Best of GDCF 2009

I've tried to figure out what it is that brings us back, year after year, to the Great Darke County Fair. Is it the crowds? The dust & dirt? The noise? The colorfully-worded T-shirts? The greasy food? Walking until our legs are numb?

After our 8th fair week (can't believe we've lived here that long!!), I still can't really answer that question. All I can say is, we look forward to this week all summer, especially the kiddos! Their absolute favorite thing to do - and what kept us coming back every day but one - was visiting the animals. I believe we may have spent more money on animal food than on funnel cakes. As for Danny and me, like most everyone else attending, it's the sense of community: running into dozens of people you know; catching up with friends you haven't seen in a while; taking some time off from the normal routine and doing something a little different.

In any case, it's always an adventure! (and I still think deep-fried twinkies sound absolutely revolting)

My sister Hannah, her 2 kiddos, and my mom came up one day so the kids could all do rides together. This has become a yearly tradition for us.


In 4 years, we have yet to take a picture where our kids actually appear to be enjoying themselves on the ferris wheel!


One evening, we met a very nice girl who told the kiddos all about her horse, and even let them pet him.


The absolute favorite place was a tent that housed many unusual animals, including pot-belly pigs, emus, and angora goats. Every day, we bought a cup of feed which the kiddos divided among themselves to give to the animals.


Thanks to some friends, Rachel was able to go inside a pen and spend some quality time with several pigs.


Farmer Zeke


The next best thing to Clifford


For the first time, Rachel and Zekers sat in a seat by themselves on the BIG ferris wheel. There were a lot of tears at first, but by the end I think they really liked it. (I couldn't go with them, since I rode in a seat with Karis, and Danny stayed down below with Mr. Moo.)


Mr. Moo LOVED the bumper cars! He went several times with both Danny and me.


After driving his own car one time, Zekers got off and announced, "I'm never driving again!" I'm documenting this so I can remind him of it about 10 years from now.

Afternoon at the Museum

A couple of months ago, Danny and I spent a day at the Creation Museum. We liked it so much, we decided to return - with our three oldest kiddos. It worked out perfectly: since we'd already had a chance to check out every detail of the place, we knew which displays to focus on with the kids and which to move through more quickly.

They loved the dinosaur display; Noah's ark; the planetarium; the botanical gardens and petting zoo; and the fact that we ate lunch in the back of the van before we went in! (There was a picnic area, but we didn't feel like hauling the cooler.)

Something I never knew before: since donkeys, horses, and zebras are all part of the same family, they can breed amongst themselves. Today we saw both a zonkey and a zorse (and Danny wondered aloud why a donkey/horse mix wouldn't be called a "honkey").

So, thanks to some wonderful friends who have been kind enough to share their guest passes with us,
we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon at the museum, marveling at God's amazing design. Karis did great, but I would definitely recommend taking kids who are at least 5 and up - a lot of it seems especially geared for elementary aged kids & teens.

And a special thanks to Aunt Hannah, Esther and Luke, who took care of Mr. Moo so we wouldn't have his craziness to deal with at the museum!

We're Finally Cool . . . Almost

Last weekend, Danny had the privilege of marrying a young couple at our church. It was a beautiful, fun wedding and reception; our only mistake was attempting, for the first and last time, to bring all four of our munchkins. (Next time we're going to have to make other arrangements for Mr. Moo!) It always brings such joy to see 2 people joined together who honestly desire to honor Christ with their marriage and to watch them grow together.

The bride and groom used my FIL's red convertible to ride away in; then they parked it at our place, so we could return it the following day, and drove their car. So, we did what anyone in our position with class and style would have done: drove it to McDonald's. We crammed Zekers, Karis and Mr. Moo in the back, and Rach, Danny and I sat up front. And did we ever live it up - we drove at least 25 mph to McD's and then around town. Are we cool or what??

So, here is a little glimpse of our night on the town . . .

Big Mac, anyone?


Rach and I had fun with the camera.



Malachi's favorite spot is the driver's seat.

