Eight to the Max

Max,

It's hard to believe you are eight already! Where has the time gone? I guess time really does fly when you're having fun. And, this year has definitely been full of fun and adventure! We sold our house in April and embarked on our RTW trip in May. You have been up for every adventure along the way and have been such a trooper, in such a wide variety of situations.

One of the things you were looking most forward to was Stonehenge, and it didn't disappoint. You absolutely loved it! You also really enjoyed spotting animals in Kruger National Park, in South Africa. And, you have had fun playing on various beaches and playgrounds everywhere we've been. For your birthday, we surprised you with a chocolate-making workshop at a tiny chocolate factory in Mijas, Spain, which you enjoyed immensely. And, today, we will head to Portugal. I don't know many eight-year-olds who've been to quite so many places or tried quite so many new things. But, you make it look easy!

I have seen you mature in so many ways this past year. You are learning more and more to master your emotions, rather than letting them master you. You are becoming more gentle and are responding quicker to correction. You are also a great helper and so very smart. And, you are learning to think of others ahead of yourself, to take care of your possessions, and to curb some of your packrat tendencies. These things don't necessarily come easily or naturally to you, but you are working on making these choices each day, which shows a great deal of maturity and self-control, and that makes me so proud.

You have developed a true love of reading and will often read a book rather than play a video game. This year, you read most of the Narnia books, many of the Magic Treehouse books, and have just started the Percy Jackson books. You read many other books, as well, which I will not take the time to name individually. You have also been listening to the Harry Potter books, which you enjoy tremendously. Very often you can be found reading to Clay, which not only speaks to your reading skills, but also to your fantastic big brother skills. Occasionally, you even like to scribble down stories of your own. You have a great imagination, so these are always fun to read.

You have been doing a wonderful job with your school work. You were thrilled when I introduced spelling tests a month or so ago and are thinking about getting involved with PSIA when we get back to the States. You are doing very well in Math and like to listen in on your older siblings classes to see what you can glean from what they are learning. You have a curious mind and are always interested in learning how things work and in trying your hand at building or making your own creations. You are still intrigued by robots and often talk about finding a job, when you are an adult, that will allow you to build and work with them.

Running is still your passion, but you also love skiing. When we skied in Andorra in December, you showed a great deal of skill and control and rarely fell. You do love the feeling of going fast and jumping, when the opportunity presents itself, but you are more careful than you used to be and more interested in going down the mountain well instead of just fast. This is an important lesson that stretches far beyond skiing, and I think you are really beginning to grasp the concept. You are very athletic but don't seem terribly interested in organized sports, though you occasionally talk about the possibility of playing soccer on a team. You are also thinking about looking for some kid-appropriate 5 or 10Ks to run in when we get back to the States.

You love to be outside and can be entertained for long periods with nothing more than sticks or rocks. You love playgrounds and parks and open areas, and you never tire of running and climbing and moving. Even so, you have had several opportunities while we've been traveling, to practice sitting still and behaving like a gentleman, and you have performed beautifully in every case. This is another sign that you are maturing.

You make life so interesting and fun, and you honestly make me a better person. I'm so glad I get to be your mom, and I'm so proud of you and the young man you are becoming. I hope you have the very best birthday and that the year ahead is full of even more fun and adventures. Happy birthday to my favorite eight-year-old!

Love,
Mom

Double Digits

Dear Weston,

It's your 10th birthday, which is so very hard for me to believe! It doesn't seem that long ago that you were just a little boy. Now, you are a young man. This year, your birthday falls on Thanksgiving, and we are certainly thankful for you. You are smart and funny and talented in so many ways. You fill our days with joy and make us so proud. You are rough-and-tumble, but also sensitive and thoughtful. You are a hard worker, but you also love to relax and have a good time. You are the best of everything!

We are currently traveling around the world, and you have eagerly and enthusiastically embraced all of the new situations and experiences we have encountered. You always look forward to trying the local cuisine, no matter how ridiculous or unusual it seems, and you always try to learn a phrase or two of the local language. You have been most looking forward to our visit to China and have taken it upon yourself to try to learn as much Mandarin as you can before we get there. I have been particularly impressed with the care and attention to detail you show when you practice writing the seemingly complicated characters.

