Our Christmas with Uncle Si

Uncle Si has been our house guest since Christmas Eve.  Actually, he's been here for 3 months, but he came out from his hiding spot on Christmas Eve, just in time to meet up with his buddies, Willy, Jase and Jep.

Grace made the Robertson brothers get-ups for our three little boys.  I bought Uncle Si tea cups for all of the kids.  I also procured the Uncle Si cardboard cut out, which has been under Elizabeth's bed for the past 3 months.  When I saw the Uncle Si display at our local superstore, I knew I had to have it.  I just had to convince the manager (and the two managers above him) that I had to have it.  They don't give up those things easily, what with copy rights and such to consider.  I bugged (nicely and politely) the manager near the cash registers of the store every time I went there for a month.  

Finally, the head honcho manager (the one that wears a suit and tie) gave me permission to take it.  He was super nice about it.  I told him that he would make my boys' Christmas.  And he did.

Uncle Si was nice enough to give me a new apron, except this time he farmed out the sewing to Grace.  My sister Emily and her new husband gave me an Uncle Si night gown.  What else could a girl want?  Maldon sea salt, perhaps?  Well, I got that, too.  My loving husband gave it to me as he wasn't about to be outdone by Uncle Si.

In the mean time, Uncle Si is learning what it is to live in a house with five boys.  He's been the target of plenty of Nerf gun bullets, which just serves to remind him of his time back in Nam.  That's a fact, Jack. 

Redoux: Grandkids Pic

My mother-in-law requested that another picture be taken of all of the grandchildren.  She wanted to include the new addition, Joseph, as well as have an updated picture of the rest of the kids.  Unlike last year, Joel did not cause any problems, but one of my other children did.  This time it was Isaac.  He was tired and overwhelmed by all the kids, so he bawled during the whole picture taking session.

I'd say taking a picture of twenty kids is a lot like herding cats, or maybe monkeys.  So when it became obvious that the whole situation was beginning to break down and no more pictures were going to be taken that day, Grandma and the three sisters-in-law decided this picture was as good as it was going to get this go round.  Twenty of the twenty one grandchildren are pictured.  My sister-in-law is due in March.  (I do love the look on Jude's face--he's trying so hard to be good and to smile for the camera.)

Lydia the Bookworm

This year I signed up three of the kids for Pizza Hut's Book It! program.  The packet arrived in the mail in August.  I was caring for a newborn at the time, living on very little sleep and even less brain power.  I didn't even bother to open the envelope.



Never fear, Lydia is here.  She opened the packet, read all the details and then reported the pertinent information to me.  Things like, "Sign here, Momma" and "You and Dad need to decide how many books a month I'm supposed to read."  Matt and I decided that she would need to read six books a month in order to receive her free personal pizza coupon each month.



Lydia promptly created a tower of books on the floor next to her bed with sheets of paper between every six books.  She planned out the entire year's reading.  Then she did the same thing for Joel, except she used Bob books and other beginning readers for him.  Since Paul does most of his reading on his Nook, she didn't organize his reading.



Lydia was the only one who actually earned a free pizza coupon that first month, not because the boys didn't make the requirement.  They just didn't care enough to prove to me that they had read the number of books required.  So when we were out running errands one Saturday, I took Lydia to pick up her pizza.  The man behind the counter asked her what topping she wanted.  She said, "Avocado, please."  "We don't have that," the man replied.  I burst out laughing.  Then I suggested pepperoni.  Lydia agreed and we sat down to wait for her pizza to be prepared.



As we waited, Lydia took note of the restaurant's hours of operation.  "They have almost twelve more hours until they close, Momma."  Then she went on to comment on how the tiles on the floor reminded her of the cobblestone streets in England (ya know, cause she's been there).

I'm not sure Lydia ever enjoyed pizza more than she did that one.  After all, she earned it. She not only did her part, but she did mine, too.  That Lydia. She's a dandy.

