where's the baby?

Yesterday, I wore one of my long time favorite broomstick skirts and Preslie thought it was the most delightful thing ever. She followed me wherever I went and hid under my skirt, which dragged the ground. When I'd move and expose her she'd get flaming mad at me, scream and then duck right back under it. Good times!

Pearl Jam and redemption

I remember listening to all of the early Pearl Jam albums on repeat in college. Every time I hear that distinctive voice it takes me back to when James and I were college kids, madly in love, with way too much time on our hands.

I know nothing about Eddie Vedder's faith and don't have the time or the inclination to look into it. But, today as I really listened to the song "Just Breathe" that came out last year it hit me that it could be a love song to the Savior. No matter what his intentions in writing the song were, when I sing it I sing it to my Savior. Here are the lyrics to this beautiful song. Hear the song {HERE.}

Yes I understand that every life must end, aw huh,..
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, aw huh,..
I’m a lucky man to count on both hands
The ones I love,..

Some folks just have one,
Others they got none, aw huh,..

Stay with me,..
Let’s just breathe.

Practiced are my sins,
Never gonna let me win, aw huh,..
Under everything, just another human being, aw huh,..
Yeh, I don’t wanna hurt, there’s so much in this world
To make me bleed.

Stay with me,..
You’re all I see.

Did I say that I need you?
Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn’t now I’m a fool you see,..
No one knows this more than me.
As I come clean.

I wonder everyday
as I look upon your face, aw huh,..
Everything you gave
And nothing you would take, aw huh,..
Nothing you would take,..
Everything you gave.

Did I say that I need you?
Oh, Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn’t now I’m a fool you see,..
No one know this more than me.
As I come clean.

Nothing you would take,..
everything you gave.
Hold me till I die,..
Meet you on the other side.

the babies' favorite time...

We really try to conserve water {and skin} around here and give the kids baths every other day, but the babies love it too much so they get them a little more often. They will spend 30 or 45 minutes playing in the tub and they never want to get out, even when it is cold.



Sometimes I worry about the chlorine level in the water here, because the bathroom basically smells like an indoor pool. Oh, well... It is funny, I am doing a bible study called Guilt-Free Motherhood and I realized that the only things I ever really feel guilty about on a consistent basis are water and food issues. I so wish I could feed them only organic balanced meals and have good purified water for them to bathe in. I think I try to be so intentional with my mothering that most of the time I don't harbor guilt. I definitely go through phases from time to time where I am monster Momma and I have to get on my knees before God and my babies, but most of the time I figure God gave them to me for a reason and I don't sweat the small stuff.

Arizona, I am trying...

Ok, so I know I promised that I was going to focus on the good things about this place, and I have tried {am trying}. BUT, in order to do that I need to vent a little of this hot air that is trapped in my brain before I explode! It has to be hard for people who have never lived here to understand what the big deal is. In most states everything is more balanced...seasons, landscape, people. I imagine Arizona is a lot like Alaska. People either LOVE it or HATE it. The extremes are so extreme that it is hard to be neutral.
CAUTION! Don't read this if it is going to bring you down! This is my journal and I need to record the good and the bad...cut me some slack. My intent is not to offend anyone who loves this place. In fact, see it as an invitation to defend Phoenix and help me love it too.

Here are just a few things that I wish I'd known about Phoenix before moving here:

**It is the kidnapping capital of the United States.
**The sun comes out around 4:30 a.m. in the summer.
**Kid's plastic toys can melt in the backyard.
**Tires wear out faster because the asphalt melts them.
**Windshields routinely crack b/c of the trapped heat.
**Unless you are in the shade the wind feels like a blow dryer in your face from June through September.
**Park playground equipment is so hot the kids can't play on it in the summer.
**Midwest values are hard to find.
**Common courtesy & hospitality are hard to find.
**People here seem more concerned about appearance & recreation than health. Lots of options for hiking, shopping and cosmetic surgery, but health food stores are hard to find.
**There are a lot more snobs than hippies and I like hippies. (hence, the huge economic crisis b/c of the overspending to keep up with appearances in this place.)
**Even though it is the Southwest, there are no real cowboys with good ole' boy manners.
**A good church is HARD to find...I have met at least a dozen people who agree. It isn't just us.
**It almost never rains and when it does it is stinky...really it smells awful.
**Because there is no rain, the water is awful and expensive.
**You have to dust every day because there is so much dirt in the wind from the lack of rain washing it away or keeping it on the ground.
**Scorpions, snakes, mountain lions, coyotes, and bob cats are real threats to your kids and pets.
**It is a very transient place. People come and go all of the time. {We might be some of those people before too long, God willing!}

