the fifteenth child...

When Miss Charlotte Claire was born, 12 years ago today, here's what things looked like around here:
Emily 21
Abigail 19
Benjamin 17
Mirielle 16
Joseph 14, almost 15
Aaron 13
Mali 12
Samuel 10
Margaret 9
Kathryn 8
Evelyn 6
Suzanne 5
Sonja K. 4
(baby Robert)
Jonathan 2

I had a few miscarriages before I had Miss Char, so I was very thankful to say hello to her sweet newborn self. After the five-girls-in-a-row, then little Jonathan, I had a baby girl again, daughter #10...

(me, Camille, and Char)

Anyway, today is her birthday! I'm not sure what we'll do during the day, but tonight a few of her friends are coming over, and lots of her older siblings will be here. I'm making pizzas, including at least one keto pizza (crust with almond flour and mozzarella cheese), and Ben is bringing some venison steaks. We're also making peanut butter ice cream pie, and mint chocolate chip ice cream pie. (crumbled Oreos mixed with melted butter crusts, the peanut butter one has the cookies with peanut butter filling...)

And I am going to behave myself. I can't use the old, "It's a party!" excuse, because duh, we always have parties.

I might just eat a spoonful of crunchy peanut butter with a few chocolate chips on it.

This fine morning, I almost talked myself out of the morning walk. Here were some of my excuses: I walked SO much yesterday, almost three miles.
I don't want to tire myself out, today is going to be a busy one.
My knee hurts.
I don't have enough time to get everything done, a walk is a half hour.


But I didn't listen to myself, I just went. Five days in a row. And this is what the kitchen looks like in the morning, I have to ignore it and go out the door, because if I straighten one little thing, I'll get so sidetracked, I won't end up going.

The truth is that even though my knee is wonky, the walks help tremendously. I think they clear my mind almost as much as blogging does. I don't listen to music or podcasts, I just think about things and listen to the geese honk or the squirrels scampering. This morning, I was thinking about how much it bothers me when people think I am better than I really am. I have lots of kids, and a good life, by the grace of God. When I think of how I have been in the past, and how impatient I was with the kids when they were little, and how I felt totally at my wit's end so often, I see that God has just plain been good to me, helped me overcome. The other day while talking about going out and about with lots of small children, someone asked how I kept them with me, kept them in line, and I didn't actually remember. But Mali did, she said I would pinch her arm and tell her to behave. Ouch, that hurts my heart, I don't really remember that, but I am sorry. But the truth is, I am not perfect, but I am a work in progress. God isn't finished with me yet:)

So yesterday afternoon, spur of the moment, Sonja K. and I went on an adventure. We went to the big mall in the city, the Carousel Center, which is now named Destiny. I do not care much for malls, the perfume-y smells, the crowds of people, the pricey stores, although I do like the smells of the popcorn/caramel corn place and of course the cinnamon buns. And this mall has Finger Lakes Roasters, and I'm not getting paid to say yummers to freshly roasted coffee. My only complaint is that they fill those air vacuums with coffee, and it isn't steaming hot and fresh. Anyway. Sonja K. ordered some jeans with a birthday gift card, and just between you and me and the whole rest of the world, I didn't appreciate them. So we decided to go exchange them. Evelyn so sweetly volunteered to look after Anne, and sent us on our merry way. I won't bore you with the deets and tails, but she ended up keeping the jeans. She had no problem with them. Anyway, we also went to T.J.Maxx, where I got a little outfit for baby Grant, Sam and Grace's baby...



This is me eating healthy:), and I did not eat nary a crumb of that cookie in front of me. I did take a few nibbles of the bread, but then wrapped it up and brought it home, along with half this salad, because Evelyn likes yummy things to bring for lunch, and I'm nice, ha.


Now moving to the random section of the blog, here are the two kitties, Kettler and Orange Guy, mother and son, the only kitten we have of her several litters. Both are now "fixed", and they're good friends. She was washing him in this pic.


Kettler likes the new water table. We let her go outside, she doesn't wander far, mostly just the yard and the deck. Orange Guy wants out, but we are trying to keep him in. Don't tell him, but the minute he starts climbing screens, we'll let him out.


Grant, Sam and Grace's baby. Isn't he cute?


Little Wulf...I stole this pic from snapchat, isn't he cute too? I have two grandsons...and three granddaughters, and I love love love them.

Okay, enough sitting here...