{Real} Family Pictures

I think the last time I took a "nice" picture of all my kids was when I had....two kids. 

Here was an attempt at only six of mine and, well, it's typical.

County Fair

I actually remembered to bring my camera along to our county fair this year.

I am finally getting around to posting these pictures.

Elijah showed this little Holstein-Jersey crossbred calf.

 Ruby was so excited about showing this little Milking Shorthorn this year;

it was all she could talk about for weeks.

Then, the morning of the dairy show, all her confidence dissolved in a puddle 

of uncertainty and we were left with this face.

The picture didn't focus correctly, but you can still see what I mean.

She settled in after just a bit of time in the ring.

At her age, 4Hers are required to have an adult with them in the ring.

I have several to choose from, haha.

Nathaniel was Ruby's adult.

(It does sometimes feel weird to me that I have "adult" children...)

 Mr. Christopher had a round of anxiety to begin with as well,

and it was my fault.

His white show pants somehow got left home; I still don't know how it happened

though if I were a betting woman, I'd say it had something to do

with the number of 4Hers I have showing, the number of cows to milk at home before the show,

the number of children I have who are not yet old enough for 4H,

and the number of miles we live from the fair grounds.

It seems likely, anyhow.

 Isaiah has a special affinity for colored breeds of dairy cattle.

This little shorthorn earned him a trip to the state fair.

 Elizabeth 

 Ivy 

 Abram

 Isaiah and Linnea each showed a Jersey

 These two little boys were too stinkin' CUTE.

Abram is in the gray shirt and Colby is in green.

Colby's mama used to show in our county, too.

Full circle...

 Monkey see, monkey do.

 One of my favorite pictures.

Andrew with his dry cow, Ingaborg.

 Monkey see, monkey do. :)

 4H friends!

 Linnea showed Grandpa Wayne's horse Princess.

Between the dairy show, the horse show and the sheep show, 

she kept me moving.

 Cece likes to do "SO BIG".

 baby teeth...

 Christopher and Elijah enjoyed watching the horse games.

Isaiah and Linnea each went to the state fair,

Isaiah with his heifer and Linnea with her sheep.

Only eight months until we do it all over again!

The Wedding

Linnea was a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding last month.

I brought my camera but only got some pictures after the ceremony.

It wasn't until I sat down in the pew that I actually took stock of my situation;

I brought seven children ages 9, 8, 6, 5, 3, 2, and 10 months to a wedding 

where there would be no other adult or teen who could help me.

I sort of broke out in a cold sweat,

then reminded myself that I had put on my big girl pants and that I could do this.

I had to.

*gulp*

This was taken as the newly married couple exited the church.

Elizabeth wanted to stand next to Linnea, of course.

For the next week and half, Elizabeth told anyone she could that Linnea got married.

It was her way of saying "Linnea was in a wedding" but

three year olds have a way of losing things in translation.

 Those lashes!!!

 The bubbles were a lot of fun for my crew!

 Abram, like a moth to flame, was drawn to the black dirt

next to the sidwalk.

In light khaki shorts.

Obviously.

 Christopher was an excellent helper to me.

 Elijah

 These lovely ladies...

Cece and Linnea

 Our dear friend Amy was also in the wedding.

I love how this picture turned out of both of them.

 Ivy and Ruby wanted to each take turns with 

Linnea's bouquet.

This boy, though.

Can you stand how cute he is?!?!

Makeup Artists

A nearly-empty eyeshadow compact is a treasure to

my three year old.

Add in a willing little brother

and life's golden.

FOOTBALL!

If you know my kids

you know that football is an all-consuming pastime for them.

Since the little girls have watched the older kids do this literally all their life,

Ruby, Ivy and Elizabeth were very excited to actually be allowed to "play" the game

as opposed to being shooed from it.

When Elizabeth plays football,

she mostly just stands in the midst of the action and yells, "hut!!".

Ruby loves all things "boy-ish" (that's her word, not mine)

and has slowly earned her way into their world over the past months.

Christopher has been growing like a weed and his pants no longer cover his ankles.

(He's on the right.)

Ivy determinedly kept up.

Her hands were cold, but she wasn't going to stop long enough to grab some gloves.

Her understanding of the game is basically this: 

Run. 

From one end of the "field" to the other.

This guy, Elijah, has grown tired of the assumption 

that football was only Christopher and Andrew's thing.

Noooooosir, he likes football just as much as they

and he is ready to prove it this year!

Um, so, yeah.

This is pretty much what she wears every day.

Her hair is usually done, but she had taken it out by this time in the evening.

Abram is in the fun stage of just running around in the midst of the game

wearing all the appropriate gear. :)

Here he is feigning a play in which he was "tackled".

The older kids are always very tolerant of the younger ones when they play football,

as long as the little ones are not purposely sabotaging the plays

or crying over every unintended minor collision.

He righted himself soon enough,

applying his own helmet tap.

He's a good sport that way...

Ivy and Abram 

"Readaaaay.....seeeeeet.........HUT, HUT!"

but "running" is a slow thing when your boots are four sizes too big.

This kid cracks me up.

He kept returning to the line,

ready for the next "play".