I have said it before and I will say it again, I know God has us here for a reason and now that I have vented, I will go back to focusing on Philippians 4:8. We are truly blessed to have my family near by, food on the table, clothes on our backs, healthy children, a church we love, and a few good AZ friends. Every once in a while I just need a moment...a moment to feel sorry for myself and then I am done.

I'm done, Now I can embrace this place for another day.

Happy Birthday Preslie!

This morning we had a traditional Lichtenberger birthday breakfast out in our jammies. We actually put a new spin on it this year and went to IHOP instead of the McDonalds drive thru. Preslie LOVED riding in her new forward facing seat and watching Boz on dvd for the first time in the van. It was clear that she felt like a big shot birthday girl!



Happy Birthday Preslie Janell Lichtenberger! We love you!

Embrace the camera day...

My friend Emily has challenged Moms out there to embrace the camera and make sure they capture pics of themselves over the years so that their kids will know what they looked like. I am one of those girls who wishes she had more pics of my Momma and Grandmommas over the years. But, they are all camera shy! For some reason camera shy is a common trait most Moms share. Even for Model Mommas and Photographer Mommas, pictures featuring themselves are rare because they are usually the ones holding the camera. The only pics most of us have are professional ones and while they are usually fabulous, they do not depict our every day life...the life we want our kids to have memories of. So, she challenged us for a week straight a while back and now the challenge is to {embrace the camera} every Thursday. We won't be joining every Thursday, but we will from time to time. Like today!

Spotlight on Preslie Summer 2010

Preslie Janell, the baby of our family, will be 1 in 2 days!

Who does she resemble most? It is hard to tell, but she is a perfect cross between Shelby and Jesse at 1. She looks like James' Mom too. She might have reddish hair and she definitely has the crystal clear blue eyes of Jesse, Janell, and Matt.

She isn't walking alone yet, but she loves to pull-up, walk with her push-toy and climb stairs. She is really into just hanging out with her siblings and trying to get involved with whatever they are doing. She hasn't gotten attached to any particular toys yet. She loves to dance and tries to sing. Her version of dancing is flapping her arms or shaking her head back and forth. She is a crack up! Her vocabulary is pretty slim: Dada, Momma, baba - baby. She loves to make people laugh or react in any way. She especially likes it when we mimic her at the table. She still takes 2 naps a day and seems like such a tiny baby. Maybe it is because she is our 4th, I don't know, but she seems so small and it is surreal that she will be 1 this week. Stay a baby a little longer!

Spotlight on Lucy Summer 2010

Lucy Caron, our 2 1/2 year old ray of curly headed sunshine.

Who does she resemble most? Not sure...many people say me, but I looked nothing like her as a child. She has dark hair and she is petite like her Aunt Jeka. Noni did have super curly hair like her when she was little. I think she resembles her cousin Merideth through the eyes and nose sometimes.

Favorites- An Interview with the Lulu Bee:

friend: Kenna
food: cheese roll-up
song: Jesus Loves Me
book" Goodnight Moon
restaurant: Chick-A-Way (chick-fil-a)
tv show: teletubbies
thing about AZ: scorpions (she is a comedian!)
name for your kids: Ten, Kenna
movie: Finding Nemo
common quote: "Jesse, why do do do dat?"

