One Busy Saturday

I had been telling the kids all week that we would decorate the tree, but one of the kids always seemed to be off somewhere doing something (Caleb tried out two days for basketball and made it) so I kept telling them not today. Well, today was the day, do or die, so we got up and decorated the tree before the older kids went off to ring a bell in front of a grocery store to raise money for a Christmas outreach program.

Jonny may be little, but he reached way up high to put on his ornaments.

Annalyn was so excited for Daddy to put up the angel.

Dennis loved going through the ornaments. Isn't his little foot adorable?


Adam wasn't in the decorating mood, but at least he kept us company.

Here is everyone putting on the final touches.

Annalyn was very happy to find her ornament that she made us two years ago. She commented on how time flew and she couldn't believe that this would be her third Christmas with us.

The tree may be a disorganized, modge podge of clutter to the untrained eye, but to me, it is just beautiful.
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It was nice to see Adam and Caleb spend some quality time with William. He can be very annoying to them, but they also know because John and I stress how important it is for them to be someone he can look up to. They may not always like all of their siblings, but we are a family and they are stuck with each and every one of them, including John and I. And yes, I let them do Poppers in the house.

After, Caleb got out some of the old fireworks he had saved from Fourth of July and he went outside with William and lit them. It made William's day, I'm sure.

Today was the day that John and the boys tackled Christmas lights too.

William was a great helper!

When John was outside, he noticed that it was a beautiful day with a nice breeze so he suggested that Adam and Caleb assemble their kites that they got last Christmas.

But no matter how hard they all tried, the wind was not strong enough to lift the kites high into the air.

Oh well, it was fun watching them try.

Since we are going to a Christmas Soup Party tomorrow, us girls spent a good part of the day making labor intensive borscht. When I make a batch, I make a big batch!

While we chopped we talked about boys and how important it is to not let them consume your whole life when you like one. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk to them, and I am realizing that in order to keep the lines of communication open I need to make sure that I am sensitive yet understanding to their feelings. Boy, my girls are growing up.

Sveta is always proud of how fast and safe she opens cans.

She opened up a can of diced tomatoes, beets, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, tomato paste, and three cans of tomato sauce. She was tired at the end.

Here is the finished product--- hot and steamy!

Julia is proud that she can tell everyone tomorrow that she helped make the soup!

Tomorrow I will post pictures of the fun outing we had tonight!