Welcome to My World

So Where Have YOU Been?

2011-06-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

WOW! It only took me an entire year to get back to blogging. Hopefully, I will be more diligent, but I can not make any promises right now. :)

So where have I been...

Well, that is a long story. One that started nearly a month after my last post. The biggest reason for my absense has been that we started homeschooling our oldest 4 children in August of last year. (My plan is to share the whys and hows as I have time.) Of course, what first year of homeschooling would be complete without its share of drama? Not only did we begin homeschooling, but my hubby worked out-of-town and lived at home on the weekends for the first 5 months of our adventure. As soon as John returned home, my Mom had her second hip-replacement and she lived with us for the 5 weeks of her recovery. Finally, Grandma was feeling better, but all of sudden, I was not! We, then, found out Baby #7 was to be expected in October. Whew! Just typing that wears me out!!!!

Our school year offically ends tomorrow and it has been a good year. I am very thankful! John is home, our children are still happy and healthy, my Mom is walking well and even quit smoking(!!), Baby 7 is a girl. My due date is October 19th. God continues to bless us abundantly!

I hope to share more in the coming days ahead, but for now I will leave you with our Easter picture of the children

Chores and Schedule

2010-06-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

I have been asked to post the chore list for my children as well as our summer daily schedule. I thought it would be easier to post it all here. This is what works for us and helps me alot. We have learned to be flexible, but try to stick as close to the schedule as possible with hourly adjustments if needed. John and I do not give allowance or rewards for this list of chores. It is done to help out the family. We do have extra chores as needed that can be done for money. Our prayer is that our children learn to help their family (especially Mom), learn to work hard, and learn to work together to accomplish tasks. Note: we have our big cleaning day on Monday and can accomplish Monday and Tuesday chores in an hour.

Daily Chores (all children)

put clean laundry away

clean room - make bed

straighten living room

recycles and trash (boys)

load/unload dishwasher (girls)

Monday:

Ernie (10) - wipe down upper kitchen cabinet fronts and appliance fronts

dust walls for spider webs

dust top part of tv cabinet

vacuum living room and study

Abby (8) - vaccuum couch and chairs,

clean window sills in living room and study

dust blinds in kitchen and bedroom

Emma (6) - dust lower part of tv cabinet and railing to upstairs

dust blinds in kitchen and bedroom

Jonathan (4) - dust living room table

wipe down lower kitchen cabinet fronts

Christian and Isabella help where they can. Give them a rag and they will clean anything. They love to help fold and put laundry away too.

Tuesday:

Boys - clean baseboards and doors in living room

Girls - clean baseboards and doors in kitchen

Wednesday:

Boys - take out all trashcans from all rooms

Ernie also vaccuums living room and living room rugs

Girls -

Week A - clean windows in living room and study and clean kitchen chairs

Week B - clean their bathroom (I clean it on week A)

Thursday:

Everyone - clean up the yard and the yard toys

Friday:

Everyone - clean up the basement toy room

Abby vaccuums living room

Daily Schedule:

7am - breakfast, devotions, Bible memory time,

teeth, dressed (has started taking longer than 45 minutes, so we adjust)

7:45 - clean bedrooms, then play in basement

8:30 - chores

9:30 -play

11am - lunch

12pm - naptime for younger 3

reading the older 3 (45min - Ernie and Abby / 30 min for Emma + 15 min of worksheets)

We read a book together 1-2 chapters a day (currently reading the Crown and Covenant

series by Douglas bond)

Math Games (Right Start Math)

2pm - outdoor/indoor play (or maybe a movie)

2:45pm - straighten living room and bedroom as needed

John usually returns home by 3:30 - 4pm and bedtime is around 7/7:30pm.

My Boys

2010-05-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Aren't these fellas gorgeous!

They wanted matching shoes.

Ernie is a great big brother and the littler ones just adore him. They are always playing ball of some sort, running around and rough housing.

It's so hard to say goodbye...

