Unit Celebration and Dad's Birthday

Hannah's projects

Brock's projects

Hannah in her Hebrew costume, Brock in his High Priest costume (minus the hat we couldn't find)

Happy birthday, Dad!!

Enjoying some of Dad's birthday cupcakes before bedtime

Our unit celebration with our co-op happened to be on Brent's birthday. We had a seder meal that evening with a gentleman from the International Jewish Mission Board leading us. It was quite an experience for the kids (mom and dad too). Hannah and Brock had most their projects displayed before the meal. It was encouraging listening to them talk about what they learned while doing each project. (You can click on the photos to enlarge them and see more details of the projects. You just might learn something:) We are really enjoying our Tapestry of Grace curriculum.

We celebrated Brent's birthday when we got home. A cupcake before bedtime is always a treat at our home. It was a late night but we made to it soccer on time the next morning!

Our Day at the Fair

Mom and Hannah (pink shirt on left side of photo) riding the swings

The roller coaster was a big hit! (See three smiling children in back of the ride!) Brent told them to "hang on" and "hang on" they did.

Corinne and Emma's first ride at the fair. Brock went along to take care of them:)

Hannah convinced the potter to give her a turn.

We went to the state fair a couple of weeks ago. The kids had a good time. Hannah and Brock rode the big ferris wheel with Brent. Hannah rode it last year but Brock didn't want to. This year he walked right up to it and got on like it was no big deal. What a difference a year can make.

After a full day of rides, seeing animals and crafts, and eating a fried Snickers bar, we went to Jason's Deli for dinner before heading home. Hannah wants to enter a craft through our 4-H club next year. We'll see if she gets it done...

Brock's 5th Birthday

Well, I have been trying to post photos all weekend but something is wrong with the site. There are lots of things to tell, but "what's a blog without pictures?!" - Brent Freeland :)

Brock turned 5 today. We're having his party this Thursday so there will be plenty more to tell then. He had a fun day of church, spaghetti and cupcake for lunch, watching football and bike racing on tv, talking on the phone to those who called and going to KidStuf. His very thoughtful sisters got him a KidStuf shirt for his birthday but it was dirty (did I mention we had spaghetti?) before he could wear it tonight. Next week we'll let him put it on right before we leave!

We went to the state fair Thursday, had our unit celebration for co-op and celebrated Brent's birthday Friday, and had soccer games and basketball evaluations Saturday. I'll post photos as soon as it's working again.

Have a great week!!

Soccer, KidStuf, Linen Closet and Ziggurats

My, oh my...it has been 3 weeks since I posted anything. I'm not sure where the time has gone. Brock wants me to tell you that he scored TWO goals at his soccer game two weekends ago (he was sick this past weekend and didn't play). Hannah scored a goal two weekends ago as well. So we celebrated with lunch and ice cream at McDonalds.


For those who have followed our blog for a while, you'll remember reading about KidStuf. Well, the new year is off and running with all four of our kids loving it (although Brock will tell you he doesn't like it...but he wants a t-shirt!:) Corinne and Emma even do the hand motions and clapping with the songs. They are really cute even though they are my own children. This month's virtue is RESPECT and it could not have come at a better time. It has been encouraging to see Hannah begin to connect all the virtues together, realizing that you can show RESPONSIBLITY and INITIATIVE at the same time for example.


My own personal greatest achievement the past few weeks has been my linen closet. Oh yes, my linen closet. You see, it has been a mess of clutter for most the time we've lived here. Just one of those "areas" I never got around to "fixing". However, Hannah and I showed some INITIATIVE (still lovin' those virtues!) and emptied the closet a few weeks ago. When we finally got the "keeper" stuff back in there, it looked right nice! I'll show you a photo just in case you don't believe me:)

My linen closet...you can even see the shelving!

We were studying about Mesapotamia and the Tower of Babel a couple of weeks ago. Hannah and Brock made these ziggurats at co-op out of sugar cubes and cake icing. They were disappointed that they couldn't keep them but taking a photo for the blog made them happy again. If you're not sure what a ziggurat is, read about them at this website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziggurat

Hannah's ziggurat

Brock's ziggurat

Bahamas Cruise - The Rest of the Story

Brent and I went for a ride on the "banana boat" (yellow boat behind Hannah)

Family photo with ship in background

Dinner after afternoon on Paradise Island

Fun times on Celebration (thanks Miss Laura for our fun t-shirts!)

Fun ice cream desserts on Celebration

Okay, guess I better finish telling about our cruise before it's a new month. After Hannah got her hair braided and we had lunch, we took a taxi to Paradise Island for another afternoon at the beach. This beach water wasn't as smooth as Freeport. We did manage to have a good time though:) Where there's sand and water, the kiddos are happy. Happy kiddos make happy parents (and happy Grammy).


Brent and I rode on the "banana boat". That was an interesting experience. Sorry but no photos...well, no digital photos. (Where are my photos, Mom?)

We had not eaten in the formal dining room because we had a late dining. The evening we were at Nassau, they had open seating so we got dressed up a little and had a formal dinner. One of the best things about cruising is the food. Hannah ate steak every chance she got and that evening was no exception. We enjoyed cake for dessert (courtesy of Miss Laura).

Our last day was "at sea" so the kids spent the morning at Camp Carnival while Mom, Brent and I went to the Gospel Show (did I mention this was the Elvis cruise?) After lunch the older two kids went back to Camp Carnival while we napped/took it easy.

We had such a good time. Now that we know the kids do well on ships, we're ready for a 7-night! :) Wonder what trip I can win next...

