The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (In A Nutshell)

December 30, 2014December 30, 2014 / amylynw / 2 Comments

The past month has been epic. I forgot my camera for the first big event, but snagged a few of my sisters’ photos. My brother-in-law planned a fabulous surprise birthday for my oldest sister. The day before, my brother hatched a plan to fly up here for a couple of hours to surprise her. It worked. I picked him, my nephew, and niece up from the local airport an hour before the party started. I felt like a little girl, back in the middle of Africa, waiting for him and my sister to fly home from boarding school. My other sister and I would listen for the sound of the small Cessna flying in from where they went to school. First a distant hum, then louder until we could see the plane circling over our station. This was slightly different, since he was the actual pilot this time, and his son was texting me from the airplane. But those distant memories were stirred from the corners of my brain, and I actually jumped up and down and screamed just like I did when I was Betty’s age. From our house, I heard the airplane and saw it coming in for landing. We raced to the van to drive the mile to the airport to pick them up and head over to the surprise party.
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Here we are, youngest to oldest. It was such a treat to be together, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

My nephews, the oldest and youngest of my parent’s 18 grand-kids, spanning 18 years apart. So precious.
A few weeks ago, the kids and I took a secret drive to Valley Forge for a Christmas photo shoot. I was excited at the forecast of snow flurries that day, and was imagining their white little selves falling on our noses and eyelashes in picture perfect clarity. What really happened was a lot of this:
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Also a lot of shivering and red noses. DSC_6083-2
Eventually we came up with a winner, where everyone was looking, no one was doing peace signs behind anyone’s back, no one was saying, “I’m freezing!” and no one was sticking out their tongue.
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Although, they’re all pretty fun. We did one more shoot outside because the flurries were starting. Everyone sat down and this happened:
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But then this happened, which is pretty sweet. DSC_6149-2
Oh, and the flurries stopped once they sat down. Go figure. DSC_6147-2
This month there has been a lot of this as well:
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The Sunday before Christmas there was another attempted photo shoot of the kids. This one turned out great.

The rest pretty much followed this pattern:
Christmas Eve was spent at the Weldon’s house with family. After many attempts at getting a picture with Matthew, 99% of them being blurry, like this:
One finally turned out crisp and clear.

Our yearly tradition of Santa coming to town was a success. All of our kids know it’s really Uncle Jon, but they still play along for the most part.
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Christmas was a lovely day here at home. We didn’t have to be anywhere and spent the day at home by ourselves for the first time ever. We had monkey bread for breakfast, but I pretty much left my camera on the shelf for the rest of the day.
I have some treasured memories of squeals and hugs by appreciative hearts. It was a beautiful day. That evening for supper Matthew’s parents, sister and brother, and my parents came for dinner.
We enjoyed a fun evening together and the Weldons spent the night.
The next day we went rock climbing. This girl right here is a natural. The boots. The green tights. The pony-tail. I couldn’t stop smiling.

All the girls were smoking it to the top over and over.
The next day was interesting. We went to Jack’s wrestling tournament. We had expectations of hanging out together for a few hours in the afternoon, cheering him on, then getting home in plenty of time for supper. We can laugh now, but we weren’t laughing then. I had thoughts like this going through my head: “It won’t be long,” he said. “It’ll be fun,” he said. Looking back, it was fun. The kids brought their walkie-talkies, and were able to get lots of fresh air, running around outside and testing them out while we waited for 130 matches until Jack’s first match. The worst part of the day was right before Jack went onto the mat for the last time. I glanced around and couldn’t see Betty anywhere. I got a sickening feeling in my stomach as I looked all around the people-filled gym. We had just walked from another mat to this one, and somewhere along the way, Betty got lost in the shuffle. Jack was up to wrestle. I didn’t want to panic in front of him and mess up his concentration. I grabbed one of the walkie-talkies while Elijah and Nadine grabbed two more and we set off to find her. All in all, it was about five minutes total before I walked down the hallway and saw her huddled behind the door to the gym. She had her little stuffed puppy and was crying. I scooped her up, emotions spilling out of every pore. Jack was wrestling by then, and I just held her and we cried happy tears while we yelled encouragements to Jack. My entire body was shaking. I praise the Lord for watching over Betty. We figured that as we walked to the mat and stopped, she must have kept walking until she got to the hall and didn’t see us anymore. I told her what a good girl she was to stop and wait for me to find her. It was a long day that started and ended about three hours later than we expected. Jack won his matches and got a first place trophy. His eyes said it all:
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After getting to bed close to midnight, our plans for the next day somewhat unraveled. We were supposed to leave at ten o’clock in the morning. Around ten thirty, the last of our five sleepy heads stumbled downstairs from their cozy bed. Pancakes started. Someone else desperately needed a shower, especially since they couldn’t remember the last time they did so. At last, everyone was fed, so I headed upstairs for my own shower. On the way, I met a special six-year old girl who was staring at herself in the mirror and said to me in a puzzled voice: “It’s like someone cut my hair!” as she fiddled with her brown silky mop. I was about to just say, “Uh-huh”, but something stopped me in my tracks. “Elsie, why is your hair so short? Did you cut your hair?” Her eyes showed a slight mixture of fear and debate about her answer. The truth won out, and she told me she was just curious about how it would feel to cut it off. I think she found out pretty quickly. So, my shower was delayed for a bit longer while I opened up the hair salon in the bathroom. By noon we were ready to leave, but we didn’t actually leave until one-thirty. And THAT is how we roll some mornings in our house.

