Getting Ready to Party!

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Abbie

The morning before the party, I woke up and asked the kids if they wanted to make a pinata. Why not?!? It’s not like we had anything else to do. Mark just laughed at me and so, the challenge was on to occupy their time and prepare for a party complete with a homemade pinata.

I’ve made one before with my mom, so Mark and I thought for sure the kids would enjoy it. Zoe and Josiah did. Ace and Liam weren’t thrilled about getting their hands dirty. Mark and I had a blast. This was his first pinata making experience. It was ready to decorate the next day. I decided that since Ace chose a dinosaur birthday cake, we’d make a volcano pinata.


Saturday morning…trying to get it decorated before the party that afternoon.


While I painted, Ace and Liam got the party favors ready.

Ta Da!!! It turned out pretty good. Although I did have to tell some people what it was supposed to be! It really didn’t matter what it looked like…the kids just wanted to know what was inside and grab for it!

Surprise Visits

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Abbie

While waiting on Bryant, my best friend planned to come visit. We were thrilled and prayed and prayed Bryant would come while she was here. Alas, God said no to those plans. But, while they were here, we had a wonderful visit. My kids didn’t know they were driving nine hours just to visit us. So, it was exciting to see their reaction when they pulled up. The kids were pretty pumped and even though they hadn’t physically been in contact with each other (only visually…through Skype) they all picked up right where they left off! Running and screaming and singing, “There are no cats in America” only a few minutes in to the visit.

Our husbands both speak computer…and so…this is what we found the first night we were all visiting. Mr. John came up a day ahead because he had to work at the local fort this week.

This is what you do with nine kids when it’s bedtime. Actually this is only six of them. The crib kids (or ones who need to be contained during the night…except one of them who was still awake), got to sleep in pack n’ plays and various ensembles throughout the visit. Now, here’s the ages of our kids…7, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1. Yep…just imagine the decibel levels which led to this the following day:

We loaded them up as soon as a jumping place opened and threw them in.

The one year olds were super tired and just wanted to go to sleep but we convinced them to drive for a little while.

We’ve taught our seven year olds well, I think! These girls will talk on the phone for over an hour…every day if we would let them.

Kristina tried to line up the kids who were only semi-tired to get a quick picture. Jack, the six year old was right behind Ace…I promise he was there.

Believe it or not, the next day was even more busy. Since I was a day past due, we decided to see if we could get Bryant here by tie dying nine shirts and then heading for the pool. I did not get pictures because we were all pretty busy. Guess what?!? Bryant still didn’t come!!!

You can see most of the t-shirts here. Eight out of nine kids looking close to the camera (even though the humidity wreaked havoc on my camera)…not too bad!

James’s favorite saying, “Bye bye, see you soon.” He was waving bye to us as they were getting ready to hit the road. I was so grateful for the distraction and busyness of having someone in the house while we waited on Bryant. Plus, Kristina was a big help too. I actually got to sleep in one day till 7 even with Ceili Rain in our room. The noise level was amazing but so much fun to know they weren’t fighting but enjoying each other.

Meeting the Newest Character

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Abbie

The kids were so excited to come and meet Bryant. Normally, we would have them up at the hospital in the morning, they would hang out there all day playing in the waiting room or at the playground (which is a great playground by the way) and then go eat lunch and if I was close (which I’m usually not) they would hang out some more and if I wasn’t (which is the case) they would head for naps and be back up long before I delivered. But, since Zoe decided to, um “spill the beans” earlier that morning, we decided to have them wait at home and see if she let loose any more stomach contents. Which she didn’t…which leads us to believe she just ate a little too much or had a little something that didn’t agree with her tummy the previous night. So, we intended to call them when I got really close. But close came right before naptime and baby came right near naptime.

As Mark put it to Zoe, “you guys wouldn’t have even had time to get your shoes on and he was born.”

So, we opted to just have them come up right after naps. It worked out great because they arrived right as we were getting settled in our post delivery room.

Zoe was very patient about waiting for her turn to hold Bryant. But she definitely wanted to get her hands on him. She is really enjoying showing him off when we have visitors at the house too!

Not quite sure about his hair!

Ace is still laying claims to the ultimate baby lover title. He just loves holding babies!

