Camping trip

Now that the weather is cooler, the family wanted to go camping. It was a cold night, but the ones sleeping in the middle stayed warm.

For dinner, we had hobo stew, yeast rolls, and smores. For breakfast, it was boiled eggs, monkey bread, and fruit salad. Notice the box lined with foil. That was our oven - called a "box oven". You can cook anything in there that you would a normal oven, but may take a few extra minutes.

Knighting Ceremony

Eric & I received a letter in the mail that our son would be knighted in a special ceremony today at school. The parents were encouraged to attend and participate as witnesses in front of the students. As the proud parents looked on, one of his teachers (in green) talked about why he was chosen for this award.






He was selected by the teachers & his peers for best displaying the noble characteristic "prowess": distinguished skill, strength, bravery, and courage.

Afterwards, Mommy made sure he was embarrassed with lots of hugs & kisses!

Teenager in the House

In the laundry room, our teenage daughter has taped a note to the wall. Thought I'd share....

Friends Weekend

The weekend started off with a last minute (ie 8pm) decision on Friday night to have a bonfire. Within the hour, 10 teenagers were at our house! One text can get forwarded quickly! Great kids, though, and it was a lot of fun. :)

On Sunday, one of our favorite families came over for dinner. Our oldest tried out a new recipe: grilled pizza. It was absolutely delicious! The little ones giggled & played all evening, then complained when we told them it was time to eat.

The middle ones decided to "repair" a talking Elmo. Our God-daughter made the incisions while the boys used their engineering skills to locate and remove its circuit board. They made a great surgical team, but I think it's time for a new Elmo.

Apple Orchard

Today I had the opportunity to take the day off work and chaperone a field trip with the little one to an apple orchard.

We started off with a hay ride around the farm to look at all the apple trees and hidden surprises on the trail. Then, each child was given a bag and allowed to pick as many apples as they could to fill it up.

After picking apples, the kids had time play!

Once we got home and took a long nap (because Mommy needed it), we cut up the fresh apples and made a delicious apple pie. :)

New Room

Our oldest daughter got to redecorate her room recently. Everything she picked will go with her one day as she moves into her own place. I was proud of her for staying within her budget, yet picking out things that should last for years to come in both style and durability.

First day of school

The little one was so excited the night before school that she just couldn't sleep! But, they all got up on time, lunches packed, and backpacks in hand as they headed out the door for their first day of school!

Beach Trip

It's our annual trip to the beach just before school starts.

We stayed at a hotel that was on the beach, but also had plenty of pools, a waterpark, and lots of fun playtime.

It was a great way to end the summer, but now it's home for orientation night!

Watermelon Summer

Our oldest LOVES watermelon! During the summer, we've gone through 3-4 watermelons each week. I finally gave up having a clean kitchen floor and settled for sticky watermelon juice spots.

She decided to do something different with this next one and surprised us all with a nice carving! She then added some grapes & freshly picked blueberries.

Violin Solo

Our son played during Mass for the first time! He did a great job. Click here to watch it on youtube.