Hannah's Hair - 2 weeks later

Lots of curls from the braids

Much to Hannah's dismay we took out the braids after her first soccer game. They had been in for two weeks. Her hair was beginning to look unkept and we were afraid it would start breaking. It took me almost as long to take down the 36 braids as it did to get it braided. Brent even helped some. It was just as fun having curls for a few hours as it was having braids for our sweet girl. What a fun memory she has!!

Nassau, Bahamas - Hannah's Hair

BEFORE: Breakfast on ship before disembarking at Nassau

Let the braiding begin...

and braiding...

and braiding...(chewing her gum got more intense at times)

AFTER: and it's finally finished!

We let Hannah get four braids while at Freeport. That night and the next morning, she kept asking to get ALL her hair braided. We finally said "yes" when we were walking through Nassau. It was a good thing Grammy had given her a piece of gum to chew! I told her that she can NEVER complain again about me fixing her hair!!!! She loved it and we just took the braids out Saturday night. Thankfully, her hair is okay and she has beads to make a necklace to remember her Bahamas souvenir.

Soccer Season is HERE!

Brock's first play of the season for the opening kick

Brock throwing in the ball...do you see the ball?

Hannah playing defense...it's not very busy on this end of the field

Hannah running to join her teammates after throwing in the ball

Well, we were back on the soccer field again today. Brock's team plays then Hannah's team plays. Brock had only practiced one time, Hannah had not practiced at all thanks to the rain that came through last night. It was still a fun day and both teams will improve as the season progresses. No goals for either of them today but Brock came close...which was very exciting to him:)

Freeport, Bahamas

Corinne and Brock...first morning at sea sitting in window in stateroom

Funtimes in the water for Hannah, Corinne and Brock

Brock, Hannah and Brent enjoying the water

Brock having a good time!

Emma and Corinne playing on bed

Our first port of call was Freeport, Bahamas on Friday. After a 40 minute rain shower just as we were disembarking, we took a taxi to the beach. That was perhaps the best beach we have ever visited. The water was SO calm! The kids had a great time playing in the sand and water. I think Grammy dug at least a dozen holes in the sand with them. I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story for the day...

Sunset at sea...leaving Freeport, Bahamas

Last Minute Vacation

There's something wonderful about a last minute vacation. That's what we experienced over Labor Day weekend. I won a cruise in a contest for travel agents. Long story short, we ended up taking the kids and my mom too. We left Jacksonville, FL last Thursday and sailed to Freeport, Bahamas for Friday. Saturday we were at Nassau, Bahamas. Sunday was a day "at sea" then we drove back home from Jacksonville Monday. We had such a good time! It was the perfect length for the kids' and mom's first cruise.

These photos were taken as the ship was leaving the Port of Jacksonville. I'll post more about our vacation within the next few days.

Brock's First Soccer Practice

It's September and soccer season is beginning. Brock had his first practice tonight. He's the one in the red shirt. His team is the Hokies (same name as Hannah's two years ago). Hannah's team this year is the Fog. She'll be playing with most the same kids again. The first game for both teams is next Saturday.

Corinne's First Haircut

Corinne got her first "official" haircut Friday afternoon. She was excited about it until it was time to climb into the chair. Two of the stylists, Brent and I did some fast talking and kept her calm. One of the ladies gave Corinne her cell phone to hold. That did the trick! And I had candy in my pocket for those moments when her bottom lip started to quiver:) It didn't take more than two minutes to get her "baby mullet" cut off! Now she looks like such a big girl with a little "bob".

Tent City

I went on a women's retreat with my church to Ridgecrest (near Asheville, NC) the first weekend of August. I left at lunchtime Friday and got home just before bedtime Sunday night. When I got home, I found "Tent City" in our playroom. (I guess a better name would be "Comforter Town".) Hannah and Brock spent three nights there before I sent in the demolition crew on Monday.

Needless to say the kids had a great time with Dad all weekend. I think they missed me a little bit though. That's what I'm telling myself anyway:)

All the Freeland Family

We were in Tenn in July and took this family photo at the 4th of July picnic. I snagged it off Brian and Debbie's blog today. Stephen, Connie and Jess are on the left. We're in the middle. Brian, Debbie and Jessica are on the right. Of course that's Nana and Pawpaw standing behind us.

"Come See Us"

My cousin, Dodie, and her family moved from Penn to Minnesota last month. She mailed out a card with their new info. The card read something like "The Johnson family has moved to Minnesota. Come see us in our new home!" Brock was reading the card to me and said, "Hey, Mom, they said 'come see us'. When can we go? Maybe for dinner?" I told him that was a little too far away for dinner but maybe sometime on vacation. Brock is looking forward to our Minnesota vacation:)

Pirates of Youngsville

Hannah and Brock disappeared upstairs for about 30 or 40 mintues one afternoon while I was cooking dinner. I could hear lots of laughing and playing over the monitor so I didn't pay much attention to them. They were playing nicely so why interrupt!? When I called them downstairs for dinner, this is what we saw...

Brent told Hannah she looks more like a librarian but she insists she's a pirate.

The Days of I

If you were around the twins from the time they started talking, you know that they called each other "I" (or "eye" or "ai" or any other way it could be spelled...we're not sure what they meant). Anyway, about 6 months ago Corinne began calling Emma by her name, but Emma continued calling Corinne "I".

Well, as of the past few days we've heard her say "Co-win" many times. It seems that those precious days of one of our favorite memories of the twins being toddlers is passing. Now be sure that if Emma is highly irritated or excited, Corinne is still "I"! :)

Here's a photo of them eating dinner with their bicycle helments on (am I THAT bad of a cook!?) and one of Emma "brushing" Corinne's teeth when Mommy isn't looking (or so they thought). To keep my name clear, I had just brushed their teeth but not put away the toothbrushes.