2010-05-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

I received a Boppy when Ernie was born. It helped me through the nursing of Ernie, Abby, Emma and Jonathan. As a baby, Jonathan became attached to it. He always had it with him and it became his pillow in his crib and big boy bed. (Thankfully, when I was expecting Christian, the sweet ladies at Community Bible Church gave me a shower. Along with many splendid gifts I received the one thing I really needed ... A NEW BOPPY)

Jonathan's Boppy has seen him through good dreams, nightmares, many hours of peaceful sleep as well as illnesses and not much sleep. It made it through many washing cycles, but all good things must come to an end. Boppy developed a hole that could no longer be fixed. We took many pictures so Jonathan will never have to forget his Boppy.

Abigail turns 8

2010-05-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

Precious Abby turned 8 on April 9th, 2010.

What a gift we received from the Lord! Abby is our easiest child at present. She is extremely helpful with a servant's heart. "Lil' Momma" is her nickname and sometimes Christian and Isabella choose her over me. Caring, sweet and a hard worker. Abby finished 2nd grade this year with straight A's and the "Ant Award". She loves art, gymnastics, and Irish dance.

May God always be glorified in your life, Abby! We love you!

Abby's birthday found us, once again, at Cracker Barrel for dinner.

Picture below is of the gift she received from Gram and Grampa Dickmann. It is a purse with other little goodies that once belonged to Great-Grandma Lehr who went Home to Heaven a year ago. The loss of Gram Lehr was rather hard on Abby. She still cries when she thinks about dear Grandma Lehr. Abby loved this gift!

Kara made Abby's birthday cake

Abby with our wonderful former neighbor, Judy.

Tea Party

2010-05-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

The girls decided to dress-up and have a tea party...

on the jungle gym.

Izzy did not want to miss out on the fun.

Egyptian Feast

2010-04-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

2nd Grade at PCCA is the Egyptain Festival.

My beautiful Egyptian girl, Abby.

Mrs. Doyle had the wonderful idea to mummify a chicken and this is the result: King Cluck I. (No it does not smell.)

Abby's encomium on the Biblical Egyptian midwife, Shiphrah. (Never too early to get teaching my girls about midwifery.)

Mrs. Doyle and the children did a fabulous job. The food was yummy and the decorations were perfect. Yay Ann Hatfield.

4th Grade Medieval Feast

2010-04-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

At Providence Classical Christian grades 1st - 4th have different festivals/feasts that showcase what the class has learned that year. Ernie's class has had fairy tale (now Old Testament), Egyptian, Greek/Roman festivals. The last year is 4th Grade's Medieval Feast. Quite an elaborate evening with a meal served by the families, a game of Pass the Parcel and usually a time of learning from a real Knight. Unfortunately, the Knight, Karl M. Kindt III, was unable to be there due to being in Paris during the volcanic ash issues. We still had a wonderful time and wonderful food.

Ernie chose to be King Charlemagne.

During Pass the Parcel, Grandma opened a layer that had her do jumping jacks.

Ernie's 4th Grade Teacher, Mrs. Paske, and her husband, PCCA's 5th Grade Teacher, Mr. Paske, as they made their entrance.

Easter Pictures

2010-04-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

Since this summer we have 2 weddings, I went simple on the Easter clothes. Ernie was thrilled, but my little boys LOVE to dress up, so they wanted suits no matter what.

Some days I just can't believe they are all mine and how incredibly blessed I am. God is good! We are blessed to have a quiver full.

My Girls

All My Handsome Fellas

While I was getting Christian ready, Isabella just sat right in his lap. How could I pass up the photo opportunity? Of course, our ham, Emma, saw the camera and rushed over for the picture.

Laundry with Isa

2010-04-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

As most can imagine, laundry for 8 people is quite a task. I am EXTREMELY blessed to have a Mom who has decided this is where she wants to help me. My wonderful Mother does all the folding of the laundry and puts it away for us during the school year (during the summer the older children are responsible for their own clothes).

There are usually loads of laundry being washed everyday and I put it in baskets. When Mom gets some spare days, she folds it all. The 3 smaller children all love to help in one way or another - Jonathan matches socks, Christian folds dish towels and rags, and then there is Isa...

Not much help but she sure is cute!