Scurvy Prevention

This little boy ate ten clementine oranges yesterday.  I know because I peeled all of them.

Just Call Us the Robertsons

Paul went with his Daddy and Grandpa Tom to hear Phil Robertson of Duck Commander fame preach at a local church a few years ago.  Phil started his sermon by saying, "Arise, kill, eat."  [Acts 10:13]  Since that night, Paul has been a fan of Phil.  So when I saw the Best of Duck Dynasty DVD come up on one of my coupon blogs a few months ago for $6 (the price has gone up a bit), I ordered it for Paul for his birthday.  That was back in September.

After watching Paul's birthday DVD, our family liked the Robertsons so much that we decided to watch the first season of the show online for free.  By that point, we were hopelessly addicted to Duck Dynasty.  From the patriarch Phil's hold-no-punches communication style, to Jase's quick wit, to Uncle Si's off the wall comments, we were all completely enamored, that is when we weren't splitting a gut from laughing so hard.  So I did what any good mother would do.  I ordered season two and then later, season three on DVD.  (I gave these to the kids as rewards for jobs well done, like putting together our Reformation party.)



One thing the kids picked up on right away was Uncle Si's tea cup.  His "vintage" Tupperware cup from which he is constantly sipping tea is just like the one I use daily, except my tea is a little more uptown.  I make myself a chai latte every afternoon.  Phil would say I'm "yuppified."  I don't care, I'm sure my tea tastes better than Si's.

After watching the first few episodes of Duck Dynasty, our family started working the phrases "He gone" and "Hey!" into our vocabulary.  By then, we could have been honorary members of the Robertson family.  Or so I thought.



Then came the day of the squirrel. Yes, the squirrel. The very dead squirrel on the road outside our house.  That squirrel.  The kids wanted to skin it.  I said, "Forget it.  Looking at it is good enough."  But the kids kept begging to skin the squirrel.  I finally texted Daddy at work to ask him what he thought.  "Why not?" he texted back.  Brother.

So I told the kids they could skin it, but they'd have to put on latex gloves first.  How's that for yuppified?  So they did.  I didn't watch the actual skinning.  Paul said he ended up making quite a mess of the whole thing.  He did save the tail, though.

(We love the way each episode of Duck Dynasty ends.  The whole family gathers around the dinner table and Phil thanks the Lord for His many blessings and gives credit to Jesus for these gifts.  And the producers leave it in.  Incredible.  For Phil's testimony of his faith in Jesus, go here.)      

Hanukkah

We had a small Hanukkah celebration with our Pilgrim Feast on Thanksgiving Eve.  We knew the first full day of Hanukkah wasn't until Thanksgiving day this year (a once in a lifetime event), but we decided Thursday would be kind of a crazy day and adding any more activities to the schedule would make the day even crazier.

So before our Pilgrim Feast, we lit the Menorah and reminded the kids that Jesus is the Light of the World.  A rousing driedel game was played.  Chocolate coins served as the loot.  The chocolate probably fueled the "rousing" aspect of the game.  Our friends provided a couple dozen of the best donuts in town, which we consumed after dinner.  Nothing like sugary yeasty fried bits of dough to remind one of the oil which did not run out on that first Hanukkah.  What a great tradition!

Related Resources:  Walk with Y'Shua Through the Jewish Year.  This book has been a staple in our home for many years.  I absolutely love how the Jewish feasts engage all five senses.  The sights, sounds, tastes, smells and tactile experiences of the feasts really drive the point home and help us to remember the reason behind the feasts.  God is so smart, that's all I have to say.

 “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’  then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes.  And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers.  And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.  Deut. 6:20-24

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last night we shared our annual Pilgrim Feast with some friends.  We pretended we were on the Mayflower while Matt read portions of Of Plymouth Plantation by candlelight. While he read, we snacked on dried beef and hard tack (salami and soda crackers).  We then ate our usual chowder for dinner, except this year I didn't have any fish, so I added corn instead.

