Well, this is the Discher clan again. On Sunday evening we went to our beloved cousins’, the Stricklens, house with the Millers and Frodges. While adults and older kids played volleyball, us three middle kids (Benny, Abby, and me) washed dishes and watched babies and the littles played Christmas. After dark, the volleyball players came in from the volleyball court and we all enjoyed some fresh from the oven brownies.

Signing out! Markie

Saturday....FunFunFun!!! :D

Howdy! It’s Kitty again. Well, yesterday evening, we had a wonderful time at the Stokes’ house. We Dischers arrived late (um…as usual). It was a combination of a surprise Birthday Party for Mrs. Pollock - - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ONCE AGAIN!!!!!!! - - and a volleyball night with fellowship in between.

We did have one mishap. Poor Mrs. Stokes tripped on one of the boundary ropes on the VB court, falling on her hip. She was down the rest of the night, and is still not able to walk. We aren’t sure yet what happened, but there is a suspicion that her hip may be broken. Please, everyone, be praying for Mrs. Stokes, especially tomorrow as she goes to get an x-ray. WE LOVE YA, MRS. STOKES!!! GET WELL SOON!!!

Other than that sobering event, all went well. There were some really good VB games, many of them with close scores. VERY exciting (and competitive) games!!! There were plenty of breathtaking saves by many of the players, and for some people (ahem) plenty of tear-jerking mess-ups. All in all, it was a fun evening.

Well, that was a very short commentary – especially after the last one – but it was a fun evening, and I hope that we will have something further to report at a later date. S’long!!!

~Kitty~


NOTE: The above post was written on Sunday afternoon. As of now (Monday Night) Mrs. Stoke's condition is much more serious than any of us realized. She completely shattered her hip and broke her wrist. She will go in tomorrow (tuesday) at noon for a hip replacement. PLEASE keep her in your prayers, especially since all of this was so completely unexpected from a simple fall. She will be down for 4 months at least, from my understanding, and will I'm sure be needig prayer during that time as well. We will try to keep ya'll updated.

The Stricklen Family

The Discher Family

From Ft. Desoto, the family headed south to Englewood, where they met the Stricklen family. Uncle Chris generously treated the Dischers to supper and a room at their hotel. It was a delicious meal and the two families had lots of pictures and talk.
The following morning, they headed to the beach together. They stopped for breakfast at Denny’s, and Kitty and Grace sword fought with their new swords. DFN photographer, Sarah Discher, was able to grab some photos of this.
Thankfully, the beach was not crowded, and the water was fine! The kids once again spent plenty of time hand-fishing. There was a sand bar farther out, and the older kids swam out to it. Callie found a live sandollar and they sighted a HUGE fish swimming right past them. There was also a manatee.
The older kids built a sandcastle and Grace and Mary built a clam garden. The moms went to Publix to get the group’s lunch, and when they returned, everyone gathered around for more fried chicken, and sweet tea along with many other delicious things to eat.
As the meal drew to a close, so did their time at the beach. They all packed up and headed home. They stopped for supper at Taco Bell shortly before arriving home. After walking in, they saw the cashier dash to the back and say, “I got twenty people out here! Really! I wouldn’t joke about this!!!!” After their tacos, the two families left again for home, and made it safely.
On Thursday night, G’mama and G’daddy joined the Dischers for nachos (apparently, they couldn’t get enough fried chicken or Mexican food…) They bored their grandparents with pictures of the beach, along with….um….interesting pictures of, um…sand.
On Friday evening morning, Sarah and Kitty helped Aunt Katie with her garage sale. She had a fairly successful day. That evening, the Dischers headed out for a goodbye party for the Franklins. It was great to see friends again, and to fellowship with some good food close at hand! The Country Cousins were asked for a casual performance, and thankfully there appeared to be no mosquito militias around that night! Everyone enjoyed themselves, and from DFN Reporter, Kitty Discher, “I hope ya’ll have a safe trip to Delaware, and we hope to see ya’ll again soon! We’ll miss ya!”
This is Kitty Discher for Discher Family News signing out from Peter’s room, Discher House, Florida. Sarah, over to you.

Aunt Molly and Uncle Chris
Kitty, Mary and Pete having fun.
Callie and I walk with little Willy while we await the food.
Sweet cousins!
Margaret and Rosie peep out from behind a tree.

(By the way, this resturant had a lovely garden!)

Gracie and Callie explore the deep dark depths!

We desperatly strain to catch the end of the movie as we are leaving for breakfast. ;)

Kitty and Gracie "Sword fight with their new swords."
"This.. is a very solemn occasion"

The cutting of the pancakes.

The beach

Aunt Molly and CJ
Callie was fascinated by the live mussels digging into the sand.

