Hiking at Hocking Hills

We hiked today and played in the water at the base of a water fall.

We hadn’t been hiking long when lo and behold I heard “Hi LauraLee!”

Andrew Steiner is a teacher at Heritage School in Rittman and the high school came to hike for the day.

Lynelle and Nelson Stoller are children of our good friends, Scott and Charlene. The home schoolers were invited on this field trip so that is how they were there too – for those who know them and wonder the connection.

I thought this picture was really neat with Lynelle looking through the falls. If I could pose it I would play with the shutter speed but she didn’t even know I was taking the picture, I just saw it and snapped.

Jolene helping with Johanna.

Sweet sisters!

My sweet husband would occasionally relieve me of my load and carry both Jonas AND Johanna! It is amazing how much lighter you feel when you get rid of about 16 pounds! I go from feeling like an old lady slowly climbing the stairs to feeling like a child again hopping down the stairs like I haven’t got a care in the world!!! Also part of that, when I am carrying a baby, I am fearful of stumbling and way more careful than I am when I don’t have an extra load!

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I like the main picture here, it would have been great if I had the right shutter speed, but getting it all together when children are involved doesn’t leave much room for error!

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Johanna enjoyed putting her little feet in the water! She is at that age that she wants to put EVERYTHING in her mouth so we keep her in our arms nearly all the time if we aren’t by the stroller or pack n play.

Best Friends!

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Can’t you just see the fun here?

Precious!

All of us!

Lots of Dogs!

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Jesse is so helpful with the little ones, often without even being asked!

Johanna slept most of the time at this falls, so I sat with her to keep her asleep.

Notice the people looking down from the top of the falls. Gives you a little sense of scale.

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Water – Water – Everywhere was water! A boys best friend? Girls too I guess!

You Da Dad!

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Making popcorn!

We have had a very enjoyable time so far. Two days in a row we hiked (or played by the falls) for a good part of the day. We brought along a couple framed backpacks (these ride on their hips not their shoulders) for the children to take turns carrying and we loaded them with lunch and plenty of water. They have been great to have along – I would highly recommend them!

Tomorrow we plan to make shorter trips driving between attractions and hiking in from parking lots instead of from our camp-site. We may also find a putt-putt golf or something similar to treat the children to.

Johanna is finally asleep, so it is time to sign off for tonight!

Schlatters, Grimms, and a bit more…

Friday after the museum we went to Corbin and Audrey Schlatters house near Columbus for the night.  We had a great evening of fellowship. It was great to have hours to talk to Audrey instead of the couple minutes we get at church if we happen to be home at the same time.

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Audrey is from a family of 14 children, I told her I kept seeing different siblings in her depending on her facial expression or the angle of her face.

 

 

Jesse and Javan slept in the camper, Nichole slept in her bed and the rest of the children took the floors.

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Once again, I didn’t get enough pictures.  I was trying to get candid shots, but between talking and not the “right moment”  I didn’t get many.  I should have posed them. 

Saturday we set up camp and took a bike ride.  While on the bike ride I was thankful for the camping site we chose.  The other areas had loads of children and I didn’t like what I was hearing.  The camp ground was nearly full but now it is so peaceful!

Sunday we went to Columbus for church and then to John and Julie Grimms for a church potluck.  Their children are all J’s too, though I don’t think I could name them all!  I know for sure Julia and Joel, I think the other two might be Josiah and Joseph but don’t quote me on it.

The children enjoyed our time in Columbus and  playing with the new friends they made.  Jolene was about attached at the hip with Allison (Corbin and Audreys).  They are a year apart and had a lot of fun together.

Arriving back late to the campground we observed that the population of campers had decreased noticeably.  This morning even more packed out.  On our road there is a camper catty – corner from us and two others in a group up a couple spots.  They have some boys that seem very nice.  They are also here till Friday.

Air Force Museum

We stopped in Dayton to tour the Air Force Museum on Friday. It was a very full day. We got to walk through 2 Air Force One planes. I think the children really enjoyed it.

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Boon Docking

If you haven’t heard of boon docking, Walmart welcomes RV’s to park overnight in their parking lot.  Sooo…  on our way to Dayton, Ohio Thursday night we stopped at a Super-Walmart on the way to get some sleep.  It felt funny doing it, but was quite convenient as the first thing we realized was that I forgot night time diapers!!!  So I hoofed it across the parking lot for a quick late night shopping trip!  Our goal was to be out of the way, so of course we parked on the opposite side of the parking lot from the only open entrance!  I got my walk in that day!

