Praise To the Man

Parker and Eliza at the Palmyra Temple. They did baptisms for the dead.

Parker celebrated his 12th birthday on November 27th. Here he is with his new warm coat in the Sacred Grove.
Thanksgiving Dinner in our cabin at Seneca Lake Camp.

We walked around the Sacred Grove for about an hour on Thanksgiving Day.

We had a great trip to New York over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Overall the kids were great (good thing I am writing this a month later to forget some of the "moments"). We had lots of time to just be together and relax. We stayed at the Church's Girls Camp in a 16-bunk cabin. Very nice facilities, but a little chilly. We brought a space heater that did not quite heat the space--we just stayed bundled up. We watched movies, hiked, played DS, and drove to all the church sites. The Finger-Lakes area is really beautiful. I thought about my brother Steve who served his mission in that area and also later lived there with Denise and the boys.

Some of the highlights:

Hill Cumorah, Scared Grove, Grandin Building, Smith Farm

Thanksgiving Dinner--Crock-Pot Turkey cooked overnight (very juicy), micro-waved "sides"

Parker got the priesthood and went to the temple. He was SO happy.

"Aliens in the Attic" Movie--downloaded on David's laptop.

Card Games, puzzles, ginger ale, egg nog, Tole House Cookie Pie

Eating at McDonalds (David told the kids "this is where Joseph and Emma ate after they got the gold plates"--some of the kids fell for it--we all had a good laugh.)

We made a stop at Niagara Falls on the way home--VERY COLD and WET! Then on to the Camille and Chads for some fun with the cousins in Ohio. We spent the night, went to church , talked, ate yummy chicken and rice dinner and several dozen pumpkin cookies--thanks Camille. They are great hosts--it is fun to live near them.

All in all, we drove 1800 miles, but it didn't seem that long.

Just a few other thoughts:

It was really sad for me to see Alvin's grave. It is alone on the top of a small hill in Palmyra. It didn't help that it was raining, cold and muddy. He was at the prime of his life and loved by his family. It was sobering.

Joseph Smith was young and strong. His family loved and supported him. He held up under tribulation (even when he was very young) and did what the Lord needed and wanted him to do. He was faithful and held true to his word and testimony. He was happy and people loved to be with him. He was a prophet who restored truths to the earth.

Happy Birthday. Thanks for your life and example.

SURVIVAL

Michael is warming himself by the fire (started without matches) after suffering from hypothermia.

The boys send air-to-ground-signals using pretzels.

They help stabilize a broken leg and take their man to shelter.

Parker ascends the tree in search of food.

Parker informed me the other day that I need to up-date the blog. He wanted me to give a report on his birthday party. He was born on Thanksgiving Day and has never really had a party where he invites his friends over--we are usually traveling or we invite some friends over and play games. I had him convinced for years that he had better parties than anyone else! Anyway, he talked me into doing a "real" party--I have to admit it was GREAT! Boys are SO easy to entertain. We did a "Wilderness Survival Party"--using the Boy Scout Merit Badge requirements as our activities. Super easy prep, high entertainment impact, and the cake that "flopped" just looked more realistic. The best part was when we were eating they asked if there were any plates--I said, "No, remember, we are in the wilderness--no plates, cups or silverware--just use your hands to eat and get a drink from the stream (hose). " They were absolutely THRILLED with this primitive way of eating. (And it saved me from going in the house to see if I had any paper products). We also had a tree that we wanted to cut down--to open up the front yard where we planted the fruit trees--we decided to do that before they came and the boys all hauled branches and cleaned up the tree remains to use in their shelter. (Nothing like throwing a party to have everyone do our yard work! They loved it and really got into it.) I'll have to see if Parker wants to write more later.

Falling Leaves

Fall in Tennessee is beautiful--the trees, colors, and weather are perfect. The kids have always loved playing in outside in a big pile of leaves. It is one of the few jobs that they all pitch in and help with very little resistance. I love the smell of leaves and usually jump in myself. Here are Parker and Eliza on a "sick day". We also "re-planted" our peach trees after reading that they need well-drained soil. We added some sand to break up the clay that they were in--hopefully that will help them flourish. The yard is full again with leaves from the late dropping trees--but the novelty of playing in them has worm off and it is getting colder. I guess I'd better get out there and get it done before too long. Although last year I didn't get it finished and the earth didn't spin off its axis. We'll see what happens.

Thanksgiving Eve

Right now we are sitting in a cabin in the "Finger Lakes" area of NY overlooking Seneca Lake. The kids are playing games, and we're listening to Christmas music and hoping for a big snow storm! It is almost as picturesque as it sounds, but there is no heat--it's not too bad. We've got a space heater going and warm clothes on. Tomorrow we are going to enjoy a crock pot turkey and various "micro-waved side dishes" as we sit bundled up and cuddled

Thankful

Bet you don't store your rice and beans this way!
I've got two great little helpers.

Made another run to the cannery a while back (actually a LONG time ago) and I am finally getting everything into some big buckets. It always feels good to spend money on food storage. It is very satisfying to have something set away for a rainy day.

