Camping with the Cousins

We made a mad dash trip to NC for a long Labor Day weekend. The driving was horrendous, but the camping was a blast. Fortunate for Jake he does have boy cousins! They are all finally old enough to play together and have a good time romping in the dirt.

Of course there is nothing better then getting all dolled up in the woods. Manicure anyone????

Brooke fell in love on this trip. But who wouldn't? Just look at that handsome kid!

Mmmmm. Smores. Actually I would have to say that the best part of this whole trip (besides the good company of course) was the amazing food that Moss' brother Talo made for us all. It was seriously gourmet-shish kabobs, fish, & pasta. Not to mention that any time I don't have to cook is a fantastic vacation!

Wonderful Friend

How can you ever express enough how wonderful it is to have such amazing friends? This fabulous little herb garden was waiting for me on my porch after spending 3 hours, with all the kids in tow, at Costco waiting for my tires to be changed in vain. They did not realize until they had the van in the dock that the tires were snow tires. As anyone knows moving is a very stressful and demanding experience, and there is nothing quite like having wonderful friends to get you through it. Thanks!

Fun on the Farm

I wonder if my kids will ever tire of feeding goats and cows. It seems that we can't get enough of petting zoos. We thought we were headed for a nice free day at a peach festival (which it was advertised as), but by the time we got there a serious down pour was occuring, and they were charging like 2 dollars for each of the little kid games. We decided to waited out the rain, had some yummy ice cream and spent a few dollars feeding the animals. It turned out to be a good experience and we had a good time.

Tips and Tricks

So this stroller is my life saver. It is actually my indoor stroller. I couldn't decide what to do about high chairs, so I got this stroller (on craigslist of course) and thought it might work. It is the best idea I have stumbled upon in a while. I just set the girls in there, and push them around the house as I go. They can play and eat, pull each others hair, and poke the other in the eye. And most importantly they are off the floor protected from a little 3-year-old that also lives here:)

First Day of School

The kids were a little apprehensive about starting their first day in a new school, but spirits were high and it was only a half day. They all seem to have good teachers, and are still enjoying class. All I have to say is that having 3 kids in school and Mary having a more demanding assignments is wearing me out. But we are all glad to be back into the swing of things.

Babes at the Beach

So this little tent makes going to the beach possible with the girls. It just pops out on its own and it is ready to go. Throw down a few bumbos and hand out the pretzles and the babies are good to go. I forbid the big kids from entering with their sandy feet and it seems to work out pretty well. We had a little beach playdate, and it was finally so hot that swimming in the frigid water was actually refreshing instead of horrifyingly cold. While we had a good time, you wouldn't believe what one has to haul to the beach for 6 little kiddos.

The Local Beach

We decided to head over to a local beach on a lake here in town for FHE. It was much more crowded than we expected, but we had a good time. There seems to be nothing more enjoyable to a kid than water and sand.

Anna and Mary had a great time being thrown in the air. Usually we go out without dad, so I spend the time taking care of the babies and the older kids are left to fend for themselves. They love to have Dad along to entertain them.

Brooke is quite an imaginitive little girl. She can pretend play by herself for hours. Makebelieving all sorts of wonderful things. It is fun to listen in and see what is going through her clever little mind.

Going Private

I am not sure why I made my blog "un" private, but for a few reasons I have decided to make it private again. If you like to peek in on our family from time to time leave your email address and I will send you an invite. If you have been invited in the past I think you are automatically reinstated.

Pictures from the past

The Zoo

So we decided to check out a local zoo not too far from our house. It was definitely smaller than what we are used to and the kids were not as gracious about it as I would have liked. I don't know what the animals were thinking by not doing tricks for us as we walked by!

Unfortunately it was a very hot and muggy day, but we did get to see a bird show which was pretty cool (until they forced us through the gift shop to get out.) Despite their complaints, the kids had a good time and were able to see at least a few interesting things.

Several people did compliment the kids on their good behavior. I should be more grateful and maybe lower my expectations for perfection are a little unrealistic... But the best part of all is, thanks to the local library program we got in free.

Sweet Aleia

Sweet Lillian

More of Downtown

We took a break from the water and strolled down through Quincy market. (If I was more up to snuff on my history, I could tell you the significance of this particular market:) But they sell lots of touristy stuff that my kids tried really hard not to want.

And back to more water fun. This fountain shoots up a ton of water. The kids played and played.