Recent Thoughts

I haven't had time to write a "real update" so here are some of the thoughts that have been swirling around in my mind...
- Did anyone notice that the price of instant hand sanitizer has doubled (and, in some cases, tripled) in the last six months?!!
- The most peaceful, blissful moment I had in the last week was immediately after sipping a tall decaf nonfat peppermint mocha no whip from Starbucks...yes, it was truly amazing!!!!!!
- Price Chopper is totally OUT of peppermint mocha coffemate cream! I have tried 3 stores and I found plenty of the pumpkin and the caramel flavors, but a giant empty spot on the shelf where the peppermint mocha belongs! I even asked a manager and he said, "Yeah, I guess we're all out." I hinted that this might be a popular flavor and perhaps they could order more!
- When trying a new recipe (and you're trying to stay on a tight budget), it would be wise to scan the list of ingredients and be sure there is not a key item that is a high-priced item! I am trying "Emeril's Chowder of Love" (Emeril "Bam" Lagasse, 2000) and I had get 4 cups of clam juice...sadly, I could only find it in small bottles, each costing nearly $3. Let's hope this is a yummy soup! I also am trying a Navy Bean soup next week and it requires a ham hock...I had no idea what this was, and I didn't have any ham bones lying around. I still have to talk to the butcher about it. (Buying a $20 ham just to make the soup isn't practical for us!)
- Last night was "Crazy Hair Night" at AWANA. The three older kids had a BLAST getting their hair styled in crazy ways and then sprayed with blue hair spray! NCH sported a Mohawk, CAH had 4 pig tails and won a giant Hershey bar for best girl hair in the Sparks class, and KBH thought she wanted her hair just like her sister's, but when she saw herself in the mirror, she burst into tears! In the end, she was happy with it.



- I am obsessed with Pancho's salsa. Seriously. I love it! We got take out Saturday night (hubby had been away for 2 nights and I was just not up to cooking)...some got Chinese and some got Mexican...I ordered the large salsa and medium chips. It made a meal for me for dinner Saturday night, lunch and dinner on Sunday! Yum, yum, yum...I can't get enough of that salsa!
- I thought about counting Weight Watchers points today. I didn't weigh in last month (I knew I was over my lifetime goal weight.) I was hoping to get back on track this month, but I am not motivated AT ALL! I have only been running once every two weeks, my clothes are tight (I am loathing jeans...if I wear them in the morning, I can't wait to change into sweats later in the day!) A friend once talked about "shedding her winter coat" during the spring. Fall must be my time to "put on my winter coat"! Oh well...
- I still haven't gotten a flu shot yet. I'm not sure about the H1N1 vaccine, but I've never had a problem with the regular flu shot. The kids have all had the regular flu shot, too. I am waiting to see what to do about the H1N1 for them as well.
- The Precept Bible Study class on Revelation that I was really looking forward to is turning out to be frustrating, as NJH cried for me the last two times. He's also been crying through nursery and Sunday School at church. I feel badly for him, but I just wish he would go in happily and play! I know, this too shall pass.
- I've been having a ball decluttering and organizing. The storage room and office look SO much better! I still have lots of shredding to do (old receipts and bills), but the majority of the work is done. I just wonder WHY do I keep so much stuff??!

Ten Years of Wedded Bliss

Ok, so maybe it hasn't been "bliss" every moment of the last ten years. We certainly have been busy building a life together though!
To think we met at Diamond's Night Club in Rochester, New York, on August 23, 1995. It was Ladies Night and I had an audiology exam the next morning. I was three months into my graduate program at Geneseo and my friend, Kathryn, and I had decided we just couldn't study one more minute. We were on the dance floor and suddenly I saw him: Mister Tall, Dark and Handsome! He and I hit it off and before we knew it, we were wearing out a path from LeMoyne to Geneseo...over time, we chipped away at one another's tough protective shells and fell in love. By the time Frank asked me to marry him, on December 11, 1998, we had moved from Auburn, New York to Niskayuna, New York. My engagement ring was hanging on our Christmas tree at 1060 Baker Avenue in the upstairs apartment. What a romantic time!

