What is a Mama worth?

How much money do I save my husband by being a stay-at-home Mama?

I was thinking about it tonight as I made up 18 cookie baskets for him to hand out to local businesses

Private mentor, discipler, teacher of his children

Personal shopper and chef

Custom painter

Willing to do any to help him prosper in his affairs

House cleaner? (that one feels like a stretch)

Sure I don't bring in any money really, but what is what I do worth? Isn't it worth more than I could earn as a graphic designer? This is what I went to college for, but I figure if I really was doing well, I could maybe be making $50k...maybe. This would be pre-tax, I would probably bring home $35k, then there is the daycare issue to get my kids to school age. I would definitely have to be working in a large city to make it though and have to fight the traffic, be away from my children all day long, let the state teach them the complete opposite of what we believe on practically everything.

What would the real cost be to our family in order for me to earn $50k?

More than we are willing to pay.

T5 coming

New Wallace

I hate this post.

I hate having to write it.

This is the most painful loss so far, hands down.

This beautiful big boy

We had a nice breakfast this morning, bacon, eggs and waffles with the french doors open. A nice enjoyable family breakfast...then my son said, "Has anyone seen Wallace today?"

These are the words that we had talked about just a week before. We loved Wallace more and more. He is such a sweetheart.

One droopy droop feather was all that he had.

Summer 2010

The wonderful cross

A life of sacrifice

Fall Recital

North Carolina Family Economics Conference

In March our family traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina for a Family Economics Conference.
Here we are in Pheonix, Arizona. We flew 'stand by' which makes for a very exciting trip. You never know when or *if* you will reach your destination. We spent about 6 hours in the Pheonix Airport because the plane going to Raleigh was full. There was no other flight leaving that day to NC, so we had to think creatively. We found a flight going to Baltimore Maryland that had enough seats to accomodate our family. We began looking up maps online to see if we could just get to the east coast and then drive down to NC.



On the flight from Arizona to Maryland. Fia reading Little House on the Prairie. Big brother taking pictures from the coveted window seat. This was a treat as we 3 were able to sit together. We had some MAJOR turbulance as we neared Baltimore.


Finally on solid ground (after turbulant flight) and in a new and unknown city at 11:30pm. Papa began his plan with his blackberry.


Off to leave the airport and find the car rental building.






The boys were getting a rental car while us girls rested. This was about midnight. We ended up renting a car with GPS (Praise the Lord for GPS). We drove through the night, passed many landmarks that tortured us because we couldn't stop. We saw the White House, the Washington Monument, crossed the Pottomac River, passed NASA, NSA and numerous Civil War historical sites and battlefields. We arrived at our hotel at 6am, had some yummy continental breakfast, went up to our room and went to bed for a few hours.


I had plenty of good knitting time during our day of travel, almost finished here with a sweater for Fia.


We met up with a wonderful friend from high school who lives in North Carolina. He brought his guitar so the boys could play.




Still reading...




Walking him out...


Family Economics conference, day one, session two. See Papa coming down the hall?


Some interesting trees.



Sunday morning going to church on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
A beautiful North Carolina morning.



Gorgeous architecture.




The inside was impressive and massive to say the least. It was amazing to go to church in such a beautiful building.






Scott Brown, Kevin Swansen and Doug Phillips were among the congregation that day.





Hurry back to the airport.


We must get the necessary equipment before boarding the plane.


Back home about 11pm Sunday.


A short but life-changing few days.

So long, little friend

King Cann wasn't acting right the last few days. He was just standing alone outside. We brought him inside and put him in a box by the woodstove. He didn't try to get out of the box which was a sign things weren't right. We bought some medicine from the feedstore and tried to doctor him best we could. I held him often, he just sat in my arm like this...my sweet little hamster. I figured he was going to die but I wanted him to be warm and comfortable if he did, not weak and picked on by Edward, the BIG rooster. He did die. Mrs. Cann is lonely now. We find her up on the door step. Our daughter feeds her from her hand. She told me, "We have to take care of her now that she has no husband." So we do.

The seabrights: All grown up

Well, we named the seabrights Mr. and Mrs. Cann (not Tweedledee and Tweedledum) after the canary called "King Cann" in a child's story book Elmer and the Dragon. Our Mr. Cann is so small and he just seems like the King Cann from the book, so small and so proud.

We enjoy watching them out in the grass. They always stay together, they stroll around side by side. They watch out for each other. If we hold one, it's best to hold them together otherwise they are nervous. Mrs. Cann is definitely more uptight than Mr. Cann.

As you can see in the photo above, he can relax. If you hold him for a bit and sit still he will close his eyes and just enjoy the rest. This photo was taken in our dining room. Sometimes as a treat, after my son lets the chickens out in the morning he'll bring someone to the door for a visit. Usually, either my daughter or I will gladly scoop them up and have a little moment holding them. Then when it's over, I open the french doors and toss them out and they fly like birds for awhile.

Here you can see the adorable egg my son found laid by Mrs. Cann.

So cute!

Thinking it was the first of many to come I carelessly fried it. But since then we've only been able to find one more. I don't know where she lays them. They are so small and probably have their own special hiding place.

We love them so much. They are adorable and so much fun to hold.

They stick together like all good couples.

I hope they will survive another year at least. Sounds harsh I know but I've learned...between the owls and the coyotes you just have to appreciate them today and be prepared for what tragedy might befall them.