The Backyard Gang: We've Outgrown Our Wading Pool

I love having a larger-than-normal big family! More laughter, more hugs and kisses, more "I love you Mommy!" and, well, more mismatched socks and dirty dishes at the end of the day! Some people think I'm crazy, but I think I'm just oober-blessed!

There are other things that having a big family makes difficult. Today it was the obvious fact that we've outgrown our 15 dollar Kmart wading pool. Six kids can stand in the pool, but as soon as they try to play or sit down the game is over. There is more "kid" in the pool than there is water! Even so, they find a way to have fun and give Mommy more opportunities to snap some cute summer fun pics to bore her readers with!

On a side note ... my middle son, Isaac, is going to be 8 years old on Tuesday! Our friends, The Yetters of Happy Tales Farm http://ourhappytalesfarm.blogspot.com/, have invited us to their new home in New Douglas, Illinois to celebrate with a "Farm Party"!!!! The kids are so excited! The Yetters have baby goats, young chickens, a handful of dogs and 5 barn kittens all on 4-5 acres of beautiful IL farm land. I'm going to be making a cake for Isaac and am hoping ya'll might have some ideas for decorating the top. I'm not very artsy, but I thought it would be fun to have some kind of "farm theme". Tonya and John have six children who will also be there with my six ... so there will be plenty of pics to share with you!

Just a brief update on my medical junk for those of you who are interested (and then I'll post the pictures below) ... I've had some renal (kidney) problems lately. I had some testing done on Thursday that showed blood, bacteria, bacterial by-products and high protein in my urine. The lab is doing some additional "culture" testing this weekend. My gyne/onc and my urology/onc docs will take a look at the final results and decide what to do with me later this week. Please pray that my pain is being caused by a simple UTI and not something more sinister. I am so ready to be done with this cancer stuff. It's interrupting all of this living that I have to do! OH! I have a cute story to tell, and THEN I'll post the pics below!

Chase has never seen me without my hair on. In fact, I don't think anybody has ever explained to him that I lost my hair. Well, yesterday morning, while the kids ate their breakfast I came into the computer room to check my e's and relax a moment before the day began. I took off my hair and set it next to me on the desk. The phone rang (interrupting my ebay bidding!) and without thinking I ran into the kitchen to pick it up ... right past Chase ... bald head and all! Poor kid! He turned white as a ghost! When I came back into the computer room to finish my bidding I was followed by a little two-year-old cutie who was very worried about me. He said, "Kaffy? Where your hair go? You OK?" I felt AWFUL for what I was sure would scar him for life. I picked him up and said, "OH NO! Where did it go? Can you help me find it?" It became a game and within a couple of minutes he had my wig on his head and he was rubbing mine "for good luck." Kids are great!

Now, the pics ...

Big Brother Nathan and Lil Sissy Alyssa