Tuesday Triumphs (Revised and Continued)

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

I'm not sure if I made it clear when I was posting last night, but I was kind of missing my husband! Also, there's a possibility I could have been wading in a small pool of pity. This week is the fourth week that Brock has been working in Tulsa/OKC during the week and home with us on the weekend (during February he was able to only be gone just two or three nights a week) Yesterday was the first day that I felt DONE...defeat was creaping in and my little white flag was beginning raise! (or at least that is what my emotions were telling me).

Not surprisingly the Lord has renewed my spirit and I have my "game face" back on. The morning has given me new eyes to recognize/remember the most triumphant events that happened on my not-as-bad-as-I-thought-it-was Tuesday:

1. We found a house to rent in Claremore!!! {I am cracking up at myself, that in all my school-girl missing of my Sweetheart, I failed to 'remember' that this weekly separation is almost over...silly me!}

2. God really does answer prayers...my prayer to be used by him in the life of others, and a friend's very specific prayer for her family were both met when she TRUSTED and I OBEYED (cue music)!

Thank you Father, that in You, we are always TRIUMPHANT!

Tuesday Triumphs

We made it through the day.
I am really missing Brock Eubanks.
Tytus observed "Rest Time/Quiet Play Time" to it's fullest, allowing me a chance to lay down and rest for myself.
Finally organized the pile of junk in the garage.
The warmer weather means lots of outside time, and the sack of old rescue vehicles that I found in the pile of junk kept the boys happy and entertained for a long time.
I am really missing Brock Eubanks.
We made it through the day.

Now that I am typing it out, it really was a pretty good day...we made it through, and sometimes just surviving is a triumph. I am going to sleep now, because I am missing Brock Eubanks.

Oxymoron

After having "rest time" in Mommy and Daddy's bed the other afternoon, this is what emerged to greet me...

Eubanks Cousins!

It's that time of year again...HAY SEASON! Eubanks Equipment is sending out fliers for their upcoming Open House, so we got the kids together for a little photo shoot at the dealership. The boys adore their cousins (and so do Brock and I), and the girls are such a big help. I think they did the business proud! Anyone need a baler or mower?!?!

When the (Momma) Cat's Away...

This is the scene I found when I returned from putting Cash to bed last night. When I asked Beau what was going on and reminded him that he is suppose to ask BEFORE getting a snack, he replied with, "It's okay Mom...accidents happen."!!

We might need to review some vocabulary...and put a lock on the pantry door!

Zoo Trip!

We decided to take our annual zoo trip during Spring Break this year. Mother insisted that we all wear the same color (and of course she chose Orange) partly for fun, but mostly because we had SIX kiddos seven years old and under! Kandy and I were not eager to go along with this for fear of looking like the "dorky family wearing matching tie-dyed shirts at Disneyland" (her words, not mine). But we complied with Mom's request and were quickly thanking her when we arrived at the zoo to find that half of Oklahoma was there as well! We had a great time...all the kids represented our family and our Cowboys very well!!

We made quite an impression and were the inspiration of numerous "Go Pokes" and "Alright Cowboys"!

The Eubanks Boys

Pax and T-Man

The bears did not disappoint, in fact, all of the animals were out enjoying the day!

I love this picture

Priscilla may have been more concerned with pushing Cash than looking at the animals, but she had a good time doing it!



SNACK TIME!

This chimpanzee (or is it an orangutan? I don't know the difference) was hilarious...he definitely put on the show of the day.

Beau was being a bear...scratching his back on a tree

After filling his tummy, this is how Cash enjoyed the last part of his first trip to the zoo!

Tuesday Triumphs

1. Started my "Cleanse", or should I say 10 days of drinking grass and eating rabbit food (and I didn't throw up!)

2. Ran 3 miles, followed by some Zumba...Seeing some lovely 60+ ladies in their Zumba cargo pants shakin' their money-makers is enough to make my whole week!!

3. Possibly found a place for us to live near Claremore...I can see a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel.

4. Brock met us and we had a delicious meal at the historic Hammet House...so good!! (veggies and grilled chicken for me (see #1))

Roadtrip with the Gang...

WARNING: This is a long one!!

Once again we packed the car to the brim and set out to visit friends and family...and find some adventures along the way! Since Brock has been working in Tulsa/OKC during the week and it was also Spring Break, the boys and I decided to load up and go along with him. We left last Sunday and headed toward T-Town and seven full days and heaven knows how many miles later we rolled back into Loma Linda.

