Our last day with 7 kids

Last day with all of the 7...a side ponytail and a waffle is what Miss Maddi ordered for breakfast.

For Eva and Gage...just waffles...no side ponytails!

Before we headed out for our last day of VBS...here is my crew! Maddi 4, Eva 1, Gracie 6, Gage 3, Toby 1, Hunter 5, and Carson 5.

After VBS we ate leftovers from the week and all decided to chill instead of doing pool/waterslide. We watched the movie Wall-E while the babies slept.

We invited Heaven over so she and Gracie could play again. They attempted to play HiHoCherrio with Hunter and Gage but it did not go very well...good attempt though. The boys just wanted to throw the cherries everywhere...we excused them from the game!

Maddi napped while all of this was going on. We had popsicles for snack and she woke up right as everyone was finishing their popsicles...she was so heartbroken that she thought she missed out. I reassured her that she still would get a popsicle...so she got a little loving and TLC along with her purple popsicle.

It was such a super fun week...but exhausting! I slept until 8am this morning when Gage and Carson climbed into my bed...we woke Toby up at 8:30...we all needed a little sleep! I will miss those 4 guys/girls that I got the pleasure of loving on this week. Especially those mornings of fixing hair...it really did make me want to have a little girl...Slick was right!

Day 4...It's a workout!

Day 4...we are all still here and smiling! Remember we have had VBS all week. I was assistant director until Monday morning at 7am when I had to step it up a notch...Sharon had a horrible stomach bug. I said sure no problem...don't worry...and have enjoyed every minute of it! I was suppose to take Eva to the daycare at our church while I was doing VBS...but how could you take "this" to daycare b/c I just eat her up. I kept her! Yep...I do VBS everyday with Eva on the hip. We have become quite the pair...I will miss this TINY little woman. If Eva is not here on my hip...

She might be found here! This is Earl...we love Earl because he gives my hip and arm a break. Eva won't go to many men this week...but she LOVES Earl...and he loves Eva! He finds me several times during the day and just takes her from her from me...she goes very with open arms! Usually around 11am...

You will find Eva here! Yep...I can't get her to take a nap...but Earl can. She just curls up on his shoulder and neck with her thumb and blanket. I have to speak at VBS tomorrow night at during the welcome and I'm seriously thinking about having her on my hip while I do my little speech...it would just feel so natural!

Waffles were on the menu for breakfast this morning...

After VBS we had chicken nuggets and "roni" for lunch then went to the pool today without swimmies. Yesterday they all had on swimmies and the chlorine and the rubber from the swimmies made a rash on their arms...we put neosporine on them and they are fine. Gracie's was the worst but she doesn't complain at all about them. They did GREAT without their swimmies and I convinced them all to put their heads under the water. Gage did awesome...he jumped to me in the deep end and actually started to swim a little...about 2 or 3 feet. He is coming along. He is strong enough to do it. I just have to find the time to take him daily now because it will just take practice...but he will have it down by the end of the summer! Woohoo!!

Slick told Brad yesterday that I needed to get these girls home as soon as I could because if I kept them too long I will would telling Brad that I needed one really bad. Ummm...I confess...he is right. As much work as girls are with all their "stuff" I have LOVED having some girls in my house this week. I have especially loved fixing hair each morning.

Gage and Maddi are both such a mess!

Hunter had a BLAST in the pool today without swimmies. He was just all over the place.

We came back to the house for a little waterslide fun and had a little snack...red juice, graham crackers, and peanut butter...they ate it "all gone" (as my kids say).

Toby thinks he is such a big dog...trying to climb up the waterslide.

Day 4 in now in the bag. I'm tired but so ready for VBS tomorrow.

Day 3 with 7 children

Well today is day 3 and we are all still going strong! If I don't start my day like this picture above all nice and planned out...I will get run over by 7 children though. Laundry is done every night and folded every morning, dishes are cleaned after each meal and ready for the next one, and during "nap/rest" time pj's and clothes for the next day at set out. You gotta be prepared!


VBS went great...244 today! Sharon is still out so I'm still stepping up as director...if that is what you call what I'm doing. I am attempting to take accurate counts of everyone, fight fires, and encourage everyone. Today after VBS Toby decided to "ride" Maggie while I prepared lunch...don't worry...he was not hurting my Maggie!

After lunch, Brad hung around the house making sure the babies were still napping and we picked up our friend Heaven on the golfcart and went over to Nana and Slick's to do a little swimming. Didn't really know how it would go...but it was a big hit!

Hunter was so pumped and happy...it was too cute!

Gage made big strides in getting more comforable with the water (thankgoodness). He jumped off the side of the poop...woohoo...while holding just 1 of my fingers. He just has a fear that Carson did not have so this is very tough for Brad and I who are such swimmers.

We got tired of the pool and decided to venture back to our side of the lake and play a little on the waterslide and eat snack....doughnut pieces and red koolaid. The ladies in the "teacher's lounge" at VBS were still in shock that I had 7 at my house that they said "could you use the doughnut's for anything?" I said "sure I can they will make a great snack for this afternoon!"

Maddi, Gracie, and Heaven had such a good time playing. Heaven was just so glad it was girls because she usually has to play with my 3 boys...so this was a treat for her!