  I think this could fit with the family “You might be a Rummy (Rumbold) If…” list! :)  Not sure if all the Rumbolds would even do this!

Changes

This week I took Jesse and Javan (the two oldest) shopping with me twice. This was not because they just LOVE shopping, oh no, they needed shoes or they would gladly have stayed home. Unfortunately the Sears that is the most local for us is not a real busy place and I don't think they keep stock as well as some other stores. Sooo... the boys had to go with me again today.

On Tuesday when we went I made a deal with the girls who LOVE to go shopping with me that if they stayed home they could go to Peoria with me when we would meet up with Grandma Plattner at Sam's club. So I had 5 of the children today. Chad took the day off, so he had two at home with him.

After Sam's club Grandma Plattner kindly took the children out to lunch while I did a little shopping in the area. Thanks Grandma!

What I realized with the boys is how grown up they are getting. Johanna fell asleep in the van on Tuesday, so we stopped at Subway, I gave them money to go order their own sandwiches, and then they sat in the van eating sandwiches and staying with Johanna while I got some groceries. There were other reminders of the differences of having them with me but I won't bore you with details. Being boys, they are usually glad to stay home with Daddy and I have the girls who are still not old enough to be trusted out of my sight. Partly because of their character in training, partly because they are still little girls and would be easy prey. I look forward to the girls getting older but I'm in no hurry, they are growing up too fast as it is!

Part of our shopping took us to the mall and I enjoyed shopping at Christopher and Banks for awhile. The boys asked quite often "Are you almost done yet?" I don't think I ever heard it from the girls! At one point Javan said that men are more considerate of women in their shops. I asked him how was that? He said "Farm and Fleet has a clothing section to keep women occupied while they wait on their men!" :)

We found Jesse shoes at Payless and I had one of those "my baby's growing up" moments. Jesse now wears the same size shoes as I do, which I believe means his feet are probably bigger than mine because I think mens sizes run larger than womens!

The other night one of the boys reminded me that Johanna is getting older and I would probably be getting pregnant again soon! I asked him if he wanted me to have another baby and he said yes! I don't know what the Lord has in store for us, but I am thankful for each child and that they love each other and hope for more siblings! The older boys do really well at helping with the little children; while shopping this week, a couple times I asked if they wanted me to take Johanna for them and they cheerfully said "No!" What a blessing! I Love You Boys!!!

Guess that is enough for now! Good night!

Restmore

This evening we had a program at our local nursing home and tried something new.

A year ago we purchased some booklets that teach Bible telling. First you read the scripture account, and there are several other activities to do including reading historical information surrounding the event, drawing your own story board and memorizing key words and motions as a reminder of the order of events when telling your story.

I was intending for Jesse and Javan to do it as part of their school and then use it for the nursing home. The boys were both dragging their feet and if you can imagine, Jolene was gung ho, wanting to tell a story. Chad decided he would do one as an example to the children, Jesse and Javan both did one, reluctantly, and Jolene told the account of Adam and Eve off the top of her head (No Bible telling booklets for her). I told Javan he would really enjoy it once he got started but he didn't believe me. Tonight he told me it was really fun telling his story, he was just really nervous, but once he started,it was fun! Just a chip of this old block I guess! I loved drama in school and it didn't bother me a bit to be in front of everyone!

In the van after the program someone was complaining that someone else wasn't being nice when they were singing the Joy, Joy, Joy song. She did my part! Chad said "what was your part?" Child "Where?"

Oh the disappointments of childhood!

How cute is that!

Javan dreams of flying some day. At breakfast he was saying where he would fly everyone when he has his license.

I would take Grandma Plattner sky diving ~ HA!!!

O.K. I would take Grandma Plattner to the Bahamas!

I would take Jared to Africa on Safari!

I would take Mommy to Australia ~ There's a music place there you would like.

etc. etc.

Jonas ~ "I, I, I, I, I, I, I would take Great, Great Grandma to the doctor!"

How cute is that!

Need to lose weight?

Here’s what is working for me.

A couple months ago I came across a weight loss seminar at KarenHurd.com.  I purchased the video, but the audio would be sufficient.

Karen Hurd is known, in her community as “The Bean Queen.”  She is a nutritionist that has learned, through her daughters experience as a toddler being poisoned, the healing power of the mighty bean; read The Poisonous Rug.

Beans, legumes not green beans, are a soluble fiber and cannot cross the intestinal barrier.  They permanently bind with fat and then remove it from your system in the form of a B.M.