Liam enjoyed meeting him but had to know how he came out of my tummy…yet again. This is an ongoing conversation between us. Now, just how do you tell a 4 year old something that is very personal and that he has the potential to repeat without lying to him. I think I did it right but he just giggled and laughed when I told him. So far, he hasn’t repeated it to anyone (keep your fingers crossed people…for the sake of my blushing skin).

It took Josiah a second to realize that Bryant wasn’t still in my tummy. The next day, he crawled up beside Ace (who had to have first dibs) and kept whispering, “Hewwo Bwyant!” All the while patting his head.

Ceili Rain decided he was all hers. We think her main thought was that he was a doll. Bryant had been very alert and finally settled into a good sleep when we got to our room. So, he was still and had his eyes closed. A sure sign to a 16 month old that mommy had been gone all day to get her a baby doll.

She also didn’t want to share him with anyone else and squeezed him tight when we tried to tell her she was all done. The next day, when he did stir she looked around at us. I’m surprised she didn’t flip him over to find the batteries.

We make up “labor bags” for the kids to keep them occupied on labor day. This year, we included card games much to their delight.

Papa had the job of teaching them how to play the games though!

Rainy Day Fun

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Abbie

Last month brought sweltering heat and the occasional afternoon thunderstorm or just plain rain shower. And when it was just a rain shower, this is what happened with our bunch:

and

Then Mark made his famous “Trail of Towels” and we showered the kids off and sent them to bed!

Slidin’ Fun

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Abbie

We love slip n’ slides! Last year, the kids got a dual slider from Ge & Granddaddy and that was a blast with the cousins and throughout the summer. However, while playing with some friends, it developed a hole. Mark’s in the process of patching it but one hot June day (and believe me we’ve had quite a few), we needed to get the kids wet. A cheap slip n’ slide was purchased and here’s the result…

It’s so much more fun when daddy flings you across the slide!

or using buckets to fill up and throw water on each other.

Ceili Rain has turned into a most loved water tot. Finally! She spent the first year pretty scared of getting wet but she loves sprinklers and getting soaked.

Look closely and you’ll see that Ceili Rain also loves sitting in mud! (and I promise that is mud)

How Does Your Garden Grow…Results

Posted on July 1, 2010 by Abbie

What we have here is our first tomato! Which Zoe promptly washed and ate. Raw. This kid will eat tomatoes like candy. She loves them. And these tomatoes are Sweet 100’s (I think) and they are definitely sweet. After this one we have been getting a ton of little red tomatoes and now the big red ones are coming in.

Sadly, our squash only produced about three or four pieces before Mark accidentally broke off a large stalk and then the 100 plus temperatures took the rest of it.

However, Mark has planted a sweet banana pepper, two potatoes from our Science “experiment,” and an herb plant for me. And, honestly, I have not been out to check how they’re doing. It’s hot people! And I’m well past noticeably pregnant! For now, the gardening is being left to Zoe and Mark. I think they’re doing a fine job by the evidence of what is coming in every few days.

And a trip to Ge & Granddaddy’s…

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Abbie

We planned and attended a trip at the end of May to Ge & Granddaddy’s house. This was supposed to be out last big trip out of town…but Ge had other plans for a visit. During our visit we went to a craft show where Granddaddy sells pens that he makes using a lathe (I call it a ladle because it drives him insane when I do that).

Zoe helped…

Ceili Rain showed off her walking skills.

It was a nice open area so the kids were able to run (and sit) freely with out us worrying if they were in someone’s way or about to be run over by a car.

We also celebrated Granddaddy and Aunt D’s (his sister) retirement.

Liam enjoyed the cakes…I made it using cake mix because my “from scratch” batch fell to pieces (which I’ve promptly salvaged and shaped into a dinosaur for Ace’s birthday…first time ever making a 3D cake).

He also rocked out with the shades.

Zoe and cousin J made a sheet of paper and walked around having everyone sign it. It was really sweet. Zoe took the time to present it to him. I was excited to see her walking up to complete strangers and asking them to sign it. She’ll do anything for her grands!

I was excited that we were able to finally give him this book. It’s full of letters from various football players, coaches, and friends. We started working on this about three years ago when he announced he was retiring. And then didn’t. It’s been an on again off again project…but now it’s done.

These are two coaches dad has coached with the longest. They aren’t just coaches, they’re very good friends and have been through a lot together.

And they all love to talk…especially Coach H!

Laughing is always necessary!!!

