The Revenge of Peter Rabbit

This is Chris's journal entry with a prompt for our first classes with our homeschool group, ETCH.

It started out like any other day in Mr.Mcgregors garden then something very strange happened.The scarecrow blinked once.He blinked a second time.He coughed.....

Then he jumped up and ran after Mr.Mcgregor. But the scarecrow was really peter rabbit.He wanted revenge on Mr.Mcgregor. Then after running around peter finally cornered Mr.Mcgregor and jumped on top of Mr.Mcgregor. then he ran away laughing and saying I finally got my revenge.

By Chris Derr, Age 11, 10/11/13

The Power of God

This is Kirsten's journal entry with a prompt for our first classes with our homeschool group, ETCH.

It started out like any other day in Mr. Mcgregor's garden. But then something very strange happened. The scarecrow blinked once. He blinked a second time. He coughed.....

Then He stood up, off of the cross and walked away. Mr. Mcgregor felt a strange tug at his heart to follow the scarecrow. And as the scarecrow walked into the forest He began to change, He wore a white robe and sandals on His feet. Then His face began to change He had white hair and a glowing light shined around around Him. Mr. Mcgregor was amazed that this scarecrow had become a man. He was astonished and then afraid, and began to tremble. What evil magic is this he thought, what has this world coming to. the man said "it is no evil it is the power of God. And I have come to help you. For you have not been a righteous man and God has a plan for you and everyone on this earth". I must go but you must be a better man Mr. Mcgregor said "who are You to judge me like this", beginning to grow angry. "I am the Son of God, I came to help you". Mr. Mcgregor grew white"how how can You be Jesus? There's no proof". Jesus said"look at My hands and My feet'. Mr. Mcgregor looked there were holes in each one both hands and feet. Mr. Mcgregor dropped to his knees,"leave me Lord for I am a sinful man". Jesus said"I can forgive your sins child if you believe". And while Mr. Mcgregor began to cry" I do Lord I do", and when he looked up Jesus was gone. Mr. Mcgregor stood up and walked back to the garden. When he got there the scarecrow was back on the cross of sticks. Mr. Mcgregor ran to his house, his wife noticing something wrong asked" what's wrong honey". He said" I've seen the Lord and we must change"."Why? Mrs. Mcgregor asked we're fine just the way we are. Mr. Mcgregor frowned and said" we must change". So the Mcgregor family changed and became the most God fearing people in the forest. THE END

p.s. Peter rabbit saw the whole thing and hopped home to change his family and became the most God fearing rabbit family ever.

By Kirsten Derr, Age 12, 10/11/13

Crazy Busy Part 5

The next week we had the first VBS. The one they go to every year and they always look forward to it so much! Keegan missed the first two days though bc he was still getting over being sick! The week after that was the second VBS. Kirsten got to go to that one. I went to the Healthy Living Institute while they were in VBS. It was also a busy month of Glenn training. We had well-visits to attend in July and I had an eye appt. Glenn started his field training. I decided to declare the school year finished and take Aug off to try and get the house under control. Cayden turned 7. Then Sept came and brought with it the start of a new school year and the start of our new-improved schedule. Now are days are filled with school and park days and trying to fit in time to go work out. We have a pumpkin patch field trip coming up. Things still feel somewhat crazy, we are still adjusting to Glenn's changing schedule and looking forward to a more permanent one. I meant to type this entry a while ago! lol, well, at least I am typing it now, right? Meme and Papa's trailer is here, they have their new address and power. Now the new mailboxes need put up, water and a/c need installed and furniture moved in! Chris went over and "Papa-sat" today so Meme and Mama could go shopping. He enjoys spending time with his Papa Marty and helping out. Chris even made them lunch, balogna sandwiches! :) I don't think this is going to be a very long post, this time. I shall try to talk to you again very soon.

