summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

off to college....

Aaron, Joseph, and Mirielle before they left for their morning commute to college. Mali is staying in the dorms this semester.

kittens = joy.

someone is NOT allowed to sleep on the couch...

My birthday Zinnias are not dead yet. I am a plant killer. These almost bit the dust, but I pulled off the dead flowers and watered them more faithfully....anyway, it is a beautiful morning.

Summer is winding down, and I am not done with it yet! We haven't even made our Summer To Do list yet! I want to go to the beach again. Our weather here in central New York state is glorious. Sunny and cool this morn, but it will be a nice warm day, with day after day of warmth and sunshine to follow.

Evelyn Joy is 13 years old today. When she was born, my oldest child, Emily, was 14, Abigail 12, Benjamin 10 (he had just been in the horrible boat accident), Mirielle 9, Joseph 8, Aaron 6, Mali Rose 5, Samuel 4, Margaret 2 and a half, and Kathryn was 17 months. (ha, 9 kids ten and under...yet somehow, we survived). Anyway, Evelyn is going to make her own ice cream cakes today. We will have burgers on the grill, and perhaps some corn on the cob from the lady down the road. She is having a few friends over to swim.

Dang, I thought I would be able to write with no distractions, but the princesses are up now, and Suri is awake again and needs to go out. The kittens are meowing, and Camille has her head in their box, meowing back to them. She just looked at me so earnestly and said, "Luke is hungry, and the Mama Cat isn't here!" Now she is telling them to sit down in their box, so the movie can start. I think she could sit there all day. They are in the living room now, the kittens. Mama Cat, aka Swanson Kitty, moved them from the kids' room to out here because she is a social kitty, I think. They have a nice big box on the couch, and Suri hasn't really noticed them yet.

Anyway, one of these days I will be able to write a decent post...I feel like it is just blah blah lately.

Yesterday, Mali had to move in to her dorm room. She needed some things first, so I took her shopping with Margaret 15, and Jonathan 8, and the two little princesses. We went to Kohl's, where the nice cashier gave me the 20% off discount even though I didn't have a coupon. I got Sam two shirts for less than three bucks each, sandals for Jon for next year, a dress and shoes for Margaret, a few things for Mali, and a sweatshirt for me. Then to Target for Evelyn's birthday presents, then to Price Chopper for chicken and burger and stuff for Mali. After bringing Mali to her dorm, we went to Wegman's for the ice cream for the ice cream cake. Anyway, we made a stop at Dunkin'Donuts for coffee...coffee for me, that is. Iced Tea for Ev, Iced Coffee for Marg, and soft ice cream for the three littler ones (99 cents). They were all out of ice cream. Dang, I ordered the each a chocolate glazed donut. As I drove to the pick-up window, the little girls started saying, "Can we please have pink frosting and sprinkles?" So I asked the nice kid at the pick-up window if I could change two of the donuts...he said, "You can keep the chocolate ones, I will just give you the sprinkle ones for free." I said, like an idiot, "It must be my birthday, thank you!" Now, I don't even EAT donuts anymore, but I still get happy to get free ones. I did have one bite of Jon's....

Suri did not pee or poop on her papers at all last night. She does not sleep in the cage, she doesn't like it in there very much. We put a dollhouse across the hallway, so she stays in the kitchen/living room at night. When we first got her, I of course loved her to pieces, but I wondered why in the heck I got another puppy when she peed on the floor and when I cleaned up yet another poop....now we are slowly turning that corner, and she is not as much trouble, but still super sweet. She chews things up, she bites on my nice kitchen table pedestals, she has tons of energy sometimes, and still has to be taken outside several-everal times a day. But she is SO worth it.

Ah well, I shall go start in on my work...not that I didn't already wash a bunch of dishes this morning...but there is laundry, and since we are having girls over today, there is cleaning up to do...always always always, right?











































































































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