Ten months later, we were married - October 9, 1999, at Niskayuna Reformed Church. Family and friends came to join in the festivities before my hubby and I headed off on a week-long cruise - Tampa, Grand Caymen, Cozumel and New Orleans...
Next came a series of mostly highs and a couple of lows:
May 2000, we bought our home in Clifton Park,
February 2001, we were thrilled to be pregnant!
March 2001, we were overwhelmed see two babies on the ultrasound!!!
April 23, 2001, sadly, we lost our twins,
July 2001, we discovered we were pregnant again,
September 11, 2001, we lived through the darkest day in our history,
October 2001, we had a romantic get-away in Cape Cod at a gorgeous bed and breakfast,
November 2001, we saw on an ultrasound that our baby was a boy!
March 25, 2002, we became the proud parents of a sweet baby boy!! Life has not been the same since! Of course we were delighted to become parents, however our couple-ness had changed and the weight of responsibility will remain.
February 2003, hubby threw me a surprise 30th birthday party!
January 2004, we discovered we were pregnant again. But suddenly there were complications and I was on bed rest off and on for the remainder of the pregnancy.
August 9, 2004, we became the parents of a precious little girl!
June 3, 2005, Frank turned 31 and we were quite surprised to discover we were pregnant again!! (I told Frank while we were having dinner at Garcia's restaurant...he promptly ordered himself the biggest margarita on the menu!!!!)
January 3, 2006, we became the parents of another baby girl!!
A few weeks later, we started couples counseling...the sudden addition of so many children in such a short time, on one income, left us feeling stressed out, overwhelmed and without much time to be together, just the two of us. We began to look forward to the weekly counseling sessions (thankfully my parents watched the "herd" for us)...we began to add dinner out to the agenda and soon fell in love all over again.
January 2007, we "graduated" from counseling...and a few weeks later, we discovered another little Hill was on the way!
September 26, 2007, the last Little Hill was born, a boy this time! Frank had decided that "this was it" and our herd was complete.

The above timeline only includes the human changes to our household...Frank (along with his dad and a few friends) has completely transformed our house in every way possible...retaining wall, new roof, new siding, new windows, new floors, finished the basement, remodeled bathrooms, new deck, new patio, and the list goes on and on. While I admit to whining and complaining about every new idea (the cost - financial and time, were great), I have to say it all turned out beautifully.
Frank and I may be night and day opposites sometimes (and we may drive one another a little crazy), but I am confident that God knew what He was doing when He put us together: when we take the time to communicate, we really balance one another out. Hopefully we can be the team God wants us to be to raise our four children, our treasures from the Lord.

Happy 10th Anniversary, Beloved!!!

Much to do on a Monday!

Yes, it's been a busy day, many tasks to be done. Besides the usual (stripping beds, laundry, etc), I decided to switch around bathing suits and beach towels with coats/boots/winter gear. The kids have had a ball trying on hats and mittens and snow pants! I am reminded again of the blessings - healthy, growing children and oodles of winter gear to choose from, thanks to thoughtful friends sharing hand-me-downs with us. Sometimes the trying-on process gets overwhelming with 4 little ones, but I am so glad I do not have to spend time and money in a store with my herd!

Good stuff:
1) Last night, KBH learned her bible verses for AWANA and earned her vest and handbook!
2) In the van, we were listening to a bible songs CD. CAH was singing "I Cast All My Cares Upon You...I lay all of my bird-hens..." and she stopped and asked, "Mama, is it bird-hens or bird eggs?" (The word is actually "burdens", so we had a wonderful discussion about burdens and what it means to cast your cares on the Lord.) I didn't dare laugh, as she was so sincere, but how cute is that?!!
3) After kindergarten, CAH organized her own craft time...she set up play-doh for herself and her younger siblings. It was quiet and they sat at their little play table for 45 minutes! I think I need CAH to "run groups" more often!
4) After school, NCH asked if he could get NJH up from his nap. I found the boys snuggled together on NCH's bed, as NCH read a stack of books to his little brother. These are the moments I am treasuring in my heart!