This morning we went to church.  It was so good to take a break from the hustle and bustle and praise God for His goodness.  Tonight, we'll have dinner with Matt's family, 35 in all.

I know for me, this year Thanksgiving is especially meaningful.  God has given me the oil of joy for mourning.  My cup runneth over, surely the lines for me have fallen in pleasant places.  Praise be His Holy Name!

4 out of 5

 

Overheard

Yesterday I took Joseph and Jude with me to run a couple of errands.  On the drive home, I heard Jude talking to Joseph.  In the most loving big brotherly voice he said, "Joseph, you're too little to go hunting.  That's right.  You're just a baby.  But some day, when you're big, like me--I'm 5 years old--you can stand up and shoot a gun."  It was so sweet to hear, even if it was a lie.  Jude is not yet big enough to shoot a gun either.

Mr. Adorable

Elizabeth took and edited this photo.

Reformation Party 2013

We hosted our tenth annual Reformation Party on Saturday, November 4th.  Thirteen adults and twenty three kids (including our family) packed into our house for an evening of food, fellowship, worship and games.  As usual, it was a scramble up until the last minute for our family to prepare for the evening, but with the Lord's help, we managed to pull it off.

Matt chose to focus on several creeds for this year's theme.  The First Creed, which was Peter's confession that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God," (Matt. 16:16) formed the foundation for our Reformation party.  The other creeds that were covered were:  The Apostles Creed, which emphasizes the indentity of the Church, The Nicene Creed, which emphasizes that Jesus was both fully God and fully man and The Athanasian Creed, which defines the Trinity.  We also learned about the confessions of several church denominations.

Matt created games to help the kids (and adults) learn about the different creeds and confessions.  He also planned our worship time.  Thank goodness the UPS store was available for very last minute copying and collating of the worship bulletin.  Grace worked tirelessly to craft all of the games and their parts and pieces.  The rest of our family worked to get the house and the food ready.  Grandma Dianne lent an extra set of hands to help us serve dinner.

 

Paul and Grandpa Bob made a big catapult in the days leading up to the party.  Paul procured some little watermelons from a neighbor's farm field (with his permission) and a few small pumpkins.  These served as ammunition for the catapult during the party.  The kids were supposed to think of a sin in their lives that needed to be launched before they pulled back the mechanism on the catapult.

One would think that after ten years, this whole Reformation party thing would be easy for our family to pull off, but each year, we find that we are stretched on many levels.  We have to rely heavily on the Lord every time, which is a very good thing.  He never lets us down.  He always provides in terms of creativity, time and the many little details that need to be attended to.  This year I awoke on Saturday morning with a "to do" list that was not possible to complete in a day, but it all got done.  The Lord is worthy of praise!

Related resources:  Family Celebrations at Thanksgiving and Alternatives to Halloween.  This book has little bios of early Church leaders and martyrs, each with a related hymn and Bible verses to read.  I read parts of this book to the kids every year.  It's been a great spring board for discussion for us.

A Night of Reformation--the resource that started it all.  We used this book for about the first five years of Reformation parties, but have since then Matt has created his own themes relating to Church history.

The Art of the Catapult--this book was a gift to Paul from Uncle Brian and Aunt Julie.  Paul and Grandpa used the plans in it to build the catapult.

Gettin' Married in the Mornin'

My little sister is getting married tomorrow morning.  The prayers of many years have been answered.  Truly, the Lord is "able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think" (Ephes. 3:20) and He "restores the years that the locusts have eaten." (Joel 2:25)

Happy Wedding Ems and Wade!  May your marriage bring glory to the God you serve.

Pumpkin Patch 2013

Down 2 cousins this year.  It's getting harder and harder to get everyone together at the same time, but we keep persisting--it's worth the effort.

Brothers

Yesterday Jude came running into the house.  He was crying and yelling, "Joel hit me!  Joel hit me!"

