In His Hands

My husband sent this prayer to me today and it touched my heart. Tonight, I pray it and also dedicate it to some of my dear ones who are especially on my mind...

....Mair, Paige, Heather, Robin, and my Mom.

I love you each and appreciate you for unique reasons. I'm so grateful for having you in my life and hope that you'll be reminded in very tangible ways that you are in His very loving hands...hands that are both terribly strong and amazingly tender.

All that I am, Lord, I place in your hands;

all that I do, Lord, I place in your hands;

everything I work for, Lord, I place in your hands;

everything I hope for, Lord, I place in your hands;

the troubles that weary me, I place in your hands;

the thoughts that disturb me, I place in your hands;

each that I pray for, I place in your hands;

each that I care for, I place in your hands Lord.

---By an anonymous Celtic Saint

Take the Mom Blogger quiz!

"Your blog is an important part of your life. Life without it would be a less sunny place—but you'd still have your children, and that's what makes it all worthwhile anyway, right?"

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"GRACE WORKS"

GIVEAWAY
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Did you know there is a country with a little over 1,000,000 population yet around 1oo,ooo of the people are orphans? This same country has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the entire world and unless something profound happens to change the rate of infection and thus death, within a few decades, this people group will virtually become extinct.

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Swaziland is the beautiful mountain kingdom nestled between Mozambique and South Africa with approximately 1/3 or more of its people infected with HIV/AIDS. The Swazi people are facing a pandemic that is having tragic effects as elderly grandmothers, and in some cases, older children are often the only ones left to care for the orphans who are being left behind in staggering numbers...and in far too many cases, these little orphans are also dying from the disease or from malnutrition and other conditions, many of which are preventable and/or curable.

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Nearly 2 decades ago, I lived in Swaziland as minister to children and teens. I fell in love with Swaziland. Those laughing and loving Swazi little ones planted themselves in my heart. Those same children are now grownups who are facing a challenge that through the world's eyes seems nearly impossible to face and beat.

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But many on the outside are stepping forward and saying that they will not stand by and watch a nation die without it being given a fighting chance. For some, it means they're leaving behind their lives of comfort and transplanting their entire lives to Swaziland. Some will work to fight the spread and effects of the disease. Others will pour their lives into those children who have been left behind...to equip them to lead and rebuild their nation some day.

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My 12 year old daughter and I are going to Africa in 2008. We'll have a little over a week to bring some joy, love, laughter, and nourishing food to some of these precious ones . The Bible says that pure religion is to care for the widows and orphans and that whatever we do for the "least of these", we to Jesus. I'm a mom of my own seven children. Every day I read to them, sing songs with them, hug on them, make them laugh, feed them nourishing meals, pray for them, and make sure they know that they are loved immensely. It breaks my heart to think about babies who have no one to rock them, toddlers who are falling asleep at night with hurting stomachs from lack of food, elementary aged "big" sisters who are having to take on the responsibilities of their deceased mothers, and young adolescents who fear they'll be dead before their dreams of adulthood can ever be fulfilled.

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One of the ways that we are financing our trip to Swaziland is thru GRACE WORKS JEWELRY. A sweet friend has donated hours and hours of work (plus all the materials so far) to create jewelry that we are selling to raise the money for our trip that we'll be making with Children's HopeChest.

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To create an awareness of the need in Swaziland and to spread the word about our jewelry, I'm giving away the first HEART FOR AFRICA'S CHILDREN bracelet made by my friend Rhonda. I'm also trying to find out what colors and styles are the most popular so we'll know what to concentrate on as we make more jewelry to sell.

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If you would like to enter the drawing for the HEART FOR AFRICA'S CHILDREN bracelet, please leave me a comment telling which of the jewelry pictured below you like the best. As said before, you'll be winning the red and pink heart bracelet, but your feedback will help us as we make more jewelry.

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The first one is from the "Swazi Skies" Collection.