Rainy Days and Sunny Days

I am absolutely LOVING this summer - cooler temps, and the last few weeks have brought a considerable amount of rain. Of course, rain means soggy kiddos, as they love to run out and "drink" it and splash around in puddles. They are never ready to come back into the house until they are thoroughly soaked. But to see their little uplifted faces, hands raised to the skies and tongues sticking out - it makes me want to run out and soak up some rain myself.

Speaking of rain, we had planned to go to the Columbus Zoo with our good friends Dave & Johanna, whom we've known since our college days, and their munchkins. But a steady downpour forced us instead to stay indoors and actually spend time talking. So, the adults spent time together while the kiddos played. It turned out to be much more fun (for the adults!) than the zoo would have been. And, as usual, we have a picture of all the kids together, and none of the adults. (The kids are a lot cuter!)

Several weeks ago, the kiddos and I also got to spend some time with their grandma and great-grandma. Poor Grandma lost her earring at the park, but other than that, everyone had a good time.

The more comfortable weather has allowed us to spend more time outdoors this summer than we normally do. Zeke learned last week to ride a bike without training wheels, thanks to the $5 bike we found at a garage sale a few weeks ago. I never realized kids' bikes come in three different sizes until about a month ago! So he had one way-too-small bike and one bike that will be perfect in about 2 years. But now, with the right size bike, he zooms around the block like nobody's business.





We've also spent many happy hours at the pool, where both Rachel and Zekers are learning to swim quite well. If you are ever in a pool with Zekers, you've got to ask him to show you his underwater swim. It may be one of the funniest things I've ever seen. How I wish I was brave enough to take the camcorder to the pool.

And finally, Moo is getting old enough to spend time with some of his friends - and having a blast. It's a messy, challenging time, but I just love little boys this age. And they're even more fun as they get older.

Anger Management

Saturday we drove to Columbus for our annual Emch family reunion (my mom's side). There were 40 people present, if you count the 2 who came in utero, and a good time was had by all. The kids did water balloons in the afternoon, and some of the adults joined in. Mr. Moo spent a deliriously happy hour grabbing one water balloon after another, sticking them in his mouth and chomping down until they burst open - all over him. Good thing we brought a change of clothes!

We left at around 7, and all of the kiddos slept the whole way home and then went straight to bed - except for Zekers, who stayed awake for the 2-hour drive and pretty frequently informed us how bored he was.

A couple of weeks ago, I started reading a book called Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo. I borrowed it from a friend because I was beginning to suspect that one or more of our kiddos had anger issues - and because I was desperate! The more I read, the more I realize I am reading for my own anger issues. Each page is more convicting than the one before; I actually stopped reading for a few days so I could let the information percolate for a while.

This list of 25 things that provoke children to anger was like a sucker punch to the stomach. I had never thought about some of these before, how they can frustrate and provoke a child. It was good to read, though - because it helped me to identify the ungodly ways I respond to my kids, but also gave me hope, because there are some things we're doing right! (by God's grace)
He gave several paragraphs of explanation for each, but I'll just list them out:

1. lack of marital harmony
2. establishing and maintaining a child-centered home
3. modeling sinful anger
4. habitually disciplining while angry
5. scolding
6. inconsistency in discipline
7. having double standards
8. being legalistic
9. not admitting you're wrong and not asking for forgiveness
10. constantly finding fault
11. parents reversing God-given roles
12. not listening to your child's opinion or taking his/her "side of the story" seriously
13. comparing your children to others
14. not making time just to talk
15. not praising / encouraging your child
16. failing to keep your promises
17. chastening in front of others
18. not allowing enough freedom
19. allowing too much freedom
20. mocking your child
21. abusing your child physically
22. ridiculing or name calling
23. unrealistic expectations
24. practicing favoritism
25. child-training with worldly methodologies, inconsistent with God's Word


Five of these items were particularly convicting for me. But now that I've identified some of the problem, I can start asking God to help me turn things around!

He also goes into the "gumnazo principle" - training in godliness. Any kind of training involves lots of practice, and disciplining kids is no different. One of the key elements in training kids to respond in the right way is to have the practice the right way. So, when I hear any of them speaking to each other or to me or Danny in an inappropriate way, I simply ask them to rephrase what they said, (changing tone of voice, body language, and words) and practice saying it the right way!

