Photo Updates

Our first photo update is Doodle and his first missing tooth! He was very excited! The new tooth was not waiting for the old- it was already coming in behind it!

Some of you are aquainted with our sweet Mattie. Her nose got her into trouble this summer and her leg was terribly hurt in an ATV accident. After much vet care, four pins and many x-rays there were still loose bone fragments in her paw and the vet recommended an amputation. She's back home and doing very well. Still the same sweet Mattie!

We had the chance to go horseback riding yesterday. It was a beautiful fall day to do it. Here's my favorite photo of our flirtin' cowboy:

And finally, what is fall without jumping in a pile of leaves. Here are our bookends enjoying fall to it's fullest:

Retirement of the Coach

Soccer is over!!!

As a mommy, I love soccer. I love the fact that my kids love the sport. I love getting out of the house and watching them interact with other kids. I love watching their little bodies run around the field and their bright eyes dance when they do something well- and they know it!

However- this season my role of mommy shifted into that of coach for the other 8 kids on the team. Don't get me wrong- it's a volunteer organization and I am happy to have been able to do my part. I just didn't volunteer to be the head coach this time around and so resented that part of it. It was a boundary thing. Coaching #2 meant I didn't see #1 play until last night- THE last night. For. 5. Minutes. It meant our 3-year-old just kind of floundered onto and off of the field... Not really knowing what to do. There were rewards- as I got to hear calls of "Coach Molly!" and got tackled on one occasion by a big team hug gone wrong. The kids were precious, and I'll miss them. But...

I am looking forward to watching both of the boys in the spring. And skipping if we need to. And being there for Bella on the sidelines when she has to go potty. I'll appreciate my spectator role in a new light... And in a different season I'll be happy to slip on my coaching shoes again.

We enjoyed a wonderful family weekend. Daddy and I had a date Friday night. Saturday morning we loaded the bikes, kids and a picnic and headed southeast to a beautiful trail. We biked 13 miles... Bella in the luxury of the bike trailer... joined by Doodle after 7 miles. The weather was downright summer-like! Sunday afternoon we went apple picking with friends- another gorgeous day!  

This one just may end up in Christmas cards, remember you saw it here first, folks! 

Family Fall Photo... our thrilled 7-year-old (he wasn't as miserable as he looks), mama, bella daddy and doodle. 

Thank You, Lord.

Lord, I thank you for the day this week that You brought Jake to school early, and the opportunity I had to curl up next to my eldest and read Your word together, he in his Bible, and me in mine. Thank you for the verses shared-- he sharing his and me sharing mine. You knew how much I miss him during the day and what a treasure those moments would be. Thank you.

Thank you for waking the younger two just moments before we left. Thank you for their hugs.

I know that You knew the moment the door clicked shut that I didn't have my keys in hand. You also knew the door was locked. Thank you for your grace. It is usually so like me to immediately point a finger and find blame, but only in You can my reaction be what it needs to be... Extending grace because you gave it to me.

Thank you for the moments that followed when all four of us tumbled through the rain to the shed, only to find that the spare key wasn't where it should be. Again, thank you for the grace you gave when the words, "The last time we were playing with it, I think we had it..." came from the mouth of my child.

Thank you for the moment we all stood together and prayed. My children need to see my eyes turn to you in trouble. Thank you for your grace... On my own I'm so much more prone to start problem solving rather than turn control over to you.

It was a cold morning, Lord, and I knew we locked all the windows the night before. I knew. Yet after about 15 minutes of contemplating and door checking, attempting to pick locks and praying, You brought us to one lone window, which was easily accessible- its screen was easy to remove and lo and behold, it wasn't locked. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you for Your Spirit that brought us to prayers of Thanksgiving together as we headed off to school at last.

Your grace is sufficient. You supply us with all we need. Thank you, Lord.

This morning we worked with fruits and veggies in school. We talked about order (first, second,etc), "What's missing," and even alphabetical order. Here's our Doodle with his ever present "animal blankie-cape-tent," one of the perks to homeschooling! 