Joel was close behind.  He was crying, too.  "I did not!  He's lying!  He hit me !"

I asked, "Joel, did you hit Jude?"

"No!" he insisted.  "He's lying!  I kicked him, then I pushed him down!"

With just seventeen months between them, Joel and Jude are the best of friends and the worst of enemies.  Sometimes they flip flop between the two twenty times in one day. 

A House Full of Sailors

The day before yesterday,  Joel and Jude asked permission to float their Lego boats in my bath tub.  I granted them permission.  When I went into the bathroom about a half an hour later, I found Isaac all by himself.  He was standing in the bath tub, fully clothed, with the Veggie Tales Jonah Boat in his hands.

Even though the tub only had a couple of inches of water in it, Isaac was completely soaked, as was the toy boat.  The toy boat that was a gift from Grandma Dianne and has been a fixture in our house for nearly a decade.  The toy boat that has never even seen so much as a drop of water because it has been deemed by The Mama to be unseaworthy.  Wheels on the bottom of the vessel would indicate it is only meant to be on land.  Isaac is the Little Rajah, however.  In keeping with his position, he decided that the Jonah Boat should take her maiden voyage.  Of course he discovered that she is not seaworthy, but rajahs must discover these things for themselves and not just take their mother's word for it.



Yesterday, as the boat floating exploits continued, I went into my bathroom to discover this on the floor.

I threw up my hands in defeat.  I had been cleaning the house for hours, it was evening (my tired time), Matt and the big girls were gone and I was exhausted.


I took a picture and texted it to my sister and asked, "Is it normal to have rocks on your bathroom floor and in your bath tub?"


She texted back, "Well of course it's normal!  How else would you know that you're a princess?--duh."


I shot back, "Oh yeah. Right.  Forgot I'm a princess.  Something about Prince Charming being AWOL & all my servants, too."


Life with littles.  At least I can say it's never boring around here.

My little brother generously gifted his entire Lego collection to my kids a couple of years ago.  Stepping on little Lego pieces with my bare feet brings back old times, Jake :)      

Anniversary Presents

Matt surprised me with a beautiful picture for our anniversary.  I originally saw the print in Texas a year and a half ago.  I wanted to bring it home, but knew it wouldn't fit on the plane.  So my Matthew gave it to me to commemorate our twentieth anniversary.  Yeah, I know, God have me a good one.

I purchased a print depicting a personalized family tree in honor of our anniversary.  Who would have thought that we'd be married twenty years and have eight kids?  Matt and I certainly didn't imagine it on our wedding day.  But God does more than we can imagine. 

I saw the family tree print advertised on one of my coupon blogs.  It was on sale and I thought it was so cute, but I thought, "I'm sure this would never work for our family.  They probably don't do eight baby birds."   Lo and behold, the description of the print said that a maximum of eight baby birds was allowed.  Woo hoo!  I ordered the print and then purchased a matte and frame for it at Hobby Lobby (with a coupon, of course).  It hangs in our kitchen for all to see.  A tribute to God and His marvelous workings among men.

Anniversary Getaway

Matt and I were blessed to be able to leave town for a couple of days to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary.  We left Grace in charge of the kids, loaded the baby into the car and took off.  It was the first time we have left the kids overnight by themselves (except for when I gave birth to Joseph and then we were just across town).  I left half a dozen phone numbers of friends and family on the fridge, just in case.  Of course Matt and I also had our cell phones, though I worried we'd be too far away to do much good in the case of emergency.  Matt assured me it would all be o.k.

We decided on Hood River for our destination.  That decision came about when I found a Groupon deal on one of the coupon blogs I read for a price break on a hotel there.  We purchased the Groupon and made our reservations about a month before our anniversary.

When we arrived at the hotel (after a long drive, I might add), Matt went inside to the the front desk while I waited in the car with the baby. He showed the woman the Groupon and she said, "Sorry, this Groupon is actually for a different hotel.  You're not the first person to make the same mistake."  Matt got back into the car and explained the situation to me.  He said the deal was actually for a hotel in Government Camp, approximately sixty miles up the road.  Who would name a town that?  My two favorite words in all the English language.  And this was supposed to be a romantic getaway.

