eleven + six makes for a full house

We spent Labor Day at my sister's.  She generously hosted not only us but my brother and family as well.  That meant 11 kids and 6 adults.  Despite a last minute scramble when my brother's car broke down, we all enjoyed an exhausting but fun 2 days in Sherman.

The drive there on Friday afternoon was pretty pleasant.  A took a nap on the way there and the other two happily watched movie after movie on the 5 hour drive (we did hit rush hour in Dallas--yuk!)  The view was also pretty magnificent as we watched the clear demarcation of a thunderstorm that we thankfully missed.

Saturday morning was sticky and hot but we spent a bit of time outside drawing chalk outlines of various kiddos and Daddy and Mommy.  A only let us get a leg or two before running off.  The pluckier adults also took to the scooters (Mommy's chalk shadow rode one as well).

All the heat made for perfect swimming weather.  Even David went off the diving board after much coaxing (and with floaties).  He is just such a cautious oldest.  Bizbeth and Abigail were far too interested in the yummy snow cones.  (A if you are reading, can I get the pics from you?)


We spent late afternoon doing Karaoke thanks to youtube.  E joined the girls in a Frozen favorite, but she was more interested in watching the movie clips on the music video and dancing than the actual singing.

Afterward, we took some frightfully cute pictures of little Javi (who will still have to remain anonymous here just now).  Fritz can stand in for his pictures in the box.  :)
And then a few with all 11 kids.  Sweet Suma helped out with Abigail despite A being too big really to be held.

Sunday was church time followed by lunch and a few hours of visiting before getting on the road a bit too late to get home again.  Despite pulling in to the house at 10:30 at night, only E had fallen asleep.

2 over 2

Abigail is continuing to grow up.

This month she has begun saying "mmhmm" to emphasize the "da!"  (yes)  She is adding a few new words, but still mostly in the phase of "mommy only" understanding.

She has also been trying to potty train herself.  (without too much success yet, but...)  She did go to the bathroom in the toilet for the first and second time this month.  But she has also been telling me even as she is going in her diaper...almost every single time.  I will take her but it seems eternally too late.

She is quite in love with wearing "clips" in her hair now.  She does look frightfully cute that way. :)

And her eyes have grown more and more greenish.  She truly has no blue in them anymore.  They are pretty much hazel and gorgeous--like her Daddy.

Abigail is a great lover of stuffed animals in a way that none of the others ever were.  And dolls...
And she loves "chinchesses" (princesses)!!!  And movies... :~

And she's super orderly.  She is probably the best helper and regularly cleans up without any prompting.  She not only stacks her blankets and stuffed animals and books in the corner of her crib before she gets out, but she also is very careful to make sure all the books are facing the same direction...even fixing ones that are not. Wow!   A lot of attention to detail!

Dress-up is still a favorite pastime.

She is often the instigator of things now too.

But she adores her siblings!

Yeah for another month with this little cutie!