Lots of molds thrown away!!

 Our children.  Arranged by our rose amongst the thorns (our left handed daughter that chose to sort of kneel down in this picture) so it's youngest to oldest.  left to right.  Benjamin. David. Jeanee. Gregory. Kipper.     IF I remember correctly...Kip and Greg are 19 months apart.  3 years after Greg, Jeanee was born.  8 years after Jeanee we adopted David.  4 years after David we adopted Ben.  That makes for a steady flow of children at home for more years than I'm capable of adding up!  When Ben was 5 years old our first Grandson was born so that makes Ben closer in age to his Uncle than his older siblings.  When our Grandson's first child was born, Ben's first born was 4 years old.  This is going no where except to state-- we are young parents to the first 3 and old parents to the last two!  Just trivia that amounts to nothing except to us!  And now you know!  What do you know?  I'm not sure.  We love our children!  I hope you know that.

 
After McCall, the girls and I went to lunch at The White House Cafe...Nana, have you noticed that none of your children are alike?  Not any of them!  And they all had the same parents!  

...Yes.  I have noticed!

I have a favorite sugar cookie recipe that is a no-chill dough and a set of bear cookie cutters that are old and used....4 of them...assorted sizes but all easily recognized as relatives of that particular bear family. 

My children are not cookie cutter people.  Trying to squeeze them into a mold just never worked.  Admittedly I tried.  (one of those --wish I had a do-over option!  I would work more with who they really are and how they arrived intact, in many ways, for me to discover who they are and help them develop those talents/traits).  

I've said before that sometimes I think the only thing they have in common is their last name.  They are so diverse that in many ways they are worlds apart.

That is why McCall was so amazing.  Adults that realize, even with differences, we are family.  I think it takes a lot more fortitude, effort, desire, and love to make a connection with family, with all the differences, than it takes to make a connection with friends.  With friends you might be tempted to just throw in the towel but with family, no matter the disparity, you put forth the effort to make things work.  My children made magic that McCall week! 

Lipizzaner dancing horses (not my children!)

Clydesdale's- (not my children!)

 

Wild Mustangs-(my children at times!)