I fought back tears.  I was beyond exhausted, I didn't want to drive anymore and I was worried about the babies we'd left behind.  I really just wanted to bag the whole thing and go home, but I kept myself from saying so to Matt. We decided to make the best of it.  Matt said it would be "an adventure."  Yay. My third favorite word.

Before we left town, we crossed the river and ate at the Solstice Wood Fire Cafe (thanks for the recommend John & Cathy!).  I had roasted beets for an appetizer--delish.  We ordered the best pizza in Washington State, according to the Food Network.  It was just the sort of low key anniversary dinner I needed after a terribly long day.

We loaded back into the car and felt fortified to take on the hour long drive to the most aptly named town I've ever come across.  Once we arrived at Government Camp, we unloaded our things at the hotel and I fed Joseph.  We had hoped to purchase some Ben & Jerry's for our anniversary dessert ("surely there's plenty of places to get ice cream up there," Matt had said), but the only store in town was already closed for the night.  Like I said, aptly named.

The next morning, we ate the hotel breakfast and headed down the mountain to see some of the farm stands which comprise the Fruit Loop.  It was a beautiful, sunny day, which we were told is a rarity in those parts.   Mt. Hood was gorgeous.  While we drove, we listened to a couple of the lectures we missed from the homeschool conference we attended back in the spring.

Once we got to Hood River, we ate lunch and wandered around looking at all the shops.  Too expensive for our blood, but we enjoyed a leisurely time of looking, with no real schedule to follow.

That night, Matt insisted we go back up the mountain to eat at Timberline Lodge, which was built by the government and dedicated by FDR in 1937 (see history here).  I'm so glad Matt did insist on our eating there.  It was snowy and the views from the dining room were spectacular.  We both agreed it was the best meal we've eaten in many years.  Joseph was the best baby during dinner.  In fact, two different couples came up to us and commented on how good he was.  The dessert, a pumpkin creme brulee, was on the house, in honor of our anniversary.

 

So in the end, the Lord worked it all out.  What started out to be an incredibly disappointing trip, turned out to be an adventure, just like Matt said.  After all these years, we still enjoy each others company the most.  We had a lovely time.

When we arrived back home, the kids had the entire house picked up and Grace had made calzones for dinner.  The kids had set up a card table with a table cloth and flowers in our bedroom.  Our wedding album was on the table.  Lydia and Joel were dressed up, ready to serve us a romantic dinner.  We had caramel brownies that Liz had made for dessert.

An hour and a half after our arrival, my Uncle Keith called and invited all of us to his neck of the woods for the weekend.  So the kids and I woke up the next morning and got the van packed with sleeping bags, food and church clothes.  We were nearly ready by the time Matt came home from his Saturday morning meeting.  We were on the road by 10 a.m., which is pretty good considering that you can't move an air craft carrier on a dime.

As usual, Uncle Keith and Aunt Leanna spoiled us rotten.  We attended an outdoor country charity auction, where Uncle Keith treated our whole clan to lunch, we got to see the "goings on" at the farm and we had a nice time attending church on Sunday and the potluck meal afterward.

We got home late Sunday afternoon, ate a quick dinner and then headed out of town again to go to the monthly homeschool family worship.  It was held at the farm of one of the members.  We enjoyed a bonfire, a time of fellowship and prayer, snacks and a trip through the corn maze.

It took me a week to recover from all of that excitement and I still feel like I'm behind.  We had a great time, though.  Sometimes you gotta just throw the schedule out the window and do the Hokey Pokey.

Baby Cuteness

Elizabeth took and edited this photo of baby Joseph.  My friend Julie gave Joseph an adorable duckie outfit.  Elizabeth has always had an affinity for duckies and could hardly wait for Joseph to grow into the outfit.  When he did, she couldn't resist the photo opportunity. 