Exercise with Isa

2010-04-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

I love to exercise. Yes, I really do. My favorite right now is Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred. Quite a workout and in a short amount of time. Perfect for the stay-at-home Momma with 3 children (4 & under) at home with her. Of course, as any Mom knows exercising isn't easy when the children want to do it "with you." Most days I schedule Jonathan's computer play-time during my exercising time so Izzy can be put in her pack-n-play to play toys and watch big brother. Some days that just doesn't work out and this is what happens:

Izzy loves Jillian too. She sits sucking her thumb watching me exercise. Eventually, she gets up, jumps around during the cardio, but then comes the ab work which is done on the floor. This cartoon shows what exercising with Izzy is like:

In case it is just too small the Mom says, "I'm glad one of us is enjoying this." as baby has triumphantly climbed mount Momma and claps her hands.

All in a day

2010-02-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

It's hard to be the baby!

Christian and his ash

2010-02-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

6am - my room

Christian: "Dad, I have a ash"

John: "You have a what?"

Me (still trying to get some sleep): "He said ash, he means rash, but it's really a bruise."

Christian: "Yeah Dad, a Bruce"

Just another Day in Paradise!

Ever hear of an ...

2010-01-25T16:57:00.000-08:00

Ever hear of something called an Iggy Miggy? I hadn't until the Family Talent Show.
It's always fun to learn something new!

The Dickmann Family Talent Show

2010-01-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

The Dickmann Family had a talent show during the Christmas holidays. We had singing, poems, some acted out Luke 2, piano and guitar solos and even a Latin chat. It was a fun evening and it will hopefully become a tradition as the grandchildren grow.

John sang

some of the children watching the entertainment

my children singing "I will call upon the Lord" when Christian (2) decided to add a little hip-hop dancing to the mix.

One of the favorites of the evening- Uncle Dave's story-telling.

Goodbye Maplewood

2010-01-25T16:32:00.000-08:00

We were very blessed in December, when after one and half years "on the market", our house in Maplewood, MO sold. This was bittersweet for me. Praise God that He provided for us for so long with two mortgages, but there was some sadness in saying goodbye to this house and the wonderful neighborhood of Maplewood.
John bought this house and completely rehabbed it adding the front porch that he designed. He worked for 13 months on this house while Ernie (2), Abby (6 months) and myself lived with John's parents, sister and Grandmothers. The children only saw him 1 1/2 days a week and I would stay up until 10pm every night to feed my weary beloved after his long day.
John customized this house to what he thought I would want and he was so right - double ovens, jacuzzi tub, 4 bedrooms... It was a wonderful house with many memories, especially that 3 more children were added to the clan while we lived there.
Maplewood was the MOST family-friendly community I have ever lived. Many friends were added during our 5 years there, especially our next-door neighbor, Judy, who has become an added member of our family. A few of us started a Bible Study, plenty of parks in walking distance, just walking around the block and visiting neighbors was a treat. So many great memories...

God did a wonderful work in us during this year and half wait. I have learned so much about the Lord, my husband, and myself on this journey. I do praise the Lord for the trial, but I am certainly thankful He has sold the house and the financial burden has ceased.

One great praise to the Lord was how He brought John and I to the realization that we had to ask for help. It is probably the only area where John and my personalities are alike; we are terrible about asking for help from anyone. We came to a place where the house needed to be staged and the yard "prettied up". Praise God for the people who came forward to help when we asked. Our family and friends (whether from my MOPS group, life-long friends, families from the Free Church, families from the school our children attend and even a family friend traveled from Gerald, MO - 1 1/2 hours away), came to serve the Lord by serving us. Our family and friends loaned us anything we needed to stage the house and take a trailer full of stuff to John's brother's house for storage. Praise the Lord for all of these wonderful people. I pray that He blesses them for how they blessed us. God is good!!!

The staged dining room.

Isabella is ONE!

2010-01-07T05:44:00.000-08:00

One year ago at this exact time, 7am, I was still in labor with this darling little baby. It was the first time my "water" broke spontaneously. The doctor and nurses worked to give me a medication-free birth, but the time frame in which infection could set in drew nearer, so the epidural was given and well... nothing. As the 24 hour "infection window" was drawing nearer there was talk of C-section. Again, my doctor and nurses did everything they could to prevent it, and thankfully, Isabella showed up just in time. 23 hours and 59 minutes from the time my water broke. 1 minute shy of a C-section and all the tests, etc. that would have come if she had not been born in the "infection window" time period. I think we were all shocked, but very thankful. I did end up with an infection which gave me a slight fever in the hopsital, but Isabella Liberty Dickmann was healthy and beautiful. Praise the Lord!

