"Family Time"

trampoline does crazy things to hair!...:}

It has been a great weekend spent with family!...:) This morning before church we all sat together on the back porch for awhile... The weather still has us in long sleeves but the sun is so bright and perfect~!  We spent hours outdoors these past few days!

The Little's spend hours outdoors playing horse with the small red wagon, playing hide and seek, barn time, scooters!! Javon just got the knack of his two wheel bike finally this week! He is so cautious so even though we kept introducing him and he even pretty much had it he still wanted to park the bike and take a scooter... Until this week he just took off and even turns around all alone already!! He will have a blast with this!

This week will be the last school week for us!! We are thrilled to welcome the "Summer Break"!!

My week was a bit crazy last week with Rachel Ann being sick on top of it. I did the cleaning alone on Thursday since I knew she wasn't feeling the best. I then went shopping on Friday...:) It was pouring down rain and Javon had a "Lunch Bunch" day at school so I took advantage of it. It was a nice Friday break but I really miss Rachel Ann when she is not here to help with the cleaning!! It does me good though and makes me appreciate her even more when she is here!!...:)

Spring and Fall are the shopping seasons for us. I like to get the end of winter and the end of summer sales, also it was time to get the Little's some new clothes since they are growing out of the ones they have!

I didn't make out the best for Jenika so I decided to do some yard sailing on Saturday morning to see if I could find things for her. Dave and I did a Friday night run (five miles) so we could skip the normal Saturday morning running routine...:)

 I had Justin in charge here Saturday morning and Dave was here to so I headed out early... I never made it far though and I ended up just hanging closer to home when Kath decided not to go with me after all. (like we had planned).

Yard sailing is not really my thing but it's always fun with my sisters. I like the deals I sometimes find but I don't like the hassle of getting to them!...It's more fun to go with somebody else. Kath had a hard time finding a sitter for her three little ones so I just didn't go either then. I like my Saturday mornings to much to go out on the road so early week after week while the yard sales are in season!

Dave and I did some odds around the house instead then and it was a great day just being outdoors enjoying the lovely day and each other. I got a few more plants in the garden to... Things are coming nicely but we sure need a few warmer sunny days to pop out this wonderful looking strawberry patch...:)

 

 

The above picture was in the back yard this evening... I love this green time of year when our surroundings just feel so fresh!! Yes that is "Sasha" making herself at home in the flowerbed.

 She is sure enjoying her surroundings and it's so cute how she sticks close to the Little's when they are playing outdoors all day long! Jenika loves on her none stop, Dave likes her and he wasn't even a big fan of dogs before her, Justin takes her with him to ballgames and anywhere else he gets a chance. Jordan is faithful with caring for her feedings so we are adjusting better this week. We are planning to get an in ground fence to go around the flowerbeds and the fish pond out back, she seems to love to fling her ball into the pond and splash in after it!! The fish are probably horrified!... I see this getting out of hand in the hot summer months ahead so we hopefully the fence will do the trick. Marilyn said the cat found a new home up at there house but we are hoping she will return here soon!...:)

Cat reminds me of a story I will share...

I guess the cat killed a mouse and left it on the driveway with the head kind of hanging off, the tail was bit off to. The thing looked kind of mangled up. (Dave and I saw it this morning on our way out the drive for our run) As Justin was riding out the drive on the four wheeler later today he spied this thing. He thought about something he could do with it so he picked it up and brought it home!! (Only Justin!!) Anyway he put "Hammy" elsewhere and put this thing in the cage beside Hammy's food bowl!!!

I just happened to be in the toy room with Javon when he went digging for his "Hammy" in the bedding like he always does. He dug for a bit then he said "Hey where is Hammy??" I looked and saw what I thought was Hammy dead with a mangled head!! Javon was horrified and tears were already forming as I was trying my hardest to figure out what killed Hammy this way inside her cage!! Jordan soon burst out laughing and showed Javon his "Hammy" alive and well!... Jordan went running to tell Justin how his nasty trick worked! Poor Javon hardly got over it!! He LOVES his Hammy!! Boys around here keep me stepping and they love every minute of it to!

We were asked at church today to share a bit of Jordan's health journey in the next Sunday School Sunday. It feels like a new normal for us now but he has a great testimony so I think he should share it with others...:)  I asked him today if he would stand up and share his journey and I think with a bit more coaxing he would...:) It really is amazing what his diet has done for him. He is so much better in every area. His skin is still blotchy though which tells me his gut is still a bit leaky. We hope to continue with some more cleanse type stuff once school is over since it requires to be taken throughout the day. The journey is hard some days. The summer looks big with all the fun parties, mini vacations and bar-b-q's we have on our schedule. Jordan still has not lost his LOVE for eating. It get tough when we get out of routine and summer will do this to us over and over again.

I can get overwhelmed to think about always having to pack a separate food lug for him. It can get overwelming to think how busy I will be on Friday getting ready to go away for the weekend and being on the schools food committee will also have me busy at the school picnic on Friday, and still I will have to make him something special for the picnic supper. It is not as hard for him if I go a bit out of the ordinary and get creative for him at these outings but I don't see myself always having the time and energy to do this before heading out for a party where the food is already prepared for us!

It is hard at times yet so worth it if he feels this much better!! I think many people have "Leaky Gut" and don't even realize it. We tend to think this is just a normal for our child and I guess it will just always be this way. I think we can push it off easily because it just looks to big. I think I would push it off to if it had not gotten so bad for Jordan. Research is showing all the havoc the GMO's, Gluten, Chemicals, and Preservatives are all having on our bodies. God never designed our bodies to eat the foods we are eating and it is starting to show up in our generation. So sad that it has come to this and it is often the children that suffer silently without a voice!

I'm learning and as I educate myself on this topic I find I have a goal for my family, taking control of our health, yet it is still "Baby Steps" going on here! I can't do anything to fast or I never stick it out! Lifestyle is key and things like "Gluten, Dairy, Sugar, Flour, Caffeine" are all like drugs to us. We can't just pull them out without replacing them with something else! Justin is what we call our "Trash Can" He is tough with a tough stomach! I preach and preach but he still makes his own choices when it comes to his food and it is not near always the best! He does eat a good salad when I make him one though... Sometimes I just make him one and hand it to him and say "Here you are due for a good salad" He eats it and he even most times loves it...:) It's just often making the healthy food readily available to him and he will go for it....:) Baby steps will continue with him for ages I think!...:) I tell him he better pray he never get a food allergy!...:)

The week ahead looks busy. It is the last week of school so we have end of year programs and activities going on. Brunch at Kath's with sisters, mom and friends is planned ... Gotta take the time for the small things to even in the midst of a crazy schedule... It is a busy time of year but again I say "A Fun Busy!"

Javon is sure looking forward to having his siblings home for the summer!! This was his past time while I did the cleaning alone on Thursday...

 We are ready to pack up these puzzles that were probably done a hundred times over this winter!! Time to move on outdoors to warmer weather and sunshine!!


The campfire is burning... The guys were playing ball... A perfect ending to a great day together... I'm off to join them... Have a Blessed Week Ahead...

Family time is PRICELESS!!!  Take time to enjoy yours today!!