A little bragging

I've tried to do one blog post a week. But I'm pretty awesome. And I'd like to show off right now. ;)
Wednesday a dear sweet friend told us that Laura Story would be doing chapel at Toccoa Falls College Thursday morning. So some other dear sweet friends thought that was a fantastic thing and we all went to see her.

She was so cute! 8 months prego - I was waiting to hear someone kick the guitar. She's even better (and sweet) in person. Blessings

When that was all done we took "the family" to see Tocca Falls (btw, its $5 for a family of 4 or more to go see the falls, since we were all part of the family of God it was $5 - I think thats the first time I've paid to go there - but worth every penny and more to spend time with these dear sweet people).

This is most of the 21 beautiful kids that went with the 4 mamas

I'm in the middle of planning a family reunion, Cousin Camp,  for next weekend and a project that I'm working on is coming along BEAUTIFULLY - but I'm not going to share it yet.

In the middle of that planning we are also planning a baby shower for a little friend. At our house. Tomorrow.

And what have I been up to this morning?

Well, after I let Zoie out, and she "helped" me sweep the carport - AGAIN!

I've been making the cutest little dresses for that new baby, Miss Rosemary Love.

And I have to show them off! (just don't look to hard at my stained up - well used - little ironing board)

(My darling Gene made breakfast. Thank you, honey).

I got the idea from my head but hit pinterest pretty hard to find something easy enough for me to do.

Here's the link to LP that showed me how.

Even better - I found the onesies at the getting-at-place last night for 75 cents, I had found the pink and green (and some other colors) on sale a month or so ago, and some other precious friend had cleaned out closets getting reading to move and gave me a boat load of fabric - and thats were the white eyelet came from. (Not cheap. Frugal.)

I'm pretty impressed.

And while I'm showing off (and b/c my Mama isn't coming up today- so, Mama, here it is!) this isn't the first time I've been crafty this week. Gene put the little AC back in the recently painted bathroom's window, then he sealed around it with thick plastic and black gorilla tape.

Pretty? NO!

So, that same precious friend had some stuff in all that fabric that was already partly made - and something with a big ruffle. So, TA-DA! Curtains to cover some of the ugly!

 I cut the ruffle just a tad longer than the width of the window and left about 3 or 4 inches at the top for the rod (it was already sewn together). I cut the panels a tad longer than the length of the window and a tad wider than the edge of the window to the AC. I sewed the panels right on the ruffle.
We've only lived here 5 years, it was time to hang a curtain anyway. But I may need a new one if we ever have winter again and that darling man takes the AC out. (maybe I'll just pin the panels up under until it heats back up).

One more picture. This was the temperature yesterday (6/29/12) in Carnesville, GA.

We are VERY grateful to have a van with cold air this summer. AMEN!!!

Trip to MI

I am blessed with a whole mess of in-loves. This past weekend we visited the ones that live FAR away in Michigan.
We didn't get as many pictures of everybody as I had hoped but on Saturday we had family pictures made so we'll post those later.
Here are some roadside, daylight, photo-ops.

Gene likes to drive at night, I like to sleep laying down with my eyes closed at night. We left at about 1:30 pm and arrived at their house at 6:00 AM!!! So I needed a nap and so did some little people.

This is actually my second or third nap

When we got a little bit awake we had a picnic at Kids Corner and went for a walk to the light house in South Haven.

Uncle Daniel taking DJ for a slide

Grandma and Dekendra

Josiah on the really cool playground

A handsome MAN!!! WooHoo!
(he was playing on the playground too)

Then the camera battery died. So Gene took pictures with the video camera.

Getting ready to go for a walk

Beach and lighthouse

Some people  - not sure what I'm doing with my hand

Josiah strolling back to the van

Saturday morning was family picture time (15 kids and 8 adults) can't wait to see them!
That afternoon we took the kids for a swim at Roadside Park (thats the name of it and thats where it is - pretty inventive!) Old crippled Uncle Daniel and his little family went to buy some fish to put in his groovy tank. Grandma went with Aunt Melissa et. all to a birthday party. I suppose they needed a break from us.

Trying to put all of Michigan in the lake

Alex

Ava

Good looking man with some old woman in her fabulous beach hat

Sandy toes

diggers

Check out this beautiful Autumn girn!

Lora

Elijah

All on one shot

Big explorer Jacob

Jorja

I love beach pictures. The air at the lake was colder than the water - weird. When Jacob started looking a little purple we decided it was time to go.
 Then we went back to the house to play with Uncle Daniel's new lizard and to watch Brave at the drive in (it was a double feature but most everyone slept throught the second one, Madagascar 3).

Josiah

 Went to church with Grandma Sunday morning and what a wonderful sermon!!!
 Then it was time to get ready to go (it took us a while to get it all together).

Telling Grandma bye

And about 14 hours later (which seemed even longer to Gene) we were home.
Zoie missed us.

What we've learned: MI has LOTS of sand and good dirt. Josiah is often dirty (I had to give him a bath while writing this). Visiting family is IMPORTANT. Marcia Brown's children make beautiful babies.

Ventriloquist?

While talking with some children yesterday someone passed gas loudly.
The Daddy looked at Jacob and said, "Did you fart?"
With out missing a beat, Jacob replied, "No, it was Ava, but she did it through my butt."
After a round of hysterical laughter Jacob asked his daddy, "Is that weird?"

