Oregon State Fair 2018

 A good friend gently reminded me about my blog recently.  (sheepish face)

Where does the time go?  Well, I can tell you...I am pleasantly busy as of late, just keeping up with daily activities and, now that fall is here, keeping up with schooling 5 kids.

My mornings start at 6:15am start when I enjoy a few moments of quiet before the youngest kids come downstairs promptly at 7am.  Then the day starts off with a bang--full-on kid-care all day, every day.  :o)  On school days I am in the school room from about 8:10am-noon, then for a few minutes before Mrs. N leaves at 1pm.  Then kids to nap and more school, or appointments if needed.  My lovely husband makes dinner so I do chores in the late afternoon while shuttling kids to dance etc.  (We have 7 family members taking dance classes this year!)  Then the bed-time routine.  I am upstairs at 8:30pm (not tonight, oops!) to have some quiet time with Marcus before bedtime.  Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

As you probably know, we like having little adventures in our family, and we like making those adventures into traditions.  We always go to the Oregon State Fair on a certain day, at a certain time, and we always follow the same route.  :o) We all love it!

livestock barn
I am probably telling kids about showing sheep.

I hear ya, momma pig.

dairy barn

Bunny's favorite barn

making name tags at the State Parks exhibit

Next we saw the 4-H exhibits then had a packed dinner of picnic food while listening to live music.  My pics weren't great so I will spare you.

Something new!  Bunny and James tried their hand at Oregon
trivia! (They didn't do so well...we don't learn much in our
homeschool about Oregon History.  Maybe next year....)

We always need to find our friend's quilts. :o)

Next, the rides!  The little kids first.

Then the big kids.  I took the littles to "Jesus Land" (the Christian
evangelical booth) where Sedric proceeded to tell the storyteller
all about God/creation/etc.  #thatsmyboy

Sedric, Celeste, and I met up with everyone else at the giant Ferris Wheel.  They saved just enough tickets for all of us to ride.  What a nice ending to our day.

Have to get the giant "Mammoth" Ear every
year!!  (with a side of fries this year...)

Definitely a summer highlight--a great way to end a great summer.  We had lots of small adventures this summer but still a lot of down time as well.  I am hoping to post more pics soon, but we'll see how it goes.  My days really are packed, and if I take out 30 minutes to make a post, something suffers....  :o(  But maybe it's worth it!!  I miss blogging!!  :o) :o)