I haven't posted a photo of our eldest for awhile. He wouldn't appreciate the fact that his lips are all funky in this one, but he's such a handsome dude! 

Dressing differences...

On the lighter side of posting,

Last night I was setting the table and in doing so realized every member of our family has a different favorite salad dressing! As I was juggling all 5 bottles I mused... "Jake loves Jimmy's Thousand Island (the imitations don't compare), I'm a bleu cheese girl (the chunkier the better), Noah only likes Italian, Dawson only likes French and Ellie would eat Ranch on everything, given permission."

What about your families? (a deep topic, I know...)

Tagged!

Thanks, Tam!
First the rules:
If you've been tagged remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump every one up one place; add your blog's name in the #5 spot; link to each of the other blogs for the desired cross pollination effect.
1. I Have to Say
2. Messages from Mama
3. Farkleberry Juice
4. Anderson Adventures
5. Doodles from the Dahls

Next: select four new friends or favorite bloggers to add to the pollen count. I can't remember who's already done this, so ignore it if you did. And, as always, if you're too busy or you just don't want to, feel free to abstain. I tag the following:
Ellie
(The rest of my blog friends would be tag-backs, so I will refrain)



What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was in the beginning of my sophomore year at UWEC with a psychology major, dating the wrong guy too seriously, and getting very excited to study abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland in the spring semester.

What were you doing 5 years ago?
I was at home with my 2 1/2 year old and 9 month old boys. We were living in Sand Creek and raising boys with the rest of the inhabitants (there were not many girls born in that village!). Life seemed really simple during that era.
What were you doing one year ago?
I was teaching first grade to our 6 year old, and had a busy 4 and 2 year old running about as well.

What were you doing yesterday?
We doubled up on kindergarten in the morning (anticipating caring for TWIN infants for the next few days!), then I tossed Bella and Doodle in the big stroller and walked to the library with them. It was a BEAUTIFUL afternoon... One of the last of summer and I relished being outdoors!

5 snacks you enjoy
1. Nachos with ALL the fixins!
2. Wheat Thins and Ranch dressing
3. Veggies and dip
4. Potato Chips and french onion dip (notice the dip theme)
5. Apples right off the tree

5 songs I know all the words to
1. Who Am I (Casting Crowns)
2. Sweet Baby James (James Tayor)
3. Closer to Fine (Indigo Girls)
4. He's Alive (Ray Boltz, Don Francisco- thanks to my kids obsession with it!)
5. My Kind of Girl (Collin Raye- Jake and I do a mean duet to this one!)

5 things you would do if you had a million dollars
("I would buy you a K car, a nice, reliant automobile!")
1. Pay off all debt
2. Buy Jake a big ol' truck
3. Travel 'round the world with my family
4. Help my parents retire
5. Install a hot tub (no, HAVE a hot tub installed!)

5 things you like doing
1. laughing with my husband
2. hiking with the fam
3. scrapbooking (this one withOUT the fam... well, without kids at least)
4. taking road trips (especially with a Cafe Mocha in hand!)
5. organizing

5 bad habits
1. procrastinating
2. chewing and biting not my nails, but the skin around them (I know, it's gross saying it, but I do!)
3. spreading myself too thin
4. letting too much time pass between visits with long-distace friends
5. overlooking ways I can help my husband

5 things I would never wear again
1. tight-rolled jeans
2. moon boots
3. doily-collared dresses
4. spandex
5. poofy sleeves

5 favorite toys
1. scrapping tote, and the organization it brings to a pastime I love.
2. digital camera
3. bike trailer/stroller
4. cell phone
5. computer

Last week we read the story "The Gingerbread Man." Yesterday we got to take it a step further and made gingerbread cookies. We talked about sequence, measuring, and following directions. What a fun treat! 

Say What!?

After receiving last month's electric bill (yikes!) I sat the kids down and reminded them that we need to work together to save money. We talked about turning lights off when we're done with them, so when I saw the basement lights on this morning I asked Bella to run down and shut them off.