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The second one is "Rich Earth" reflecting the richness of the Swazi

soil and the value it has for the farmers of that country.

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This third one is "A is for Africa". The A could also be a reminder to pray for the Aids crisis on that continent.

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This green one reminds me of the lushness of Swaziland, often compared to the Scottish Highlands, during the rainy season. This line is entitled "After the Rains".

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This bracelet is from the "Shades of an African Savannah" collection. All these pieces are composed of browns, greens, golds, and blues.

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The last set is from the same collection as our giveaway bracelet, "Heart for Africa's Children". Some of the beads in the bracelet appear almost yellowish-orange in the photos but they are actually pale pink.
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Again, if you would like to be entered in the drawing for the bracelet pictured at the very top of this post, please leave me your contact information and which jewelry designs you like the best. You do not have to be a blogger to enter but I do ask that you live in the U.S.A. The deadline for the drawing is 1:00 pm. Sunday, November 4. I'll hold the drawing later on that day.
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Another couple of things...
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If you're someone I know "in real life" and you'd be interested in selling or buying some of our jewelry, please let me know. 100% of the proceeds go to our trip as all of the materials have been donated. Some folks have volunteered to take some of the jewelry and sell them to their friends and family as a way of helping us raise our needed support. In fact, my sweet mom has already sold almost all of the first package full that I sent her. (Thanks, Mom!)
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To find out more about the ministry of CHILDREN'S HOPECHEST and ways that YOU can be involved in making a difference in the lives of HIV/AIDS orphans, visit their website at: http://www.hopechest.org/
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And to read more about the journey God has us on, go to: http://elysasmusingsfromgraceland.blogspot.com/2007/10/huge-news-for-some-of-you-this-will-be.html
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ON HAVING A TEENAGE DAUGHTER

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There are many great things about having daughters who are now in the adolescent years, is all the fun things we can do together and share....shopping trips, make-up, accessories, eating out at NON kiddie places, hormone swings...er...okay...so we DO have that in common though they're not too fun. Though, come to think of it, telling the stories AFTERWARDS can be pretty funny!

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Another thing that I'm loving about having daughters this age is that we can share many of the same great books. All three of us adore Jane Austen. We chuckle over the BABY BLUES collections. And now Lisa Samson is writing young adult fiction that's smart and sassy enough for both generations to enjoy.

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In the previous blog post, I shared an interview with Lisa Samson about her new book, HOLLYWOOD NOBODY. Nearly 14 year old A has written a review of it and braggadocios mom that I am, I just had to link to it:

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http://mylifeinrandomness.blogspot.com/2007/10/hollywood-nobody.html

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Perhaps ONE day, I'll be posting reviews of my daughter's books. ;)

LISA SAMSON GIVES US THE SCOOP ON HOLLYWOOD NOBODY
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Over the last few years, I've discovered some great books by an author who was new to me, Lisa Samson. And over the last few months, I've seen my life getting radically shaken up due in part to Lisa's book, QUAKER SUMMER. I've also had the blessing to get to know Lisa as a person, not just a name, and am looking forward to sharing many adventures with her in Swaziland this January as we travel with Children's HopeChest and other authors including Tom Davis and Claudia Mair Burney. What a deal! I not only get to love on little children for Jesus, but I get to do it in the company of Jesus-freak writers! I definitely feel like I've hit the holy-roller, book lovers' jackpot!
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Recently, Lisa's first young adult book has been published, HOLLYWOOD NOBODY. The book centers around Scotty, the daughter of a Hollywood food stylist who spends her life RV'ing from movie set to movie while all she really wants, besides a lot of cheese, is a "normal" life. My teenager daughter A and I both have read it this week and loved it! Now y'all know that when I love a book, I just can't stay quiet about it. But I'll be honest, I'm not always that great at writing book reviews and I was afraid that my mediocre talents wouldn't do HN justice. So dear Miss Lisa agreed to do an internet interview for me as I know she'll give you a lot better insight into HN than I ever could.
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So here goes folks....
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1. First, can you give us a quick thumbnail sketch of who Lisa Samson is?

