The Call...Finally!

On Friday, we finally received word that the kids were coming for Christmas!  YEAH!!  5 long months of prayer, paperwork, more prayer, lots of phone calls, and a few bureaucratic mountains and they are finally going to be in their own beds for the holidays!  I'm still pinching myself...EEK!  

That also means that things just got real.  Today (Tuesday), I was able to spend some time on the phone with one of the children's agency workers who knows the children well.  My excitement quickly turned in to anxiety as we were finally also able to identify what the kids have.  Or in this case, mostly what they don't have.  They have no Christmas presents for them, no winter coats, no hats, no gloves...pretty much nothing.  Most of their clothes are too small and made for the warm desert climate of Nevada.  Argg...it is definitely part of being in the system (which is another post for another day...  With the kids arriving on Friday, we have much to do.)  

So...We need your help!  We need you to go through your closets, your attic, or your garage and see if you have some of these things that you are no longer using -- I guarantee that there are 6 beautiful kiddos who would be so grateful.  Please take a look at the list below and if you have gently used items that you would like to part with, please let us know.  Again, THANK YOU...to the moon and back again!

Proud Mama...

Man, for a week that started on a Tuesday...it was sure LONG!  Anyone else feel that way??  :)  We literally had something to do every single evening last week, including hosting a party for nearly 60 people from our Ward (Friday), Cheer Competition which started at 5am (Saturday), and this was all on top of our normally crazy life the other days of the week.  It's a good thing I'm young-ish...

Boden had a basketball game on Tuesday and sank a three pointer....and I got it all on video!

And, of course, 5am on Saturday morning was bright and early for our cheerleader whose team kicked off cheer competition season at Bishop Kelly.  They did fantastic!  And I also got it all on video!

This week isn't starting off nearly as crazy busy, but I sure hope it will be filled with more fun like this.  Proud mama right here! 

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!

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.   :)

"Life by the Yard is Hard"

The last 60 days have been grueling.  Well, to be honest the stress for me started on New Year's Eve of last year when we received the first "notice" on the front door of our rental home.  Inside...I freaked out.  How could this happen to us when we were paying on time?  Where was our family going to go?  Would we have to go?  When would we have to go?  And, every time another letter was hung on the door or someone stopped to take photos or do a check to see if someone was living in the house, I freaked.  It was hard not to.  I had no control over what was happening, even though our family lived there.  My husband, who is my rock, was steady.  He was patient.  He listened and reassured.  I still freaked.

This morning, this quote by President Monson struck me:

“Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Decisions Determine Destiny.” 

In the last 60 days, we have moved, traveled, and adopted.  Phew.  I am exhausted just writing that sentence.  Change has been hard.  It has felt like a marathon that just wouldn't end.  It wasn't a completely unexpected move because we had sensed that there was trouble with the bank for almost a year.  But unexpected to move in them middle of November.  But through it all, when we let the Lord handle things by the yards and we focused on the inches, things have worked out beautifully -- a new home for a great deal and two beautiful new children.

That doesn't mean that change is easy.  Leaving our church family is HARD.  Moving is HARD.  Unpacking is HARD.  Making new friends is HARD.  Did I mention that moving is HARD??   Keeping a preschool open while moving is HARD.  Making friends with new neighbors who have been traumatized by large Mormon families (lol) as their neighbors is HARD.  Working with Health and Welfare through our adoption is HARD.  Knowing that BK is struggling and not wanting help from his family is HARD.  And yet through it all, I've been at peace knowing that the Lord is handling all of the big stuff.  He's cool like that :)

Why do we insist on living by the yard?  Why do we insist in knowing what is better for us even though we can't see the full road ahead?  I can only speak for myself, but I am fiercely independent and want to be self-sufficient.  The last 6 years have required us to put all of our trust in Heavenly Father for providence.  We had to humble ourselves through lost jobs, failed businesses, loans that needed repaid, medical bills, more medical bills, the passing of mark, more medical bills, job changes, 4 moves...and yet through it all He could see the road ahead while we trudged along.  He could see the cliffs, pitfalls, 90 degree turns, and the end.  But I still insisted in driving the car!