We arrived at Matt’s brother’s house a couple of hours late, but enjoyed time together and another visit from Santa. Here’s Elsie with her new haircut: DSC_6761-2
If I could summarize the entire month of December into one photo collage, it would look like this:

Joyous New Year!

When Sparks Fly and Cracks are Backed

October 23, 2014October 23, 2014 / amylynw / 1 Comment

It’s two o’clock, and I am finally eating lunch. The quiet scribble of one person doing their writing homework is like music to my ears, while the hot tea is like medicine for my harried brain. Outside, the boys are reading on the trampoline. You know, between jumps. This morning was full of dictation, reading out loud, and lots and lots of math. Math four times around each day has both enriched my brain and caused it to temporarily shut down for the day. A few facts I have learned today:

The moment I have to use the bathroom is the moment everyone has a need of great importance.

Informative speeches are impossible to write. (That fact is up for debate. Maybe the person claiming it should write a persuasive speech to prove their point.)

It is not difficult to make deodorant, and it smells amazing.

I often wipe my nose on my sleeve without even thinking. Please tell me this is something moms with small kids often do.

Receiving a big box with a smile on the side is a huge reason for celebration. Especially when the box contains a new heating element for the stove.

Ah, the stove. About a week ago, I was testing out some recipes for my first ever cooking class.

As I preheated the oven for some grain-free corn bread, I noticed a small flame dancing inside the oven. This would not be a problem if we had a brick oven, but ours happens to be electric. I tried to blow it out, because this has worked in the past. When it seemed to get bigger and start spreading, I called Elijah to grab the fire extinguisher. I ordered everyone outside, while we unsuccessfully put out the sparking flames. Finally, I told Elijah to run get our neighbor, while I called 911. Fortunately, I was able to tell the dispatcher never mind, as our neighbor ran over with a big fire extinguisher and the grand idea of flipping off the breaker connected to the stove. The second he did that, the fire fizzled into nothing. What a bunch of excitement. And mess.
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Of course my cooking class was in about ten hours, and I was now without a stove. Enter: wonderful neighbors again. Thankfully, their stove was just fine, and the classes were able to go on as planned, with just a little extra walking. I also paid double to have someone overnight a new heating element. How exciting it was to receive the box. The thrill died about as quickly as a blown-out candle when I pulled out a completely bent element that would not work at all. Thankfully, you can return things in this country. The box we received today with the smiley face on it contained a just as happy part, which will be responsible for much delightful baking this fall.

Now, seven hours later, I can hardly believe another day has passed. Often you can find out what filled my day, by glancing at the open tabs on the computer: Aromahead Institute, Patchouli, Artemisia, DIY rope rug, Amazon, Crockpot Bacon and Goat Cheese, Elderberry Syrup, Hillsong Acoustic Sessions. The other way to find out what has filled our lives the past couple of weeks is to dump some photos from my phone:

Winter clothes turnover day, many Betty faces, our own William Tell, walking Toby the rabbit, school planning squeezed in during piano lesson time, late night Bible studies, and lots of tea.
This week we also saw our whole Weldon family, including our Italian family and the college boy, which was a huge treat!