A hands-on person who likes hot drinks!

2. Okay, now can you give us a thumbnail sketch of the REAL, unplugged Lisa Samson? ;)

Totally ADD who wonders all the time where the time went.

3. How long have you been writing? Have you always wanted to be a writer and when were you first published?

Since 1992. I was published in 1994 and no, I didn't always want to be a writer. I wasn't a child writer at all. But I've always loved to read.

4. Do you remember what you did to celebrate the first time you sold a book?

No. Can you believe that? I was living on campus as a Resident Director, [my oldest child] Ty was four. I think we were pretty busy!

5. What's the best advice you have for wanna-be authors...including teenagers who dream of one day seeing their name on a book cover?

I think it's important to differentiate between wanting to write and wanting to be published. If all you want is to be published, you'll compromise your art and your dreams to see your name on the cover. If you want to write, and it's good enough to be published, that's a much more fulfilling scenario. The fact is, writing is hard, it takes many hours and a lot of humility. Listen to people who know what they're talking about. When I first started writing I thought I knew it all. I didn't. I've been blessed with some really great people along the way who have helped me grow.


6. This is your first YA book, what motivated you to write in this genre and where did you get the idea for HOLLYWOOD NOBODY?

Nav Press approached me at a conference and asked if I'd consider writing YA for them. I went out to my car that day and the idea just popped out! I wrote it up, emailed it to them that evening, and there you have it. The least grueling proposal process of my career. Scotty jumped into my head fully formed, so that was a big plus.

7. This book is a good bit "edgier" than the YA fiction of yesteryear. What made you decide to use some of the "colorful" language you did and how is this being rec'd in the publishing world?

I haven't had any pushback yet. I actually took a lot of it out. I suppose I wasn't comparing HN to books in the inspirational market but to those in the general market. Sheesh. Using the [words I used] is nothing compared to Gossip Girls and such. But I kept it to a minimum. Bottom line, Nav told me this book was for an older teen audience so I tried to make it something they'd like while not making it too edgy for, let's face it, the actual readership--girls in their early teens.

8. You say in one of the foreword sections that your daughter Ty gave the voice for Scotty. Can you tell us a little bit about the process of writing dialogue that's believable for characters that are not from your culture, age group, etc.

I just got myself into my daughter's head, used her voice in my mind, her expressions, the way she thinks. I had a real advantage that way, I guess, over other writers of YA who aren't living with the age group! Writing dialogue that realistic is actually writing dialogue that's not realistic at all! We use incomplete sentences, stutter, repeat ourselves. The key is to have your characters say only what's absolutely necessary and nothing more. How they say those things is what gives it characterization.

9. My teenage daughter wonders if you have a picture of what you think Seth Haas looks like or did you base him after a celebrity? ;)

I had a picture in my mind, and Ty showed me Adam Brody and I said, "Close." She pictures him that way. I picture him more like Josh Hartnett. Ty would pick Eric Bana to play his part.

10. I personally LOVE cheese so I've just gotta ask...where did you get the idea for this aspect of the book? The afore mentioned daughter says that if Scotty visits the south again, she's GOT to eat cheese grits! My daughter hates them, but....

That just popped into my head when I was writing up the proposal. I thought it would be funny to give Scotty a rebellion that most people wouldn't think was anything wrong at all. So, I could show her longing to make her own decisions, but not glorify anything I wouldn't want my own teenagers doing.


11. Said daughter also wants to know where you got the inspiration for Scotty?

Like I said, she just popped into my head due to Ty, I suppose, her attitudes, interests, basic personality.

