jon and eight of his sisters....

Suzanne, Sonja, Kathryn, Evelyn, Charlotte Claire, Margaret holding Camille, Abigail with Jon

We went to watch the sunset on Lake Ontario....we picked Abigail up on the way.....

Charlotte Claire, Margaret, and Camille

Sonja K.
Kathryn, Suze, and Evelyn...throwing rocks....

the little girls

Camille

Jon, Charlotte Claire, and Suze throwing rocks into the water....

Kathryn Grace....

The sunset was pretty, the ice cream was good, as were the fries and onion petals....we got home past bedtime, but they started playing dollhouse again as if they had never left......


Evelyn and Kathryn's house.....

Camille

Suze's campsite....

saturday morning mayhem....

I woke up to Kathryn playing dollhouse with Charlotte Claire, and Rosie across the street barking at the neighbor's son's dog. rrr. I went out and pretended to go bye-bye in the big van, which Rosie tried to get in on. I let her jump up and retrieve a yummy empty cheese stick package to chew on while I escourted her into the house. A load of towels into the washer, a few pans washed and put away, and on with the coffee. Six of the kids are playing dollhouse, which is part play, part claiming ownership of the more valuable pieces, like the ones that take batteries and actually have batteries. And the babies. They are apparently like gold, from the way they are fighting for them.

Mali is getting ready for work. Aaron and her both work at the same McDonalds, same hours. They have their uniforms on but forbid me to take pictures, especially Mali. She says she knows where it will end up. I tried to look puzzled and innocent, but they know me.

I look around from my chair here, and I see work. What I would like to do is get down on the floor and claim a house and start adding people and furniture, and of course a good share of the babies.

Evelyn wants to know why her school list gets lost every single year. I told her last year and this year don't neccesarily mean every single year. hmm. I told her I can check online. I do not want to think about school yet, but.....I honestly think that if I did not have to answer to anyone regarding their education, I could keep them here and teach them everything they need to know. I would certainly appreciate them more than the teachers do.

I keep laughing about something Camille said last week.....Abigail asked her if she was going to eat all the candy from the candy store before the conference even started, and she replied, "Summer conference does not have a button!" Get it? A start button?

The heatwave has disapated here in New York state.....today will be in the seventies, with sunshine. Perfect.

pictures...

Emily, Aaron, Mali, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, and Suzanne went to the Adirondacks....it looks like they had a good time...Mali and Aaron building a fire... Emily

Suzanne

Aaron

Aaron and Mali

Margaret, the photographer...I suppose I have forgiven her for taking my camera with her....she says it was an accident anyway.....


Mali Rose

Suze

Evelyn Joy

The lake....

Kathryn Grace, in the camper....

Mali was part of the Outdoor Challenge team at summer conference.

This is Will, my sister's grandson. He is a little sweetie, and looks extra handsome in this nice pram (his Auntie Della gave it to him....I love to see it being used....when I won it on Ebay, it was SO exciting....)

Miss Mali

Camille and Charlotte Claire, yum.

Snowcone!

Evelyn and Suze liked making the snowcones....

Miss Camille in the camper....

kathryn, evelyn, suzanne, and sonja....

These girls are 12, almost 11, 9, and 8. They accompanied me to Kohl's today because I had twenty dollars in Kohl's Cash. For fifty dollars, we got two dresses with shirts for them, two shirts, a shirt and leggings set, shorts for Jonathan, shorts for Aaron, two shirts for Samuel,some sandals for Suze, and a skirt for Sonja K. And ten more bucks in Kohl's Cash for next time....

They fooled around in that store like you wouldn't believe. They made faces in the mirrors, tried things on over their clothes, and begged me to buy them bracelets. They did not really want bracelets, they knew I wouldn't buy them bracelets, they just thought it was hilarious to beg for them.

Then to Target. We didn't want to spend much money there, but did find shorts for the girls for $2.24 a pair, and notebooks and pencils and some Converse sneakers for Mali for 75%off....then on to Price-Chopper.....Evelyn and I went in the store, Kathryn stayed in the van with Suze and Sonja. Kathryn had started feeling yucky in Target, so we aimed to hurry through the store, ha. I got the girls some cold Powerades, 14 for $8.88, and some donuts for the way home. We hurriedly picked up some peppers and summer squash and bread and milk and juice and steaks ($2.69 a pound).....on the way home, those girls ate so many donuts! They each ate one, then they were taking bites of the ones in the box, each time they bit one they would pass it on...they were laughing so hard I couldn't help but laugh too, and even asked them to pass me bites of the donuts...they will kill me if I tell how they were saying "bad words" and polluting the air in the van, so I won't mention it. I will say that a few times they were so funny I found it hard to drive.

We got home, and Abigail was visiting! She sat with me and helped me put together chicken kabobs for dinner (marinated roasted chicken chunks with summer squash, onions, red peppers, green peppers, and tomatoes, with Carribean Jerk sauce)....I warmed them up on the grill, and cut up a watermelon...dinner!