In honor of Isabella's first birthday, I wanted to share some of her stats with you:

~Isabella is right at 20lbs.

~Isabella has 4 nicknames: Iz, Izzy, Isa and Belle. Pick one, she'll answer to any of them.

~She started walking the day after Christmas.

~Isa loves her brothers and sisters. They are usually playing with her, holding her, or walking her through the house. She gets her way and lots of attention.

~Isabella is an easy going baby girl, but she knows what she wants and if you happen to have what she wants, watch out. She'll take it.

~ As this picture shows, Isabella is the first one of 6 to break a bone. At around 8 months, Isa rolled down a flight of stairs and broke her left leg in two places. She was such a trooper although she hated the soft cast and learned how to unlatch it.

~She is fast when she needs to make a get-away. I noticed her eating a Hershey's kiss yesterday. My thought was "Who was crazy enough to give her a Hershey's kiss?" After cleaning her up, I was in my office when I noticed her stretching up to the edge of my desk, searching around until she found the bowl of kisses, grabbing one, and crawling out of the office like a shot. Of course, I watched laughing and let her eat the second kiss - she's cute and she worked so hard for it. I did eventually move the kisses to an undisclosed location.

~Izzy is an eater. Whether nursing, formula or solid foods, she loves it. Everything from stew to yogurt, to french fries, but she is not crazy about cooked carrots or broccoli. Oh well, that battle will come later anyway.

~She sucks her thumb.

~Isabella loves our chiropractor, Dr. Eric Nepute. She will lay on the table and get adjusted without one of us holding her. He will coo at her and she will lay there and suck her thumb.

~She is active, happy and healthy. What more can a family ask for in a baby?! God is good and we are so thankful that He chose us to be Isabella's parents.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLE!! WE LOVE YOU!

A Wii Good Time on Christmas Morning

2010-01-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning

2010-01-06T16:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning

2010-01-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

More Christmas Eve

2010-01-06T16:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2010-01-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2010-01-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

Emma's Party at the Hairy Elephant

2009-12-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

We try to give each child a birthday party with their friends in their Kindergarten year. Emma chose a party at the Hairy Elephant, where they girls get dressed up and have their hair and nails done.

Abby with cousins, Hannah and Grace

The Party Princess had a Ball!

Puzzles and Parenting

2009-11-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

For Emma's birthday, she received a puzzle with 100 pieces. At our house, that's the big time! One school day as I was busy trying to clean and cook, Jonathan said that he wanted to do the puzzle and he wanted me to sit and watch. "WHAT? I have too many tasks to sit," I thought, but thankfully, I sat down with him. I learned a thing or two.

1.) Jonathan could have done the entire puzzle without me. It may have taken him longer than an hour, but he could have done it. He had the patience to turn each piece to see if it would fit in the open spot. I was truly amazed at his talent and patience.

2.) I don't have much patience. This isn't the first time I realized this. It is a fact, but this was another lesson on giving my child what he needed, which was for me just to sit and watch, helping when he really wanted me to.

3.) All the messes were still there when Jonathan and I finished. Setting aside the tasks was worth every second with him. Jonathan had a great time and so did I.

Couple more of Emma

2009-11-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

Isabella at Emma's party. She didn't get to dress up, but she liked the play area.

My little fashionista and her boots from Aunt Melanie

Emma's Birthday

2009-11-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

Each child gets to pick what they want for dinner on their birthday. The boys typically pick a dinner and I cook all their favorite foods, but my girls... well... they are more like me - Let's GO OUT.

Emma picked Cracker Barrel so we had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Dickmann there.

Emma with the flowers from Uncle Al.