Lucy is at such a fun stage. Right now my favorite moments with her are probably when she comes downstairs in the morning or after nap with her fro flying, sleepy eyes, bonka in her mouth and dragging her blankie behind her. I am gonna miss that! This girl can crack us up like crazy one moment and get our blood boiling the next. She still isn't as verbal as Shelby and Jesse were at her age, but she definitely has a lot to say. Just like the rest of them, she has a strong will and has learned to assert it. Spankings do not phase her in the least, so she is our "time out girl." She'd rather get a spanking than have to be removed from the group. She takes after her big sister in social situations. When we drop her off at church she runs right in and joins the group with no looking back. (big change from when she was Preslie's age) She was allowed to do VBS with the big kids and we were amazed at how well she fit in as the youngest. Her Aunt Jeka taught her to say goodbye to her toys in order to distract her and help her transition to the next thing and now she says goodbye to everything when she leaves a room, especially after a bath. She will say, "goodbye pollys, bye bye giraffe, goodbye pizza"...down through the list of the many toys she and Preslie play with in the bathtub. I love it b/c it makes me think of Jeka every time she does it.

Here is some Lucy Language we don't want to forget:
Monka and Mankie: Bonka and Blankie
awful: waffle
muncle Matt: Uncle Matt
slaywissme: lay with me
scorpimum: scorpion
spice crispies: rice crispies
oh, manks!: oh, thanks
my foot is leaving!: my foot is bleeding

Spotlight on Shelby Summer 2010

Our first baby, Shelby Grace at 7 1/2 years old.

Who does she resemble most? She is a perfect mix of me and James.










Favorites, An Interview with our first Girl:

friend: Skylee
food: mac and cheese
scripture: James 1:5
song: The Moment of Truth
book: Boxcar Children series
restaurant: Chuck-E-Cheese
thing about AZ: the view
names for your kids: Max, Jessie, Jesse, Tyler, Taylor
movie: Peter Pan the Movie
common quote: "Ah, Come on!"
activity: reading
sport: tennis
worst fear: sharks

Shelby is playing basketball this summer. She loves dribbling down the court and shooting, but she doesn't want anyone to pass the ball to her. We are sure that will improve with practice. She spends most of her time lately singing, dancing and choreographing songs. She also plays piano a lot and has taught herself some songs by ear. This year, for the first time she has been really into the Library summer reading club. I love walking into a room to find her curled up with her nose in a book or reading to her siblings. She helps them keep track of the books they read so that they can get all of their prizes. She learned to braid and started her pipe cleaner club about a month ago and that keeps her busy as well. As far as school goes, she is still several grades ahead of her age group in reading. Math and handwriting are areas we need to focus on more next year. She is on level in math, but will benefit from really getting all of her math facts memorized this summer. That is our goal. Around the house, Shelby has really embraced her god-given role as big sister. She loves helping me cook and playing with/caring for Preslie and Lucy. Being the oldest, we have given her some new special privileges and it has really made a huge difference in her attitude. She is a special kiddo, that is for sure. God knew what He was doing when He gave us her first!

Spotlight on James Father's Day 2010

This Father's Day I have been contemplating how truly rich we are. We may not have worldly riches, but we have deep, rich family bonds that are the result of the godly leadership James provides for our family. We may not have an over abundance of "financial security" but we have security in knowing that the leader of our home chooses God and family first above all of the other worldly pursuits our culture has to offer.

I was researching the traits of a godly father and husband, and I found a pretty comprehensive list. (below- the list and scripture references came from the same source)
While my honey may not be perfect, I can honestly (and gratefully) say that he embodies most of them.
(Truly, I am not wanting to brag...I am wanting to honor him and display my thankfulness that he has allowed God to work in his life to make him the best father and husband I know.)

