Monday Night, Family Home Evening

We all decided to get the whole family together for Family home evening tonight. Usually it's just Mom, Dad, Mark and I every Monday night. Michael and Elizabeth had prior engagements, so they weren't able to come. Everyone else was there with their children. It was great! Amy brought over some food, Jeannie did as well along with her famous Snicker doodles. Mom made really good chicken and vegetable kabobs on the grill. I made some shrimp for shrimp Cesar salad. Jeannie also made some Strawberry short cake for dessert. Everything was excellent! Always is! No matter what we're doing, as long as we're together as a family there's nothing better! I forgot to mention that Tyler and Marie came over too. We don't see them all that much so it was really nice for them to come over. I played with the children for a while, but I really wasn't feeling all that well, so I went up stairs to lay down. The house is usually very quiet but when the kids are here its insane! They're running and screaming all over the place! It's so much fun to listen to them. I went back downstairs after a little while and was playing dress up with them. Amelia had on a little bridal gown and veil then she tied on a Vampire cape that was from Marks Halloween costume last year. It was really funny. She kept scaring Peter and then they would all laugh chasing each other around and around. It must be so much fun to be a little kid and have not a care in the world. The other day I was helping Daniel look for his Scuba gear and while we were in the basement, I found these luggage cases that were my Grandfathers. I remember loving to look through them when I was a lot younger, but I couldn't figure out what happened to them. I was so excited that I found them so I brought them up to my Mom to show her. We looked all through them and they were mainly full of pictures. I absolutely love anything antique or vintage so this was quite a treasure for me. When everyone was over, we brought them out again. It was really neat to see the pictures of Mommy as a baby and all of her relatives. There was a lot of really old pictures with something in Italian written on them. I can't wait to have Elizabeth or her parents translate it to see what it says! Someday Mark and I plan to go and meet our relatives that we both have in Italy that we've never met before. That'll be so much fun! Maybe for part of our Honeymoon or something, I dunno. I looked through everything with my Mom already and the Children were pretty restless, they are definitely not old enough to appreciate or even understand what they're looking at or what the big deal is about it, so I took them out for a walk/wagon ride. Of coarse Benjamin didn't want to follow the rules so he didn't end up coming. It was Jacob, Amelia, Peter and Aaron. Peter and Aaron were in the wagon for most of the time until Amelia got tired she jumped in. We had such a fun time like usual! We went back to the house and it was pretty much bed time for the children, so they all got ready to go. Before that of coarse my Mom had to give Aaron a bath in the sink. She LOVES bathing the little ones in the sink. They just grow up and get to big way too quick! Usually all of the kids get to take a bath in Mom and Dad's jacuzzi before they leave, but not tonight, it was too late. I was so tired that I ended up falling asleep as soon as I heard the door close and the last little ones leave. It's amazing how beautiful of a sound that little feet chasing each other along with the screeches, screams and laughter bursting out of each child is. Pure Innocence, Pure Love and Not a Care in the World. What a life! I don't want them to ever grow up! I do not want them to be tainted or subjected to the immorality in this world. I Love them so much! I guess that all I can do is keep a safe place for them to always come to and lead with my example. I want them to know that I will always protect them and that they always have someone to talk to about anything, no matter what. As long as we put Heavenly Father first in our lives and everything we do, everything will always be alright.
*-Ashley-*