Emma Claire Turns 6

2009-11-28T07:49:00.000-08:00

When my gorgeous, energetic 2nd daughter was born 18 months after Abigail, we never knew what hit us! Our first two children were easy-going, usually obedient, and happy. Then, came Emma... She has stretched me, challenged me and made me a better mom. Having my first strong-willed child was a shocker. Her excited voice is very loud and she is usually excited about something. I spent more time disciplining Emma than anyone else. Her "terrible twos" lasted from age 2 - age 5.

Of course, it wasn't horrible every minute. Emma is hilarious. She makes off-the-wall statements that leave our entire family in stitches. Emma loves to sing and dance. Yes, she still sucks her thumb. Emma is very girlie, but can run with the boys too. She loves clothes, purses, make-up, jewelry and having her hair done everyday. I am hoping she will learn to French braid so I do not have to.

Emma is loving every minute of Kindergarten. She loves her friends and is loyal, especially to her best friend. Slowly, she is learning her phonograms and is so excited to read.

Happy Birthday GIRL!! I am so thankful that God made you the way you are! Our family would be very different if you weren't here to make us laugh!

Emma with Bunny

Emma being silly

Birthdays at our house can last a few days long...

On Emma's birthday, Gram brought over a cookie cake for breakfast. I'm sure my children's teachers were so thankful their day started with SUGAR.

In honor of Emma's birthday, Jonathan got all dressed up and stayed that way til dinner.

Tower Grove Park with the Rages

2009-11-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

Tower Grove Park with the Cousins

2009-11-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, our family joined up with the Rages family for a walk in Tower Grove Park.

Random Happenings At Our House

2009-11-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

Isabella and Christian

Everyone playing Doodle Dice

These 3 beat me to Isabella one morning and this is what I found.

Late night of studying for Ernie.

Reformation Day Party 5

2009-11-28T07:38:00.000-08:00

Grandma was the only adult willing to get in on the bobbing for apples. Her only comment "It is harder than it looks."

Abby was the only casualty of the night. Somehow she was burned with a popcorn ball in the neck.

Thanks, John! You did a great job and we all had a blast!

Reformation Day 4

2009-11-28T07:23:00.000-08:00

Funnel cakes

Grandpa feeding Isabella some apple betty

Bobbing for apples

I list bobbing for apples in the same category as floaties - GROSS. As a Mom, I have seen as well as cleaned up a lot of disgusting things, but I draw the line at floaties and bobbing for apples.

Reformation Day Party 3

2009-11-28T07:22:00.000-08:00

The next game consisted of sucking a pumpkin seed to a straw and dumping it in a cup.

Popcorn Balls

Musical Hats.

Reformation Day Party 2

2009-11-28T07:20:00.000-08:00

Next up was dinner - hot dogs and chips.

John began to prepare the popcorn for popcorn balls.

Reformation Day Party

2009-11-28T07:19:00.000-08:00

This is the first year since having children that we decided not to Trick or Treat. John decided that we would have a fun party at our house for the children. He planned everything. It was a fun-filled night and our street is so quiet, we did not have any Trick or Treaters.

Izzy is "batty for daddy" as her shirt states.

First game of the evening, John had each child draw either the mouth, nose, one of the eyes, etc. He then put their drawings on to the family pumpkin.

Not too bad for having 5 different children create it.

Of course, we had presents from Grandma Great!!

Closet part 2

2009-11-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

If you haven't nocticed I love this closet. It is the place I store my vaccuum, basket of snuggies, and all the nerf guns and ammo. There are ALL our games and some art supplies, plus this and that I can't find a place for in the house. Hopefully, I will get a door on it soon.

This is where all the games were stored before the closet was built. I should have taken a before shot so you could understand how junky this spot looked. Of course, it is gorgeous with John's Christmas decoration touch. Is there anything my man can't do?

My New Closet

2009-11-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

One of the most wonderful things about having a carpenter for a husband is all the projects he completes in the houses we live in and rehab. We are currently living in a house that is 1/3 the size of our last one. We need every inch of storage we can get. Here is the closet John added just recently.

I only get four pictures per post so check out the next one too.

Mark Twain Festival

2009-10-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

The children's school, Providence Classical Christian Academy has an annual Mark Twain Festival. To see info and pics go here. Two and a half days full of fun. Besides dressing in character for 2 days, there is the 5th grade frog jumping contest, the Raft Race and the Silver Tongue Oratory Competition.