Ava is super talented and Jacob has a HUGE imagination!

It will slow down sooner or later

What a busy life we are having. I remember (many kids ago - I tell time in kids) when there were rarely any big plans. Now there's something going on all the time. I'd like to blame those kids but I believe its us big folk who are doing all the planning.
Since our last update it seems like its been something every single day.
Sunday we went back to our dear friends house. They are leaving to go to the other side of the planet meet their newest child TODAY!!! (did I take a picture? I don't think so.) But you can keep up with how God is working out their adoption on her blog A Journey that will Change Lives for All Eternity How I love this family! (And Mrs. Anne - when you read this remember that many are praying and God is in all the details - and NO freaking out! <3)

Monday we took Ava to Camp Little Light, tried to decorate our room for VBS, and left messages for family members that don't RSVP to stuff.
I taught 2 & 3 year olds - what a GREAT group of littles. I may have had more fun than them.

There were two girls also - just not in this picture
That's the back of our Josiah's head on the end and Jacob across from him.

Gene had the really BIG littles - and he really enjoyed it!

They turned out to be a good group of boys and girls too.
Some of them kept coming back so they must have enjoyed it too.

Tuesday, (this is where I talk about some of those "fringe benefits") we (Gene and I) went to court to make permanent a temporary order for visitation with the bio-mother of two of MY children. She called that morning to say she wasn't coming and she didn't. And as our lawyer said, "despite ALL that" she has failed to do, Gene "gave" her limited visits. For the past year, under the temporary order, she had every other weekend, two hours on Saturday and two hours on Sunday, in Gene's presence, and at a public location (McD's or a park). Its a long time to sit with . . . crazy, but the kids still (sometimes) want to see this person who birthed them and makes claims of loving them. She, more often than not, doesn't show up. Under the new order, she gets the same supervised visitation BUT she has to give 48 hour notice that shes going to show up that weekend. So when she doesn't call we can make other plans (I'm sure we will be making lots of other plans - which causes happy and sad feelings). (There are NO specifics for holidays).
And that's a small taste of fringe benefits. Gene took the high road and took the kids to see her today anyway. She showed up late.

Wednesday, I think we got to stay home until time for VBS. I did get a new cute fly trap.

Tiny Frog - as of Friday there are two tiny frogs

The Fly Trap

Thursday we HAD to go to the grocery store. I think I went through a phase where I was doing pretty good making a menu and grocery list - but I'm not currently in that phase. Josiah busted his lip while delightedly shopping, so it would match his black eye and bruised forehead he got earlier in the week. I'm not sure when he got the scrap under his nose. Poor little fella.

Friday, the Daddy was off and our friend Charles was over to play. I went shopping ALONE!!! Found a thrift store I've been wanting to visit was having a SALE!!! I spent $6.
I had supper with my little VBS class and then left to go pick up that tall girl from camp.

After hugging her Mama

The band and counselors

Singing

Ava (crying) and saying goodbye to her friends

The Lavender Thorns

Today is Saturday. The children have ALL been petitioning for a D-O-G. We got everyone ready this morning to surprise them with our newest family member. A man Gene works with asked if we would like to have a dog - well yes. Turns out its a golden retriever (fancy). Her name is Zoie and she is a SWEETIE!!!

Getting ready to go

The ride home

Zoie really likes the swing (must be the Mama's dog)

And thats about it. What have we learned this week? Hummm... I'm sure we learned something. Maybe that we really value just being at home. Maybe that Inspite of all the crazy fringe benefits God is working in our family. Maybe that we are still blessed beyond measure. Our crockpot runneth over (and our eyes want to close).

Boys at Camp and Unkie Monkie

The boys spent the last week at Camp Little Light. The WHOLE week. They were MUCH MISSED!
They had such a good time. They are already asking about going back next year.

Elijah and Alex are the two on the right end.
All my outside pictures are spotted - I think it was pollen

Alex - ALMOST ready to go home

Elijah, on the way back from showing Jacob the outhouse

 Today we meet the baby brother, Uncle Michael, and sweetest Aunt Jessica at the Greenville Zoo.

The zoo crew

Taking that uncle for a spin

Watching "Autumn" the prego giraffe bend down to eat grass

Aunt Jessica and some cute kids

Waiting in a pretty place

 After the zoo we drove in circles arguing with the GPS lady. Then we found a park off (WAY OFF) the beaten path. Piney Mountain Park. That precious aunt and uncle brought sandwich fixens, so we picniced and played. We had the whole place to ourselves when we got there. Then some new friends came to play.

Jacob

Josiah

Ava and Autumn

Uncle Michael and Aunt Jessica

What do you do when the kids you were pushing decided to quit swinging and go play in the dirt?
You go HIGH!

Building castles

 Then Elijah puked so we left. But it was so wonderful to get to play with my sweet in-loves. Hope we get to do it again really soon. I've missed them!

When we got home (after a pit-stop at Sams) the boys hung up the bird houses they made at camp.

Elijah and Alex

What we learned today: Aunt Jessica can speak monkey. Alex can not speak ocelot. Uncle Michael can speak chicken but he doesn't like to show off. And you should not puke in front of girls (even Mamas).