your friend on a zip line

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Shanda

Rich and I went to Orlando with Caleb and Seth this summer. I have already blogged about the majority of our vacation except for the fact that we went zip lining. Gatorland doesn’t allow people to zip line with personal phones or cameras, so our group was photographed by a Gatorland photographer. We purchased the CD of all the photos, and I just got them saved to my computer this past weekend.

When Rich told me that the activity for our group was zip lining, I didn’t say anything. I was thinking that it would be a very easy thing for me to get out of. It was an activity primarily for him and his team (from work) and I imagined I would explore the rest of the park while they had their excitement, which to me sounded exactly like a panic attack waiting to happen.

But somehow, maybe it was peer pressure, I found myself being pulled along with the whole group, until I was in the building signing consent forms for myself and my two little boys, and then watching the educational video and listening to the bearded young men teasing us about what was about to happen.

I felt like I was going to faint or wet my pants or cry, and I looked at my excited sons’ faces and thought what kind of mother am I??

But still I kept going with it!! I didn’t want to make a scene, so perhaps it was pride that made me zip line that day.

I wasn’t the only one fearful, several of the others were obviously unsure of the whole thing, so that was one small comfort. However, the whole group loved having the boys with us, because they were so cute and truly inspired us scared adults. “IF THEY can do it I can do it!!”

“Clip in and ‘zip’ off on an exciting outdoor adventure with the all-new Screamin’ Gator Zip Line at Gatorland Your journey will take you along 1,200 feet of high flying, heart pounding adventure from some of the finest zip line towers in the world. Standing over seven stories tall, these amazing towers feature multilevel launch pads and breathtaking views from high above the treetops.” ~from the brochure

After walking up several flights of stairs we took turns getting hooked up and watching each other zip along….this is dear Caleb.

As a mother, it was hard for me to see them do this activity, but I was proud of them, and knew they were in good hands.

They will never forget this experience, I know.

Tiny Seth sometimes felt as though he wouldn’t make it to the other end, his body didn’t gain the speed necessary to go as fast as he wanted to.

He looked concerned.

Rich loved it.

I held on for dear life.

The worst thing was the bearded young men and their teasing. One time they got me hooked up, let me go off the platform, and as I zipped away, he leaned after me yelling, “No, WAIT!!” It took a moment to realize he was joking, and that moment was terrifying.

They took another group photo at the next platform. We’re all happy we survived the first run.

If you click on the photo, you can see it larger. These were the best photos of us…over the gators!

I’m thankful for Rich because if it weren’t for him I would not be having such an exciting life.

They were encouraging us all to let go and pose for the camera but I didn’t remember until I was almost to the end of the line.

There was a bearded young man waiting to catch me.

(they all had beards! LOL)

Click on this to see Caleb’s adorable face!! I asked him this morning if he would ever zip line again and he yelled “YES! OF COURSE I WOULD!”

My baby boy.

He waved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t stand the cuteness.

Seth going in for the landing…….after these two zip lines there were more to do but no more pictures were taken.

Just writing this post increased my heart rate.

*****

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain

There have been many times when I refused to do something because it was scary. I will never be a daring adventurous person, but it does feels good to say yes sometimes, experience something new, and have the joy of making a fantastic memory.

vacation//orlando, FL

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Shanda

Rich was so excited about our vacation that he stayed up super late the night before. On Thursday morning we woke up at 4:30 in the morning to drive to the airport with the boys. About 5 years ago, we took Jacob, Ethan, Grace, and David to Disney and this year it was Caleb and Seth’s turn to go.

We got back home safe and sound last night at about 11pm. I drove over to our friends’ house to retrieve Grace, Sarah, and David this morning.

Jacob and Ethan stayed at home to take care of things.

It feels good and right to be back with all seven children today. David is watching drawing lesson videos on Youtube, Sarah is by my side talking to herself, Seth is playing with a hula hoop, Ethan’s outside, Jacob is upstairs with Grace and Emily…..

I have a ton of photos to share but today I thought I would simply post all my phone pictures.

After a whole day of travel on Thursday and a late night eating dinner with Rich’s team (more details on that later), by Saturday morning the boys hated the idea of another “sit down and wait forever” meal….so we happily went to McDonald’s for breakfast.