Crazy Busy Part 4

Fri, June 7th, Glenn had to work, I wasn’t feeling the greatest so I slept in (actually I didn’t start feeling all that much better till sometime the next week!). Kayson was still sick and my other two littles were in Texarkana with my sis so I was missing them! We got the call that Kayson’s x-ray came back clear, PTL! The clinic said go ahead and finish the antibiotic, which we did but later realized that what he had was a virus and the antibiotic didn’t even help. I could say more about this but I think since that is not the point of this post, I will refrain. ☺ We still needed to pack for Edinburg! Then I get a call from my sis that Keegan is not feeling well, very low or no fever, upset tummy but she says go ahead and go on to the funeral, he’ll be fine. So we finish packing, say goodbye to Kayson (he was staying with my mom) and head out. We stopped at Brookshire’s before leaving town to get a few more newspapers bc Honey getting commissioned was in it, with a pic of me pinning him! ☺ While we were there, we discover one of the kittens rode all the way they under our van!!! We finally caught it and called my daddy who met us halfway to take it home! It’s a good thing we stopped there before we got too far! We headed on our way once again, made a stop for dinner and kept going. Around midnight we made it to Houston and decided to find a hotel but soon discovered there was a Bible Bowl and a baseball tournament that weekend and all the hotels were full. On we went. You should have heard our silliness, we were so tired and the olders were having me ask Siri all kinds of questions! lol! After Houston we found a hotel and crashed for a few hours! Whew! Sat, June 8th, Up early to finish our travels to make it in time for the 2 o clock funeral. Was so thankful for free breakfast at the hotel before we hit the road. Sometime Glenn remembers he left his funeral clothes hanging in our closet! Oh NO! So we found a Burke’s outlet and stopped in there. Everyone got something, it was a fun stop and on we went. The further south we got almost made us feel like we had entered another country. ☺ We kept seeing cars being towed, some behind mini vans, some were pulling more than one car at a time. We passed the checkpoint on the other side that we would have to make it through on the way home, I was like, Honey are you sure we are still in Texas? lol. We sure were seeing some pretty scenery, too. Then we couldn’t find the church and we had to call them for directions, then we had to stop and change clothes and we barely made it there but we made it! It was so sweet, Uncle Henry was so special! It was good to see family, especially since we had missed the reunion this year. On the way to the graveside I called to check on Keegan and my sis said he was not doing well at all, had thrown up, was running a low temp, wouldn’t get out of bed, wasn’t drinking, I didn’t know what to do, we couldn’t get back, we were about 13 hrs away! That was so hard! We decided she would call after hours care and call me back. My parent’s were headed that way too for Sun. I told them to call Glenn’s phone, it was on vibrate, bc I was leaving mine in the van and we went to the graveside. I had to step far away from everyone though when the call came, I HATED to take a call during something so sacred, if it had been for any other reason I never would have! I was so worried someone would think I didn’t care or was being rude! I was also so worried about Keegan and so heartbroken that I was so far, and we had forgot to leave ins info with my sis or a medical release! After care nurse said to watch him for dehydration and that it was just (JUST!?! Yea, right!) a virus. Back to the graveside, where we could smell Uncle Henry’s favorite Burger King cooking. Afterwards Uncle Henry’s little great-grand daughter was collecting flowers from the arrangements and then came up to Chris and wanted him to dance with her and held his has hand and announced this was her prince! It was sooooo cute and he was so sweet about it all, walking her to her car and everything! Afterwards we all went to eat at the Burger King. Also found out that one family member who had already headed home and went through the check point witnessed a trunk load of illegals getting caught. Kirsten was like oh, cool, maybe we’ll see something like that and I was thinking no thank you! lol. Then we visited with more family, ate at IHOP before getting back to the hotel late. Sun, June 9th, Keegan had perked up some when Papaw (my daddy) got to my sis’s house and he was finally keeping some Gatorade down. My parent’s weren’t going to be back to the property till late that evening so we knew we didn’t have to rush home, still had a LONG drive, though! We took the olders to a big McDonald’s close to the hotel they had seen and asked to go to for breakfast. It was a really nice one, with a big play area and nice big booths, real long, we could’ve fit our whole family at one! We stopped by a fruit stand we passed. Made it through the border patrol checkpoint without any interesting happenings. We decided to stop in Corpus Christi for a walk on the beach, my idea, I knew we couldn’t stay long but I just wanted to feel the sand and waves, even if only for a little while! We went by a souvenir shop first and got some surprises for the littles and then the wonderful walk on the beach! I just LOVE the beach! I have went back to those few brief minutes many times since then! I can almost hear the waves and feel the sand as I type. So beautiful! Then lunch at Subway before getting back on the road and wouldn’t you know it was right next to a marble slab and Honey was like you got the beach, I get to get ice cream! lol. Then he told the olders they could get anything they wanted! That might’ve been the first time they have ever heard those words! They really had a big weekend! ☺ As we were sitting outside eating our ice cream we notice a storm rolling in so we finish up and get on our way. It was my turn to drive, the GPS got me kinda confused and then we saw a stand selling beef jerky and stopped for Glenn to get some, by this time the storm was almost upon us! I got through it though! Then right before Houston we switched drivers again bc I was NOT driving through there! On we went. Somewhere along the way we switched drivers again and I drove the rest of the way home. We got home around 10:30 or so, shortly after my parents had arrived home with the littles! It was so good to see them and that the two youngest were ok for myself! They were both still running fevers (high ones now) but they were so glad to see us and us, them! Keegan was at least up some and eating and holding things down so I know he was ok even with the fever and Kayson was fine as long as he had motrin in him, it was just so good to hold him! At this point I was pretty sure I would never ever ever let them out of my site ever again!!! It was a long full weekend, with good and bad but most definitely one we will not forget! Next post will conclude our crazy busy series of postings.

Crazy Busy Part 3

Mon, June 3rd, It’s a good thing I took some notes about our crazy busy-ness and what I wanted to type about to remember bc as I sit here almost 2 months after to finally write more about it, I probably would have forgot everything! lol Things still feel crazy! By the grace of God we are making it through this summer but more about all that later. I do remember the days to type about but my brief one or two word notes on an index card do help. So, here starts the next week I need to tell you about. I took Kirsten to her check up at the doc this am. They asked several times about the HPV vaccine, I kept saying no, they kept saying think about it. Well, I’ve thought about it, the answer is still NO!!! This evening officially marked the end of baseball season with awards ceremonies and an end of season party for one child. Cayden had his awards ceremony first. It was so cute and all the little ones were so excited to get their trophies. Then we hurried over to Cayden’s end of season party. On the way I checked FB on my phone and found out that Glenn’s Uncle Henry died. Kirsten cried the whole way through the party. We were all very sad. Then we had to hurry back to the ball field for Chris’s awards ceremony. He enjoyed receiving his medal. Tues, June 4th, Glenn had his state test, we were all praying hard for him! He passed with flying colors! ☺ Mama invited us to meet her for lunch at McDonald’s in Marshall but she didn’t know exactly the time so I drove in and took the kiddos to the park while waiting for her call. After lunch we stopped by Hope’s Closet. I love that place! Found some great deals. That evening Glenn took Chris to his end of season party. It was a swim party at one of his team member’s houses. Wed, June 5th, I took all the babies to their dental check ups in Tyler all by myself! I had my boys in matching Longhorns shirts. ☺ After I took them to Chick-Fil-A as a treat. That evening Mom and I with all the babies ran up to Burke’s to look for shirts for Glenn to wear under his uniform. Then we headed home to eat sandwiches from Texas Best that the men had picked up on their way home. Thurs, June 6th, The day starts out with Glenn’s commissioning. I got to pin him! I was honored. My sis and her fam even came. We went to Jack in the Box and then to Mardel’s. We had time to kill bc we needed to stay in town till my mama’s appt. I left the babies with her at Mardel’s to run Glenn some lunch. When I returned to Mardel’s, my mama said Kayson wasn’t acting like he felt well. ☹ We still had some time to kill though so we headed to Hope’s Closet, after sending Keegan and Kayson with my sis bc they were keeping them for the weekend while went to Uncle Henry’s funeral. Kayson slept in his stroller while we were in Hope’s Closet. I noticed his breathing change right before he woke up, felt his head, he was burning HOT!!! So I dropped Mama at her appt and took him to the city employee’s clinic. They sent us to the diagnostic clinic for a chest xray bc he had been congested and prescribed him some antibiotics although they said his chest, throat and ears were all clear. It was such a long day! The dryer was still broke! We also found out that my Meme and Papa got a contract on their house that evening and were one step closer to being out here with us! ☺ Next post will commence with our weekend trip to Edinburg.