Super Soups

Fall is definitely upon us. It's time for apple picking, lighting autumn candles and making hearty soups. Here are two soup recipes we tried this week:

Sara's Taco Soup
8 Slices Chopped Bacon (I had turkey bacon - might be better w/regular bacon)
1 Chopped Sweet/Vidalia Onion (I used 1/2 an onion)
1 Chopped Red Pepper
7 Cups Prepared Chicken Broth (I think I used a little more than 7...4 cans)
2-4 Chopped Chicken Breasts (I used 2 HUGE ones)
2 Cans Kernel Corn, Drained
2 7.5oz/215mL Jars Taco Sauce (I used the smooth Ortega mild)

Grated CHEESE FOR GARNISH!!! (I used sharp cheddar)

Directions:

Cook bacon. Do not drain! When cooked,
Add chicken, onion and pepper. When chicken is cooked on outside,
Add broth, taco sauce, and corn.
Boil, reduce heat to med-low, and cover.
Simmer 20 mins.

I served with tortilla chips and shredded cheese...would have been fabulous with fresh cilantro! Even a little sour cream.

Thank you to my 2nd cousin in Canada, Sara, for this very yummy recipe!

And sorry to my friend Linda, who likes photos with her recipes...I forgot to take a picture!

Another delicious soup recipe is the Copy Cat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli. This can be found at:
http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/17274/olive-garden-pasta-e-fagioli-copycat.html

Happy Birthday, to My Little 2 Year Old!

It doesn't seem possible that my last baby just turned two! So cliche to say, but the time has flown by! After a very "normal" pregnancy, my due date of September 24th came and went...I was nervous about having a super huge baby (the 3rd baby came 5 days late and was almost 9 pounds), so my OB agreed to induce me on September 26th. Most of the labor and delivery was without incident (just a minor mistake by an anesthesiology resident...turned UP my pitocin rather than turn it DOWN, just as I was about to get my epidural)...which prolonged my labor by almost 2 hours!! Oh well, little NJH was born at 8:22pm and weighed a whopping 9 pounds. One of the nurses exclaimed, "Wow, he's a porkchop!" as I pushed him out!! Little N was welcomed by his older brother and sisters and I don't think a baby could be more loved, kissed, hugged and snuggled!
Here are some of my favorite photos of the little guy:

Thanksgiving at the Lake 2007




Christmas 2007 - special time with Beam and Pop


little flirt (December 2007)


Easter 2008




sitting on Nona's lap on Baby Dedication Day (May 2008)


eating an oatmeal cookie (August 2008)


happy first birthday (September 2008)


"reading"...he really loves books (November 2008)


enjoying a rare winter ice cream cone! (January 2009)


he helped himself to the peanut butter and fluff sandwiches we had made for the kids for lunch...we just hadn't called them to the table yet! (February 2009)


yummy pesto pasta dinner (March 2009)


wishing big brother a happy 7th birthday...thankful for some of the chocolate pudding cake (March 2009)


playing princess ("printheth") August 2009


loving the lake (August 2009)


Happy 2nd Birthday! (September 2009)


James 1:17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above."

So Much To Say...

Yes, I have so much to say and so little time to get it all written down! Here's what's been happening with the Hill Herd:
- back to school (already blogged about NCH's first day); CAH started kindergarten, thankfully just half-day...I miss her like crazy when she's gone. KBH was very out of sorts all week without her motherly big sister, and poor little NJH is a bit fearful of KBH and some of her antics! He's been THRILLED to see CAH get off the bus at noon. They are quite sweet together. Here's a picture of CAH heading off to school:
And here are the two little ones left at home:
My caption for that photo on facebook is: And then there were 2...is it just me, or does Little N look a bit worried that his very nurturing biggest sister has left for school? And Miss K says, "Don't worry, I'm in charge now!"

