Corbin solves a mini Rubix cube

Jimmie gave the kids a 2x2x2 (mini) Rubix cube. Corbin could not wait to get his hands on it. He patiently waited and watched as everyone else passed it around for a few days. Our feeble attempts scrambled it up even more! 

Once he figured out the pattern to move a color where you want it to go, he was a machine and had the puzzle cube solved in minutes and a smile of satisfaction on his face. On to 3x3x3! 

Willyween 2018

Here we are at the ward trunk or treat. This year included a family/ancestor/day of the dead theme and many people brought favorite family recipes for the potluck. Everyone hit me had a Star Wars costume for the evening. I made Reese’s dress from an old sheet in about 15 minutes, and then used safety pins and a fitted sheet for my Jabba costume. Aaron said “no one will know you’re Jabba without a slave leia! You’ve got to make her a golden bikini! Ha. I cut the hem off an old Snow White dress and sewed it right over the top of the turquoise leotard top from Quincy’s Princess jasmine costume that I made when she was Sloane’s age. Then I cut up the Velma skirt from the scooby doo gang costume Reese wore a few years later and ta-da! Princess Leia in minutes! Jill S provided the golden accents for Sloane and Reese’s costumes, and Han Solo’s vest. Sloane was supposed to be Yoda, but she loved her princess costume even more.  I scored all the non-homemade costumes at the Rhea Lana sale a couple months ago for $3 each! Adrian’s are pajamas. Bonus! 

Here’s our traditional Foust, Knaup, and Willy kids pic, minus a few kids. 

And here’s a pic of part of the neighborhood gathered at the Durbin’s. A few sets of Grandparents joined their children who live on the Lane, and a few sets of grand kids joined their grandparents who live on the Lane. One retired neighbor carved a sword for one of the younger kid’s costume. Many homes had gluten and nut free treats for friends with food allergies. I love seeing this little community come together and care for each other. It’s so good. 


Halloween on Primrose Lane is awesome. There are only about 25 houses on the entire cul de sac, but everyone goes all out and it’s a big block party. One house had chili, another hot dogs and chips, another glow sticks. My parents set up a hot cocoa bar. Several of the neighbors made little treat bags for each of the kids, and had spooky music playing on their porches. The houses are decorated so cute with hay bales and corn stalks and jack o lanterns. All of it is just great! 






We came in for the great candy sort. Aaron made it rain candy on the kids and they took a slow mo video that is so funny I’ve watched it like 20 times. Corbin’s smile is just so genuine it’s clear that Halloween is the best day of a 9 year old’s life. Soren swims breast stroke through the candy. Reese “showers” in it and runs candy in her arm pits. Quincy shoves masses of it in her top. Sloane jumps up and down like she’s going to explode and then drops to do snow angels in the candy. 

The triplets all kept saying “I love it! I love trick or treating! I love this candies!”  They dressed up as Anna, Elsa, and Olaf from Frozen, to trick or treat.  And today they were Rapunzel, Rapunzel, and an airplane pilot for therapy and story time. 

Table for one

Nothing but royal treatment around these parts. 

Sloane was here

I can’t post pics of the twins at therapy, but this one of Sloane has me rolling. She joined them for a family session recently and I’m pretty sure we all need a little counseling to help us live our best lives the way Sloanie here is! 

Soren Plays Soccer

Soren’s Soccer season ended two weeks ago with a big win! Soren scored 3 back to back goals in a row, had strong footwork, great passes, and lightening fast defense. He is very particular about rules and got frustrated when players would lift their feet or cross the line on a throw in. He loved cheering and playing and most of all loved winning. Go Team Rush!! 

Soren can’t wait to play on the bigger fields over at Memorial Park, next fall. I can’t wait to have both of my players at the same location for practice!  It’s been a season of growth for both boys. 

Reese Auditions for All Region Orchestra

Reese has worked hard the past few weeks to master the assigned pieces for the All Region audition. 

She arrived at BHS at 7:45 am abd was unfortunately given the random audition number of 97. That meant she spent 7 hours at BHS on a Saturday. But she got to play around with Emily H, Hannah S, Greg G, Seth G, and Makenzie S for some of that time, so it passed pretty quickly. 
Reese felt great about her audition! She said that the sight reading portion was “super easy”...this was the part she had worried about the most. 

