How our 4th Went

We had SOOOOOO much fun we went to our friends house for a picnic. What I love about our friends is that they have 6 kids living in thier house of assorted ages 4 girls and 2 boys I have my 5 kids all boys we get together we have the 4 adults and 11 kids we go lots of places together (to the beach and each others houses we tend to run into each other at the store we take up our own aisle)

Large families are a whole new dynamic that if you don't live in one you need to understand a few things

first off everyone in the family works to help the family work it is needed because no one person can make it all happen meals are a joint effort dishes even with a dishwasher are a joint effort etc

Large families use more energy in some ways but conserve it in other ways which makes a large family something to behold

the "sacrifices" made by larger famililes are if creative not seen as sacrifices to the children so no one suffers

also Large families are more at ease little things like spills and scraped knees or bumped heads are no big deal

So our 4th I brought some side dishes and my friend and her family were supplying the meat (a real undertaking) we had fruit salad cheesy potatoes (and I left my crock pot at her house) she baked a cake we had tuna salad and baked beans and tons and tons of things on the grill it was really lovely

the "men folk" put on this fabulous fireworks show for the kids fountains and big boom booms the kids were all thrilled

I was more excited to go with my friend first for a joy ride in an artic cat around her property and also for a lovely walk to take pictures of some of the wild flowers around her house to try to identify them

She has razzberries around her whole house plus some very vigorous multi flora roses in white and this lovely pink I told her those can be made into hedge rows because they are invasive you can be viscous with them and trim them into shapes and then just let them bloom like mad

I used to grow roses when I lived in a more favorable climate for them and I LOVE roses so my dear friend let me dig up some roses

I also found in her "garbage" pile several planters and a couple shepards crooks she does not want (my friend does not garden these things were left behind by former owners)

we did not get home till after midnight the kids had a blast as always Alex even did some yard for them and they paid him which was very nice for both of them to do

I have to say the only draw back was that QT had a fever so we gave him medicine and he was pampered and loved by everyone there

Our party was larger this year which was also fun they invited some more family over and it is always cool to have extras especially since my friend and I make enough to feed an army

I saw the first tiny tiny tomatoes on the vine today it is good to see

I dont know how well the water melon are going to do this year though they dont seem too big yet I mean the plants are just small

we have to get the lawn tractor fixed cause when Dave rolled it he cracked the carborator grrrrrrr

We moved some baby chicks this morning into the big house with some of the meat birds that are the same age and we turned off the lights in the chick cages because they are feathered out now

OH and I went to a great garage sale what I love about living in a small communitee is also what I dont like about it but sometimes it works in your favor

in a small communitee you knwo everyone and everyone knows you LOL

well this time it is a favorable kind of thing

The former Home ec teacher at the school had a rummage sale at her house I was nearby at the little league game and stopped in before she opened she let me look around she said she sold so much that day just setting things up she was thrilled to have people take her junk and give her a little money for it

she had such lovely things at these STEAL of prices I almost felt guilty not paying more

I bought 7 beautiful votive holders she ahd a huge box of them from her sons wedding I got those for $1.50

I also got baskets and planters and some really cool garden plant signs and this wonderful marble game for the kids and a huge box of colored pencils and some really pretty colored glass bottles

ALL for under ten dollars!!

Like I said I almost felt guilty not paying more

almost ..