Crazy Busy Part 2

Fri, May 31st, GRADUATION DAY! ☺ We are so proud of our Police Officer! (who is asleep in one of mama and daddy’s recliners as I type bc he has had such a workout at work the past few days, they are doing physical training for this week and next) I was so proud that he got unanimously elected chaplain and was allowed to say a beautiful prayer at the ceremony. He was also excited to receive a hug from the Sherriff on his way through the diploma line. My parent’s came, daddy was in his uniform bc he had to come from work and go back to work after. My sis and her fam drove in all the way from Texarkana! We were so excited to have so much family to celebrate with. Bridge even let me use her camera! ☺ After we drove to Yamato’s in Tyler, a hibachi grill, for lunch. Mmmm…that was so good! Great experience. The little boys kept asking for more fire! ☺ We surprised Glenn with graduation presents. All 5 babies had actually kept quiet about getting daddy a gift! He got $ from my parents and my grandparents. Also a gift card from my sis and fam. After we left there, we headed to drop of books at a church for a used homeschool book sale the next day. I was so thankful that they allowed me to drop off my books later bc drop off was scheduled during Honey’s graduation that morning! Then we headed home to prepare for two of the boys last baseball games that evening. They played so well! Chris’ game was especially exciting. They won and Chris made the winning run!!! He has gained confidence and improved so much in just one season. He was excited to be dogpiled, lol, I however wasn’t so sure about a bunch of boys on top of my boy but he survived! ☺ That night Kirsten and the three littles spent the night with my parents bc we were leaving early to head into Tyler for the booksale and chris was going with us. Glenn was driving me in bc of threats of storms and it would give him time to study for his state test while I shopped. Sat, June 1st, Book sale day! Got up early to get to the sale in Tyler by 9. Shopped for a few hours! I always do! Found lots of great stuff, the kiddos think it’s Christmas when I get home from a booksale. lol After I shopped we still had to stay in Tyler to pick up the books that didn’t sell later in the afternoon so we went to lunch at Double Dave’s. I love that place. ☺ Then we headed over to the Scroll. No trip to Tyler is complete till you’ve went to the Scroll. lol Then it was time to get my leftover books but I sold a lot! Made almost what I spent. I think that is an excellent sale. After we got home, we unloaded the books, packed Silver back up and headed to Texarkana bc the guys were all going to a car show Sun afternoon. Sun, June 2nd, Church but Honey stayed at my sis’s house to study bc wanted to take the boys to the carshow but really needed to get some more studying in for his state test that he was taking Tues. Then we had a hurried lunch at my sis’s house and the guys left for the car show while us girls just crashed at the house. ☺ They had a good time, took lots of pics of which as I was looking through them I discovered several (ok, it was really only about three or four) pics of the same little girl in the pics Chris had taken! Oh my! He’s too young for that! lol I believe that pretty much concludes that weekend but not all of our busy-ness. Yes, there’s more! It will have to wait for the next blog post. Hopefully I will be able to get that one typed sooner than I did this one! ☺ Sorry to keep all my adoring (HA!) fans waiting for so long on pins and needles for this post.

Crazy Busy Part 1

We have been so crazy busy the past few weeks! I feel so out of touch with my mommy friends. I am missing my home time and I can tell a difference in the babies’ attitudes. We really value time to just be home. So, I thought I would share an overview of our past few weeks. I bet this takes more than one post. lol. I’ll start with the weekend of Mother’s day. We went to Texarkana for Ladies’ night out that Sat and Mother’s day that Sun. On the way home we were discussing Chris’s 11th birthday the next weekend and decided camping would be a good idea. So camping we went the weekend of the 19th. Fast forward to the next Sun and it found us in Texarkana again for my sis’s birthday! ☺ Since the next day was a holiday (memorial day) and they were going to head our way to celebrate, Kirsten spent the night with Elizabeth. Mon, May27th, Memorial day, family time, dryer dies! Tues, May 28th, I take the kiddos into town for storytime and shopping for their daddy. Yes, I braved the mall by myself with all 5! The boys actually acted like decent human beings, we found bday and graduation gifts and made it out in record time! PTL! ☺ Then we tried to get some school done and there was baseball practice. Wed, May 29th, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY! School in am, Kayson did stick painting. Left the house for an appointment, got that done. Decided to drive through Sonic for lunch, took them forever to get our food to us and then when the kid’s meals came out they all had Wonder Woman headbands in them! Now, my boys like superheros and they don’t mind Wonder Woman, if it had been just a Wonder Woman toy they would have been fine with that but you should have heard them when they discovered the Wonder Woman headband! They did NOT want to pretend to be Wonder Woman!! lol So My mom pages Sonic back and asks for different toys for the boys and they bring them Flash headbands! Awww….the boys were much happier! ☺ However, one of the boys Wonder Woman headbands had already been opened so I thought well Kayson is too small to really notice anyways so he will just keep it. Well, he was so excited about his “woman”! He would say, “My woman” and put it on. Then he dropped it and he said, “My woman! My woman fall!” We were laughing so hard! Then we headed to The Institute for Healthy Living to tour and join. We are members for a year and excited to start going. The facility is so nice! ☺ Then we made a quick trip to Kroger, met the guys at home and headed to China King for Honey’s bday dinner. After that it was off to a baseball game! Thurs, May 30th, We had a much, much, much needed day off! I can't even remember if we even accomplished anything on this day. We just sord of crashed! And thus we conclude part one of this crazy busy-ness. More details to follow in the next post. The next post will resume with Glenn's graduation from Police Academy! :)

