Thanksgiving Weenie Roast {Part 2}

I love this picture that Madisyn caught of Lynden and Ellison. They look like they are sharing a secret.

Mom and Robin did a great job organizing everything.

Justin decided that hot dogs weren't cutting it and confiscated Dad's brats. I think they learned that brats don't cook very well over a campfire. Some slightly raw sausage may have been consumed.

The boys had a great time cooking marshmallows. However, I'm pretty sure that more hit the ground or flames than were actually eaten.

This is an example of Mary Claire and Izzy's "direction" of Liberty and Isaac. I heard lots of "sit here", "No, sit down", "You want to stay right there". LOL What would younger kiddos do without older siblings to direct their ways?!?



I added this picture in to show the other side of Mary Claire. That girl has a sassy side. I get this look at least thrice daily. LOL

Thanksgiving Weenie Roast {Part 1}

This year we decided to do something a little different for Thanksgiving with my side of the family.

A few of the kids were sick a few weeks ago so we didn't get together for Ty or Mom's birthday so we started the evening with birthday gifts.

Mammie had lots of help getting her gifts open. It's just one of the services that grandchildren can provide.

After the gifts, we began the main event. . .  The Weenie Roast!

Yes, we had a weenie roast instead of a traditional Thanksgiving. Chalk up to one very pregnant woman, a upcoming vacation for the grandparents and a very busy family.

Mom and Robin made some chili to compliment the hot dogs and Robin set out an awesome S'mores bar.

The kids had a great time playing. Izzy and Mary Claire played together the whole night. Mary Claire is finally old enough to not be a "baby" and interact a little more and the two of them had a blast. The seemed to bond over the fact that they were both excellent at telling their little brother/sister what to do!

One of Ellison's favorite spots seemed to be snuggling with Mammie.

Christmas at Home

We started a family tradition of staying home on Christmas Day a few years ago. It allows us to enjoy a low stress day of no traveling with our little family.

Our children are sleepers. They aren't the type to wake at 5 am. Though Griffin frequently says he got up at the crack of dawn {8:00 am to him}.

After everyone gets up, we open gifts.

This year Mary Claire needed a little help opening hers. ;-)

After gifts, we made sugar cookies.

I cheated and bought pre-made dough. I don't think the kids cared. It's all about the decorating.

I'm pretty sure the bar got more sprinkles than the cookies. I'm afraid I may have created a few monsters as the kids have been asking to make more.

Christmas Pictures

***I'm almost caught up. ;-) Just a few more blasts from the past that I want to document and I should be back to regular blogging. Don't give up on me just yet. :-) ***

With Christmas quickly approaching and my endurance level quickly decreasing we decided to go ahead take pictures for our Christmas cards.

We took several pictures and finally chose this as our Christmas card. I addressed our cards and put them in the mail, only to be surprised by Mary Claire's arrival the day most people got the card in the mail! :-) It just so happened that was our last picture as a family of "only" 7.

We also managed to get individual shots of the kids.

I can't believe how much they've all grown and changed over the last year.

After Mary Claire arrived we got dressed up again and took some more pictures.

Our first picture as a family of 8.

Thanksgiving

This year we had 3 Thanksgivings. First we headed to Mom and Dad's. We had a great time eating with cousins . . .

and Aunts and Uncles.

Afterwards we headed to Searcy and checked out the Christmas lights.

When Thanksgiving day actually rolled around the only cooking I did was keeping Mary Claire in the oven. ;-) We had a very relaxing day of watching movies and snacking.

Thanksgiving number 3 included friends that are like family. Madisyn and Clara Beth posed in their matching turkey dresses. She's very excited to have a little sister to dress alike now.

Henry was thinking he could get used to eating homemade Mac and Cheese and ham on a weekly basis.

Giddy Up!

Nothing like a good book to end the evening.

Father's Day, a day for the birds

*Pictures of the creating process are on another camera. I hope to add them later.*

My parents have an awesome yard. Flowers and trees are everywhere. I was trying to come up with something to give Granddad for Father's Day. Madisyn and Ty made birdhouses in 4-H earlier this year and it seemed perfect.



Close your eyes {and trust us not to whack you on the head :) } !

Each one of our five kiddos painted a birdhouse. Henry had the most help ;) but they all hammered on their on house.

Kent helped with the entire process {Mommy is a little afraid of the saw!} and spray painted a base coat in each child's color choice.

Griffin had John Deere Construction base with a red door, a mailbox {painted on} and some flowers (?).

Madisyn wanted red. She then added stripes. I think polka dots were also part of the plan but we had painting problems so she didn't get to a step 3.

Ty's was Cat yellow {which was strangely similar to John Deere Construction yellow}. He painted a John Deere dozer on the side because Granddad needs a dozer.

Henry's was Ford blue with hand print flowers and a sun. He didn't like the yellow paint for some reason.

Ben was feeling camera shy. His house was also based in John Deere construction yellow {can you guess where we did the building? HA!} but he mixed multiple colors for a custom creation on the sides {you can almost see his in the third picture}.

I think it would be fun to repeat this process in a few years to see how their building and painting skills improve.

Dying hands. . . . .

and the counter, and shirts, and arms, and . . . eggs. :) The Saturday evening before Easter each year we let the kids dye eggs. This year we upped the number to 18. The next day we hide them and have a good time. We don't really see dying and hunting eggs as having anything to do with the real meaning of Easter just like we don't see what a Christmas tree has to do with the birth of Jesus. It's just a seasonal thing we do.

For us, Easter is a time of remembrance. We remember the sacrifice Jesus made not only in his death but in leaving heaven for us. The birth and life of Jesus are worthy of celebration but without the resurrection they mean nothing.

We typically have a low key observance of "religious" holidays. We don't do "Happy Birthday, Jesus" parties, no "resurrection" eggs or empty tomb cookies.

.About a week before Easter, Ty carried a tray in a restaurant for an elderly woman. He put her tray down on her table and apparently she asked him a few questions. I was getting drinks for our family and she came up to me.

She had a very concerned look on her face. She said, "I asked him if he was going to have a good Easter and he said, 'We don't celebrate Easter".

I quickly explained that we don't 'do' the Easter Bunny. We attend church weekly so attending church is a given. We talk about Jesus daily so he didn't see anything 'celebratory'. She seemed very relieved and complimented me on his manners and behaviour.

The whole conversation got me to thinking. I'm thankful that Ty didn't think we 'celebrated' Easter. To him the truths in the Bible are a day in, day out thing. Nothing out of the ordinary.

He knows that Jesus is special, he knows that the Bible isn't just another book but he doesn't see why our actions and thoughts should be any different on Easter than they were the week before.

Easter Sunday we had several "extra" people at church. Ty commented on how many people were there and that he wished they would come every week. I can honestly say, he isn't concerned about numbers. He's truly concern for the kids his age especially, that don't attend church.


I admitted that I was concerned as well. Obviously, the adults know that Jesus died and rose again or they wouldn't have bothered coming on a "special" day. It does make you wonder how someone can understand such a fundamental part and not feel the need to attend church on a regular basis. I am so thankful that my seven year old son 'gets' so much. He is a very insightful and thoughtful young man.