Home At Last

We finished the last of our quick weekend trips. It was a fun and furious three weeks. Between school and sports and traveling through 5 different states, I'm ready to stay home for a while. Even is someone had to sit one me, just like Kennidi and Nait, she thought she was pretty tough till he rolled her off like a doll. She just thinks she is in control, it is only a matter of time. She does happen to be faster right now, so that helps. Look at the size difference, she is 3 months older than him!!! We'll let her think she's got him for now!! She'll learn soon enough.

Labor Day weekend we had a big surprise 60th birthday party for my dad. It was a total surprise. He didn't have a clue. We had around 100 people at my parents house and we all had a great time. Dad even got to hit a pinata. Mom got him a ping pong table, and we all had lots of fun with it the rest of the weekend. Then on Labor Day, family came back over to swim and party some more. It was great. We were all dragging the next morning at school and work. It was so nice having all my siblings and spouses and kids together. Ashley's husband didn't make it, he was the only one missing. We missed him. Virginia Rath and Nait

Broc enjoying the homemade root beer floats

Kassie and Kallie taking a rest

Jeremy and Dad in a heated match

The next weekend was Dad's car show, Cruisin' the Pines. My mom and sisters and I help with the registration every year. But this was Ashley's first time. So all 4 of us girls and my mom were there. The car show photo guy thought that was pretty neat and took a bunch of pictures of us. We registered around 800 cars in 2 days. That is the very best way to see a car show. Every car has to drive by us to get into the show. So not only did we get to see them, we got to hear them also. Sometimes that's even better than how they look!!!

The kids came down to the show Saturday before noon so they could pick their Hot Wheels. The car show has a Hot Wheels Gravity Drag race. It is a track just like a Pine Wood Derby track but sized for Hot Wheels. You go down early and pick out the cars you want to enter, their $1 each. They give each car a number and write that number with your name and phone. Then in the afternoon we watched the 1st round races. All but 2 of our 10 were out the first round. Ashley had one that made it through to the 3rd round. The winner got $250. Not bad, and the kids love it. We picked up our cars after they lost and walked around to see our favorite real cars for the rest of the afternoon. We got some cute pictures sitting in papa's Mercury.

Everyone loves papa's '49 Merc

And everyone got a picture in front of some of their favorite cars. My favorite was a totally customized Shelby Mustang. The license plate read "CloneIt" . I asked the guy the meaning and he told me it said clone it, because you can't buy it. We all thought that was pretty unique, just like the car, a definite one of a kind!!My favorite of the year

Chey loved the HUGE '72 Ford Truck with 37's on and 39.5's in the bed





Kal and Kas liked the pink ones with flames, this was their favorite, they have great taste!!

Broc had a pretty clear favorite, anything orange with flames!! He was picky about the quality of the car, it had to be NICE!! But the real hook was orange and flames.

So now we are home and trying to get into a good regular schedule. Poor Nait is having a hard time, not only being without entertainers all morning, but every time he is down for a good nap, I have to wake him up to go pick up kids. He is adjusting, but not happily!! Chey is enjoying cross country more than she thought she would. I am really enjoying no one wanting to play soccer this fall!! Thomas and I started fall SB this last weekend. Everyone enjoys that.

Tomorrow night is the kids Back to School Night and Book Fair. Then Thursday the little kids don't have school, due to a professional development day. But they do all have dentist appointments that afternoon. I think we are staying around the rest of this month. I am sure we will stay busy, busy just in everyday life with 5 kids.