Ernie wanted to be Huck Finn and the girls wanted to be Becky Thatcher. The dresses are aprons purchased from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum with full slips and shirts underneath.

Dancing Lessons and More

2009-10-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

Over the summer, we joined a wonderful recreation center - Concordia Turners. The children took swimming lessons and we had plenty of pool time. One wonderful thing about the Turners is that once you pay your membership fee (extremely resonable for a family of 8), all lessons and classes are FREE! Once the list of Fall Classes was posted, I checked it out and boy was I amazed. Abby and Emma are taking tap, jazz, Irish dance, and gymnastics. Ernie takes Martial Arts and gymnastics. Jonathan attends a few of the martial arts classes, plus he and Christian are in Tumble Bears. This makes for busy nights, but when the gym is 7 minutes away...we've made it work. The children LOVE all the activities and John and I love to see them explore and learn new things. Concordia is a family friendly atmosphere and we are really happy there. If you live near us, go and take a tour!

Abby and Emma before their first dance class.

Sweet Sisters.

Older and hopefully wiser...

2009-10-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

I turned 31 on October 10th. It was a wonderful birthday. John had to work so he made sure I had presents and Krispy Kremes to start the morning off right. Next, my Dad took the oldest 5 children out for the day. I headed off to Scandals for a pedicure, then Mom and Isabella took me shopping and lunch at my favorite spot-McAlister's. What an enjoyable day! Once John and the kiddos returned home, we had dinner at Culvers and enjoyed an evening on the couch watching the Cardinals. Too bad they lost. What a great family I have! They know how to spoil me and I really appreciate it!

Presents and Doughnuts

Krispy Kremes with Candles

My Sweet Clan

HAPPY FEET!

What's On Your Mind?

2009-10-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

What is on your mind in a day?

Today, I looked down at a pile of stuff that needed to be put into my clean office and I was shocked to realize this is probably what the compartments of my mind contain for daily life as a Mom of six. There is my beloved calendars. Yes, it requires two calendars to track everything - my children's activities, my husband's meetings & coaching schedule, my nights out with friends. Of course there are doctor's appointments, the PCCA volleyball schedule, etc in it as well. Next are all the things I need to remember with 3 children in school: three different grades, field trips, items to bring in for show-n-tell, snack schedules, homework assignments, etc. There are forms to fill out for the chiropractor. Do you see the Post-it note? I presently have 5 around my computer monitor all with things I must remember. A cookbook for meal planning, which requires much thought everyday. Even if the meal is planned you still have to remember to get the ingredients out and what time it needs to be served in order to be at gymnastics or basketball on time. Don't forget the library books - time to read, plus remembering the date the books need to be returned. Last, but not least, is a box of 100 calorie snacks because who isn't thinking about their weight and how they look and what their husband and children are eating. I am sure most women have these compartments and many more, but it was shocking to me to see them right in front of my face in a pile.

Why I love being a MOM #2

2009-10-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

My 9-year-old and his creation.

Oh, the love of a son for his Momma - Nothing in the world like it!

Forgiveness

2009-10-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

My sis-in-law, Rebekah, gave me a book titled From Forgiven to Forgiving by Jay E. Adams.
This portion is based on "I will not remember your sins" Isaiah 43:25:

"Forgiveness is a promise! Never forget that fact. It is one of the most stupendous facts of all time. When our God forgives us, He promises that He will not remember our sins against us anymore. That is wonderful. ... Obviously, the omniscient God who created and sustains the universe does not forget, but he can 'not remeber.' You see, forgetting is passive and is something that we human beings, not being omniscient, do. 'Not remembering' is active; it is a promise whereby one person (in this case, God) determines not to remember the sins of another against him. To 'not remember' is simply a graphic way of saying , 'I will not bring up these matters to you or others in the future. I will bury them and not exhume the bones to beat you over the head with them. I will never use these sins against you.'"

