About Shanda

wife, mom of seven, friend, child of God

now I see

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Shanda

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound

that saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now am found

was blind but now I see.

My heart is so full that tears are ever ready today, after a weekend back home in my hometown. I saw old familiar faces, felt their arms of love around me, heard words of encouragement and truth, celebrated young love, sung to favorite songs on the radio played loud, attended church, ate Country Store subs made by someone who knew who I was “back then”, travelled those old roads that lead back home, to the farm land, the parents, the aunts, the cousins, the friends.

Sadly, I was without my Rich, my companion and friend, lover, bed mate, and The One who has put me by his side for the last 21 years. He was here at home with the little ones, but never far from my thoughts as I drove Grace, Sarah, Jacob, and Emily to NY for Cassandra’s bridal shower. I sat behind the wheel and away we went on Saturday morning….driving around three hours to the church for the shower. Emily said, she loved road trips. And when she said that, it reminded me to enjoy it, too!

Once we arrived, Jacob and Emily walked on foot to the pizza place that Rich and I used to go to on dates, for lunch, and to the High School to explore the playground and stream (the school I attended, and Rich, too). So crazy fun to see Jacob doing just the things we used to enjoy. With his girlfriend. (!!)

Grace, Sarah, and I had a wonderful time at the bridal shower, held for my future sister in law, who is marrying my youngest brother, Isaac.

“to love another person is to see the face of God” ~ Les miserables

Isaac and Cassandra are so sweet together!!

After the shower, we picked up J and E and went to my mom and dad’s house for the rest of the day.

Jacob stayed the night with them while I took the girls to the Comfort Inn to sleep.

Sunday morning we checked out of the motel and went to church, meeting Jacob there.

It was so wonderful to sit next to Colleen, Jacob, Emily, Sarah, Grace, and Madeline for the service. Church was a beautiful experience, to be back in my original church family made me remember so many things, and a wave of nostalgia swept over me.

After church we picked up subs and went back to mom and dad’s where we sat on the front porch and ate our food, while the rain poured down. Emily and Sarah jumped in warm puddles in their bare feet.

We stayed until 6pm, and drove back home Sunday night, arriving safe and sound (and with a gorgeous golden sunset) at 10:30pm.

I saw a very cool fly from the blueberry patch at my parent’s house. It was actually holding a tiny green bug in it’s jaws. I’ve come to learn that if an insect stays still, and lets me get close, it’s usually because it doesn’t want to let go of it’s latest catch.

My mom with her little Granddaughter~

We all wore yellow shirts.

Sarah was so precious. When she was tired she simply curled up with someone and slept. Here she is on my lap. Watching your own sleeping little one is one of the many “grace moments” in life.

Dad and Jacob played drums on Sunday afternoon. OH HOW I LOVE MY DAD…….

JACOB NEVER WANTS TO LEAVE GRANDMA’S HOUSE!

We helped mom and dad with the gravel entry to the blueberry patch, in preparation for the wedding reception next month.

We also helped them get their bedroom ready for a remodel, looked through a lot of family photos, and did the things we always love to do; go for walks, talk, listen to music. Oh, and Jacob showed his grandparents all of his card tricks and they were a very satisfying audience.

Thankful for:

a safe trip
a son learning to grow, and be a good example
creativity (he made a new recipe for pancakes by adding a tablespoon of cocoa powder to his Grandma’s recipe, and chocolate chips)
my husband coming home early from work and the time we were able to spend together, in quiet, in each other’s arms
the sight of sleeping pets (make the house so cozy)
rain (I went out and walked in it, why are we so afraid to get wet?) the pond was jumping with water drops
it curled my hair
watching Les Mis with Grace, and being awed once again by law and grace (without that taskmaster-law, we would never be overwhelmed with beautiful grace)!! I realized that this life is full of little law/grace pictures….that point to Jesus.
my five year old learning to ride his two wheeler and being so thoughtful in asking me to watch him, a lot
fresh peas in the garden
bachelor buttons beginning to bloom
a little girlie who wakes from her nap and immediately finds her mama
Mike taking Jacob, Grace, and Emily to VBS and saving us the trip
Ethan on vacation with Chris and Caroline and their children (his best friends)

and most of all……

God’s grace and salvation through Jesus Christ, Who miraculously opens blind eyes and turns cold hearts into hearts bursting with adoration for HIM, and this abundant life He gives.

