Winterfest

 It is so fun to have children who are up for adventures. Friends invited us to visit them in Norfolk, VA to go to the Winterfest on the USS Wisconsin. With no hesitation, all 4 of them quickly agreed to the 2.5 hour drive for a couple hours with friends. (Since we left at 2pm, Jeremy wasn't able to go with us.) We didn't know what to expect and ended up truly enjoying the experience of the lights and the battleship itself. 

Walking out to the USS Wisconsin, this is what we saw looking left...

...and this is what we saw looking right. 

From the bow...

In this setting it was hard to take in the enormity of this ship. It houses 2,000-3,000 sailors during WWII.

The thing I have been treasuring the most this season is how much Aliza, Josiah, Anna and Isaiah genuinely enjoy being together and doing things together. 

 

This is about midship looking back to the bow.  

This tree and display is over the helicopter landing pad. 

We were also about to tour below deck. It was also decorated for Christmas. This is the kitchen. We also saw offices with old computers that Josiah enjoyed, dentist office which Aliza was especially interested in, sleeping quarters, and so much more. At the end there were fresh, locally made doughnuts for purchase. I totally bought some which surprised and delighted my children. 

 

After supper with our friends at Chick fil A, we headed home. And with that, we started Christmas break. 

Gingerbread Houses

 We got to have a Family Christmas Party at church for all of the church children. This was extra special because the last few years we have had 4 children and this year we had 11 children!  

The highlight for my children was making a graham cracker gingerbread house. And then they found out it was a competition and they were ALL IN.

As you might expect, the Heslop table was the loudest, most overtly enthusiastic table there. 

They even won a Chick fil A gift card!

The group then went to Cheryl's house to enjoy her light display. The children filled her yard with their energy and laughter. 

The rain held off and it turned out to be a really festive and special evening. 
 

Cookie Decorating

 My friend, Ashley, asked if I would like to have a cookie decorating evening with our kids. It was one of my best yeses this season. We had such a good time with our mini BFFs.

I made our cookies ahead of time and Ashley brought dough and baked hers at our house. Our cookies were completely opposite. My Grandma's recipe makes very thin sugar cookies. Ashley cut hers out thick almost like a shortbread cookie.  

All day I was excited about them coming over. I cleaned off the counter so all 8 of us could be around it decorating cookies. I was happy that Ashley could bring her young children over, bake cookies and go home to a clean kitchen. 

Henry bit into every cookie that he decorated. 

Isaiah ATE every cookie that he decorated! I didn't realize that was happening until I was cleaning up and there were NO cookies on his wax paper. 

Aliza and Anna enjoyed the frosting! I even got the piping bags and decorating tips out.

Anna took a picture of the cookies she decorated

Ashley and I made supper and all we ate together around the table. The big kids and littles all played together. We ended the evening with full hearts and thankfulness for friends in different seasons of life than we are and how much richer that makes our lives. 

 

Joy Dare::November

 12,799. Getting little things done
12,800. World Series watching
12,801. An hour extra
12,802. Giving a hug
12,803. Josiah and Isaiah making me laugh until I cry
12,804. Spontaneous decision = a turkey thawing in my fridge
12,805. Words that I needed

12,806. Knowing I'm right where I'm supposed to be
12,807. Fall tasting tea
12,808. Moriah's story
12,809. Soup for supper
12,810. Grace for the day
12,811. Isaiah and Anna working on school outside
12,812. Algebra went smoothly
12,813. Picking up Audrey and Henry
12,814. School without a voice
12,815. Pacing myself
12,816. Getting through ESL class while not feeling great
12,817. A lot of happiness and laughter today
12,818. Dutch Blitz
12,819. Quieting myself this evening
12,820. Sunday School discussion
12,821. Using all of my Mom skills
12,822. Turkey turned out well
12,823. Talking to Janell and Jeff
12,824. Aliza working with Anna on school again
12,825. Austin working at the counter
12,826. Very brisk morning walk
12,827. Chick fil A for peppermint milkshakes