Here I am in Downtown Disney, enjoying a dark-chocolate-covered pineapple spear. photo by Rich

Downtown Disney bakery….I thought the Olaf candy apples were adorable (10 dollars a piece).

At the hotel pool, watching the boys swim.

Seth, our little swimmer. We forgot his life jacket but he was just fine.

Friday evening dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, after a long day at Gatorland.

Downtown Disney was a short walk from our hotel so we went often; this was such a fun night with loud music playing…people milling about, dancing along, just such a upbeat, happy atmosphere.

It rained for a little while at Magic Kingdom so we bought big plastic ponchos. I love how Seth is grinning at the phone, too. photo by Caleb

SPLASH MOUNTAIN!!!!! Rich’s favorite Disney ride.

While we were waiting for the Winnie the Pooh ride, the boys hung out in Eeyore’s Gloomy Place.

10pm Disney fireworks!!! I always get sentimental.

pretty awesome selfie, right?

Oh my word. I rode space mountain for the first time at about midnight….with our hotel room key we were able to stay after hours…I had no clue this ride was so crazy. I was praying and thinking about Seth the entire way. He loved it and when we got off he said, “Where WAS I? I was bouncing the whole time!” This ride is a roller coaster in the dark, I was scared that Seth would fly out of his seat. Rich was afraid he would lose his sunglasses (clipped on his shirt). Caleb was in the car in front of us. Very fun ride!

I have a lot more Epcot pictures on my phone because my big camera ran out of batteries the moment we entered the park, LOL.

This is where people can sample ice cold sodas from different countries. so interesting! Their favorite was the dark red soda from Zimbabwe.

Such a PERFECT quote for our Seth. He doesn’t know his left from his right, he doesn’t know how to tie his shoes, but his adventurous spirit never stops and inspires us to no end. He went zip lining this weekend, and rode roller coasters with no fear. Wait until you see the pictures of him hanging over the alligators in his zip line harness in Gatorland!

Rich came back from taking my camera back to the car and since the boys had no desire to visit the Epcot countries, he took them away to go on rides. I was able to walk around by myself. My favorite places were England, France, and most especially Norway. My Great Grandfather came to America from Norway and over the past year I’ve gotten more and more fascinated by this beautiful country. I read Kristen Lavransdatter twice (a huge pulizer prize novel, of the best quality literature, IMO) and several other Norweigan books…..most recently, the haunting Giants in the Earth, a saga of the prairie, by Ole Rolvaag, a story of Norweigan immigrants in America. It contained the most beautiful treatment of mental illness I’ve ever read, but ended in such a way that I am still asking questions and coming to grips with the novel. I do recommend it highly, however…both “Kristen” and “Giants” are excellent books.

I was greatly looking forward to Norway, but I had forgotten that the movie FROZEN was set in Norway so it was a let down for me personally that the movie and characters have made “Norway” in Epcot more of a destination than it was the last time I was there.

While I was there I ate lunch; and as I ate I started a Norway pinterest board on my phone. 🙂

traditional Norweigan baked goods; lafke (filled with cinnamon sugar and butter) and school bread. Both were so delicious. Of course I was starving by that time, too.

I went back to France for a cappuccino.

meanwhile, Rich was also having fun…he texted me this picture….

I watched a show on the sidewalk.

It was such a beautiful day. I love the flower gardens at Epcot, and the cloudy blue sky was big and gorgeous.

the boys wanted to catch a lizard in the worst way

pickle christmas tree

thinking of my girlies, wishing they were with me

waiting in line for a ride

our little vikings.

YESTERDAY Rich took the boys to a water park while I stayed behind to lounge at the pool, shop, and nap. We were all packed and ready to leave by 4:30, tired but happy!

After we landed in Hartford, the pilot let the boys sit in the chairs. He only said, “NO don’t touch that one!” once. 🙂

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.

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.

we went to the beach today

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Shanda

The sun was hot and burned brightly on our skin, especially the bottoms of our feet as we went back and forth from our shade tent, to the water. One little boy saw the “water” for the first time, and by watching his older siblings, he knew just what to do, without fear of anything.

