.I dont see her enough or those wild Nelson kids. My brother is putting up our deck off the dinning room and I cant wait for that to get done.Ill post pics :) I must go and write more later my brother just pulled up and ready to work.

Drained

Im so mentally drained its not even humanly right for one person. Im sure its a mix of being 7 months pregnant, 3 little who dont listen, 2 older kids who dont bother to help unless they are yelled at, the husband gone 6 days a week, me the only one keeping up the house, having to deal with the baby not growing...... the list goes on. I finally just had enough tonight and sent my littles to bed and the big kids down stairs. I usually have a routine that would make a mother scream! Ready for this???? I rock Jolene to sleep EVERY night in my chair.I rock Chase to sleep EVERY night in my chair, Ethan stays up as late as I do, meaning 10 or later for him.I hate the routine we have.I need my alone time, I get NO time to ever breathe EVER. It feels like my world is caving in on me.I get even more stressed when people are being nice and I love all who ask but I dont need help with the kids, I dont need help with the house and I need some body here all the time. I NEED MY KIDS TO LISTEN, I need my husband home and I my family back in one house. Its a stress unless you have been down this road you wont have any idea what this feels like. I'm expecting a baby in weeks and im so ready to pack for Indiana and be there so I have help from my husband. I need him like crazy and its not fair Im on this road. I usually have good days but the amount of stress I have right now makes me speechless. I have to get the littles on some routine that will change this behavior that's making me stress.

Wooohoo we are doing it!

Thats right folks our school year has kicked off and we are loving it! aside from the little boys so full of energy they could pull a steam train up a hill all by themselves, we are moving along. I plan on doing a weekly wrap up with other bloggers of homeschoolers on Fridays so I wont post a whole lot right on school. I have my 15 year old niece Robin for a whole week. Hannah and Robin are like 2 peas in pod! I mean the talent these girls have for drawing is beyond amazing. So they are painting a HUGE beautiful nature theme on the nursery for the little girls. They are doing trees on both sides of the window.One tree is a tree of fairy babies and the other is a tree with an old owl looking on and leaves falling. I wouldnt be Jen if I didnt have some random pumpkins on the wall :) So they will paint some little pumpkins on the bottom with the grass.They have the drawings done and have started the painting of the trees. Im so excited! Once done with the girls room, they will move to the boys room and do the solar plant! Oh man they are good. They only thing I can make is stick people and even that is scary! My pregnancy is moving long and getting closer to the day I get to hold and snuggle this baby. Its amazing to me we will have 7 beautiful kids. Our house is loud and crazy and total mess but its ok.This is just a season in my life and before I know it they will be grown and on there own. So sad to think about. Its so funny because people come over who have 2 or 3 kids and they have NO clue how a house is ran with many kids. They look at you like your nuts and judge from the way the kids will act up ( just them playing drives them crazy). FUNNY!! Anywho I better get back to the kids and fold this laundry thats calling my name and I get yelling back at it to chill out but it dont listen!

Our Curriculum for the new year ;)

I dont know if you can see them but thats 3 little birds in the nest hanging from our tree.Cody found them about 2 weeks ago and we have watched them everyday and they are gone now :( BIg enough to fly away.

I have been pounding away at our lessons for the new school year ( July 11th). Well I try, with littles always on the table and a fight to stop and sippies to fill and mouths to feed.....you get the idea! So Im pretty much done, only thing I need to do is the preschool and work on my monthly calender.With co op not decided if they will stick to Mondays or not im feeling like I just lost time writing in the planners.Thankfully a good friend said to plan everything in pencil, and I listened. So heres our run down....

Hannah- Abeka 7 Science Order and Design, 7 Grammar and Composition, 7 Vocabulary Spelling and Poetry, 7 History of the World in a Christian Perspective, Saxon Math 7/6, Pathway Readers Seeking True Values and Step by Step both with workbooks,Building Thinking Skills Book 2,Bible Joshua and Judges and Acts. She will be required to turn in a book report every 2 weeks.We are doing Creative writing and Art with our co op class. We, at home will do Abeka Art 4. Im sure I forgot something....