I’ve grown up with these men and women around me and I love seeing their smiling faces.

We also attended another craft show (on Memorial day)…

They had a kids’ area and tow of the kids chose to ride ponies…Josiah…and

Liam.

Ceili Rain chose to watch.

Zoe and Ace chose to do this wheel thingy where they were strapped in facing each other and the lady spun them around (she could have spun them 360 degrees…but they freaked out). I wish I could have gotten pictures of their faces…it was hilarious…but our battery died.

And there, soon after, was the Great Van Incident (click here and here if you missed out on that little gem)….nothing like almost losing a wheel to end a fun filled adventurous weekend.

Roasting…

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Abbie

Actually, right now, it does feel quite like we’re roasting as we are hitting a scorching heat wave…and I’m pregnant. Suddenly, having this baby the sooner the better sounds nice (really and truly though I’m content to wait it out…I’ll sweat off whatever weight I gain I guess!).

However, back in May we did some real roasting. Whenever we gather at Papa’s house it’s become a tradition to set up a fire and roast marshmallows…no matter how hot or how cold it is outside. Our trip up in May was no exception. And here’s our proof that it was enjoyed by all.

Papa whittling sticks to use to roast.

Liam was ready (so sorry but all of these side shots are not swapped around. You know the drill).

Doing the deed…now, to me a proper roasted marshmallow means it’s on fire when you pull it out and 3/4 of the way burned…however, Papa has a technique that he’s passing down to his grands…and it requires patience and time and you get a perfectly roasted marshmallow. I still prefer a little charcoal on mine though.

Finger lickin’ good. Note the train in hand…always gotta have your train.

Observing the festivities.

How Does Your Garden Grow…

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Abbie

Like we don’t have enough to do…I finally decided this year was the year we would start learning to garden. However, we decided not to go it alone. While Mark and I ventured out on our Babymoon, we enlisted the help of a very generous Papa.

But, before we left, there was some hard labor to do…

and Mark was recruited for the job. Now, our goal was not to create this elaborate garden. Just a small garden that we can “cut our teeth on.”

Ace was a big help and enjoyed working with Papa and Daddy.

Actually, all the kids got in to it. Here they are digging into an impromptu compost pile and getting some good soil!

Papa not only showed them how to get the garden started but also taught them about life using object lessons from the garden.

This is built outside of our very small back yard, so we wanted a fence around it to keep neighbor cats and critters out of.

The kids have been very diligent in their watch care over the garden. When weeds just started peeping out, I was ~~ordered~~ told that we needed to weed. Out we went, and Zoe and Ace went to work. No bending from me was needed.

And their hard work is paying off. This isn’t a recent picture of the garden but one from two to three weeks ago. As of now, we have about 20 squash buds and two to three already forming squash. The tomato plants (we have about three) are yielding about 10 little green tomatoes. The kids are super excited to see the plants grow each day we go out to water. This has been a great starter. I’ve still got to run to the hardware store and pick up a few herb plants to add to it. Stay tuned to see how our garden grows!

By the way, if you know anything about me, you know that I am not a gardener! This is a big accomplishment for me and I’m hoping to continue on in our efforts.

Sharing…

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Abbie

This is Mark with his grandmom. We call her Mama Maude and she’s pretty special to both Mark and I. Special, not only because she’s the only living grandmom we both have. But special to me because while in college, I worked in her town as youth/children director. I got to see and spend a lot of time with and near her.

She’s a remarkable woman too. After her husband passed away, when her children were young, she worked as a hair dresser and was able to raise up two wonderful children. And because of her hard work…Mark is here now!

Mama Maude’s had a tough year this year. We’ve enjoyed seeing her and she enjoys, I think, all the little ones that run around. We cherish each visit we get with her. It’s not only a chance for us to love on her but also a chance for our children to meet someone truly special…who has lived an amazing life.

When Mark and I were engaged, we narrowed our wedding date down to two days. One in May and then one in December. When Mama Maude asked us about the date, we mentioned the two dates. She smiled, nostalgia like, and said, “Oh May 20th is my anniversary.” That was it. Our date was set! Not only was that her anniversary but our date would have been her 50th Anniversary (if my memory serves me correctly).

I’m so grateful that we are able to share our anniversary with two special people in Mark’s life. We are reminded of the commitment we have made and the commitment that was made so many years ago to serve God and each other.