Real Life in a Large Family

Well, I just can’t believe it has been so long since I have posted anything on here. Much has happened this year. For starters I had Rachel January 17. She is now crawling and pulling herself up. I’m sure she’ll be walking before she is a year old. She is the cutest little thing! Her nick name is Plubby. Canaan chose that name for her because she is so chubby.  I would love to put up a picture of her but I can’t figure out how to get it to load.   I will have to work on that. 

I am also in the process of starting a home based business. I am going to offer low cost pregnancy tests, ovulation tests, my homemade soap, and natural products for women’s and children’s health. I am so excited about doing this I wish the set up process were much faster. I will of course be posting links to my web site as soon as its up and running.

We have started back to school. Wow, it seems there are so many children at so many different levels. I don’t know what I would do without the Robinson curriculum! This will be Jeremiah’s last year of school. He has become such a fine young man. He can fix just about anything. He just amazes me with the things he does around here like fixing the truck, water pipes, my Bosch cord. You name it he can fix it.

It’s amazing to me how loud a house can be with only 8 children in it. It also amazes me how certain children can run through a house with speeds only known to super hero cartoon characters. Of course these things only happen when I’m not feeling well and really want it calm and quiet. Children are the most amazing creatures!

Just now my Canaan came to me with a sword in one hand, his sisters baby doll seat on the other arm as a shield and a pillow between his legs as a horse. This creativity is so encouraging to me! My children are wonderful even if they have loud days and run faster than any human alive.

I will say it is nice to have grown children around though. It gives me hope to hang in there. My oldest son, who lives in a little house on our property with his wife and daughter, was off work yesterday so he and Jeremiah the 16 year old spent most of the day getting gravel for our rockless driveway. Another homeschooling educational tip. The earth opens up and swallows any and all gravel you put on it with the intent to drive your vehicles on. They got most of the pot holes filled and a huge mud pit by my sons house covered so they won’t have to look like they have competed in the pud pit world championship finals every time they go somewhere.

I knew it had been a while since I had posted anything on here and there has been so much happening that I keep thinking I need to post but then the treadmill of life keeps going and I never seem to make time to sit down and type. I am hoping this will count as the entry of the year.

We have added more permanent animal friends to the farm this year. We now have our own sows and a boar. Because of the addition of these wonderful wondering creatures and the meat goats I now call our farm The Fenceless Farm! Now, for you homeschoolers out there did you know a full grown sow can climb a 5 foot wood fence? I haven’t seen it with my own eyes yet but that is what Jordan the 15 year old said. We are surrounded by soybean fields and the pigs know it. They have decided that the soybeans are much better fresh off the vine rather than coming from the bucket every day. The goats have joined in and they have a feast almost daily. The chickens are out there daily too but I am hoping they are only eating the insects. Our farm makes free range take on a while new meaning. We even had a period where the cows kept getting out. Thank the Lord we got that problem fixed!!!

Other news on the home front. I am expecting again! Yippee!!! I must say I have enjoyed this pregnancy more than the others but I still don’t like being pregnant. I love labor and birth and the new baby but the nine months leading up to it is not my favorite time in life. This birth will be at home as usual. I am hoping to catch the baby myself but we’ll see how it all works out when the time comes. I am due in January the actual due date it the 13^th but I am telling everyone the 23^rd. I have been late with all of the children except one so I can usually count on it. To be honest I am hoping it will come early. I am so tired and feel like a beached whale. I am thankful that Don sees I need some encouragement at this time in life. He keeps telling me I am beautiful but I keep thinking you are just trying to be nice so I just smile and keep my mouth shut.

There is so much more I would love to share but I need to get a move on….I’ll be back later.