1) The Godly Man Avoids Evil - Psalm 1:1

2) The Godly Man Seeks God’s Word - Psalm 1:2

3) The Godly Man Is Secure and Fruitful - Psalm 1:3

4)The Godly Man is Marked by Integrity, Righteousness & Truth Psalm 15:2

5) The Godly Man Is Not Enticed by Money - Psalm 15:5

6) The Godly Man Has Moral Discernment - Psalm 15:4

7) The Godly Man Keeps His Promises - Psalm 15:4

8)The Godly Father Will Properly Manage His Household 1 Timothy 3:4,5

9)The Godly Father Diligently Teaches His Children to Be Godly Ephesians 6:4

10) The Godly Father Will Properly Discipline His Children Hebrews 12:6-11

When I look at the above list and think about how James displays these characteristics, it humbles me and makes me feel ashamed of the times when I let the little things irritate me.

Honey, You can take as long as you want to fix your plate at dinner!
You can fall asleep right after you tuck the kids in after a long hard day if you need to. You can play your guitar any time you feel your creative juices flowing. You can drink the last little bit of coffee in the pot. You can share your controversial opinions at a family dinner. You can eat chips and salsa right before dinner, even if it isn't Mexican. Really, I promise, I will not complain.

You are an amazing man! Happy Father's Day!!

Spotlight on Jesse summer 2010

Jesse Dean, 5 1/2 years old, our "one and only son"
Who does this boy most resemble?
My brother Matt and James' sister Janell.


Favorites, an interview with the boy:
Sport: Soccer
Friend: Mason
Food: Cheese Roll-Up
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Song: Fair Play
TV show: Phineas & Ferb
Book series: Adventures of Sam X
Restaurant: Peter Piper Pizza
Thing about AZ: Hiking
Names for your kids: Phineas, Ferb & Isabella
Movie: Little Rascals
Thing to say: "Did you know that one time..."
Toy: Legos
Activity: ride bike or hike in desert
Talent: gymnastics

Jesse just started soccer this summer and loves it. James thinks it might just be his "thing." As long as it doesn't interfere with wrestling in the fall, he'll be fine. : ) He will start kids club wrestling when the school year starts. He will also start kindergarten in the fall. I was only going to do preschool stuff with him this past school year, but he started showing an interest in learning to read, so we started "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons," and he is reading short books now. He still sounds every word out and is taking his time memorizing sight words, but he is just stoked to be able to read some. He is also writing a lot and I have been impressed with the initiative he takes to spell phonetically. Even when there are misspellings, you can read what he has written. Pretty cool. He is anxious to start math, so we have been doing some basic stuff with him, and we will go at whatever pace he wants in the fall. I love being able to cater what I do with each child to whatever level they are at and whatever interests them. We can speed up or slow down whenever necessary. While teaching him to read I have been able to back track and redo lessons as many times as needed so that I can make sure he learns the concept. I am so thankful to be able to be their teacher and their Momma. I am excited to see what this next school year holds in store for both Jesse and Shelby. We school year-round with lots of short breaks, but we will start all-new curriculum in a few months (if I can wait until then!)

Lucy gets to go to VBS!

Lucy got special permission to go to VBS this week with Shelby and Jesse and she has been walking on air all week. We LOVE Vacation Bible School. Shelby and Jesse look forward to it all year. This year they were able to go to 2 programs. The one at our church and the one at the church where they are involved with children's choir. They are going to do Awana or something similar during the school year too. We have never attended a church before that offered Awana or any mid-week study for elementary students. We are excited for this opportunity for our kids. Since we homeschool, I want to provide them with as many opportunities as possible (without overdoing it) to socialize and make friends. It is also important to us that they are hearing the gospel message from multiple sources in their lives.

I knew it was satan...

"Tonight at VBS they asked me what I would do if a policeman tried to arrest me. I almost said that I would kick him in the crotch, but I didn't because I knew that it was Satan who was trying to get me to say that." Classic Jesse!
((I found out they were discussing when Peter was imprisoned. I wondered why they had even asked that question.))