You have also, not surprisingly, been very interested in local sports--both as an observer and player. For your birthday, we gave you tickets to a Rugby World Cup match in Wales, which you thoroughly enjoyed. We also got to see a shinty match in Scotland, which was very interesting and exciting (not to mention, rough). You may have enjoyed that even more than rugby. You have played every sport that has presented itself, with anyone willing to play, on playgrounds and campgrounds throughout Europe, proving not only your athleticism but also your ability to quickly and easily make friends. One group of boys you played football (soccer) with in Wales even came up to Dad and me to tell us what a good "mate" they thought you were. Your true sport love still remains American football, though, and you look forward to watching games (even Aggie games!) when we can get them. And, we were able to get a pro game today, in honor of your birthday, which you were very excited about. You are continuing your tight end training (with a few tweaks to particular localities), as it's possible to do so, while we're on the road. When you are training, you are singularly focused and unquestionably dedicated.

Your love of sports doesn't keep you from also exercising your brain. You are tremendously smart, and it is such a joy to get to participate in your school days and watch your amazing brain in action. You were a CC Memory Master again in the spring, which is such an impressive accomplishment. You also got to go to State in PSIA Storytelling, which was something you had been aspiring to do for a couple of years. You won 6th place and brought home a coveted State medal. You absolutely LOVE Math and look forward to that class above all others. You just recently started the Pre-Algebra book and are thrilled with the new challenges it presents. You also play with numbers and number puzzles all the time and can often be found calculating on some obscure problem, just for fun. You are considering participating in Math Counts when we get back to the States. And, though Math is your true academic love, we have also seen you blossom in many other subjects this year, as well. For instance, you have developed a genuine love of reading and have read all the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter books in the last six months, and you are currently working your way through the Chronicles of Prydain. Honestly, there was a time a few years ago when I didn't know if you would ever read a book purely for your own enjoyment. I'm so glad you have discovered this love and that you have become a such a voracious reader.

You are starting to play around with ideas for your future, and though you don't have any specific plans, you've talked about maybe wanting to work on cancer research or bringing back wooly mammoths, when you're not playing football. You definitely seem to gravitate toward math and science disciplines, at least at this point in your life. I can't wait to watch your passions develop in the next few years. I know that whatever you become, you'll be a great one!

You are a very hard worker and are committed to taking care of business before indulging in pleasure. You make it your goal each day to be the first one up, so that you can knock out a couple of school subjects before the official start of the school day. You also very often get busy working on the dishes after a meal, without being asked. And, sometimes you even volunteer to give Clay a bath. You are very good at looking for ways to help, and we all appreciate that quality in you.

It's hard to put into words how much I love you and how proud I am of you. You are a delight and a treasure, and I'm so thankful to get to do life with you. You make every day more fun and interesting, and you give really great hugs. I hope you have the very best birthday! Double digits looks good on you!

Love,
Mom

Two whole handfuls

A new watch wrapped in coffee filters.
Because that's how we roll in our minimalistic world.

Mandi's Highly Nerdy Virtual Bookshelf

Here are some of the things sitting on my virtual bookshelf right now, in various stages of completion. I'll be the first to admit that it is a bizarre, overly academic combination and probably not one Oprah will be recommending any time soon.

• The Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang--I just started reading this with the boys in our History class. I picked this version because it was free and because it was a bit more kid-friendly in language and content than some others.
• A handful of BOB books by Bobby Lynn Maslen--I'm going through some of these with my youngest reading student.
• The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan--This is for my own edification and education--my "fun" reading, if you will. It is very eye-opening and thought-provoking. It's definitely making me rethink some of my family's food choices. (As an aside, I am curious to hear from any of you whole food advocates about how to make whole food eating work for a relatively large family of big eaters, that is not wealthy and does not have the desire or propensity to farm or garden. I'm interested in finding out more about co-ops, farmers' markets, and small, local whole foods type stores, as well as options for making this type of eating affordable. So if you have any info or advice about these things, please pass it along.) 
• The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean--The boys and I just finished this easy-to-read, kid-friendly version of these classic stories, and we really enjoyed them.
• Grammar-Land by M.L. Nesbitt--Max and I just finished going through this in his Grammar class, but all my kids love this story and barely even realize that they are learning important English Grammar lessons along the way. Weston even wondered aloud why someone didn't make it into a movie.
• Search for the Pirate's Treasure by Gerry Gaston--This modern day choose-your-own-adventure story for young readers is Clay's current favorite. 
• The Republic by Plato--I just finished this in preparation for Ruth's literature class. I found it very interesting, especially in the beginning, though I felt that it got a little tedious and convoluted towards the end. 
• Openstax College Biology--This is prep work for next year's high school biology class (but is also secretly fun for me). 
• National Geographic--I certainly don't read every article on the National Geographic site, but at any given time, I usually have a least a couple of tabs open with articles to peruse. Of course, I also enjoy skimming through the photos and uploading my own. 

