Celebrating Our Little Gem

Seven years ago today...
I was 42 weeks pregnant. I had wanted to go into labor on my own, naturally. Dr. Breniman was respectful of my wishes, but we both agreed that at 42 weeks I would come in to be induced. On a Sunday morning, he met me at the hospital to break my water, and I joked with him that I would try to wait to have the baby after church was over...but that didn't happen! lol I had said a prayer that Holly--the best nurse ever--would be working that day, and having her taking care of us was such a blessing. After about 3 1/2 hrs of walking around 2nd floor chatting with my coworkers and relaxing in the whirlpool, my sweet Little Gem made her appearance.

(That was my last hospital birth. After that, my babies were born at home with midwives.)

She truly has been a sparking jewel in our lives ever since.

Gem loves My Little Pony, and her favorite pony is Rainbow Dash. Her favorite color is blue. Her favorite food is hot dogs. She loves playing dress-up and attending karate class with her older sister and brother. She is an affectionate, generous, sometimes shy girl. We love you, Gem!

Belt Promotions

Greg and Mojo earned their green belts and Caveman earned his blue belt. Gem received a stripe on her belt. The ranks in our system progress from white, yellow, blue, green, purple, brown, to black. Although stripes are not officially included in our ranking, we do sometimes add stripes to the children’s belts as a visible sign of their improvement. Since it generally takes a minimum of six years to earn a black belt, and since the minimum age to test for black is sixteen (although eighteen is the more common age), stripes can add a little encouragement of progress.
I can’t help but be proud of the way my family is progressing. My son, in particular, has shown such a marked improvement since his last ranking!

Here we are looking mean. Except Gem. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. Yet.


Congratulations to my warriors!

Our Lovely Fall

Taking an unscheduled break to go hang out at the park…


Meeting Uncle John, Aunt Catie, and James at the Pumpkin Patch…


And this is how our running route looks like these days…

It’s Been Awhile

Life has been…overwhelming. Not in a bad way, but in a “I need to stop and catch my breath” way. I have learned along the way that whenever I have the feeling of drowning in my responsibilities, it’s most beneficial for us all if I just drift, breathe, and gaze at the stars for awhile. I make no apologies for this. After awhile, I regain my strength and can begin moving forward again.

After Ro’s birth, and then switching jobs, I was not able to give homeschooling the attention that I wanted for a few months. We are now back in full swing, and for the first time, we’ve chosen a name and patron for our homeschool. We are referring to ourselves as “The Peace and Love Institute”, and we have chosen Our Lady of Peace as our patroness.

(I love this image.)

I know that everyone thinks I’m somewhat of a hippie, and it probably comes as no surprise that “peace and love” is my theme and my mantra, but it means more to me than an overused catch phrase. If only I could truly learn to love God with all my heart and my neighbor as myself…if only I could truly learn to be at peace with God, myself, and others…if only I could teach my children to do the same through my example…

Caveman’s 9th Birthday

Caveman requested to have his party at the dojo, with a martial arts theme.

As much as I wanted to come up with a creative Pinterest-worthy cake, I had to work the weekend. So Kroger bakery it was.

Favors were given out in “black belt” gift bags.


And he couldn’t wait to try out sword kata with his new light saber.

It’s a Family Thing

For years, martial arts was “my thing”. It’s now become a family thing! I am happy that my family is joining in and enjoying it.



Sparring has become our second favorite physical activity.

Gigi Turns Two

Gigi got to spend her birthday at Chuck E. Cheese with her family. Grandma and Grandpa even came to celebrate with us.

She loved her chocolate cake, but she hid her face when we sang “Happy Birthday”.

Happy birthday, sweet princess!

Happy 12th Birthday, Dear Mojo!

Mojo’s wish this year was to hang out at the mall and have a sleepover with her friends. One of the perks of homeschooling is being able to have a sleepover on a Sunday night!

The boys woke up with makeup on their faces the next morning. But that’s OK; I told them how they could get even at the next sleepover.