100 Things About Me

2009-09-23T17:44:00.001-07:00

About a year ago, my good friend, Shannon posted a challenge she was given by another friend. Write 100 things about you. She passed the challenge onto her friends, bloggers or not. Since I was not blogging then, I did the challenge anyway. It took me 2-3 months to come up with everything. My promise was that if I ever had a blog, I would post them. So, here are my 100 things about me along with a challenge to other bloggers and friends. Share 100 things about yourself. It is not easy.

1. I am Sarah Dickmann
2. Middle Name is Melissa
3. Maiden Name is Brummett
4. I am a Christian
5. Christ saved me at the age of about 13.
6. I was an only child
7. until I married my husband who has 5 siblings, plus their spouses
8. John is my husband
9. I am absolutely smitten with him still. He is absolutely wonderful!!! I think I would rather write 100 things about him.
10. We have been married for 11 years as of July 25, 2009
11. He proposed on my 18th birthday.
12. I was 19 when we married.
13. We went to Chicago for our honeymoon
14. I got VERY sick
15. We missed the Cubs game we were scheduled to attend
16. I will never live that down
17. I have 6 children
18. I am actually not pregnant right now.
19. My oldest child is 9
20. My youngest is 8 months
21. We have 3 boys
22. And 3 girls
23. All of them have blue eyes
24. I do think boys are easier as children (don’t have teenagers yet)
25. Because of the large extended family, I am Aunt Sarah to 13 sweeties.
26. My husband’s family calls me Sar or Sarai
27. My Mom calls me Lyss
28. I went to college for 1 year.
29. I disliked college
30. Although I loved high school
31. I attended High School at Southside Christian Academy
32. The number of my graduating class was 2
33. I love to read
34. My favorites are biographies of Christian men and women, Christian fiction (love those Amish romance novels), books about being a Godly wife and mother and birthing books
35. The last book I read was Chocolate Kisses For Couples by Cindy Sigler Dagnan -- excellent as always
36. The book I am currently reading Jonathan and Sarah (Edwards): An Uncommon Union
37. I love to read the Word of God on a daily basis.
38. If I do not I can feel such a lack in my life
39. My favorite Scriptures are 2 Timothy 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
& Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
40. A recent gem given to me by the Lord is Titus 3:1-8
“Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.”
50. I am currently reading through and studying Isaiah.
51. I am not a very good house cleaner
52. I do try though
53. I just have lots of clutter, but I know where everything is.
54. I enjoy cooking (when not pregnant) and read cookbooks for fun
55. I am always up for a girls night out
56. I LOVE chocolate
57. Especially chocolate with peanut butter
58. My favorite drinks are hot chocolate and sweet tea.
59. I love to go out to restaurants (yes, even with 6 children in tow)
60. Some of my favorites are Red Lobster , Texas Roadhouse, McAlisters and so many more
61. My birthday is October 10th, 1978
62. Yes, I am 30 - almost 31
63. No, I am not happy about it.
64. I am a stay-at-home wife and mom
65. I LOVE IT!
66. My favorite part of my job is that I am at home with and for my children and attempting to make my home the place my husband and children want to be.
67. My least favorite part of my job is the redundancy. You can clean the same room 3 times a day and it is still messy when John walks in the door.
68. I am a St. Louis Cardinals fan
69. I belong to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)
70. It has been such a blessing for me.
71. Since the church that the MOPS group meets at is in Illinois, the majority of my friends live “across the Bridge”.
72. I am a city mouse.
73. My favorite part of the day is when John gets home from work.
74. I enjoy listening to music, especially oldies, country and 80s/90s
75. I have a hard time making decisions
76. I have other annoying habits, but I don’t feel like listing them here
77. I have a Type A personality, but having 6 children is changing that quickly.
78. I have never been out of the United States.
79. Someday I would like to see Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Italy and Greece.
80. One of my hobbies is meal planning.
81. I have a list of a year’s worth of meals on the computer, but I don’t use it anymore.
82. My hair is red and wavy.
83. When on a regular routine, I grocery shop once every two weeks with the exception of milk and produce.
84. I did a frozen meal exchange with a group of friends.
85. This required me to make 11-12 of the same meal at one time.
86. I LOVE alone time with my hubby.
87. I love to dance and sing (preferably in the kitchen)
88. My family is currently attending the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
89. I was born and raised in St Louis.
90. I would be content to be here until I die or the Lord takes me Home.
91. I wish for all my children and their families to live close to us forever.
92. I love old classic movies (Audrey Hepburn especially) and romantic comedies too.
93. I have the best Mother in the world! She is always here when I need her
and… when I don’t. ;-)
94. I am terrible at making phone calls.
95. I love Facebook, e-mailing and am so glad I have a blog now.
96. Blogging is harder than I thought it would be.
97. My favorite type of shoe is flip flops and I could wear them all the time.
98. Even my slippers are flip flops.
99. I used to be a night owl, but now I am in bed by 8pm most nights.
100. My life can be summed up by saying to my God, the One True God,
“Great is Your faithfulness…” Lamentations 3:22-26