Happy Mother's Day Weekend

So I feel this need to update my blog bc I haven't written in, oh, say, forever, well, at least a month and I have no idea what to write about. Hmmm.....do I just wait till I have some awesome inspiration, or do I just write something so all my adoring fans (yea, right! lol) aren't waiting on pins and needles for my next post? I guess I will tell you some about our weekend. I'll start with Friday. I took the babies to story time at the Knowledge Nook. They learned about animals, sang Old McDonald with animal puppets and made an animal necklace. Then we headed to Dairy Queen for lunch and to meet some friends for park day. We love friend time! :) They even got to enjoy an ice cream, yea for kid's meals! Sat morn I finally got my winter clothes put away and my summer ones out! Yea, Everyone's clothes are finally done! (Well, everyone's I am responsible for! Glenn takes care of his own!) Now someone just needs to take the barrels out to the shed. :) Then after lunch we headed to Texarkana so Kirsten and I could attend Ladies Night Out at my sister's church. Kirsten was so excited to get to be in the fashion show and Keegan was so excited to see his cousin Bubba. A fun time was had by all! I even got to be the event photographer! Yea, me! Someday I am going to have a better camera! I have one in mind but I don't have the money. Some people would say I shouldn't admit that on a public blog but the truth is the truth and that is why I don't have a more professional camera. I do not want to sound ungrateful, I love and enjoy my current camera and get some excellent pics with it. Afterwards mom and I headed to Kohl's to take advantage of a sale and buy Kirsten some necessities. When we got back to my sisters house I had the worst headache in years. I haven't had a migraine since I was healed of them when I was 18 but that is most definitely what this felt like!! Took something for the pain, my sis got me a cool cloth for my head and I tried to sleep. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! Kirsten gave me some Bath and Body Works lotions she had bought for me with her own $, such a sweet girl! Glenn showed me a picture of a necklace he had bought me but still hasn't come in the mail yet. They say it is on its way! :) The boys, of course, had to be reminded to tell me Happy Mother's Day! lol I still had a slight tinge of a headache but I was functional and thankful for that! Church was good, although the diaper bag got left at my sis's house and Glenn had to go back and get it in the middle of service bc Kayson decided that would be an appropriate time to need a change! I got two roses and handmade necklaces. We also took some family pics at the homemade photo booth that they left up from Ladies Night. My daddy had been in the Metroplex helping my grandparents all weekend and surprised my mama by showing up for lunch at my sis's house with the trailer on hooked to his truck so he could haul my mama's van home and she wouldn't have to drive! Yep, that's how we roll! :) After lunch we all headed back to our property, even my sis and her fam came out for a few hours. The cousins got to play outside, the adults (minus my mama) had fun playing Golf (the card game). Glenn won, sure seems wrong that one of the mamas didn't win considering it was our day and all! lol :) Then came Monday. I was sooooo sick Monday. My tummy hurt so bad, I didn't even make it out of bed! So glad Kirsten is old enough to turn on TV and make sandwiches for lunch! So glad my mama is right next door and can be called when needed! I didn't make it to Chris's game that night but was told he got to play the whole game bc some boys were missing, I am sad the boys had to miss but glad Chris got to play so much and sad bc I missed it. By Tuesday I was feeling a lot better but still not fully well. I am glad that is past! Today the babies enjoyed a visit from their Uncle Kelly! They love him so much! :) Now I sit here holding my finally sleeping baby. I should be going to bed but I sit here watching the radar, praying that these storms dissipate as I type this left-handed bc he is laying on my right arm!

last week was certainly an adventure!

Sun. - Easter - We were camping,woke up to storms! We opened baskets, made resurrection rolls, got ready for church, took family pics, went to church, went to lunch at this horrible place! We tried this new place and the service was horrible 'cept this one lady was real nice, they were out of everything, the meat was full of fat, they actually served us 2 pieces that had so much fat you couldn't eat it at all, disgusting! Afterwards, it had stopped raining and the sun was shining so back to the campsite we went for our family egg hunts, 2 of them! My sis brought a chocolate cake with peeps on it for desert, yum! :) Then while we were sitting there the air got all yellowy hazy and you could just see the pollen in the air, the cars were yellower than I have seen them all season and they had just been cleaned by the rain! We even saw a puff of pollen coming out of tree. There was even pollen in our hair. Then it was time to head home. Once we go to Noonday we started seeing several big branches and even trees down everywhere. Must have been quite a storm that came through while we were gone! Get home with everyone in desperate need of baths cause of the pollen only to discover that the power had been out earlier and we have no water! After the guys get the water back on Glenn had to run the water for awhile to get all the dirt out and ready for baths. We got everyone clean and in bed, HAPPY EASTER! :)

Mon. - I decided we were going to focus on math for school this day. I realize Cayden has an eye doc appt this morning and think it would be a good opportunity to run by the Hope's closets while in town. Mama keeps Kayson, Keegan and Kirsten to help with the little ones and I head to into town with Cayden and Chris. After waiting 2 hours at the eye doc we leave with good news, Cayden does not have to patch for the next 6 months and if his eyes stay even he won't have to patch again! YES!! Then on to the first Hope's Closet where I found some nice long shorts for Kirsten. Then we went to Chick-Fil-A to celebrate The eye appt. Then the other Hope's Closet where I found some nice brand new looking Old Navy jeans for Chris! PTL! Last thing for the day was get Chris to his baseball practice.

Tues. - We worked on Bible in the morning and reading in the afternoon. I was on the phone with my sis that afternoon and realized that my house seemed hot which seemed strange bc the a/c was on so I check the vents and it feels like heat coming out! UGH! Then storms are coming in but Chris still has a game. It surprisingly didn't start storming till after his game. His team won! :) He was so excited!

Wed. - Such a rainy/stormy day but an exciting one. Our 100th day of school this year! So many activities we did involving 100. Had lots of fun! :)

Thurs. - We worked on science and some LA for school. Glenn was coming home sore most of this week from police academy. When he got home this night I was just getting up from a nap and I was like is my shirt wet? Uh oh! Yep, the bed was leaking! Guess we're sleeping at Mama's tonight!

Fri. - More math! I hadn't been sleeping well this week, feeling stressed, forgot to use my lavender oil to help me sleep. My mind was swirling from everything this week, a/c and bed still broken, what's it all going to cost, Glenn needs a new vehicle. Spent the day at Mama's. Then it's early evening and Oh No! Here is Kirsten's friend and her mama to pick Kirsten up to spend the night!! I had totally completely forgot! We get her packed and out the door to have a great time. She is excited! (This is the only friend Kirsten gets to spend the night with, they've known each other since kindergarten.) The rest of us are at Mama's another night!

Sat. - We start the day with Glenn and daddy fixing the bed, looking at the a/c, calling the a/c guy and putting the sprinklers in the garden while I am going through Chris' clothes only to discover that Chris needs more shorts! Then the guys help me plant my rose plant that the babies gave me for Valentine's day that I had been wanting to get in the ground. Then they decide to look at the dryer which had been making this horrible squeaking noise and catching the clothes, leaving marks and holes on some. They get ahold of our appliance guy who gets them the right parts and woohoo our dryer is fixed!! We decide to head into Longview. We pick up Kirsten, then drive around to look at SUVs till dark. Then we head to Target to look for a carseat for Kayson and a highback booster for Keegan. They were out of the carseat we wanted, I think bc it was the cheapest so Glenn had to go back a few days later to get it but we did find a nice booster for Keegan and some cheap shorts for Chris. While Glenn sat in the van with the boys, Kirsten and I ran into Walmart for some groceries for the week. We head home with the knowledge that we will be missing church to wait for the a/c guy which also means one more night at Mama's. $$$ later the a/c was fixed, then Glenn bought one of the SUVs we had seen and a new week was started!! Yep, last week was certainly an adventure! I think I am tired just typing it! Whew!

