Conglomerate Catch-up

To start off....Faith can read! Well, pretty close, she is good at just sitting down and reading to herself from the books she knows, and the best part is she understands it all. Somehow yesterday at lunch we got talking about fires and what to do if our house is on fire and Faith, from her lovely "No Dragons for Tea" knew not to go back in the house for anyone or anything but to get out. She has also learned that strangers can be dangerous, thanks to this dragon book.
Danny, well, he is cute as ever. Drinking constantly which ought to give us plenty of opportunity to work on potty training....it is coming along. He also has fallen in love with 'comfy' shorts (pictured here) or pants and will search through his drawer for them and is sad if I haven't washed them. He also loves his 'running shoes' (also pictured above) because they make him run so super fast. Mostly it is a lot of arms and huffing and puffing with his fluffly hair blowing in the wind a bit.
We had visits from cousins and the kids couldn't leave her alone for a second, even to bath. All the kids have been rather particular about their sleepwear lately, putting on only their christmas jammies. It wasn't until this past week when I got a pair of christmas jammies for myself made of the micro-fleece that I understood why. I have had to keep myself from wearing the same pajamas every night too.
Saturday Nov 20 was the last preformance of "The Little Mermaid" which I have been in for nearly 5 months. I will miss the Sea Witch, she was a lot of fun. Josh was off work and brought all the kids. Danny and Faith were super excited to see the show again and Vivy has been asking to see the Sea Witch again. We shall see what comes next for my theatre life I sure have enjoyed working with the Hale Center Theatre. Josh and I went there for our date night again and watched another hilarious comedy - always good entertainment and equal the price of a movie ticket anymore.
Yes that is me in the orange dress right in front of the giant dog.


And Thanksgiving. We had our celebration on Sunday, a bit early, in order to enjoy all the blessings of family we possibly could. We had Annmarie and MJ still with us and Marshall and family could join us after church. The food was fantastic!!! Not to toot soley my own horn, but all the food was fantastic. Josh borrowed a slow cooker from the neighbors that cooked the turkey so tender and juicy....I actually really enjoyed eating it this year! We did make the observation that to make a thanksgiving dinner delicious you have to add ample amounts of butter to everything. Marsh added a stick and a half to his potatoes and it was glorious!

This year I was markedly better at making pies. The addition of lard in the crust really worked and I think I was a bit more patient with the whole process. I was most proud of the apple pie with the lattice crust. It was so pretty no one ate it! Of course I did have Mom's famous French apple pie right next to it which is the big hitter. The best part is just having family around to share it all with. Our list of gratitude has grown even longer this year as the Lord has blessed us so very very very very much. My happiest find in searching for Thanksgiving decorations this year was a plaque that says "There is always, always, always, something to be thankful for." It will be a permanent addition to our home.

Halloween 2010

A dwarf at his miniature picnic table.
One of many snow white's - yet the only one accompanied by a dwarf and old hag with poisoned apples. We did spray her hair black, which was an adventure, but sure fun to see her as a brunette!
For the Trunk-or-Treat we made the back of the van into the cottage window of the dwarf's and then had the kiddos handing out apples from inside the window while I worked the exterior convincing many a kid that my apples were poisoned. Sadly I had no one during daylight hours to take a picture of my mug, which was super convincing.
Danny later got this sucker stuck in his beard.

Tubs loves

Josh brilliantly put in a 'seeder' golf ball in the nesting boxes, and Tubs the hen matched it! Now we have one producing hen.....if only the rest would get on board. It is so fun to watch Tubs tuck the golf ball under her as she nests down and then listen to her 'delivery' as she clucks away making a nice egg for us.

Too cute not to mention

we had our saturday afternoon naps. when i left the gerbil mound Danny had been cuuddling at my shoulders and Faith sleeping on my legs, obviously far apart. when I came back in the room after cleaning house and vacuuming, I foudn them cuddled thus together. oh how lovely.

What did the Samaritan do once he got the guy to the inn?

We started the early afternoon playing in the park. Which, once the sprinklers came on, turned into playing in the sprinklers. Our plan was to enjoy the day (and avoid doing housework). On our way home for naps, we saw an injured ward member on the side of the road. We picked her up and took her to the hospital. The kids napped nicely in the car while she got admitted in the ER and they started the xrays. By the time the kids woke up she was waiting for them to splint her hand which had broke in 4 places. With still more time on our hands, we had a picnic and singing party in the back of the van. Then we went in and played in the ER waiting room a bit, and our injured was wrapped and we came home.

During the whole ordeal the kids did ask me why we were taking care of this lady. I responded "it is what Jesus would do, He would fix her owie." Then Danny got the idea in his head that Jesus must be at the hospital because that is where she was getting fixed. When we greeted her after discharge Danny exlaimed "Jesus fixed you!" I love their innocence.

Our afternoon adventure kept me thinking through the several hours about the parable of the Good Samaritan. What was his motivation when he stopped to help a bruised and broken man along his way? How long did he stay with them? What else might he have had to do that day?

which reminds me - I should probably wash that blanket free of Danny's spilled blizzard. When I asked the kids what they wanted to eat he said "Ice Cream!" Faith wanted hamburgers, which she will eat faster than anything I have yet seen her eat with no prodding.

The face that doesn't like

"Hey, Danny, whatcha been doing?"
"I dunno"
"Maybe mixing some salsa with your face?"
"Yyyyyah!"

The almost sandbox

With the very little bit of sand we had left over from creating the patio we started out what will be a fantastic sand box. The kids have not gone a day without playing in this scanty little spot of endless entertainment! Oh the simple things.