Laundry with Isa

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

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

It's hard to be the baby!

Christian and his ash

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 ...

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

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

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.