What can I say? It was a busy day…
For the three Wednesdays in December I cancelled afternoon school with Mom (they still did their independent stuff) and we made cookies.
Not because we needed cookies. But because my youngest kids need to make cookies with their Mama. And so we did.
Okay – so I did stop long enough to help Stewart with some Algebra. 
I had to stop by the mall on the way home from CBS to pick up a package. On a total spur-of-the-moment I asked the kids if they wanted to head in and see Santa. I had five yeses. (Katriel didn’t agree or disagree.)
So we headed in and four of the kids talked to the fella.
Santa gave them each a ducky dressed like a snowman snowduck.
I believe this is the twelfth year I have seen the kids sing for their CBS Christmas Program.
My photos stink… Mostly. But I was so blessed to hear them shout praises to Jesus one more year.
Sweet little Hanny. Check out her dress. ♥
In 2008…
I forgot the real camera. So there won’t be good photos. But Nigel told my mom proudly today that he is 5’3″. She was pretty impressed to hear he clocked in at that number, until I mentioned that he measured himself against a candy cane.
Thanksgiving Day, I worked a day-shift. Much of the food was prepared the day before, and John did the turkey during the day.
We were joined by my mom, my sister, my Aunt Betty, my Aunt Jackie, and my cousin David.
There was only a bit of after dinner shopping.
Because we had to leave time for rides in Uncle Dave’s wheelchair…
And Christmas Gift exchange.
Being the resident 4-and-a-half-year-old, Johanna exuded that special kind of joy that comes from getting presents. 
If she were any happier she’d break her face.
This dolly sings Itsy-Bitsy-Spider. Over and over again.
It was a great evening. 🙂
It was cold. (It was cold all summer…)
But we had a few families join us for some dinner and dessert. And it was fun.
And yes, we served sno-cones even though it was SO. COLD.
I even lent out fleece coats to other guests.
Easter 2014 was a Good day.
Easter 2014 was a Full day.
Easter 2014 was a Good, Full day.
One of the kids said it was the best Easter ever. I’ve gotten used to these proclamations, however. The current *event* always seems to be recalled as the best. To me this doesn’t dismiss previous experiences as much as it means they felt joyful at this time.
My alarm rang at 5AM to remind me to start the crock pots. With a smallish oven and two 10 lb hams to cook, I resorted to doing my two potatoes dishes in crock pots. [I won’t keep you in suspense; they turned out fantastically.]
Some of the kids were up by 7AM itching to look for their baskets. I had a lot of pressure with this, let me tell you. Last year’s hiding places were superb and they remembered that. No pressure.
The girls donned their dresses, despite the fact some had to take baths AFTER the basket hunt…
It was fun to have them matching. ♥
They hunted high and low…
Johanna found hers in the hamper.
Tabitha found hers in the Play-Doh cupboard. (Doesn’t every one have a Play-Doh cupboard?]
Marie found hers in the bathroom vanity under a pile of towels. She was elated to receive a clip-the-clothes-on Princess. (Tab has 6 and Hanny has 4 already!) She hasn’t played with it a ton, but she was so pleased to get a princess the other girls didn’t have. They love to mix and match the clothing.
Stewart found his in the pantry. Eventually. Nigel found his in a dress that I had hanging in Daddy’s closet.
Swim goggles, a protractor, and a puzzle book. We are a fun crowd, aren’t we?
It was off to church for 10:30 AM. The kids couldn’t believe how packed the parking lot was. Just moments before someone had suggested that church would be empty because people were out of town, or busy, etc. Nope. The church smelled fantastic. Our friend snapped this picture.
After church we tried to grab some photos.
You know the old saying: “You can dress them up; but you can’t make them smile, tilt their heads just so, and look in the lens.”
Or something like that.
We had a lovely dinner; and although the food was delicious, it paled in comparison to the awesome fellowship. John’s parents, my mom and sister, and our dear friends the F’s joined us for the afternoon. [I did not make the adorable hatching chicks.]
Sunday was also John’s birthday. We opened gifts in the early afternoon.
