Road Trip

Isn't it just so nice to get away? I made a last minute decision to pack up the car for the weekend and get out of town. Layne was on board so we loaded up and headed out. We love Kohls Ranch. Nothin like a creekside cabin and some good outdoor family time. It was so cold and not a one of them cared.

Flying Solo

Not an easy task when a family outing is planned. Mr M just couldn't swing the time off and my kids hate missing out on the annual Easter picnic with our friends. So I found a baby sitter for number nine that arrived a month ago (more on that later) loaded the beast and I drove out of town a single Mother of 8 for the day. It actually is not that hard when there is so much to entertain them.
Easter egg hunting








Swinging from the trees



Playing creekside




It was a fun happy day. Love the time spent with my kids and I love that they love it so much. It was worth flying solo.

WHAT?

This isn't how you goofy golf?


 

Every sport needs a good bench warmer!



More bench warming......




Thanks Grandma and Grandpa M for coming to town and Auntie C for the fun idea. It was a fun family outing!

We Owned the Joint

Day 5
The Zoo:
I am keeping the kids busy and keeping up on my photo a day.
We heard the first bedroom door creak open at 10 to 6 this morning. I stayed in bed as long as I could, but they all knew we were headed to the zoo, so there was no point really. I passed out swimming suits, packed the towels, grabbed Daddy out of bed and my camera, and we headed out the door to the Zoo. 

Great thing about a family outing is I always take more than one. I am loving black and whites lately. I go through phases, just like my kids. I think mine are nicer though....
The best thing about the Zoo opening at six for members is that NO ONE was there. Well, we were ,and two other small families. We owned the joint. I sure wish I had been doing this all summer long. I may take advantage of the summer hours a few more times.I think these pics prove we had a great time. We stopped for breakfast on the way home and were out  of this crazy heat by 9Am.

Happy Homecoming

Don't we all love one? I do... My nephew came home from his mission today. Oh how I remember what it felt like to leave strangers you fell in love with so easily as you served them. I also remember what it felt like to finally get that long needed hug from Mom and Dad, to return to all  that seemed familiar not so long ago.
WELCOME HOME Elder S.!!!






We are so proud of you!
What would a trip to the airport be if the littles didn't get a chance to drive up to level 9 and watch those planes go by? Ask questions about the loud engines, baggage transport, and how they land? The best is listening to my boys discuss that day when they can put on that suit and tie, board one of those big jets, and do what Big D did!






A morning that was practically perfect ,or at least perfect for us.

Easter Memories

Pic Nics

Creeks

Eggs

Baskets

Family

Great Friends

Fun

Food

Cousins

Pictures

Easter Egg Hunts

Smiles

Candy

Upset Tummies

Chocolate










Hope yours was  as great as ours!!

Can't Seem To.....

Catch up on laundry or get my room cleaned.I am not getting enough sleep these days. My fifteen minute power naps are slipping away from me. My phone never stops ringing. My car needs washed, BADLY.... Wild Thing needs a hair cut! I need to find time to blog (journal) and scrapbook. I am falling seriously behind. I have barely had a chance to shop for Christmas. If Santa refused to show his jolly self this year I am sure there would be mutiny. I realized though that all these things are not really so bad. I can fix all of them. My main reason for not getting to those things are these six pals of mine.

 They are getting tons of face time and we are all loving it. The weather is cooling down and I can be found many afternoons neglecting my house work out in the front yard playing with them. We took a road trip this week. We have taken advantage of Miss M's and C-Dogs later bedtime by playing fun games of UNO over and over.Nothing like a Sunday evening around the table getting some quality time in with the older kids who I feel just don't get enough Mom and Dad time.We laugh and tease and eat snacks. These are the times I want them to remember!! Not the who is that crazy lady over there that used to be my Mom times, or isn't the back of Moms head beautiful? Sure wish she'd get off that computer and pay some attention to me times. I want those times to pale in comparrison. So maybe I will catch up and then again, maybe I won't........

What

we do when we are not blogging. Life, that's what I call it. So much happenin around here, and no time to document it. I feel like I was sucked into a Halloween whirlwind. I mean really, who does not love a good
Halloween Parade?

And Another...

And Another.....

 I really do LOVE seeing my kiddos all dressed up and loving it. It just means alot of out of the house time for me and the small ones. Lot's of adventures happening around here.
We rode one of these,

Halloween Morning with our cousins and the kids LOVED it.Magicians came by and entertained. Lots of kiddos were dressed up. There was face painting and balloons. There was even a theatre car. Can you believe I was camera less? I forgot to put a card in my camera and I was SAD. They gave the kiddos tons of goodies including their own conductor hats. I raced home for some Mini Sessions  and Miss M did not want to miss out. She came out costume on perfectly and ready for her own camera time, poser:)

 I am glad she thought of it. She does make an adorable little cowgirl!
Tricked and treated with the kids. We are still treating of coarse......
I put them all to bed last night hiped up on sugar and stashed all Halloween costumes until next year. Tomorrow I will be saying goodbye to all the fun decor for the year. Time to move on. In fact I started listening to my favorite Christmas CD this week. I just couldn't help myself!! I have a lot of life to live this week. I guess we will see how much I get documented.

As far as

Days go, they don't get much better than today. A semi peaceful morning of breakfst and chores, all leading up to a outing to the D- Backs game for Foster/Adopt day at the ball park. It was amazing to look around and see how many children were there because somebody cared enough to make a difference in their life. Some one took them in when their own parents were unable to care for them for whatever reason. It was fun to see the smiles on their faces. I talked to a Mom behind me, we shared our stories of sadness and triumph. We talked about what a difference these kids have made in our lives. I am grateful for each of my kids they are truly a blessing. Today was Little H and Bubba's first trip to the ballpark. Their excitement was contagious. Miss M and Sissy opted out of the outing and stayed home with Wild thing and the babysitter. Miss M went last year and told me it was boring and she would rather stay home. Oh well, I guess my little princess is not into sports. The rest of us had a great time.....

A chance to ride on Daddy's shoulders.

A chance to get your very own Bobble head, and make funny faces to scare any possible Bobble head thieves away:)He also had his moment on the jumbo tron with his sucker and his death grip on the poor Bobble head.

A chance to spend time as brothers,

and with Dad.

I guess if it gets a little boring you can take a nap amongst a crowd of screaming people. I think you have to be really tired to accomplish that.

Here's to baseball,

and a fun filled family afternoon. Even if we were short a few.