Guess Where We Went

I'll give you some hints.

Friday evening we went to a "mall"...

Mom and kids

Dad and kids

Cousin Abe and kids (According to Grammy, he really is our cousin!)

And Saturday we spent the day in 1799...

Kids in front of the mansion

Kids with our kind host

More photos to follow later...after Mom gets some sleep!

What's Your Favorite Ice Cream?

It's time for another Math Graph.

What's your favorite ice cream?

(Please choose from the three favors below.)

vanilla

chocolate

strawberry

Leave a comment and tell us your favorite. We'll post the results this weekend after everyone has time to post.

Feel free to go out and sample all three before voting! :)

Thanks,

H and B

One word...

*CINNABONS!*

(okay, 2 more words...*EXTRA ICING!*)

Poison Ivy

This has been an unusual week. H's poison ivy was a major distraction to her Monday. Tuesday morning I found an email from a friend that suggested trying hot water to help with the itching. So she took 3 showers/baths that day.

Wednesday morning we were late for her art class due to more itching issues. Her art teacher suggested Zan**fel which is available over the counter. So off we went to our usual store for a rather expensive purchase. It was worth it though! I helped her "scrub" with it yesterday afternoon. She had very little itching the rest of the day. She even went to church and felt good.

This morning, she looked soooooooooo much better! There were still a few places that itched so we "scrubbed" again. It was a rather un-itchy day for her. Her face has not itched at all. She did take some Ben*dr*l at bedtime both nights. I think when she is still, she starts thinking about it more. But it has cleared up quite a bit just since yesterday so for that we are thankful. Thank you for all the prayers and encouraging emails.

I have not taken any photos because she does not like seeing it on her. Her right eye was almost swollen closed when she woke up Tuesday morning. Now there are not even any blisters that are noticeable on her face.

Today's Quote

"You're the best mommy in the whole world." (pause) "Even when I don't obey." (smile and hug)

-E

More Upwards Photos

Upwards Celebration

We had our Upwards Celebrations today. Here are a few photos from the day...

"This is almost like being in the Olympics!"

There's our H just after she received her "award"...an Upwards backpack.

H and her coach

35 years and counting

I was blessed with a second brother 35 years ago today.

John, me, Shawn and Tony

Dad, Shawn, EK, H, Ethan, and B

More photos to come later...

Happy birthday, Shawn!
We love you!

Snowhenge

Two days after it snowed, we still had plenty of snow on the ground. H convinced Dad to help her build a snow man.

H and her snowman

Dad and Mr. Snowman

Dad was able to get a wall for a fort around Mr. Snowman. They named it Snowhenge. :)

The snow is almost gone now. We're suppose to be near 80 degrees this weekend. Spring is beginning to creep in...too bad our daffodils didn't survive to see it.

Happy Birthday Grammy!

Someone special is having a birthday today...

Who is this lady pushing us!?

"We're not sure what a wedding is or why we're here, but may we have some more cake now?"

This was taken at last year's birthday celebration. (You should have come back to NC this year. We would have made you another cake.)



There are always some clothes to play dress up when she comes to visit.

Lots and lots of grandchildren being silly.

"Oh boy! That's just what I wanted!"

She loves to go to gospel concerts. Here she is with Ms. Fannie who celebrated her 90th birthday on New Year's Eve 2008. They are concert-going buddies.

And when (if?) I find the whole family photo on my computer, it will go right here.

Happy birthday, Grammy!

We love you!

Another Snow Day

We awoke this morning to about 3 inches of snow. March has come "in like a lion"!

Our view from the kitchen widow.

The snow was only on one side of the trees. The kids found this quite interesting.

Unfortunately, we had a house full of sickness that day. So to enjoy the snow, we made Molasses Candy from a passage in L*ttle H**se in the B*g W**ds. (Our devoted LHOP fan, H, thought of it.) We found a recipe and Dad went to the store for some molasses.

The candy hardened quickly once it was poured over the snow.

A happy candy maker.

Last game!!

Yesterday was our last Basketball games( For me and H.) My team is called the Junior Wolves and we were agianst the Junior Lions( I scored 3 goals.) H's team was the Lady Volunteers and they were agianst the Lady Wolfpack( she scored 2 goals and a free throw but one goal did not count because she traveled before she shot.) At H's game my friend Kohle was there and I played with him because his sister Alexandra was on H's team.

That's all for right now!
~B

(Forgive the dark photos. That's just how they are.)

Little Brothers

This may sound silly but I'll say it anyway.

(For those who don't know my brothers, I'm the oldest of 4 children and the only girl.)

