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🌲🍁🥧 Harvestfest 🌲🍁🥧

(Adalynn's POV)

Happy Harvestfest! We all made out way to my parents house in Newcrest for a weekend full of family, food, and fellowship. One thing we tried to arrange beforehand was the grandkids picture since we didn't manage to get one last year, and now that the babies that were in utero last year have been born (and no one that we know of is pregnant) we decided now was the perfect time. We mixed up the kids so that there was a big kid-little kid plan, mostly for crowd control purposes so that they would be able to handle the toddlers. The oldest four (Noah, Luke, Chloe, and AJ) were holding the youngest four (Grace, Everett, Jackson, and Bethany). As the years go by and the children grow (and with more being born, Lord willing) we'll have to keep finding new ways to arrange all the children.

Annette (21), Macie (33), Casandra (53), Allan (56), Ashton (17)

My parents and the girls at home are all doing great! Now that there's no longer anyone in school, my parents have more time for their other things, though it seems with the more the family grows the busier they'll get! My dad continues to shepherd the flock of Newcrest Baptist, there's a blossoming pastoral staff that also help to keep the place running for the Lord's glory. It also gives him time to travel to speaking engagements at other churches as well as different revivals, jubilee's, hymn sings, and festivals. My mother is also busy with her role as mother, grandmother, and pastor's wife. She somehow finds the time to show all of us that we're definitely loved and valued. She helps to homeschool Barrett and Kyleigh's kids whenever needed, as well as the kids coming to their house for music lessons. When they're not home or travelling to commitments, they're usually visiting with one of us that live out of town, they try and schedule their visits to us to coincide with their travelling for their commitments. My sisters are all busy busy bees! Macie splits her time between being at home or in ministry, and when she's not doing that she's visiting with one of us. Annette works as a babysitter helping families at church that need that extra support, she just loves children and is grateful she gets to spend time with children all day. Both girls remain in a season of singleness, and they're using it to the full, with our cousin Celeste getting married this winter they've been recruited to help with the planning and execution of the wedding. Ashton also babysits children in the congregation, she's in the church choir and spends her days helping out wherever she can. Since she has less responsibilities she spends the most time travelling, so she gets to spend longer amounts of time with the siblings.

Mason (35) & Adalynn Leonard (34) with Titus (2) and Bethany (3m), Luke (10), Paul (8), Caleb (4), Joshua (6), Jonah (4), Noah (12), Aaron (9)

We are so thankful for the Lord's grace! Little Bethany joined our family this summer and we are over the moon that the Lord chose for this little girl to join us - her 8 older brothers and her parents are over the moon! We've had two kids get saved this year (Paul & Joshua) and it's such a blessing that we've been able to lead our kids to the Lord for his glory! Since the arrival of little miss, Mason and I have been feeling like the Lord is leading us in the direction of a new house. Since she's so young and has about a year in our room with us, we have time to see whether we're going to extend the house by adding a level or whether we'll move to a whole new house altogether. We've got a bunch of prayer warriors on our side so I'm sure we'll get an answer soon.

(AN: Ignore the height differences, planning poses with so many sims means you gotta sacrifice a few things here and there)

Barrett (33) and Kyleigh Collins (31) with Preston (2) and Jackson (6m), Marigold (6), Daisy (7), Benjamin (9), Rose (8), Olivia (4), Violet (8), Jefferson (1), Allan Jr (9), and Chloe (9)

Barrett and Kyleigh are also thankful for a new blessing from the Lord, little Jackson made his appearance soon after Parker and Lana's wedding, so we got a 2-for-1 deal really! They're also prayerfully considering their house, so our prayer circles are really working hard in this season our two families are in. They also had two kids get saved this year, it brought so much joy to my heart when Kyleigh shared in our group chat that the girls had gotten saved and baptised at church! My parents started the tradition of gifting the 'savee' a bible and a family lunch, and it's such a precious tradition that they're able to now carry out with their grandchildren. They only have 12 grandkids that are in the average age range for getting saved (of course it can happen before or after that time period - all in the Lord's timing!), but as the grandchildren grow and continue to multiply they're going to need the Lord's help to get them everywhere that they're needed!

