Big for Basketball

 We signed Jeshua and Jedidiah up for rec basketball again this year.

They are still in the 5/6 year old co-ed group because their birthday is early February.

They are large boys and tower over their peers.

They are also very athletic and dominate the game, even though their coach never plays the 2 of them at the same time.

 We encourage them from the stands to pass to their peers and to quit shooting after the scores reaches a certain point.

 But after their first game, we were asked by the league to provide their birth certificates.

It seems that our opponent's coach was not happy with the outcome of the game and thought we were sneaking them in a lower division so they would dominate.

So we sent in their birth certificates and decided that next year we would request that they play up one or two levels.  They need the competition, to be honest.

We always thought this day might come - we just never thought someone would request their birth certificate at age 6.  :) 

Cleaning Church

Without going into much detail, we found ourselves looking for another home church this past year.

It's not easy church-hunting - especially with a family the size of ours.  Nothing is fun about it, in my opinion.  

We have found ourselves the last couple of months at the local Leiper's Fork Baptist church where my Papa attended for years.  It's an old, small town, traditional Baptist church that was once thriving.  Lately it's been struggling.  Only a handful of people attend and most of them are senior citizens who raised their children in this church decades ago.  It appears to be a dying church.

A few younger families talked with us about investing in this little church to make sure that it doesn't die.

After the first month of visiting there, I decided to teach Sunday School one Sunday to the school aged kids but there was only one classroom that wasn't used for storage.

So one Friday a few of us moms met a church member at the church and we cleared out 2 classrooms and scrubbed them top to bottom and set them up for use.  

I sure wish I had taken before photos to show the transformation!  There was stuff clear up to the door.

 Elementary Sunday School class

Nursery

We haven't joined the church yet but right now I'm excited about the possibility of being part of a small community of believers that involves all in our family to serve and participate.

Church Pianist for a Day

The Sunday before Christmas we arrived at the little Baptist church to find that the pastor's wife, who plays the piano each Sunday, was out sick.  Dave, the elder pictured below, had heard AB and Leah playing the piano on potluck Sundays and asked if AB would play the hymns.  AB doesn't read much music but plays great using guitar chords.  She and Dave did a quick warm-up, she pulled up the guitar chords on her phone and did a great job!

So proud of her! 

LF Christmas Parade

 We love going to the Leiper's Fork Christmas parade.  

It's the most unique parade in our little community - tractors, hillbillies, pot belly pigs on leashes, and all things country.

It was super cold but we got there early to save our spots.

We were so glad to have family there with us this year!

Justin and his family met us there.  

Nonie and Pops came with Uncle Billy and Aunt Jean who were visiting from GA.

My Man grabbed a portable heater at Walmart before we headed out. 

Some folks called us sissies.

Some folks called us smart.

I say we were "smart sissies!"

 One of the last floats threw out these huge teddy bears to the little kids.

Mary Quinn loves hers!

That parade stuff can be exhausting!

December Happenings

 This past semester Ruth has taken a class at school that is all about country living and she has learned so much and enjoyed it.  They have covered farming, animals, crops, gardens, and everything 4-H.  This last project was her class building a chicken coop.

 Lydia's sweet thankful letter she wrote as her class assignment.

 Mary Quinn got to spend the morning with her Marshall Island friend, River.

 My Instagram post (that my kids gave me heat for) stated "Their morning treat was when the Island Princess sneezed with a mouthful of eggs."

 Morning devotions

Crawling up pillows just to get to the cozy blanket

Cast Party for Annie Jr.

Wrapping It Up With a Forever Bow

 We had our football banquet...our last football banquet...our last football anything with Caleb.  It was bitter sweet.  I think Senior Night was hardest on me - swallowing the "forever over" part of it but this banquet came in a sweet second place.


Caleb was nominated for an honorable mention award for All Region by the coaches in our region.  We were so proud of him.  This was his first football award ever.  He will head to Fayetteville with the other guys on his team to be honored this week.

 We are so thankful that my brother came to our school just in time to coach Caleb for one year.  We are hoping he will stay another 8+ years to get to coach the other stash of Fish boys too.

My Man wore number 22.  I even wore 22 (on the soccer field) and Caleb wore it well on the football and soccer field.  Jedidiah was jumping for joy on Saturday at his first basketball game of the year when the coach randomly handed him a #22 jersey.  It must be our "lucky" number.  I'll miss cheering on my #22 on Friday nights. 

Caleb almost quit football a few years ago.  I'm glad HE decided to stick it out.  We might have made him anyway.  There's too many life lessons learned being a part of a football team.  But the road has not been easy.  The practices are long and hard.  The workouts are intense.  The game is complicated and you must be a constant student of it: studying it, practicing it, watching it, and memorizing it.  The intensity level can either create an intense bonding between coaches and players that can never be broken or can create tension that is hard to mend.  It has done both for Caleb.  He's learned hard, yet useful, life lessons over and over in this game.  As a parent, it's hard to see him learn the hard stuff, but we know how valuable these lessons are.  We are thankful for the molding in our son that we witnessed through this complicated and exciting game.  If I had to choose one thing in his 18+ years that has molded him and strengthened him into the man he has become today, it would be Caleb's experience in this game.  And for that reason, I love high school football and will miss seeing #22 on that field.  Bye for now...until 2022 (when Josiah is a freshman).  Let's hope #22 isn't taken because I know a Fish Stick who expects to have it.

Christmas Program

 Our school had it's elementary Christmas program.  Each class sang 2 songs.  Above is the 1st grade class singing.  See my tall, dark, handsome boys on the back row?

 We were in the nosebleed section again and I had a very active toddler in my lap, so unfortunately I didn't get photos of 3rd and 4th grade but we were sure to snag a cousin photo after the performance.  So glad cousins are close to share school activities and fun with!

Princess Post

Mary Quinn is a smart girl.  Picking out marshmallows from the Lucky Charms.

I love seeing my baby girl wearing outfits that I made for my other girls.

This sweet A-line jumper was made for Lydia using scraps of retro-corduroy from my Mimi Blair's stash.

Tim hung hooks for Mary Quinn's swing and she loves it and begs to swing daily.

This stinker loves ice and asks for it every time we open the freezer. 

Can you tell she's trying to smile with a mouthful of ice?

We are on a delayed immunization schedule with MQ so she just had her first shot.

Bless her - she was a trooper and settled quickly when I promised her French fries.

Who can turn down French fries from Mickey D's?  The best!

We got to spend the morning with our Marshall Island friend, River.  

It was a good time for MQ to see Mommy holding a baby.  She did better than expected!

Pinterest Success

I've had many Pinterest attempts and while a few of them were total failures, many turn out quite o.k.  This one was such a success that I had to post it because knowing my short term memory, I'll forget it next time my coffee pot stains.

Last year we purchased a Ninja coffee pot and LOVE it.  We use it multiple times every day.

It has stained horribly and I've tried everything to clean it....vinegar, soda, Brillo, Dawn, etc.

I saw on Pinterest to put a Finish dishwashing tab in the pot with boiling water and wait 30 minutes.

 I poured out this nasty stain after 30 minutes.

 Voila!  Perfect!

Annie Jr.

 Ruth's night on the big stage finally came.

We were so proud of her in her first-ever drama production.  

Her siblings and grandparents came to the 2pm showing and My Man and I came at the evening performance so our little Princess could stay at home and not divert our attention during the show.  Fish Sticks claimed it was the best play ever!

We look forward to seeing Ruth on that stage more in the years to come.  She's a natural!