Horsing Around

This afternoon, we went over to a local riding school, where Ruth had scheduled a jumping lesson for herself. Max and Clay have been begging to get to ride horses, too, so we scheduled a short beginner's ride for them, as well. (But, not Weston, because horses really aren't his thing, and he preferred to sit in the car and read his book.) Everyone was perfectly happy and had so much fun! And, I have to tell you, Clay is absolutely the cutest little horseman I have ever seen! The helmet made him look like a bobblehead, and his little legs just barely stretched over the back of his little pony, Timmy. He was all smiles as he bounced around like a ragdoll out in the arena, and he chatted non-stop with the girl leading him around.

Taking Rupert up and over

Getting the reins just right

Max and Spot, making the rounds

As we were leaving, Clay said,
"Today was my first time to ride a horse!
When do you think will be my next time?"

Monday Favorites

I haven't done a favorites post in a while, and since it's a cold, wet Monday and the first day of school for us in over a week, it seems like the right time to focus on some things that make us happy.

I have long been a fan of Baileys, but it seemed especially important
to feature an Irish product since we're here in Ireland.

These Icebreaker Merino glove liners are perfect
for adding another layer of warmth, which I am always in need of.
But they also work well as stand-alone gloves when it's not quite as cold.
And, I love that they are thin enough that I can operate my camera with them on.

I was so sad when I lost an earring in South Africa.
But, I ordered these as replacements, and I really love them!
They are a great weight and just the right mix of fancy and casual.

We've stayed at a few places that haven't had coffee pots,
and after seeing me struggle to improvise, Jeff bought me this.
It folds completely flat when not in use, and it makes a mighty fine cuppa joe.

The whole family is engaged in this fun series. Ruth just re-read all the books,
Weston is almost finished reading them, and the rest of us are listening to the audio version.
We have also watched the first movie together and have been to a couple of tourist locations
that had to do with either the books or movies. 

My FitBit fell apart on me a few months ago,
so I decided to upgrade to the Moto smartwatch.
I love the look and the many cool features!

I recently came across this video, and I think T.D. Jakes eloquently and
accurately describes the true path to happiness in just five steps.
I think everyone should internalize this message!

I had a zipper break off of my original toiletry bag,
so I picked up this replacement, which I love.
It has pockets of all sizes, a detachable mirror,
a removeable waterproof pouch, a hook for hanging,
 and it folds up to about the size of a hardback book. 

Since we've been in the UK, we have been gobbling this stuff up.
It is absolutely delicious, and we put it on/in everything!

And, speaking of delicious, we became addicted to sticky toffee pudding
while we were in Scotland. I haven't tried making it myself,
but I'm linking to the recipe, so I can find it easily in the future.
Who knew dates could be so amazing?!

 *The final photo is mine. The others were borrowed from the Internet. I in no way receive compensation for endorsing these products. I'm simply sharing things my family and I enjoy. I'd love it if you'd share some of your favorites with us, too!

Going Greek

This year's summer reading list has been significantly different for me from years past, as I've been preparing for and teaching Ruth's high-school level literature class. Some of the classics we've read have included Oedipus the King, Agamemnon, The Histories by Herodotus, Medea, The Birds, and, currently, The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. It's not been light reading, but Ruth and I have both stretched our brains in wonderful ways and have had some fantastic discussions. As a family, we also listened to The Iliad, as we were driving into Greece earlier this summer. Additionally, Weston has been ravenously reading all the Percy Jackson books, and the boys and I have been studying about ancient Greece in our Story of the World book we use for history class. Tonight, we watched a fantastic version of The Odyssey, to go along with some of our lessons. It's starting to seem like it's all Greek to us! :) If you catch a theta or psi in any of my future writings, you'll know it's probably taken over my whole brain.

