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Apple Orchard

I forgot. What would fall be without a trip to the apple orchard. When Grammy and Grampy Army came to town, we headed to the orchard and had a lovely time. And we picked up one of those old-fashioned apple peelers. They are fantastically wonderful for peeling a ton of apples quickly. The kids loved to help and it did make the work "easy as pie".

It's been awhile.....

So long infact, that I have been trying to post for over a week without success because I couldn't remember my password and google wouldn't let me on. I think we have that fixed now, so here is an update.

1. Construction: We are building Patrick's mom a little house on our property. The best neighbor in the world (well, ok, we have been blessed to have several best neighbors over the course of our many homes, but the current best neighbor is the foreman of this job) and things are progressing right along. I've decided construction is great fun for men, and overrated for women. I just want it done and my house back in order....but patience is a virtue I'm working on it.

2. Fall Days in the Mountains:

We won a trip to stay in a mountain cabin, and we did just that a few weekends ago. The kids, namely Sean, were a bit worried about the cabin details...was there running water, would it be cold? I packed EVERYTHING we could need including toilet paper. We took a one-mile, bumpy, narrow road up a mountain, right up to the top, and saw the house. Then without blinking, the kids asked if we could live there forever. Ummmm..no! But it was great.

3. Currently we are making 9 costumes for the kids. This is how it works ever fall now.....costumes for All Saints Day followed by Halloween costumes. This year we have: St. Clare, St. Luke, St. Dominic, St. Michael the Archangel, Blessed Mother Theresa. For Halloween we have: A Spartan, a spy, 2 pirates, and baby chicken. A lot of fun....a lot of work. I'll post pictures..right now we are still working.

Planes, trains, and automobiles...the wedding crashers version

Those two movies played themselves out last weekend as Patrick, Lucy, and I traveled to Chicago for my cousin's wedding. Chicago.....did I blink because I may have missed it. The plan was to catch a flight to Chicago early on Saturday. A direct flight. Less than two hours. Then once in Chicago visit with family for several hours, take a nap, hit a wedding, sleep in a fancy hotel, and catch a flight back home by 9am. Chicago in less than one day so that the four children remaining at home wouldn't miss us too much. And so the house at home wouldn't show four children and a babysitter had been their for 24 hours without a parent.





Well, didn't quite go that way. Half an hour before landing at O'Hare the pilot let us know there were bad storms on the ground and we would circle for 30 minutes. Thirty minutes later he let us know O'Hare had closed. We had little fuel and could circle no longer. We were heading to Indianapolis to refuel. We hit Indianapolis. The passengers got cranky (remember this was supposed to be a direct flight....who packs snacks for that?) We were allowed off the plane for thiry minutes to grab food. We reboarded and had wheels up at 3pm......Wedding at 4:30. No nap, no visiting relatives. Would we make it? Luckily, I had just read a childrens chapter book with my kids and the one thing that stuck with me was how the mom remained cheerful through the book despite the adversity and challenges of raising those Mitchell children (read any of the books in the Mitchell series......I love them). Throught the airplane fiasco, my mind kept turning to her and kept telling Patrick " we must remain cheerful". It worked.





We hit O'Hare at 3:45.....it was a 45 minute metro ride (train) into downtown. Too close, so we surpassed the $5 train for a $40 taxi. We got to the outdoor wedding site as all were seated and in place for the wedding. We were in our shorts.....we changed in the middle of the street. This took finesse, but we did it. We sat down as the bride walked up the aisle. All a success. We danced, and saw relatives, and ate, and drank. I watched the little nephews at the wedding. One, the ring bearer, ended up in the fountain to his waist. In his tux. I emptied the water out of his shoes while laughing. Only on my watch. Anyhow, we checked into the hotel at 11pm. The Palmer house is a very pretty hotel from what I can remember....we checked out by 7am so not much time to process details. We did get to ride the train back to the airport, where we boarded a plane that made it all the way from Chicago to Charlotte without stopping. Only it was a very, very bumpy flight....we almost tossed our breakfast before we landed.

I'm happy to be home for a while, until a road trip in October.