*Before I continue with the details of this roadtrip I find it necessary to add this statement...At some point during my four years of being a parent I have convinced myself that I am capable of all things and that the forces of nature (otherwise known as my children) WILL cooperate with me and at the end of each day we will all have smiles on our faces! I credit this bit of disillusionment (among other important things) to my success as a mother. To anyone out there reading this now or later, I ask you...Don't you have to be a tiny bit crazy to pull this parenting thing off AND live the kind of life that you want to live at the same time? I realize that not everyone has the same lifestyle that we do: moving frequently, traveling frequently, having babies frequently!...but everyone is busy, right? And I am convinced that in order to raise well-balanced, well-behaved children, and not stay home all the time, it is essential to maintain a healthy combination of confidence and CRAZINESS! Mastering the Art of Flexibility (and I don't mean bendy body parts) doesn't hurt, either!

Now back to our roadtrip (a.k.a. Exhibit 'A' supporting the above statement)...
Sunday- **Before leaving town we took Cash by the urgent care just to make sure that that cough and running nose he had wasn't' RSV. It was not, so with a Xopenex script in hand we headed Southwest. First Stop in Tulsa...The Home and Garden Show. We got tons of ideas for the future house and ran into lots of old friends, including Pastor Bruce and his wife Linda (made my heart happy!) Then off to the hotel. We spent Sunday and Monday nights at the historic Mayo Hotel in downtown Tulsa. Super chic suite + plenty of room to RUN around + three boys = what were we thinking?! Actually the boys did great, but I'd love to stay there sometime with just Brock!

Monday- Brock went to work and the boys and I spent ALL AFTERNOON driving around looking for a place for us to temporarily live. Not much luck, but I did learn the ins and outs of Claremore (and the surrounding areas). Then spent the evening with the Becks...LOVE that family!

Tuesday- Packed up the gang and checked out of the hotel by 9:00 (a miracle!) Snuck in a quick photo shoot with Carissa. Then the boys and I went to brunch...yup, that's what I said, I took all three boys to Mimi's Cafe for pancakes by myself! Cash was not that into it but so kindly waited until AFTER we had already ordered to start crying! Tytus had to go potty, because we were strategically place in the very back of the restaurant, ALL FOUR OF US with diaper bag in tow (which I smacked two people in the head with) traipsed to the restroom. Once the chocolate chip pancakes arrived, life was better for all of us! Once we were all loaded in the car, Cash had a major explosive diaper that required special attention (a.k.a new clothes and a bath), so we made our way to the Ives household. Later, we made a stop at the park then it was back downtown to pick up Brock...and head to Grandma's. Despite the great pictures taken and the time with my best friends I really would have been fine with a late checkout!

Wednesday- ZOO TRIP! (more on that later)

Thursday/Friday- It was time to heat WEST! Grandma, the boys and I went to Taloga. We had planned to stay through the weekend, but our plans were changed by the Spring Break Blizzard of 2010! So within 24 hours we squeezed in visits with as many friends and family as possible. Then it was back to Edmond just in time to watch our Cowboys lose their first game in the Big Dance.

Saturday- SNOWED IN. Homemade soup and hours of college basketball!

Sunday- After church it was time to FINALLY make our way back home. I strategically packed the car (usually Brock does this task) so that we could stay the night again at the Mayo and drive the rest of the way home after Brock got done working on Monday. However, once we got on the road and the boys fell asleep, we just kept on driving! Did I mention the importance of Flexibility?!

*I'm kidding (kind of)! I credit my success as a mother and my well-behaved children to answered prayers, Brock, consistency, and the good ol' fashion kind of discipline!!

**Just in case anyone who reads this is wondering...Cash was over his cold by the time we got home, so no one can accuse me of being an unfit mother for dragging her sick child all over the state...he is the third child, enough said.

Flashback Friday

What a cute picture of us with our nieces, Josie and Lindie! Josie is now twelve and Lindie is ten...they are so grown up!! I wanted to honor them this Friday because they are both getting baptised on Sunday. We are so excited for them for making the most important decision of their lives. I am praying that they will each grow in their faith and learn how to serve the Lord and bring glory to him!

We love you girls!

From the Mouths of Babes...

Beau: "Have you heard about the Malkadoomies?"
Me: "NO, what are the Malkadoomies?"
Beau: "They're kind of like bad guys, but they have swords and golf clubs."
Me: "Oh, man, golf clubs?!"
Beau: "Yeah, and when you're ridin' on your motorcycle they hit golf balls at you and knock you off and then get you with their swords!"
Me: "Yikes!" ...and thinking to myself, "how on earth do you come up with these things...what an imagination!"

Land Owners

Yesterday Brock and I closed on eighteen acres of land just east of Claremore. It is a beautiful property with a large creek (more like a small river to this NW Oklahoma girl) running through it. We are very excited and hope to make this our home for a very long time. It is located just south of Hwy 20 a few miles east of I-44, so very convenient for traveling to visit grandparents and for Brock to get to work.

Our plan (I'm laughing to myself as I type this because anyone that knows us well knows that our "plans" are frequently changed...and we have gotten very good at 'going with it'), anyway, our plan is to start building a house at the end of summer.