12,828. Offering love and grace
12,829. Listening to original music

12,830. Peppermint mocha
12,831. Seeing Laura's eyes sparkle
12,832. Sunny mornings
12,833. Last ESL class for the semester
12,834. Choosing to be honest
12,835. Talking to Christie
12,836. Completing school for the week
12,837. Cleaning and organizing a closet
12,838. Christmas cards
12,839. Allie with us for the afternoon
12,840. Testimonies
12,841. 9pm family Cookout shake run
12,842. Aliza's heart
12,843. Looking through pictures
12,844. When Isaiah cooperates
12,845. Yellow leaves
12,846. Errands with Isaiah
12,847. Going to the library
12,848. Maria
12,849. Positive new from Laura
12,850. ESL supper and a sweet thank you
12,851. Confirmation
12,852. All the birthday preparations
12,853. Leftovers
12,854. Friday evening at home
12,855. Family Chick fil A lunch for Anna's birthday
12,856. Magi Concert with Jeremy
12,857. Celebrating Anna--games, movie, trifle
12,858. Baptisms
12,859. Decorating the Christmas tree
12,860. Bible study
12,861. An hour by myself
12,862. Making time for people
12,863. "Just" praying
12,864. A jolly boy 

12,865. A couple warmer days
12,866. This game makes me laugh

12,867. Making pies
12,868. Porch visiting the day before Thanksgiving
12,869. A scrapbook page
12,870. Thanksgiving around Mom and Dad's table
12,871. Listening
12,872. Making room for laughter
12,873. Jeremy's calm patience
12,874. Aliza able to be with us this weekend
12,875. Black Friday shopping from home
12,876. Tea and Christie time
12,877. Heslop Thanksgiving meal
12,878. My children appreciating the story of The Best Christmas Pagaent Ever
12,879. Pokemon afternoon
12,880. Being able to pick up groceries
12,881. Grace to sleep with Isaiah

 

 

Isaiah Things

 Isaiah had the MOST memorable birthday lunch with Grandad and Grandma. His first restaurant steak complete with fries, soda and the restaurant's birthday sundae. He came home with as much food as he ate, I think! Isaiah was a happy boy and told me over and over how much he loved it. He also did not eat any supper that night!

When we watch a movie one of the girls is usually laying on Isaiah. Isaiah will rub their head and play with their hair. 

In this moment, Isaiah is the one doing what he is supposed to be doing--school. (Anna was definitely not!)

A lot of times, though, he is using anything to distract himself from school!

Isaiah and Sean are the sweetest friends. They don't mind that their parents stay after church talking! Usually they are NOT holding still! 

This morning Isaiah was Grandma Karen's waffle maker. He stuck with it and made enough waffles for 11 people! 

 

So many of the big kids' "things" are no longer mine to tell on a blog. I'm reminding myself to write more of Isaiah's. The last of his "little kid" days are going to be a memory before I know it!

Celebrating Anna

 Anna decided that she wanted a family day for her birthday. We started with a variety of fruit for breakfast and then presents. 

Isaiah was at the store with me and wanted to pick out a card for Anna. He wanted it to say "Fifteen" on the outside and pretty quickly made a decision. He had forgotten about it until Anna started opening her gifts. It took him a bit to figure out that the card had an "inside" where you sign your name. He had NO IDEA that there were words on the inside of cards. He was instantly offended by the words being there, didn't bother to read them and immediately scribbled all of them out. 

He then wrote his own message while the rest of us were laughing. 

Brandon Lake's King of Hearts vinyl is what she wanted!

We all went to Chick fil A for lunch. It was another "my kids are so grown" experience for me when we took 3 cars to Chick fil A because Aliza and Anna were going shopping, Jeremy and I were going to the Magi Concert and Josiah and Isaiah were going back home. 

Anna's shopping trip was successful. She bought herself Nike shoes. 

In a very spontaneous plan, Austin was going to surprise Anna but she pestered me until I finally told her. He was going to be at church the next day but decided to come the night before. And so it became a family evening plus one. 

Anna wanted Ramen bowls for supper and lemon raspberry/blueberry trifle for dessert.  

I made an individual trifle for each person in the cups from Gramma's fostoria punch bowl 

We gave Anna The Christian Meme Game which we played after supper. I laughed until I cried. (It's Apples to Apples in how you play.) 

Here's an example of a winning caption to the meme that we laughed way too hard over!

Anna loves watching movies so we ended the evening by watching Karate Kid 2.