Sofia

We wished for more time in Veliko Tarnovo, especially since it was raining too hard this morning for us to explore the fort. We did get some drive-by pictures before we left town, but we would have loved to walk around and really take it in. But, aside from that, we just really loved the city and would have enjoyed being there longer. If we are ever back this way, we will make it a priority to visit again.

After a nice drive, with a pretty interesting lunch stop, in which our order was conveyed entirely by pointing and nodding, we arrived in Sofia, which is a large capital city, but nice. Our penthouse apartment is overwhelmingly purple and teal and a little on the gaudy side for me (with its various mirrored and brass surfaces), but it's certainly not lacking in character, and it does have a lovely view of the city and Vitosha Mountain. We walked down to a nice shopping area for dinner, and, though the sidewalk cafe where we ate wasn't fancy, our entire dinner for the six of us was less than US$20.

Tsarevets--The Place of Tsars

The wall of the fort, even in its ruinous state, is truly impressive

The patio reading nook, which the little boys absolutely loved.
They picked up every Bulgarian book from the outdoor bookshelf and "read" them all.

The master bedroom in our purple palace

bedroom patio doors

This is the view from the patio.
I love how the mountain is ringed in clouds,
as the rain moved out and the sun started to shine.

A public service announcement at a nearby hotel

Sidewalk cafes are so cool!

Nothing makes this guy happier than statues!

Taking a break from our walk to play

Bee Cave Day

With a house showing today and two scheduled for tomorrow, we decided it might be best if we kept our main mess makers out of the house all day today, so we packed everyone up and headed to Bee Cave to see what kind of fun we could find. Jeff and the older kids worked/schooled at various restaurants for a portion of the day, while I kept the younger kiddos entertained with story time at the library and plenty of outside time. It turned out to be a really fun day, and I'm thankful we were "forced" into it.

front-row Joes at story time

The Hokey Pokey

follow the leader

jumping off the big stone steps at the Galleria

spaghetti

Nothing says "happy" like a bowl of chocolate gelato

sliding

little boys to the rescue

starting to wind down

doing a little dirt work

cuddling cousins

A new semester at Watts Homeschool

Math class at the bar
(Teacher was all business, but the students couldn't resist a glance at the camera)

A weighty project

Learning letters with Starfall

Someone's self-assigned art project

Whitney's cotton gin

The first grader, who has been working in the third grade math book,
decided he was ready to take on Algebra. Nothing to it.

How does pH affect jelly's ability to jell?

To Max, my favorite seven-year-old

Well, Max, you're seven! And, you are such an amazing seven-year-old, it makes me glad you and I both survived your infant and toddler years, so we could live to appreciate this day! I have really seen you change a lot in the last year, and I'm thankful for and proud of all the ways you are learning and growing and maturing!

In our household, seven brings two very special things: getting to watch the Star Wars movies for the first time and learning how to do your own laundry. We spent the weekend watching the movies, which you were thrilled to finally get to see, since you've heard your older siblings reference them so often. Tomorrow, you will get your first laundry lesson and will be well on your way to becoming even more self-sufficient than you already are. (You have already been helping with sorting and putting away, but now you will have the opportunity to go through the whole process.)

Speaking of self-sufficiency, you made your own birthday cake this year (with a little help and supervision from me), and it was wonderful! You love to help cook meals and do so regularly. You also often volunteer to help with other things around the house, and, when asked to something you didn't volunteer for, you will usually do it these days without too much arguing or complaining. And, on your new year's review/resolutions page, you said one of the things you learned in 2014 was to "not fight." Dad and I can tell you are really learning to master your emotions, rather than being mastered by them. This is something that proves you are really growing up.

