Sheep to Shawl 2010

This past Saturday we went with our friends Rodney & Greta and their kids to the Atlanta History Center's annual Sheep to Shawl event.  It was a great outing; the grounds are beautiful, and we got to see lots of demonstrations, as well as hands-on activities for the kids.  The 'sheep to shawl' portion afforded glimpses of the yarn from shearing the wool off the sheep...

 ...to spinning it into yarn.  (We also saw washing, carding, and dyeing.)

 The kids got to make their own pottery bowls

use an old-fashioned wood planer

 dip candles

 make sheep puppets using real wool

 play with old-fashioned toys

 enjoy the animals

and enjoy running around the lovely grounds.  The grown-ups especially enjoyed this one garden, full of rhododendron and azaleas, not only because it was so pretty, but because it was in a little ravine that helped contain all of the kids so that we could sit and talk!

 Abigail liked trying a butter churn...she was pleased to see 'in real life' what it meant when Laura (Ingalls) had to churn the butter.

 One last picture, just because it's sweet.  David and Lauren shared secrets all day long!

David's 8th birthday...dinner and gifts

David chose tacos for his birthday dinner.  No, he is not blinking in this picture...he is enjoying his food!

  We let the kids open one gift on their birthday morning.  David's was a Tom & Jerry DVD.

Some more highlights of gift-time include...

Birthday money from the Midlars (and he loved that their pirate card matched his new pirate shirt!)

  A new board game and a Lego set from Grandpa & Grandma O'Gorman

 A bag of goodies from Grandpa & Grandma McKee -- this was a Lego set

 He was unimpressed with the tiny wrapped boxes of his last gift...until he saw that there was a note inside!

 He followed the note's instructions and ran to our bedroom closet, where he found...

 ...a set of real golf clubs, not only his size, but also left-handed!  That smile you see on his face in this picture didn't fade for a very long time. :)

His Florida birthday party included a tennis rackets and balls from G & G Minota, as well as a real leftie's baseball glove from his uncles and Kristen.  I think we're definitely moving into the next phase of boy-life!

Thank you, everyone!

David's 8th birthday...cake time

Happy birthday to you...!

David's 8th birthday...field trip!

Since David's birthday fell on a school day, I decided to do something special, both for his sake and for mine! :)

  We went hiking with friends at a local historic Civil War battlefield site -- Kennesaw Mountain -- and we had a great time!  Here are all of the kids at an overlook near the top of the mountain...

I have no pictures of David hiking because he was always way ahead of we who were slower!  Here's Abigail, though, posing on the trail.  It was difficult work for her, but she was a trooper!

 After a picnic lunch, we hiked an easier trail, then had some playtime near a stream...it all made for a great day!

Happy birthday

Happy 8th birthday to our sweet David!

You are a precious gift from God and we love you so very much, buddy!!!

School countdown!

Our last day of this school year is

four weeks from today!

It's exciting to be so close to our goal after months of hard work!!!

'Tis the season...

...for sunshine, long and happy afternoons outside, shorts and tank tops, bare feet, scraped up legs...

and ice cream!!!

Meeting chicks

Yesterday we went over to Karen's, where we got to meet their new chicks -- I had forgotten just how cute chicks are!

Together time

Yesterday was one of those days, but despite that the kids and I enjoyed some fun time together.  We went down to the neighborhood tennis court for David to try out the new tennis racket he got for his birthday (early bday present from G & G Minota)...

 ...Bruce's daughter preferred to sit in the shade and read! :)

 We also washed the van...it looked much better after its bath! (Although by the time I rinsed out our stuff and parked the van in the garage, it already had a new film of pollen all over it...grrr!)  The kids also enjoyed some playtime in the hose once we were done with the van...but no pictures, since I was the hose-holder. :)

Nerf gun obsession!

Mindy LOVES David's Nerf guns.  As soon as she hears the 'click' of him loading it up, she crouches, trembles, and makes this funny noise, waiting for him to shoot a dart, which she chases happily...and then crouches and starts asking for another one!!!  I just had to share it...


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Jumping back in with both feet

After our week of vacation, this is a "pay the piper" kind of week!  We hit the ground running yesterday...right after school, we had to go to Abigail's annual PT evaluation.  She did well, scoring at about one year below her age, which is consistent for her.  Considering the hurdles she has had to overcome, she continues to make super progress and we are so thankful, once again, for the happy spirit -- and the dose of spitfire -- that the Lord has given to our precious girl!

After the evaluation -- which was two hours of intense work for Abigail, and two hours of sitting quietly and unobtrusively for David -- and a quick stop at Joann Fabrics, I decided that a reward was definitely in order.  We stopped at a playground on the way home...the kids played happily while I watched their tricks and gamboling (Abigail even got brave enough to go on the big slides all by herself!)...

 ...and all the while, I got to sit on a bench in the sun, sewing the binding on my current quilt...a 'reward' for me, too!

Family vacation in Florida...beach fun

The grand finale of our Florida pictures...beach day!  The weather was perfect, the waves were just right...

~

Bruce and I agreed that taking the grandparents to the beach with us worked out great...we got to sit and relax while the grandparents helped with body-boarding and wave-jumping!!! :-)

 My beach babies

 My honey...the beach is NOT his favorite place to go, but he was a great sport...he slathered in spf 50 and then napped under the umbrella!!!

 From left, the 'beach snorer', the 'beach knitter', the 'beach reader', the 'beach napper'!

My dad and Bruce took turns playing frisbee with David

 When his dad and grandpa needed a break, David played on the edge of the surf

 Abigail set to work building a sand castle (look at that left hand -- woo hoo!)

 Abigail begged her daddy to bury her in the sand, and he obliged...

 ...and David had to get in on it, too!

 We had a wonderful day together!