CAH seems to be loving school. She tells many details about her day, and she wants to play school as soon as she gets home! She is eager to do her homework and asks me for more to do - may this always be the case! NCH has been happy to do his homework and has been acing the spelling quizzes I've been giving him.
One more note about CAH and school: The first day, she told me about her new friend: "I helped my friend today, Mama. She doesn't have fingers on one hand, so I asked if she needed help putting her papers in her folder." Although it doesn't surprise me that CAH would be helpful, I teared up as she told me this story!

KBH also started school. Here she is getting out of the van, heading to preschool:

- KBH started gymnastics last week. Remember, she is the wild and crazy one - the one who does back hip circles and skin the cat on the treadmill handles...the one who jumps off diving boards and bookcases and ok, you get the picture. Well, she refused to participate in gymnastics class last week! Evidently she is going through a little stranger anxiety with men, and her coach is a very tall man. She cried and screamed for a lollipop on the way out last week, so I told her if she goes into class, obeys her coach and participates the whole time, she will earn a lollipop. I am really hoping she does better tomorrow...last week, I did get her to do some tuck jumps on the long trampoline and she was fabulous (until the coach looked at her and told her "good job"...she stopped instantly and yelled at him "I'm never doing it again ever!!!") RASCAL! Some of her other recent antics: wearing these very worn-out hand-me-down through 3 kids pink sparkle shoes. I let her wear them to preschool rather than have another battle...yes, for the first time in 7 1/2 parenting years, I am picking my battles! Here's a photo of Miss Stylin' Girl:
She loves to pick out her own clothes and change her clothes, often. I think she'd do a wardrobe change every hour if I let her! "Nap time" has become "rummage in the closets and dresser time" and it is SO frustrating to keep folding and hanging all these clothes! When she does settle down and sleep, she's usually wearing a pair of fancy shoes or boots, and often has several layers of clothing on. I know, I know: this too shall pass!


- NCH is turning 2 next week! I will have plenty more to say about his birthday in another post, but here's what he's been up to: went big poop on potty (even told me "poop" while he was playing, so we ran to the potty and he did it!) He has new cups with straws (Munchkin brand, supposedly spill-proof, but they leak a little.) I'm not ready to give him free reign with open-top cups yet, and regular sippy cups can cause a little lisp (which he already has), so I'm hoping the oral positioning with the straw will help. He loves the cups (which have Backyardigans characters on them.) The cutest thing he's doing lately is saying "thank you, Mama" and "bless you, Mama" (when I sneeze) without any modeling or prompting. He sounds so grown up and polite!

- The other night, Frank was doing some side work and he brought NCH along to help. As I was getting dinner ready, I overheard the younger 3, sitting at the table, asking one another "how was your day?" and "what did you do today?" After each one would answer, the others would say "wow, that's great!" I melted right then and there! Just precious!

Saying Good-bye a Little More Every Day

Excited. Nervous. Happy. Sad. New beginnings. Beginning of the end of something else. Letting go a little more.
NCH hopped on the bus less than an hour ago. Off to 2nd grade with a teacher he was really hoping for. He was smiling and SO excited...the most confident I've ever seen him heading to school. May he have this enthusiasm all year long!
But I have a giant gaping hole in my heart! I know, I know, I have 3 other little kiddos here, and I'm plenty busy, but that big boy has his own place. It's not the same without him. Of course he'd likely be pestering his siblings by now if he were home. He'd be asking me for something to do. Asking for a big plate of scrambled eggs with cheese. I know it's a normal part of growing up to head out to school, but I'm sad I don't know every detail of what he's doing. I'm sad that I can't see his face light up when he learns something new. I will have a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach all day until he bounds off the bus. This feeling will fade over time. I will "get used to" him being gone all day. The question is, do I want to get used to this? Still wrestling with the homeschooling option...