Things haven't been perfect by any stretch, but I have seen some improvement, and that is encouraging. Danny has even said that after he finishes the incredibly boring books he's currently reading, he might read this one as well.

So if you hear any of our kiddos screaming in public, just know that we're still a work in progress!

Post #300

We've all heard something to this effect when we were first married: "The number of times you have sex from your third year of marriage on, will never equal the number of times you have sex during the first 2 years." Or, as I was told: "If, during your first 2 years of marriage, you deposit a quarter into a jar each time you have sex, and every year after that you remove a quarter each time you have sex, you'll never empty the jar."

While I don't think marriage has to be this way, I do think blogging tends to be. If I blog for the rest of my life at my current rate, I'll be at least 90 before I have another 300 under my belt. (as opposed to the first 2 years, when I posted about every other day!)

This week, however, I am determined to return to the days of old and put up several updates. I have WAY too many pictures and stories from the last month to post them all, but I am resolved to post at least 2 more times before next Sunday. But I've spent so much time today already uploading pics from my camera, and getting rid of all the red-eye (At what age do kids stop getting red eyes in pictures??); not to mention deleting 4 months' worth of emails . . . that I think I will come back to this another day. I thought technology was supposed to SAVE time!

I Have No Idea What to Title This

I've decided to kick my own hiney into gear - I'm on post #299 and I'm determined to hit 300 before the month is over . . . even if I have nothing to post about.

Danny and I celebrated our 12th anniversary last Monday. Sunday evening we took off and stayed in a hotel in Cinci for the night, leaving our kiddos with a very brave (maybe a little crazy?) babysitter.

Monday morning we slept in and then went to the Gap Clearance center, where I spent a VERY productive 3 hours. My right shoulder was actually sore the next day from going through racks of clothing! Before you start feeling too sorry for Danny, though, I should tell you that he spent most of that time out in the car reading - and loved every minute!

We grabbed lunch and headed to the Creation Museum. I won't devote a lot of time or space to reviewing it, except to say that we both LOVED it and plan to return sometime in the future with Rachel and Zekers, If you want to read Danny's review, it's here. My favorite parts were the Noah's ark / flood display, the dinosaur display and the planetarium. Also, the botanical gardens and petting farm were pretty cool. We both loved the way the gospel was woven throughout the entire museum - very informative and surprisingly Christ-exalting.

We ended the day with dinner, and then went home to our kiddos. We were both so grateful for the chance to get away - it provided us with some greatly-needed time to talk and be husband and wife, not just mommy and daddy. I have honestly never had a day go by so quickly.

Danny also surprised me with a very unexpected anniversary gift (in addition to the trip!) - an entire case of my favorite beverage, Tazo iced green tea. The only places I've ever seen it are Starbucks and one gas station about 30 minutes away; and we recently found out that it's being discontinued. Can you imagine? So my knight in shining armor ordered enough to last me for a very long time. How does he manage to get me gifts that are so thoughtful and so funny at the same time?

I'm grateful to be married to a man I've shared some of the best and worst moments of my life with, and who, after 12 years, I love and admire more now than ever before - and definitely more than I knew was possible on July 12, 1997!

I know I am so very blessed in every way; sometimes I have a hard time discerning where the line lies between complaining and just being honest. So here's a little bit of what I hope is truly the latter:

I'm really feeling discouraged about our kiddos, and have for some time. The constant bickering and fighting that I expected for maybe the first week or 2 of the summer, has continued throughout the entirety of June and most of July. I hate that they get such pleasure out of one another's pain; I hate the way they talk to each other; and I'm completely stumped as to where to go from here. I guess the really troubling question that keeps plaguing my mind is "What am I doing wrong?" and "Is it reversible?"

I've been praying a lot about this (I tend to pray with clenched teeth, since the days I go before the Lord with all of this, they fight worse than ever!), and He has opened my eyes to the fact that they may just be following behavior they see modeled in ME. Often, I let them get away with delayed obedience, which frustrates me, which causes me to yell, which teaches them (by example) that yelling is an acceptable way to communicate. Yesterday, I began letting them know (by staying calm and taking decisive action!) that they are expected to obey the very first time I ask them to do something; so I know this week is going to be difficult, and involve a lot of vigilance on my part, but I've already begun to see some improvement, especially in Karis.

