Just some cute pictures

Cute little munchkins

Abbey loves to bake, and everyone else loves to eat

Isaac keeps getting older, every year

Sometimes it's better not to ask

All the kids are (usually) helpful when it's time to unload the groceries

Naomi has a grin like no other

Visiting the local nature preserve

Easter Day afternoon---time for the egg hunt

The twins didn't really get it, but they liked opening the plastic eggs later

Easter is tiring!

Ethan's late birthday party at Grandma's house

Naomi was left unsupervised for just a minute too long

Aunts are good for surprise ice cream treats

Naomi and her namesake cousin

Lots of rain this spring: so much that we got everyone their own galoshes

Riding the penny horse at Meier

Sidesaddle, even!

The monthly Home Depot kid's workshop

More basketball from Abbey and Ethan.  Abbey's cheerleading coach was not there so the girls had to do things all by themselves and did a great job!





There's a mini-devotion at each halftime: this time they invited all the kids onto the court to play tag, where everyone was It and the goal was to see who was the last one standing.  Abbey played the same game last night at her game and proudly told me that she did much better tonight.  The spiritual application was that life wouldn't be much fun if it everyone was always out for themselves only.



The very first game was cancelled because of snow, so last night they played the makeup game.  Ethan's become one of the best at heads-up play, making quick decisions to pass or shoot.

More basketball

More basketball from Ethan and Abbey.  Ethan scored his first points last week, plus an assist and a rebound.  And Abbey got to do her favorite routine!

Basketball

Ethan and Abbey have gotten into basketball and cheerleading this year, with a program called Upwards.  It does a great job of teaching teamwork and Christ-likeness along with basketball and cheerleading.  Sadly, Abbey isn't scheduled to cheer for any of Ethan's games but her games are either just before or just after so we don't waste time going back and forth.

 

Christmas on the Farm

We spent Christmas with Debbie's mom and dad, who live on the family dairy farm

Christmas Eve!

Yearly family photo.  Five of seven looking at the camera, four with nice smiles. :)

Abbey Irene, 9 years old.

Ethan Gary, 7 years old.

Isaac Anthony, 4 years old.

Naomi Nicole, 1 year old.

Luke Payton, 1 year old.

Sisters!

Brothers!  Luke didn't want to sit for any more pictures.  

Mommy and Daddy

No idea how all these children happened!

 Out take :)

Abbey waiting for Mommy to open the present from Abbey.

A shawl, chosen by her and paid for with her own money.  She is such a generous girl!

Isaac with one of his gifts.  We opened stockings in the morning and everything else in the afternoon, after church (so hard when Christmas falls on a Sunday!)

Each of the kids bought a present for Mommy.  She's pretty special!

Daddy, Mommy and the twins as the big family Christmas gets started.

Ethan with a brand-new Nerf gun!

There was target shooting, a la William Tell, much later.

Possibly after too much egg nog?

Even Grandma got in on the action!

Naomi with her new stroller, and Luke with his popcorn toy.  In matching Christmas jammies!

Christmas 2016

We can put a full-size tree up in this house.  Which is good, because everything had to be up out of the twins' reach!

Mary, Joseph, & Co. safely up high.

Christmas at Purdue: including a full-size gingerbread house made from real gingerbread and candy!

And a giant Christmas tree!

The kids were very patient about all the pictures.

The house was probably the work of an engineering class.

Cute girl on the lawn.

Home Time

What a house full of kids actually looks like!

Cute girls in baskets!

Abbey got a cookbook for her birthday (Happy 9th birthday Abbey!).  

She made her own cinnamon sugar this day

Ethan made his own tow truck.  With the spaghetti spoon...

Isaac with the fox he colored himself.