You call it chaos, we call it family :D

Okay...I have long slacked on the blog.  I'll admit it.  I got sucked in to a vortex called life and neglected this little piece of the world wide web for a bit.  But, the good news is that I am back.  I took time to breath, heal, clean, hug my kids, pray, meditate, exercise, re-focus, trust in Him, and find myself.  I'm better, wiser, and a whole lot stronger than when I started 2013.

And what do I have to show for all this time off...I'm mailing my Christmas cards and letters this week BEFORE Christmas.  I usually get them out the week AFTER Christmas or end up throwing them away because I couldn't get to them and find them in a drawer six months later.  I am a changed woman...watch out 2014!  (If you'd like a hard copy of the letter, email me your address -- bridgetbarrus@gmail.com)  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Happy Birthday Bauer!

August is a BUSY birthday month in the Barrus house -- we celebrate 5 birthdays within a few weeks of each other.   And to top it off, you add the start of football season and school and life gets really interesting while trying to celebrate these special days.

Bauer Adrian was a "surprise" baby...and I cried for three days when I found out I was pregnant.  We were jobless and insurance-less and we already had a special needs baby that was just a few months old when I learned I was pregnant with another bundle of joy.  But God is good and He knew that despite all of that, Bauer would bring a light and joy to our family that we would desperately need.  :)

Bauer's curiosity is endless and his energy rarely has bounds.  He has an amazing imagination and gives the BEST hugs on the planet.  I love this boy to the moon and back and will forever be grateful that he is part of our family.  HAPPIEST of Happy Birthdays to my little "what-tee".

AND, in keeping with tradition here are the TOP 5 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT BAUER...

1. BIG things come in SMALL packages and you have the BIGGEST heart to love all of your siblings and your parents.  WE LOVE have you tell us many times throughout the day how much you love us.  
2. You have an amazing imagination -- from trucks and cars to an imaginary friend named Jack, you don't need much to keep you entertained. 
3. You should have been born with gills and flippers permanently attached -- swimming is your favorite thing.  When leaving the YMCA on his birthday Bauer said, "mom, I want to stay here forever."
4. The Energizer Bunny is your twin because you can go, go, go, GO all-day long and then some. 
5. Your nickname is Jack-Jack, like the little guy on the Incredibles.  And, you are just like him -- it fits you perfectly!

Brothers -- On our way to the YMCA for some swimming to celebrate our little fish's birthday!

This month is such a special one...It's BIRTHDAY time.

The Birthday LOOT!

Sweet sister made fish cupcakes for our little man -- he was in heaven.  

Seaside 2013 -- Barrus 2.0

Barrus 2.0...what a great little escape to Seaside, Oregon!!  Big Ben and Little Ben played in the Seaside 2013 Beach Volleyball Tournament last week and the rest of the herd decided to tag along.  While they played volleyball, we enjoyed the sun, sights, and sounds of the beach.   We even managed a little side trip to the Tillamook Ice Cream factory. 

Hundreds of miles and 4 days later we pulled back in the driveway.  We were happy to be home and extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to spend time as a family.  And what's even better -- the Ben's came home as CHAMPIONS of the tournament in the U-15 parent/child division.  Nothing better than a little sun, our family, and limited wi-fi/phone connections (we were unplugged from technology...it was GREAT!) Enjoy the pictures!

Easy Peasy -- Breakfast Burritos

Let's face it...I have NEVER been a morning person.  I try...I fail.  I'm a night owl crossed with the Energizer Bunny so I find myself still going at midnight or 1am or even 2am like it is right now.  So anything I can do to make life easier in the morning and still allows me to serve my peeps is a big bonus.  Plus, stuffing my kids full of sugared cereal in the morning is neither healthy nor helpful.   Breakfast burritos, pancake sausage sticks, and waffle-eggos are just a few of the fave breakfast dishes they can choose from.   With a little bit of prep ahead of time, I get a little bit of extra sleep and the kids get a hot breakfast.  It's a double win in my book...and did I mention it was MUCH cheaper than the sugared cereals and the pre-packaged meals.  Can you say EASY PEASY??!!

BREAKFAST BURRITOS (makes approximately 60 burritos)
3 pounds of sausage
8 pounds of potatoes, hashed
5 dozen eggs, scrambled
6 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
60 tortillas
1 onion diced
1 garlic minced

You'll prepare all of your main ingredients separately and then mix them together before you make your burritos.

