Thankful for a Fridge!

Thanking God for a new, working fridge!!! Eating only things we could keep in the freezer wasn't so bad... ice cream, lasagna, taquitos, frozen chicken... but fresh food is such a blessing!

Christmas Decorating 2016

To celebrate the first of December we pulled out all the totes of wreaths, garlands, and icicle lights and decorated for Christmas! We brought out the CD player and turned up some cheery Christmas music to sing along with as we worked!

Like the superhero who just landed on the roof?

 Looking at Christmas cards from years past

The light crew heading around back to climb on the roof.

 The guy putting up the lights.

 It's not senior photos, bro! ;)

The candy cane crew!

The finished masterpiece! 

Merry Almost-Christmas y'all!

A Writing Marathon

This November some of the kids signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month-- when writers all around the world write 50,000 word novels in 30 days). 

 Emma made a 'Happy NaNoWriMo' sign for the first day of November, featuring many of the works-in-progress.

Betsy surprised the crazy authors with delicious snacks and what has been dubbed 'NaNo-tea'!

The writers set up desks and set to work.

Welcome to the deep, dark, writer's cave...enter at your own risk. ;)

Paul and Anna are doing the full-out NaNoWriMo and have been chipping away at their 50,000 word goal. 

The younger girls signed up for the NaNo branch called 'Young Writers Program' where they can set their own word goals, and have been doing fantastically! 

BB's novel is titled "The Candy Shop Kids' and is so adorable! We can't wait to read it!

Word counts for Day 1... you know you're too short when the camera has to be tilted to avoid cutting off your brother's head. ;)

 A silly selfie with all but one of the writers, and their brainstorming buddy, Kate.

Working hard on that novel!

"Where there's a Willis there's a way!"

He DID IT!!!!

Chap and Chum Cook

Good Auntie Kate made two batches of shortbread the other day for the express purpose of getting to cook with Chap and Chum. 

Cheesy grins ;)

Happy man!

 It was extra fun because shortbread takes kneading, and he loved squeezing the butter and flour together. He's so precise and good at baking! (And thankfully good about not snitching.)

Oh, Chum wants to "dook" too? They ended up making another batch of what they adorably dubbed "cookies" just so he could have a turn stirring and kneading.

 I can assure you they both enjoyed eating the shortbread as much as baking it. :)

A Post By Aimee

My brilliant sister Anna has landed a position as a paid writer for the site www.teensgotcents.com! Read her excellent first article here!

A Disastrous Day

At first glance I was bewildered, shocked, incredulous. 

Then it all made sense. It must've been the work of The Littles Trio. 

But then again, who else hangs their dollhouse dolls on the clothesline to dry, after playing with them in the pool? 

By Our Favorite Pastor-- A Sermon Series

Listen to this sermon series on the Upper Room Discourse by our favorite pastor! <3

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
If Anyone Loves Me...
God's Wonderful Plan for Your Life 
The Counsel of His Will

This Goofy Family

Maricopa County Summer Reading Program + Glendale Library Summer Reading Program= LOTS and LOTS of reading!

Silly doggy thinks the baby pool is for her! <3 

Kate's writing hideout behind the couch

Dollhouse people out to dry after a dunk in the pool. (113 degree weather nowadays!) 

Yup, a tarped Foosball table. Glorious surprise thunderstorms keep us on our toes! :)

"Shhh!" A surprise birthday party for a friend was awesome fun! It was so hard to keep 47 people quiet while the birthday-girl was upstairs sewing with her friend, and we were decorating downstairs. Imagine all the held back laughter! ; )

Goofy Bea! 

After a scrumptious pot-luck dinner, games commenced--including dressing up bible times... 

and Guesstures! (a.k.a charades) 

Thanks to some awesome friends who lent us their minivan while our 15 passenger was out of commission.

Thrift stores!!! 

Sweet, happy-go-lucky pup!

Doctor's office

Talking on the phone with scrumptious--I mean, adorable--nephews!! 

 Silly selfies on the way to church...

 And on the way home. :P (See? It's our van! Yay!! Thanks so much, Mr. W, for fixing it!!!) 

 Little soap makers!

Kate's beautiful creations.

A tent made out of sheets appeared across the gap between the couch back and the window to the sun room.

 

Ella decided its luscious comfy-ness was made especially for her darling highness! 

 
Aunt Lori gave us a puppet theater!!! (Thank you, Auntie! We love it!)

And that about sums up what the Willisters have been up to!