Aunt Molly and Mama

Sisters

Our ..um....sandcastle?

Or shall I say..swirls of sand. ;)

Ahhh! Cool..clear..water.

Monday morning, the older four went to "Monday School" at Grandmama's. The rest of the day was spent doing school work, and getting ready for the next day.

On Tuesday morning, Mama and the kids packed up and left for a fun day at the beach. They traveled to Ft. Desoto, with Daniel Boone movies playing in the back, and the audio running through the truck stereo. They arrived at the Fort in time for lunch, and found a seemingly private picnic area. Little did they know…
Publix fried chicken, spritzers, sweet tea, cheese puffs, carrot sticks, and teddy grahams were all unloaded. Everything was enjoyable, until a seagull arrived.
The family thought it was cute, feeding it pieces of chicken and cheese puffs. Soon, however, all his friends and relations arrived. It was a noisy reunion between the lone gull and his company. Before long, the family was surrounded by screaming birds.
“They are the most selfish animals on the planet!” Peter declared when asked for a remark on the birds.
Arriving on the beach, after a tour of the fort, it was into the water with the Dischers! Emma Jane’s first real exposure to the ocean was adorable, and she seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself. “Agagagaga. Babababababa. Mama. Mama. EEEEEEEEEEEEE!” she remarked with a smile in a recent interview in her Alturas home. DFN asked her if she thought the water was salty. She replied with a sound, “Uh-oh.”
In reply with a inquiry to the sand and shells, she informed us, “Uh-oh. Aaaaaaah! Nananana!!”
The Discher kids spent the afternoon attempting to hand catch fish. Aside from Kitty accidentally stepping on one of the small animal’s tails, there was little success among the fishers.
Leaving the water, the Dischers decided to take a walk down one of the nature trails. After parking near the trail, the family was delighted to find a raccoon in the parking lot. Scrambling to find scraps of food and the camera, they had evidently learned nothing from their seagull experience earlier in the day.
Tossing food out the window, Mama began to eagerly snap pictures of the little animal, who was now beside the truck (It was not until later on, that we found the sign saying "Don't feed wildlife"). Before long, another coon emerged from the brush, causing more excitement among the occupants of the vehicle.
Not realizing the risk, they fervently began to feed the newcomer. Within moments, coons were pouring from the woods all around the truck. The family, who had emerged from the vehicle, began to grow alarmed as they were now surrounded by raccoons. The animal began to fight over the small crumbs of cheese puffs and teddy grahams, and some even pawed at one of the girls’ skirts.
Calling a retreat, Mama rapidly led the way to the trail, hoping for a little peace and quiet. Little did she realize that there was to be a seemingly organized attack in the depths of the forest by the local mosquito militia. The “nice, peaceful stroll through the beautiful, old Florida woods” was turned into a race for their lives as the family attempted to maintain some semblance of pleasure in the quick march down the path. Emma Jane especially needed protection as the pests repeatedly attacked, often Indian style, from behind trees, bushes, and apparently in many cases vaporizing in front of the group.
Escaping with their lives, the company made it to their suburban and was relieved to discover the raccoons had withdrawn, and were reforming their troops for another assault on a new victim.

Markie gets her stuff ready to go.
Pete brings the ice cooler out.
Kitty fixes the tea.

(You know us, we can't go a day without our sweet iced tea!)

Um... Kitty's self portrait.
Emma takes the wheel!

Most everyone slept on the trip up.
I thought these gulls looked rather comical. ;)
I caught one, and had Pete pose with it.
Pete's remark when he saw these cannons was, "You could almost shoot me out of that!!!
We try.


Emma does a few pull-ups on the cannons.
We met a new friend!!

Mr. Farsight.

Markie and a sand dollar.

What a thrill! It was alive.

Gracie, Emma and I

Pete and Kitty Rosie finds some shells!

At the beach!

Amazing!

Kitty has a jolly old time in the sand.

Rosie - The Seaweed Queen

The offending racoons.

In which we make our retreat.

On Sunday morning, the family attended church, after which, the church body stayed at Grandmama’s for subs and fellowship. During lunch, the Miller boys once again found a willing audience for their comedy routine, and amused several of their cousins.
After lunch (and the entertainment) the older cousins sat in the Living Room, attempting to complete crossword puzzles and telling jokes, while most of the other cousins went outside and played badminton and general outside play.
That evening, the Discher family began the recording of their first family CD. After a long recording session of playing into mikes and attempting to figure out the sound equipment, they assembled in G’mama and G’daddy’s family room for ice cream and a Red Skelton DVD.
“The movie was hilarious, and the ice cream (chocolate!!!) was delicious. I have decided that I really enjoy Red Skelton. He keeps me howling the entire movie!” Kitty remarked upon being questioned on the evening. “I enjoyed the time of recording as a family, and Sarah’s expressions and mumblings as she worked with the sound system. It was interesting having our entire family crammed into a small room with instruments, chairs, mikes, cords, a mixer, and a recorder. It was irritating when things wouldn’t work right, but it was funny at times,

too.” Big sister Teaches Little sister - The law of families. ;)

Gracie teaches Markie a new chord.