We were planning to go up to Lake Ontario and watch the sunset, and get the kids ice cream, but it got very cloudy and overcast so we decided to postpone it until tomorrow. We didn't go to the beach today because Paul had things to do, and I had lots and lots of laundry to do...not that THAT ever stopped me from going to the beach.

I gave the kids some driveway crayons, but first I took the white one and drew the stick figures of our family across the back window of the minivan. I even drew Rosie and the cat, but forgot the chinchilla.

The kids are watching "Fantastic Mr. Fox", which is distracting. It is a good movie, we think, very funny.

The mosquitoes are terrible after sunset around here lately. It makes it no fun to go night-time swimming or have campfires.

One of the things that makes me the saddest in life is when I hear or see a mom or dad being too rough with their child or children. This afternoon in the grocery store, I heard a mom yell, "Sit down!", then heard the kid cry....I am not judging the parents, no, I know exactly how stressful it is sometimes. For me, it is something I take quite seriously though, to not give in to that sin, to fight diligently against impatience and anger so that my children don't have to feel my wrath. It is a good fight, a win/win situation.

No, my trials aren't going to go away, my life isn't going to get magically easier some day...but I can be cleansed in my situations and get the victory on that way that Jesus made through the flesh. It is my whole heart's desire that more and more people, more moms and dads can hear the truth.....so that children can live in peace and goodness, and parents can love each other, so young people can grow up without demands on them, so friends can get along even when they have different ways of doing things, so that brothers and sisters can be friends......it isn't that Jesus did it all, and we can do nothing!!! There is a good fight to fight, and it is worth it!!! The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed!

And now I will finish preaching.....for now, anyway. I, who hate laws and rules, love the way of salvation. It is freedom from the bondage of one's own sin.....oh yeah, I forgot, I am done with preaching...for now...

our little adventure...

Joseph watched Miss Camille, who did not want to go swimming, while I went in with Sonja, Jonathan, and Charlotte Claire. Miss Charlotte Claire, who is four years old, is a very smart girl. She told me that she knows it is very bad to go near the pool when no grown up is around because "it can catch on fire!" hmm. Okay. Among other things, I suppose.

We swam in the afternoon heat, it was absolutely delicious. Our pool is staying very nice and clean this year, and we are enjoying it.....

When we got out I was surprised how long we had been in there, we had to hurry to make the afternoon movie. Paul was home with Samuel, he said he would take the two little girls somewhere special. I felt a bit better about leaving them behind, then we hurried into nice clothes and out the door. We were the only ones in the theater, and yes, we did get popcorn. I told the kids we could talk during the movie as much as we wanted to, and we did. We sat in the second row, I was in the middle with the popcorn....oh my goodness, it is strange to just have two kids. There were free refills with the popcorn, so we got one on the way out, which Sonja promptly dropped on the floor....all the good buttery stuff fell out. She asked me later if I was embarrassed, I lied and said ,"No, not at all!" I told her it was fine, I was just getting more because it was free and the kids at home would love it. I let them pick where to eat dinner....I offered places we usually cannot afford, but with just the two of them.....well, they insisted on McDonalds. I was mean and took them quickly through the grocery store first, then the drive-thru. They wanted to go play on the indoor playground, but I missed Paul and the little girls.....and I had bought ice cream sandwiches.....can't let those melt.

The kids had fun in the Adirondacks. Evelyn barfed in the car on the way up, they swam at a place with no lifeguard and Suze fell and scraped her leg on a rock, and they explored an abandoned factory. I want to go next time, Emily!

Mali got a job at McDonalds, working the same hours as Aaron....it is nice because he doesn't have to ride to work and back all alone (he never minded, but Mommy did), and because she doesn't have a license or a car. Now they can share the gas costs, and have some fun together, too.

Tomorrow it is supposed to be sunny and warm, in the seventies. We might go to the beach. Paul is on vacation and we have not taken the kids to the beach together yet.

I have been getting things back in order, slowly but surely....the kids picked up all the dollhouse stuff, so it is more tolerable in here now. I can't believe how tiring vacations are! I think when Paul has his real vacation, we might just stay home.....and drive to the beach a few times. All the packing and unpacking....ugh. Well, I might forget about it after a few days, like I always did with the baby's births....ha.

tornado in the livingroom!!!

Okay.....I pack up our dollhouse stuff and bring it to summer conference for Childrens' Day each year. Last year, lots of it didn't get home, it stayed the winter in the camper. This year, we just left one big house, but brought home all the rest of it. Right now, our living room is bearing the brunt of that decision. Dollhouse people and cars and chairs and tables and lamps and slides, all over....but instead of playing in here, they decided to bring some things into Jon's room to play....fine and dandy, but they brought one of the swimming pools in there. And of course, swimming pools have to have WATER in them. On Jonathan's bed. And little children playing with water always need MORE water, until there is laughing and squealing and mayhem, and TOO MUCH WATER. For Jonathan's bed, anyway.