One last picture before we got into the car to head home.

yellow mushroom, white morning glories

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Shanda

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Like his brothers and sister before him, David has read The Hobbit. In fact, he just finished it.

He’s a big fan of hobbit-holes.

It’s hard to make your own actual hobbit-fort, but he and Ethan made the next best thing yesterday in our woods by the stream.

It took them all day and then they slept in it last night, just the two of them.

The fort is in a secret location so that their siblings can’t vandalize it (not that they actually WOULD, of course).

With honor, I was ushered to the secret location so that I could admire the finished project.

It really is impressive, and picturesque, too.

I’m not feeling well. I think summertime chaos is getting to my system, I feel tired and shaky. Not sad or depressed, just deep down very tired. Please pray for me, as I have lots going on. Tonight we have a big dinner and Bible study at our house, tomorrow morning I leave bright and early with Jacob, Emily, Grace, and Sarah to drive four hours to NY for Cassandra (my future sister in law)’s bridal shower. We are coming back home Sunday evening and then that week Rich has a business trip. (so on and so forth)

The children are helping me get the house picked up for tonight and I’m going to rest at nap time. I’ve felt like crappity crap since Tuesday…exhausted.

Anyway, after I admired the fort, I went for a short walk, thinking that the beauty of God’s creation would soothe my aching head.

I saw a yellow mushroom.

And, wild morning glories. Seeing them triggered a memory from childhood. Morning glories just like this one used to grow in the bushes by my Grandparents’ large pond. As children, we used to pick them and smell them right onto our noses…..so I did that yesterday, again.

Then, I taught Seth how to do it.

And Caleb.

Continuing with the theme of “if I get away from the house, nature will heal me”, I asked Grace to go outside with me to watch the evening birds.

We saw a lot! I think I will take up a new active interest in birding because with the ponds, the forest, and the stream, we have a lot of birds. We quickly counted up about 10 different ones. My favorites to watch were the hairy woodpeckers. They are so industrious with their hammering, and it was fun to watch the wood chips fly as they pecked away.

Then, I caught a big grasshopper that had hopped over my foot, and held him until we got back up to the house.

I showed him to Seth and Sarah; their faces crack me up.

Isn’t it interesting? It worked it’s mouth around to ooze out some “tobacco juice”.

“The grasshopper has some means of defense as well as of escape; it can give a painful nip with its mandibles; and when seized, it emits copiously from the mouth a brownish liquid which is acrid and ill smelling. This performance interests children who are wont to seize the insect by it’s jumping legs and hold it up, commanding it to ‘chew tobacco’.” ~ Handbook of Nature Study (a handy book to have, indeed)

We let the grasshopper go (with many thanks) and then I walked Grace up the road a little bit to see the berries that were ripening. We quickly picked a couple of handfuls and took them home to give to Dad. Grace was funny and made me laugh a lot (dear, dear girl).

Grace wrote down everything we saw in her tiny book. (which she was given by my Mom)

This morning I was able to get away for a couple of hours to get my hair done. I stopped at the grocery store on the way to get myself some fruit and nuts. Getting my hair done was so relaxing I almost went to sleep in the chair.

When I got home I asked Grace to take my picture, and as she took it Jacob came walking down to show me yet another learned card trick.

Have a great weekend, my friends!

you are loved

NINE on the NINTH

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Shanda

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family beach day

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Shanda

Overheard, just now:

“MOM? My face is hurting.” ~Dave

“Your face is red.” ~Sarah

***

Yesterday was a lovely day to go to the beach. Rich didn’t have to work, so as soon as we got out of bed we began getting ready to go. This year we gave the children each their own bag to carry and it made things much easier. Our youngest child is four years old now and what a difference it makes to do things (we’ve never had a four year old “baby”….another one has always come along by that time). As a mother hen personality *without any babies to care for*, I was almost able to relax yesterday. ALMOST.

We drove about an hour to get to the beach, with one stop to Dunkin Donuts. When we arrived, we parked the vehicle and all walked along the shore to find a place to set up. Rich went to go change, but the rest of us had worn our suits under our clothes and were able to get directly into the water.

Sarah took her life jacket but as she is afraid of getting water in her face, I let her spend some time without it, digging in the sand and sitting in the water on the very edge. She had a great time which was a delight to see. She didn’t rest or stop once all day, except to eat lunch.

Jacob did some walking with Ethan, and spent some time in our tent playing solitaire. Toward the end of the day he played again like I haven’t seen him do in a while….he’s growing up….but I saw him dunking and throwing his little brothers, getting into a sand fight, and building a sand castle.