Kitty, the faithful guitarist, waits for us to begin.

On Saturday morning, Mama and Peter Discher, along with Markie, Rose, and Emma, headed for Lakeland. Peter was going to play paintball with friends, and the others were garage saling.
The rest of the Discher Family stayed home and geared up for a day preparing the garden. Daddy headed for Lowes for supplies. Kitty prepared the house for company that evening, and did some deep-down cleaning. Sarah and Grace hacked weeds and mowed the old chicken pen turned garden area. That afternoon, Peter arrived home and helped out as well. There was a lot of progress made.
On Saturday evening, the Franklin Family came for a visit. They are headed for their new home in Delaware in a few weeks, so the Dischers were happy for another visit. After a meal of mashed potatoes and gravy, roast, and wonderful rolls made by Grace, Mr. Franklin decided to share, and everyone enjoyed a wonderful strawberry desert of made by Sarah. Needless to say, the desert didn’t last too long…
The Living Room was then moved around, transforming the look of the room completely, to accommodate everyone and their chairs for a movie. Flywheel was produced by the same wonderful folks who did Facing the Giants. Both families enjoyed it thoroughly.

Emma Jane- The charmiong hostess

The parents enjoy dinnerMmmmm.. And dessert!

Strawberry Trifle
Mrs. Franklin seems shocked at her husband's behavior!

A pleasant evening ends as we watch "Flywheel"

Late Friday afternoon, the family traveled to Dover for a visit with their good friends, the Graves. Soon after arriving, and after a short time of good fellowship, the two families sat down to a scrumptious meal!
After dinner, Peter, and Sam and Ben Graves, sat down in the boys’ room to play instruments, and the girls retired to Jess Graves’ room for fellowship and PLENTY of pictures. The parents talked in the Living Room, and the littles ran around having fun together.
Mrs. Graves and Mama went on a Mother’s Rights Crusade, claiming “Mother have rights, too!” Their goal: to remind other that, while all other family members are often allowed to be grumpy or upset without it becoming a problem with other family members, when a mother does it, they are given looks, of shock and dismay.
“Mothers of large families are unappreciated members of society,” Mama stated during an interview recently in Peter’s room.
“The expectations are enormously stressful. We are expected to grind our own wheat, make our own bread, butcher our own chickens, churn our own butter, sew our daughters’ dresses (modest yet stylish), keep a relatively spotless house, support our husband’s businesses, homeschool our children, and still be able to maintain a ‘cheerful, upbeat attitude.’ Now I ask you, ‘What other societal faction must live up to these standards?’”
She also added later in another interview that their intended goal in this crusade does not exempt them from the Biblical command to “Rejoice in the Lord always.”
The point was well taken, as well as many humorous pictures of the valiant women by DFN photographer, Sarah Discher.
It was a late, and fun-filled night before the Discher Family took their leave and headed for home.

"Girl Talk" ;)

"What did you say?"

Do you know what they're saying?

The "Crusaders"

Ben and Pete

The pickers of their families

Attention... Because of technical difficulties, I am posting day by day. Past to present. I don't know when I will post the other days, as I am not able to upload any more pictures right now. (After the first 5, it kept giving me an error message) So... here is the first of many posts telling of our week. :)

Thankyou for your patience. ;)

~Sarah~

This is Kitty Discher with Discher Family News.

After over a week of activities and home life, the Discher Family has material for another post on their blog. Thursday night, the 19th of July, after a short one-day notice, the Country Cousins packed up and headed out for a performance at the local Cattleman’s Society. The performance went well, allowing plenty of publicity and bringing in a generous donation. The group was treated to a wonderful steak dinner, as well as sweet tea. On the way home, RG Miller, one of the drivers, and his brothers entertained Peter, Sarah and Kitty with a comedy routine and croaking to the radio. During an interview with two of the performers, Grace and Peter Discher, Grace had this to say, “This was one of the best performances in a long while, and we hope that we shall repeat it very often.” “It was the best because it was the first performance in quite a while.” Peter added. “And,” Grace laughed, “We were fed!!!” Peter confirmed this with a loud “yeehaw!” The two then continued their tennis game on their Volleyball court.

~Kitty~

-"We were fed!!!" Peter exclaimed with a loud yehaw!!!-

Standing in front of the "Brandin' Wall"

Afterwards, we listen to Mr. Waters tell Old Cracker Stories

~Sarah~