Baby Sarah remembered the ocean experience from her first time, back in February, and reminded us once again that she does not LIKE the ocean. She gripped my arms as I held her, with both her arms, each time the wave came up loudly at my feet. Loudly, she protested on and on until her Papa finally got her to drift away to nap-land.

I was happy to see that the older children could still play; jumping waves, laughing, building sand walls, playing football and frisbee, throwing sand at each other…so many smiles, so many, made my heart sing to give them the gift of this day, at the ocean. They didn’t want to leave. They wanted to watch the sunset. Their laid-back friendliness attracted other little children and there is one picture up there…I had taken several of the same shot….before I realized that the little boy in the group that I thought was Caleb, wasn’t, and Caleb was off by himself!

We left the house unaware that Davy had forgotten SHOES, so we had to stop on our way to buy him some sandals. Imagine the feelings we had, when we discovered at the end of the day, that the new sandals had vanished. He was meant to be shoeless (?) So that’s how he ate his dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, journeying back and forth to the salad bar. With bare feet.

As I sat (at brief intervals) in my own beach chair, I was grateful to read through five pages of my magazine that I had chosen for the time at the beach. I truly was honored to look at all the specimens that came my way, as child after child brought me things to see.

Jacob forgot to apply sunscreen. Oh wait. No, he “couldn’t find it.” How he missed all the busy applying amongst the other eight family members, I have no idea. But, he came home with a sunburn. Thankfully, he kept his shirt on all day so it’s not as bad as it could be.

As parents, Rich and I soak up experiences like this, just as we soaked up the hot sun today. It was a great day, watching the children be themselves, the little people we love so much. Our friends. Jacob with the burn, Ethan who is everyone’s friend, Grace who calmly explains things to us, and has long hair, Davy who doesn’t wear shoes, Caleb who wants his birthday to be tomorrow (it’s the 9th), Seth who wasn’t afraid, and Sarah Joy, who was, and found comfort in her father’s arms.

vacation

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Shanda

Thank you, Naples, Florida, for giving me a taste of springtime before it reached my home state of Connecticut.

Thank you for your bright sunshine, your warm sun, your flowers, and the joy of shedding winter coat.

Thank you for flip flops and sand and ocean.

The snow currently falling outside my windows will do nothing to deter my spring fever, thanks to you.

********************

Random Photos of our Vacation:

Our room in Naples had green walls and two big sliding doors that opened out to a private patio, with the beach just beyond.

During Sarah’s first time in the hotel crib she wanted to stand up…but didn’t quite make it.

We let her crawl around the room to explore, and she thought the misty, thin curtains around our bed were a lot of fun.

baby bare feet

I took many many photos of the waves and water….I loved how the look of it changed with the time of day. These were taken at sunset. The glowing path of sun shined across the water, straight to me.

“I shall not go into further details;

but I am sure that he who is acquainted with the works of God sees at once

that the sea is God’s creature,

and in it’s ever-changing sameness,

in it’s awe-inspiring majesty,

in it’s tremendous force, and unsearchable mystery,

it’s waves and caverns, it’s calms and storms,

it tells of a hand invisible, a mind unsearchable.” -Charles Spurgeon

Sarah was howling as we took this one of our toes…..

We ordered room service several times which was such a treat. For three nights in a row, we spoiled ourselves by ordering a movie, too.

Our favorite one was Secritariat. We also watched Tangled (Rich wasn’t as impressed at that one, but I thought it was cute), and Morning Glory.

Baby was cheerfully sitting on my lap for this one, on the beach and wearing her pretty bonnet that Dawn made for her.

Rich had a massage at lunchtime on one of the days, so I had a salad in our room. It was delicious (chicken taco with roasted shallots and peppers).

I have some serious “reducing” to do, now that I am home again. We had an abundance of yummy things; key lime pie, shrimp, steak, salads, an ice cream cone, etc.

And look who learned to stand up in her crib after some practicing!

I looked at some inspiring magazines…a good variety of fashion and make up, Country Living (British edition, my favorite), and the current issue of Countryside, which had some very nice articles about homeschooling in it.

I took this photo by turning around in my chair outside on our patio, and looking at our reflection in the glass door of our room. We were soaking up the sun and reading.

Rich went running every day, which he LOVES to do. He got lots of rest and sleep and that terrible headache finally WENT AWAY!!!

