A Look Back at the Last of 2013

I haven't posted in quite a while.  Since the school year started its been pretty hectic.  Not in a bad way either.  It's just been busy.  One things for sure, I have my hands full.  The kids are growing so fast.  The boys are so energetic...there are some days I wonder how we have any men!  The boys are so adventurous and are constantly getting some sort of bump or scrape...it's a miracle they survive to adulthood.  H has gotten huge! Growing like a weed. A2 had his yearly heart check, and got the all clear for the next two years!  Doc said he's healthy and has no restrictions for now. The girls have certainly seen a lot of growth.  K will be nine in two weeks.  Can you believe that!  She had definately left behind the "little girl" years and seems to be maturing quickly.  She is quite the artist.  She has taken up tap dance and has picked it up quick.  We went to her first recital and she was amazing.  Her love of archery continues to grow as well.  She is mastering it very quickly.  S is quite the character.  She enjoys reading and picks most things up quickly.  She is in her second year of ballet and we are looking forward to her big performance this spring.  A1 is our little clown.  She finds humor in anything!  She is beginning to read as well and S loves to sit with her and teach her all the sounds and blends.  The girls will be ridding a lot more soon.  It's a bit icy now but as soon as spring gets here we will be investing more time into it.  School is going well, we are sticking to it...for the most part.  I love the flexibility of homeschool.


 For the last two month I have been a crocheting machine! I made my parents a granny square throw, and pot holders...lot's of pot holders for the family.  I have a VERY large extended family.  My Marine Dolls have become quite  a hit.  I get a lot of requests for the pattern, and they sell like hot cakes on Etsy...I had to close my shop early for the holiday season..I was getting to overwhelmed with orders on top of the gifts I was trying to make.

My own personal arsenal.

Baby blanket for our very good friends expecting their first.

I have inherited the family Thanksgiving.  I had a great time cooking and decorating!  We had 17 people in the house!  What a great day!

I turned 30! gasp! I know I'm soooooo old! (please note the sarcasm)  I certainly don't feel old.  As a matter of face I'd much rather be where I am at now than where I was ten years ago!

 Christmas was awesome! The kids got much of what they wanted.  We don't go to crazy, as Christmas, to us, is about Christ and family.  Hubby really spoiled me!  He bought me a designer purse.  I have NEVER owned a designer purse...I'm feeling kind of fancy. 

Hubby's big gift...a new hat...goes well with the winter beard!

Yes, that is  my son crawling around in his underpants....at least he had those on!

S got the real deal! Leather Cowgirl boots.

So here is a ton of pictures to some up that last few months!

School fair

S turned seven...this is her "Daddy Date"

This is one store...one trip....feeding a family of seven

Superhero Party

A2 turned 3! His latest infatuation is with Captain America, and anything super hero related.  He and his sisters raid my pots and pans cabinet and use my pot lids for shields.  What a better way to play on that than Super Hero Party!  I sent out an evite to join us for super hero training camp.  I purchased 6 yards of felt fabric and made 24 capes.  My kiddos got custom made ones, they picked out their colors and patterns, but everyone else I just made a bunch of generic shapes.  I ordered a pinata and some table covers from Oriental Trading Co.  For the picture booth and jail I went to the Sears distribution center and got the super thick honeycomb cardboard.  I cut out a city scape and covered it with a black plastic table cloth from the dollar store.  For the front city, I picked up a presentation board that was already black.  Add some post its for the city lights, and a blue table cloth behind it all and TA DA! Pictures from it turned out great. I made a bunch of cupcakes, and our family punch. 

As kids arrived they decorated a mask and picked out a cape.  They where then ushered over to the picture area.  As soon as they where done they went outside.  My oldest kids helped out.  I picked up silly string from the dollar store and the kids played target practice with it.  Hubby and his friends were given black capes.  I told all the kids to keep an eye out for the bad guys in the black capes.  Hubby would go around and harass the kids, then the kids would chase him around, catch him and take him to the cardboard jail.

They learned how to tie up the bad guys with paper streamers.  They played this way for an hour or so.  We then moved onto the pinata.  I really build the suspense for it!  Hubby and his friend hid behind the cars.  I told the kids to keep a close eye out for those bad guys.  As my back was turned and I was giving directions about the pinata, they snuck up and snatched it.  They took off into the woods with 25 kids tearing after them.  The men put up a good fight but where overpowered by the kids, tied up and hauled off to jail!  The kids had such a great time, so did we.  Watch all this kiddos laugh and play, no arguing. 

Kids came in to make their masks and capes.

Hubby and one of his friends getting tied up.

He was so sweet, having everyone sing to him embarrassed him.

We are blessed with such an amazing group of families.

Captured!

A and hubby with the pinata...He got a Captain America sweatshirt for his birthday.

So starts another school year

Smells like Heaven

My house smells like heaven right now! Surely, spiced pear butter, spaghetti sauce, and cinnamon pear sauce are God ordained smells! I have all three! It's that time of year, harvesting, canning, schooling.  It's kind of a crazy time, but it's nice to appreciate the small stuff.  I canned 100 lbs of peaches and 60 pounds of pears! I take the peals and cores from the pears, run them through the mill and made pear butter and pear sauce.  If you have never had the privilege of eating Vanilla Spiced Pear Butter...you  have no idea what your taste buds are missing!  And the spaghetti sauce! mmmm mmmm mmmm! I grew up in an Italian family.  Our Christmas Eve was never a turkey or ham dinner...oh no..it was Nana's homemade manicotti and lasagna...don't ever mention the one year she made a frozen lasagna, let's just say it'll never happen again!  Dad made spaghetti sauce from scratch...I'm talking the biggest stock pot I've ever seen! He'd freeze it, then when it was spaghetti night we'd defrost some.  You'd think it would get boring after awhile but oh no.  Our spaghetti was always different, he'd add leftovers to the sauce.  You heard me, left overs.  Like chicken or steak, pork chops...you name it.  So tonight, I am thinking of him as I add last nights chicken and squash to my sauce, and it will be amazing!

Saucy awesomeness

Pear sauce