Sleepy head Betty, and her outfit of choice this Sunday: red silk and black velvet Christmas dress, blue cotton tights with pink flowers on them and black patent leather shoes. She has been asking a lot when Christmas is coming. She asks in such a way that makes it sound like a person is coming to visit us very soon. My week has also been full of aromatherapy school, pumpkins and the chiropractor. Whenever we go to the chiropractor, Betty grins, gives a big sigh, and says she loves getting her “crack backed”.

This year, the four bigs have also been involved in a homeschool co-op. Their science teacher took these great pictures of them in his class as they were learning about density.

This was the scene around the table tonight. We’ve got four readers, taking turns reading around the table. It is one of my favorite parts of the day. As is this time: hanging out with my man. Good night.

A Crazy-Hair Day

October 10, 2014October 10, 2014 / amylynw / Leave a comment

A week ago I wrote this, before being interrupted for another week:
Right now one boy is blaring classical piano music throughout the house. Two kids are playing a board game, and the other two are building with blocks and dancing at intervals. I snuck out to the front porch, literally hiding a brownie in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. Just five minutes of peace would be super. It’s been a long afternoon of school, apple-sauce-making, supper-cooking, and I’m not even cleaned up yet. Time for tea and an undisclosed chocolatey snack.

It sounds all too-familiar, like I was about to type the same words now… as I lick the melted chocolate off my spoon and swallow the last sip of afternoon tea. The kids are all in their rooms practicing how to be quiet. I had a long but beautiful day being a doula yesterday, arriving home close to 2AM. Needless to say, I was pretty exhausted. The last thought I had before drifting off to sleep was: I hope I get breakfast in bed. My super amazing daughter must have known (you see, when you pray, the Holy Spirit is listening, and can communicate that need to someone else who is listening to Him). Her sweet self prepared this breakfast for me, and we enjoyed a lovely morning in our PJ’s.

By lunch-time, however, my lack of sleep started to kick in. I started making scrambled eggs and dropped one on the ground. I snapped at the children I loved so much. Then, I stopped and apologized for my grumpy attitude. Everyone suggested maybe I needed a nap. Then Nadine smoothed the air even further with her honest comment, “You know, Mom? Your hair looks CRAZY today!” I burst out laughing. It still looks crazy, by the way.

The text I sent to Matthew, which prompted my apology to the children.

So, Betty and I decided to take a nap, even though she is “never tired”. Like the other day, when she told me, “My tummy hurts. I’m tired of falling asleep.” Then this happened:

Today she told me she wanted to “talk” before we fell asleep. Thus began our conversation: “I have a question.”
“Yes, Betty? What’s your question?”
“When will I be six?”
“After you’re five.”
“Will I always be six?”
“The whole time you’re six, yes.” We then proceeded to practice counting up to six on our fingers. She is dead set on being six.
She says some pretty hilarious things these days. The other night she lamented in a very sorrowful voice, “Everybody makes me so sad.” When I asked her what would make her happy, she replied, “If you make chicken.” She asked me this out-of-the-blue question the other day: “Mom, can I put this rock in my pocket?”
“Um, sure,” I replied, puzzled.
“Just in case I need it for something.” Good to know she’s prepared.
When I asked her if she wanted apple sauce or yogurt for a snack she answered, “Hmmmmmmmm. I think my body wants yogurt.”

Last weekend, Matthew surprised me with one of my favorite date days ever. We were given tickets to Chester County Day, and drove all around the area touring historical homes, barns, and grounds. It was so beautiful, inspiring and refreshing.

I’ve been slightly obsessed with Instagram the past two weeks. The photos aren’t a false impression of my life, so much as they are a bit of an incomplete picture of it. You might see a shot of apple crisp, but in the background you can’t see the piles of dishes I just washed or have to still wash. You might see us reading books on the front porch, but you can’t see the dirt on the ground, or feel the mosquitoes trying to bite us. You might see the photo of a budding piano-player, but only we can hear the same three songs being played hundreds of times on the keyboard. You see the flower, but not the weeds.
This week’s favorite photos are as follows:

Jack’s ongoing collection of shiny things. A healed bone in Nadine’s big toe. Rock-climbing date with my Elsie Rose. Nadine’s 12th birthday, complete with crepe cake. Love and Daddy. The baby-waiting game. Beautiful clouds that make me wish I was a bird.

The boys just dug out some old CD’s, and we’re rocking out to the Kry, one of my favorite 90’s music memories. The girls are “secretly” rearranging their room (even though I could hear the furniture scooting all around their room from where I lay in bed while attempting to nap). My hair is still crazy. My heart is full.