Late sunset:

One of our favorite parts of vacationing is the laziness of breakfast. It was true for this vacation, too. Oh how we enjoyed stooping down to pick up the paper outside our door and then walking to the hotel dining room. We had fresh squeezed orange juice and the most delicious coffee each morning, along with the generous buffet.

I love this picture for those reasons–the memory of slow mornings, sharing the paper with my husband, with our little girl-flower beside us, sucking her finger and attracting lots of admiration from us and others.

Sarah is approaching nine months old but this trip was a milestone for her and her Papa. They did some happy bonding time, especially during one of our shopping trips. Rich took Sarah away with him, carrying her in his arms, and he told me, with bright eyes, that he talked to her the whole time, as they were together without Mama. She got to know her Papa so much better, with all the alone time she got (with no siblings about).

On our last morning, I took a risk and sat Sarah down in the sand again.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the vacation.

Our door hanger said, “Noble Pursuits in Progress, Please do not Disturb.” I hope it wasn’t wrong of me, but I slipped it into my bag and brought it home. It’s perfect for our master-bedroom door knob! heart

Our valet parking ticket, our room key, our love-songs.

And then we flew away from Naples, and back home again.

Sarah was a good little flyer. The sound of the roaring plane, and her milk, kept her in a quiet, drowsy state of mind.

We came home to children who had been spoiled by Grandma during the week, all was well and we were happy to be together again.

I spent the first half of a day in shock–back to the crazy busyness of my household–but we quickly got back to our routine again and we had a nice weekend.

Naples was gorgeous and restful. Our time away has left us feeling recharged and ready to take care of our responsibilities again.

I am dreaming of spring, thanks to Florida, I currently have a case of Spring Fever which is filling my heart with HOPE and longing.

It’s coming!

heart Sending lots of love in the direction of all my wonderful friends and family,

Have a great day!

Shanda

New Hampshire Vacation

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Shanda

Last Tuesday, Rich and I took the children to New Hampshire for a much needed vacation. We stayed at a low-key, camp style family resort. (Purity Springs Resort) It was casual and lots of fun. We weren’t sure what to expect, we found the place online and made a reservation without really knowing what we were doing. Our heavenly Father gifted us with just what we needed, and when all is said and done, we feel so grateful and blessed by our getaway.

The resort said we were staying in a condo…..by the end of the approximately four hour drive, I was nervous and setting myself up for disappointment. I should not have worried, our accommodations were wonderful. It was a big huge house, and we had the majority of it as our “condo”…four bedrooms and two baths upstairs, and a kitchen and livingroom downstairs. None of the children had to share beds. We had plenty of room for all of us. The only negative was the door handle to go outside. It was one of those pull down ones, and Seth was able to escape. He figured that one out about 5 minutes after we arrived. I was on edge quite a bit, and he did get loose outside several times but not for long, he was always caught and brought back in.

The house had three separate suites and the other two stayed empty until the weekend. So we had the place to ourselves.

We were able to do quite a bit, right at the resort.

Like, tennis:

……playing (or sleeping) on the playground(s),

…boating,

….hiking,

….swimming in the indoor pool, working out (Rich and boys), and playing in the game room. They also had lounge areas with games, puzzles, coffee, videos, and magazines.

Every morning we ate breakfast at the resort restaurant. Hot chocolate, omelets, waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, pancakes, french toast, muffins. Everything was delicious.

We sat at the same table every morning.

One day, we decided to go to a bookstore that I had found online. It ended up being about a 45 minute drive (too long). However, it ended up being our only drive through the White Mountain region and it was beautiful.

There are lots of convenient pull-offs so that people can park their cars, get out, admire the views and snap a few pictures.

We finally arrived at the bookstore. Happily, it was in a quaint, pretty village and we felt good supporting a local business. There were people all over it in, browsing books, reading, meeting friends.

The children enjoyed the play areas that were set up downstairs in the children’s department.

We spent a lot of time outside at the lake (at the resort):

storyland

On Saturday, we took the kids to Storyland. It’s a small amusement park for little ones and was so much fun. I highly recommend it.

I LOVED THIS QUOTE::::

Davy on the Merry Go Round (Rich and Seth are in the background)~

Even Sethie got to go on a lot of the rides. He was so cute.