Francisco (34) and Zoe Moreno (30) with Javier Jr (3) and Cassie (1)

Zoe and her family are happy and thriving in Windenburg, Francisco's job gives him weekends off so the family gets to attend church on the weekends. Zoe has amassed a solid amount of students that she teaches piano and violin, as well as some students that she video conferences for their lessons. With two young children to care for and a house to maintain, she's an expert at managing her time. They're slowly approaching the time when Francisco gets his orders and they've got to move, but they've not put their choices in yet so we have no idea where they'll be right now. Little Cassie turns two years old in a few months, so the plan is to have a birthday party for her when we're all back in town for Celeste's wedding. Ashton is heading back to Windenburg to spend some time with them as well as with Amira and her family, she'll ride back with them for the wedding.

Shane (28) and Maggie Wright (27) with Iris (2) and Arlo Wright (2)

Maggie and her family are doing wonderful! They were in Sulani earlier this summer with Reece and Amira's families, it's wonderful getting to see my younger siblings bonding as adults with families of their own. Little Arlo and Iris seem to have grown leaps and bounds since I last saw them, the kids love getting to video chat with them and love whenever they get to visit with each other. Usually Maggie and her family will try and pass through to see us during their travels, so that's when the kids get to see each other.

Reece (26) and Stacie Collins (26) with Liam (5) and Hazel (2)

Reece and Stacie have also been doing great, Liam has breezed through kindergarten and is getting ready to start grade 1. Stacie will be homeschooling Liam through a homeschool co-op, they said that they felt that was the best option for getting the kids socialised with like minded children.

Beckett (24) and Mandy Collins (22)

Beckett and mandy are back for their yearly vacation from the mission field. It's so great to see them in person and hear the wonderful stories they have to tell about the great work that they're doing out there in Selvadorada. Whilst they haven't been blessed with a child as of yet, the Lord has kept them content with their current life and has showered them in blessings of many kinds. They'll be focusing on fundraising efforts for the mission field, as well as trying to see as much family as they can.

Thomas (24) and Amira Eichelburg (23) with Maya (1)

Amira and her family are wonderful and thriving! Little Maya is such a sweet girl, a total reflection of her wonderful mother! Amira was such a wonderful baby and child, and Maya is exactly like her mother. Their little family are wonderful and are so blessed by the Lord, and they've been doing more travelling this year when their schedule allows. They'll be sharing Ashton with Zoe this winter as they get to have some quality sister time before we meet again for Celeste's wedding.

Felix (26) and Priscilla Robert (21) with Andrew (2) and Grace (9m)

Little Grace has joined the family since we were last all together, and her name is so precious! Little Andrew is such a wonderful big brother and these two babies are the light of their parents lives! Priscilla always says that life in Oasis Springs spoils them with the heat, but she does miss having the traditional autumn and winter weather and is glad to be with family - as we all are!

Charles (20) and Lorilee Collins (19) with Everett (9m)

Charles and Lorilee welcomed little Everett into the family around the new year, and have been thanking the Lord for that blessing. Lorilee has been sharing that she's been doing better than expected at the postpartum period, especially for a first-timer. They're talking about moving out of their apartment and finding a house for their little family (that they're hoping to expand!)

Parker (19) and Lana (19) Collins

Lana was also a new joiner to the family this year! She's such a sweet girl and is a wonderful wife to Parker. Their wedding was beautiful and wonderfully glorified the Lord, which is a testament to the minds and hearts of Parker and Lana. As an older sibling, it's been my prayer that my siblings find spouses that challenge them and push them to the Lord, and I'm thankful to say that Lana does exactly that!

We also managed to take a group picture! There's 55 people in our 'immediate' family - imagine that! There's my parents, then the 13 kids, the 10 spouses, and 30 grandkids! The lord has blessed us greatly and beyond our wildest imagination.

For comparison, this is a picture from way before any of us got married, and then a picture with Mason, Noah, and Kyleigh in the family. Who would've thought that in less than 15 years we'd go from a family of 15 to a family of 55! This is probably the biggest example of God's goodness in our lives!

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