September in a nutshell

School is going well this year, as far as I can tell. As always my only frame of reference is my own school experience, since I've never worked in a kindergarten or second grade classroom. I remember kindergarten and second grade so vividly, every single detail. That's why I feel confident to boldly march forth with my own two children's education. Right.

Actually it is a little surprising how much I remember about second grade. I remember some of the fun things we did, books we read, eating silent lunch (which I now understand- teachers otherwise wouldn't have a prayer of getting a bunch of 7 year-olds through an entire meal in 18 minutes). What I mostly remember is being traumatized by math. The dreaded timed test. Happily my feelings of being a mental imbecile when it was time to do math were overshadowed by my top ten best in class status when it came to reading.

Our world history study was about ancient Egypt recently, a subject Amelia has found very interesting. Pyramids, mummies, pharoahs, turns out all that stuff from The Prince of Egypt movie was real.

So she built a pyramid. A little less durable than the real thing, as this one was made of sugar cubes.

The river and reeds were her inspiration. So were the dots on the pyramid, which she said were gold.

We had a fun time the weekend of September 18. Two of our Strong Rock summer staffers got married.   James had the honor of being the best man, and the oldest two kids were the flower girl and ring bearer. Ty and Molly met at camp the summer of 2007. Matchmaking is just one of the many extra services we here at Strong Rock provide for our staff, particularly since it worked out so well for James and I thanks to Camp WinShape. :) It is pretty funny that they were given camp nicknames (not even during the same summer) which are "Buzz" and "Bee." Their relationship was practically unavoidable. Molly is the daughter of our Minister of Education at church, so we know her family pretty well.

They held the wedding at Glen Ella Springs, a beautiful bed and breakfast about 40 minutes from Cleveland. Mom came to stay with the two youngest at our house so we could take Amelia and Shannon with us on Friday. The weekend was very enjoyable, and the wedding was wonderful.

Here's the main building at Glen Ella. The place is over 100 years old, and is really neat. We did the rehearsal and dinner on Friday, and had most of Saturday to enjoy on the property before the wedding in the evening.

The kids enjoyed the pool. My swimsuit stayed packed up after I felt the temperature of the water. BRRRR!

Cold water is never a deterrent to the young. The fun to be had is well worth the risk of hypothermia. I enjoyed a book by the pool, and had a flash forward moment to when all FOUR kids will be this self sufficient. People have told me it's coming, I just haven't been able to experience it for myself before. Wow.

The gardens there are beautiful. The photos I took don't do it justice.

The wedding was in the garden. They did the sand ceremony (way cooler than a unity candle, I think), under this trellis.

The reception was in the pavillion.

After swimming the kids and I wandered the property. They stomped in the creek and picked muscadines. James did guy stuff with the guys. We helped Molly where we could as well. She did so much herself, including most of the decor and all of the bouquets and flowers. 

After playing for awhile it was time to get ready for photos and the big event.

Amelia liked having her hair done. And her nails painted. She was born for this.

And then there was the time spent in the dressing area before the photos. She did really well and enjoyed hanging with the girls. She also entertained herself with my camera. Brace yourself.

There is really no excuse for why I posted these, other than to display her ability to center a subject in a photo. Way to go, Amelia.

She took one of Jennie too, one of the bridesmaids and our sometimes babysitter. Jennie enjoys staying with the Himstedt kids when we need a hand.

She got one of Haley too, Molly's sister. 

Look at these handsome guys. James explains Shannon's job to him.

And here she is, the lady of the day. The wedding was very retro, which suits Molly to a T. She even made her veil and hat. That's what I always say, if you can't find exactly what you want, just make it. And with me, saying it is as far as it gets, because I usually don't have a prayer of making something I can't find!

Amelia hangs with the gals.

Are not these beautiful children with a handsome man? Perhaps I am a little biased.

The wedding party.

And then it happened.