1.  Brown 3 pounds of sausage.  Drain fat and set aside.
2.  Prepare your hashbrowns.  Cook over medium high heat using oil or butter and salt and pepper to taste in a skillet.  I typically brown mine for 3 minutes on each side and then set aside.  I'm not going to lie....8 pounds of potatoes is a lot of hashbrowns.  Set aside.
3.  Prepare your scrambled eggs.  Crack and put in large mixing bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and 2 cups of milk.  Whisk together and then pour in to skillet.  While eggs are hot, add cheese and stir to distribute. Once done, set aside.
4.  Prepare your onions and garlic.  Brown over medium high heat in skillet with a small amount of oil.  They are done when your onions begin to turn translucent.
5.  Mix all ingredients together and let the fun begin!  HINT:  Heat your tortillas slightly before you fill them - they crack if you don't.
6.  Place a 1/2 of mixture in tortilla shell, roll in ends and viola....a Breakfast Burrito is born.
7.  Place on a cookie sheet and freeze.  Once frozen, you can bag them together in freezer bags or individually wrap them in clear wrap.  The choice is yours -- my kids personally prefer the clear wrap because of the moisture when they are microwaved.

To enjoy, microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.  All you have to clean up is the clear wrap and a plate and your kids get a full tummy without the sugar.  And hopefully you got an extra 30 minutes of sleep...just sayin'.

Here are some pictures of our Breakfast Burrito adventures this weekend...we made 120.  :)  It didn't take too long -- I managed to make 100 bean and cheese burritos, get Bria ready for cheer camp, go to Church, and install a swamp cooler in the sauna we have going on upstairs.  The rest of the house looks like carnage struck, but atleast tummy's will be full while I attempt to clean it.  Besides, who says that breakfast burritos are only for breakfast??   Hello after school snackage!

Most handsome garbage guy EVER...20 pounds of potatoes baked, peeled, and ready to be hashed.

Hashed potatoes -- why buy them when you can make them for a fraction of the cost. 

Taters....after they were baked and peeled. 

Hashbrowns...check

TIP:  Make an assembly line...and hire this guy.  He rolls a mean burrito...

Tortilla Ninja #1 -- his job is to heat the tortillas for the "stuffer" standing next to him.  

Tortilla Ninja #2 -- She rolls the burritos in clear wrap and puts them in the box. 

These boxes go in the freezer and the kids can pull one or two out when they want.  Who said breakfast burritos were only for breakfast anyway.

It's Been a L.O.N.G Week

It's been a long week.  We are at the end of the school year and no one wants to study or do their chores.  Late nights getting last minute projects done and both football and cheer seasons have started. Baseball is still going hard and I have only one week left of teaching preschool.  You could say that things around the Barrus casa are a little rough.  We will survive.  I hope. 

As I was thinking about the "rough" parts this morning, semi-grousing about how much work we have to do today to get our house back to some sort of inhabitable, I was struck by all the awesome things my kids did this week  Here's a recap:

1.  We still managed to study our scriptures. And no one complained.  Or died.  Or complained.  :)

2.  Bria is working hard on her solo for Cantus' Finale concert this next week.  I am so excited to see her sing on stage.  She has such a beautiful voice!!

3.  Bronx and Boden are amazing baseball players -- between pitching, catching, homeruns, and grand slams, they are rockstars! Bronx is pitching so hard that even the coaches are afraid of it.  Looks to me like we are going to have a pitching/catching duo to take Borah all the way to the state championships in 2017 :)

4.  Boden's heart monitor was placed on Thursday and now we will spend the next 30 days getting monitored.  He hates it.  But he's wearing it and I'm grateful that we might actually get some answers.  

5.  BJ sang in his school's talent show.  He rocked it!  Proud mama right here.  Enjoy!

Seasons...part 2

I cannot WAIT for summer -- kids home, swimming, sunshine, camping....FUN!!  If we can just survive the last few weeks of school and the final push for homework, choir concerts, football, baseball, and the rest of this school season to end...I'll be a happy camper if we are all in one piece and I'm not curled up in the fetal position in my closet sucking my thumb.

On Monday, I struck the doctor appointment lottery and was able to schedule an appointment with the BEST pediatric orthopedist in town...seriously.  I was screaming for joy in my car I was so happy.  He had been out of town for a week and was booked three weeks out already but somehow that magic computer and brilliant scheduler managed to find a spot just for us.  Even she remarked how she couldn't understand how that had happened.  I knew exactly -- GOD happened.  WOOT WOOT!!