12. In closing, what can Scotty's legion of new fans expect to see from her in the future?

Book two, Finding Hollywood Nobody, is coming out soon. We'll find out who Biker Guy really is, Seth returns, and Karissa is still on hand to shake things up a bit. The book takes place in Marshall, Texas and it's there that Scotty makes her first friendship with a teen girl her own age.

Thanks so much, Lisa. My daughter A and I both loved reading your answers.

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BTW, A thinks it would be SO cool for Scotty to have a real blog or Myspace on the internet. I'm just sayin'.
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Love to you and keep on writing!
Elysa Mac
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Wanna know more about Lisa, her writings, and what's going on in her corner of the world? Visit her blog: http://lisasamson.typepad.com/blog/

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Want to order HN? Check out http://www.christianbook.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/ .

SCENES FROM CAMP DIXON

As promised, here are some pix from our recent camping trip. Every October, scores of homeschool families from Mississippi (and even a few other states) converge on a small church camp a few minutes outside of Philadelphia, Mississippi. Its a weekend filled with good ole fashioned fun plus stiff joints for us older'ns who are sleeping in tents!

Worn out and ready to just relax after a busy day of packing up at home and then setting up camp while racing the rain upon arrival.

B, A, LG, and I decided that sleeping in the van the first night was the option for us since strong storms were expected. And sure enough, they hit and the wind had fun turning over a few things but most folks stayed dry...even in their tents.

Friday morning, the older girls took off on their own to make new friends and get reacquainted with old friends while SuperDad and I took the younger ones to the "pirate ship", one of the favorite hang outs for the 10 and under crowd.

4 year old T and Super Dad had a great time light saber dueling...well, T had a super time as long as he thought HE was winning!

There was a huge zip line set up this year over the valley. All the MacLellan kids got into this activity, from the teenager to the little toddler. Oh! And Dad liked it, too. Those his arms got tired after a while from helping the little ones go down it.

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10 year old D was the first of our crew to try it followed by 8 year old Patch. We've got a zip line at home so our kids are used to the concept, but ours pales in comparison to this tremendously long one.

12 year old B enjoyed trying out unique ways of going down it. Below her, the football game went on unfazed by the aerial acrobatics up above.

Here's nearly 14 year old A about to take the plunge as her camp friends cheer her on.

We found out during our time at Camp Dixon that little Miss M is an adrenalin junkie! She wanted to ride it over and over again. Here she is going....

...going...

...and gone all the way to the bottom.

And when she had to wait on the sidelines while her daddy took someone else down the zip line, her heart was absolutely broken. She bawled and bawled and bawled. It was both touching and quite humorous at the same time.

4 year old T actually went down last out of all the kids. It took him a while to get up his nerve. I guess he just couldn't let his baby sister be more brave than he was being. But wow...did he ever clutch on tight to Daddy!

LG at 6 is quite the big girl and rode down many times all on her own.

The campground at night, with all the lights sparkling and the folks mingling, reminded me of the midway at the state fair. Here, J, LG, and T head out to the Friday night meeting.

A, B, and their friends listen in on the boys' next door as they play a game. Come to find out, our next door neighbors were folks we'd been in a Five in a Row Co-op years and years ago plus our kids had been in Mommy's Morning Out when they were all just wee things.

Ever the creative and mischievous one at that, B organized a TPing "party" and decorated not just the boys' tent next door, but also our boys' tent, and to throw off suspicion, B rolled her OWN tent as well!

On Saturday morning, a 5k and 1 mile fun run are held. Ever single member of our family participated to some extent.

A and I helped the 3 littlest ones do the 1 mile race while J ran the 5 k with the 4 oldest kids. B won first for her age division and P placed for his division as well. D and J didn't place this year, but they both did much better than they performed last year and are vowing to train this year for next fall's race. A and 3 of her teenage friends walked the majority of the 5 k race, or should I say strolled and not only came in last, but they came in AFTER the race was finished!

Racers get ready....

...and go!

The four "strollers" enjoy their race time together.