I have to remember these embarrassing moments, to crack the kids up later and to share them, lest my friends and family get the wrong impression that I think my parenting or my kids are perfect. ; )

Here is another one...This morning, we forgot to put the gate up on the stairs. We thought Preslie was in the playroom with the other kiddos, UNTIL, we heard a very loud thump on the floor upstairs followed by her piercing cries. James ran up there to find that she had used the doggie stairs next to the bed to climb on top of our bed and she had fallen off. The water was also running in the tub. So she had time to first turn on the water to the tub and then climb the doggie stairs, crawl around on the bed and fall off on her head. Not a proud parent moment.
(we can blame satan for this one too, i think. right, church lady?)

What a difference a year makes...

Yep, this is Preslie's birthday month. I am still in shock and probably will be all month long. I snapped a pic of them today on the same futon as a year ago. Lucy is kind of choking PJ, so it appears that she doesn't have a neck, but I promise she does. She is one loved baby! Her sibs adore her and practically smother her with love daily.




In one year they have all grown so much. Like I have said before, STOP THE CLOCK!

I cannot believe these are my babies!!! Every once in a while I am like,wait a minute, I am a Mom...a Mom of 4...I carried all of these babies in my tummy...What? Really? I didn't dream it all? It is all so surreal when I take time to really think about the miracle of these precious lives I have been given the awesome privilege to grow, birth, nurture and teach. I'm not worthy!

Girls' Tea Party

Last Saturday, the girls had a fabulous tea party! The boys went fishing for the day Papa's birthday, so we had to have a girls' day. Noni bought 4 special tea set place settings and a variety of teas when she was in Canada last month and we have been waiting for Jeka to come home and join us. We only have this pic from Jeka's i phone, so I am kicking myself because the table was beautiful. Shelby designed place cards and menus for each person and Noni used the special beaded napkin rings she made herself. Shelby and Jeka served us, hence the aprons. It was awesome, and the tea was delicious. We had all kinds of cheese, crackers, hummus, choco covered strawberries and cherries, doughnut pieces with sprinkles, nuts, and real sugar cubes! It felt like a proper English tea! We will have to make this a tradition!!

It was so incredible having Jeka here last weekend. We got to spend more time together than usual, so I am missing her like crazy now. We bonded Friday night by watching a very disturbing movie that I still can't get out of my head. But, it makes me feel closer to her b/c we can both share nightmares! We also searched the internet for a dog for her. She is on a mad mission to find a puppy. I was so hoping she'd find one while she was here so we could play with it. Lucy and Preslie would go crazy over a puppy. Hopefully she'll find one soon and bring it here to visit. I love my sister!

Preslie, pizza and bloody toes...

Preslie will be 1 in a few weeks and it all just seems a wee bit surreal to me. Wasn't she just born yesterday? What is she doing sharing a piece of pizza with Daddy? Her first year has flown faster than all of the others. STOP THE CLOCK!!



This, my friends, is why babies should wear water shoes. I always thought water shoes were such a waste of money for non-walkers, until now... We went to the splash pad in Anthem with some friends this week and poor little Preslie mangled her toes. I didn't even notice until she was crawling toward me with a trail of blood coming from both feet. She didn't even cry!



So, we have ruined a few pairs of socks with blood stains because the scabs on her little toes kept breaking and bleeding until I remembered New-Skin. I just put some liquid bandage on her toes and now they are healing. They still look pretty bad, though. I am the worst mom ever for letting her mutilate her toes like this!

handsome boy...

Jesse informed me the other night as I was singing "his song" that since he was growing up I needed to change the words from "beautiful boy" to "handsome boy." So, when I sing it now, I have to make handsome 3 syllables. I sang him the real song by John Lennon and tried to explain that he will always be beautiful to me, but he prefers "handsome" now.

As I was climbing down his ladder he whispered to me, "Mom, if you want to sing "beautiful boy" it's okay." I thanked him and told him that I'd sing that version over him when he was asleep, but sing the "grown up" version to tuck him in.

{Click Here} to read the lyrics to "his song."

p.s. get used to my sweaty hair...it has been between 100-110 around here lately!

Preslie's favorite meal...11.5 months

Preslie (and Momma & the other kiddos) LOVE quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). This super food comes in many forms and we are attempting to try them all. One of our favorites is pasta..especially veggie curls quinoa pasta. We like the brand Ancient Harvest (see below). For lunch a few days a week I boil some of these with some mixed veggies or just peas, and add a little butter and parmesean cheese, and we have lunch. Yum!