I ordered them out, they have to stay in the living room where I can see them. I am taking a rest, you see, from all the things I have cleaned up and put away, even though if someone stopped in unexpectedly right now, they would never in a million years believe that I have done a stinkin' thing today. I have not finished my morning coffee, since my routine is so out of whack. I told Paul that I am out of my element, but he just looked at me. He knows I have no element.

Now Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille are playing house. They are NOT going to get into the water again. They told me so.

I have not spent the whole morning straightening up and putting things away and doing laundry. No sir, Miss Rosie looks lovely and smells good. She had a bath, then I took her outside to run around and dry by playing fetch with her. Fetch with Rosie consists of me throwing something, this morning it was an empty Lipton Iced Tea bottle, her running and getting it, then me chasing her around to try to get it from her....anyway, she is brushed and I trimmed some of the mats that continuously form in her fur, and she looks sweet and fluffy. Her cage, though, is a different story......the little girls were so graciously feeding her Swedish Fish last night, and I am guessing that is why she barfed in there. I am not going to just leave it there, I am going to pay Joseph big money to clean it up for me. I don't mind the grossness, but I simply cannot get into the back corner of the dog cage.....

Anyway...I am going on an adventure today! More adventurous than the laundry room. To the movies!!!! I am taking Miss Sonja K. and Mr. Jonathan. The other kids got to go to the mountains with Emmy, so I am doing something special with these two. They rarely go to the movies, and I have heard that Toy Story 3 is wonderful on the big screen. So today, we will have some fun. Of course I am tortured by leaving Charlotte Claire and Camille out of the fun....I am the kind of mom who likes to take everyone everywhere, whenever possible. They will have enough fun with Daddy, who is on vacation, ha. Well, he IS fishing with Samuel today. He took him to the place he used to fish when he was a kid. Sam is really good company, he will be interested in hearing Daddy tell about the best fishing spots in the outlet. When they get home, I can take my little friends and go....

Uh-oh, Charlotte Claire is broken hearted. Apparently Jonathan was supposed to marry her, and he married Camille! She just came and told me this, then marched back into the bedroom and told him that "Mom said you have to marry ME", which I did not say.

They are supposed to be playing out here where I can see them, but.....Sonja K. is playing dollhouse, Rosie is washing her paws, the a.c. is on, I could just fall asleep. Last night it was great to be back in my own bed, but Camille had an evil plan to see how many times she could say,
MOMMY without me going totally beserk. It almost worked, but I fought it off. I seriously lost count of how many times I went to her and told her to quiet down and go back to sleep after at least 25 times of getting up. No kidding. She didn't seem totally awake though, and when I talked to her about it this morning, she said she didn't say "Mommy" last night. I feel zombie-ish, so I hope she got it all out of her system last night, and tonight is just for sleeping.

I have one load of clothes all folded and sorted on the couch, I need to put it away before it grows and multiplies...

Great, Jonathan doesn't want to marry Charlotte Claire at all, he wants her to be a boy! She says they have to start all over again, because she IS THE MOM!

I think I have to get up and take them in the pool......

we're home...

And it feels good. I missed Rosie-The-Bad-Dog, and I didn't realize how much I missed this nice spacious house. There's nothing like living in a ten foot wide camper with several kids and a husband for several days to make the old homestead feel huge. Emily took off to the Adirondacks for a few days with Aaron, Mali, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, and Suzanne. So we are rattling around like peas in a pod....Paul and I, Benjamin, Joseph, Samuel, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille.....



It is HOT and HUMID here in central New York....stuffy and sweaty and blah....



Our summer conference at church was lovely. One mom, whom I love dearly, wondered aloud how the kids could possibly have good memories when they are on a sugar high and exhausted....but from the kids' point of view, it is candy from the candy store, and getting to stay up nice and late! Children's Day alone provided free cotton candy, and the kids got to choose from things like making and eating fried dough, tea party and cookie frosting and decorating. They did pool activities, archealological digging, pellet gun and air-soft shooting, graffiti wall, beading and playing with dollhouse stuff. They have their children's meetings, and go to the candy store, play on the playground, go in the bouncy house....fun and more fun. They do not care if they are tired. They certainly don't care if they have had too much sugar.

Today was a day to catch our breath and try to rest up a bit. We swam until Camille reallly wanted to go back to the camper....grilled cheese sandwiches in the air-conditioned camper, then I took a rest with Miss Fuss. I was still as could be, and she fell asleep.....ahh. I was starting to doze, but got a phone call from Ben, wondering when we were coming home...oh well. At least it didn't wake Camille.

Packing up to come home is the worst part, especially when you know you have to go home and unpack it all. I have done a few loads of laundry, but there are still lots of things to put away. I am too tired to do it tonight.

I am too tired to write tonight, too....I have missed it though....