From the church web-site:

"For longer-term needs, and where permitted, gradually build a supply of food that will last a long time and that you can use to stay alive, such as wheat, white rice, and beans."

"While there is a decline in nutritional quality and taste over time, depending on the original quality of food and how it was processed, packaged, and stored, the studies show that even after being stored long-term, the food will help sustain life in an emergency."

I have never liked the "stay alive" and "help sustain life in an emergency" part. I guess it if far better than the alternative though. I have been the ward food storage person for the past several years and have tried to help people get food in their homes. I was just released from this calling and do feel relieved in some ways, but am already making a list of things I need to stock up on again for our own family. What a wonderful thing to be able to feed my kids when they say they are hungry--even if it is cold cereal or "mac". I feel very blessed to have full cupboards, food under beds, in closets, and a full tummy everyday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

Garden of Weedin'

I know it has been WAY too long since an update. This is for my faithful reader--my Mom--I'm sure that no one else checks EVERYDAY! When it's been so long, I feel like I've got to come up with something spectacular to write about--the last few months has just been life. We had a very swine-infested October--everyone was sick at least once--except Grace. The kids have enjoyed some days off school to recover. We've done some yard clean-up, had fun Halloween adventures, and just lived life. Here are pics from our garden clean-up. I really enjoy gardening, but when it gets above 80 degrees I slack off! We had some huge tomato plants this year and even bigger weeds. One evening for FHE we cleaned everything out. Now I am filling the boxes with leaves and grass clippings--just lazy mans composting! It is still fairly warm--we've had a few freezes, but it warms up during the day. I love this time of year--it is a full season here in TN!

KK 2!

Well, little Katherine turned 2 on September 10th. She is a great person. I got this darling picture of her right after she was making funny faces--the reason she has such a great smile is that she was really pleased with her faces, because we were all laughing. Some of her favorite things: soft blankets and robes--she is very particular--not necessarily about the item, rather its softness factor, bottle and pacifier (recently confiscated from William--oh well!), Desitin and toothpaste (really anything that comes from a tube and is fun to squeeze out, squish between fingers and smear on various objects, markers (preferably black Sharpies--yes, I put them up--she can move chairs, turn over buckets and climb to get whatever her little heart desires), big bins filled with flour and powdered milk (they have been moved various times--she still finds them), pens and pencils--she loves to write--and has very fine scribbles, shes loves it when the older kids get home from school--so do I, going to nursery, finally! She loves singing songs, snacks and bubbles.

She is fun to have in our family. We sure love her.

Eliza was making frosting for the cake and got her finger caught in the mixer. It was bad. Parker got attacked by killer bees and is icing his head with frozen pepperoni. He said hotdogs work better. As you can tell we had a very exciting birthday party with lots of trauma.

Pick a Winner

Every household should have a 4-year old. Peter is such a fun little guy. The other day he was picking his nose again. I asked him if he was enjoying having boogers for breakfast. He replied, "I am not eating my boogers, I am eating the snot--I am having leftovers!"

If only the rest of the family was this easy to feed!

Peter is a great helper--here is is cutting up tomatoes.

Pooch!

Last night as I was snuggling Peter and KK in bed we were singing songs and trying to get Katherine to say new words. We were going through the alphabet, doing the sounds and helping her say various words. When we got to the letter "P" we tried to get her to say "Peter" (she can get "Pete" out really well, but the "-er" part hasn't come yet--so she calls him "Pete-Pete").

Anyway, the word that came out was "pooch". This basically a Cannon cuss word. Peter started laughing exclaiming with surprise and delight, "She said POOCH, that is what Uncle Steve says when he is losing a game!" And then he demonstrated Uncle Steve throwing down his cards in digust. It was hilarious and we all had a good laugh at Steve's expense.

Steve is great--here is a picture of him canoeoing last summer with Isaac, Michael and Denise on board.

The Law of the Harvest

You reap what you sow. You also eat what you grow. Here is our first garden meal. SO delicious. I've been canning like crazy again and trying to get everything done before we hit the road!

Sleep Tight

Michael is a creative doer. Sunday is probably our most creative day of the week. We pretty much stay home and are limited to activities that involve our imaginations--which opens up lots of possibilities. When Michael asked if he could use the "power saw" we decided that was out of the "Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy Realm". That did not deter him. A few hours later, with boards sawed by hand, some sewing and hot glue in the right places he came up with a hammock. With a few bungee cords and straps he was able to rig up a nice spot to sleep or at least rest. The straps put your legs to sleep if you stay there too long. I guess he could market this as the hammock that puts your WHOLE body to sleep. He is fun and its enjoyable to see what he comes up with.

Summer Camping

We love to camp and have a great 10-man tent. Eliza was so excited about the size and capacity amazed that we had a "10-man tent"--she was so impressed and then realized, "Oh, yah, there are 9 in our family". Suddenly it didn't seem so big and spacious! There really is more than enough room. We set the tent up in the yard and the slept out for three nights--we had double-decker air mattresses and watched movies every night on David's lap-top. This is the way to camp. What a fun summer. We also had a hot-air balloon float over our yard. They were close enough to see us and waved back.

