Outnumbered

I am totally outnumbered! Growing up with one sister there are times when I stand back to observe my boys and think "boys are just weird!" I don't remember playing air guitar like Jesse does, or making the punch line of every joke "poop," or wanting to wrestle every time a daddy or brother is lying on the floor, or eating as much food as my dad- like Jared does now at every meal, or begging to light a match to start to the wood stove, or trying to pick up my mom while she is cooking just to see if I can yet, or laughing at Popeye or The Three Stooges, or checking out muscles in the mirror (okay Amy, I know I did that). Anyway, I love my boys. I am excited for the day when my boys are tall, handsome young men that can really carry their mama, but I am also enjoying these fun, adorable, full of life and energy, mischievous boys right now ...(at least most of the time!) :)

Hand-Me-Downs

A couple of days ago, my sweet Aunt Lorena from Ohio sent a bunch of boxes full of my cousins' hand-me-downs. The boys went wild. I thought only girls got excited about such things, but boy was I wrong. Jesse wanted everything to fit him so bad, but they are just one size too small. I miss my cousins in Colorado and Kansas so much. Visits to Colorado to see family were such a huge part of my life growing up. I am sad that with the passing of my Grandpa we haven't made it out there for seven years. I will treasure putting these clothes on my younger two....it's our connection to family- and a ton of boy cousins! :)

John Russel Kuykendall

Yeah it's Monday!

There was a time in my life when I dreaded Mondays. They were the beginning of a school or work week. Since BJ has been in ministry, however, Mondays have always been his day off. It is so nice to still have Monday to look forward to after a busy Sunday. Plus, we can go places as a family and avoid the Saturday crowds! Today we took the boys bowling as a celebration for completing the first half of the school year well. Jared and Jesse really enjoyed it. Justin was in charge of watching the balls come back up that return thing and J.R. hung out. We only lost J.R. once! It happened so fast...BJ and I both looked around and said "Where is John?" After a short panic, we found him going up the stairs (his new trick). Bowling is a lot of fun. And I have discovered that I bowl a good game with a nine pound ball. :) I am usually stuck with a heavier one.

Check out that stride!

Monday's Work Day

This past Monday, our family did a little logging! :) My in-laws had a large tree fall over in their backyard during a wind storm. We were glad to help them take care of this problem. I was so proud of how hard the boys (mostly Jared and Jesse) worked. Jesse couldn't wait to start "axing." It was still very windy and so cold. And we forgot the boys' gloves and hats! (Notice Justin's nice headdress!) BJ and I were wanting to get away and had thought about a day trip to the beach and then heard about the tree and went there instead. We both agreed that a day of hard work... as a family...can be just as much fun. (Of course, I stayed inside to take care of J.R. and visit with Sally. :) )

Brotherly Love!

J.R. is really starting to play with his brothers. He thought Jesse's cat was great fun!
I love it when the boys make this tent because it is the same way my sister and I made tents. It even uses the same chairs (only now they are painted)! We put a blanket over top with rubber bands around the knobs of the chair. :)

These two are always silly together!


Justin is turning into a real clown. He wore his paper crown all day.

Poor baby John. His brothers wanted to act out the Christmas story the other day. Guess who got to play baby Jesus....in a swaddling fleece blanket lying in a laundry basket with an umbrella? I was surprised at how long he let his brothers keep him there. Of course, he didn't have much of a choice!

A Project...

My friend (and next door neighbor) invited me to her church's Monday night knitting group. The first project is a scarf. A few years ago I made a couple of quick and easy scarves, but this one is definitely going to be harder...even though it says it is an easy one! I had kind of forgotten how fun knitting was. Hopefully I will finish it and enjoy the finished product. :)

FFA

Our future farmer of America?

Flood Update

Everything is getting back to normal in our town. Our paper estimated around 200 homes flooded in Centralia. While we are sorry for those that are hurt (some are our friends) we are thankful that it was nowhere near as devastating and widespread as earlier predicted. We are praising God for keeping the water from rising another inch, which could have resulted in so much more damage. Thanks for your prayers.

Flooding....again

Tonight our town is supposed to flood. The news of this flooding was a little overwhelming since the December 2007 flood is still so fresh in all our minds. Just less than a month ago, a family in our church had an open house for all the friends and family that worked on their home from last year's flood. Their home was hit really hard and had just finished the repairs. BJ took a bunch of cinder blocks from the church over to them today. We heard about the 100 year floods when we moved here, but did not even come close to understanding them until experiencing one ourselves. So, if you are reading this today or tomorrow, please pray for our community. Our home is not supposed to get wet, but much of Centralia and the greater Lewis County area will flood.

So glad he's home....

BJ was gone for five long days at a SHAPE retreat. I am so glad to have him home. While he was away, we went to Chuck E. Cheese with my sister (Isaac was at the same retreat) and her in-laws. It was nice to be able to spend some time with Amy and her girls... and I love that I am such good friends with her in-laws. :)

Justin and Grace were terrified of Chuck E. So much so, that Justin's hands were shaking. I wonder why they chose a giant rat?

A New Year

A new year is here! BJ and I are very much a goal oriented couple... and I am looking forward to setting new goals for myself as well as my family. At times, when life seems overwhelming and I wonder if and how we can raise and homeschool four boys to be responsible, hard working, full of character, men of God, etc. ... I am reminded of a new goal we implemented in a previous year. Sometimes it was a small one or a no-brainer we should have been doing anyway, but remembering this encourages me. Life is a process. God is growing and teaching us. When I look at the families that are an encouragement to me, I often forget that it took years for them to get where they are too. This week we bought a new recliner for our home. It was such a big deal for Beege and I. In our 9 1/2 years of marriage we have been blessed with furniture (couches, chairs, and tables) from family. Some were cuter than others. :) (The orange and brown flowered chair was not my favorite.) I think young newlyweds often forget that it took their parents years to obtain the look they have today, and try to get it now. So this chair is a reminder to me that my living room is even closer to the primitive, country look I love.....and my family is a little closer to the family God wants us to be. To God be the glory.

" This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. The Lord is good unto them who wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him." Lamentations 3: 21-25

"Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not." Jeremiah 33:3