20 Years

Lydia Strikes Again

Another Lydia led science experiment.  She decided that proper eye protection was essential.  Better safe than sorry. One never knows what might happen when vinegar is poured over baking soda.

(Lydia used the Backyard Scientist book--found at a yard sale years ago--to conduct this experiment.)

And in other news . . . apparently there's a two and a half foot, blue eyed, blonde haired bandit on the loose. Lock your doors.  With a reward of one cent, I'm not sure he'll be apprehended anytime soon.

Paul is 12

Paul and I went on a lunch date on his birthday.  We went to Subway and split a $5 foot long.  Then Paul waited patiently in the car with Joseph while I ran a couple of in-and-out errands.  As we drove around town, I told Paul how much his Daddy and I love him, our first born son.  I also told him how thankful we are that the Lord gave him to us, especially when we came close to losing him at birth.

We ended our date in the sporting goods store.  Paul went straight to the knives.  I explained to the young man behind the counter that it was Paul's birthday.  He was extremely gracious with his time, spending over an hour with us as Paul handled about ten different knives (including a machete--"NO WAY!" said his mother) and eyed many more.  The man was very knowlegable about knives and even told Paul a couple of things he didn't know.

Paul finally narrowed down his knife selections to two favorites.  He agonized over which was his very favorite.  Daddy and I agreed we would pay for half of the knife and Paul would pay for the other half with money from his chicken egg fund.  When Paul made his decision, it was discovered that the knife he wanted was gone.  The box under the counter was empty and the knife was not in the display case.  Three other clerks came over to the knife counter to try to solve the mystery, to no avail.  We left empty handed, but Paul and I agreed that it would give him a bit more time to think about the purchase. 

Anyway, the missing knife turned out to be a blessing in disguise because when Daddy got home from work that night, he found the exact same knife on the internet for $20 cheaper, shipped.  Paul is now the proud owner of a Bench Made Griptilian, straight blade (not a combo blade), in black (not orange).  He also is the proud owner of a Winchester knife, courtesy of his Auntie Em.

Grandpa Tom and Grandma Jane joined us that evening to help celebrate Paul's big day.  We ate a ham dinner with Texas sheet cake for dessert, just as Paul requested.  Grandma and Grandpa gave him a combination lantern/flashlight which will be perfect for Paul's next camp out.

 

Now that Paul is twelve, his Daddy and I have reminded him that he is rapidly approaching manhood.  We've stressed to him the responsibilites that come with being a man, especially a godly man.  Paul takes his responsibilities seriously and recognizes the influence he has on his younger brothers, for good or for ill.  He's very patient with all of his younger siblings (most of the time) and is especially tender with baby Joseph.  We are very proud of the young man Paul is becoming and pray that he will some day be a mighty warrior for the Lord Jesus Christ.

A few resources which we have found to be helpful:  the book, Preparing Sons to Provide for a Single Income Family by Steven Maxwell, the audio CDs, Why Satan Wants Your Firstborn and What to Do About It and What to Expect of a Twelve Year Old by S.M. Davis.      

Grace is 18

Who can believe that this little girl . . .

has turned into this young woman?

 

Her parents sure can't.  It seems like only yesterday that Grace was running around the back yard in nothing but her pink rubber boots.

Daddy and I had big plans on Grace's birthday to take our girl and the rest of the family on a picnic at a park to which we haven't been in years.  However, the weather didn't cooperate with those plans.  When we saw the storm clouds gathering, we quickly decided on an alternate arrangement.  I finished preparing the food while Matt and Paul got the play house ready for a (very) intimate dinner for ten.  The guys even put table cloths, candles and fresh flowers on the tables.  We all were able to squeeeeeze into the play house moments before the thunder started.

As the storm raged outside, we enjoyed our picnic sandwich, grapes and Bible time with Daddy.  The kids were thrilled (with the exception of Jude, who is scared to death of thunder).