SWEET!

Grace with her fish cake. She did such a wonderful job with the icing, design and colors! She is a great little chef. A wonderful friend is giving the girls cake decorating classes. It has been a SWEET summer!

Eliza made a birthday cake for one of her friends. She designed the cake and colors and added the beautiful hydrangea (picked in secret from the neighbors!) on top.

Birds and the Bees

David here. Please indulge me for this post :).

With our children getting a little older, our lives are changing for the better, and I love being a Dad. For example, I can now throw the football and the kids can catch it (without getting a bloody nose), or they are old enough to go do "adult" things with me, like hiking or biking, and I don't have to carry them the last 3 miles. Along with this blessing comes the responsibility of explaining the "birds and the bees" to them, which we have been very open about. As I ponder my role as father, I am beginning to wonder if I need another "birds and bees" discussion because every night I seem to ask myself how it is we ended up with 7 children.

Case-in-point (and this is all exacerbated now by the fact that the kids are out on summer break, they are all sleeping in the same room for fun, and it is still light when we put them to bed):

1. We put our children to bed at 8:00 - 8:30. This bedime is so that Marilyn and I can have some alone time, read scriptures, check e-mail, church stuff, or anything that is "us-related" and not "kid-related" (no offense to the children). However, at 10 o'clock when I am getting in bed, I have already been in their rooms 4 times threatening them because they have been building forts, arranging rooms, laughing, reading, talking, or playing Nintendo DS under the covers (as if I can't tell...the glow through the covers gives it away). I usually give them the guilt trip about how we need to trust them to do what we ask, and that finally calms them down.

2. Each of the children, even the oldest, like me to "snuggle" them, so after each has gotten their 3 minute allotment, it is 20 minutes later.

3. I usually get one or two kids coming into our room complaining about how life isn't fair and how so-and-so was mean to them. A hug and a kiss with a reassurance that they are indeed a "victim" and that they should just try to get along is all that's needed to send them back to bed.

4. Marilyn is nursing, so by the time she is finished nursing, she is incoherent and already 80% asleep.

5. I put the baby in his crib after he has been successfully burped. Then I quietly tip-toe back into bed, and as my head hits the pillow, and my body slowly relaxes, the baby starts crying. One more burp and the house is usually quiet.

6. A last interruption is usually in the form of a phone call from someone wanting a phone number, or someone from another time zone that forgets we are 1-2 hours ahead of them.

At this point in time, Marilyn and I are so tired we grunt that we love each other and then go to sleep. I can go to sleep in less than 5 minutes, and the kids sleep through the night, so once I am asleep all is well. As I drift off to sleep, I realize all the "good intentions" that I missed, but I also realize I took care of my children and that they are happy.

Our lives are not too busy, and we usually get to bed on time, but it is the process that wears us out. Also, I really enjoy having 8 best friends, but I figured it can be therapeutic to write humerously about life's experiences.

So, back to the "birds and the bees." How is it that we have 7 children? I still don't have an answer, and I guess I am going to need Marilyn to explain this one to me. She seems to have these things figured out.

Kirtland for Memorial Day

We were going to go the Gulf Shores for Memorial Day, but decided it would be funner and more important for our family to go to Kirtland. Kirtland is only 7.5 hours away, and we love to camp, so it worked out well. This was our second trip, and we all really enjoyed it. We felt the spirit very strong and came away better people.

In front of the John Johnson farm in Hiram, OH. Very special place.

Room in the John Johnson farm house where Joseph Smith Jr. received many revelations, including D&C 76. It was amazing to be in that room.

John Johnson farm

Playing with our great friends from Church, the Veeches, at the John Johnson farm. They came camping with us.

In front of the Kirtland visitor's center with the Veeches. One of the highlights was the traveling bronze exhibit of artist Angela Johnson. It was amazing. Pictures weren't allowed but you can view her web site at http://www.ajsculptures.com/.

Camping at Punderson State Park. It was kind of crowded but was the only place to camp.

Our family in front of the Kirtland temple.

The Hale cousins came from Dayton to be with us on Saturday. It was great!

William with a leaf on his head.

In front of Thankful Halsey Pratt's grave. She was Parley's first wife and died in Kirtland shortly after childbirth. We were in Kirtland last year to dedicate the grave (they just recently found it).

Upstairs in the Newel K. Whitney store. Joseph Smith Jr. sat that very desk.

Downstairs in the Newell K. Whitney store.

Outside the store.

Catching Up - May 2009

We are behind on pictures and posts so here are some of the latest from May 2009.

Oldest are at the bottom.

Steele Creek Park in Bristol, TN (VA)

Chewbacca Grace

Michael is our fisherman. He always catches something.

Father's & Son's campout

Enjoying Papa Murphy's pizza with Grandma & Grandpa

Grace's school program. She was so excited!

Peter feeding Katherine.

Katherine "snuggling in her spot"

Williams' baby blessing day

Williams' baby blessing day

Mormon Helping Hands activity - Hammond House