Our family then left and we headed outside for an egg hunt. Stewart offered to help Daddy hide the eggs this year.
Johanna had a particularly awesome time finding eggs with J’s on them.
Katriel was super-cute. We’ve never had a baby at quite this age at Easter. She was tickled to find out the eggs weren’t just fun to hold, but you could open them up at eat a Teddy Graham. 🙂
She doesn’t like getting herself up from the grass!
And can you imagine how fantastic this picture would have been… if I didn’t have princess stickers on me? Good Grief.
And – the BEST photo of the kids I have had in years… in play clothes. *sigh* Of COURSE they took off their church clothes as soon as we said they could (after the mid-day meal). So when I spontaneously asked them all to sit in the yard I never could have anticipated that I was about to capture the first photo ever with all six of them smiling and looking at the camera. Smiling AND looking. No eyes closed, no hair in the eyes, no stray toy or cup in the corner. Best picture ever… orca whale shirt and all. ♥
The day ended with us watching a movie together. It was such a sweet, full day.
As I lay in bed that night I was reflecting on all the goodness we’d enjoyed. We aren’t a family that has a standing Easter tradition. We’ve celebrated it differently almost every year – different guests, different activities, different food. We even once were guests elsewhere. I’m not sure things will line up for us to replicate such a great day in Easters to come. But it was SUCH a wonderful, wonderful day, I just basked in the joy we all had felt.
And as I drifted off to sleep I startled awake as I remembered what we had done LAST Easter.
If you want a good laugh – check it out. http://dayspringdisciples122.blogspot.com/2013/04/easter-2013.html
Um, last year was R.O.U.G.H! – A day at the DMV would look like fun compared to LAST Easter.
We enjoyed our seventh Christmas Eve with our friends.
We long since abandoned the idea of having a sit-down dinner and instead annually enjoy eating too much taco dip, artichoke dip, shrimp, and punch. This year the shrimp was yucky, so we made up for it with taco dip. And two desserts. ALWAYS two desserts.
We are so grateful for how the numbers have increased. Each family is “up” children by 50% over the first years.
We didn’t get a group picture in 2007, but this is 2008. *sigh* Really – it is 2008.
2009
2010
2011 Emily was in rough shape and we forgot to get group shot.
2012 I was in rough shape and we forgot to get group shot. 😦
But all was right this year and we got the BIG picture…
I hold high hopes that we will be able to enjoy this tradition for years to come, God willing.
My sweet girls. I’ve never had a baby this old for their first Christmas. It’s neat to be baby number six and still offering Mommy and Daddy something “first.”
Johanna was excited for Jesus’ birthday party.She got the hat the night before at Christmas Eve church time. (Thanks, Pam! I don’t know if you still stop by!)
Santa and his elf. They visit every year. They usually arrive before Stewart and Nigel wake up.
They had gifts for everyone that they purchased with their own money, that they made in their workshop.
They posed for a picture with our girls and handed out the presents they brought.
They had colored pencils and markers for Marie; a homemade coloring book for Johanna; a set of princess coloring sheets for Tabitha; socks for Ba; mints for Poppy; a homemade comic book for Nan and Nene; and tickets to their upcoming movie release for John and Stacy.
Once again they left before the boys woke up. 😦
Tabitha presented Daddy with a copy of a really long Psalm (forgot the number) broken into sections and illustrated.
We opened gifts for a while.
Ate a breakfast FEAST.
The boys opened a rocking, awesome green-screen and light set.
And myriad other items…
I have to say it was the BEST Christmas Day in my memory. Really. I think the keys for me were picking up the boxes, paper, etc., after each item was opened AND keeping dinner extremely simple. We had pasta Alfredo with broccoli and shrimp and served it with chicken we grilled a few days before. I was not in the kitchen all day peeling potatoes or manning a hunk of meat. And of course there were desserts. Two of them.
I’ll tell you some funny stories about MY gifts when I find the time. you can expect that installment sometime in April?
Dayspring Disciples 