You are (and always have been) a great collector of things--rocks, shells, pieces of paper, boxes, bags, and a million other things that have true significance to you, but that, admittedly, leave me shaking my head with a lack of understanding. Your greatest treasure has long been your bottle collection. In fact, that was almost a deal-breaker for you with our RTW trip. When we first told you about the trip, you were thrilled, particularly in regard to the possibility of going to international festivals. (We don't know if you really even understood what a festival is, but somehow that word piqued your interest and you grinned from ear to ear on hearing it). But, when we told you that meant selling our house and getting rid of many of our possessions, you broke down in tears, unable to bear the thought of parting with your precious bottles. We finally convinced you that we wouldn't have to get rid of everything we own, and that if the bottles were that important to you, you could certainly keep them. That dried up the waterworks, and then, you were completely on-board. Later, Ruth helped you cull the expansive collection a bit, so that it would be a bit more manageable for eventually boxing up.

As far as the trip goes, you are really excited about it. You are particularly looking forward to seeing Stonehenge and some of the places you've learned about in History. You are always up for an adventure, so I know you will love every minute! You've been interested in putting together your bag and have really taken ownership of it and its contents. And, even though you are all about the thrill of adventure, you also take the parts seriously that need to be taken seriously. You listen carefully to our safety talks and pay close attention when we talk about the logistics of getting from point A to point B. Before we went to Canada last month, we set up a mock airport in the kitchen, so we could show all of you what it was like to go through security. You took the exercise very seriously, and that night prayed, "Lord, please help me to obey all the airport officers and not get in trouble."

You started losing your teeth about a month ago and have already lost three since then--one of which mysteriously disappeared from your mouth in the middle of the night last night. We are hoping you didn't swallow it and are thankful you didn't choke on it. Dad teased you this morning, saying not all seven-year-olds are tough enough to eat teeth for breakfast.

Your little body is just full of energy, which sometimes you truly seem unable to control. I often send you outside to run laps around the house, when I see that it is becoming difficult for you to rein in all that energy. This is not a punishment, as you absolutely love to run and recognize it as a need that you have. This is an exercise that keeps us both sane. Running was, once again, your favorite part of the flag football season, though you did actually enjoy the game in its own right a bit more this year than last year. You would really like to try soccer, which we hope you can experience while we are overseas. You are also very interested in learning how to play golf, which is a bit surprising, since it's kind of the anti-running sport. But, you've been interested in golf for a long time, and I think your desire is genuine.

Academically, you are doing an amazing job, especially since you've adopted your "no fighting" initiative! You are already partway through your 3rd grade Math book, even though, by age, you are only "supposed" to be in 1st grade. You pick up concepts quickly and can truly do anything you put your mind to. Your reading is wonderful, and you are reading a lot just for fun these days, in addition to your scheduled reading during the school day. You have recently been enjoying the Cam Jansen books. You do a great job at writing, and you often carry around a notebook on which to make lists or write little notes to people. Whenever we stay in a hotel, the first thing you do is find the notepad and start jotting down whatever comes to your mind. You are still very much enamored with robots, and you spent some time this summer watching a great many TED talks on that subject. You also thoroughly enjoyed the robot room at the science museum we visited in Tampa and stayed until they were literally closing the doors. Additionally, you have a very good grasp on basic Spanish and were thrilled to discover you understood some words on the radio recently. With your combination of brains and leadership qualities, I believe you will go far in life!

Max, I'm so proud to be your mom. You make the days at our house fun and interesting and special. I love your hugs and your snaggletoothed grins. I admire your passion for life and your many and varied abilities. You are, by far, my favorite seven-year-old! I love you so very much! Happy birthday!

Love,
Mom

Words, wonderful words

Here are some of the beautiful words from some of the character-building books I've read this year:

The Phantom Tollbooth--Norton Juster

• "...since you got here by not thinking, it seems reasonable to expect that, in order to get out, you must start thinking."
• "...the way you see things depends a great deal on where you look at them from."
• "...for one of the nicest things about mathematics, or anything else you might care to learn, is that many of the things which can never be, often are."
• "...just because you can never reach it doesn't mean that it's not worth looking for."
• "You must never feel badly about making mistakes," explained Reason quietly, "as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons...it's not just learning things that's important. It's learning what to do with what you learn and learning why you learn things at all that matters."
• "...many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow."
• "...you had the courage to try; and what you can do is often simply a matter of what you will do."
• "...many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible."

Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart--Gordon Livingston M.D.

