We have been waiting for two years to get a good enough snow to play in. This one wasn't too great for sledding but it was great for making snowmen ! 
We live in the most beautiful place in the world.
This year Ric turned 8 and Camila turned - well she probably isn't counting anymore. I tell our kids that it isn't polite to ask a woman how old she is. I certainly am not telling anymore.
They shared an Angry Birds cake.
The glass chess set was a big hit and Ric gave Camila a pretty good game.
Everett was the judge of the lego building competition. Ric won !
Their birthday pose.
I usually get my camera out for big affairs, like birthday parties, wedding showers or shows. However, on occassion, I remember to get it out to record our ordinary daily life. We are blessed that Jerry is able to join us in the middle of the day so we clear away the school books for an hour or so and this is what we look like most afternoons. 
I didn't remember to put up our Thanksgiving tree until just a few days before Thanksgiving day. It was created from items on hand (think paperbags and construction paper) so it was a little crude, but by the time the kids (big and little) finished decorating it, it was lovely. I was thrilled with their enthusiasm and their grateful hearts.
Our small town has a Christmas parade very year on the Sunday following Thanksgiving. Since Jerry is a volunteer firefighter, the kids get to ride on the truck in the parade. This was Simon and Jed's first year to ride and they were beyond delighted!
Ariel's 21st birthday fell in the midst of The Civil War, a heart rending musical, where Everett and Jerry fought on opposite sides. The younger boys have asked me dozens of times which ones are the bad guys. I always mumble something about this being a war about brother against brother, not neccesarily bad guys against good guys (after all, I have lived in NC a very long time so I know the drill). However, after watching the show more than a dozen times they have determined that the guys with the American flag are the good guys and the ones who tore down the flag to make another are the bad guys. Children have an inate understanding of right and wrong that is not easily complicated by political correctness.
We all spend alot of time at the theater, with the kids often doing their schoolwork there, while I get to work on costumes. In the evenings, it looks like this : the boys hanging their heads over whatever computer game is being played by friends and the girls talking about or playing with their American girl dolls. In this picture, you may notice Jed sitting in the front row where he can encouraged to be quiet. lol.
We love Chick-fil-A. Once a year they have 'cow appreciation day'. All cows get a free meal. We had white t-shirts and old karate pants. The only black fabric I could find in my excessively large fabric stash was a beautiful velveteen. I had visions of adorable little girl dresses made out of it. I sacrificed it for seven cows.
It was totally worth it. 