I love this picture of David and Caleb. They never wanted to leave Storyland. As a matter of fact, Jacob, Ethan, Seth, and I ended up going to sit in the vehicle for the last hour (to get Sarah out of the wind) while Rich continued on with these two, and Grace.

Do you love it? I’m the old woman who lived in the shoe…with so many children….I don’t know what to do!

The turtle ride went ’round and ’round.

We got a tiny bit wet on this one:

On the way back to the resort, we got stuck in traffic but we enjoyed more pretty views~

We took these the morning we left. (Did I mention outlet shopping?) I found an awesome green jacket for myself at the outlets~

The sweater set that Sarah Joy has on was made for Grace 11 years ago. I wish I remember who made it.

I found a shirt for Sarah that says LITTLE SISTER on it…so cute! (she was really good on the trip but didn’t sleep very well. I actually cried one morning from exhaustion but God gave me the strength to enjoy the busy days regardless).

At times, the car rides were torturous. But that’s the way it goes on a vacation!

This huge blog was an enormous pain to post. My apologies if it seems randomly put together. I’m still trying to get used to the new format here on xanga.

Anyway, our vacation was great, I did do a LOT of reading, and I am thankful for a good, safe, happy trip.

It’s good to be home now. It’s a beautiful day today, sunshine and bright leaves. I went out for coffee this morning with my friend Caroline. The older children are done with school for the day and after naps I’m going to work with David and Caleb.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

(family adventure)

Posted on September 16, 2008 by Shanda

Yesterday, after school, Rich and I took the children to a local fair. It was a lot of walking around in the sun, but we had a great day. At times it was stressful, keeping track of the kids, but we kept reminding ourselves, “It’s worth it, we’re making memories. . . . .”

Here are some of the pictures I took:

The giant slide was the first thing we did when we got there. Rich took the kids down, while Caleb and I waited below. Rich told me that Ethan almost didn’t go down. . .I think all of a sudden he decided that this huge slide was just not a smart idea. But, he went and was glad he did. His hat blew off half way down and the worker had to retrieve it for him.

At the petting zoo area, Caleb and the other children got to feed goats.

After seeing horses, and pigs, and rabbits and other animals, we made our way to the midway. This was the first time we had taken the kids to a fair and it was somewhat frustrating because of the P R I C E S. When you have five children, it all adds up so quickly. They went on a couple of rides and then we left to do other things.

Caleb’s very first amusement park ride, which he loved.

We walked around some State buildings and the children dressed up in these Police uniforms.

I don’t think these two would show mercy, do you?

After the fair, we came home and Rich had to leave again right away to take Jacob and Ethan to their music lessons. While they were gone, I gave David and Caleb hair cuts.

I may have gone a little too short this time.

They both look so so cute with no hair! I’ve been calling Caleb my little teddy bear this morning. He says he’s not a bear, but he does have teeth.

This is what they were doing the whole time I was trying to get just one decent head shot:

They were both wild after such a fun day. It took a long time before they could settle down to sleep. After being giggly, Caleb crashed and went off in the other direction, crying and having fits in his bed because he wanted a “certain car” to sleep with. I was glad that at that point, Rich was home to deal with him.

This morning I am going to buzz the two older boys. I just find it much easier to keep their hair short.

Also, today is Rich’s and my 13th wedding anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s a day of remembering our wedding and all the excitement we felt as we went through the ceremony and reception afterwards. My friend Karen offered to come over to babysit the kids and I am looking forward to spending a good chunk of the day alone with my husband. For breakfast this morning I made us delicious omelets. I’ve been making them every morning for the past 4 days. Mushroom, green pepper, tomato, cheese, and chives. YUM!

Rich is running the dog right now so I better get busy and make myself pretty. I’ll be posting pictures of our day, in honor of our anniversary, at some point (tonight or tomorrow).

Have a great day!

Ocean day

Posted on September 2, 2008 by Shanda

“. . .youth must gather the sweet things of life—the flowers, the fragrant odors, which lie everywhere, so that old age may be clothed with gladness. We do not realize how much the happiness of our later years will depend upon the things we are doing today.”
~ J.R. Miller, the ever inspiring, in Homemaking

The above quote applies to everyone, don’t you think? We parents, when we make memories with our children, are not only giving them happy remembrances, but we are also giving them to ourselves.