3 Birthdays in a nutshell

The beginning of August is such a busy month for us. Three birthdays in ten days. This year we partied hard. First up was my dear hubby's special day. I decided to make a "special" cake for my special guy. The guy who rarely east sugary goodness or toast for that matter...or bread of any kind. His motto is why eat carbs, when you can drink them? I still can't comprehend his restraint with all things floury, but I am really not complaining because have you seen his muscles lately???? I should probably refrain from bread to, but I am weak. Anyhow, the cake.....low carb, made from black beans, no refined sugar only honey....and lots of eggs, which happen to be Patrick's favorite food. Batter tasted alright....cake, a little less than alright. I am convinced there is no good cake without flour or sugar. I'll try to think of something for next year. Until then, black beans for burritos, not cake. On a more festive note. His great friend from Texas helped him buy stereo speakers for the pool. I am currently listening to Bon Jovi blaring outside. I love Bon Jovi. My kids can sing Bon Jovi. I am proud and remembering a summer spent with a friend, a boombox, and Bon Jovi lyrics.

Next was Luke's day. He is 11. I can't believe it. He can babysit himself and sleeping babies while I run errands (wow....). He is becoming quite perceptive as to my status during the day. He can sense frustration and generally tries to rally the troops to avoid overflow. Most remarkably, he does this without looking for wine or wineglasses as a sign. He just gets it, most days. Any future wife will be blessed! He is turning into quite the gentleman, and it is fun to enjoy a conversation with him. His sense of humor makes me laugh, reminds me of his father. He is quite adept at showering little brothers and assisting a 3 year-old with the potty. This is no small feat. He can unload the dishwasher in record time most days, and despite asking every Thursday for the ratio of milk to flour, he can make great biscuits and gravy. We love him and are so thankful for him and his helping hands.

Then came Max....Three?! Max just makes us laugh. His face crinkles when he laughs and he laughs a lot, when he isn't yelling to tell a story. Or just yelling to yell. He is three. He enjoyed his day, with a pool party the day before and a dance at church in the evening. He is three going on thirty. He loves to have big kids jobs (when he feels like working). He loves to be outside digging. He loves his little sister and all the big kids before him. He is a blessing. He is such a special guy. He will start preschool this week. Perhaps this will help all of us get school done in an efficient manner. He likes the school. They have screwdrivers and screws...and he can use them!

THE summer visit

Our great friends from far away Texas came for a week visit. Oh what fun to catch up. To watch older kids play together (when did they get so big?). To watch younger kids learn to forge friendships (just how did all these kids get here?). We had some grand adventures like a trip to a mountain stream, gem mining, and science center learning. We had lots of at home adventures like swimming, swing set playing, dog walking, camp fire building, monopoly games, and play dough making. It is always so good to see our friends. It makes my heart rest in good company and helpful hands (11 kids, imagine the cooking, and clean-up......add in a broken stove, stove repair and household fix-up projects). It was soooo....much fun that the adults stayed up too late every.single.night. It is too bad these visits happen only about once a year. But it has turned into the highlight on our calendar and something we all look forward to.

Big Red

We got a new car....a really, really, big new car. Or more accurately, a 15 passenger van. I love it! Yes it is quite big...which is a bit scary on these narrow, tree-lined NC roads. But, I can easily fit all the kids, and groceries, and a stroller all at the same time, with lots of room left over (if we remove one of the benches). When our good friends were in town with their 6 kids, we could all ride together on adventures. I do feel like I should have a logo about day care transporation on the side of the van, but overall I am thrilled with the purchase. Did I mention I can fit all the kids and groceries easily....and that if placed correctly no child can touch another?! I find it funny that my first new car, and dream car just happened to be a 15 passenger van. A car I said I would "never drive". Two cheers for "Big Red", the newest member of the family.

summer so far......

Wow...it is just flying by....Here is what we have been up t0.

1. Lots of projects around the yard. To the point we have hired out friends and their older children to help us. Frankly, with how busy life is in general (five kids will do that, especially when one is a nursing baby) we just can't get it all done. We decided it wasn't worth going crazy so we did a ton ourselves and hired out help for one weekend.

