Lucy loves to perform.

The morning before everyone left was kind of a bummer. Good thing I'm not posting this on Josh's blog. We miss our Vermont family!

Thanksgiving day was very laid back, and I took the eight kids on a walk to, you guessed it, SEABRIDGE. I think that they liked it as much as I do, although none of them seemed all that impressed at my declaration that I was going to retire there.


Miles was asleep, so I didn't get to get him in with the rest of the flock.
We exercised.





Or something like that.

I brought nine water bottles.
We returned to the beach out nicely worn out and a little sun-kissed. It was super pleasant and made me believe that having 8 children wouldn't be too bad.
As long as some of them were 10 an 11...that's the trick, my friends. My husband quickly assured me that I could barely handle the four I currently have. Ah, well.

We went to the mall with Joel and Christine and the kids. I should have written "The Mall." It was the Northridge Mall, you know, the mall in THE VALLEY.

They liked the fountain, but nobody loves the mall the way I do.

I have a table full of black and white photos that I periodically update...they need to be changed out more often- I've been looking at a two-month old baby Miles for over a year, as my little man has become something more than the spud her resembles in that particular photo.
I had the excellent idea of getting my kids with their Vermont cousins while I still could, so Tuesday night I borrowed Josh's camera to make these happen.
The pictures didn't really turn out. I have become convinced recently that I need a nicer camera...that my prodigious talent for blogging is underused and under appreciated-by myself- because my camera SUCKS. Target has a camera nicer than one I've ever owned and not so nice that I'd need to get out a hefty loan to get it.
Just a tiny loan. Of $650. Is that too much?
I digress...he are the black and whites I took. Bowden and Obadiah Tom, the tow oldest boys in their families.
Look at that sweet face!
Obie and his Papa.
My Vermont nieces. Lucy Joy, Grace, and Elisabeth, with a little Bowden thrown in for good luck.

Hams, all of them.

Bowden and Grace.
My Miles. He did not want to take his binky out, so I couldn't get any good ones of him.
Oldest and youngest.

Jack was not going to take a happy picture. This is me advising him to smile. That, or I'm advising my double chin to evaporate into my chipmunk cheeks.

Lucy, last of all, has lost the ability to smile naturally in front of a camera. She's still my sweet girl.