It's something I'm learning to change -- I need to be more like my husband -- steady, patient, and not freaking out when things are out of my control.  (Note...I don't literally freak out....but I do freak out on the inside and lose sleep, hair, and a whole lot of years off of my life just to be clear :) )

These experiences, even with how HARD they have been, have strengthened my faith in the Lord.  That I need to let Him lead my life and quit trying to drive.  That I need to focus on the inches instead of the yards.  And that I need to continue trusting in my awesome, spectacular and fabulous husband.

"Earning your Sleep"

A long time ago, I heard an elderly woman speak about "earning your sleep" as a wife and mother.  At the time, I thought I was earning my sleep with our crazy, busy life -- I had a large client base in my political consulting business, a large family to care for, I was attending college full-time, and I was serving on several non-profit boards, starting a charter school, and had a church calling.  I was definitely earning my sleep.

But....

I have had the amazing opportunity to correspond a few times with Allison Kimball from Simple Inspiration.  I want to be her when I grow up...seriously.  She is so eloquent, brilliant, talented, funny, intelligent, crafty....did I mention talented?  But there is something more to her that I admire above everything else.  She is incredibly grounded.   She posted a simple blog post the other day that really made me think, analyze, pray, ponder, and act upon what I was doing in my life to "earn my sleep".

"We can ask ourselves, “Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?” There are so many good things to do, but we can’t do all of them. Our Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater with an eternal perspective." ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 I definitely earned my sleep today -- I worked a full day, coordinated a football dinner for 70 people, made 15 pounds of spaghetti, two crockpots of homemade sauce, two cookie sheets of brownies and sugar cookie bars, and a bazillion pounds of laundry all while wrangling two toddlers, teaching piano lessons, and a conference call.  Please, don't be jealous...I have poor boundary skills :)

But that isn't where this quote smacked me upside the head and made me smile and say a silent prayer of thanks.  It came as I was loading the dishwasher for the third time today -- yes, I said third but who's counting -- and somewhat lamenting that my large family of boys couldn't manage to load it atleast 1 time.  Okay...I was more than lamenting.  I was grousing, grumpy, and a little bit, a lot disappointed that I was standing at the sink again.

And then there was Allison's blog post...feeding my family, serving my family, loving my family....that's exactly what matters most.  Sure they could do more (I'll make them pay me back later), but I am privileged to be their mom, divinely chosen to raise this herd of Strippling Warriors.  And I am more than grateful that I had the time, energy, and skills necessary to get everything accomplished today.  Phew....I think I earned my sleep tonight AND I did it doing things that matter most for my family.

Be sure to check out Allison's blog for more inspiration -- it was just what I needed to remember today.  (And thanks for the perfectly timed email today, Allison.  So needed to hear your wise words :)  )

My boys :)

Our Summer Reading Challenge....and a little STRUCTURE

This has been our first week of summer and can I just tell you that my OCD self is already craving the comfort of "routine".  Things have bee a little crazy around here as I try to balance family, preschool, and my new FFA job.  It's been nuts...I'm not going to lie.  

On Friday, I returned from State FFA CDE's in Moscow.  That was preceded by preschool graduation, music recitals and everything in between.  I was pooped by the time the three week whirlwind was complete and the 26 hours of sleep I had in 2 days left me feeling a little sluggish this week.  But I made a promise to myself that I would make every moment of "summer" count for my kids and we just wouldn't spend it sitting in front of the TV.  

So our Summer Reading Challenge has begun....and I am so excited!  There are two requirements for the challenge:

• PART 1:  Read the ENTIRE Book of Mormon by August 1st.  (If you are starting today, that's 11 pages per day)
• PART 2:  Read one age-appropriate book every week throughout the summer. (That's atleast 7 books, yup)

I think I just heard a collective groan....oh wait....that was my children.  Don't despair, it will be fun.  And if you join us, there are PRIZES :)  Mwahhhahahaha....a little bribery never hurts.  :)   So come on, dig out those library cards (and pay your late fees...) and let's get our READ on!

My husband loves me...THIS MUCH!!!

