Surprise!

This year will see my hubby to 50 years of living.  He's a great man, dedicated to family and helping others.  The kids and I wanted to do something super special for him.  Of course he's one of those dads that always tells you to not worry about his birthday, he doesn't need any gifts, and he would prefer a handmade card.  Coming up with something to buy him is near impossible, but we knew something that would mean more to him than any material gift.  So, we made plans to surround him with all of his children and grandchildren.  It was a challenging task that took six months to plan and tremendous effort to keep under wraps, but we did it.  We pulled off the ultimate surprise without a hitch!  Yep, you read that right.  Something went completely perfect for our family, and it was amazing.

Our youngest daughter and her husband flew in from Missouri, and our Navy son flew in from South Carolina.  Due to the government shutdown, we did not know if the Navy son would be able to take leave until the day before the party!  So glad he was granted leave.  It would not have been the same without him since he was an integral part of the surprise, and who would have helped me clean the house?  We gathered all the children, minus two, and all the grandchildren, minus one, into our home. Vehicles were hidden down the road, finishing touches were made, and pictures were taken.

We prepared a traditional holiday meal, had a photographer do family photos, and we waited.  I knew better than to try and capture the moment myself.  Our family is just too big, and it takes too much effort just to keep the party rolling for me to be in charge of photography.  It just isn't humanly possible.  So, for the really big events that I just don't want to be without pictures I hire out, and I breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the party.

We wrapped up all the details in plenty of time, and we waited.  I watched out the office window for his car to emerge through the trees, and there it was.  "He's home!", I yelled, and everyone got into place.  It was so awesome to hear everyone yell, "Surprise!", as he walked through the door and see the look of confusion on his face when our son in law was the first person he laid eyes on.  Totally priceless!  He was so touched and enjoyed himself so much that he thanked me for it for days.  Pulling this off for him is sure to remain a high point in my life.  SO AWESOME!

SURPRISE!

Smith Family Part Two; the Third Batch

The Family

All present and accounted for!

Mr. & Mrs.

Happy Birthday to You!

Ultrasound pics of #13

It really was a great time.  We missed the children and the gandchild greatly that were unable to attend.  With eight children and 12 grandchildren it's no wonder we can never seem to get them all in the same place at the same time, but we are a houseful nonetheless.  The cousins always have such a wonderful time together, and I am so happy we find ways to get them together now and then.

It just feeds my husband's soul to have his family around him.  If we could have figured some way to make it work we would have had everyone possible here (siblings, parents, grandparents, cousins, friends, etc.), but it just could not be done.  Guess we'll save the super big bash for when he turns 60.

Photo Credit: 
 https://www.facebook.com/Knixon.DontBlinkPhotography

What a Difference a Year Makes

We just never know where our paths will lead.  I don't know about you, but for me it is like traveling around a constant bend.  The road curves ahead of you leaving just a small portion of your path in view.  What truly lies ahead remains unseen, a gift waiting to be discovered.  If we sincerely believe our steps guided and all experiences valuable then it is of no matter what remains unseen.  All that awaits is a gift if we keep our focus on things above.  Even the most seemingly negative of circumstances hold within them a gift if we are open and courageous enough to look past the surface.

I am forever thankful that I am not the one in charge of my life.  Messes are my expertise, and I do not need any more experience in the driver's seat to know that my hands may be on the wheel, but I am not the one doing the steering; that is if I remember to stay out of the way and keep a willing heart.  It is possible to drive all the while having our course be guided.  I am constantly reminded that every stop we've made along the way has brought us to where we are now.  If I had not made the choices and experienced the consequences, good and bad, of my decisions in days gone by I would not be the person that I am today.  It is certainly easy to think of the negative implications and focus on what may have been lost.  However, I choose to keep my vision on the positives and be thankful that things are as good as they are.  Sometimes our sight requires a little adjusting.  When we're hit with bigger than life events it can throw us off a bit, but constant conversation with the Creator will surely keep our paths straight; if only for a time.  And, if we're living in the present, really living in the here and now, that is all that truly matters.