I know that Rich and I, when our children are grown, will remember the happy adventures we had with our young ones, and be so glad, so *very* thankful, that we took the opportunities that God gave us, to enjoy our children.

Yesterday we went to the ocean, what will we do today? Each day is filled with opportunities to win the hearts of our precious ones. . . . .those moments could come as a special trip, or something as simple as a long hug, at bedtime, without even saying a word.

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Caleb, getting used to the waves. . . .

The five of them, all in one picture. Grace had a lot of fun, collecting little bits of things, from the sea.

Caleb was discusted, when a piece of seaweed got on his finger. He ran to me crying, so I could remove it.

These next two pictures say JOY to me. . . .I can feel it in my own heart, when I look at them.

The children were busy, making a sand castle with nothing to use for tools, except the ones on the ends of their arms.

And Grace took along her stuffed doggie, Sprocket.

And, do you know what else I got to do? I got to stop at a Yankee Candle outlet store and stock up on more candles, enough to last us for probably a year! (Thanks, honey!)

Grace and David have colds but I am happy to say that we still put in a satisfying morning of school. The sun is shining nicely and Davy-do is already home from his morning at Kindergarten. The older children are taking a break at the moment, and watching I love Lucy. Then, we will do some cleaning and reading.

I hope all of you are having a blessed day, and abiding in our friend and Savior, Jesus Christ. He loves us with everlasting love, and there is nothing more beautiful than that.

~Shanda~

Old Sturbridge Village

Posted on August 18, 2008 by Shanda

Today ended up being an adventure. I decided to take the children to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, and my friend Kathy met us there with her four children. The children played and visited while Kathy and I talked and tried our best to keep track of them.

During this visit, I wanted to keep my eyes open for beautiful pictures of that unique time period. There is something about those years that attract me. Does anyone else feel that way? Today what I noticed most of all was c o l o r. The people of those times used so many gorgeous earthy colors in their homes and clothes.

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The very first thing we did after our half hour drive was munch cookies and sip cold juice. The children each had a big round peanut butter cookie. I was craving a homemade fig bar but settled for a raspberry turnover. We sat outside on a bench, in the shade of a solid, tall tree and waited for our friends.

These next few pictures are from a wool-dying demonstration in the village. I think I could have sat and watched all day. The workers dress in period clothes and use period tools, as well. This woman was stirring spun yarn into boiling water and dye. The dye she used today was made from some kind of insect (a pink color was achieved).

The walls in Grace’s room just might be the color of that pink in the far right corner of this basket of yarn! Maybe a shade lighter.

Moving on to the sheep barn, this wooden door, with it’s iron hook, caught my eye.

And then I noticed this pretty little girl. She just happens to be my own~Miss Grace~

She didn’t look this serious all day, believe-you-me!

~the all important New England white picket fence~

~Domestic inspiration~

Lighting, Color, Simplicity, Beauty, Usefulness

In this little baby cradle, there is a small white pillow which says, “Welcome Little Stranger”, isn’t that dear?

I love the dusky purple of the blanket, too.

Isn’t it time for an afternoon nap?

Back to the gardens. . . .does anyone else think of the ever-inspiring Tasha Tudor when you see this next photo?

I came home with a few irresistible goodies. Whether my little expected baby is a boy or a girl, I have plans for the top piece of flannel. It will be sewn up into a nice oversized receiving blanket, which is about all I can handle at the moment.

I don’t knit or crochet yet, so the yarn is just to look at, and touch, and admire. It was worked into it’s final state by the Old Sturbridge Village craftspeople.

I hope you enjoyed the photos from my day. Don’t you think color effects moo
d? What are you favorite colors? My favorites are the shades of greens and blues. I will always love those colors, but lately I have also been drawn to yellows. Aren’t you thankful God created color? And such a variety! He is so amazing!

Now I need go work in my kitchen and see what I can do for supper time. The children are busy ~ Jacob is giving Caleb a piggy back ride. I love hearing Caleb’s giggles and cries of “Go faster!” Rich called not long ago and told me he would be home within the hour. Then the fun can really begin!

Have a lovely evening, friends!

Love, ~Shanda~