100th school day activities 2013

We started the day by walking in place 100 steps, then read Psalm 100. We moved on to a breakfast of oranges, toast and just 100 cereals each. Then I had each child pick up and put away 20 items for a total of 100 items picked up. Kayson's 20, however, consisted of picking up small toys from the Easter hunt and putting them back in his baggie and it was shortly redumped! :-/ Then we read Psalm 119:100, which prompted a brief discussion on what precepts were. Kirsten was sharing the recliner with Keegan when Kayson crawled in her lap and she got the idea that they could rock 100 times, so in climbed Chris and Cayden and they all rocked 100 times! On to writing 100 in shaving cream, then the boys played in it before cleaning it all up, they were even sliding in it bc we did it on the floor, which elicited a lot of be carefuls from me! Cayden had shaving cream from head to toe! :) Handed them all papers and told them to write their names as many times as they could in 100 seconds. I watched the clock. Kirsten wrote hers 25 times, Chris 29, Cayden 7 and started an eighth, Keegan said he wrote his 6 (lol, he just drew a picture, really) and we counted 5 scribbles on Kayson's page. :) Then came 100 jumping jacks, you should of seen us trying to do them and count and stay together! Lunch consisted of mac and cheese, Spam and 100 sunflower kernals each. After lunch we made people 100s. First Cayden was the 1, Kirsten and Kayson made 1 zero, Chris and Keegan the other. Second, Cayden was 1, Kirsten and Chris by themselves were the two zeros. Third, Chris was the 1, while Cayden and Keegan were the zeros. Then we put 100 paperclips together and saw how far they stretched and I made them into a 100. That was neat. Now they are stretched atop our schoolhouse shelf. Then we counted to 100 by 2s, 5s, 10s, 20s, and 25s. Then we counted and lined up 100 pennies. Then I got 100 kisses, 20 from each child! :-* At this point the next few activities were quiet ones and it was rest time so we gathered on our (mama and Daddy's) big bed and listened to the 100th song on my itouch. I had everyone close their eyes and lay very still for 100 seconds. :) long enough for Kayson to fall asleep for his nap! Then we looked at the first 100 photos on the ipad, my itouch and iphone for a total of 300 pics. That was fun bc some of the pics were from around 2 years ago! We got up after that, except a still sleeping Kayson and picked up 100 more items. Then it was time for the 100 lego build. I handed each child a gal baggie with 100 legos and told them to build something. They worked really hard on that! :) Came up with some great and very creative things. Kirsten made a playground, complete with a working swing and armed security! Chris made an inventor's house and could tell me in detail what each invention did. Cayden and Keegan did not use all their legos but they still worked very hard! Kayson sure had fun checking everything out after his nap! Even slid his fingers down Kirsten's slide! He wanted to move Keegan's closer to the others and was so careful picking it up and walking with it, not sure I knew he could be that careful! lol Our last 100 day activity was snack, a vienna sausage for a one and 2 potato chips for zeros. They liked that! lol I think the day was a fun, successful day and I am worn out! We did a lot!

My Snow

Big huge flakes falling
falling fast
white flakes
from the sky
cold flakes
fluffy flakes
wonderful wet flakes
in my mouth
on my nose
so wonderful to behold!

3-7-08

Yesterday was a full moon!

So the day starts out as any other, It's a typical, tired, Monday morning feeling but I drag myself out of bed. The childrens wake up and we are doing our morning Bible and my sis calls me asking what time my appt is and I'm like OH NO!!! I had totally forgot I needed to be in Marshall by 930 and it was already 9! We hang up, I tell the kids to get dressed, QUICK, QUICK, QUICK!! Kirsten puts cheerios in bags for breakfast, we load into the van and get there by 935! WHEW, we made it! :) I realize that Keegan wore Chris's shoes. (insert eye roll) They are TOO big! THAT BOY! lol We meet my mom and sis at Burke's and I buy Keegan a cheap pair of flip flops (even though he has plenty at home!) bc we are not going straight home! Then we go by Big Lots and then on to McDonalds for lunch. Can I just say, I get really aggravated when they haven't changed to toy display to the correct toys. The kids thought they were getting Transformers and Hello Kitty and instead got Power Rangers and Victorious! They were disappointed. :( If you haven't had time to change it to the new toys at least put a sign on it or tell everyone as they order, it's really not that hard! Then we went to Hope's Closet. Found Kirsten some pants bc she just outgrew hers and the boys found a cool Speed Racer helmet for $1! Then enters strangeness! So I meet this other homeschool mom while Kirsten is trying on her pants and her daughters were trying on clothes too and we start to talk. She mentions a Christian homeschool group and also meeting a group of people at a church, she almost talks like a Christian so I have no reason to think different of her so when she mentioned this other group, I mentioned that we did not go to that group bc they have been known to have witches (as Christians, we believe there are things we must shield our children from). Well, her whole demeanor changed! She started to walk of and said somewhat under her breath, "well, pagans are alright too!" As I stood there in shock, she walked to the back of the store, all the way around to the other side and then up to the front to checkout and leave immediately! I wanted to cry, I was so upset that I so recklessly offended someone without the chance to apologize, however, the more I think on it, I am not sure I could have said anything to make it right bc there is not a way we could be friends or our children could truly be friends as things stand. AAAHHH... On to Wal-mart where my daddy stopped to say hi to everyone on his way home from work. Then we headed home while Mom and Bridge stayed in Marshall. While I am driving on Noonday here comes my daddy FLYING and I think OH MY! Someone just got hit!! Then my phone rings, it's daddy, someone hit Mama and Bridge and the kids, I'm turning around and headed back into Marshall, praying the whole way!! Thank God everyone was alright! PTL!! They are sore today but they are ok! That was scary. Kirsten stayed with them as they headed to the ER to get checked to be with her cousins and help. I brought my boys home, I didn't think 4 boys would be a help at the ER! It was hard not to go be with them but I knew I needed to just take care of my boys. I took the boys on a walk, I was trying to keep us somewhat busy to keep my mind off of not being at the hospital with everyone. Then Honey is headed home but has a headache. :( I decided easy Nachos (yep, cheese from a can!) for dinner. The boys gobbled it up! :) The wind was also CRAZY! Chris even had a hard time going to sleep bc he kept hearing the wind! Finally everyone is released from ER, Kirsten is home, everyone's in bed and as I am reflecting on the day and the crazy things that happened I realize, IT'S A FULL MOON!!