She did not make the cut, but is very happy she was brave and tried something new. I am so happy for her to have this experience and I’m proud of her too! Great work, Reese! 

Corbin Receives the Big 3 Award

Corbin received the Big 3 Award at Cooper Roundup, this morning!  At a recent parent teacher conference, Corbins teacher asked if all of my children are as exceptional as Corbin. We played a few rounds of math fact War, abd Corbin read excerpts from his daily journal to me. His favorite things about fourth grade are his teacher, and going on hikes to the outdoor classroom.  Corbin was selected for the award for being an example of always doing what’s right, and for his kindness toward other students. Way to go, Corbin! 

Pumpkin Patch 2018

We have 9 children this weekend. 

So of course we decided to take our insanity to another level and go to the pumpkin patch! The weather was just too perfect.

We had plans to recreate an old favorite family pic in an orchard of redbuds, but McGarrah’s have replaced the orchard with you pick blueberry fields! Reese and Quincy recreated a pic from 7 years ago though so that’s cute! 

2011

2018










I hate blocking our faces of the children in our pics, but protecting identities as well, here, so blocking is pretty necessary, so here’s our current “family pic”, minus baby M, who slept soundly in the stroller the entire time! I love this family of mine. We are loud and crazy and someone is always missing shoes or pouting.       But here we are, trying our best to do what’s best.  

Things that are the Best: October part I

Just a little list of joyful things that are my fave right now. 

1) Twinner bedding is the best

Carly’s bedding caught my eye in a Marco Polo and I had to ask where it’s from. Our white ruffled duvet is no longer white and has seen better days. I was delighted when she told me it’s from IKEA! Best $30 ever spent. 

2) double rainbows are the best

Arkansas skies are the most gorgeous I’ve seen. These beauties made a full arch all the way across the morning sky on Friday after some heavy rain. 




3) soundly sleeping children are the best. Once so restless and fearful as bedtime approached to the point of shaking with actual terror, or fight unseen demons and disassociated screaming and rage. Now, peaceful, snuggly, hugs and kisses. Sometimes some giggly chatter or singing as they drift off into a safe and sound sleep. Tonight, this image caught my eye and brought me to my knees in gratitude. The difference sometimes  still really gets to me. I love them. I’m so happy that my home and family are safe places for healing. I feel joy in their peace. 

4) Corbin whittling is the best

After two times catching Corbin using my Pioneer Woman kitchen knives on a scrap block 2x4, I could tell he was feeling the itch to build. I understand this itch, and recognize it as God’s gift to me I be able to create. This outlet brings me so much joy, and I think that legos and crayons are such popular toys because of the human need for creativity.  Aaron gave Corbin his old pocket knife and Corbin sawed away at a piece of scrap wood all afternoon. 

5) Autumn Crafts are the best.

 Missed stake conference yesterday staying home cleaning up after some midnight crib throw up. Not my fave, but since the kid was laid up sorry watching a movie all morning, I did some crafting. 





6) time with a friend is the best

Tia invited me over to make a clock. Kids ran wild in the rain and loved every minute, even though they trashed her basement, I’m sure. Sloane got a black eye from an angry twin, and Tia and I made cute stuff! Good company and crafts? My love language. 

Corbin Plays Soccer: Fall 2018

Corbin is on Team Nitro and has some tough coaches, this year!  Practice runs from 5:55 until 7:30 firm, and every Monday night, Corbin’s team was running drills and doing burpees until long after the other fields were empty. (Typical parks and rec soccer practice for U9 teams run from 6-7pm). Same for games. The bots were to arrive at 8:20 and had a 30-40 minute pre-Game practice and a good run around the fields every week. The coaches ran a military style team, with drills, sweat, more drills, consequences for mistakes, and no praise for mediocrity.   This is the first great Corbin questioned his love for the sport, but he also strengthened his skills and knowledge of the game. They took a hard loss the very last game of the season, which was a tough way to end the season, but I think Corbin enjoyed playing.   He had many many good assists that led to wins for his team throughout the season. He also played excellent defense and became very skilled in using only his left foot during drills. 