Below is the image of little Ben's tibia.  If you look at the right hand side just below the joint you can see the large egg shaped growth.  The good news is that the doctor isn't jumping up and down out of concern and he doesn't think we need to do anything with it at the moment.  Instead, he wants to check it in a couple of months to see if it has grown.  If it has, then we will need to do something -- biopsy, more tests, etc..  If it hasn't, then we just continue to monitor it.  All in all, I definitely feel better.  Moving on to a different season...

This week, is Boden's cardiology exam.  He will see a pediatric heart specialist on Wednesday and have an echocardiogram.  He is still losing weight...still struggling with stamina.  We were out playing in the sprinklers yesterday and holy crumbs that kid is a toothpick.  Still wearing his trunks from last year and they are now baggy :/  This season scares me too.  We are down nearly 6 pounds in a year.  This shouldn't happen in an otherwise healthy 11 year old boy.  Praying for answers, wisdom, patience, and comfort for me and for sweet Boden.

In other news....
*  Mother's Day...not so hot.  But grateful I am a mom to my beautiful children - I am blessed beyond belief.
*  Little Ben tried to light the grill yesterday for dinner and ended up burning his hands, lips, and a few eyebrow hairs and eyelashes.  COULD have been so much worse and again...GOD IS GOOD!! (Enjoy the pic at the end)
*  I took my beautiful daughter cheer bow shopping...I get to do fun things like that now.  I've waited 15 years to be able to do it and oh.so.fun!
*  Little Ben and Bria had their final concert for Mustang Magic.  One more to go for Cantus and Bria was selected for a solo.  So proud...last night she said, "I realized now I have to actually sing...by myself....in front of people....lots of people."  I just had to wonder what she was thinking when she tried out for a SOLO!  Silly pickle.
*  We got a sweet new pet to add to our collection -- his name is Chip and he's a robo hamster.  CUTE CUTE CUTE.  One more thing to join the circus!
*  I'm headed to Utah this weekend for training at Let's Play Music and might need to stop at this wonderful placed called IKEA.  Just sayin'

Seasons

Our life seems to be ruled by "seasons" -- football season, volleyball season, FFA season.  April and May were more brutal than normal.  Felt like all of the forces of nature had turned to make life more complicated, more stressful, more abnormal.  People rallied, I prayed, and we all survived.  I took a deep breath for the first time in months last week.  It felt good -- I caught up on laundry, celebrated Bria's selection as a cheerleader, and was looking forward to our final volleyball tournament of the year.         The end of another "season".

And now, today has been met with mixed emotions.  Relaxation (it's Sunday after all), fear, some tears, deep love, and more prayer.  We are entering another "season".  It isn't the one that I expected and I have to admit, it's a bit scary.  And yet I find myself thinking about faith and small blessings.  I find myself hoping that this season is short and that whatever storms will be coming as part of it will be minimal.

Earlier this week, BJ finished volleyball and was regretting not playing Spring football.  He decided to call his coach and see if he could play for the remainder of the season and was disappointed when the coach told him that the season was actually coming to a close and he wouldn't be able to play.

The next morning, Coach Dan called back to say that after thinking about BJ's call and calling the league, he had found a team that was in need of some additional players to finish out the season.  We immediately answered yes.  A practice and a half later, BJ had his first game on Saturday.  Neither Ben nor I could attend because we were coaching our volleyball team at the AAU Super Regionals.  In between games, Ben picked him up and when he walked in to the gym, he was limping.  One look at his knee, and you could tell that there was something wrong.

Football can be rather brutal.  I've watched him get sacked by boys twice his size and bounce back up.  I've watched him hit others at a full run and knock them over.  He loves it & I tolerate it because he loves it.  Such is the plight of a mother of boys... :)

Turns out, he took a helmet to the side of his knee...in the 1st quarter of the game.  And, to his credit, he continued to play another 30 plus minutes on both sides of the ball on this knee.  I'm watching him sleep now -- leg up on pillows and an ice pack -- and I can't even imagine the adrenaline a person would need to keep playing on it.  The one thing he wanted me to tell Coach Dan last night..."I didn't quit".