For now, Brock is working mostly in Oklahoma City and Tulsa and the boys and I are still holding down the fort in Loma Linda, MO. However, we are currently looking for a place to rent in Claremore/Tulsa area so that we can all be together. We have been looking for a great piece of land to call HOME for several years, so we feel very blessed to have been given the direction and provision to find and purchase this property.

Masterpieces!!

Tytus drew a picture of Daddy and Mommy. Daddy is blue and Mommy is black. He said that Mommy is doing ballet!


Another Tytus creation, this one of himself and his brothers. Beau is done in black, Tytus is done in red and Cash is the third 'person'..."the one with the big head!"


This one is drawn by Beau. The figure on the far left is PaPaw Bob, the small figure in the top right is Beau. The round figures are the cattle, and the solid black 'blob' is The Bad Guys (Beau doesn't do anything that doesn't involve The Bad Guys!)

Ski Trip 2010: Part I

For a Christmas gift, my dad decided to take us all (my family and my sister's family) skiing! So the last week of February we all loaded up and headed to Breckenridge, CO...Six kids (seven years old and under!), four adults (the men hyped up on Red Bull and coffee!), tons of movies, numerous stops to potty, and one cargo trailer full of gear! The weather was beautiful, the slops were awesome, and we all had a lot of fun...we were exhausted and ready to be in our own beds by the third night, but good memories were made!

This is the best way to travel 12 hours with six kids!!

Please, Stay, Make Yourself At Home

A couple of days ago we were blessed with a visit from an old friend. We hadn't seen Mr. Sunshine in a while and he actually decided to stick around for a few days. The boys and I quickly let him know that he is welcome to stay as long as he'd like! And we didn't waste any time basking in his warmth and brightness. Off to the park we went to enjoy that oh-so-anticipated first feeling of...dare I say the word...SPRING!

February Monthly Mission

First of all, What happened to February? I mean, I know it has a few less days than the other months, but wasn't I just putting away the Christmas decorations (except for that garland and wreath that is still hanging on the front door...that's right, when Spring shows me that she is here to stay I will take down the evergreen!)

For our monthly mission in February we made Valentine's and delivered them to a local nursing home. In preparing for this "mission" I took the opportunity to talk to the boys about how we all get older and some of the positive and negative things that go along with that and also how some people don't have family that comes and visits them. We even read a couple of books about grandmas and grandpas getting older (although I find it humorous and a bit confusing that the drawings of grandparents in children's books look more like Great-grandparents than grandparents).

The boys enjoyed making the Valentines (at least what little creative freedom I gave them. I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to crafts I have a few "control issues" that I need to work on.) and I thought they turned out pretty cute! Daddy and Cash stayed home with the a little stomach bug, so Tytus, Beau, and I were off to spend the morning at Spring River Christian Village. I have to admit I was a little nervous about how they would do...what I mean is, I LOVE old people, but the truth is there can be some frightening looking folks at nursing home (at least in the eyes of a three and four year old!) But the boys did incredible! They just looked like pros...they were walking up to people, handing out their valentine's, giving hugs...I think Beau even gave one little old lady a kiss! And the residents seemed to be truly blessed to have children around. It was really fun! I think we will definitely be making this an annual event!

Tuesday Triumphs

Whew! First of all, we made it home from Breckenridge, CO last night. We had a great trip! All the kids traveled well (with a couple of early stops demanded by Priscilla and/or Cash, but hey, who can blame them, I was ready to be out of my 'car seat' too), the weather was fantastic, the slops were awesome! I hope to soon dedicate an entire post to our First Ever Family Ski Trip.

So, the boys and I made it home last night...finally. Daddy had to stay in OKC/Tulsa/Stillwater for work for a few more days, which meant that I pulled the cargo trailer home! And YES I triumphantly backed that puppy up to my garage and unloaded all of our crap...pardon me...travel necessities. Then I backed him up again in the alley and unhitched him!! Okay, so I had to recruit the teenage neighbor boy to help me unhitch him, but I indeed felt triumphant to accomplish this task that my husband asked of me (and I do think I heard a bit of hesitation in his voice, which of course only fueled my determination to, how else can I say it...Git R Done!)...TRIUMPH!!

Despite starting the day a little rough (the aftermath of being away from home for nine days), we had a lot of fun and got quite a few things done (Heaven knows I have a lot to do, after unloading that trailer with all of our "stuff" from vacation, the house looks like a tornado hit it!) Tytus and Beau eagerly helped me with my chores and did a mighty fine job at it. Tytus unloaded groceries and in typical T-man fashion organized the can goods and baby food just as I asked him to do. And Beau put away silverware and various other items from the dishwasher and stayed on task until the job was complete...he even came to me reporting that he had finished and needed another job!!! (This is quite an improvement as he in the past has proven to be "easily distracted")...TRIUMPH!

And I did FIVE loads of laundry...TRIUMPH!!