Memory Lane Colliding With Today

September 16, 2014September 16, 2014 / amylynw / 1 Comment

Today I’m feeling nostalgic. Eight years ago, what was going on? Well, Jack was five months old and a crawling maniac. Elijah was into drinking tylenol, and wasn’t quite sure what hospitals were for.

Four years ago, we had recently moved.

Three years ago, we couldn’t imagine life without Betty.

Two years ago I publicly confessed my dislike of showers. I am also reminded that it’s time for another secret invitation soon.

One year ago, a baby was born. The pictures into my children’s personalities are still so similar, it is uncanny.

Today, these five keep me overwhelmed with joy to be their mama.

This year we decided not to do Awanas. The little girls were disappointed, and all on her own, Nadine initiated starting a “girl’s club” with Elsie & Betty, where they will memorize verses, do crafts and study the Bible together. She has it all planned out, and I’m excited to see her organize something like this! Tonight she even sewed a little vest for Elsie to wear during club. She will be starting her first steady babysitting job tomorrow, and is also involved in a Bible study/horse club with girls her age.

Elijah has definitely hit a new phase of life. Between moodiness, possible changes going on in the voice department, and a little more moodiness, he is growing up… and sometimes that can make one unsure of themselves. One thing is for certain: that boy can play the piano! Only three weeks into starting lessons, and he is already grasping it in a remarkable way. I’m really proud of him. His musical talent doesn’t only lie in his fingers. He memorizes songs like no one’s business. In his own words: “I know this song like I’m breathing.” He also knows how to tell jokes and make us laugh.

In looking back at pictures, I noticed that Jack is still wearing the same orange shorts he wore about three years ago. He keeps growing taller, but his waist stays the same. He can more often than not, be found upside-down. Today I gave him a chair to carry out to the trash, since it had broken beyond repair. Not too long after that, I found him, armed with spindles.
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Yesterday he came up to me and asked, “Mom, has my voice changed?” I told him, no. He said, “Oh, good.” Then Elijah piped up: “We already talked about that, Jack.” His reply: “I know. But not with Mom.” He also asked me if I could see any hair on his chest yet. I hugged my little boy with the smooth, beautiful face and feet as big as my own, and wanted to bottle up his boyish ways forever. When I asked him to vacuum off the front porch the other day, I noticed the sound of the vacuum was going on for a lot longer than the task required. I peeked outside to see him doing this, using the front door as a mirror:

I love the dirt under his arm-pits and the sweat and grime covering his body. He is one-hundred-and-fifty percent boy.

Elsie still likes shoes, still likes to work hard, and is still enthralled with hair. On Sunday night, she came downstairs after being tucked in and asked if she could “tidy up a bit.” I thought about it for about a half second. She proceeded to pick things off the floor, put them away, sweep the kitchen, wiped this and that, and made a huge difference in the outlook of the downstairs. She voluntarily pulled out each of her baskets and folded all of her clothes just perfectly before putting them all back. This girl is my inspiration for organization and cleanliness. She is also a singer, and often sings Betty to sleep at night.
Betty loves to learn. She can read, “I am Betty.” She often adds an “H” somewhere in her name, because she just loves to write H’s. She can also sing entire songs, and I am amazed at her memory. Don’t be fooled by the frilly shirt and patent leather shoes. This girl can climb. In fact, the entire time she climbed the eight-or-so-foot fence, she sang: “I’m a climber, I’m a climber…” Yes, yes, she is.
It’s been awhile since I put together a sleepy collage. I love to sneak pictures of my beautiful babies when they’re asleep. Just looking at them is making my eyelids droop. The only one who sleeps pretty much the exact same way every night is Nadine. One morning, Betty came downstairs and giggled, “Mama, Elsie’s head was on my tummy when I woke up!” They are so funny when they sleep.

200-ish Miles and At Least One Shower

September 11, 2014September 11, 2014 / amylynw / Leave a comment

I mean to take showers every day. Really I do. But I often tell myself that it will happen after I exercise. It’s a lovely treat to wash away all the stinky sweat after a good run. But when I forget to shower… I mean, exercise… I will usually be reminded by my sweet 6-year old. It’s pretty bad when she looked at me yesterday afternoon as I stretched my arms in the air and said, “Mom! This is like the fifth time I’ve told you… You need to shave your armpits!” Oy! My oldest sister used to remind me to take showers. Now my daughter does. As I’ve said before, it’s not my favorite thing to do.

