Fair Season

Nate has been taking Wednesday afternoons off for some family time. We usually ask the kids what they want to do. This week was fair week and as we drove past the fairgrounds the consensus was that we would go to the fair IF Dad said we had enough money.

Nate, Halley, Todd and Andi decided to spend all of their money at the fair so that Dad didn't have to.

We were able to treat them to a couple of rides this year but what was the most fun for us as parents was watching that money burn holes in their pockets. As we would walk around they would see something that said 1.00 and it didn't matter what it was, they wanted it because it matched what they had in hand. They would patiently wait in line and then order based on color and price and what photos were visible to them.

Nate tried his best to 'guide' them to things that were less expensive and maybe would even taste better...

...I was reminded of us as God's children and how we so often reach for those things that are 'visible' or what we see as attainable.

So often I find myself soooo grateful for those who have 'guided' me to those things that I didn't even know were there... Things that were 'better' for me (the best)...

~Robyn

PictureLESS post!!!

Yep, here it is folks. A post withOUT photos. I am officially cameraLESS as it has 'died'.

BUT, this last week has been SUPER exciting with all of the family from all over coming together for a reunion here at our home. We had my Uncle Jeff and his family from Nepal. My Uncle Mike and his family from Mississippi. My Aunt Shellie and her family from Moses Lake, Washington, and then her children (who are my cousins:) from here and there. My Aunt Penny and her family from Honduras and then one of her daughters from here. My Aunt Sue and her daughters from north Washington. My sister and her two girls. My Grandparents who were celebrating their Sixtieth wedding anniversary and then we had six people who were friends of some of my relatives come and join us for a couple of afternoons.

One of my cousins took some photos and I'll get them off the card and organized at some point and post a few.

We made TieDyed shirts, ate a LOT of food and drinks, played horseshoes, ping-pong, disc golf, watched a slideshow of 'back then'... And so many other things (but I have to go to bed now:).

It was a SUPER wonderful few days and well worth all the effort that people made to come out and see each other. The Lord blessed us with great weather and kids who played WELL together and relatives who pitched in and did all of the work.

Something that we all really were here for and grateful for is...

TO BE CONTINUED...

4th of July worst parents of the year award!!!

We planned, we waited, we anticipated, we saved our $$. We told the kids that the 5th of July we were going to go buy fireworks (because they were half off by then and we could get so much more for our $$. We didn't even go SEE the fireworks this year...

We spent time talking about why we celebrate this day and why it is such a big deal and why we even have fireworks...

The 5th we load up, ALL the kids had a dollar in their pockets to spend. We drive through our town and all of the firework stands were already closed. No problem, we'll just drive into the larger city and keep looking.

Nate then called me. "Umm... honey..... we have a problem. They passed a new ordinance that said you can't sell fireworks after midnight on the 4th. In face even if you DID have some left over it was illegal to shoot any off. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?"

The kids had been anticipating this for MONTHS. We had them wait this entire week and didn't even take them to a firework show...

What an AWEFUL feeling to have created such anticipation in your own little ones and then have circumstances 'out of your control' make it NOT happen.

Reactions were that a few of them cried/SOBBED. One of them came up with a

nother idea. The 'little' ones just looked at their dollar as if to say "then what do I do with this dollar now".

We asked them how we could make it up to them and it was unanimous that we should go to the dollar store. We did and guess what we found??.... FIREWORKS. Not anything amazing but they had the firework packaging and they made sounds when you pulled the strings and snapped them together. THOSE ARE FIREWORKS when you are little.

The kids were thrilled, or I should say... that made up for it a little.

We'll NEVER WAIT to celebrate the 4th of July again!!!

Our newest little man!! (Update)

He was super cheery this morning which is very typical of him, I'm just usually not in the cheeriest mood to take some photos. It was cold in the room so we bundled up and took a bunch of photos (and for you ladies who took the class with me, I took 110 photos in 3 minutes and only got about 15 super good ones like this, TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS:)

Vancy Pance is what the kids like to call this little man. (I think we need a new nickname).

He's growing, sleeping, happy, and again a pretty forgiving little man. We ALL like him. Even Trae is soooooo gentle and holds him for 10 minutes at a time. He doesn't move, just sits there and pats him and talks gentle to him (baby talk) and gives him little mooches (kisses).

It Warms My Heart!

I absolutely LOVE it when I see my children working together, playing together, sticking up for each other, and just plain loving on each other. It's not a natural thing to do and just when I feel as if I've failed in helping them see HOW to practically live out this unnatural thing called kindness/love, the Lord lets me see a little glimpse. It warms my heart.

Friends

We went and spent the weekend with some friends and they were gracious to sit through a FREEZING cold photo shoot. They would shed the jackets right before we 'posed', pretended not to be cold (and starving, because it was right at dinner time) and then bundled up waiting for the next....They spoiled us rotten, made all the meals, gave us our own apartment, the kids got to sleep in little cubbies and lofts, drove the kids around on the 4 wheelers... We had a great time AND got some rest, usually those two don't go together (fun and rest).

Growing Up!!

Here we are at 5 weeks old already. We've made it through the 'baby puberty' as we call it. When the little guys pores are opening up, makes for a bunch of little acne. That is all smoothing out now. He's still eating good, sleeping wonderfully and the kids have all adjusted nicely and we are back to a more 'normal' schedule. Finishing up school this week. The kids will have finished all of their books and we are already ordering for next year. ( I have to stay ahead of things these days).

Now we are preparing for when it is not raining. Getting the house all organized and put together a somewhat of a system of how we do things. I haven't been up to even thinking along these lines since we moved in. Getting all the decorations out and thinking about putting up some photos to make things more homey. The windows desperately need washing (inside and out) and there is a TON of touch up paint to be done all around the house.

Man if feels nice to have motivation. Watch out kids and get ready to work hard and play hard.