We won't know the full extent of the injury until we see the orthopedist tomorrow.  There's a little spot on the film that looks wonky, but there's no fracture in the knee itself (which is good news). There is a possibility that his MCL (the tendon that runs from femur to tibia and keeps things together) tore and in that process broke off a little piece of bone.  But the season I am talking about is actually not the recovery time it will take for him to be back on the field.

Friends, we need your prayers.  Your positive energy.  Your good thoughts.

The X-ray revealed more than just the knee injury.  It also revealed a tumor in his right Tibia -- about the size of golf ball.

The word tumor has been turned over and over and over in our heads today and throughout the night.  This afternoon I held our beautiful 14 year old son as he cried, scared of what the possible outcomes might be and trying to take comfort in the hope for a positive one.  This season has the potential to be ugly, filled with rain and snow and hail and trying winds.  And yet, it could be a benign tumor.  It's not necessarily cancerous and I keep reminding myself of that.  We do know two things -- it's not a cyst and we need to have an orthopedist look at it.  As I explained to BJ today that we "shouldn't borrow trouble", I found myself wishing I was as wise as the words coming out of my mouth to reassure him.

As I sit in the sunlight of my bedroom thinking about God's goodness, I am going to beat back fear and anxiety.  I am going to pray for wise doctors, offer thanks for modern technology, and marvel in the beauty of this season, even if I find it hard to find.

How Does She...Laundry PART 1

Jealousy doesn't normally rear it's ugly head around here...I only covet a few things in life and they usually are in sets of two.  Two dishwashers, two ovens...are you feeling it yet?  TWO SETS OF WASHERS AND DRYERS.  Oh be still my heart!!  Forget Louboutin shoes, Prada handbags, or Louise Vuitton....my heart moves for washers and dryers in sets of two.  :D

But, that is a dream far down the line and may never happen.  For a family of 8 or more, laundry is one of those tasks that pretty much consumes.  I shop in bulk for laundry sheets, stock up on good detergent when it goes on sale with a coupon, and I have a variety of pet-peeves related to it that make my teenagers want to pull their hair out.  They'll need therapy for the rest of their lives over the laundry in this house.  But atleast they'll have clean clothes to go in...just sayin'.

I digress....today's "How Does She" post is devoted to all things laundry.  And, no, it doesn't include a fairy. But it does include a few easy steps for helping make laundry a skosh more enjoyable and functional.  And who doesn't need that in their life??  Be sure to check out all 6 posts for how I master the laundry in my very busy household. 

STEP 1: ORGANIZATION

You will HATE your laundry space if it is cluttered, disorganized, or chaotic.  I hyperventilate just thinking about my last laundry space.  It was teeny tiny, and I avoided it like the plague.  Which, truthfully just made it worse, because then it became the most loathed space in the house and the one I used the most purposefully.  Ugg.  So, when we moved, and I was lucky enough to have the most amazing laundry space ever, I took that as a sign that I needed to get my act together and make it functional.  It took some time to find just the right system for me but it really helped and I'm glad I worked through my issues  the kinks. 

Now, I have a system to my madness.  And that really helps with the other steps I'll be sharing throughout the week.   

This is my laundry room looking out from the washer and dryer and yes, I'm grateful for the space.   Everything has a place or a purpose.  If it doesn't, well...It goes.  This place is a like fine oiled military unity and if you ain't got a purpose, then you gotta go Jack.

Everyone in the family has a CLEAN basket with their name on it.  I fold and put it in the basket.  They put it away.  That's how it works around here.  I do teach my children how to also DO their own laundry (their spouse will thank me some day), but if I can at least get it washed and folded in this crazy world, they can put it away. Later in the week I'll tell you more about how I enlist my family and even taught my boys to iron.  I have seven of them and I better get a very large hug from their wives someday. Again, I digress. Sorry.  The tag is a simple laminated piece of cardstock printed with their name which is then attached to the basket with a binder ring.  

The kidlets are responsible for bringing their dirty clothes to the laundry room if they want them washed (or when I nag appropriately with some Love and Logic tools I've learned along the way).  They then sort their dirty laundry in to the baskets.  This is where my OCD kicks in to overtime.  Zippers banging on t-shirts create little holes.  Whites should not be dingy because they were washed with the darks.  Towels cannot stink.  You know...little things.  I don't have a zillion dollars to clothe my darling family, so I choose to be OCD in the laundry room to make our clothes last longer and look better.  

