Dad runs in and exclaims, “Guess what I got us! Guess what I got us!”

“What!” me and my siblings exclaim.

“I bought us this huge house everyone can even have their own room! It has this huge field and woods were you guys to explore but…”

“Stop leaving us in suspense!” Sarah exclaims.

“Well we have to keep a couple of animals that live in the property” Dad replies with the concern to look on his face.

“How many?” Lowella asked excitedly.

Dad clears his throat “Umm 11?”
“11?!” Mike exclaims.

“What type of animals are they?” Catherine asks.

“Are they all boys?” Max asks.

Catherine glares at “Max stop being unpractical!” she retorts.

Max glares right back, and then turns and smiles sweetly at “Dad can you answer our questions?”

I giggle, Max was always the sly one.

Dad turns to Mike and says “Yes 11. We will have 11 animals. There are three horses one boy two girls, and two cats both of them boys…

“Yes!” Max cuts Dad, pumping his fist “They’re my favorites!” he looks looks around to see astonished faces “What? They’re all boys!”
Catherine glares hard at Max.

The realization spreads across his face “Ohhh… Sorry Dad for cutting you.” he says sheeply his cheeks turning a bright red “Continue please.” he asks dad.

Dad continues “A cow, a girl, three sheep, a ram, and a herding dog, a girl. That’s all of them!” he finishes.

“That’s a lot of animals!” Arthur exclaims.

“Do I really get my own room?” Sarah says a smile spreading through her face “No offense Catherine.”

“None taken.” Catherine replies “I also want my own room.”

Sarah turns to Dad “So can we?” she asks excitedly.

Mike and Arthur also turn to Dad and parrot “So can we? We also want our own room.” they say at the exact same time.

Dad smiles and says “Yes everyone can have their own rooms!”

Everyone starts open jumping up and down excited, but of course Lowella cuts the celebration “Do I have to have my own room?” she asks.

“Well if your sister wants to have her own room… She’s the one who decides” replies Dad turning over to me “So what’s it going to be Sunny?” he asks.

“Well…” I say, not entirely happy with the situation. I love the Lowella, but I didn’t want to hurt her but I also wanted my own room. “Umm…” an idea flashed through my head “How about this” I say “You sleep one day in my room you sleep one day in your own room. How about that?”

“Okay.” Lowella says stretching the words “But when there’s rain storms I get to sleep in your room. Okay?”

“Hmmm” I say pondering the situation. I had to admit my sister was a bargainer.

“Fine” I agree.

“Then it’s a deal?” my little sister Lowella says.

“Yep.” I reply, then we shook on it.

“Can we still have the goodbye party?” Catherine asks.

“Sure we’ll have it at the end of this week!” dad replies

“But we can’t!” Arthur says “It’s it’s Sunny’s Sabbath!” he says rolling his eyes.

“Ummm…” Dad says obviously flustered. ”

“Well? We can’t do it Friday night either.” Catherine says “Because if it lasted until night like we planned for our other party it would also be Sunny’s Sabbath.”

“What should we do?” Max turns to me and asks “It’s your Sabbath.”

What should I do? I pondered. Part of me wanted to tell them just to go to the party without me, but that would be a bad example as a Christian. But I couldn’t ruin the party. What should I do?

 To be continued