• "The three components of happiness are something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to. "
• "When we think about loss of freedom, we seldom focus on the ways in which we voluntarily impose constraints upon our lives."
• "...we often do not do what is necessary to become the people we want to be."
• "People mistake thoughts, wishes and intentions for actual change."
• "The process of building has always been slower and more complicated than that of destruction."
• "Though a straight line appears to be the shortest distance between two points, life has a way of confounding geometry. Often it is the dalliances and the detours that define us."
• "The process of learning consists not so much in accumulating answers as in figuring out how to formulate the right questions."
• "We routinely invoke theories of accident, coincidence and forgetfulness to explain behaviors that we do not wish to examine closely."
• "To imagine that we are solely, or even primarily, responsible for the successes and failure of our children is a narcissistic myth."

The Traveler's Gift--Andy Andrews

• "...we are all in situations of our own choosing. Our thinking creates a pathway to success or failure. By disclaiming responsibility for our present, we crush the prospect of an incredible future that might have been ours. "
• "...outside influences are not responsible for where you are mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally. or financially. You have chosen the pathway to your present destination. The responsibility for your situation is yours. 
• "Until a person takes responsibility for where he is, there is no basis for moving on."
• "The past will never change, but you can change the future by changing your actions today."
• "It is never the duty of a leader to struggle for someone else; a leader must encourage others to struggle and assure them that the struggles are worthwhile."
• "Truth is never dependent upon consensus of opinion."
• "Most people fail at whatever they attempt because of an undecided heart...success requires the emotional balance of a committed heart. When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart searches for an escape."
• "...life itself is a privilege, but to live life to its fullest--well, that is a choice."
• "You will never please everyone, nor should pleasing everyone be your goal."
• "Sooner or later, every man of character will have his character questioned. Every man of honor and courage will be faced with unjust criticism, but never forget that unjust criticism has no impact whatsoever upon the truth. And the only sure way to avoid criticism is to do nothing and be nothing!"
• "...while public opinion might sway back and forth, right and wrong do not."
• "When I give forgiveness, I free my own spirit to release the anger and hatred harbored in my heart. By granting forgiveness, I free my spirit to pursue my future happily and unencumbered by the anchors of my past. And forgiveness, when granted to others becomes a gift to myself."
• "The only limit to your realization of tomorrow is the doubt to which you hold fast today."
• "Circumstances are rulers of the weak, but they are weapons of the wise."
• "A person who is depressed is spending too much time thinking about the way things are now and not enough time thinking about how he wants things to be."
• "Average people compare themselves with other people. That is why they are average. I compare myself to my potential."

The Noticer--Andy Andrews

• "Think. Learn. Pray. Plan. Dream. For soon...you will become."
• "A grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person's life."
• "It's amazing that a person could lose everything, chasing nothing."
• "Worry...fear...is just a misuse of the creative imagination that has been placed in each of us."
• "The seeds of depression cannot take root in a grateful heart."
• "Many of life's treasures remain hidden from us simply because we never search for them...we are so caught up in fear and regret, that hope seems a foolish endeavor."
• "Most people think it takes a long time to change. It doesn't...It may take a long time to decide to change...but change happens in a heartbeat."
• "There is no difference in the person who intends to do things differently and the one who never thinks about it in the first place. 

The Diary of a Young Girl--Anne Frank

• "I don't want followers, but friends, admirers who fall not for a flattering smile but for what one does and for one's character."
• "...when I lie in bed and end my prayers with the words, 'I thank you, God, for all that is good and dear and beautiful,' I am filled with joy...I don't think then of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains."
• "And whoever is happy will make others happy, too. He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery!
• "I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn."
• "If the truth is told, things are just as bad as you yourself care to make them."
• "There's one golden rule to keep before you: laugh about everything and don't bother yourself about the others!"
• "I can't imagine how anyone can say: 'I'm weak' and then remain so. After all, if you know it, why not fight against it, why not try to train your character? The answer was: 'Because it's so much easier not to!"
• "Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.
• "A quiet conscience makes one strong."
• "Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."

Christmas at The Ranch

the boys in buffalo plaid

braided beauties

choo-choo train

so much sweetness

silly hats

the ranch equivalent of a "snowdeer," which is Clay for "reindeer"

one of the highlights was calling and feeding the cows

book lovers

helping Grandpa make breakfast

beauty shop

Look out, ladies!

domino dude

fun with the holiday party crackers

party to the Max

Christmas joke aftermath

cuteness personified