10 things I am thankful for...

1) School - So thankful for homeschooling. I love having my babies home and watching them learn new things. I love knowing just what they are being taught each day and knowing that they get a Biblical perspective.

2) Water aerobics - I don't go as often as I should but I am thankful for a fun way to exercise.

3) Food

4) A home! I know it's not always as clean as some think it should be but I am so very grateful for it. We have plenty of room.

5) My family - Glenn, Kirsten, Chris, Cayden, Keegan and Kayson.

6) Transportation - my van (Midnight) and Glenn's truck (that it is is still running!)

7) Great friends!

8) LOVE! :)

9) The Bible!

10) Holy Spirit! His guidance and comfort is amazing.

Prayers for my babies

looking through an old journal, I found some prayers I had written for the babies.

12/15/04 - Father, please make Kirsten and Chris wise. Make their hearts open to my/your instruction that they might gain more wisdom. Help me teach them what it means to fear the Lord. Help them to develop a deep and growing relationship w/ your Son, Jesus Christ. In His name AMEN. Protect their minds.

12/16/04 - Father God, Guard your babies from believing that wisdom comes from anywhere but You. You are the possessor of all wisdom and understanding. Help them rely on the Holy Spirit for enlightenment. Help them to fear only You, Lord God. Don't them rely on their own capabilities but on You, Father. Strengthen them to resist evil.

12/17/04 - Father God, Make Kirsten and Chris' ears hear wisdom. Let their ears block out bad words and mean comments. Let them hear peace and love. I want them to know and recognize your voice. Lean their hearts towards Godly understanding. May they heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit. In Christ's name, Amen.

1/10/05 - Father, I pray for Kirsten and Chris' lives to be full of love. Please let truth be written on their hearts. Open their eyes to other's needs. Let them always show kindness. Bless them w/ favor and good reps in the sight of God and man.

1/11/05 - Keep Kirsten and Chris' heart pure, Father. Don't let bitterness into their lives. Help them to live in love. In Jesus sweet and Holy name, AMEN.

1/13/05 - help the babies to have clean hands and pure hearts. Let them love You above everything. Help them be able to discern what is true and what is false. Keep their mouths pure and their intentions Godly. Thanx for all your promises with faithful fulfillment. I love You, Lord.

1/18/05 - Father, help the babies walk in your path. Let them find delight in obedience to your word and follow you all the days of their lives. AMEN

These prayers still abide in my mind and they now include three more babies. I did not realize then just how relevant some of these prayers would be for our circumstances. I do pray that each of my babies would know truth by the revealing of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, I love You!

Lord I love You
I worship You
I adore You
I praise You
You are awesome
are mighty
all powerful
and everywhere
There are not
words enough
to express
all of You
Lord I love you

By Hollie Derr 11/30/04

a look back at Derr ISD over the years

As I was going to sleep last night, I started thinking about everything that has happened to us since we started homeschooling. Each year has it's own set of unique trials and experiences. This (our 5th year) has been the mildest so far and we are actually fairly on track. Yea!! :) I had this picture of homeschooling paradise and while I would call it a paradise, it certainly has not been the scheduled, done by noon with plenty of field trips and experiments splattered throughout that I had imagined! (At this point every homeschool mom reading this is laughing!) :) So I thought I would share a little about each year so far.

Homeschool year #1 - Kirsten/3rd grade, Chris/1st grade, Cayden/2 yrs, Keegan/still baking and being born
I get ready to start the year with complete A Beka curriculum sets, a teacher planner full of plans for everyday, a school room and a schedule. I've got this! Let's go! Two or three weeks in and I'm already calling Honey in tears, that's it, I can't do it, put them back in school!! (2 hour math lessons and tears everyday from my daughter was NOT fun! We eventually figured out, A Beka was too aggressive of a math for her and I was requiring her to do everything on every page and it was just too much! Took some seasoned homeschool moms reminding me who the teacher was and that it was ok to skip repetitious items.) My Honey, who was already completely in love with homeschooling, very calmly talked me out my tears, assuring me I could indeed get through all this and then had a talk with his daughter. Crisis averted. Sept comes with hurricane Ike making his way up into our area. Knocked our power out for 2 weeks! We schooled outside quite a bit, or by open doors and windows. Dec brought us a new baby 2 days after Christmas, I had already planned to take all of Jan off for our adjustment period. Hello Keegan, welcome to our family! :) Then hits Feb. '09 I dutifully start school back up. Let me aside here, Feb. 7, 2008 I had a miscarriage. So here I am, postpartum, trying to start school back and then hits the one year mark of my miscarriage. Also, I don't handle change well and we had a lot of changes that normally wouldn't have bothered me but bc of the other things already going on in my head, they did. Like a new, bigger than I wanted, flat screen TV, all the pine trees being cut down on our property. I felt like I went crazy! One day I drove in to meet Honey for lunch and my daddy (who just happened to be in longview that day) had to drive me home bc my panic attacks were so strong and non stop! That was a scary, scary time. Honey had to take care of the house, we missed 2 weeks (at least) of school, it was crazy! Somewhere after all that, I realized, we had to throw our schedule out the window, I had to readjust all my plans just to try to get through what they needed to for the year. In spite of everything, we managed to get most if not all of every book done and felt that we were able to declare our first year a success while also realizing that some changes in curriculum would be necessary for the coming year.

Homeschool year #2 - KED/4th, CDD/2nd, CMD/3 yrs, KSD/just a baby
So I gathered curriculum, deciding to make math easy and just bought the total math books from Sam's. Other curriculum was gathered at used book sales mostly. So we started the year. Nov. brought Glenn's dad being hospitalized. That began a several month long journey of hospitals, surgery and nursing home, during which time we were in Shreveport what seemed like more than we were home and Glenn used up all his sick/comp/vacation time to be close to his dad. Several times we didn't know if he would make it or not, every time he did. Sometimes he was in ICU and the babies couldn't see him. There were many tears. We home/car/hotel/hospital schooled that year! We did a lot of worksheets. I would hand them a small stack of worksheets from various subjects, stapled together each morning for them to do that day. When they were done with those, they were finished for the day. Thus began the use of packets in our homeschool which we still implement (although modified) today. I discovered how invaluable the Comprehensive Curriculum books (which I had bought at Sam's also) can be in a pinch! We didn't even have a Thanksgiving that year, our Thanksgiving dinner was spent at Golden Corral in Shreveport so we could be close to the hospital. Christmas Day was spent at My FIL's bedside at the hospital. He was waiting for open heart surgery would happen in Jan. Even Chris' bday party in May that year was held at the nursing home where my FIL was getting rehab so he could be there too. Late Jan or early Feb of that year we also found out Kayson was on his way! I was so worried maybe the babies weren't learning all the things they needed to, especially since mostly all they did this year was worksheets. We got them tested. They were above their grade levels! WooHoo, somehow we could label the second year of homeschooling a success!

