Busch Gardens with friends

We've taken full advantage of our Fun Passes at Busch Gardens this summer! Bob and I have gone alone for date nights, double date night, "older girls with Mom and Dad" night, and many family evenings with only our family, or with our friends. As of tomorrow we have one month left...

Last week when we joined two other families at the park there were twenty-two children between the six of us adults!!! It was fun and challenging to keep everyone entertained and safe!
We all ate dinner together and coordinated many roller coaster rides, kiddie rides, and time in the Land of the Dragons. It was great fun being with such gracious folks. We enjoyed the challenges as much as the thrills on the rides! It often attracts the attention of the workers at the park to see so many children together. Thursday was no exception. A lady who sold drinks to us in New France had many questions and sweet comments for me and the other two moms. We always pray that our words and actions will bless other people, but most often we leave encouraged!

We've included photos of our friends, but since our blog is now open to all readers, I won't identify each of them since I don't have their permission to do so. That said, these are some of our dearest friends and we adore their families and often treat their children like our own. It's such a blessing to be in community with other believers.

The log flume was one ride that most everybody could ride. So the moms waited with the babies/littlest ones on a bridge that the flume went under. It was fun trying to capture their pictures as they floated under us.


These four boys were thrilled to ride together. One of them had never been on any rides before. It didn't slow him down!

Moms and dads were glad to cool off in the water where the little ones were allowed to play!

The smokehouse/barbeque place has become our favorite dinner spot. The portions are generous and yummy. It's also right near the Griffon, one of our favorite roller coasters!

This is our family below, but Kendal is taking the picture, and Noah is in the stroller by the table.
Our digital camera died shortly after this trip. So unless our backup camera takes some decent shots, our blogging with pictures could be limited! We were given tickets to a local baseball game on Monday and took another family along. A neighbor came to our door asking how many tickets we could use. God pours His blessings upon us everyday!!! We invited our friends, who live nearby. There were nineteen of us! We took alot of pictures and had a good time, but the photos are ruined...

Fourth of July Fun!

It was such a busy and wonderful weekend! On Friday night, we attended a concert of the US Fleet Band in the city park with Grandma Butler and many of our friends. We visited during the concert and ate alot of popcorn. The fireworks were beautiful and the music was very patriotic!

Over breakfast on Saturday, in place of morning bible study, we discussed what Independence Day is really about. It was a lively conversation about the brave folks who put their lives on the line when they signed the Declaration. Bob and I even serenaded our family with our version of the "Star Spangled Banner".

In the afternoon we celebrated with our church family at a pool party picnic in our neighborhood. It was a gorgeous day and loads of fun! There were over fifty children swimming, playing and eating. Our hosts graciously reminded us of the meaning of the Fourth and lead us is a prayer of praise and gratitude for our many freedoms, physical and spiritual.

When everything was cleaned up, our family, and the host family of the party, headed to Busch Gardens for rides, more fireworks and dinner! More fun! We are blessed!



Below is our family with Grandma Butler before the concert. Kendal, Kelsey and I designed matching clothes for the girls in our family. Kendal made herself a shirt and sash, and Kelsey made a coordinating sash for herself, while I sewed t-shirt dresses for the three little girls. We were able to get their t-shirts on sale at Kohl's. Noah's outfit was free with a coupon! (girls, including me, think this is as fun as attending the event) They all wore their new outfits all weekend. I washed them at night, of course.

Grandma Butler and Mary at the concert
Kendal and Kelsey with three of their girlfriends. They played Uno on the blanket during the concert.
We were so glad to see Ms. Ennis at the concert too! She's hugging Kendal, Joy and Noah here.
Watching fireworks.

Noah at the pool party on Saturday. Our friend, Jennifer, took this great shot!
And this one of the young ladies in the pool. Kendal and Kelsey are on the far end.
These are the Butler and Ward children (minus 2) at the entrance of Busch Gardens. Both our families have summer passes, so we go together often.

Family Fun!

This year we decided to get passes for Busch Gardens. We haven't been to an amusement park since Daniel was one year old. It became so impractical with a family of four little ones. This year is very different with eight children of all ages.

Bob took half a day off of work on Friday and we went to Busch Gardens on both Friday evening and Sunday evening. It wasn't crowded, the lines were very short and the weather was fabulous!
It's so much fun to see everyone excited about the rides. Even the Mary enjoys her kiddie rides! Not everyone is tall enough for the scariest rollercoasters, nor does everyone want to ride them. We have a nice mix of ages and levels of bravery.