And here are all the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for each age division.

The new playground was another favorite place for the younger set. The kids especially loved the sand and building volcanoes though the moms didn't enjoy trying to get all the sand out of their hair! Oh well.

Adrenaline junkie Baby Miss M climbs high...

... and enjoys playing alongside a fellow FIAR kid.

The younger kids were crazy for the beagle that hung around all the weekend. The parents weren't so thrilled...especially when he started tearing into trash bags. But that didn't matter one whit to the kids. And I must admit, it was a very patient dog as you can see from the above photo as T, LG, and M are all up in that poor dog's space.

The highlight of Saturday night was an old fashioned sing around a huge bonfire. It was pretty chilly that night and many a kid fell asleep while bundled up in blankets.

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Sunday morning we had an open air church service before packing up to head home. We stopped at the Sonic in Philadelphia for fast food and free ice cream. The service was great and they even got our entire order right...a pretty rare accomplishment for a family our size.

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Our kids had a great time last year but all have agreed that this year was even better. It looks like Camp Dixon has become an annual event for us, and one that we'd love to share with more of you. It added to the fun having folks that we know "from real life" join us for the event. Wanna come along next fall? :)

Y'all pray for me...okay?

I don't know what's wrong with me. I am having a bit of a stomach bug an headache that have me feeling mildly rotten in general, but its my emotions and thoughts that have me more concerned. I just feel so sad and discouraged. I've been crying off and on for a couple of hours now which is just so not me. I'm just so very, very sad and nothing really sad has happened...at least not today anyway. I'm feeling like a failure in a lot of areas.

My husband called a little while ago and he's coming home early because he's so concerned about me. He knows this is just not like me at all.

Thanks for your prayers.

Elysa

PLUM WORN OUT!

I had hoped to post a lot of great photos and details about our camping trip. I also wanted to put up new photos of more GRACE WORKS jewelry, but to be honest, I'm just plum worn out...or is that plumb worn out? Either way, that's what I am.

We're all feeling the effects of days of fun and nights of sleeping on the ground! I'm off now to take a nap as are most of the other creatures around here.

Hopefully this afternoon I'll get around to doing more about the camping stuff and showing off the beautiful jewelry we created today. My sweet friend Rhonda came over and despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth going on around us, we managed to make some lovely things and I'm hooked on beading!

I've also go a related giveaway planned. So come back soon to find out how YOU can win a one-of-a-kind Grace Works bracelet.

I'm so excited! Okay, in a very low-key, about-to-fall-asleep-at-my-keyboard way I'm excited.

In the meantime, hope your day is filled to overflowing with the knowledge that He passionately loves you and that grace does work in amazing ways.

WE'RE BACK!

My blog has been unusually quiet due to our get-away....we just spent the last 3 days camping out with scores of other homeschool families. We're in the throes of unpacking, bathing, sorting thru email and phone messages, washing very dirty clothes, and feeding hungry campers but just had to do a quick check in. Will hopefully post more photos and details tomorrow.

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Til then...hope your Sunday has been restful. I'm sure looking forward to MY rest tonight!

GRACE WORKS

Jewelry designs that support ministry to HIV/AIDS orphans and widows in Africa.

My sweet new friend Rhonda is donating handmade jewelry to be sold for the benefit of daughter B's and my trip to Swaziland. Pictured are three of her designs.

Each one is uniquely made. All the earrings are surgical steel...at least Rhonda is pretty sure of this. She tries to buy only surgical steel but she threw the packaging away ages ago. On some of the pricier items, real semi-precious stones are used. If anyone wants to order a necklace to match the bracelet sets or if you have special requests for specific colors, jewel tones, etc. Rhonda will be glad to design something extra unique.

The top set is a maroonish-red set featuring a single strand bracelet and drop earrings. The set can be your's for $10.

The set below is comprised mainly of green, purple, and dark aqua colors. Because the bracelet is 2 stranded and more complicated to make, this set sells for $12.