The rings were already on Shannon's floofy white pillow, and as he walked around a big tree on his way from Jennie to James, one of the ribbons came untied....dumping Ty's ring into the grass. Yes, that's poor Molly, twenty minutes before her wedding, picking through grass blade by blade.

The good thing is that Shannon noticed it was gone right away, so at least that narrowed down the possibilities. The bad thing was that it was hammered white gold, basically the same color as the dead underlayer of grass. Shannon was really worried and was on the verge of tears, poor guy.

I had to leave to go get dressed, and thankfully as I was opening the door of the dressing area I heard a loud cheer go up from the crowd. They swept the area one more time and Molly's grandma found it. Ty was really sweet, he hugged Shannon and told him he was really glad he was his ring bearer.

Amelia and I before the wedding.

And here's the happy couple! The wedding was beautiful and spirit-filled, and we're proud of them both. It will be fun to see where God takes them next. Congratulations guys!

This was on Ty and Molly's table. It was too tempting not to swipe it for a photo before they got to the reception area. I edited this photo since it was kind of dark, but didn't realize it would make us look like a case of self-tanner gone bad.

Carlton and Alison had to do it too. We have our Facebook profile pictures to think of, after all. It was weird being somewhere with the two of them without our combined seven children running around. She's my friend/sister. It's amazing how many people over the years at Concord Baptist have either assumed we're sisters or have even confused the two of us when we weren't together. That was particularly troubling during those times when one of us was pregnant and the other wasn't....

Amelia LOVES to dance at weddings. I guess someday we won't be having her reception at a Baptist church.

We enjoyed the party, drove home late, and then the kids sang with their choir the next morning at church. I meant to bring a camera since it was Shannon's first official performance with his new choir (K-5th grade), but  of course I forgot it. Whatever made him balk at preschool choir performances in the past is gone, and he now sings as loudly and happily as anyone. Perhaps that's because he has Avery to take his place as the official grouchy face on stage. If I ever get around to posting more pictures I'll be sure to put up the one of HIS first choir performance from a few weeks ago.

I'd like to think maybe Shannon sings from his heart now. He told me a few weeks ago that he prayed to ask Jesus into his heart at church. He told me he wants to follow Jesus and live the way God wants him to. I love, love, love seeing the kids start to get it!

Avery's birthday was September 23, yes, over FIVE weeks ago. It was on a Thursday, and we spent a rather normal, boring day at home. We usually have a party the weekend between the boys' birthdays, since Shannon's is eleven days after Avery's. But just like with Amelia's this year everyone we know was busy going out of town and other such silliness for a few weeks, so we put off the party for awhile. It's never too late to officially celebrate the birth of special little people.

The kids had a special party of their own for him. They made him a playdough cake with Jeeps as candles, and sang "Happy Jeep Day to You."

He was pretty much as happy as he'd have been with a real cake.

And, of course, he blew out the Jeeps.

He did get to pick out a restaurant to eat at for dinner, and he picked Papa's Pizza. Mom agreed to come up for one more weekend and watch the kids for me so I could go to the Women of Faith conference over the weekend. With other women. And no kids. The bummer is that Nanny came with her. Nanny has only come up one other time to stay overnight, four years ago, and that weekend I was gone too! I know she loves me, I just wonder why she doesn't want to visit me at my home.

Grandmommy brought cupcakes since Mommy wasn't going to make a cake until the belated party. Unfortunately we only had one birthday candle in the whole house, and that was last year's "3" candle.

Yay, you're three again!

Presents included...

Gum! A pack of gum all to one's self is a rare and special thing around here.

He wants to be a Power Ranger when he grows up. A blue one. We'll have to talk to Wal-Mart about stocking Power Ranger suits in blue so it's more convenient to shop for clothes close to home.

The next morning I left with about 60 other ladies from our church to attend the Women of Faith conference. It's usually at Phillips Arena in Atlanta but this year was at the Gwinnett Arena, quite a bit closer to home. I vote they do it there again, but they aren't listening and are going back to Atlanta next year.

Some of my buds, Nicole, Jill, Anne, and Tanya. The shirts were a neat coincidence. What are the odds?