2. The biggest project as of late is the swing-set. The set that has been yard art since mid-April. My wonderful husband decided that despite setbacks with the company, he could put it together himself....in two weeks.....before our friends and their six kids showed up. The man is wonderful because as we speak he is outside finishing. We haven't seen him all week because afterwork he changes clothes and doesn't come in until past 9:30....every single night. This a man who sticks to his word. I love him so. Here are the pictures.

3. The children pitched in with their fair share of yard work...and then some. Perhaps tiredness led way to crankiness, I'm not sure, but the children surprised us with dinner on the patio. They dressed-up to serve us. They made a menu and had candles. Luke even looked at me...covered in sweat and dirty clothes and said, "Maybe you should dress up...or change or something?" After a quick look, he just handed me a glass of wine and escorted me to my seat. That boy is learning quickly! It was a great date night.

4. A family Charleston Vacation! We loved going back to one of our "homes" with extended family. We had a great time at the beach. Luke, Sarah, and Sean were in the ocean the whole time boogie boarding. I'm convinced if we had stayed in a beach city, Sean would have been an avid surfer. The kids got to play with their little cousins which was a treat to watch. I loved seeing all the beauty in that great city, but it was very, very hot. The kids loved the nights spent sleeping at the home of good friends.

Good friends from afar

We were lucky to get a day to visit with good friends from Med School. Jeff and Liz and their two lovely little ones spent the day playing and swimming with us. Unfortunately, I didn't get any great photos of the kids, but I got this one of the guys. Ten years didn't make a dent in the roll of laughter, as they joked and had us laughing all day.

He's 6!

OK...so I'm a bit late, but we celebrated Sean's 6th birthday last month. He wanted a Buzz Lightyear party and a bowling adventure. We did the usual decorating of the kitchen, and Patrick made one his famous "ice cream/cookie cakes". Sarah made Sean a cute buzz lightyear toy. It involved a shoe box, colored clay, and buzz and woody figures. We splurged at the bowling alley and had soda and pizza. He had a fun day and we enjoyed his bowling antics. He is making great strides in his studies--despite not studying due to Lucy. I have noticed lately, that he can read....anything. I may have to skim through our readers and jump way ahead, because some how he has learned all sorts of phonics without me! He is riding bikes, swimming like a fish, and getting a bit better with chores (less tears). He loves Lucy and the rest of the bunch. He keeps us laughing with his dead-pan delivery of humor. We love our big kid.

If time could stand still

I would remember happy days with a new baby who seems to be growing much faster than I would ever wish her to. They really don't stay small for all that long. Lucy's siblings adore her more every day...if that is possible. Max can be quite protective. Luke mentioned how he can't wait to see her toddle around the house. Sean makes sure she gets hugs and kisses every night (just how he made sure to hug and kiss my belly every night while pregnant). And Sarah is just so happy to have a sister...and today we shopped for some "matching outfits".

Lucy's baptism

Lucy was baptized this past weekend, and we were blessed to have my brother and his family and my parents in for the event. Lucy's godparents and their kids drove in from Connecticut as well. We loved our full house and all the love Lucy received from them. Plus, it was a riot to watch 6 kids under 6 play together. We had a party at church with friends and a bbq at home with family. Now we are back to entertaining ourselves....which is, admittedly, less fun.

Lucy's days

I am really enjoying this "babymoon". I remember sleepless nights from the past and the stress of worrying about when I would ever sleep again. This time around it is all joy (for the most part!). Perhaps it took me five kids to realize I will sleep again...someday. And crying does end at some point (although Lucy doesn't cry all that much). It is such joy to see the kids and their love for her. Sean asked yesterday, while she was sleeping, "Can I just go and look at her face?" When she fusses, someone is always ready to hold and cuddle her. They gently rub her little face and sing her songs. She spends many hours sleeping on my chest, which never would have happened a few babies ago. I now realize, these days don't last long. And while they are sometimes exhausting, it is all gift. And we are thankful!

We are even more thankful now that our week of being hooked-up to the bili-blanket is over!