To read about the health benefits of Quinoa {click here.}
Pasta made from Quinoa is a much healthier alternative to straight up pasta (which most kids love).

To buy a 12 box case of the yummy stuff, click below. It is actually a pretty good deal if you (or your kids) eat that much pasta.

bad manners & new tricks...

At lunch the other day Preslie insisted on keeping her foot up on the table while dining. The kids thought it was so hilarious, they decided to join her.



Recently, Miss Preslie started climbing the stairs. Up with Baby Gates! She is a fast little booger too. She has only had one small injury so far. When Jeka was over this weekend, Pres somehow slid down the stairs or bonked her mouth or something because her little mouth filled up with blood. We never could figure out where it was coming from, but she got right back on those stairs to do it again. She is pretty proud of herself for learning her latest trick!

Pipe Cleaner Club Members...

Shelby received her first picture from some of her pipe cleaner club members. She is going to put pics of all of the members who send her one (wearing their pipe cleaner bracelets) on her blog. So, send us your pics!

The grass is always greener...when it's fake!

Kansas and Oklahoma friends and family, don't hate us because our grass is always beautiful! I know you are all jealous of our lush new backyard (that is less than half the size of most of yours). We never have to water or pull weeds. We never have to mow or rake...And, the best part is we don't have to worry about all of those pesky insects and worms that grass attracts. Can you sense the sarcasm? I know fake grass is an INSANE idea for anyone from the Midwest. It is a joke. Well, here it is actually pretty smart. Water is out of control expensive, like more than twice as much as we paid in Kansas and it is very difficult to keep grass looking good because it is a desert after all and over 100 degrees and dry for at least 3-4 months. So, haters, get over it!!
I also had to throw in one of the kids in the ghetto swimming pool (thanks for the idea, Jenn) on our extended brick paver patio.
(tell Tray that I was right there beside them the whole time)



This is what it looked like before...straight up dirt. That's all. When the kids would come inside from playing they looked like they had been sanding walls or something. They had a fine white dust from head to toe. Healthy for the skin and the lungs! Gotta love the desert!

frobaby girl in her homemade pinafore

The other night I blew Lucy's hair dry and tried to straighten it just to see what it would look like. It ain't goin' straight with just a blow dryer and some Moroccan Oil, I can tell you that much. It looked a little longer, but not straight. When it is wet, it goes down to her waist! I use Moroccan Oil in her hair to keep it soft and less frizzy. It works well, but the smell is pretty strong.

Grandma Sherri made her this sweet pinafore. I love that the kids will have some handmade clothing from their Grandma to treasure and hopefully pass down to their own kids. Maybe someday she will teach the girls to sew!

LuLu Bee and her favorite baby

LuLu Bee absolutely loves this glo-baby. She got it for Christmas from GiGi & Papa(Grandma & Grandpa Woodlee), and will not sleep without her. When she runs out of batteries, we are in big trouble. As precious as she is in this pic, you'd never know that she had just had an "I'm not going to sleep until my baby has new batteries episode." Sweet little 2 year old LuLu Bee has been going through a pretty frustrating phase for the past week. I know its purpose is to humble me because I have always been so happy about the fact that we very rarely ever have bedtime issues. Well, this has been the week of bedtime issues with her. What's more, she had a week like this a few weeks ago with a good week in between...Go figure. So, the phase she is going through is coming out of her room anywhere from 3-10 times after being tucked in. For about an hour after the other kids are asleep, we have this in and out of bed dance going on and I am so done with it. We are being consistent with her, so hopefully it is almost over. I honestly think it is probably a "caught in the middle, third child out of four" phase. She has been really snuggly and needy lately, always wanting to be on Mom, Dad or Noni's lap. She is so adorable, funny and sweet that she could never be the forgotten third child you sometimes hear about. Oh, LuLu Bee.