A post on the 7th about the 4th on the 5th

The 4th was pretty anticlimactic around here this year. We did some last-minute cleaning on the house then headed to Wal*Mart where apparently they had crack on a red light special and my children bought some when I wasn't looking because they were holy. freakin'. terrors. My kids NEVER act like that in Wal*Mart, but oh my gosh, they were awful that day. I think it was just the building excitement of the next few days, but good grief I was ready to sell them to the gypsies. And I told them as much. Of course, they didn't care - they were high.

After Wal*Mart we picked up the little girls that Abby was babysitting that night. All in all, Ab did a great job, but I think I'll limit her babysitting jobs to a few hours at a time from now on. By the next morning she was beat and her nerves were frazzled and by lunchtime she threw her hands in the air and yelled, "I AM ONLY ONE PERSON! STOP ASKING ME TO DO THINGS! I AM VERY. STRESSED. OUT." I hugged her and said, "Welcome to my world, dear."

The little girls left around 1 and I started making the pies that I'd promised Paul (Red, White and Blueberry - YUM!) and by 3:00 everything was done enough that I set the alarm on my phone, kicked my feet up and watched the kids play Wii for awhile. Paul started cooking around 5, everyone showed up a little after 6 and for the first grand gathering of the new improved blended family, we had a blast.





This one of Tater, Ain't Pam and Uncle David cracks me up.

While Ain't Pam looks on in interest at whatever Uncle David is talking about - which is obviously not all that pleasant from the look on his face - Tater is looking to the camera for help, rescue, ANYthing.

G'head, blow it up. It's a hilarious picture.






This is Ab and her brand! new! cousin! Makenna. They got to know each other quite well at church camp a few weeks back and were practically joined at the hip then. Saturday, they were inseperable again. They're ornery, too. It appears they sneakily got hold of everyone's cell phones and put event reminders in, changed wallpapers to pictures of them, and did many, many voice records. Ah....to be a tween....





Kady is in the foreground while her big cousin, Quentin, is scolding her from afar. What that boy would have to scold her about I have no idea, since the whole time Paul, Gary and I were putting up the volleyball net, he was throwing cherry bombs at us and shooting bottle rockets our direction. Yeah, he's an angel, that kid.

Or maybe he was pointing at me.....because I think it's apparent the kid has it in for me.










This is TotTwo. He worked so hard to climb up there that he insisted I take his picture. The only way I can post it without Tater comin' at me like a spider monkey is because you can't see his face. She's all about internet safety - she's been watching a lot of PSAs or something.
















And this is TotOne. She had a glow stick in her mouth. Since I had just taken a picture of her brother dangling from the basketball goal like a pinata, she was adamant I take a picture of her. She was disappointed when I used the flash and it didn't show the glow stick. She was not disappointed, however, when I turned off the flash, got the glow stick and not her. Go figure.













Mom wanted me to take a picture of Pops and two of my stepsisters.

See what kind of a family I have now?

They're freakin' AWESOME.









Oh wait, everyone's smiling pretty now. Probably because Mom put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot.











Mom's gonna crap kittens if she sees I've posted this. I think it's adorable, but she will shriek for days that she can't believe I posted that picture of her all sweaty from playing volleyball.

Oh well. It's my blog.

Love you Mom.