Homeschool year #3 - KED/5th, CDD/3rd, CMD/pre-k, KSD/1 yr, Kayson/just born
By this time I was learning what curriculums did and did not work for us, I discovered Bob Jones Bible Truths and this was our first year to use them, love them, still use them! This was the year Apologia science really began to click with Kirsten, we wait till 5th grade to start that series now. We also used Learning Language Arts Through Literature, loved it! We also decided to throw any schedule out the window and continue using packets. I did realize, however, that the packets had to consist of more than just worksheets so they would also contain a sheet telling what should be read out of what book, or anything else I wanted accomplished for that day. Sept brought a new addition to our family, with a longer than we wanted hospital stay. Then I was getting sick every few weeks or less and was getting worried. Right before Thanksgiving we discovered that it was my gallbladder and right after Thanksgiving I had surgery. I couldn't lift my 2 month old for almost a month per doctor's orders. Needless to say, not much work got done during this time at all! January came with Honey's knee surgery first and then the flu, once again school was put on a back burner! That spring was a whirlwind of Glenn in school, Chris in soccer and renovations on the house! Whew, makes me tired just thinking of it! We barely got through 1/2 of our books and I decided to switch to A.C.E. math mid year and that put us even farther behind in math and I am still trying to get Chris caught up. I'm not sure we were ever able to fully come to the conclusion that this year was a homeschool success but we were happy to have survived it!

Homeschool year #4 - KED/6th, CDD/4th, CMD/K, KSD/2 yrs, KPD/1 yr
I made the executive decision that we were going to start this year fresh, we were not going to worry about wasn't finished last year and start over (except for math, we really needed to lay a good foundation here and this was the only subject I was worried about them being behind in, so we were going to finish math). I figured after everything we had been through the last few years we just needed a fresh start with out worrying about the work that was left undone the previous year. This would be the first year that I was not nursing or pregnant while homeschooling. I was really hoping for a somewhat uneventful year, I kept thinking we would eventually have one that ran for the most part smoothly. This would also be the first time I had taught one to read! We started out strong but then my life fell apart. I was bullied at church of all places and the pastor chose sides against us as did my in-laws. The things that were said about me (and still being said) tore me up inside. I had never felt so much hate in my life, I never could've dreamed people could be so cruel. I do not say this to slander anyone, or to make it sound like those people have won but I say what is the truth. You cannot change what has happened. You can learn from it, you can heal, you can be strengthened but you cannot change it. This was a very difficult time emotionally for me. God is faithful and He has lifted our family up and is holding us in His hands as He heals our hearts! Yes, there is still healing happening but let me tell you, we finished school, all the books that needed to get done got done (with the exception of catching up in math). I believe the Derr Zoo is a closer family. I see my babies loving to read the Bible together, loving to sing to Jesus, still loving to go to church and I just smile! At the end of the year as I was throwing away empty workbooks and putting away the non-consumable books on the books in waiting shelf and seeing all we had accomplished in spite of people trying to rip us apart at the seams, I had to praise God and consider Homeschool year #4 a success, a complete success! Honestly, maybe the most successful year yet! :) and in the end, I can smile!

I look back over these years and wonder how we got anything done! lol Seriously, though, I look back over these and realize just what all God has brought us through, what He has carried us through. I look back on these years and see His hand everywhere bc I know there is no way we would have survived without Him! No, this homeschooling journey has yet to be my imagined paradise but maybe it has been better bc my children are learning invaluable life lessons that can't be found in books. All this leads us to this year and although it is only half done, I will leave you with a few things about it.

Homeschool year #5 - KED/7th, CDD/5th, CMD/1st, KSD/3 yrs, KPD/2 yrs
It was exciting to start this year, feeling confident in curriculum choices, having a planning system that works, a loose schedule that we can somewhat follow, knowing we are ready for the next grade bc we finished what we needed to. The two olders were still starting this year a year behind in math, we decided to catch Chris up so he is doing two years of math this year but Kirsten is just doing one this year, she won't finish school with as much math as Chris but I think that is best for her as she is not strong in math and it stresses her out. I am so excited to see Cayden reading. For the most part this year has been fairly uneventful, oh we did get behind with Christmas (no school in Dec.) and sickness right after. Glenn changing jobs is a big change for all of us but we are so proud of our future police officer! We are mostly where I wanted us at this point in the year in almost all our subjects. I love homeschooling and being able to see my babies heads light up with knowledge. We are so grateful for our homeschooling/parenting journey. We are blessed. I feel confident that we will end this year strong with the Lord by our side. Thank you, Father in Heaven for loving us and keeping us safe, In Jesus Name, Amen!

My babies' strengths

Kirsten
-Smart, loves history and reading and Bible
-Artsy, she paints, draws, loves doing anything creative with her hands, she was making flowers out of wire and beads just a few minutes ago to go with her valentines for KVNE to take to the hospital.
-cleans, she loves washing the dishes and we love that she loves it! :) it's so easy to ask her to help out around the house bc she is so great at it and does her work so thoroughly.
-mothering, she takes such good care of her little brothers, so loving with them.

Chris
-our comedian/clown, makes everyone laugh, loves telling jokes, I tell him he might be the next Tim Hawkins! lol
-smart, so awesome at math, does a lot of the work in his head and no one taught him that, he just sees it
-loving, he loves his family and can be so sweet with his little brothers
-also cleans, he can do an excellent job, when he puts his mind too it
-helps, loves to work with his Papaw Mike and his daddy and learn new "manly" things :)
-very charismatic, such a people person

Cayden
-smart, is reading and doing so awesome learning his addition and subtraction
-helpful, he loves to help Kayson
-loving, I love getting his hugs and kisses
-loves music

Keegan
-smart, he was recognizing letters before I had even started trying to teach him
-imaginative, I love to listen to him playing and making his characters talk to each other
-loving, he just loves Kayson so much
-good memory, he can remember songs after only hearing them once or twice, loves to sing

Kayson
-oh my what do I say about this little guy, he is so full of joy and happiness, just keeps us laughing and he is such a loving, loving baby and the faces he makes, he makes more faces than any baby I've seen! He is so silly, just like Chris!

