A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

We have had it on the calendar for months---spending the weekend with my BFF and her family on a camping gig out at our property. Always an adventure when you are with the Dotys! Why would this weekend be any different? Here's some eh....shall we say....memorable moments! Can say one thing, never a dull moment!

So, the hope was that the weather would cooperate. Early in the week it was looking good but as the week went on and the weatherman changed his story, we knew we would likely run into some weather on the weekend.



Nothing stops the boys....not rain, not cold weather, not forgetting your swim trunks at home..... oy!



Crazy kids!



Well, the weather did let up and we did get some fun in between rain drops.....

Alexa and Bri took their first official spin on the Honda 50s:



Much of our crew thought it fun to swim, zip line, and boat in frigid slimy pond water:



Creative Cooking since we are still needing to get some cooking supplies out at the property:



Yes, that is a ziplock bag we used to scramble our eggs....I thought it pretty clever!

And, of course, just random WEIRDNESS....because that's how we roll!



Overall, was a great weekend w/ the Feliciano's :) Poor Isaiah took a beating though.....



No, not literally---but had a bit of a reaction to something....an ER visit, steroids, and a couple Benedryl later, he was back at it! Such a tropper!

Thank you Jessica, Isaiah, and even YOU Hector for a great weekend!
We love you guys!

Under Construction....

Well, summer is here and it's been a year since my blog has been updated.....how the heck did that happen?!?!?

Over the next weeks will be updating so if things look like a hot mess on the blog, well, they are..... a work in progress, kinda like all of us!

Stay tuned for pics and such.....it's on the way!

oh, and since I'm no longer a homeschooling mom to 4 kids but rather a crazy rambling mom to 5 and maybe more someday, I've changed my blog address so if you are gonna subscribe, just a little side note (is now www.amydotysramblings.blogspot.com) .... will get it together hopefully soon... but don't hold your breath! You may suffocate!

Kyle's 8th Grade Graduation

Well, he did it! He successfully completeded Jr. High and I've got the pictures to prove it!

Make a free photo slideshow

Hard to believe my baby is gonna be in high school next year! *sniff *sniff Feeling kinda old! But feeling grateful....for alot of things....grateful for all God has blessed this crazy family of mine with, grateful that my kids have had 2 great years at RBA, grateful for all the wonderful people we have met thru our experience at RBA and the relationships that have resulted, and excited.....excited about our new adventure of being a part of Community Christian School with most of those people who have become like a second family to us at RBA(7 people in our family was just not enough! LOL). If I haven't had the chance to tell ya about our new school, check out the website www.ccsjoliet.org. God is going BIG THINGS!

Until next time,

Creation Museum

Decided to take the crew to the Creation Museum. So packed up the minivan and off we went for the weekend. Interestingly, it was more cost effective for us to by the yearly family pass than to buy single tickets for the 8 of us (Finally! A financial perk to having 6 kids). If you've never been to the Creation Museum, I highly recommend it! Was really well done and we enjoyed it. Nice little get away for the fam--So, here's the pics from that weekend....

Easter 2010

Wanted to share w/ Hongru our "typical" Easter. Nothing super "typical" really about what Easter represents, but rather very "atypical" that our God would send His Son to die for us and then raise from the dead 3 days later. But I think to be able to show him that this is something worth celebrating is what we wanted to show him.
We did some "traditional Easter events" in that we dyed eggs, decorated some cookies, and got all dolled up for Sunday Morning Easter Service--along w/ other Doty silliness. But, hopefully, he also heard the message that was brought forth that Easter Morning....

Abby's 9th Birthday

Given there are several kiddies running around here, to do a big birthday party every year for each kid just isn't financially possible---I'd have to take on a 3rd job which there just isn't enough hours in the day to do that. So we have gone to an every-other-year bigger birthday party for each of the kids. This year was Abby's party year and she thought and thought about what she wanted to do for a theme. She had recently gotten into the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series and it just so happened that the movie came out a couple weeks before her birthday so it was a given that the theme would be "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". My BFF Jess helped me put together come cute little crafts that included making bookmarks and a diary of their own. I found a Diary of a Wimpy Kid poster that had several of the stick figures on it and we posted it on the sliding glass door and the kids traced them for decorations on their bookmarks and diaries. They also got their very own "Make-your-own" version of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid. We also went to the movie and have to say I found it enjoyable. Was a fun party. Abby was pleased I think! So now she begins her last year of being a single digit--they grow so fast.

Kyle's a teenie bopper now...

Well, I'm officially old. My oldest just turned 13 and I just became the parent to a teenager. Wow! When did that happen? Hard to believe! He has gotten into golf a little bit so Kirk has been taking him to twilight golfs at the park district. Where else can you get hours of exercise and entertainment for 9 bucks? Such a deal...We also decided to do the golf theme for his birthday party this year so packed up a few of our buddies and the menfolk went and hit around a couple balls...was a good day.