This little girl is the queen of pull-ups! She can do three dead-hang pull-ups in a row, and at least a dozen times a day I see her going down to the basement to practice yet again. She is a funny girl. The other day she said to me, “My life is changing. Everything I used to like I don’t like anymore.” I think we were just having a meal she wasn’t too fond of eating, but from her point of view, it was much more dramatic than that. She loves to sing and dance and do one-handed cartwheels. She is growing out her hair and can hardly wait until it’s down to her waist.
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“I don’t want my hair in a pony any more,” Betty said to me. “I want it in my ears.” I think she meant “behind my ears”, but that’s ok. I understand her sweet three-year-old vocabulary. Which is really quite astounding. She is a precious girl with a lion’s heart. She can count very fluently until about ten, then she says things like, “Eleventeen, twelve-teen, thirteen…” But she is improving daily on her school work, and sits for HOURS at her little desk. She isn’t afraid of bugs. “Real bugs fly like this!” she told me one time, flapping her arms like a bird. “I really like ants and lightning bugs.” Betty reminds me to use special things every day, because every day is special. Like when she wears her most beautiful dress. It’s a creamy butter yellow with tulle all around it. I used to think it should only be worn on very special occasions. Now it is worn to ride bikes, climb trees, and during sword-fights, because every day is special.

Our week was short but very full. The boys find reading much easier dressed in soldier gear. On Sunday, we had the privilege of meeting Jay, from Kenya! He was a graduate from Compassion International, and we heard his story last week at the mobile experience. Nadine has her boot off at last, and this morning the stitches came out too. She isn’t up to running yet, but not having crutches or a big boot is a huge blessing! Getting back onto a horse, bareback, was a huge highlight for her this week.
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This weekend, Matthew and I will be running in a 200 mile relay with other people from his work. I am runner #2 of 12. Here is a look at my three legs of the race: 2014-09-10 15.20.15
I’m a little bit nervous about it, but excited too. This weekend I got my longest run in that I’ve had since March… so I hope I survive!

Nadine told me to take lots of pictures of this weekend. I’m mostly excited to be with Matthew for a a couple of days, even if it is doing something rather crazy. And in honor of Elsie, I’ll be sure to get at least one shower.

Home School in High Speed

September 6, 2014 / amylynw / Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered what it is like for our family to homeschool? It is difficult to capture, but I did my best. One morning last month, I secretly set up the camera to record my five diligent students, hard at work. This does not include the living room, where someone else was working for a while, or the mayhem that is also called “lunch”. Yes, I ruffle my hair sometimes when I’m getting tired. Look for it. So, here you have it, in high-speed. ONE day in our life. Every day is different, so maybe I’ll do another video in the future. I hope you enjoy!

From Kenya to Valley Forge

September 6, 2014 / amylynw / 3 Comments

Yesterday we traveled to two countries. Compassion International has a mobile experience where you can walk through two lives of children and hear their stories through an audio tour. It was amazing.

It was difficult to hear of their circumstances, as Elsie’s eyes show so clearly. It was plain hard. But so good for them to experience life outside their own.

We highly recommend the Compassion Experience, and encourage you to consider sponsoring a child!
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After a successful trip to the Dr. for Nadine’s toe, we celebrated its steady healing by having a picnic at Valley Forge. We have never been to Washington’s Headquarters before, so we really enjoyed exploring around his house.

Then Jack really wanted to see the “squirrel’s house”, so we headed in that direction. Yes, he did hand-stands along the entire way.

Elijah was such a good big brother, giving piggy-back rides to all his sisters! This one was especially hilarious.

Betty was hot and tired. And cute.
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At last we found the squirrel’s house. (That’s what we like to call it). We knocked and knocked. No answer.

What a delightful day, overall. In the words of Elsie: “You wore us out, mommy!” I am so thankful for my children, and for each day we can spend together.

Life in Collage

September 6, 2014September 6, 2014 / amylynw / 1 Comment

With over two weeks of school under our belt, we have so many fun adventures already embedded into our memories. Since Nadine’s broken toe, five weeks ago, we have made several trips to the orthopedic dr. to make sure everything is healing as it should. The plus side to this, is we have been making celebratory stops at Valley Forge and enjoying picnics and fun there together on the way home. We love the history and beauty of the park. A few weeks ago we were at Washington’s Memorial Chapel and acted out Romeo and Juliet. We are learning about Shakespeare in school.