The Griffon is the newest, and by far, the most intimidating rollercoaster. Bob rode it on Friday night. Before the summer is over more Butlers will give in. For now, Apollo's Chariot, The Big Bad Wolf, and the Loch Ness Monster are sufficient thrills. On our next trip we'll try the Alpengeist...more hills, twists and screams!

We're going to try to get our money's worth before public schools get out for the summer and before it gets too hot. We have a few more trips planned for May. Frankie Avalon, the Oak Ridge Boys, and the Lettermen are all coming in concert there. Who knew they were still performing?

We strategically eat before and after the park. Who can afford that food? A soft pretzel is FOUR dollars!

The gardens are beautiful! There are new shows and animals, so as the novelty of the rides wears off, we'll take in a few of those too!

Even at Busch Gardens folks are counting us! Being a large family is always an adventure! We have both a front and rear guard when we walk from one ride to another. :) So much fun!

It's very difficult to get action shots, so we have just a few to share. The following are the Roman Rapids. Kelsey and Anna are in one "boat" and Bob, Kendal, Isaac, Daniel and Joy are in the other. They waited to ride this last. They were soaked and quite cold on Sunday night.
Kelsey and Anna
Mary, Anna and Joy on the children's version of Tradewinds.
Daniel and Isaac.

Country party

It was our pleasure to be invited to the graduation party of Elliot, the eldest son of our friends, the Alexanders. It was a square dancing picnic in beautiful Amelia, Va. at a plantation house. This past Saturday holds fond memories for our family. We reunited with many friends whom we share with the Alexanders and we met new friends too. Tim and Joy have paved the way as their children reach milestones and they graciously choose to share them with their friends and testify of God's blessings to them.
Joy and Tim spoke about Elliot after the meal. They have many reasons to be pleased with how Elliot has grown into a young man. What a blessing! A wise and godly son truly does make his father and mother glad!

Daniel, Daniel, Matthew and Elliot are a joy to be with. Our entire family

enjoyed their company throughout the day. Their parents are to be commended for raising such fine fellows! Elliot and Morgan were partners for the first dance. They are both eighteen and run a large part of their parents' farming businesses. Kendal danced with Bob while the rest of our family watched. I think our boys were playing cowboys all day though. Later, Daniel said, "I was looking for a girl to dance with, but I didn't find one that I wanted so I didn't dance." ha, ha! Only nine years old and already he's choosy! Sadly, we hadn't suggested that he and Anna dance. They would've been perfect together!
It was fun to watch and take pictures too. We have enjoyed Scott and Alison's friendship and examples of godly parenting for over ten years! They are becoming "famous" as they have been featured many times in our local paper, on tv and in a Franklin Springs Media movie for their family farming business.

Daniel, Bob, Elliot, and Isaac gathered for this photo on the side of the plantation house.
Lynne Heffington and I both have our miracle girls. Our Mary and her Grace were both threatened during their pregnancies. It is a joy to see them together at last!

Oliver (Elliot's fifteen year old brother) kindly asked Kendal to dance. She really loved square dancing and had danced with her dad earlier. She was eager to continue practicing her new skills.

Kendal and Rachel Heffington danced this time with folks they didn't know. Everyone had fun!

The Ladies had their own Virginia Reel. This time they all had a turn, no boy partners required.
Towards the end of the party, men and ladies began to sit down to chat. This is Elliot, Bob with Mary, Scott, and Tim (Elliot's dad). Sam Taylor (standing) was a very kind, young man that we met at the party for the first time. He had come with his brother, and sister with some friends.

Gabe looks so sweet- in training at his daddy's feet! It was the end of a wonderful day.

Good Laughs!

Todd Wilson at Familymanweb.com made a third comic book of homeschooling cartoons and we received it last week. We scanned a few of our favorites and put them here. These books are the best gifts for homeschoolers we've seen yet! In our house this would be Kendal and someone like little Mary.
I can't tell you how many times someone with a couple of children has repeated this legend!
I think Bob can relate to this one.

This is the gorgeous Knockout rosebush Kendal gave me for Mothers' Day.
Anna is reading a Poppleton the Pig book to Joy and Daniel while they are eating roasted cashews for their afternoon snack. She is the best aloud reader we've had so far!
Joy and Anna are practicing their sewing skills on scraps of fabric from a skirt I started yesterday. They are doing very well. We are surprised at Joy's skill at only four years!
Here is our precious Noah. We think he's cute even when he's crying. (obviously since someone thought this would make a good photo :)

Find some shade and enjoy the new month! Happy JUNE!