Qorban's big idea

Qorban is always full of big ideas that usually take lots of money. He wants to start his own softball/baseball team and he wants to have uniforms. He has designed some on a website and they will cost only about $250.  He wants to take vacations, lots of them, far and wide and he wants to fly to the destinations. He wants a backyard pool.  I say no. I am not comfortable having a pool in the yard with little ones and we don't have money to buy a pool either. So he is going to dig his own.  He has gone out and selected a spot in the yard walking our how big this pool will be. All the kids are excited and motivated and head outside to start digging the pool with our one shovel.  Qorban comes right back in and says "Mom, why are you not coming out to dig? This pool will be for you too."

me

Liliana has been taking more pictures so I might show up in more photos. I really would like a hair cut!

Qorban

Qorban was working to shovel in some of the washed out part of our driveway after the big rain storms.  He has been working harder outside. He has decided that if we pay him what we pay Alex to mow the yard than he will push mow it (our only working mower). He has such big plans on how he is going to spend his money but it has been three days of push mowing and it is nearly done.  I think he expected it to be easier. Also, maybe he will learn to do a complete job not just the bare minimum amount to say he did it. If I am paying what I would pay a teen to mow and weedeat for just mow, it better all be done well!

Grandma and Malachi

                                          and Christopher!!!

 

kids walk with Grandma

Our flash flood

We got over 5 inches of rain over a short period of time and suddenly we had a river flowing through our back yard. It completely submerged our lower garden so we will see how our plants do.  The high water closed our highway.  I can hardly wait to go see how the lakes and rivers look after all the rain has time to run down to them.

zoo trip with cub scouts

                                         Sarah wondering if she is going to get to see anything....

                                      Liliana and Sarah. Sarah was so excited! She wanted to keep going.

                                           Snack break

                                               Qorban as a butterfly

                                            Caleb as a butterfly

                                           Liliana checking the map

                                              It was very hot! We are not adjusted to the temps yet.

                                            Sarah checking on Malachi.....

                                          Sarah was so cute, always so excited to see the animals.

                                               the boys were not so excited all the time....

                                          Got to take a picture on the lions, somehow, I missed getting all of Qorban

                                             Girls admiring the tiger. This building was air conditioned. We stayed here a while and fed Malachi.

                                          Feeding the fish remains one of the kids favorite things.

                                              Qorban

                                             The ones who were still awake when we made it back to the lions!

                      Christopher fell asleep on the Oklahoma trail so he missed the river otters, my favorite .

Malachi slept through almost the whole trip, only waking up when we were in air conditioned buildings.

Sarah is 17 months old!

Sarah is now 17 months old! She is growing so fast. She loves her little brother Malachi and tries to love on him as often as she can. She can be rough though so lots of people try to protect Malachi from her. I have been impressed with her sweet spirit as she has just accepted him and adores him.  She has started throwing some tantrums now though. If she thinks she isn't getting her way,  she lays down quietly and carefully and then when some looks, starts screaming and kicking. It is so hard not to laugh.  She still just says Mama and go. But I think she is close to being able to say dada and maybe even bubba.  She gets her point across with her happy sounds or upset cries so she doesn't feel much need to use words. All my kids were late talkers, starting to really talk around age 2 or older. She is starting to run much more frequently and has started walking backwards just for kicks apparently.  She loves to play outside, especially in the dirt or mud.  She likes to carry our shoes around adding another dimension to the I can't find my shoes! issues that we already have. But she doesn't like to wear her own shoes and socks. She is also very diligent to pull off any socks that we put on Malachi.

brothers baseball practice

                                                Liliana

                                            Caleb trying the baby swing

Sometimes, instead of sitting through baseball practice we take a walk or play at the park.

Sarah loves the slide

Sarah loves to climb up and down the steps to the slide. She will wait at the top for someone to slide down with her. She also does a Titanic impression climbing on the rails at the top that is scary but she has no fear. She has seen the older kids do it so that must mean it is ok for her too. Right?

Sarah and Christopher

Sarah has a new thing that she does. She lays down on the ground and then when someone notices her, she starts to cry or throw her fit. Here, she laid down and then Christopher laid down with her to try to figure out what she was doing. She thought that was funny!

Batting practice with Daddy

Daddy took the kids to the park to practice batting for their little league games. The kids had fun but Liliana got dizzy on the tire swing and then just kind of laid around. All had fun.

Malachi 2 weeks

Malachi is now two weeks old. He now weighs 8 lb and 13 1/2 oz. He is 21 inches long. He is a good baby and still sleeps when he is not being fed which feels like it is all the time. :)

He has been to nine little league games and multiple practices for his oldest three siblings in his first two weeks with many more to come. He has been to Grandma's in Guthrie and to the homeschool convention, been to church and to the library, shopping and to the park. He has been a busy little boy.