This past year provided for us another big change.  Our family, the family that resides within the bounds of our home, has grown by three.  One left, one returned, and two were added.  Yup, that is huge adjustment all around for all involved.  As my last post indicated, our oldest son left home for the Navy.  He currently finds himself stationed in South Carolina.  His first visit home since leaving that day will not be until this coming October.  In November of last year two of our granddaughters came to live with us.  We didn't know it at the time, but it would be a permanent arrangement.  I became their court appointed guardians this past June.  Right on their heels in April of this year our youngest son returned home from Wayne State to secure employment and attend the local community college.

We have given hugs, said goodbye, made amends, severed ties, given flight, and created sanctuary.  There is a whole lot of emotion tied into all of that activity.  My newest revelation?  The only constant in life is change.  Learning that fact, and accepting it wholeheartedly, has given me such freedom within all that has transpired in the past nine months.  It's rather symbolic really.  Nine months.  The gestation time for human life.  It leads to a birth and loads of change.  What have we nurtured in the past nine months?  The melding of lives.  We have created another family within our already large family.  Rolling with the punches has become an area of expertise for the hubby and myself.

In 1997 we became a serious couple blending our two families together.  We gave up being single parents and learned how to open our hearts to the endless bounds of love overflowing.  Our families became one and we numbered nine.  The next milestone was 2005.  It was a year of tremendous emotion.  We lost my father to his battle with male breast cancer on April 1st, our first grandchild was born on July 24th, and we wed on September 17th.  Our lives were never the same, and we could have never imagined the journey before us.

The children aged and spread their wings, more grandchildren were born, and we were actively viewing the light at the end of the tunnel.  The time came when we could take off on a spontaneous road trip just the two of us, or hop on the motorcycle for an afternoon ride.  No worries.  We were enjoying an emptier nest.

Then we were presented with the opportunity to become parents again, and our journey went around the bend slowly revealing more and more with each step.  Avery was born in January of 2010.  Our family now numbered 10.  We sold our house in December of the same year and purchased our new home in August of 2011.  Through a lot of transition we found ourselves moving from a large family in the city to a soon-to-be parents of one young child in the country living arrangement.  Andrew went in the Navy, Adrian went to university, and Avery hung out at home with us.  We had effectively given flight to all seven children.  Raising a single child felt like a vacation.  It was fun while it lasted.

In November of 2012 the girls came to be with us, and life has forever changed again.  We are learning how to parent in yet another set of circumstances.  Our new family structure sets to remind us that love really does know no bounds, and anything is possible.  Families come in all shapes and sizes, and presumptions are a waste of time and energy.  If anyone has done the math you have now figured out that the full size of our family numbers 12; two parents, and 10 children.  In our home we currently have a variety of ages; 19, 8, 3, and 2.  (Six of the original seven are off living their adult lives.)  With such a vast range in ages comes a variety of personality types and emotions.  We are learning how to live together and thrive.  Once again we find ourselves a full-time home school family.  We kind of dove in head first.  The kids love it, and so do we.

It took a little more growth, but I can see the blessings more clearly and more quickly now.  The little road bumps in life have become more of a minor inconvenience instead of completely throwing us off track.  Even the big, orange barrels cannot put us off track for long.  The capacity of our heart is limitless if it remains always open.  I knew God led us here, and I remain immensely grateful.  Even with the chaos, the big emotions, the endless change, and all the growth there is not one place in my history that has ever felt more like home.

It is really the greatest gift ever to be where we are geographically speaking.  I love our home, our community, our family, and our friends.  The network we have here is incredible.  Each and every day, even the ones where the struggles seem to dominate, I am SO thankful for everything with which we are blessed.  I choose to see the forest for the trees.  The blessings abound!  Are you looking for yours?  Do you see them?  They ARE there!  Take another step.  A new one is sure to be just around the bend.

Shipped Out!

Oh, if only blog posts could get published directly from my brain.  I am still trying to work regular blog posting back into my daily schedule.  As you may have noticed, I have been cleaning house around here.  The design is still frustrating me a bit.  My social networking buttons don't look the way I'd like them to, but I just cannot seem to come up with a workable solution.  Feel free to leave ANY input for me.  All comments and suggestions are welcome.  I'd like to have the simple, square buttons next to each other, but I honestly do not think it's possible with this blog format.  Anyhow...

