Stone Mountain

I'm all pictures and no words. Sorry about that... or maybe that's a good thing?! We had a wonderful time at Stone Mountain this past Saturday and the weather was just perfect!

First break on the way to the top.

Atlanta... we could just make it out through the haze.

Everybody at the top

Starting back down. I liked this one because it looks like they are just going to walk right off the edge.

The old mill

The covered bridge

Jump roping...

and dancing before the laser show

(If you look close at that last one, you can see Sam pointing up. He was avidly watching the planes which kept flying over... he was not so much into the dancing.)

The great clothes switch

My friends and I were recently discussing that it was time to get out the winter clothes again. And we all sighed and commiserated with one another. And then I chose not to do this task over the weekend, so I still have it hanging over my head. Probably not my wisest decision. But that's what hoodies are for, right? Reposting one of my first blog entries which addressed this most dreaded of tasks for moms of many.

I love the changing of the seasons. But the task that comes with it? I could do without it. What's that? The changing of the clothes. That dreaded task of putting away the past seasons clothes and getting out clothes for the new season. I really don't know why I dislike this job so much, but I do. Admittedly, it is getting easier because the older kids can do so much of it on their own now. But somehow I don't learn to like it more. Probably because it involves making lots of decisions (small though they may be) and I'm not a good decision maker. Anyway, we started this task last night... actually John started it Tuesday night. It usually takes us several days before we are completely finished.

The task begins when I sweetly ask my husband to please get down all the clothes boxes from the attic. He does so and piles them in the hallway. We walk around them and the kids climb on them for a few days. We threaten the kids and plead with them to stay out of the boxes.

When I finally decide we can begin to go through the boxes, there is great excitement and shouting. Strangely, the kids do not dislike this task like I do. They are thrilled to see what's inside those boxes... it's like a great big surprise. They find stuff they've forgotten about and stuff they loved. And they just like to play in the boxes:

Then as I try to help the little boys, the older kids come to me one after the other asking, "Does this fit, Mommy?" This one clearly didn't (yea for easy decisions).
We start getting piles everywhere of fits/doesn't fit/give away/trash (why did we pack that up anyway?) ... times 6 kids.

Eventually we'll pull summer stuff out of drawers and put winter stuff away. Everything will go back into the boxes and boxes will go in the attic. Aaah. And I won't have to do that again for at least a few months. But in the meantime, if it's late and your bed looks like this:

Well, you'll just have to adapt:

Ten~

In the last post, I looked back at Rebekah as she grew up. Here's just a few pictures we took on her birthday.

In our family, 10 is the age when girls get their ears pierced. She's been waiting for this day for at least 3 years. No tears, only smiles! (The Piercing Pagoda... got my ears pierced at one in a different location almost 30 many years ago)

Here you can see the gold, flower earrings reflecting the sunlight.

Rebekah with her cake. It was tricky... a very, very lemon cake with pink icing. Kind of messed with the brain. But super yummy.

We decorated by making this fun birthday wall. The words in the colored cut-out paper were things like "sweet", "child of God", "compassionate", "creative".

Happy 10th birthday, sweetie!

Looking back at 10 wonderful years

*Finally posting this which I should have finished and posted a week and a half ago. Sorry Bekah!

Sweet Rebekah. The very first thing we learned about Rebekah is that she loved to be cuddled. After Taryn, who didn't really like anybody to hold her and Joseph who really didn't seem to care, it was so wonderful to have Rebekah, who just wanted to be snuggled close. And if you weren't holding her, she wanted to be all wrapped and swaddled, super tight.


And then there were her cheeks. Super fat... and adorable. I love that we have this picture of Taryn meeting Rebekah for the first time and pointing out the obvious.


Rebekah's first Christmas. Love that smile!

Before Rebekah could walk, she would push around this little rocking chair to help her walk. She would sometimes carry a baby doll or something around in the chair like a funny little bag lady.


Rebekah has always loved babies. From the time she was little until now. Here it was a doll and then pictures with Sam and David and her cousin P.

Rebekah loves to bake... because Rebekah loves to eat. This is one of her most favorite things to bake.

No front teeth and perfect freckles.

Bestest sisters:

Rebekah, we love you. We're so thankful God gave you to us! Happy Birthday!

Going Greek

There was a Greek festival in Anderson this weekend. It's an annual thing, but we've never been before. Not because I haven't wanted to. Greek is my favorite cuisine! Even though we'd had a very busy day and we were tired, the food was calling me.

Yummy, yummy food! And big...


There is a playground at the Anderson Civic Center where the festival took place. The evening was pleasant and the kids enjoyed playing and exploring a playground they'd never been to.


There were activities for the kids at the festival...


Helicopter rides (which were not free, but watching them take off and land was)


Greek music and dancing...


And more yummy food. These were dessert called Loukoumades - a type of donut covered in a honey, cinnamon syrup.


Of course, because it's all about the food.

Overheard: Sam Edition

Holding out his arm toward me: I like to bite myself until I see the teeth marks. And see, right there is the tooth that is really far behind.
(Note to self... Call Orthodontist!)

Remember this video? Recently Sam accompanied John and I on a walk, and after he had been talking the entire time we had been walking, I commented that he had a lot to say. He quickly agreed. "Yes, If I have a word, I will speak it [pause] as long as there is a human to speak it to." Notice the distinction here between a person to talk to and a person who listens.

Him: I'm almost growing out of my bed Mommy.
Me: You can't be growing out of your bed (it's a regular twin)
Him: Well, my feet almost touch all the stuff at the bottom of my bed.

The little sister of the girls' friends came over and she played with the little boys. I was in my room and overheard Sam as they walked down the hall. "Have you ever seen a bunk bed before? You need to see ours. It's wooden and it is very climbable. Come in and see it and I'll show you some climbable moves."

Random Sightings That Made Me Smile

And some that make me raise my eyebrow and wonder what goes on inside the heads of my children.

Here, for instance, we have GIJoe figures stuck upside down to the ceiling in the boys' room.

Apparently they are prisoners, as the close-up reveals that their hands are bound as well.


Silly Bands in their castle.

This was their movie theater sign. They were showing a Little House on the Prairie episode and selling tickets as well as concessions. (Note to other moms... popcorn in a bedroom is a bad idea).

David was a band leader for their lunchtime theater. (Costume put together by Taryn)

Joseph, mid-haircut

Exercising (And I am pondering why my children, who are so skinny their clothes fall off, are all exercising and I am standing around taking pictures.)

Happy brothers, sharing a chair at lunch.