Big Family Groceries

What do you get with grocery shopping for a large family?

• 2 overly full shopping carts.  **No room for the kids!**
• Shocked checker..."You had all this in that basket?"  Yes! It comes to the check out very well organized and after bagging, it never goes back in...More shopping carts getting to the car...I mean "Big Red Van"!  The checker, not so much asking, but telling me..."YOU need help out."
• $310 with savings knocked down to $254!!  We'll take it!
• Grocery receipt that is taller than the kids!
• At home...everyone helps and everyone has a job.  Even the tinies can help get the cans on the shelf! 

We had a record shopping trip today!  1.5 hrs from start to getting home!

I have to admit, it was because of 2 reasons.  The kids were quite well behaved!! Yay! And we teamed up...2 adults is always helpful. Why is it that we buy this much food, and still have to come back next week!  Guess we have to keep feeding all those squirts.

Strawberry Fun

Strawberries are a summer favorite around here.

We have an entire garden bed devoted to them.

And this is OUR year for strawberries.

Apparently the strawberry plant is one that has its

best crop after a couple years of good growing.

The last few years have been...

"Who wants a bite of THE strawberry?" 

As all 8 of us crave a homegrown strawberry, that ONE cherished bite gets awfully small!  Even so, the excitement it

brings is contagious and that ONE tiny bite is

savored and giggled over.

So THIS year, the strawberry garden is huge, lush and towering with plants.  Then, suddenly, the knee high bushes bust forth with what feels like hundreds of gorgeous white flowers!  Talk about EXCITEMENT! The girls have been screaming in delight about the state of the strawberry bushes.  Of course in our excitement, we counted blooms and have estimated about 400 strawberries.  Just think, no more piddly little minuscule bites, but most likely a bowl full each!  

The beautiful blooms quickly turn to actual strawberries, and at the first sign of "Red" the WAR is on.  Yes, this is WAR!
We have much invested in these precious berries and we ALL want to eat them!
The war is against the bugs and birds! The plan is to place berry shaped rocks to deter the predators.

So we send our Little P to collect berry sized rocks
while I hunt down red paint.

 Now we have a family activity!
Yes, even the babies get to paint rocks, why not?

Big Family Getting Bigger...

Adoption Time = Party

Planning an Adoption Party is so exciting.

Then as you get into it, you find that it is really hard to find special invitations, decorations and especially keepsakes that are for adoption parties.  If you are doing an international adoption, there seem to be more options.  I loved the special adoption announcements that are region specific...so cute and special.  But if you have been fostering a child and they are not a baby anymore, it is just really hard to find an invitation 

or even an appropriate announcement.  

Our family is adopting this week ( I shouldn't be blogging right now!) 
 & I'm knee deep in planning, cleaning & decorating.  
This is our 4th adoption through the county foster system. 
 I pulled out decorations from our very first adoption party, and at the time, 
I didn't realize I'd be using them this much :)  So glad I saved it. 


I spent hours designing our invitations and decorations.  In the process, I have made a thumbprint guestbook. It is a "Family Tree" which is significant to showing that family is not just blood line, but more than that.  Parents and even adopted kids can look back for years to come and see all the people who love & care for them.

I am so glad that I did this for our first adoption as I now have one for
every little darling we have adopted!  I have made a few for friends.  
The custom "Thumbprint Family Tree" is now for sale 
so others can have this special keepsake.  This makes a wonderful gift too.  Enjoy :)