A Day with my Daughter

2009-09-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

I confess... I am not a fan of field trips.

That being said, I love my children and really enjoy getting to spend time with them individually as well as seeing them in action with their friends. So, off I went to Eckert's Orchard with my Kindergartener, Emma. After meeting a mom new to PCA and an enjoyable ride with her and her daughter to Millstadt, IL, we got to the apple picking. Em and I crammed her bag full of apples. We saw pig races, got lost in the corn maze, went down the gigantic slide and then the jack-o-lober (a cannon that shoots pumpkins). It was a great day with my girl, Emma!!

Friends and Chocolate

2009-09-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

My children attend Providence Christian Academy. Every year the school has an Auction Gala. The item that got me most excited was a Death by Chocolate Party at The Chocolate Affair in Highland, IL. John said I could bid on it and YES! I won the party. After contacting some of my gal pals, we decided a day trip was in order with the Chocolate Party to conclude the evening. What do 5 women do on a day trip? Well, anything we wanted!! First up was a visit to my friend, Laura's house to see the new countertops/appliances and the wonderful lighting, next up Target, then lunch at Rachel's Garden in Belleville, another Target run, on into Lebanon IL for some antiquing and shopping, finally as we headed in to Highland, we stopped for a "light dinner" at Farmers, then finally The Chocolate Affair for the Death by Chocolate Party. My friend, Kim, joined us there. We did scavenger hunts for prizes, took a tour of the bed & breakfast, played dress-up, ate chocolate mess cake, anything we wanted to sample out of the candy store, plus chocolate fondue. (Needless to say I didn't eat anything until dinner on Sunday.) What fun we had! My friends were very gracious to let me take a lot of pictures, most of them in my own weird style. Laughter is the best medicine and this will go down as one of my favorite days!!

Why I love being a MOM - Reason #1

2009-09-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am incredibly blessed to be a Stay-at-Home-Mom (and Wife). During these toddler/baby years, I have had my crabby and ungrateful days, but overall this is THE BEST JOB any mother could have. Here is a glimpse into my world. A world that is right now mainly consumed with 2 toddlers and a baby. I have never had 2 boys leading the pack and what fun boys can be!! Since my 3 older ones have headed off to school, Jonathan and Christian spend most of their days playing in the yard. I have discovered the way to hear "You are the best, Mommy" alot more often. It involves the hose, plenty of water, plenty of mud, and a willingness to ignore the huge mud pit they can create.

Jonathan and Christian have fun playing in mud, then they get to rinse off in the shower, followed by a bath, plus they think I'm great, so we all win!

John's Birthday

2009-09-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

John and the children not in the double stroller at the zoo on our anniversary 7/25/09

John and Christian at Old Spaghetti Factory.

John sneaking a peek at 2 of our children in their classes at school.

John with Isabella after her bath.

Tomorrow is John's birthday. It is amazing to see him with 6 children when I keep thinking of him as the 19 year old guy I fell in love with many years ago. I thank God for such a wonderful husband everyday of my life (many times a day really.) John is the most wonderful father too. The children adore him and what fun they all have together!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

Welcome to My World

2009-09-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my world or so the saying goes. Here is my first attempt at a blog. I haven't fully decided what to do with it yet. Of course, it will be a place where all can catch up on the Dickmann's Daily Happenings, but I also plan on this beginning a place to share my thoughts on all different subjects, plus I may throw in a recipe or two. So, please bear with me as I figure all of this out and stay tuned!