10.4.16 apple harvest

Fall harvest is upon us. This time of year is overwhelming and humbling. From the onions and potatoes to the apples and squash we are rounding out the year of produce. This past weekend we spent some time outdoors enjoying the peaceful quiet of a local orchard. We picked 1000's of pounds of apples and have been enjoying them ever since.

Mark harvesting red delicious apples. They are not my favorite in the store but man right off the tree they are pretty delicious and juicy.

Aliza cajoling Afton to smile or come to her for a picture. She is finally feeling better. We have had the respiratory flu here and it is not fun. Thankfully it passes slowly!! But this poor kiddo definitely got it the worst going on week 3 and she is still not 100%. Thank goodness no one else has got sick  that badly. I learned just how much of  a major contributor she is here with her being out of order. She pulls a major part of the load here. Because Bruce has been slow in getting going I have really needed the kids a lot and it was a really hard time to have her down. The others had to be more responsible which they managed but it has not been a smooth road. It was a nice morning spent outside our normal sphere enjoying visiting with some neighbors and working together to complete a large task. Good times.

10-4-16 didnt work

To follow up on the bone soup... We had chicken legs on monday. I really wanted the bones! I was so excited to share this wholesome goodness with Greg because he was getting the respiratory flu we've all endured. Perfect timing to make him well and a believer in this amazing drink.

 It was late after everyone got done eating and so after throwing the bones in a pot I turned it on medium to get it boiling and proceeded to bed. Yes thats correct I totally forgot and went to bed. Well about 1:30 am the sick husband woke from a strange dream about smoke and bad smells to find smoke and a stinking pot of burned bones about to ignite on the stove. So much for a good nights sleep... So our house smells worse than a campfire, my pot is ruined and I'm sure Greg will not be drinking stock in any form anytime soon. Thank goodness I didn't burn the house down and it's time for new batteries in the smoke alarm.

10.2.16 keep on going

These days my time is spent looking at this guy. Just like this. Hours and hours sitting trying to calmly nurse my baby. Obviously being a very old lady with a lot going on this has been a much more difficult task than I remember last time. ( although my better remembering half says this is pretty much our normal for all our babies).

Yet however hard, frustrating, tear enducing it is to just sit and sit there are moments even now that make it all good.

 Conference. I use to sleep with Harold on my chest. It was the only way he would truly rest. He enjoyed trying his skills with little Brucey. Bruce isn't super comfortable with lots of commotion, but he is pretty calm with Harold and Anna caring for him. I just appreciate a small break in holding him.

At pack meeting. We were noting the size differences. Livy is half Harold's size and Bruce is about a tenth.

I was really struck with elder uctdorfs talk about faith and how it's not making God do what you want but doing what God asks and having his help. I knew over 8 years ago we would have 11 kids. I've wondered who and what they would be. It is amazing to have 11 kids in my home. It is challenging and humbling. It is so good too. I appreciate all the kind support from dinners, to herbs, to words of affirmation and love. So many family and friends have kept this experience from becoming a full on train wreck. My kiddos have been completely normal and fantastic.
We are surviving and so grateful for all the  kind angels in our midst. Thank you.

9.21.16 bone soup

With all my sitting I have lots of time to pursue the internet. And with all this sitting I was in hopes my baby was gaining and growing fat. Not so much. So back to sitting more trying to sleep more and no pacifier just nursing and pumping and then repeat. Its working slowly but surely.

As the old adage goes you can't run the cow around the pasture and expect lots of milk. (i live in cattle country this resonates with folks round these parts). While I strive to sit and let laundry, dishes and dirt accumulate till capable culprits come home from school the mere business of getting to and from activities and keeping a slight eye on the littles (who suddenly wake up early and refuse to nap) this wears me out.

Thus looking for help in getting more milk into my baby. One suggestion was bone soup. The old method of restoring health. It's often the first offering after sickness, surgery, or injury. Being that I have one home sick going on day 5 and trying to be more abundant in lactation myself I ordered some bones, read several recipes and am simmering bone soup!

I was shocked to find I live in a veritable garden of Eden. Free range organic grass fed happy animals are abundant outside my door. I'm breatnhing in all their goodness! Not to mention I'm saving or sitting on a good mine of health. It's amazing how much people pay for those animals or byproducts online.
A friend sent half a gallon of fresh goat milk for dinner. Hallelujah as that is a great supplement for my baby. He likes it too! Again wholesome goodness!!
Off to strain my liquid gold bone soup... And eat more fat which was the other suggestion for helping him gain.

Sidenote: my chickens were spared the pot this time. Chicken feet are the secret ingredient. I asked Greg and Sue to help me kill a chicken, both said no. Reed and Millie were up for it I just ran out of gusto and time. Maybe next week... If this soup cures some of the coughing going on here my chicken flock might be cut in number soon starting with the fighting roosters- hack hack!

9.13.16 around here

Life has not stopped around here. Although I sincerely wish it would slow down. I'm finding I did a lot more than i realized as I'm sitting nursing and holding Bruce for many hours these days. He continues to be a fabulous baby, I just forget how much time it takes to grow a baby on the outside! But I keep telling myself " I can do this I CAN do this, I hope!"

