This is what our family is getting ready for right now. Lord Willing I’ll have some pictures to share later. We’ve had a little sickness going around in our family and hopefully we’re on the mend, but just pray all will feel better so we can go. It isn’t the same going somewhere without the whole fam!
On the afternoon of my birthday (I’m sorry, I’ll soon post something other than birthday material. J) we did some family target practice with bows and arrows using balloons as targets. We hadn’t done that in a while and so it was lots of fun!
Birthday fun……
Balloons galore!
Granddaddy and me.
Trying out Ethan’s homemade hot air balloon without much success. I think a few minor adjustments are gonna have to be made before it will cooperate. J
Setting out the targets.
At war with static electricity! Proved quite entertaining for the rest of us. J
I get to (or attempt to) shoot first.
Our own maid Marian.
Father/Daughter.
Ethan looking like the real deal (facial expression and everything)!
After several attempts…..
…I finally got one!
Retrieving arrows.
Momma’s turn.
Meanwhile, off to the side, a different type of shooting is going on….a photo shoot by Grace of Bekah.
Can’t ya tell where Momma got it from? J
Noah tries out his blowgun.
Hmmm….not working too well. Somebody had it sitting on the cook top when heating something up and forgot to move it. So the mouth piece got a little distorted. But after a bit Noah got it to work and those little darts could pop the balloons very well!
“What are ya lookin’ at?”
Silly Sister…..
Nehemiah was good in a scary sorta way! He needed targets down on the golf green, not close range. J
Cheese… ‘I’m a little cold!’.
Daddy firing away.
Lost in thought.
Ethan.
Bekah’s turn.
This little balloon’s pretty much surrounded!
“How does this thing work again?”
Giving it a try.
She shocked herself with her good aim. LOL!
Daddy.
A few last shots.
Ouch…..the next day my left arm was black and blue, but it was way worth it!
Noah gets out the big guy.
I had a wonderful day spent with my family!
There was a Christmas Tea for the ladies of our church, that happened to be planned on the morning of my birthday. Since Grandmother was here, she came with us and we all had a lovely time!
After snackin’ and sippin’, a dear young lady shared her testimony about what she learned when over in England about their tea time. Then Mrs. Kathy organized some games. We played Christmas Song Charades.
Momma and Bekah were very creative. Can you guess what song their acting out?
Taking turns.
I can’t even remember what song they were doing, by this picture.
We used a prop, so our song was guessed pretty fast. Yep, “Up on the Housetop” is the correct answer.
If their had been a prize given for the most entertaining group, they would have won.
Mrs. Kathy’s reaction. LOL!
“Um…what were we suppose to do again?” J
We were a colorful group that morning. LOL!
My Grandmother’s birthday is the day before mine. So she came down and we celebrated her’s on Friday night with a birthday supper and all. Gabriel (our little gift giver) had been asking Momma all day, what he could give Grandmother. Momma said that all Grandmother had asked for was hugs and kisses…..thus an idea was born in his head:
Opening her gifts.
One of a kind hugs & kisses!
Surprise!
The best gift of them all!
Singing “Happy Birthday”.
Ethan made her this wooden cross.
After supper activities.
Momma dear.
Sweepin’ the floors.
Bekah’s ‘Christmas Tree lights’ Art.
‘Huh?’
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death–
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:5-11
After Willa was born, I spent part of a week with my sister and her family helping out so they could get over their walking pneumonia and adjust to a routine with the newest addition. Mainly kept up with the household chores so Lora Lynn could focus on her chilins. It is really nice to have them closer than the 12 hour drive they were away when the other kids were born.
Holding an adorable bundle of pink cuteness.
Willa’s first bath.
All clean!
Now this little girl was my shadow all week. I cannot express how much fun it is to have a niece!! She didn’t care whether I was cleaning toilets, washing clothes, changing a diaper, cooking supper, or scrubbing the shower-she was right there beside me ‘helping’ or just keepin’ me company. Here she is up on the kitchen counter counting for me as I measure flour.
The boys in their own world until you say it’s time to eat. LOL!
Now, of course, I have to share some pictures of the newest one:
In her Momma’s arms.
Sunlight….
A little annoyed with her Aunt and her Aunt’s big flash. J
Sweet dreams.
Willa meets Meme and Uncles Eman & Gibbie.
“See her little fingers?”
A proud Uncle.
Being surrounded by family is such a blessing we should thank the Lord for each and every day…
Some friends of ours, Brian and Cristin, came for a weekend visit the first of the month. We hadn’t seen them since they moved away a year and a half ago and so it was a great time of catching up. We also got to meet their second child who was born after they’d moved. He is an adorable little fella!
We pulled out our little girl toys for Maddie. It was fun to watch the difference between how Maddie played with the dollhouse and how our little boys did. Our little boys would set up all the men figures (they’re not to shoot ladies) on top of the roof and shoot them down with their nerf guns. LOL! And amidst all the caos, you would hear Maddie say, “My baby…my baby!” So cute…
Fellowship.
Holding little Gavin.
Jammin’ around.
Dancing to the fiddle.
Manly stomping…
Noah’s trick fiddlin’. (He can also play the violin upside down. Yeah, lotsa fun..)
Nehemiah.
Around the piano.
Our little rhythm man.
Even the youngest ones participated.
When my sister has the camera.
Little girls are fun!
(Editor’s Note: I’m way behind on posting…..but will try and catch up whenever I get a chance. These pictures are from the beginning of the month.)
Getting Christmas packages ready to be sent out to friends and family who are serving overseas.
Writing letters and notes to put in the packages.
Trimming the tree we went out and cut down that morning.
“What’d you say?”
Curling ribbon for the tree.
Our elaborate decorator… J
Concentration.
Lovely, just lovely….
We all had so much fun adding different items and notes to the boxes.
They copied some of these to put in the boxes.
Eman stringing his popcorn before Nehemiah eats it all. LOL!
Our hard workers. Gibbie came up to Daddy afterwards and whispered….”I like this better than Christmas day. It’s more fun!”
Momma and Nehemiah’s finished product.
….happy 8th birthday!
Love, Your Family
Daddy, Momma, Noah, Abbi, Rebekah, Grace, Ethan, Gabriel and Nehemiah
The Lord has blessed me with another year spent with my dear family and learning so much! I’m am surrounded everyday with many rich blessings for which I’m so grateful. It will be exciting to see what the Lord has to teach me in this upcoming year!
18 years old.
My dear father fixed me a wonderful breakfast (his specialty pancakes) and now we Sanders Ladies and Grandmother are off to a Tea with the ladies in our church….
A family that purposes to serve the Lord with all our hearts with gratitude for what Christ has done for us. Gratefulness and faithfulness can lead to fruitfulness.
Looks like ya’ll had fun! Miss you!!!