She turned to me sweetly and said, "Cause we have to work together to save 'allestricy,' right, Mom?"

Yep, kind of.

Overheard

Maybe something is sinking in...

Bella to "Jakey" the stuffed animal(definately in a "mommy" tone):

"I love you sooooo much that I am not going to let you treat your sister cat like that! No hitting!"

My baby boy has a loose tooth! How can it be he's at this stage already? 

The best part of baking a cake...  

Catching Up

Wow. A week has already passed since I last wrote! We live a busy little life.

We've had a good week. I had a Saturday off and we all got to go to a dear friend's cookout! It was fun with the exception of our dear boundary-pushing Bella falling into the decorative pond... Don't gasp, her life was not in danger as she jumped in feet first. After many, many times of the boundaries being laid out for her, not only that night, but on previous occasions. I am so thankful for Dr. Dobson's "The New Strong-Willed Child"! It is so easy (in the present) to overlook the many, many times she pushes boundaries or tries to be the one in control of how and when things are done. I am really learning how manipulative the will can be, and how as her mom I need to stand firm, be consistent and show her that mommy is indeed in charge, however hard that is for her to swallow!

But I digress (We are having a good week!), We (Bella, Doodle and I) headed down to the farm early Monday morning and did a marathon spaghetti sauce day. We came home with 27 quarts and 20 pints of spaghetti sauce. (It's actually a "pizza hut" sauce recipe, but it has a great flavor we use it for everything from calzones and lasagne to spaghetti and pizza.) We also got to see Laura and Treston - oh, has he grown and changed!!! He's a sweetie on the move! His eyes have gotten big and dark... he's lookin' kind of like his mama! We took off from the farm at 5:15 am Tuesday to head to Mayo Clinic and have the rods taken out of Dawson's femur. The surgery went well, and aside from a little nausea the first evening and hesitation to use that leg yesterday, he's back to being a normal, metal-free child.

Usually fall is a return to schedule and routine in the Dahl house, but until this point, it really hasn't been that way. I just about get things in order and laundry caught up then I'm headed out (to Florida, then the farm) and have to start over again. I think we're finally getting to the maintenance stage- slowly.

Noah is loving school and adjusting well. He goes over with Jake in the morning and home again with him right after school. It's neat to see their relationship evolving and. They share the day at school... Something the rest of us aren't "in on" and I can see a new closeness about them.

I'll share a few photos...

This is the resort we stayed at this weekend! It was gorgeous! 

Here's the little "$5-from-the-curb" table. It's not done perfectly, but it was a fun find! I wish I had a "before" photo!! 

The beauty God brought forth out of our garden. 

Looking forward to routine

I am back, after a wonderful weekend away! HM and I had a wonderful weekend together. Aren't you thankful for the friends you can really be real with? We talked about wonderfully deep issues of belief and faith and working though tough stuff. I am so thankful for her and our friendship- It's our 10 year anniversary this month. Happy Anniversary, Hol!!!

I am very much looking forward to the routine of fall setting in. It's different having my big boy away (well, both of them, actually!), though he is "LOVING" school at the moment (let the newness pass and we'll see how he's really doing with it!). Jaker is steadily settling into a new role in the elementary school which is much more "shepherd-like" than his role at the middle school. He's busy, busy adjusting to the schedule and when he needs to be where to lead his kids. I think he enjoys it, though- the beginning of the school year (especially in a new place) seems to be a draining time for most teachers!

Doodle is doing fabulously with Kindergarten! I've really been enjoying the time with him. He goes in early next week to have the rods taken out of his leg, so pray that his recovery time is short.

Bella joins us in school, and could really be doing the same stuff we do, but I get a folder together for her each day with workbook pages in it. Today she had to cut out a circle, and did pretty normal 3-yr.-old cutting so there were straight cuts all around the shape. She held it up and said, "Mom, isn't this silly? It looks like a pentagon!!!" OK...

I'm thankful for the "simpleness" of our life, even in the busy times. God has been so good to us.