My friend and partner in crime Jenny with her sweet mama Jody. We were roomies.

This is the only picture in existence of me and Jenny without one or more of our combined eight children.

The speakers and music were great. One of the regulars on the Women of Faith tour is Lisa Whelchel, who was Blair on Facts of Life.

She was having a blurry day.

Sandi Patti. Is it terrible to say I'd rather hear her speak than sing? I think maybe it's because of the angst she caused in my earlier days when the only "contemporary" Christian music choices were her, Amy Grant, or the often preached against "Christian rock" bands (can those words even exist in the same sentence?), Petra and (gasp) Stryper. I was a rock band kind of girl myself, living in a kinder, gentler household. To their credit, the folks really didn't give me too much grief, but it wasn't MY music that ended up on the car tape player. Sandi was one of the community stereo listening choices, and her style wasn't my favorite. She's a good speaker though, with a good story to tell.

One of the best parts of the weekend is that my mother-in-law was there. She and Aunt Sherry always work at a table and get their conference fee paid in exchange for their volunteer work. The past two years they have worked at a World Vision table.

Here's Mimi in action.

Mimi and Aunt Sherry. My favorite twins!

Steven Curtis Chapman performed Friday night but of course my camera was not with me. We were front and center too. Oh well! His wife Mary Beth spoke as well, and it was great. I just wish so many of his songs didn't make me cry.

Mandissa is one of the regulars with Women of Faith too.

It was a fun time with God and friends, and a nice break from the usual. Mom H. came home with me and stayed for an extra day. The kids enjoyed getting to hang out with Mimi, and so did I.

I swiped a few pictures of the kids she took with her camera while she was here.

Before church on Sunday. I'm not sure why the girls look like a suntan lotion commercial. It could be the self tanner again. I'll blame it on the light. Hey Universe, if you care to drop some expensive Photoshop software on someone, pick me!

The dudes, ready to go to church too.

An Amelia original.

Beware a man with two shotguns that are more than half his height.

Rain means go outside, of course. Even if your umbrella is falling apart.

Mimi had to leave us on Monday, but we're glad for her short visit. We won't see them again until Christmas when we make the haul out to Texas for the holidays.

There are many more weeks worth of Himstedt adventures waiting to be posted. Blogspot has become more user friendly lately since they've changed a few things, but it's still not the easiest for someone as picky as me. It doesn't always load in the order I want, and I end up moving things around a lot. If I would either lower my standards or post less pictures it wouldn't be such a tedious process and maybe I'd get to it in a more timely manner. Maybe.

Before I sign off I want to chronicle a few more kid quotes before I forget them.

The other day we passed a piece of machinery on the road and I wasn't sure what it was. Avery said, "Oh, that's a 'cloatie.'" I told him I wasn't so sure about that, and he said, "Yes it is, Jesus told me." I told him I didn't think so and he said, "He did in my heart." Okee dokee.

We had the Thursday night dinner gang over a few weeks back and the kids were all playing outside. The day before, Shannon had tied a rope across the cabin next door's walkway. When some of the kids started to untie it he spotted them through the window and raced to the door as fast as he could yelling for them to leave it up. I asked him to calm down and stop freaking out and he said, "But the cement is wet!!" I told him I was sure it wasn't (especially since we don't have even a cubic inch of cement anywhere nearby), and he said, "How long does it take to dry?" "About two days," I said. Then he shrugged and said, "Oh, okay."

Elizabeth says something every day that cracks me up. The other day I changed her poopy diaper and said, "P-U!" She said, "P-Me!"

She misses nothing, as we've often said. She often pops up with words we didn't know she knew. One of the boys was making a repetitive, annoying sound in the car the other day. I asked him to stop because it was aggravating and she said, "Stop being annoxious."

I will sign off now before I find myself eating another piece of the kids' Halloween candy I don't need. (Kids, if you see this one day you did NOT just read that.) Okay, you did, but just know that it came equally out of each of your stashes!