Seth had to wear his life jacket more often than Sarah did, because he had no fear of the water and wanting to swim and do everything his big brothers did.

We had a small tragedy with Seth. Ethan, David, and had disappeared down the beach and I was nervous so I told Rich I would walk down to locate them. I took little Seth with me and we went all the way down to the rock-formed fishing pier. Caleb was playing on the other side in warm shallow water, but Dave and Ethan had swam out to a small “island” and were sitting on it, resting. I decided to sit and wait for them, and keep an eye on them, since it was far from the shore and I was nervous about them swimming that distance without supervision. Seth climbed down to play with Caleb but just as I sat down he slipped and cut his foot on something. He made his way back up to me and his foot was dripping rapidly with blood. I carried him down to the water’s edge to rinse it off and realized that he had sliced a deep one inch gash on the inside ball of his foot.

My own leg was wet and red with his blood and I had to wash myself off, too. He was so brave and hardly cried, just made some distress noises as I told Caleb to run back to get Dad, so we could carry Seth back to our tent. Thankfully, his foot stopped bleeding, which was a relief…but it was open and sore for the rest of the day. We put him in the tent and he rested with me by his side, and Jacob and Grace were with us, too. Rich went down to make sure Ethan and Dave came back okay. I was upset for a little while (on the inside), shaking and so sad about Seth’s foot. I was upset with E and D for going off like that, but I knew that they were safe and just having an adventure and it was fine. I just hate that vulnerable feeling that my children could get hurt badly at any time, or we could lose one.

I didn’t say anything to the boys when they walked back with their Dad, they were fine and I didn’t want to ruin the joy they had in their experience. But I did tell Ethan later on, when he was about to go off and do it again, to stay around with us.

“I’m sixteen why won’t mom let me swim a quarter of a mile out into the ocean!” (he’s not really saying that but it makes a good caption)

We left Grace and Dave and went to get some lunch at a seafood place. We stopped off at CVS so I could run in and get a bandage for Seth’s foot. My stress dissipated when I was back in the car and realized that I had bought the largest bandages they had, because in my mommy mind Seth’s cut was HUGE and TERRIBLE, and needed a five inch square bandaid. I wish you could have heard the things Jacob was mumbling when I asked him to put it on him. I laughed to tears. In order to use it, he had to put it up around Seth’s toes! It never worked right, by the time we got back and he took his shoes back off the whole bandage came off with it.

Rich and I had a buttery lobster rolls for lunch, and whole red boiled potatoes. Jacob had a mixed basket of fried seafood, and Ethan had crab legs. We took back fried shrimp for Grace and Dave, who were happy and having fun together when we got back.

I like this picture because all seven children are in it. Seth was tired of sitting on a towel so he swam some more, running with a pronounced limp.

Rich went for a nice beach run. He also played catch with the football with Ethan and Seth.

Sarah had sand in every nook and cranny. She found a pink pony tail holder in the water and kept it with so much happiness. She also got to play with a little girl just her size, named Chloe. Grace and I watched them play and they were so cute that Grace remarked that Sarah would have made a good twin.

Big brother Jacob threw sand at David and Caleb.

We left the beach at 5:30, which was a process in itself since we all had to rinse off and get changed into clean underthings. I was in charge of Sarah and honestly, the sand didn’t come off until this morning’s bath.

After we left the ocean, we went to a bookstore. It was an independent bookseller, and I like those shops the best because they are always so unique. The bad part is you pay full price for books, unless you can find something on the clearance table. I love this picture of the children waiting for Dad to finish buying Mom’s books. David’s turning red with sunburn and yawning, Caleb and Ethan are looking at a “where’s waldo” book, and Sarah Joy is itching the sand out of her hair.

We went to a pizza place for dinner, just down the road from the bookstore.

David’s face seemed to get redder and redder. He used to suffer from mild eczema as a child and even now sunburns and rashes bother him more than the other children.

We sat at three tables. The big kids played cards and Sarah dragged her chair over to be by Grace. Rich was showing something to Jacob on his phone. They had a pepperoni and meatball pizza at their table.

David, Seth, and Caleb sat at their own table with a cheese pizza.

Rich and I had clam pizza at our table.

At the end of a fun day. It was about 8pm when Grace took this picture of the tired but happy parents.

We drove home in the rain, listening to Winnie the Pooh.

*******

What We Did:

Hammonasset State Park; Connecticut residents pay 9 dollars a car on the weekdays to get in.