Other things included in our school days are much reading, taking walks, and going places. Notice Betty playing “Dr. Bosler” (that is our chiropractor). Nadine is making quite the impression on her. The injured digit of choice is the toe these days. The boys love to hang out together in their room and “talk”. Jack creams me in Mancala every single time. The score is usually seven to whatever number the pile of stones is on his side. Elijah is obsessed with the microscope. He took pictures of what he saw through the viewfinder, and made a collage of it for me.

Last week, we went to the shore house for the weekend. We played at the park, went to the beach, took naps in the tent, and watched the ferry come in one evening. On our last night there, Nadine stepped on something very sharp with her UNINJURED foot, and sliced the bottom of it open pretty badly. So, Matthew and I spent the next four hours at the ER with her.

At least she was able to get some fun in on the beach before it happened. Now the poor girl has a boot for her right leg, and a special shoe for the stitches on her left. Thankfully, she can put pressure on her broken toe foot now, so she doesn’t have to figure out how to walk without both feet.

This last collage shows just a glimpse of our past week. Another picnic at Valley Forge (more pictures of that later), beautiful sunsets, laughter in the car, many handstands, working on chores, reading, visiting Matthew at work, and how I often feel after a full, busy day of mama-ing these five amazing children!

I hope you enjoyed life from the point of view of my phone camera. Life is indeed beautiful.

365 Days From Then

August 24, 2014August 24, 2014 / amylynw / 1 Comment

The van is cleaned out, laundry is going, and sand still sticks to the bottom of my bare feet, escaping from every corner of every bag brought home. Our skin is more tan and our hearts are full of good memories. A year ago, our lives looked quite different. I am blown away at God’s mercy and grace to us this year. From sparing Matthew’s life, to getting out of debt, to providing a “new” vehicle for us… the list goes on. Thank you, Father. A year ago, instead of vacation at the beach, we hung out in a hospital room.

This week was quite different! It was sung to the tune of ocean waves and time away as a whole family. We have never had a vacation for a week with just ourselves in all of our married years! A lovely opportunity came up for us to do so, and we gladly accepted the offer. I think the last time I played in the ocean every day for five days in a row was… this week! Like, IN the ocean, not just on the beach watching one of my babies play in the sand. Elijah actually came up to me in the ocean and laughed out loud, “I love seeing you all wet, Mom!” I played with the “biggie board” as Betty calls it, and made an entire city of sandcastles one day!

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Our week was full of front-porch talks, VW van sightings, a ride on the log flume with my two littles, bike rides, “biggie boards”, a visit from dear friends, a visit with family one day, and delicious food. Unfortunately, I forgot to pull out my camera except for a couple of days. I did catch a few extras with my phone, here.

It is hard to see the week come to an end. But new adventures await us as we start school in earnest, and an exciting change is in store for Matthew next week. I will share more about that later.

Fourth Annual Kids’ Day

August 21, 2014August 21, 2014 / amylynw / 1 Comment

Two weeks ago, we celebrated one of our favorite days of the year: Kids’ Day! Feel free to check out year one, year two, and year three of this tradition. This year actually started the night before, at an outdoor movie showing of The Princess Bride. So fun! The other day Betty made us chuckle when she said in a very Vizzini-like voice, “I’m waiting!”

The next morning, my little cowboy was ready (he really was happy), pens in pocket, just like his grandpa (minus the crooked buttons). We began in Philadelphia, renting a surrey big enough for all seven of us to ride together. It was definitely an experience we will never forget. And probably never do again. Tiring and hilarious. We received many smiling looks from passersby… now I know why. Look at that crew!

Next, we headed to Hibachi for lunch. It was fun watching the kids’ expressions as the food was cooked in front of them.

Next, we saw a movie in the dollar theatre in 3D. Then we went to get some ice-cream from a creamery in Strasburg. Delish!
I love these little ladies.
We are so thankful for our five wonderful blessings. Trying to take a picture of all of them together at the same time is a challenge.

Holding hands with this boy. Be still my heart. His hands are just a bit smaller than mine, but they’re thicker and stronger than mine. He is such a little man.

After ice-cream, we made an impromptu stop-in to hug some special friends.
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I’d say Kids’ Day was a success!