 The kids are doing ok just missing  individual parent attention. You can tell they are really morose about the whole situation.

Although that has some trade offs as they do enjoy the various gifts of nourishment that have been brought. This might was hot fudge Sundays courtesy of my parents.

The olders are doing well filling in some gaps. Harold works with Greg now after school. We miss him but it's been good for him to learn and help his swamped dad.  This when he gets home he is ready to talk and play. The little girls love the attention and the older girls are more than happy to chatter away with him. A major bonus of the boy girl dynamic here is how they draw each other out in conversation.
Trying to ease some of the monotony of mom just sitting and nursing I bought some more arrows for bow practice. Aliza showi g her skills getting her arrow directly through the water bottle target!

Reed as the big brother. School is a trial for him as it is so much sitting. Thank goodness for science, p.e., and recess or it would be unbearable. We sure miss him but are glad he is learning and try to reassure him it will get better. In the meantime he wrestles, chases, and plays as much as he can with the little girls to help him unwind from the long days away.

After church on Sunday Afton was impressed with this ladies chair. These two are close to the oldest and youngest I'm our ward. This lady is so happy and kind she literally loved and traveled all over the world with her family. Its pretty see inspiring to learn bits of her life story.

9.11.16 introducing

One of my biggest worries prebirth was how to fit in another person. And one who requires a lot of time. I'm happy and cautious to report he us a fabulous baby. He sleeps a big chunk of the night. He loves to held, nurses great and is just a peaceful blessing. Because he is so good I'm feeling pretty good. I count this as a tender mercy and divine intervention! 

We named him Bruce Seburn. Those are family names.
My dad is bruce and seburn is a ways back on my line but there are very few of them left, at least to my knowledge. We are thankful for the many blessings he has brought. While im not trusting myself with making lots of decisions or being the most tactful person, all in all the transition  is going well. Kids are surviving well so now on to a busy week two with our new little chief. A sign fortold by this funny tomato we got this year.

And just for sake of recording with aliza and john home this week we made and canned a batch of spaghetti  sauce and salsa on Tuesday  then 30 qts of  peaches on Thursday and picked over 100 lbs of pears from the neighbors  on Saturday.  So not too much sitting around but enough to just adore this sweet baby. Anticipating  a much less productive  week with kids all back in school. That may be a good thing too! Best to you.

9.6.16-To due... To done!

After a long night of laboring every hour I woke up ate an avocado, read some stories, and proceeded into real labor, a hurried drive, and a quick delivery of this little big guy! Labor got real about 10:30 we left at 11 and he was born at 12:12. All good we were there and all was safe and fine. 

My prayers had been that his birth would be comfortable. I couldn't bring myself to pray for painless although I've been told that is possible too. I was more worried how he would fit in. How he would complicate all the schedules that run in our home. How we would ever fit in resting, nursing, and nurturing everyone else. So needless to say seeing a long weekend, no big activities, and hearing from Greg things were slow it looked like a really opportune day to have a baby!

I haven't had a natural birth during the day ever. This was new! We were rested, although the "We've got to go now!!" phone call interrupted an oil change- Harold was able to go to town and finish the oil change and it was all good. Some of my older kids are home this week and able to help out. The others were able to hold down the fort for the weekend while I recuperated at a very peaceful grandma's house. It's been comfortable!

The kids are in love. The boys especially are so happy! The girls of course think he's great but I'm touched at how tender Harold and Mark and John are with him. It makes me sad to think they will not be buddy play companions to him but hero's and role models. Different stages and phases our family is and will go through.

I was struck how much Anna looks like me in this picture. She is busy with high school activities and the backbone of our meal planning efforts. She does well and we are thankful.

And of course the biggest perk to new baby sitting and holding him and since we are all about productivity making the most of the time reading. The best part of new babies besides their sweet smell, calm, and peace is all the great reading that can occur! Yay!!!

So I had a fat and full to do list before I was due. I can happily say it all got checked off before he came. From sacrament bread for Sunday, to haircut for dad, to reorganizing visiting teaching, to canning, we got through it. Now on this side I am happy to report he is a very chill baby. Loves to be cuddled, nurses well, is gaining weight, sleeps long stretches and only cries when we sit him alone to keep him awake so he will sleep long stretches at night. I feel good not too sore and am amazed how quick it really went.

 I wish I could skip the anxiety of worrying about delivery but I guess that's all part of the hormones changing. I learned more about herbal possibilities and helps this time and the power of prayer and positive thinking. This time every time a nervous or scared thought would come into my mind I would think "I'm so excited to meet this new person in our family!" It helped a lot. I listened to a talk that said if we are prepared we should not fear so I tried to apply that I was prepared so I didn't need to fear. We are blessed. God is good and he is real. I also told myself all through the night of laboring 1x per hour- I turn this over to Christ he has already paid the price ... it was enough to go back to sleep. Some suffering makes it real and gives us the sense of accomplishment but it's nice to have it be quick and to have some relief.