Lenny & Joes Fish Tale for lunch. A casual fish fry place, with a small carousel in the back, and a creamy soft serve ice cream stand.

RJ Julia Booksellers; an independently owned bookstore with great books.

Bradley and Wall Gourmet Foods, for pizza. When we were there last night the place was fully staffed by young college aged kids — they were busy, happy, and energetic. The pizza was delicious, we ordered three large and came home with about half a pizza leftover.

today was the library book sale

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Shanda

a simply wonderful life

(listen as you read)

It’s a beautiful Saturday. The door keeps opening and slamming shut again as the children take turns running in and out for what specific reasons I don’t always know. What I do know is that they’re busy, it’s summer, and these are perfect days to enjoy their childhood. The windows are open and I can hear wind chimes blowing musically in the breeze. When my husband comes in I will ask him to make me a cup of coffee (he likes to). My eyes are sleepy from reading this afternoon, outside in the sun by the pond, with friend/daughter Grace contentedly by my side. Our little boys Seth and Caleb swam for a while and then ate popsicles. It’s good to sit and type, thinking about my family and how thankful I am for these days.

Yesterday was a very rainy fourth of July and we did NOTHING patriotic. (Wait, is grilling hot dogs patriotic?) I was exhausted and filled with determination to reorganize the downstairs boys’ room, and we did it. Ahh, it feels so good. I threw away several bags of garbage and old toys. I also weeded through their bookshelves and added another couple of bags to the pile to donate. The boys now have a lovely clean room.

Ironically, today was the annual library book sale. We all went, in two vehicles because Rich had to take our old broken freezer to the dump. After leaving behind three bags, and taking a new box of books, we went to the diner for lunch, and then I read outside on a blanket with Grace.

NEW BOOKS!! HAPPY DAY!!

My children will have memories of coming home with bags of used books, carefully chosen from the laden tables at our local library.

I was so happy to find another old C.W. Anderson “Blaze” book, the children love them.

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people

who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~Anna Quindlen

(my personal stack)

(playing a card game) I love seeing the siblings pair off and do things together. They are forming such wonderful bonds for life. Grace and Jacob get along so well, and of course Jacob and Ethan are practically like twins with the way they’ve grown up together. David does well with Ethan, too. Caleb, Seth, and Sarah play together all day long, riding bikes and swimming. This is probably the best part of having lots of children, there’s always someone to spend time with and someone else to spend time with when the first person gets boring. 🙂

(clawing another’s face)

(spying)

(wondering)

(reading) That red book is my journal in which I write the titles and reactions to the books I read, along with dates and sometimes a quote or two.

(sunning)

I was looking down into my flower beds from the porch and spotted Billy sleeping.

He didn’t come. I sent Caleb out with a message for his dad that I would like a cup of coffee please. Two minutes later Rich stomped serenely through the house to get ice and a towel for his hand….”what did you do?!?”……. “oh, I burned my hand on that motor what kind of coffee am I making?”

I love my husband.

*****

glorious summer days

“Then I said softly to myself—-

‘That must have been the Sun!”

Emily Dickenson

Feelings pass like clouds but love endures like the sky. ~Peter Roberts

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Shanda

Isaac and Cassandra’s Engagement Shoot

My youngest brother is getting married in August to a beautiful Christian woman. He is ready and eager for marriage, living single for the last few years has never seemed natural, and praise God he has found his love of a lifetime. They are incredibly happy, to be around them is to be lifted up in their joy, it’s contagious.

I met my friend Joanna in college and almost 20 years down the road we are knit together in close friendship. Both of us would say that *we would be a different person if we didn’t have the other in our life*. She has grown me, loved me, taught me, inspired me. She is a busy mom of five, and a talented photographer, too…

Isaac and Cassandra needed a photographer for their wedding and Joanna was so gracious to say yes to the opportunity. It’s been a dream come true for us as friends, having her involved in a sweet family moment in the town and home-place that I grew up in. I plan on helping her on the wedding day, and we can’t wait to work together.

Last Saturday, Joanna did an engagement shoot for them, in order to get to know them better before their big day. I was here at home in Connecticut, but a piece of my heart was in rural New York with Isaac, Cassandra, and Joanna, since I knew exactly when they were taking these pictures. I couldn’t wait to see the final outcome, and when Cass posted them all on Facebook yesterday I asked her if I could please share them here, with my blogging friends.

Who isn’t touched by young love, and the promise of a new beginning? What will the years hold?