A lot has been transpiring in the Smith Household over the past couple of months.  Our oldest son left for Navy Boot Camp the beginning of September.  We had an amazing going away party for him.  We even managed to pull it off as a surprise.  How cool is that in a family as large as ours?  Not to mention the fact that he was still living at home at the time.  Here are a few highlights from the celebration:

"You mean this is all for me?"

Andrew's second grade teacher, Mrs. Miyamoto was a HUGE surprise!

Nana and Tony were a nice surprise, too.  They came all the way from Florida!

A special blessing for Andrew before we got too far into the fun.

Since he won't be here on his birthday, for the first time ever, we sang to him
over  his favorite  birthday dessert, Banana Pudding.  Yes, that is a punch
bowl full of  Banana Pudding, and there wasn't a drop left!

You know I had to include a shot of Little Man!

It's not the whole family.  We were missing Amie and Steven and Amy.

Grandma and Grandpa Sheldon.  Our rocks!

Andrew being himself!

*All above photos courtesy of Don't Blink Photography.

As you can tell, we had a wonderful celebration.  There were SO MANY people here!  I've never hosted such a large party.  I can tell you something.  I totally understand why people have large parties catered.  I did an extremely simple menu, but it didn't matter.  It was SO difficult to socialize with our guests.  Some people came and went, and I never even knew they were here.  There were people I had never met, people I had not seen in over a year, and people that were just down right dear to me that I would have LOVED to chat with.  It was just impossible.  That being said, everyone had a spectacular time, including myself.  The best part is that Andrew got to spend time with so many people that were dear to him, and it really did help us send him off in style.

The next day we spent the entire day hanging out together on our boat with Andrew's cousin.  It was a lot of fun, and it gave us some time to relax after such a whirlwind of a weekend.  The boat is new to our family, and it really enables us to have some spectacular adventures.  We have a bit to learn, but that will come next summer.  Avery loves the water, as you can tell:

These boys are two peas in a pod!

The next task on our agenda was to send Andrew off.  On our last day together as a family under the same roof we had breakfast at one of our local haunts and headed to Downtown Port Huron to walk the boardwalk at Vantage Point.  Andrew and Avery had some great quality time together.

Racing down the boardwalk.

After taking it slow, hanging out together, and just soaking in every last minute we could before he left, the time finally came where we had to head to the recruiter's office.  The guys there are super friendly, hospitable, and supportive.  It was nice to have the last little bit of time together that we did.

Some final paperwork.

Avery kept busy with the aircraft carrier.
Andrew had one when he was a little guy.

Brothers through and through.

The final farewell.

As time would have it, you are sharing this experience with us as we prepare for another emotional jog in this journey.  Currently, we are preparing for a road trip to Chicago to watch Andrew graduate from Boot Camp.  If you knew our family personally you would know just how big of a deal this is.  Andrew has wanted nothing other than a military career since he was the age of five.  I never in a million years would have imagined encouraging anyone, let a lone any of my children, to enlist in active duty military.  Don't get me wrong.  I appreciate each and every member of the U.S. Armed Forces, and I praise God for my freedom.  It's just a scary venture seeing anyone accept such a calling in their life.  However, it brings me great joy to watch our son realize such an awesome dream.  There has been plenty of hard work along the way, and he overcame many hurdles.

I know this was a decision that Andrew did not take lightly.  He spent the better part of two years searching and praying and making certain that this was indeed the calling on his life.  God walked with him hand in hand through this journey, and I have faith that God will continue to be with him every step of his natural life.  Knowing this brings me great peace in wherever this journey make take Andrew.  My aunt once said to me, "God needs people everywhere."  Yes, I do believe he does.  God does indeed have a plan for each one of us, but there is a special joy in watching anyone, especially our children, realize something sought after with such passion and determination.

After graduation Andrew will head to San Antonio to complete A School to become a Hospital Corpsman.  This will mean he will have achieved another ambition; a career in the medical field.  So exciting!  I don't know where God and the U.S. Navy will take him after that, but I do know that our prayers will follow him wherever he travels.