Cody-Abeka 3 Spelling and Poetry,Math 3 Abeka,Penmanship mastery 4,God Girf of Language A ( writing and Grammar), Science 4 Understanding Gods World,History of the United States in a Christian Perspective 4,developing Good Health 4, Rod and Staff Bible, Phonics on Audio tapes.All together we will be doing the Power Builders as our Bible time.Again I'm sure I left something out....He will also be required to turn in a book report every week.

we will also finish last years My Fathers World Year one.Not much left to do but they did love the map and the books.

My littles are doing My fathers World K and Rod and Staff preschool. Abeka Art Amber Lamb. Alots of learning this year and very excited to get going. As soon as we are in full swing the baby will be here to knock us off track ;) But thats alright the kids don't mind ;)

Romans 5:3-4

Chase showing me he is ready for a new baby.This is Cece she is 4 months old.

5 of the 6 rowdy boys.Ethan was still sleeping. we each have 3 boys :)

The girls after their blind folded make overs!! A little scary, yes?

Ethan sporting Hannahs cRAZy wigg.

My 4 guys looking at the new hole my husband dug with his man toy.

we can rejoice,too, when we run into problems and trails,for we know that they help us develop endurance.4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. I woke up with this verse this morning. Not showed to me by anyone but God.He is just that amazing! As I go through some very hard stressful times I rely on God to guide and lead our family where we need to be.Is it hard? You bet! But in the end, it all is amazing and im waiting for that. I know we will be ok, I know Laura will be healthy and happy with im hoping the big floppy Ownby ears. I know Jeff and I can make any house a home rather its here in Missouri or Indiana or Illinois or Vermont.I know that this house my husband built for us is not a home because he isnt here to make it complete.I dont except my family to understand but in time they will. I cant be mom and dad 24/7. Sure I can do sometimes and do it with joy knowing my husband is 2 states over working himself to death for us.But he is always so upset because he has missed out on everything with Jolene.He has missed moments here Cody needed a dad to guide him.He misses night time routine, dinner at the table with his beautiful. Why should a family be torn about just because they have a nice house back here.Or because I feel guilty for taking my kids away from family here.God is showing me that this will be ok. What the future holds we dont know but I know everyday it gets easier to deal with because I know we will be together in the end. we told the kids last night that we are thinking of RVing it for awhile and sure enough the movie RV came on not 5 minutes later and the first question had was " whos cleaning out the crapper?!" Cody raised his hand and called it.Shew thats one thing I dont have to do now! I do enough diaper changes I cant handle doing the big crapper! So we will see how things go.First thing is first and thats getting Laura here big and healthy. Alrighty heres what we have been up to lately.... we hosted friends from North Carolina for a few days this past weekend.It was so nice to have a house full of kids and mom of 6 who understands what I go through. they have moved so many times and stayed together the whole time. Amazing she had the strength to move with that many kids and was so joyful about.She is amazing! we had 4 teenage girls,6 rowdy rowdy boys and 2 beautiful little baby girls! So mush for the kids and me. we missed our first co op Monday but thats alright.Thats life with a large family. Hannah is doing awesome in piano and Jeff is looking for a new piano for her.We have a really old one we were blessed with by some friends but it needs alot of work and the price it would be to fix we can find one new used.He has looked all over the part in Indiana where is at but none have really caught our eye.Look continues! We have been enjoying the Missouri heat and sunny days we have here.the wildlife right out our back is totally beautiful! Cody spends all day and I mean all day looking for snakes and turtles and lizards.we have had a few snakes in his hands and nasty looking things.Being a mom to 3 boys snakes dont seem to bad anymore because you should see some of the crazy gross frogs and toads they bring to me! Ill take a snake anyday!!!! We had kids with bronchitis and pneumonia that lasted about 2 weeks. That was scary and so glad its over. Cody did wake up this morning begging for pain reliever for his headache.Poor guy never ever gets sick so im hoping he is just needing a lot water and rest.His tummy was hurting so i have him laying in bed.Please Lord dont let him throw up! Jolene is talking up a storm now. Every morning she goes up and down the hallway screaming " guys! guys!". Shes looking for the little boys. I also had 2 friends have babies this week and its the start of baby season over here.I have 3 more friends due before me now and 3 due right after me! Should be fun times and anyone not having babies I just have to say baby fever will likely kick in now!