A Portrait of Allison...

My dear Allison is now 16 years old! I can't believe how fast this has come. She's a wonderful young woman now and I can't wait to see what God has planned for her life.

Here's some photos from her party...

Here's her flaming icecream pie. She asked for a Butterfinger Crisp, peanutbutter icecream, oreo crust with oreos on top, with magic shell for her "cake". Next time, I'll make it twice as large.lol

Here's everyone singing...

Make a wish...


Allison had such a great time! I can't believe my little girl is all grown up. Now what am I going to do?!

Blessings,

Our Easter...

Started with church. We had a wonderful service and our church had it's own Easter egg hunt. Afterwards, we came home and had a nice Easter lunch with my parents, their friend Joyce, my MIL, and three of Allison's bestfriends. It was a FULL house! After lunch we held our own egg hunt for the littles...

Evie piling in those eggs...

The two littles enjoying the race...


Then we loaded up the backyard for the older kids. My Dad said that they'd have fun.LOL I didn't believe it until I saw it. I think they had more fun than the littles! They were running around and we've found they aren't very observant at this age. :snort: It took them a while to find everything and really, I'm still finding things outside even now.

My parents watching the older kids find the eggs...


They even ended up partnering up just to find things...lol



After the hunt we moved on to Allison's birthday party. I'll post that next...

Blessings,

Project 365: Easter Prep...

Note to self: Don't buy organic BROWN eggs to dye for Easter. It doesn't work well. :snort:





Blessings,

Project 365: Sick Baby...

Our little one has been fighting a cold and hasn't been easy to keep happy. Jon took his turn and this is what I saw...




Well, SHE'S happy.LOL We're praying that she's feeling better soon.

Blessings,

My Daily Ramblings...

I think this little one makes it too easy to get a good photo.LOL Makes me take far too many of her.



Here is a spiffy new dress I picked up for Genevieve at the new Wally world that opened this past weekend. It's just so summerific!



We all got the suds this past weekend. Bummer.lol I took everyone to my favorite Dr. and got prescriptions for 3 out of 4 of us but never got a chance to fill them. I ended up with the nasty vomit bug less than an hour after I got home from the Dr's. YUCK. Well, no one died without the meds, so I may hold off on them until I feel well enough to actually go somewhere. Maybe they'll all be well by then and I won't need to get them.LOL

Our nighttime study of world history and the Old Testament is going well. We've been doing it together as a family and I'm very glad. Our first book to read aloud was Mere Christianity by C.S.Lewis and it contained things that I never imagined and was glad that I could skip certain chapters without having the kids read them. Good book, just read first and perhaps read aloud and skip what you feel is inappropriate for your kids to be learning about. Next up is The Cat of Bubastes by Hente. I've heard he's a tough read but I'm prepared.LOL I am really enjoying reading aloud again to the older kids! Years of Sonlight gave me a true love for reading with my kids. I've been reading to the littles but they just don't have the attention span of this first bunch.lol I find myself reading aloud to no one at times. I know that someone handed me a book but that someone long wandered off.lol

So other than being sick as dogs, we've been keeping pretty busy. Jon's gotten big into Scouts. Camping, camping and even more camping.lol The littles and I have spent far too much time and money at A Day of Play or at the park. Allison has been knee deep into her next semester of school work. Evie is a natural at her gymnastics, just loves her coach and the sport. Jon finished up his engineering course and is looking forward the next course. Sophia is running, climbing, and getting into a million times worth of trouble than the first 4 kids. She still has only 5 teeth. Sure would be nice if she'd get on with getting the rest. She loves to EAT and I can't make soup everyday or the other family members will revolt.lol As a growing young lady of 26 pounds!!! It'd be nice if we could reduce the nursing and increase the real food. I'm worn out.lol

Guess that's it for now. I'm recovering but still weak and praying that no one else gets this. That'd be BAD.LOL

Blessings,

Project 365: Child containment units...

Er, I mean, laundry baskets.



The perfect way to keep little ones busy whilst you are in the bathroom with the vomiting virus. Trust me, I know.

Blessings,

Project 365: A tisket a tasket...

This is yet another example of me thinking I'm being soooo smart and the little ones showing me up.LOL See, I put the trash can in the laundry room and then stuck those two baskets in front of it so that Sophia would quit dumpster diving. Well, as you can see, that didn't stop her at all. Little stinker!

Blessings,

Project 365: Happy guy...

Project 365: Punk boy...

Blessings,

Decorating Through the Year 2008

Well, I'm late.lol After one late night and long day, it is complete!

Here's the before pictures...

Remember the baby poop color?


Here's the fridge-stove section, still with builder's grade paint...




We prepped the kitchen for painting during the afternoon while Sophia napped and Eric had the littles at A Day of Play. I spackled and taped, then sanded and swept. Then I joined Eric with Sophia. They played and played.lol We took them home, fed them a hearty dinner of Bacon-Lentil soup and sent them off to bed without so much as a peep from them.lol

Then we set to the task. Here's a photo of all the busy bees working late at night...


We put Allison on the extra tall ladder that my MIL provided the funds for. This is such a BIG blessing since we're planning to paint the whole house over the next year or so! Allison isn't afraid of heights and did great up there...


Here's Jon's section.lolol He called it "His Practice Area." We've finally found something that isn't his speciality.:snort: It was so funny. He'd paint and Allison and I would go over it. Finally, he was moved to behind the fridge. At one point he said, "Great, I can't even grow up to be a laborer. I'll have to be an assistant laborer."LOLOL


Here it is! The finished paint job! I LOVE this color! I had my whole house painted this in Miami.LOL Inside and OUT.LOL I'm not going to go that far this time. I have a couple of frames from Christmas and I'm going to put some photos of those orangey flowers that Isaac was squishing and hang them on that corner area by the orangey light. Should be pretty and free.lol


Here's the new fridge-stove section. Very nice...We're going to paint that upper section above the cabinets the great room color since it's all connected.



Now that we've painted, I have to admit that the rest of the house looks pretty yucky.LOL The builder's grade paint just isn't made to last with 5 kids touching it all the time.lol

Also, I didn't get too much clutter cleared out. I've found that no matter how much I clean, there are THOSE in the house, who come behind me and undo it. I'm tired and will call this area DONE!

Blessings,

Project 365: A guy and his sister...

He calls her his "Baby Pack".lol



Blessings,

The Sophia Chronicles...

You know I'm cute.



Blessings,

Project 365: I will squish you little flower....

(whaahaahaa)

Blessings,

Project 365: A new dress...

Blessings,

Project 365: Preschool rotation...

We start them early around here.lol


Blessings,

Our Sunday...

Was spent finishing off Apologia Biology with the dissections. Whoo-hoo! We're FINALLY done!

Here's Allison with the worm...


Here's Jon giving it a go...


This is what happens when you have little ones who can't be left out of anything...I had the older kids in the garage for many different reasons and the littles snuck out with their Dad and were found in many photos. Does this mean they get highschool credit too?lol

Evie was hilarious. Allison would say, "This is a girl fish." and Evie would say, "Where?" and Allison would say, "Right here. This fish is a girl fish." and Evie would say, "Where?" and Allison would say, "This dead fish that I'm cutting open, is a girl fish!" and Evie said, "Where's the boy fish?"lolol


There's Isaac getting a better view...


Jon, quit eating the specimen!


Jon, quit making friends with the specimen!



Well, the kids had fun. By the end, both kids dissected two specimens each and the littles got quite an education.lol Pretty good day all in all.

Blessings,