I guess it's that classic Romans 7 problem at work in my parenting, in addition to every other area of my life: How can I know the right thing to do, and want so badly to do it, and yet fail so miserably? HE must become greater, I must become less . . .

This has all been compounded by my strange health issues of late. The doctor told me 2 weeks ago she has some idea of what it might be, but I need to have blood drawn during an attack to confirm or disprove her theory. As much as I'm not looking forward to it, I just kind of want it to happen so I can get it over with and they can maybe diagnose what's going on. At this point, though, I'm about 10 days overdue for an attack. I've tried everything to induce one, to no avail. Instead, I have about 1-2 days out of every 5 when I feel weak, crampy, lethargic, unmotivated, and generally out of sorts (never thought I'd have PMS this often!) - it's a weird kind of fatigue, where I just want to sleep all day, and the thought of going through the normal tasks of the day is overwhelming. Sometimes I do crash, and can't do a thing until I've slept for at least an hour. Last week, I felt this way, so I went running, thinking it would bring on a full-fledged episode and I could be done with it. But of course, the run did nothing but make me incredibly sore on top of being fatigued. Fortunately, the day after a really bad day is always a really good one, and I am very thankful for that.

I guess that's it for now. I'll keep you posted on the progress of "The Angry Family" . . . .

Of Matrimony, Mud and Mirth

Last Saturday we had the privilege to attend a wedding for a girl who was part of our youth group when we first moved here 7 years ago. She and her then-fiance asked Danny to lay out the gospel for all of the guests after the wedding party exited the auditorium following the ceremony. As per our usual custom, we took Rach and Zekers with us and the younger 2 stayed at home with a sitter; we've learned through trial and error that this generally makes the evening much more enjoyable for all of us! Rachel was absolutely beside herself with excitement; I'd found a dress while on a thrift store excursion a couple of months ago, and this was the first time she had occasion to wear it. With the help of a few safety pins in the back - to decrease the bodice by a few sizes - it fit her very well and it was pretty apparent that she felt like a little princess in it.

Wearing Daddy's coat and shades


Rachel's good friend Jessica was the flower girl.


On July 4th, we headed to Lebanon, near King's Island, for a Shipper family reunion (Danny's Mom's side), held at the newly-rebuilt home of Danny's Uncle John. The old one burned down 2 years ago, about 6 weeks after our last reunion. Seeing his house almost made me want to set ours on fire - it was so cool! (In case our house ever does catch fire and anyone reads this, I'm totally kidding.) The steady rain that fell all afternoon and evening didn't dampen the kiddos' spirits - in fact, they had a ball playing in the rain and mud. Good thing we brought an extra change of clothes for each of them! After we ate, we were treated to a potato gun demonstration by their cousins, Quinn and Ian, and their Uncle John. That was about as close to seeing fireworks as we got this year!



The frosting was very blue!


Finally - a smile!!


Moo's favorite part of the day involved chasing bubbles.


Can you see the family resemblance?


Cousins on the couch


Yesterday Danny had the day off, and we decided on a whim to go to the Cincinnati Zoo. (We initially wanted to make another attempt to see the "Me" zoo, but of course, it's closed not only on Fridays, but also on Mondays.) We ended up purchasing a family membership, since the prices are such that it more than pays for itself after just 2 trips, with a family our size, and is good through the end of July next year. Plus, we get 50% off at a bunch of other zoos nationwide. We packed our own lunch and brought snacks & drinks, so we didn't have to spend anything on food. The kiddos loved it, and Danny and I got a lot of exercise, pushing the stroller up hills and carrying them on our backs and shoulders! (OK, Danny did most of that.) We stayed until after 5, and still didn't see everything - what a great family day. Even Malachi loved it, pointing excitedly at many of the animals. I'm looking forward to going back!












This is what I get for trying to manufacture cuteness. Click on the picture for an even better view and you'll see what I mean!