Almost six years after the first of my brothers became a dad, I still find it hard to believe sometimes that any of my brothers are dads now. It's not that they are not good dads, it's just that they aren't suppose to be old enough (and responsible enough?:) to be dads.

Having said that, my middle brother had this to say on his blog today. It made me laugh so I thought I'd share it with you.

And by the way, he really is a good dad! I may get used to his "dadhood" by the time he's a granddad. And then there will be a whole new issue to deal with. But we'll save that for another post a very long time from now!

Renaissance Afternoon of the Arts

We had our Unit Celebration for our 2nd unit Sunday afternoon. We're halfway through Unit 3 now but it was fun to remember all we studied before the Christmas break.

The older students performed "While Shakespeare Slept" and one of his sonnets. Some students also gave short presentations on some of the artists of the time. They all did a wonderful job!

We then enjoyed a "reception at the art gallery" that featured many of our students' art work. Here are our four with their masterpieces.

That's E's artwork at the very top of the photo.

C's artwork is just above her head.

B painted the one at the top left (blue wavy lines in it) of his friend, Toby. While B was painting Toby, Toby was painting B. I think it's the one just above B's head.

H and her friend, Kaitlyn, painted each other. H's painting is the one in the middle of the photo (red top with black dots). I think the painting of H is the one in the bottom right corner of the photo.

Here's Dad looking at C and E's books that contain most of their work up until now.

It was a nice afternoon celebrating all the students had learned. Thanks to all the moms who made it possible!

Happy Valentine's Day

I had good intentions of posting fun photos for Valentine's Day. But instead I spent all afternoon at the ER with H. Her arm is still bothering her so I called our pediatrican. Their office was closed so I was told to go to the ER.

New x-rays did not show any fractures. However, to be on the safe side she was put in a "split"...it's pretty much a cast...from above her elbow to her fingers. We'll see an orthopedist next week to make sure everything is okay. In the meantime, she's excited to not have to practice her piano or do handwriting.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Happy birthday - and not just to Abe!

Today is a special day as we celebrate the birthday of President Abraham Lincoln.

Today is also a special day as we celebrate the birthday of our friend, Miss Jane.

Brent "volunteered" Jane to participate in a "show" on the boat ride we took with her and Laura while we still lived in Virginia. That's one of the wonderful things about Miss Jane...she has a great attitude about most everything! Even a pastor who volunteers her without asking first!! :) We call this photo "Miss Jane, the Rock Star". You rock, Miss Jane!

When we moved from Texas to Virginia, I was expecting H. I prayed that God would put someone in our path who would be like a grandparent to our children since we would be so far away from both sets of grandparents. Little did we know that God had a very special lady in Virginia Beach who would become such a good friend to us. She was truly an answer to a prayer! And the only person we would let babysit our little ones for quite some time!

It's always a big day when Miss Jane is coming to visit.

All those years of teaching first grade come in handy when you have one kid after another wanting to sit in your lap. Miss Jane knows more kiddie songs and poems than any other person I know.


So Miss Jane, we hope you have a wonderful birthday! Take it easy and have a good time celebrating YOU!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

(Notice I didn't tell them that you're turning 73 today. Oops..did I say that!?)

Ponytails and Campfires

If you've been around C and E for very long, you know they like to "fix your hair". (Just catch a glimpse of me at any Upwards game!) One morning while I was helping H and B with school, the twins were upstairs and were quiet. A little too quiet. So I walked over to the stairs and said, "Girls, what are you doing?" I heard giggles then they appeared at the top of the stairs to show me their "pretty hair" they had done for each other. (This was pre-birthday package, Heather.)

C and E showing off their "pretty hair"

Everything is funny these days with the twins. How many ponytails will fit on one little girl's head?

We've enjoyed unseasonably warm weather this week. Monday evening Dad decided to build a campfire so the kids could make smores. We invited the Notts to come join the fun. Here's most the gang enjoying a smore.

Ethan was a big help with the little ones including his brother, David.

The gang's all here. C, E, H, Ethan, David and B

(Mom, Mrs. Nott and little Jonathan didn't make any of the photos.)

Update:

H's arm is improving each day. We're still not sure if she'll play in the game this week but she'll be on the bench either way.

Super Bowl Fun

Dad and B are at the Nemitz' home tonight watching the Super Bowl with a bunch of guys. So we saved Alexa from a house full of guys by inviting her over to have some "super bowl" fun with us. We had a Cookie Bowl! :) Here are the four girls getting the first batch of cookies ready to go in the oven.

Of course with four girls in the house, there was more than just baking going on. H and A dressed up like fairies (notice the wings). All the girls played outside, watched an episode of Little H*use on the Pr*irie, colored, played Miss Mary Mack, and lots of other fun girl stuff.