our very own veterans...

 You know I have pictures of the boys in their uniforms, all handsome and spiffy, respectable and clean cut.  But here are some others...my two vets, Benjamin Paul...was in the Army, a medic in Afghanistan.  

With Declan, their #3 child...

With Ashley, Elise, and Anya...

It's also his birthday, so happiest of birthdays to Ben, my #3 child, all grown up.  

And...a happy Veteran's Day also to Samuel..he was in the Army infantry, but thankfully, ever so thankfully, he was chosen for the Honor Guard, and stationed in DC, at Arlington. 

With HIS third child, baby Maeve Louise..

With his wife Grace, Ruth, Maeve, and little Grant.

Last night, Camille invited her friends over to celebrate her birthday.  She made her own birthday cake because I got her a swivel cake stand and a slicer made to take the rounded top off of a cake.  Of course she wanted to try them out!

Her dear friend Amanda celebrated her birthday here, too.  

Miss Charlotte Claire, Camille, Amanda...

Birthday donuts!

Emily (with Old Kitty), Evelyn, Margaret with baby Blythe, and Kathryn in the background

Cousin Grace, Sonja, Irene, cousin Linnea, Carmen, Miss Char

Sonja picked up the new car.  She took Char and Cam out and about in it today before she had to go to work.  Such fun!

And....sorry if this is a photo version of "TMI", the poor deer.  But, this deer isn't just for sport, someone just likes his venison.  Tennyson and Achilles were impressed, Suri and Sunny too.  

And, and oldie but goodie:  I was expecting Kathryn in this picture, she's our tenth child.  Ben wasn't in the picture, because he wasn't at the picnic, he was with Paul that day, they went to get our first t.v., because heck, they wanted to watch football!   I was 32.  Emily was 12, Abigail was 10, Ben almost nine, Mariel 7, Joseph 6, Aaron 4, Molly Rose 3, Samuel 2, and Margaret nine months.  (Margaret turned a year that December, Kathryn was born in March, they are 15 months apart).  I cannot believe that I brought so many kids to a picnic without Paul, it was a family reunion...oh dear.  

Anyway.  Today was busy enough.  Baby Jamison had to have a surgery yesterday, so Kathryn moved in for a few days, starting Thursday.  (Darius was away).  I looked after the other kids while Camille went with her to the surgery center.  It went well, but Jamie was very tired and needed to be held all day,was mostly my job ha.  Margaret came over today with her three, as Adrian had a really long exam (he's in college, going to be an engineer soon!).  I somehow managed to make a big lasagna, and a small spaghetti squash lasagna.  I know, weird, but I didn't have zucchini, and I did have spaghetti squash.  Verdict:  really good.  Everyone left after dinner, and it got really quiet in here.  :)

Tomorrow Paul and I are going to a Friendsgiving type gathering, it should be nice.  It'll be a change from having everyone here.  

A summary of the last few days, not my exact favorite kind of blog post, as it screams word vomit,  but it'll do, I guess.  I'm must a bit tired, stayed up late last night, and was up early this morning, and it was go go go, which I kind of love, but it is tiring.  The grandchildren are just amazing.  I read Owl at Home at LEAST twenty times today.  I watched videos of various owls and their different calls with Achilles, I let Tennyson cut his lasagna with a real butter knife, and I rocked Jamison to sleep a few times.  I also rocked little Blythe to sleep, and I cleaned up a few messes.  I told some stories, sang some songs, and did some laundry.  There were dishes to wash, and snacks to give out.  So it was a good day, a golden day, a crazy day.  :).  

 

Yesterday I had a Bad Grandma moment.  Oh dear.  Kathryn wasn't home yet from the surgery, she had dropped Camille off and had to run home for something she had forgotten, then Achilles wanted to go out and play on the deck.  We always let the kids go out on the deck, it's understood that they don't leave the deck.  I got his shoes on, zipped up his coat, and brought him out the door with a towel in case any ride ons were a bit wet.  I went in and sat down, to talk to Sonja and Camille...five minutes passed, and I didn't hear any ride ons clattering across the deck, so I went to check on him, and he was not on the deck.  I went down the deck steps in my slippers, and there he was, across the road.  (We don't get much traffic, but the cars that DO come down, come very fast!).  He was crying.  I  ran down the driveway, (I know, I ran!)  ran over and took his hand.  The dogs had gone over there, and he was saying, "Suri is lost, Sunny is lost, they need to come home!"  oh dear.  oh my.  my heart was HAMMERING.  I called the dogs along with us, dogs who shouldn't cross the road either, and brought them all back up those deck steps.  All's well that end's well, right?   I told Achilles very gently that he shouldn't have left the deck, but he was so concerned about the dogs, he followed them...oh dear.  He sat all cuddled up with me, then his mama came in the door with baby who just had surgery, and I had to tell her...I am very thankful that nothing bad happened, oh my goodness.  I am still dealing with it.  I had a lot of children, and I honestly don't remember any of them ever going across the road like that.  He's almost four, so little.  

Anyway, I am tired tonight, very thankful, and tired.  Have a good night, and a good Sunday.