A Normal Birthday At Our House

So it is your birthday!!!

You start the day out by everyone singing to you to wake you up!
And...you don't have to help make breakfast!

Then before we start breakfast you get sung to again which is always exciting seeing as how not one of us can carry a tune and we all like to sing our own little way for example one person will decide to come in with a simply terrible bass part while another will come in with a ear-piercing-glass-shattering soprano.

You get to open a present at the breakfast table and then you get to take off from chores afterward.

You get to make your own cake and ice-cream -that is if we remember!
And through out the day you get special privileges like no school work,you get to pick the movie if we watch one, get the mail, and so on.

Well then dinner rolls around.

Well your siblings have made a special dinner for you and your Mom&Dad because they are so wonderful -Right Jess?:~)
So you eat with your parents while you listen to the rest of us eat in the kitchen -Yikes!

Well after dinner we all get together for cake and ice-cream and someone says something like "Um... Where's the ice-cream?" Well we forgot to make it!
So we all raid the freezer to look for ice-cream from the last birthday that is one of the good things about being in a big family- the ice-cream was only a few weeks old!
Well we all eat then we move on to the presents!


There are like 50 cameras all taking your picture OK maybe not but it sure seems like it.
Well say you start with a card from your grandparents and you get around 10 dollars,

Michael takes it and wads it in a ball,

Erin tells you that you could get a violin mute,

Daddy rolls over and snores,

Rachel asks what you got,

Jamie takes a picture,

Sarah chases Michael,

Mommy tells Michael to give the money back,

Emily asks how much you got,

And someone shoves another gift in your face.

When its all over you are sad yet glad that your family loves you so much!-Right Jess:~)
And the next morning everything falls back into routine like nothing ever happened until another birthday rolls around!

-Erin

Well, I Done It Again

Well I did it again broke a string this time it was the D.
~Erin

A Prayer for the nation

From the archives. Pray for the nation. I am learning this song on my violin, I love it. Bit my d flat is still a little off. Does anyone know the tune and sing this? I do! All the time!

O God of earth and alter,

Bow down and hear our cry.

Our earthly rulers falter,

Our people drift and die.

Our walls of gold entomb us,

The swords of scorn divide.

Take not thy thunder from us,

But take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches,

From lies of tongue and pen.

From all the easy speeches,

that comfort cruel men.

From sale and profanation,

of honor and the sword.

From sleep and from damnation,

Deliver us good lord.

Bind in a living tether,

The prince, the priest, the thrall.

Bind all our hearts together,

Smite us and save us all.

In ire and exultation,

Aflame with faith and free.

Lift up a living nation,

A single sword to thee.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton, 1906

Kings Lynn (7 6, 7 6, D.)

Traditional English Melody

arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906

This is a hymn we sing at church. We love it!

Michael Touches The Rain

This is a picture we took one time of Michael reaching out to touch the rain.
Emily told him to put his hand out for the rain and when he did we took this picture.

Posted by Jamie with a little help from Erin

A movie of the hike!

Sorry

I failed to elaborate on the previous post! The B family and all of us went hiking up to a cross at a christian camp and then we ate dinner at their house and square danced. It was so much fun!

Sorry for the lack of info!

The Pressure is on!

"WOW! YOUR 16? YOU SHOULD BE GETTING MARRIED SOON." This is what my 5 year old sister told me. Can you guess who keeps us entertained?

Today is my 16th birthday. When I tell most people that (including my siblings) they say, "do you have your license yet?" NO. I don't. I don't even have a permit. Why? I don't know. I am nervous I guess. Besides... would you want to learn how to drive a 12 passenger club wagon with 14 eyes watching you.

Ryan has told me that if he were me, he would already be driving. Erin has told me that she is going to get her license the day she turns 16 and she and Ryan are going out and look at ATVs and lawn care equipment. Don't ask.

So anyway, for all of y'all. No I do not drive. I will soon someday. Right now I HAVE backed out of the driveway. That by the way really threw me for a loop. You lift up to move, you don't push down!!!!


jess

Friends and Family - hiking

Just kidding!

After the hike up the cliff, I mean hill!, we stopped at the cross.
Daddy wished his burden would fall off, like in Pilgrims Progress, but unfortunately Baby Brother and the backpack stayed on!

Baby Brother loved their trains

Lots of Kitties

Second Sister and "Skunk-face"
They named him we didn't

I am NOT killing it! I am being very gentle!

Finished!

Oldest Brother at the chapel!

Taking a break - a much needed break!

Oldest Brother inspects the great and interesting rock

Everyone stand on the edge of the rock and make the mom's nervous

My sweet brother

The moms and two of their little ones!

We had so much fun with the B Family. There were 17 kids and it was so much fun.
A hike to the top of the mountain, look at the cross and the chapel, and then back down the cliff... I mean trail! It was a trifle steep!!! But we had so much fun.
Don't ask how far it was, because all I got out of them was that it was 20 up and 20 down. Yeah right!

You can't tell, but I am way above them!

Sweet Little Princess

Mommy and Mrs. B- two great moms

We were hiking, so it's a little blurry, but here's Little Sister.
It was a great trail!

My mom = Self Denial

If my mom has taught me anything,

it would be self denial.

The process of putting down self

and putting others first.

She has taught me to think of the sick babies in the house,

not what we want to do.

She has taught me to deny yourself salt,

when your husband has high blood pressure.

She has taught me to let others do

what you want to do.

She is my example of a godly wife and mother.




She is who I want to be like.
jess

If your gonna' play in Texas...

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A FIDDLE

IN THE BAND!

Yes Baby Brother is playing cello on my (Oldest Sister's) violin.
He was watched carefully, and was most careful!
He LOVES cellos. When he sees one he hits me and points.
A friend of ours has a cello and he wants to touch it so badly, but this is as close as he gets.

I know I have done a lot of fiddle posts! I'll try something new!
Oldest Sister

Need we say more? Erin is braver than I. Let us know what you think!

Playing Fiddle part 1

Michael LOVES instruments! He plays cello on Erin or my violins and plays guitar all the time. At meals he holds his fork and knife up to his chin and plays. He LOVES music. Yesterday Erin claims he said "cello"!

Singing Harmony!

Two pictures of the same thing. I lightened the top one.
Beth Anne, Mr. Travers, and Graham sang beautiful harmony.
Great job guys!
And to the other guys who played instruments only, great job as well.

Beth Anne Travers and Emily looked so cute in this photo!

The Square Dance!

Little Sister and Little Princess.
They are not twins, but they do look alike!
Which is which?

Everyone tunes and plucks while two musicians confer with each other.


Instrument players spend a lot of time preparing to play.
Tuning, finding the music, re-tuning, fixing the mic, re-tuning...etc
No, I exaggerate a little, but it is kind of like that!

I neglected to tell Second Sister I was taking her picture.
That by the way is a very important part of photographing people.

Braids, Braids, and more Braids.

Second and Third Sisters showing two of our hair styles!

Baby Brother and Mommy!
Two of my very favorite people!

The Ladies sing - they sounded so pretty. I love their songs!
They were accompanied T. family.

Best Friends

Little Princess has now lost her first tooth. I love her smile.

Second Sister in between sashaying and promenading.

The right hand reel?

Last night we went up to a friend's house to "square dance" and listen to bluegrass. Enjoy the photos. I can not tell you how much fun we had. I would have done more photos of the singers, but the light was horrible for our poor little camera! So... enjoy what we have!