All systems of the body will burn fat as a fuel but one and that is the nervous system.  The plan is to feed just enough carbohydrates to fuel the brain and cause the body to burn fat as it’s primary fuel source.  Legumes are loaded with nutrition and since they permanently bind with fat, removing it from the blood stream and then from the body they are the best carbohydrate to eat when trying to lose weight.  (approximately 5 grams in 1/2 cup of legumes compared to 1/2 of 1 gram insoluble fiber found in fruit)

On Karen Hurd’s plan you eat 1/2 cup of legumes and one palm size (your palm) serving of efficient protein at every meal and divide 7 servings of vegetables (1/2 cup vegetables is a serving except lettuce which is 1 1/2 cups per serving) over the course of your day.  You eat no other forms of carbohydrates, no sweeteners, no fruit, no potatoes, no breads, starches, etc.  You may eat condiments and salad dressings in limited quantities.  You may eat dairy products but no milk.  You may have nuts and seeds.  The extras should be in limited amounts as you are adding calories which you are wanting to limit.  If you hit a plateau and you aren’t losing any weight for awhile you remove the condiments and dressings and limit your food intake to only what is mentioned above, legumes, protein, and vegetables, until you start losing again and then you can add the others back in.

In addition to what you eat, you exercise 30 minutes a day, I can’t remember how many days, I try for every day to take a walk.

Here is what I typically eat…

Breakfast – 2 servings of raw spinach, 1/2 cup of pinto or chili beans, and a fried egg.  I put a little dressing on my spinach, and often some fresh salsa.  This is quite good!

Lunch – leftover meat, 1/2 cup beans, 2 servings veggies, raw with a little dip, or cooked, frozen veggies.

Supper – similar to lunch but 3 servings veggies.  It depends on what I am feeding my family what I eat.

Karen Hurd also has available on her web-site “The Bean Queen Cookbook.”  It has lots of wonderful recipes including a few alternatives to pasta and bread.  It is an expensive book, but it is because a picture accompanies each recipe.  I have made quite a few of the recipes and my family likes them.

I have lost about 20 pounds following Karen’s plan and I have done my share of cheating and even going back up in weight after our Easter vacation.  I do have a couple pieces of fruit a week, but I have given up desserts completely till our vacation the end of this month ~ I am NOT giving up wedding cake!  :)

Not everyone would lose this much weight this fast, I attribute some of it to my nursing and probably my age.  I believe I am getting sufficient calories and nutrition as I have had no problems whatsoever in my milk supply.

You may be feeling sorry for my family knowing I eat beans 3 times a day since they are known to cause gas; but do they?  Another informative read on Karen’s site is Why Beans Don't Cause Gas!  From experience I believe this is accurate information. 

Karen Hurd has many articles (free) and a few DVD’s and audio CD’s (for purchase) on different illnesses on her site and is available for nutritional counseling, in person or via phone.  Nutrition plays a big role in our health and recovery of health, I highly recommend looking into this further if you need to lose weight or have health concerns. 

I wish I had time to write this out better, but because I am limited on time you will just have to go to Karen’s site if you are interested in more details, it is a very interesting study to do.

Away with the squirrel! And NOW for the Rest of the story!

Warning: this post is not for the easy queasy kind of person. If hunting stories would be too much for you then skip this post. It's not hunting, but just as lovely in the mental pictures it brings to mind.

I was gone all day yesterday, so this morning I asked if one of the boys buried the squirrel yesterday. Chad replied that Javan found a better way to get rid of the squirrel. It was really a boy thing but he thought I might appreciate it.

Javan was mowing ... Yep ~ You guessed it; grass too high, didn't see the squirrel, shredded squirrel!

Javan ~ "Mom, the squirrel must just have tough skin because once the skin was broken and I brought Jamie over she ate it right up!"

A little TMI (too much information)? Sorry, but some of my readers will appreciate it! Especially those of the male gender! :)

Nasty Habit!

We got a new puppy at Christmas and it has developed a NASTY habit!

It finds (or kills) dead animals and plays with them leaving them laying around the yard. First it was a possum Chad shot in the chicken cage, it was the during the winter so Chad just threw it into the woods. Jaimie found it and played with it all winter.

Now she must have killed a squirrel and is dragging it around. I just saw her with a dead baby something a moment ago and leaving it in her favorite spot ~ right outside my laundry room exit!

I think the boys are going to be digging a lot of graves this summer!!!