Hannah's surprise birthday party!!!

Monday was Hannah's 22nd birthday, and on Wed. Rebekah, Esther, Faith and Lizzy Schatte came over to process chickens and stayed all day to help us celebrate! The fun part was, Hannah didn't know we were planning a party that evening!!!

So, during Men's Meeting that night, Bekah and Hannah were talking about Romania at the kitchen table, and the rest of us girls decorated that living room, and set every thing up! Hannah knew we were going to have a coffee party, but know nothing else! ;)

The coffee table all set up with goodies.....

.....banner on the wall.....

....ready for Hannah!!!

We gave Bekah the signal, and she brought Hannah into the living room and we started singing 'Happy Birthday', and this was the face we got!!! :)

'How did y'all manage this?!?!?'

Faith and Hannah

Bekah and Lizzy

Hannah, Esther, Me, Bekah and Lizzy

Hannah opening gifts...

Bekah put hers in a box, that was just filled with tissue paper, exept for the little wallet at the very bottom! Clever, Bekah!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HANNAH!!!!!!!!

all the girls!

Rachel, Sarah, Faith, Lizzy, Hannah, Rebekah, Grace, and Esther

Many Happy Returns of the Day, Hannah!!!!!

Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Small Group Church at our house

Once a month, our church has 'Small Groups', which means we meet in 3 different homes, and spend the afternoon fellow shipping with whoever shows up at the home you went to! ok, it's a little bit more organized than that, but sometimes we do have people just show up at our house, which makes it all the more fun!!!

This Sunday, we had the Davis', Andre's, Browns, Vaughns, Hinrichs, and Peter Sample(also known as 'Thing 1' to differentiate between him and our Peter, 'Thing 2' :)

We usually have a Pot Blessing(because we don't believe in luck ;) afterwards and then play games outside in the afternoon! :)

Volleyball!!!

Jonathan serving

Benny!!!

Somehow, Michael can always tell when I have my camera on him!

Rachel serving

Kaleb serving

Dalton serving

Thing 1 was on the phone...thus missing a good game!

Our Cousins came for a visit as well!!!

(I took more pics of them, but realized after a while that I didn't have the card in the camera....made me feel real smart!)

Keith & Samantha, Aurora Jane and Wayne

Emmaleigh got her full share of hugs and kisses!!!

Benny helping Asher catch grasshoppers

"I got one!!!!!"

Taking a much needed water break! I think the high was in the 104 deg. range that day!

Asher with a grasshopper!

Playing kickball....a good game to play when there are a mixture of big and little peoples!

Daniel Pitching

This is what happens when Benny gets the camera.....

No, Peter did not just hit me in the head, it was a hi-5 after both of us got home on Andrew's kick! :)

Me coming in after being tagged out at second :(

Andrew running home!

Kaleb kicking

Daniel throwing someone out

Bradley guarding me on first

Thing 1 kicking

General mayhem and fun!!! :)

Old Davis/Hale tradition....Daddy and Mr. D getting thier guitars out and all of us singing the 'old' songs(which the parents claim are not that old! ;)

You are invited....

I've been helping out and seen a few performances, and it is going to be AMAZING!!!!

Day 27- Why I am doing this 30 day challenge

ummmmm, because I thought it would be a fun way to kick off my blog....yeah, that's about it! ;)

Day 26 - What I think about my friends

I think I have some of the best friends. EVER!!!

This past year was really a hard one for me, and on several of my amazing friends listened very nicely, were understanding, gave me good advice, prayed for me, and never thought badly of me for saying some of the things I said....

You all know who you are, and I can't tell you how much I love and appreciate y'all, my sisters, both real and 'adopted'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

~Philippians 1:3

♥♥♥♥♥

Day 25- What you might find in my bag

Wallet,

Pen,

Note pad,

Germ-x,

Mint gum,

iPod.

I don't really carry a bag, usually a small purse with just the bare necessities...every time I see huge purses, I think of Hebrews 12:1, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." :)

Day 24- A letter to my parents

Well, I've spent some time deliberating over this post.....and decided I'm not going to post publicly, for the whole world to read, something as personal as that! I just not that kind of person, I guess!

However, you can read this: I do love my parents very dearly and am very thankful for the love and discipline they have given me all my 20 years! They have truly lived out this verse: "...bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Eph 6:4)

There is one funny story I have to tell, though..... :) Daddy and Mommy raised us, I'm just going to say it, er rather type it: Spanking us children when we were naughty!!! Did we deserve it? Oh Yes!

Ok, so this one time, Andrew and I(the guilty ones) and Mommy(who was trying to dish out the spankings) couldn't keep from cracking up into laughing!!! I don't remember why we were in trouble, and I don't remember what we were laughing about...but every time we would try to get serious, and then just look at someone, and bust up giggling again! After about three attempts, Mommy gave up....no my Mother doesn't give up, she went to plan B: we had to go up and clean our rooms, and not come down till we were done, and then we came down and got our spankings! We still laugh about that.... :D

All that to say: My parents = amazingness²!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Babysitting

Friday and Saturday, my two little 2nd cousins(Ben, 7 and Emily, 17 mos.) came over so their parents could celebrate their anniversary!!!

Showing Emily the farm....she loved the kitty, but wasn't crazy about the cows or chickens! :)

Friday evening we went on a walk in the stroller

Andrew, Ben and Peter went along....shooting grasshoppers with the BB gun!

Peter was nice and took a pic of Emmy and I

Watching the boys

Ben taking a turn

A very sleepy girl ready for bed!

Ben watching the milking

awwwwww!!!! ♥

Snack time!

Emily loved playing with Peter's Hexbug!!!

What is it about older siblings shoes that make them so fun to wear?

Had fun being a little Mother for a day!!!

♥