At the beginning of this post I mentioned that a lot has gone on in our household over the past couple of months.  I guess the rest of the stories will be told a later date.  You'll just have to come back, and visit me again.

Take the Challenge...I Dare You!

If you've been paying attention for any length of time you may remember that I did a fast back in June to kick start a new approach to eating and health.  As I shared previously it was a great success.  I have continued on to lose nearly 25 pounds, which I am thrilled about.  It's especially noteworthy for me, as I did not slip back into old habits despite tremendous stress over the past couple of months.  There were times when I did allow myself to sway from my plan of no wheat and no sugar.  Fortunately, the times were few and far between, and one time of eating a sandwich on wheat bread instead of lettuce did not result in me throwing the baby out with the bathwater and just diving back into consuming bread on a regular basis.  I was able to have a sandwich, be okay with it, and continue on my journey.  If you know me at all you know this is totally awesome since my normal M.O. is to completely disregard diet in times of extreme stress and pressure.  I guess I must be serious since it didn't happen this time.  I'm attributing most of my success to my constant pleas to God to help me stay on track and keep me focused on the end goal; a healthy lifestyle.

The other day I was tooling around online and happened upon this challenge.  Apparently the challenge began back in 2009 with an idea.  It has grown in success, participation, and coverage over the past couple years.  I read through the website, and thought to myself, "Why not?  I've already made such drastic changes in my diet.  How hard could it be?"  Well, I guess we'll find out.  I signed up for the challenge yesterday.  The commitment is to eat no processed foods for the entire month of October.  What is unprocessed food, you might ask.  Well, the simple definition from Eating Rules is this:

"Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person 

with reasonable skill in a home kitchen 

with readily available, whole-food ingredients"

If you'd like a more elaborate example of what exactly is considered 'readily available' or 'whole-food' then you can read about it in much greater detail on their website under Defining Unprocessed.  To me it seems quite simple.  If it doesn't come in a package with a label full of unrecognizable ingredients than odds are its suitable for a month of eating only unprocessed foods.  In my line of thinking a bag of frozen corn would work, as would a container of fresh peanut butter that only contains ground peanuts or a jar of pure honey.  If there are flavorings or additives on the ingredient list, then it's a no go.  So, I guess there will be some label reading going on if anything other than fresh produce is to be consumed.

So?  What do you think?  Are you up for the challenge?

It's Just Weird

Those of you that have big families know that there are certain things that are just unique to being a large family.  Since our family has been steadily downsizing I have been noticing things changing, and it is just weird.

It's weird that...

...I am actually considering not renewing my Sam's Club and Costco memberships.

...I have to keep all produce in the refrigerator so it keeps fresh long enough for us to eat it.

...I have room to keep all of my produce, including fruit, in my refrigerator.

...there are often TWO spare seats in our vehicle when we travel somewhere.

...we can all go somewhere in ONE normal sized vehicle.

...it is quiet in my home way more often than it is noisy.

...it costs just as much to feed our family of three as it did when we were a family of nine.

...there are leftovers when I make an 8 x 8 pan of lasagna.

...I can feed my entire family with just one 8 x 8 pan of anything!

...cooking for three is more challenging than cooking for nine.

...there are NO teenagers living in my house.

...we now have two extra phones and no land line.

...paper lunch sacks have officially disappeared from my cupboards.

...we create as many dirty dishes in a week as we used to in a day.

...I can go two or three days without doing dishes at all, and it's no big deal.

...not having a dishwasher doesn't even matter.

...a package of 100 paper plates lasts over a month.

...there are several extra chairs at the dinner table.

...I officially have more grandchildren than I do children.

...we have five bedrooms and one child.

...there is actually a shortage of bed linens.  What happened to all that bedding, anyway?

...sometimes it is cheaper to eat out than it is to eat in.

...I actually have to throw food in the freezer to prevent it from spoiling because we don't eat it quickly enough.

...the same amount of animals live in our home as people.

...toiletries last forever, and I do not have to purchase industrial sizes of anything!

...we have one son in the Navy, one at Wayne State, and one in diapers.

I am sure there are plenty more things to add to this list, but these are the things I've noticed so far.  More and more differences between then and now become apparent as time presses on.

I really is just weird.

...