This beautiful amber set is very warm and perfect for the autumn season with its amber stones and gold-toned metal accents. Due to the intricate work and the use of some real amber charms, this set sells for $30.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these items or ones that we will be making in the upcoming days, feel free to leave a comment, email me, or if you know me "in real life", give me a call. We'll work out the details on how to get the money to me and how I can get the jewelry to you. Remember, all the proceeds will go directly to pay for our trip to Swaziland.

THANKS and an UPDATE ON SWAZILAND

I want to thank all of you for your outpouring of support and encouragement where the upcoming Swaziland trip is concerned. Its hard to believe that as I sit here eating a scrumptious meal of veggie fried rice and Asian chicken strips while my children also had a filling meal and are now happily playing or doing their chores, that in Swaziland, "about 40 percent of Swaziland's one million people are facing acute food and water shortages" which mean that for many of the people, their one meal of the day consists of some wild edible weeds and a bit of cooked corn meal. And that "poor households are reported to have engaged in negative coping strategies, including transactional sex, leading to a higher incidence of sexually transmitted infections and HIV."

"A recent study has shown that if the current trends are not halted, only one in four children born today will reached the age of 40 in Swaziland." And of these children, nearly a quarter of them are already orphaned.

This is why we're going. I've had some ask me aren't I afraid of going...to be honest, the heartbreak over what is happening over there usually pushes aside any personal fears or worries. Though I will tell you that right after I found out we were going, I started having irrational apprehension that I would lose my daughter somewhere en route. One of my friends said that was obviously NOT something that was a realistic concern as I'm one of the most paranoid, over-protective moms around...okay, she put it nicer and said I was very careful but I know the truth!

I've posted a link to an article that details some of the things I've discussed above and quoted. It truly is devastating what is going on. I am so thankful to God that He's letting me participate in blessing "the least of these". They are so precious to Him, and to me. And you are a part of this incredible happening.

BTW, before I close, daughter B and I are selling handmade beaded jewelry that a talented friend is making for the cause and will be teaching me and B how to make as well. With Christmas coming up, if you'd like to purchase some, let me know. Your gift will not only bless the recipient, but bless those little ones who we will be loving on come January.

Excited about this journey of grace and hope!
Elysa Mac

http://allafrica.com/stories/200710161148.html

P.S. Thanks Rhonda for your passionate support and the beautiful jewelry. Your efforts will yield eternal treasures.

BIZARRE but blessed HAPPENING

Okay, so I'm hanging out with my nearly 14 year old daughter discussing books. She's saying how she is really wanting to read EXORSISTAH, an upcoming young adult book by Claudia Mair Burney, and I was saying that I couldn't wait for my copy of HOLLYWOOD NOBODY by Lisa Samson to arrive. I was supposed to be rec'ing a copy via the good ole U.S.Postal Service.

Two minutes later the bedroom door opens and my 12 year old daughter hands me a package....its HOLLYWOOD NOBODY! Okay, so maybe that's not a big deal to some of you sophisticates out there ;) , but to us it was pretty darn bizarre that while I was opining about HOLLYWOOD NOBODY, my daughter was getting it out of the mailbox.

I'll admit it, I'm easily excited. But even I have my various levels of excitement...there's the low level excitement I feel when I grab a handful of M&M's and find that they're mostly blue and green ones, and then there are those things that make me want to blog about it ASAP...and this was obviously one of "those"...though I had to wait til today to blog about it due to various other demands (including starting Latin with aforementioned daughters).

I'm speeding my way thru a brand new hottie from the library that can't be renewed, but as soon as I read the last chapter, I'm wrapping my greedy, freckled hands around HOLLYWOOD NOBODY and settling in for a read that promises to be amazingly fun!