As everyone was still playing on the waterslide...Maddi was tired of it so she said. So she was my chicken farm helper today. She loved it! She gave our birds all the scraps from lunch...

Then got to check eggs...that was so neat for her.

Maddi with all of the eggs she collected for the day.

Afterwards...I decided that the pool would subsitute as a "bath" tonight. We came in and got dressed, I fixed taco ring for supper, then me and 8 kiddos headed out for Wednesday night church. Brad and Joe (Heaven's dad) had to fix the bush hog on the tractor tonight.

Day 2 with 7 children

Today was sort of a repeat of yesterday...VBS in the morning, then lunch (chicken nuggets and cheese), then babies to sleep...while the babies slept (including Gage) the big kids played on the waterslide again.


Maddi got tired of the waterslide earlier than the rest of the crew so she sat on a towel infront of me and picked me "flowers" and we chatted about much of nothing.

Then the babies woke up and we had a snack outside...popsicles! They were such a welcome relief from the HOT weather we had today. Gage, Hunter, Carson, and Eva

Enjoying the COLD popsicles...Maddi, Gracie, and Toby (yes I know he has scissors in his hands...I took them away right after I snapped the picture!)

Ummm...It's Peanut's 10th Birthday! He is actually my first "baby" even though he has disowned us about 1/2 of the time now because my in-laws pamper him with soft dog food and spoil him rotten! Sorta don't blame the poor dog...he's the smart one!

We let the chickens out and well...the McMahons were not real sure about all of these 10lb birds walking around near them. We finally did convence them that they would not hurt them at all...they were just drinking water and looking for bugs.

Hunter STILL was not convenced...he clung to Brad for a good long while. He was finally ok with them.

Eva and Toby sitting in a tree...Ha. Cute pic of the 2 rugrats though!

The late afternoon ended in another golfcart ride with Slick where Hunter got to drive the 4-wheeler and Gracie got to drive the golfcart for a short little bit...it made each of them very proud and happy. Then Carson got to drive one of the golfcarts home...which made him proud and happy too. Afterwards we all down to the pier with Slick to watch Carson go off the zipline. We had put it all up this weekend but Slick was out of town and Carson really wanted to show him how he could do it so good.

We all watched Carson on the zipline then headed in for a HUGE ritual of baths and bedtime. Goodnight to all...I'm worn out. Gotta keep up with this crew so I gotta get to sleep at a decent time tonight! Oh and we had 239 at VBS yesterday and 242 today...woohoo!

Day 1 (of 5) with 7 children

Remember a few weeks ago when we (Brad and I) went to Colorado without kids. Well now it is our turn to keep our friends children while they go to summer camp. I have learned today that to make it easy...you have meals planned out...you don't just fly by the seat of your pants. My ship ran pretty smooth today...due to good planning! Here is our 7 for the week: Gracie 6, Hunter 5, Carson 5, Maddi 4, Gage 3, Eva 17months, Toby 16 months.

Oh and we have VBS all week which I am assistant director and Brad is head of recreation to make things even more crazy...but the kids had a GREAT time at VBS and so did we! We had corn dogs, "roni" (mac and cheese-that what Gage calls it), and whales with red Koolaid.


We put the babies down for their afternoon nap and we headed out to the waterslide to play. Hunter diving into the grass, Gracie is next, and Carson is bring up the rear down the slide.

Hunter and Carson go to school together and are big buddies. That is how we have all become such good friends.

Hunter and Gage were playing push and shove in the water and laughing their tails off!

This is Maddi and I just eat her up!

We all got worn out at the waterslide and headed in for popcorn and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

I have girls at my house this week and am learning what to do with them. They brought dress up clothes! I have tons of food/kitchen stuff. They set out a tea party then got all dressed up.

Then Toby showed up to wreck the tea party...just like a boy!

Late afternoon golf cart ride with everyone...even Slick.

Oh and during bathtime...Toby got a horrible busted lip. Can't you tell he is in such pain? I'm glad that I have tough kids. I hate to see what it's gonna look like in the morning.

Ok...I'm gonna crash now because I have my work cut out for me...still a little laundry to do, dishes to clean, and then I need to mentally plan out my meals for tomorrow. Oh and be in prayer for our VBS director Sharon...she had a horrible stomach bug and is having to miss VBS right now.

Zip Line Part 2

First off...See I told you Toby loved this water. Oh and he doesn't mind his ear bands...thankgooness! He just splashes around and laughs and has the best time in the water. I just wanted to prove it because that was such a pitiful picture of him in the last post!

Carson jumping off the picnic table that Brad moved to the edge of the pier to use as a jumping platform...they do all sorts of tricks off of it. But don't freak out...they always go feet first!

Gage is really warming up to the water and getting braver and braver everyday. Thankgoodnes for that! We are a water family and he must get in the swing of things.

The Franklins and Heaven are obsessed with fishing. Our fish feeder went off and they had to lay there and watch the fish come up and eat all the floating fish food. Brad couldn't resist...he swam from the other end of the pier underwater and came up out of the water and scared the pants off of all 4 of them.

Preston doing tricks on the zip line!

Carson making a big splash...

Hayden loved it too!

Afterwards Fishman Preston caught this "9lb" bass out of our lake! Ummm it's really about 2lbs but he thinks everything is 9 or 10 lbs! Such a fun afternoon!