Chilson Family

As summer is quickly coming to a close, it has brought a new season to my life.  I have been a full-time home educating mom for the last 16 years with three years of home education several years before that.  As of today, my home educating hat is put on the rack.  There may be a time in the future it is needed, but for now it is on the rack.  Today, our last six scholars went off to school with Hubby.  Today is the first day of school at the Christian school where Hubby is teaching full-time.  This is the first time they will be schooling where home is not the classroom for academics.  (it remains the classroom for many other things!) This day brings mixed emotions.  We knew there would be a day when Hubby stepped back into full-time Christian education.  I have prepared myself for this.  I already shed many silent tears before this day.  But I know that a door of opportunity of serving is just ahead.  God ha...

This evening we celebrated a belated birthday party for Grandson C's first birthday.  He turned one on September 18, but we are just now getting around to celebrating with his party.  I know I still need to blog and post pictures from other birthday celebrations, but since the entire family was present for a family picture, including my favorite sister (who happens to be my only sister), I really wanted to get this posted.     It was crazy, loud, and chaotic at times tonight, but we had the best time.  You should have seen us after the sugar rush of ice cream and cake!   Below are the lyrics to a song I use to hear while I was growing up.  A man from the church I grew up as a child use to sing this.  It always was a blessing to hear him sing it.  He and his wife had 5 children and I babysat for them often.  I always wanted a little family like theirs and God blessed me and Hubby many times over!  (Corey...

Today Hubby and I celebrate our 30th anniversary!  WOW!  It does not seem possible!  I was a young bride of 19 when I got married, and though the mirror, clothes, and aches and pains tell me different, in my mind I still feel like 19; a very wise and mature nineteen! *smile* In thirty years of marriage we have given birth to 14 children, suffered 2 miscarriages, gone from driving our first car together, a little gray Chevette, to a 15 passenger van.  We have seen five children set out on their own, four children get married, 8 grandchildren welcomed into our family, many heartaches and more blessings than a body can count. I am so thankful that I was given this wonderful man.  He truly is the light of my life and my best friend. September 2013 (I tried to get a picture of us 30 years ago at our wedding, but I couldn't get it to work out!  Maybe later! ) Happy Anniversary Sweetheart! I love you! 

Hubby took a vacation day on Friday of last week.  So we decided that it would be a great day for a field trip.  We had test and quizzes that were scheduled and I do not like to postpone the T's and Q's.  So we had Bible class and then everyone completed the T/Q's for the day.  After a quick bite to eat we headed off on our field trip---a cemetery!  Creepy, crazy, I know, but we like roaming cemetery's!  We went to Crown Hill Cemetery.  The cemetery has over 200,000 people buried in it.  But it is also the cemetery where several famous people are buried.  We explored graves from soldiers, public servants, authors, poets, governors, vice presidents and a president.  Not to mention well known business owners and a well know bank robber!  Yep!  We covered a lot of history on Friday!    The photos are from Daughter #2.  I think she did a very good job!       ...

I was looking at some pictures the other evening from Daughter #3's graduation in May.  It still is so hard to believe that HALF of our children have graduated! I have a few pictures from that evening I thought I would share! D #3 and Hubby So proud of D #3 Me and D #3   "YES! We did it!" So proud of all my girls! I am one lucky momma!

Saturday at Grandson P's surprise birthday, my father was able to greet his youngest great-grand, Grandson K!  It was so sweet.   He has so many grands and great-grands that he had a hard time remembering who was who!  Yesterday my daddy fell and broke is hip.  He will be 84 in June.  He is having a partial hip replacement today at 4:30 pm.  I am trusting that he will be up and "around" without much difficulty in the near future.  "Odd" thing about his fall...yesterday during my devotions and prayer time I spent a little extra time praying for him.  I felt concerned about him falling and breaking his hip.  "Odd"? Not really.  I am certain that the Holy Spirit prompted me to pray knowing that Daddy would need the extra prayer. What a great God we serve!   

I have a few pictures to share of some recent happenings at our home. Here is the card I created for Granddaughter A's 5th birthday.  I added some bling to a couple of the dots AFTER I took this picture!  I love this set, it is a Stampin' Up set and the can be used in a couple of different ways.  For Valentine's Day I used this same set to make a crown.  (forgot to take a picture!)        Last Saturday we had all five grandsons!  I guess it was a grandson weekend!  I was busy snapping photos but forgot to get one of all five together!            I mentioned in a previous post (here)   about feeling overwhelmed in almost every area of life. Here is something I have been working on with making a schedule for our family.  This is a master schedule piecing together the days activities.  I will post more about this when I have more...

...Son #2!  Today is Son's 27th birthday!  It is so hard to believe that 27 years have passed since he came into the world.  It really only seems like yesterday.  It is a real joy to see all that he has accomplished.  It is even more of a joy to see him enjoying his own little offspring!    Happy 27th Birthday Son! Momma and Daddy love you and are very proud of you! XOXO   Picture of Son #2 and Daughter-in-love #2 with Granddaughter J on first birthday October 2012 

Every once in a while you see something that you just have to capture on camera.  While fixing lunch this afternoon, one of the daughters noticed the Hubby and Son #7 were "dressed" alike--white t-shirt and black dress pants.  Son #7 was beaming after noticing this.  Just had to capture it and share!

...and  believe me, sometimes it's no picnic!"  I have a picture to share!!!!!  Grandson's first birthday was 15 January, but we celebrated it 26 January.  Below is a picture of my wonderful family!!!  My father, sister, and brother-in-law are also in the picture.  {i have no idea how to do fun little drawings and arrows on the picture to point them out! so, you will have to "find" them, kind of like "Where's Waldo", but in this case it's "Where's Papa King, Aunt Amy and Uncle Bill".} We had so much fun!  This is the first time we have been to Daughter #1's home since she moved in a month ago.  Love the old homes, but not the "spooky" basement! *smile*  (sorry picture goes into sidebar, but a mega family sometimes requires mega space!) I decided to start "naming" our grands with their inital.  So this was Grandson E's big day to shine!

  I am finally able to post a picture that I tried posting several post ago.  It is from Thanksgiving day.  In this picture, besides hubby and myself, we missing two sons, two daughter-in-loves, and five grandchildren!  My daddy is among all the handsome men in the back row!       January has been a very busy month.  Not only are we back into school full swing and over the flu bug, but our lives have been full of the grands!  There is probably only a couple days a week that we are "grandless".  Tonight, we have our four month old grandson for a bit.  Our two year old grandson ran into the corner of the wall at home and is in the emergency room for stitches.     This picture was taken last week.  I am holding Granddaughter while Daughter #2 is taking the picture with her phone.  (Not sure why the picture is grainy and yellow.)   Trust your January has been full of...

Yes! I have some pictures! The first are of the youngest three grands.  Granddaughter "J" Grandson "E" with Uncle #7  Youngest Grandson "C" being fed by Auntie #7 Poor Lucy, she is so totally not impressed with the Grands!   Aunties and Uncles are great!  Our youngest two are having fun.  This is really the first time they have had the chance to take care of the younger ones!  I love it! Now, crafting... Using these... ...I made this!     I saw this project on a blog and fell in love with it.  My wonderful Stampin' Up! demonstrator made one and said from start to finish it only took a little over an hour!  Oh my, she was so right and it was so fun!   I made the bird using a SU! products, Elegand Bird Bigz diecut, Big Shot, Silver Glimmer paper, Ridinghood Red ink pad, Bird Builder punch (for the leaves), Old Olive cardstock, Bakers Twine, and retired j...