Friday, April 30, 2010

My Life is a Circus, Well Carnival....No Really, It Is

Photobucket
This shot is by my daughter Caitlin----sooooo cool!

I'm not kidding, the first Sunday in May my life is a carnival. We live in a lovely older neighborhood, and we have an enormous field across the street from us. Well, every year we celebrate Ferndale Day. Not sure what we're celebrating, but, hey, any excuse for pony rides, a petting zoo, a rockin' band, a beer garden, and carnival rides right across the street from our house, I'm so there!!! The kids are soooo excited. We skipped church today, because after the parade at noon, oh yeah, I forgot to mention, we have a parade to kick things off (!!!!!) our street is packed with pedestrians and almost impassable via l'auto. So we just hunker down, and enjoy the fun! This year, for the first time, we have a full blown carnival at the end of the street, not just a couple of the token rides that usually show up. But a scaled down version of the real deal. Even has cotton candy and funnel cakes, yummy carnie treats.
Dan was able to get out in his wheelchair for the parade with the girls, I, unfortunately, missed it because I was getting a very cranky Samuel to sleep. So, no pictures of the parade, and when I did take the girls and Sam over to the carnival, I forgot my camera, so you'll just have to take my word for it that they loved their pony rides, and had a blast at the petting zoo, and that there was an extremely kind gentleman that had a kettle corn booth ( I mean, the real deal, complete with the enormous copper kettle, yummmmm), who, when I bought a medium bag for the kids to share, gave each of the kids their own bag of kettle corn along with the medium bag that I took home to Daniel. They were all smitten, and thanked him again and again. Walking this road of semi poverty has been a humbling experience, but I'm sooo glad to see that it has also served to further make appreciative children, extremely grateful for every little little gift or show of kindness. They have their moments, don't get me wrong, we all do, especially me, but, all in all that's one thing I'm grateful for.
Anyhow, back to Ferndale Day, we went home for a rest, and went back over, this time with my camera. I know, finally! I mean, I'm hardly ever without it anymore, so unlike me! So, there's a steep hill at the back of the field and they had a blast climbing and rolling down this hill, and we went home with extremely filthy, tired, but very happy children. Here are a few shots I did get to take....

 
Photobucket

Gotta love those baby toes......can't get enough of em'

Photobucket

Clara was hot and tired....poor baby....

Photobucket



Photobucket

Sam was just lovin' life...ok, and the kettle corn....

Photobucket

So did Kyri...


Photobucket


Photobucket

Toffee and Honey were terribly good sports, but I think they were ready to go home...

Photobucket

The hay maze this year was not what it usually was, but the girlies seemed to have a blast racing through it anyhow...

Photobucket

Clara dancin' on top of the world.....she seems to like the view from there......

Photobucket

Elly chose to just lounge at the top.....

Photobucket

Clara climbing her way up for the umpteenth time.....she had sooo much fun!

Photobucket

I have no idea why I took this shot, maybe the graphic, and I mean artsy graphic quality, get your mind out of the inside of the......oh never mind....when you can't see light, it's time to stop diggin', I'll shut up now........

Photobucket

We had such a fun time, not much money. May your day be blessed as we are....

Only Because of Jesus,

anne

PS Oops! I just realized that I started this post on Friday, in anticipation of Sunday, and didn't finish it until 5/5/10, sorry about the date confusion!





Thursday, April 29, 2010

Sister Love

Photobucket

Caitlin and Clara have a special bond.....no expalining it, they just do. All the little sisters and Sam think of her as the "fun one" because she's the one that will roll around on the floor with them and chase them until they're giggling so hard they can hardly breathe. The giggles are just delicious , there's nothing like little girl giggles. No doubt about it they are the most contagious things in the world, more contagious than swine flu or the latest bug being passed around the playground. The exception being, this is a bug I want to catch again and again, I never get tired of it!

Some dear friends took the girls to the circus in Baltimore last week. They had soooo much fun!!! Thank you Hugh and Mels --you have no idea how much you've blessed our family!!! Anyhow, that said, they got these incredibly fun hats with their cotton candy. Love it!!!


Photobucket


Photobucket

Gotta run!! I have a date. No, it's not with my incredibly handsome husband, though, I'm ALWAYS up for a date with him! It's with our newly turned 13 year old, Madeleine. I can't wait! I love all of our girls, but each is so different, I love getting one on one time with each of them. I love to hear what's on their hearts, how they see things, the young women they're becoming. I love to see them grow. These little women God has entrusted to us, are so amazing to me. They just blow me away on a regular basis. I am truly blessed. Yep, blessed.

May your day be blessed....

Only Because of Jesus,

anne

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Lovin' the Boy

Photobucket



After five girls I have to say, I'm lovin' having a boy. Full stop, lovin' it! I love how he runs everywhere. Back and forth, to nowhere in particular, he runs on his delicious little chunky baby legs, and then, all of a sudden, as if realizing that I'm there, looks up and not just his face but his entire being lights up. It's magical. No other word for it.

Photobucket


Photobucket

Photobucket


Those big blue eyes, handsome dimples (I'm a sucker for a man with dimples, his Daddy has dimples and I think he's the most handsome guy in the world.....hmmmm I detect a pattern here......) just appear, and the arms start waving about in glee, and you'd think someone was handing him the crown jewels, or at the very least a really cool football, but no, it's all for me. I'm savoring every second of it.

Photobucket


I love how in the midst of all the toys, he finds his favorite Woody cowboy doll, and the trucks and weeds them out to play with.

Photobucket


He also is currently in love with an old cell phone, loves the buttons, but he'll put it up to his ear and give whoever he's talking to an earful, then fold the phone up and promptly launch it into a forward pass across the living room (the boy's got a good arm, I think Navy might just have their quarterback for 2027).


Photobucket

I love how his sisters love him. Teenagers to age 5, they all adore him, his groupies. They'd do anything for him. Anything. They love to make him smile, and he looks for them when he wakes up in the morning or after his naps, can't wait to find his girlies.

Photobucket

Photobucket


Poor kid, I hope he never learns that not all women will love him this much. I know he will eventually, I do, but he'll have five older sisters to comfort him if another girl breaks his heart. I find comfort in that, although, I think we might have to warn the girl his posse is very protective......... lol!


Photobucket


I love how his Daddy loves his boy. He would've been thrilled with another girl, but God surprised us with Samuel, and even though he has sooo many physical challenges, and is in so much pain, he's always happy to see his children, to spend time with them on our bed, where he spends most of his time. They are always welcome, even our wiggly little toddler boy, who adores his Daddy sooooo very much. He's the first one he seeks out when we're in our bedroom. He stands up on his tippy toes and peeks up over the edge of the bed to see if Daddy is watching, and is over the moon when he is!

Photobucket

A ball of excitement, and then, when I put him on the bed, he makes a beeline for his Daddy and parks himself in his spot on the pillow right next to him, because, Daddy IS , after all, the coolest! Yes, he is Samuel, yes, he is.

Just thinkin'. Just feelin' grateful. Just feelin' blessed.

May your day be blessed.....

Only Because of Jesus,

anne

No comments:
Newer Posts Home

My Blog List

Blog Archive

About Me