The coaches two sons (the two shorter boys) have played club soccer until now, when their club schedule conflicted with their baseball schedules, so they had to switch to parks and rec, so the dads played the boys up a year and paired up to coach and Team Nitro got a taste of what club soccer practice looks like. I have to say Corbin has zero interest in the military style, Jon affectionate yell-coaching. I think he learned a lot though. And I learned that I have a tender hearted son. Thankful for any parent who steps up to coach, because it’s definitely not in my skill set or agenda to do so. I became very good at hollering rebuttals of “good effort!” to lift discouraged low hanging heads after letting the ball get away from them, or a missed shot and took on the role of  “A for effort mom.” 

Later night practices offered us some beautiful sunset backdrops.   The boys are so lucky to have such s beautiful place to play a game they love. 

Soren Gets the Big Three

Soren Beck, you’re just the awesomest abd everyone knows it!  Even Mrs Southworth commented on how Soren’s gift of obedience is a blessing in her classroom as he is an example to his peers. Soren received the Big 3 Award for October at Cooper Roundup. Way to go, Soren! 

A Wave of Light

Last week, Jill told me she was headed to Nick’s grave to participate in the Wave of Light event, to sent love abd light and hope across the world in remembrance of babies who have died during birth or pregnancy.  Danielle asked if Jill was wanting to participate alone, or if this was something she was ready to share with others.  When Jill said she’d love company, it did not take ANY convincing at all for many many sister friends to surprise her by showing up to surround her and Nicholas in love and light as we mourned with her and remembered with her.  The wave of light is intended to be symbolic, but a very tangible warmth was felt, truth was testified, and love was witnessed. 






Jill had brought a light and a ribbon for each of the babies on Nick’s row in the cemetery to remember them, too. She mothers him well! As each friend arrived, we added lights for Nick, and as we huddled together on a freezing evening, sometimes visiting, sometimes crying, and mostly just hugging and remembering and loving, we all felt the heat coming up from these tiny flames. There was so much warmth between us and it was just a beautifully peaceful evening.  


Look at all that love for Nicholas and the Smallwood family! 



A few special things that happened were when the mother of the very first baby on the row, had been just driving by the cemetery on her way home and saw all the lights and women over on her son’s row and she got out of the car to come join us. Then she called her family and they came too. She told us her story, and we spent a time honoring him, as well. 

Before they left, we spontaneously decided to sing “Be Still My Soul”. We surrounded Jill with her family song and her “carry forward anthem hymn” and surrounded baby John and his family, including his living twin brother with lights from each of us, too.  

Watching this bereaved mother (who’s baby’s headstone spent years all alone over in this very special corner of the cemetery) embrace our Jill and give her empathy that can only come from one who has experienced and truly knows her agony was a sacred thing to behold. The Lord knows us each so well and so individually. The cemetery cannot provide contact information for the parents, so it is a tender mercy that He provided a way to connect these brave mothers, precious daughters to have a moment to mourn together and lift one another up. This mother spoke to many of us friends, too. 




I don’t know why Nicholas did not get to live and why Jill has to spend an autumn evening in a cemetery’s to be with her son.  I still feel very sad that this Jill’s story, instead of a story where we are passing around a cute little baby Smallwood when we gather as friends. I do not understand and do not really try to understand the why, because I DO know that God’s purposes are often far beyond my limited ability to see. I accept this and instead ask to see the Lord’s guiding hand in our lives. 

Being together with Jill and so many loving women gave strength to my knowledge of the existence of eternity, forever families, and of the great power of pure love. I felt this love so strongly as I hugged these sister friends. Love between each other. The love we have for Jill and for the importance of Nick’s place in her family. The mother love Jill has for her son. The love of Jesus Christ, who brought all of us together, and the power that his Redeeming Love has to steady us, lift us, and close the gaps that separate us in life and death.  His love and is perfect and it perfects us.  I’m thankful to remember Nicholas and his gift to us that night, in letting us feel a massive wave of the Saviors love and light.  Thank you to Jill for her brave vulnerability in sharing Nick and the evening’s powerful connecting peace with all of us.