When I look at these photos, tears come to my eyes. I love Joanna’s photography here; she worked like an angel in the background, making some magic in capturing images that Isaac and Cassandra will cherish forever.

white dress

Image

music :: (sharing a favorite artist and song)

photography :: (my daughter in her favorite white dress)

{this moment}

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Shanda

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

works vs. grace

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Shanda

Having “been there and come back”, nothing irritates me more than self righteous people (of whom I used to be one) who think they know all the answers about non-essential issues like family size, clothing, church attendance, music, and what-have-you. Actually, their beliefs don’t bother me as much. It’s the judgmental attitude that looks down on anyone who doesn’t believe the same way, or the trying, in a condescending, legalistic way to teach/enlighten others on “the truth”. I hate even bringing it up in blog-land. I believe it is a shame of the church that pretty much every denomination deals with….judging one another and trying to manipulate our own sanctification process. But I think it is important to talk about because this is the reason that we need to meditate more on the concept of grace, and also the reality of the LOVE of God toward sinners. I want to say what C.S. Lewis said, “Go further up and further in” … the life of a genuine, humble believer is just that—beautiful, attractive, lovely, not freakish or proud. Honestly, we all naturally suffer from making mistakes in our lives and speech (the Lord knows I often say or react in ways that are not very lovely) but IN GENERAL, I want to be the person who accepts, loves, listens, nurtures, and I want to go to a church where I feel safe and accepted, where the burdens of life are lifted for a while in the praise and adoration of my Savior (I am thankful that we do go to a church like that).

My mind and soul have been meditating on the grace and love of God because, really, these truths are the blessed antidote to the poison of self-righteousness and religiosity that looks to human good works rather than accepts the fact that we all NEED HIM for our everything, always. I search my Bible, books, and journals for the sweet truths of Christ that He has led me to through the years; and this Christian life is simple and beautiful. His ways are rest and peace, his burdens are light, He carries us in His loving arms and oh sometimes I just cannot seem to wait for the day when I am done with this life and on to glory-land!

Helpful words::

This is from the book The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, by David Johnson and Jeff Van Vonderen:

“In a works-righteousness system, if you stumble under the load you are carrying, the ministry you will receive will not be mercy and grace. You will not hear Matthew 5:3, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’–that is, ‘Blessed are those who recognize they can’t carry the load,’–‘for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Rather, you will be encouraged to ‘try a little harder’ and ‘do a little more.’ In some cases you may be shamed for ‘not being committed enough’.

There is also performance-based Christianity, a most common malady among Christians. It manifests itself this way. After having understood the truth of Ephesians 2:8-9—‘For by grace you have been saved…..’–and having had the load of sin removed for salvation, we then lay on a load of personal performance for sanctification, service, and to receive further blessings.

It works something like this. We are very careful to help people understand that Jesus is their only hope for salvation. ‘He saved us, not the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy’ (Titus 3:5) But for successful Christian living, we give the same message they had to reject in order to get saved. ‘Just do it’ ‘Try hard.’ ‘Do more.’ ‘It’s up to you.’ We pile up a load of expectations, regulations, formulas and rules. Almost without noticing, we begin to live the same way we did before we met Jesus, hoping that with all our effort we will someday, some way, measure up. But we never do measure up; we continue to carry the load and call it ‘the abundant life.’

This dynamic is really not that hard to spot. In a performance-based system, you will be the bearer of the burden. In a grace-based system, you will be constantly directed to Jesus as your only hope, encouraged to rest in Him as your only source of life and power.”

*******

Come to the waters,
whoever is thirsty;
drink from the Fountain that never runs dry.
Jesus the Living One, offers you mercy,
life more abundant in boundless supply.

Come to the River that flows through the city,
forth from the throne of the Father and Son.
Jesus the Savior says, ‘Come and drink deeply.’
Drink from the one, inexhaustible One.

Come to the fountain without any money;
buy what is given without any cost.
Jesus, the gracious one, welcomes the weary:
Jesus, the selfless one, died for the lost.

Come to the well of unmerited favor;
Stretch out your hand; fill your cup to the brim.
Jesus is such a compassionate Savior.
Draw from the grace that flows freely from Him.

Come to the Savior, the God of Salvation.
God has provided an end to sin’s strife.
Why will you suffer the Law’s condemnation?
Take the free gift of the water of life.

