Packing lunches

This was our second year being able to help pack lunches with Acts of Hope.  It is a ministry that passes out lunches to the homeless on Thanksgiving day.  We were really wanting to go as a family this year and help pass out the lunches but Jay has hurt his leg and a couple of the kids were fighting illnesses.  It is definitely something we will do next year.

A friend of mine coordinates this each year.  We just hosted it and several families came over to help.  The kids all make assembly lines, putting stickers on bags, making peanut butter sandwiches and filling the bags with fruit, water and a snack.  We were able to pack 150 lunches in just under two hours!  What a great ministry.

 The celebrations continues......and I actually pulled off a surprise without any of my children finding out!!!  I am all about traditions so this was a little out of the box for me.  But our goal this year is to "do things" that create memories, not just "buy things". So instead of buying them all little treats and trinkets for Valentines, which with 6 kids adds up very fast, we decided to take them to the Renaissance Festival for the day.  This would mean forgoing our traditional dinner of Kung Pao Chicken and Fondu dessert but what a day of fun it would be!

I set the table the night before and put the coupons out for them to see.  That morning I posted something to FB and Anastasia saw it right away and was so excited!  The table was so pretty but we were going to pack lunches and  grab breakfast on the go. Jay's sister has some connections still and was able to get most of us in for free.  We had one coupon and so only had to buy one child's admission so that meant more money for turkey legs and rides.

 



It took us about an hour and a half to get out the door!! But we finally did and were on our way for a day of family fun. 

 



HUZZAH!

 

Four of them tried the bungee jumping.  The only one who wasn't scared was Natasha!  The other were brave and "trash talking" until it was their actual turn.  HA!

 

It was a fun filled day of our favorite Ren. Fair foods, games to play, rides, toys to try and shows to watch.

When we did get home they did ask if we were still doing the fondue. ; ) I am so glad they look forward to our traditions.  We will definitely do the fondue again next year.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 

 

Father's Day

Jay is such an amazing, incredible, fantastic dad and I am so grateful and blessed to be raising our 6 children with him!!!!  I love being on this journey of parenthood together with all its ups and downs, ins and outs.

Today we celebrated by going to church and then we came home grilled some steaks, went swimming and just relaxed.  This year the kids and I got Jay a new office chair and a backpack with a water holder for bike riding.



Easter

                         Happy Resurrection Sunday!!

Don't the kids look so cute all dressed up!  :)

What a day....both wonderful and exhausting all at the same time.  Good news is that this was are first and last time having to travel from Casa Grande to get to church.  We had to leave our house by 6:30am....crazy!.  We have found a house  up in the valley and we will be moving in a couple of weeks. (More on that later.) 

So like I said we left super early to get to church in time to help set up.  We had quite a few visitors which was great!  After church we were all ready to go to Nana's (Nikki's mom's) for lunch and to hang out for the afternoon.  The kids had a great time playing bubbles, swinging, playing on the water slide and Nana made all kinds of wonderful food!!!  :)

After Nana's we stopped back at Dan and Nikki's for awhile and then Jay's dad and Donna met us there so we could take them by to see our new house. We went by there and then headed back to CG.  By time we got home it was 9pm but the kids were still excited to finally get to get their Easter baskets.  They waited patiently, not so patiently all day.  :)  Our new house has a pool so the easter bunny brought lots of new pool toys.  ;)

Jadon didn't wake up at all.  He got to open his basket the next morning.

I hope you all had a blessed Easter !