For more info on HOLLYWOOD NOBODY and the very talented and entertaining authors Lisa Samson and Claudia Mair Burney, check out these links:

http://lisasamson.typepad.com/blog/ ---Lisa's blog. GREAT writing! I visit it every day as its updated frequently with her mix of sass and heart.

http://www.navpress.com/Store/Product/1600060919.html ---You can not only order the book, but read the first several pages of the book. Be warned, you'll probably find yourself immediately hooked!

http://ragamuffindiva.blogspot.com/ ---Mair's blog. Its a rich, gumbo of grace infused writings.

THE STORY BEHIND MY NEW PROFILE PIC

Nearly 20 years ago, I graduated from Mississippi University for Women and just a couple of months later, I started one of the most exciting and rewarding adventures of my life --- going to Swaziland, Africa as a missionary. When I first arrived, the Baptist mission sent me to stay about a week with another single missionary, Denise Bouchard. She helped me so much during that time of transition to get to know the Swazi culture in a way that I wouldn't if I'd only stayed in the capital city. One thing that really bonded my heart to the Swazi people right away was the Dlamini family that lived on the same mountain as Denise. They were so warm hearted and as new single missionaries would come into their lives, they generously welcomed them into their home and even named the missionary after one of their children.

I had the honor and blessing of being named after a darling little sweetie, Thandeka. Her name means "loveable" or "easy to love" and she was certainly that. In this photo with her brother and me, she is about 3 years old. Sadly, Thandeka died about 3 or 4 years later. She was apparently born with a heart defect but it wasn't discovered by the doctors (I believe it was DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS staff) until it was too late and she was too weak and too far gone to survive surgery.

I still miss her and proudly wear her name. She was truly one of God's little beauties and one that will never be forgotten by all who knew her. I'm so thankful that in January, God will once again be allowing me to love on the children of Swaziland. And I know that as I hold those little ones, my special sisi will be very close in my thoughts and still living in my heart.

Thanks for letting me share her with you,
Elysa "Thandeka Lom Khulu Dlamini"

MISSISSIPPI STATE FAIR

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On Friday, we took the kids on our annual outing to the Mississippi State Fair. We joined with other homeschool families as it was the special school day and rides were reduced. They prices are still outrageous at 2 to 3 dollars per ride, but its an event that the whole family looks forward to all year round and bags of quarters from Grandmommy helped finance the excursion this year. YAY for Grandmommy!

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Enjoy some snapshots from our day. As always, we were wore plum out from day-long outing, but it was well worth it.

The petting zoo is always our first stop of the day and the place all the homeschool families rendevouz. Those critters must be some of the best fed animals around considering the amount of high-cost food that kids feed them all day long. What other goats do YOU know eat carrots that cost a dollar for just a few ounces? ;)

The Lewis family joined us for most of the day's happenings. Their boys are some of our kids' very best friends. And Mary is a great Mom pal.

LG was very frugal. Not only did she carefully feed her carrots to the animals, but she went around picking up ones that more careless kids had dropped along the way.

B was a good big sister and taught Baby M the fine art of feeding those greedy goats.

Petting the baby ducks and watching them go down their slide at the 4H farm exhibit is an annual tradition that never gets skipped.

This is the second year that we've gone to the free circus at the fair. The animal tricks were a humorous hit with both the kids and the parents.

P, D, and LG enjoyed riding the bumper cars with the Lewis boys.

10 year old D got to play the arcade game TRON for free at one of the Trade Mart exhibitor's booths.
Patrick enjoyed riding the CRAZY MOUSE with Super Dad who joined us in the afternoon once his required leadership meeting was finished.

We waited and enjoyed the funnel cake and cotton candy with Daddy. Its amazing how fast 7 kids and 2 parents can inhale those treats!

Princess LG wouldn't touch the albino snake even when I offered to pay her a quarter or give her some of my precious dark chocolate M&M's.

Daddy and 4 year old T had a blast on the super slide and the caterpillar roller coaster.

Til next year!