James Montgomery Boice, 2000

Nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:19

Many hear God say, ‘do more’ and ‘do better’. But not, ‘Ive done it all for you-rest.
Yet this is what Jesus meant when He said, ‘Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden….
Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me…..
for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Randy Alcorn

….to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace….. Romans 8:6

Surely the Lord is my help; God is the one who sustains me. Psalm 54:4

******

I realize that I cannot articulate what is in my heart properly, but I wanted to share the best way I could, some of the things that I’m thinking about these days. My friends, you are loved and acceptable. Rest in Christ today. I have little ones playing outside. David caught a crayfish and wants to eat it, Jacob and Ethan are painting Grace’s room as she reads a book, a soccer game is playing loudly on the TV. I am going to get to work in the kitchen, to make a big corn-chip salad (our favorite summer lunch) and perhaps some pizza dough, too.

Have a great day!

six flags

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Shanda

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. ~Celia Thaxter

Jacob and Ethan were invited to go with Zachary to Six Flags and yesterday, while they were getting ready to go, my sister Amanda called and asked if I would *go to Six Flags with her*. She had season passes for her and her children, and they could each bring a friend free that day. When Caroline came to pick up the boys I told her I was going, too, and she asked if I would take Allie with me as she had no room in her car for her daughter to go with the boys and Allie wanted to go.

IT WAS SUCH A FUN DAY!

We’ve lived in this area for about 14 years and I finally went to Six Flags for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of rides that Seth and Sarah could ride, and I could go on the majority of them with them.

It was a hot day, but dry rather than humid, so we kept spraying on the sunscreen and away we went from one ride to another, to the water park, to more rides, and over priced soda and food, with which to sustain us. I also brought juice and fruit, and Amanda brought crackers and peanut butter.

We saw the older boys once and they were having a great time. Amanda couldn’t get over how Jacob and Ethan had grown into men over the last few months she had not seen them.

Surprisingly, little Sarah LOVED all the rides. To hear her giggle and see her bright eyes was such a delight. As soon as we got off a ride she asked to go on another.

Seth was tired but perked up after soda and after the sun went down at dusk. He scared us at one point by taking himself to the bathroom. He said that he told us he was going, but we didn’t hear him. Praise the Lord he got himself back to us (there were crowds of people).

Caleb cried when his beloved championship baseball hat flew off on a fast ride.

The only ride Sarah didn’t like at all was the white water rapids, she explained that she hates waterfalls (falling on her face).

In total, it was Amanda and myself, plus Grace, Abbie, Allie, David, Caleb, Seth, and Sarah.

Amanda left with her three at dinner time and since it was my first time there I stayed another couple of hours to get a full day in.

Oh and did I mention, that along with Amanda’s guest passes, the people in front of us in line also shared their 3 guest passes so that I did not have pay for a single entrance fee! I love Random Acts of Kindness, they do happen and I always take note!! People are lovely.

the little kids’ swing ride

sitting in a tea cup with Sarah Joy (we rode this twice…we rode a lot of things twice!)

David my little boy who loves to fly, and wants to fly, got to fly…..on the ZOOM JETS

My fun children (plus Allie, who is only “sort of” mine) I love these people.

“hot air balloon ride” -not the one his hat blew away on-

Sarah and me, with giggles of joy

Seth got to ride on a wild ride which Sarah was too short for. He sat with Grace, and when it was over he ran back and waved his arms around to show me how the ride went. Isn’t he handsome? A favorite memory is watching him dance to some of the songs that played in the park, “I like to move it-move it” was his favorite.

It was the ride the hat blew away on….Caleb was told by the workers that he could get his hat back after the park closed for the night at 11pm. When I told Rich on the phone later, he said that maybe I could drive back the next morning to get it, to which I replied sarcastically, “Oh, yes!” And he said, “Thank you, that’s so nice of you Shan.” LOL I figured it would be easier to see if Coach has an extra? Pandemonium was the name of that ride which is exactly what it caused in Caleb’s life.

I was admiring Grace’s eyes, which were bloodshot at this point, but still pretty. She was a wonderful helper, so were Allie and Abbie, they made a happy threesome, and were SO good to the younger ones (they don’t take any shenanigans, either, which also helps maintain order!).

I think one of the best parts of the day was getting funnel cakes, cheese fries, soda, and slushies with the older kids while Amanda went on a couple rides with the little ones. Such fun, with an instant energy boost from the junk food.

One last ride on the merry-go-round. After it started, Grace put her hands down and rode holding the horse with her knees, I could tell she was pretending it was real.