We dodged raindrops to get back into the house after dinner.  Grace is practicing making wedding cakes (she'd like to make a wedding cake for her aunt), so she made one for herself for her birthday.  Grandpa Bob and Grandma Dianne joined us for cake and presents.  Paul gave Grace a nice knife--surprise, surprise.  Grace does like it.  She keeps it in her skirt pocket so that it's always handy.
Grace has many interests including music, gardening, knitting, sewing, baking, photography and theology.  She's the official photographer of this blog, as well as the official picture uploader and all around help-Mom-with-anything-technical person.

Grace is also a loving big sister.  She's got a sizeable job being the oldest in such a large family, but she does it with patience and grace.  Her Daddy and I marvel at the young woman the Lord has produced in spite of us.

Jude is 5

Jude turned five at the end of August.  He got to celebrate his birthday numerous times with lots of different people.  One of those times, his godmother, Peggy, hosted our family for a swimming party.  Jude requested hot dogs for his birthday dinner, so he got one.  Jude's godfather, Floyd, was kind enough to grill hamburgers for the rest of us.  Jude received two foam disc shooting guns from Floyd and Peggy because they know a gun fight is no fun with just one person.

Peggy also earned the "Best Godmother of the Year" award when she delivered a McDonald's gift card to Jude on his actual birthday.  He was thrilled to be able to take all of his brothers and sisters out for lunch.  Happy Meals complete with Smurfs were enjoyed by all--a rare treat!

Happenings

In addition to doing a lot of this. . .

 

 

 We've been doing a lot of this. . .

And this. . .

 

We also went to the county fair to see the pictures Grace entered in the photography department.  She got two blue ribbons and a red.  The series of pictures she took of Joseph received one of those blue ribbons.  We also saw the animals (the boys liked the "reptiles" the best), picked up a bunch of swag (much to Daddy's dismay) and ate elephant ears (big pieces of fried and cinnamon-sugared dough--we divided 2 amongst the 9 of us).  Daddy also bought each of the kids 2 carnival rides (much to Mommy's dismay--so spendy).  Time got away from us and even though we left fairly early in the morning and had packed a snack and eaten elephant ears, when the clock struck one, Paul asked, "Are we going to eat lunch here?"

I said, "No way.  Our pocket book is already bleeding. We're going home to eat lunch."

"Well, when are we going home then?" Paul asked (with only a bit of desperation in his voice).

"When people start going crazy," Matt replied.

We left soon after that, but when we finally trekked all to way back to the van and loaded all eight kids, folks were getting a little testy.  Someone, who shall remain nameless, but clearly was not kidding about being hungry, bit someone else's head off about an inconsequential matter.  Then Daddy said, "Well, we're starting to go crazy, so I'll guess we'll go home."

We've taken some nice evening walks together as a family.  God has given us some glorious sunsets for our viewing pleasure during these walks .  The boys even spotted a small snake as it slithered into the rocks for the night.  Joel touched it--eww!  Boys!

We celebrated Rosh Hoshanna.  Grace baked the traditional sweet challah bread, shaped in a circular loaf to symbolize the wish for a well rounded, peaceful new year.  The bread spirals up toward Heaven, just as our prayers do. Matt and I took the kids to throw bread crumbs into the water after dinner.  We reminded them that the crumbs represent our sins and that in Christ, God washes our sins away. (If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse up from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9)

 In addition to all of these things, we celebrated two birthdays, spread a cold amongst every single person in our family and started our school year with all its accompanying craziness.  Getting back into the Fall schedule with all of the extra activities and obligations is always difficult for me, but especially this year when I'm not yet running at full speed after having Joseph.  I feel like the train is at the station, the conductor is yelling, "All aboard!" but I'm still at home and I haven't even started packing yet.  Yet the train is leaving whether or not I'm ready, so I'll just have to roll with it.