Okay, I admit it...I am a bona fide Type A clean freak...with some issues.  And those issues come in the shapes of 6 boys, two dogs, a flock of chickens, a herd of preschoolers that come daily, and a husband.  :)  Combine those issues with the fact that one must sleep a few hours a day and working full-time, and the house can spin out of control in about 2 nanoseconds.  There are literally nights I lay in bed and focus on not having a panic attack about how messy I feel my house is.   In reality it is probably not as bad as I see it...right??

I am so delighted that Spring Break is here!   Because that means that I get to SPRING CLEAN!!  And while my children are less than delighted at the idea of cleaning during some of their break, they certainly appreciate that happy mama = happy family :)  Too bad that rationale doesn't work for other things around here...like doing homework, putting the toilet seat down, and brushing their teeth.  But one can dream, right??

One of the blessings of being a mother of 6 boys is that there is never a dull moment around here.   But it also means that there are mass quantities of laundry, unmatched socks, and sports uniforms that need washing.  Jane Jetson had it good...well atleast when it comes to the laundry.  And can I just say that homes built in the 1970's really weren't designed for a large family with a gazillion loads of laundry to do every day...literally.  The laundry room in this house is large enough for my washer and dryer and that's about it.  I hate it.  And for a room that I spend a lot of time in, I hate it a lot.  :)

So my super-husband (complete with his cape) came to the rescue this Spring Break and turned that little room in to a space that doesn't cause hyperventilation.  Beautiful, Pinterest-inspired pedestals create an additional 14 inches of storage space, but the difference is AAAA-MMMMM-AZING.  And while I will still have billions of pounds of laundry to do every year, I will no longer have them waiting on my laundry room floor for my attention. Here's to Big Daddy and his little elves for making my break fabulous and I'll be thanking them every day I'm in that little FABULOUS space.

Enjoy the before and afters...but please don't look at the piles, the dirt, the stacks, and the clutter.  Those are just figments of your imagination...really. 

Before...Notice the nice two tones of paint

The cupboards on the right are pretty useless because of the piles of  C-R-*-P...just sayin'

Someday their wives will thank me :)

Dad's love helpers

The almost completed pedestal...Oooohh

Painted black and distressed.  Can you say "FAB-U-LOUS"!

Yup, my husband really does love me...THIS MUCH!!

To download the plans for these beauties, be sure to visit http://ana-white.com/2011/01/sausha%E2%80%99s-washerdryer-pedestals.  BEWARE...her site is addicting as Pinterest.  I'm already planning the most FAB beds for the boys room, and laundry sorters, and...but I don't want to freak out Big Daddy.  He needs to rest and recuperate from this project before I drop the bomb.  LOL

Middle School Music Festival

Several weeks ago, BJ had the opportunity to participate in the 2012 Spring Music Festival in Nampa.  He chose to participate in the vocal competition and sung "How Great Thou Art" by the Irish Tenors.  The ALWAYS AWESOME Lisa Spjute accompanied him...I just love her and if you see her, tell her that she's just the bomb-diggity because well....she just is!

The video below is of his actual performance for the festival.  You will need to turn your volume up in some places.  We were there a little early and heard several young ladies perform before BJ.  It was nerve wracking (I don't recommend it for future competitions...LOL).  The judge was fabulous but he wasn't holding anything back on these young ladies --- critiquing them, asking more of them, pushing them to be better musicians.  He even called one girl's performance "nice if you like vanilla".  I just about wet my pants -- what was he going to say about BJ's performance and would BJ be able to handle it?!!  Oh my...nerve wracking!  You'll see what happens in the video, so I won't ruin it for you.  But needless to say, it was one of those moments when as a mother you are freaking out on the inside while giving your child the thumbs-up sign with a wide-toothy grin for encouragement right before they go on stage.  My heart was beating out of my chest I was so nervous for him.  And then when he was done it was everything I could do not to jump up and down and embarrass him....I really had to contain myself.  Enjoy the video...and the love Big Daddy gets at the end from the Judge.   :)

And again, a HUGE thank you to Lisa for just being so great to work with and very patient with our teenage (yes...our first-born is a teenager...UGG).  She put up with his burps, his giggles, and even his apology for spitting on her flowers (he missed while spitting out the window) right as he handed them to her.  Its a good thing I love this kid....and she loves him to.  Thanks Lisa....I {LOVE} your guts!