So my baskets are tagged the way I want them.  Even my little 3 year old has mastered how to sort his dirties in to the baskets.  This will hopefully make my life easier when he's 14 (or not) and gives him a sense of accomplishment when I praise him for it.  Double whammy...LOVE IT!  There are 5 baskets:  Darks (with Zippers), Darks (Without Zippers), Whites, Towels, and Delicate/Miscellaneous.  I have a 6th smaller basket that sits on my dryer and that is where all of the kitchen rags/towels go.  Those get washed in their own load -- I don't want them growing mold somewhere in the clothes basket until I get to them later in the week.  That's gross.  :) 

My laundry room also flows a certain way.  I did this on purpose.  I can literally take clothes from the dirty baskets to the wash.  From the wash to the dryer.  From the dryer to the folding table.  From the folding table to the baskets.  It's all about efficiency in that room...I'm not even kidding here.  I used to have this terrible habit of taking the laundry to my  bed to fold.  Then it would hit the floor....then it would have to be re-washed or would get all wrinkly and it might wait for days. It was a nightmare and I break out in hives just thinking about the mountains I would leave on the floor.  Ugg...I made a promise to myself  when I got my big laundry room that clean clothes could no longer be placed on the floor or on my bed.  

I had a friend who once commented that spouses need a "retreat" from the rest of the house.  I don't know why I didn't appreciate that comment much sooner in my blissful marriage.  Mountains of laundry on the bed and floor are certainly not conducive to a retreat.  I've since tried to create a place for the hubs to be able to kick of his shoes and relax and it has worked WONDERS for him (and as a result, me).  And why shouldn't he be pampered just a bit after a long day at the office.  :D  For those of you who don't have the luxury of a folding table in your laundry room, please think twice before you put it on the bed.  Unless you are an overachiever who immediately folds the pile as soon as it hits the bed.  In that case, I want to be you when I grow up.  

In the corner of the laundry room is a garment rack.  This is where I hang clothes that don't get dried and clothes that I don't want wrinkled in basket or will get hung later.  In our house, we hang all of the big people shirts (including t-shirts).  Top wrack is for mom and dad.  Bottom wrack is for younger folk with better backs.   They are responsible for clearing out their hang-ables when they snag their baskets.  It's win, win.  Not perfect, but certainly better than the pile on the floor I was going for in my early marriage and mommyhood days.

Be sure to check in tomorrow for Part 2 of my laundry adventures.  

• Part 2:  LEARNING THE RULES OF THE {LAUNDRY} ROAD
• Part 3:  ENLISTING THE FAMILY
• Part 4:  BE PICKY...IT'S OKAY
• Part 5:  DO IT...DAILY  
• Part 6:  SOCKS, SOCKS, SOCKS (I loathe you)

I'd love to hear what works for you and your family in the laundry department.  Do you have a secret organization trick to share?  Sound off below.  

Stay Happy, 

~ B

Funny Things Happen at Church

Today was Fast Sunday at Church -- and today I felt especially grateful for my herd of children, wonderful husband, and journey that God has us on.  So, I decided to bear my testimony.  I made my way up to the front and sat quietly waiting for a very nice gentleman to finish.  That was probably a bad idea.  From a few rows back, I could see my toddler's eyes lock on my position and start to squirm in his dad's lap.  Worse idea.  I wiggled my finger at him and up he came to sit on my lap.  Worst idea.

When my turn came, I quietly stood and picked the toddler up.  I took him to the microphone and encouraged him to repeat after me.  He however, thought it was more funny to practice his heavy breathing over the sound system. I gently pulled him back and started to bear my testimony.  He squirmed some more and after thirty seconds or so, my husband came up to grab him which caused more squirming and I'm pretty sure some screaming about "mommy".  I continued to bear my testimony and apologized for the interruption only to look down and see that my other preschooler was at my feet, who starts to engage with the other in pushing and gentle fighting about who could hug my right leg. 

This is comical by this point and I begin to notice a lot of broad grins and chuckles spreading across the chapel in front of me.  I start to cry -- not because I am totally crazy and overwhelmed by these two now fighting preschoolers at my feet -- but because I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father loves me so much to send these beautiful creatures to me and that I get to be their mommy forever.  And even in the midst of their little squabble, I am grateful for the gift of patience, love, and grace to manage the many moments of motherhood that could turn south quickly if I didn't have these gifts.

Atleast a dozen people thanked me today for my testimony, which is funny, because I was sure they only saw the circus at Church today.   :)