Together again

Last week, all nine little cousins were reunited at Mom's house for a few days during the week. One Grammy, three moms, and nine kids between two and nine years old! We swam, swang, and enjoyed the perfect combination that all nine kids are together. Missing a single one of these would off the balance. Joy thinks she's eight a lot of the time, though, so it's good that Blythe and Maggie have each other as resident two year olds. Though they both say they're five.

 Grammy was a happy camper to have nine little faces on the other side of her counter!

 The oldest two!

 Swing set time- notice Scott and Katie are pushing kids back and forth. They were earning a little "babysitting" money. Even when they weren't officially working, these two were particularly helpful and kind to the gang of two year olds!

Grandaddy and Granny Joan came for a visit. We sure love them and had a great morning playing with them!

  Scott and Joy playing around...

Aunt Jo reached a new level of celebrity when she started taking different combinations of kids out for canoe rides.

Including Blythe and Joy!

She didn't kid around- they went far out and toured around for probably 15 minutes!

Aunt Sus swimming with Blythe. Sus is still a pied piper with all our kiddos.

 Joy keeping it real with eight-year-old Katie. You can tell she's having absolutely no fun at all.

 A side-tracked parade around the pool table one morning...

 Here's a page out of one of the attempts at a Christmas card for Grammy. I won't show any more of these pictures in case Mom uses one, but I like how intensely Blythe is focusing on washing Grammy's canoe!

 Aunt Susan thinks of all kinds of fun things, but ice cream at 11:30 after a hot morning's work on a canoe probably tops most of the kids' lists!

Looking forward to more of this goodness in July when we do it again with all the dads in town too!

Fathers Day

"Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land." Isaiah 32: 2

 "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night...

 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Psalms 1:1-3 

 "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

 The girls wanted to have a party to celebrate their daddy on his special day!

 We are so blessed to have this man.

St Simons 2012

Susan and the kids flew back from Manila, and we left two days later for our summer family beach trip. We were minus the Gregory family and plus Sandy and Ken this year. It was a fantastic week with people precious to us and in a beautiful place. I took far too many pics that I am very attached to, so I'll try to keep captions short.

Short ride to the pool and beach.

Meet our paddleboard. This was its christening in the ocean! Ken and Sandy gave each other boards for their anniversary last month, so amongst the three boards, we all got in a lot of good times out on the water and on the marsh.

 Watching Daddy.

 Seven year old Ryan...

Scott had just turned nine the week before...

 Taking a ride with Daddy.

 Blythe graduated up to a safety seal float, and I've never seen so many teeth when she smiles- the girl loves her newfound freedom with floaty-less arms and is so proud of "swimming all by mySEF!"

 Two four year olds and best buddies.

 Bop Bop a.k.a. Superman- he was grandaddy to all and when Jake came back early to work on Friday, he added Sherpa and the only man there with three women and six kids. Bop Bop was an exceptionally busy, patient, wonderful man!

Sweet Ashley turned four the week before, so we celebrated with flower cupcakes!

 The twins caused all kinds of havoc and chaos in the course of the week during naps and bedtime. First time not in pack n plays, stashed away in double closets, access to a bathroom. Think walking in during naps one afternoon to find a clogged, overflowing toilet, clogged tub due to combination of water and too much toilet paper. Jake walks in, they're soaked, baby dolls soaked, naptime books soaked, blankies soaked- and it's with mystery water- tub? toilet? no matter. Big trouble for twinsies. So they just about kill us with their antics during naps, then we walk in one night to find them snuggling together as they sleep in the hallway. Isn't that how kids are? You're fed up with them, then you're reminded of their exquisite preciousness.

 Coordinating grandmas.

 LOVE my girls!

 Grammy with six of her nine.

 Bliss. She's just as fearless this year as last. Which means she needs to have a floaty on before being inside the gates of the pool. ;)

 Celebrating Scott turning nine!

 Shrimp and grits night!

 Morning. In fairness to Blythe, this is a morning after you go to bed with wet pigtails.

 Sus brought back these hand-embroidered dresses for all the girls- the handiwork is beautiful.

 The Elliott kids!

 The grandparents before heading out to paddleboard through the marsh with the outgoing tide. I LOVE this picture.

 Ashley and Abby Jane waving to each other underwater. Ashley, who has a pool in her Manila backyard, is a ridiculously amazing little swimmer, so a week with her at the pool progressed Abby Jane's swimming immensely.

 Over/under seating for dinner at the pool our last night.

Thanks, Mom, for an amazing trip!