Day 54

July 30th 2010

Friday

Today I am filled with JOY because my house did not burn down just the candles did when I forgot they were burning.

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Day 53

July 29th 2010

Thursday

I found great JOY in spending time with Jenea today learning a new skill. We made seitan (otherwise known as wheat meat). We ground the wheat kneaded it into glueten boiled it and ground it in the blender.

Day 52

July 28th 2010

Wednesday

One day I would love to "loosen up" and experience the JOY that comes from unrolling a whole roll of toilet paper tearing it up into little peaces and throwing it all over the bathroom.

Day 51

July 27th 2010

Tuesday

Finally I took the kids to the new spray park in Max Patterson park. The children have been JOYfully anticipating this day all summer. (Johnny Bain Jaren and Jude are pictured)

Day 50

July 26th 2010

Monday

Ahhhhhh the JOY's of taking chidrens pictures and getting them to cooperate; especially babies pictures. Jadon Jaren and Jolie are posing with their gifts from Grandma and Grandpa Tuttle in hopes to get a decent picture for a thank you card.

Day 49

July 25th 2010

Sunday

This evening we took a Sunday stroll. As you can see Jude opted to take a Sunday roll. Jude's bright smile brings JOY into my life.

Day 48

July 24th 2010

Saturday

This evening we celebrated 3 of the 5 chilren's birth; Jadon (1) Jolie (6) and Jaren (8). JOY is a mother who has a quiver full of children to bless her life.

Day 47

July 23rd 2010

Friday

I took this picture to give me an idea of how it would look with the kids each in a different color tee shirt (they will all wear jeans for the real thing) in a line for our annual childrens picture. I think it will work nicely. I find JOY in the authenticity of children.

Day 46

July 22nd 2010

Thursday

Yeah! I finally got my family to come to Toastmasters with me. I took JOY in showing off my kids and having them meet the amazing people I spend every Thursday evening with. We had a picnic so it was the food that motivated the kids to come.

Day 45

July 21st 2010

Wednesday

It finally happened. After Jadon getting into my china cabinet time and time again I didn't get to him fast enough and he broke this cup. I find JOY in that he didn't cut himself or break more of my china than he did.

Day 44

July 20th 2010
Tuesday

This is Daniel and Jaren's friend Johnny up our maple tree. This tree is a fantastic climbing tree. Many find JOY in climbing it and playing under it's broad leaf base.

Day 43

July 19th 2010

Monday

Daniel our friends son came to stay with us for a few days. He is a talented guitar player and is sharing his love of music with Jaren and Jude. I find JOY in my children having new experiences and learning new skills.

Day 42

July 18th 2010

Sunday

Jadon is in the craft room finding JOY in playing "peek a boo" under the cloth that is there to hide stuff I want to keep away from the younger children.

Day 41

July 17th 2010

Saturday

Today is Jolie's 6th birthday. She picked mommy to go on a date with. We went to the mall. We got ice cream at Ben and Jerry's then went to the Disney store for Jolie to pick out her birthday gifts from us. She picked a princess water bottle and princess flip flops. Jolie's sweetness and beauty bring me much JOY!

Day 40

July 16th 2010

Friday

Jaren and Jolie pulling weeds. My children find JOY in doing chores together. I find JOY in having help pulling weeds.

Day 39

July 15th 2010

Thursday

I took 7 kids shopping with me to Target today get pictures printed and purchase birthday supplies for Jolie's and Jaren's birthdays. In the picture are Jolie Jaren Jude Jenea and their friends Mariam and Emma. I'm wearing Jadon that's why he's not pictured. I found JOY in seeing the astonished looks on people's faces as they saw our brood and pointed their fingers in the air counting how many children I had with me.

Day 38

July 14th 2010

Wednesday

I found Jadon today literally "feasting upon the words of Christ." He was eating (notice what's in his mouth on his left side) the Book of Mormon. I hope when he grows up he finds JOY in figuratively "feasting upon the words of Christ".

Day 37

July 13th 2010

Tuesday

Jenea finds great JOY in singing Jadon to sleep then snuggling in bed with him.

Day 36

July 12th 2010

Monday

A lady from my toastmasters club has chickens. She thought it would be fun for the kids to incubate chickens and have baby chicks to raise. These are our 14 eggs in the incubator. Our job is to keep the incubator at 99 degrees Fahrenheit and flip the eggs daily; thus the reason you see an X on the eggs there is an O on the other side. We all feel great JOY anticipating the hatching of our little chicks.

Day 35

July 11th 2010

Sunday

All of us find great JOY in watching Jadon learn to walk. Here Jenea and Paul are having fun playing catch with him as he is developing his new skill.

Day 34

July 10th 2010
Saturday

Today Paul Grandma and Grandpa Graham and Great Grandma Graham took the kids to Oaks Park for a picnic and rides. I did not go and instead found JOY in having a rare "me" time. I asked Paul to take pictures of the kids on the rides he forgot so I took this picture of Jude with the balloon he got from Oaks Park. We had pizza for dinner tonight from Papa Murphy's because we were all too tired to cook.

Day 33

July 9th 2010

Friday

Jolie came in the house this afternoon with a green caterpillar on her hand. She found "him" on the swing set slide in the back yard. She decided to keep "him" as a pet so we made "him" a little home. Apparently he eats apple leaves and a lot at that! We find JOY in God's tiny creations.

Day 32

July 8th 2010

Thursday

Ahhhh my little scout Jaren. Look at the JOY in his smile. He's having so much fun at scout day camp this week. He made a basket a bug observatory a boomerang a necklace and a key chain. He also got to shoot a gun and an arrow participate in an obstacle course and many more things.

Day 31

July 7th 2010

Wednesday

Finally it's warm enough to break out the pool. I am so thankful that my kids find JOY in such simple things.

Day 30

July 6th 2010

Tuesday

Jenea and I decided to make fruit leather out of some of those strawberries we picked on Saturday. It was very simple. We simply heated up the strawberries on the stove added a little lemon juice and sugar mashed them put them on the cookie sheets and placed them in the sun. This was the perfect time to do this because we had a few very hot days. We were overJOYed at how beautiful and yummy our fruit leather turned out.