I so love watching my babies grow and get so excited to see what they will make of themselves! :) We are so blessed with each and every one of them. They add so much to our family lives with their individuality. I love to see their smiling faces everyday and feel so blessed to be able to teach them the things they need to know.

Father God, show my (Your) babies how to use their gifts for You. They are so special. I know You have something special planned for each of their lives. Be with them as they grow up. Help me to lead them where they need to be. Help me to be able to see and encourage the special gifts You have placed in each one. Help me always remember how special each one is to You. Guide our family in your path. In Jesus Name, Amen!

Spiritual ABCs

A) Adore God! He is all-powerful.
B) Believe
C) Confess
D) Delight in God!
E) Express a need for God
F) Focus on God
G) Give thanks
H) Have humor - LAUGH
I) Invite the Holy Spirit's guidance
J) Journal - write your prayers and remember to record the answers
K) Keep knocking on Heaven's door - don't ever give up
L) Love God!
M) Majestic is His name in all the earth! :)
N) Never give up
O) Offer yourself to God - Here I am, Father, use me.
P) Praise the Lord!
Q) Quietly listen and wait for God - The still small voice!
R) Repent
S) Seek Him!
T) Trust God!
U) Unite your will with God's - Pray for Him to show you His will.
V) Value yourself - God values you! God loves you!
W) Worship God in spirit and in truth
X) X-pect God to do great things in your life!
Y) Yearn to learn - study His Word continually.
Z) Zealously Share. Joyfully share. Share love. Share Christ. Share of yourself.
This isn't original, though I don't remember where I first got it, I found it in one of my journals but I did change a few letters to make more sense (to me anyways). :) What would you change?

the fairy tale version

Once upon a time there lived this little family a way out in the woods. They really loved their country life as it gave plenty of space for the boys to run and explore. They all loved doing their schoolwork and couldn't wait each morning to get up and get started (hey, it's the fairy tale version!) The big sister was like a second mama, she was always so patient and loving with all the little boys and they adored her. At any given time you night see a little sheet ghost, or a superman, or a Bibleman. There is much playing with light sabers, toy guns (large, small, plastic, wooden), trains and of course the always loved hotwheels! Schoolwork, meal time and anything else that requires an extended (yes, to a boy the time it takes to eat is considered lengthy!) period of sitting at the table is usually accompanied by all sorts of strange and exotic noises which are promptly frowned upon while eating but who knew it was easier to write a sentence while making gun noises?!? I love to see the gentling influence their sister has on them though. I love to see the littles so gently caring for their sister's baby doll, loving it, feeding it and making sure it is covered while sleeping. So sweet. I love hugs and kisses from my babies and doing nails with my princess. This little family spends a lot of time on their property as all the little princes are not so fond of shopping and the Queen gets tired of trying to chase them out from under clothing racks! They do enjoy a good trip to the royal park in the next kingdom on occassion to find other little princes to play with and queens to talk to. It's not all fairytale, there is no royal nanny or maid, laundry stacks, toys get left out, babies get sick, mama gets tired and some days school is just not happening! However, the fairytale days/moments make it ALL worth it! I love to see their faces light up when they learn something new. I love to hear them singing about Jesus. They love the song God's not Dead and any TobyMac or Hillsong kids! Current conversation, oldest prince - "Mama, what's a radiator?" queen - "part that makes the car run" oldest prince - "that's the engine!" queen - "well, if the radiator's not working the car's not going to run!!" LOL! Did I mention the palace is ALWAYS LOUD!!!? It's almost time for the queen's royal nap with the youngest prince now that the cook has fed the little family grilled cheeses and chips. I hope you enjoyed this sneek peek into our tiny kingdom and that you live happily ever after. :)

Christmas at Meme and Papa's (finally!) :)

Sorry to all my faithful followers (haha) that I have neglected to write for so long. I just know you have been anxioulsy awaiting my next blog entry! lol As I sit here at my Meme and Papa's house in their back room and I am surrounded by my sleeping family, I find myself not sleeping and I keep thinking that it has been way too long since I typed a blog. So, I thought I would fix that. I think my babies have officially recieved their last Christmas gift for the 2012 season! They opened their gifts from Meme and Papa today, Hello Kitty headphones (the kind that cover your whole ear!), more Star Wars fighter pods, a drawing board that glows, a circus DS game and bowling bugs with an elephant flashlight. Everyone was finally well enough to get together! We all love coming in to see Meme and Papa. They are such special people. I got to share what I am learning about essential oils and Roseanne came over after everyone had left and we talked about crocheting and she showed me some new things and was showing me how to read a pattern (I might need another lesson in that!) The babies got a box of hand-me-down toys and that kept them busy for hours! Papa just loved the boys monkey PJs. I love to see them all matching! That would be thanx to my Mama! :) I know this is sort of scattered, I'm pretty tired but just not sleeping. The babies also showed off their scentsy buddys. We had a lunch with enchiladas (2 kinds) and guacamole and queso and chips and ranch dip and meatballs. Tomorrow we will head home after church at Meme and Papa's church and lunch somewhere. The babies enjoyed seeing their cousins? (what would you call my cousin's children to my children? and is it wrong to just tell my babies to call my cousins aunt?) Totally random thought here, The yarn I am currently crocheting into a scarf right now is purple and really should smell like grapes or lavender! lol Oh, yea we had a discussion about texting acronyms. Oh, yea, I totally didn't mention about stopping at Texas Best Smokehouse on the way here for lunch, Mmmm, that was so good!!The babies really enjoyed spending more Christmas $. The littles bought these long stuffed snakes, Kayson's has a rattle in the tail! Along with some little figures (pooh and toy story) and Cayden got some tin toys (a little crank music tin and an airplane). Chris got a bunch of $5 items, a battleship (offbrand) travel game, finger lights, magnet rocks and a new joke book (just what he needs, another joke book! lol). Kirsten got a stuffed really cute pink patchwork little horse, some pretty rocks and a bag of sunflower seeds! :) I think they have had a really great weekend! I love my babies!