book of the week (wyatt's version)

right into the first page, wyatt knew he would love reading this book. written by eric berlin, crossword puzzle maker for the new york times, it incorporates fun, problem solving puzzles into the story. there is even a website to print out the puzzles so you do not have to write in the book and ones that are in addition to work on later. must have been written for wyatt!!

SCARED!!

well, as if we are not worried enough about the economic state of our country, community, and family, but now zillow is telling us that our house value has DECREASED in the past 30 days alone by $40,500---a 6.3% drop! i have been watching it over the past 3 days and every day i check it has gone down by another $4,000. what to do??

only room for one

though i need room for 5 (and typically more, plus one dog, groceries, a stroller, on and on), i have always wanted a breezy little vespa! knowing me and my clumsy self i would crash into something, but it would be so fun to just run up to the store when you need to buy one thing! maybe one day!

love it!

tori-attached

i have to say i just adore tori and dean. i do worry about them as EVERY reality couple has eventually broken apart after several years of exposing their relationships on television, however i think she is a great mom and has such an adorable bond with her husband. and she does not shy away from laughing at herself. it is a surprisingly cute show and her babies are precious!

baseball boys

for father's day, i planned a ball game for the boys, todd, and my dad. these are not the best shots, but at least the day was captured!

dodging bridezillas

the bridal show was a blast. the funniest part was ALL the brides. so many could have been great candidates for bridezillas...fully prepared with their binders and reinforcement. the best part of the day was after the show, we went to a local bridal gown shop and aly got to try on beautiful dresses!! what fun!

budding photographer

i always just think it so funny when i unexpectedly upload my photos from my camera and come across pictures taken by my kids that i did not know about. these made me laugh...before and after shot of todd...glad it was caught on film...one second awake, the next sleeping...that is always how he does it! too funny! good shots grace!

any time, any place, any path, any pace

...that is their moto. what a great concept. allowing highschool students to progress at their own pace through academic work, at the same time allowing for life experiences that a classroom cannot teach. i would love to have an experience for my teenagers (yes i know there are still years to go until they will be in 9th grade) that could include travel, exploration, culture, and the ability to grow into an individual unscathed by the conventions of traditional schooling. learning something for knowledge and not for a grade. endless possibilities. worth looking into!!!!

something old something new...

something for us girls to look forward to! off to spend a fun-filled day of planning with aly!

book of the week

kennedy space center

blast off

after 6 canceled launch attempts, we had no expectations and just hoped for the best when we decided last minute to take a 3-hour car trip to watch for wednesday's scheduled take-off. we took the block walk to the beach from our hotel to find a crowd awaiting all with sandy fingers crossed. without a television or radio, we all stood looking to the sky. just then my mom spotted it! we all cheered! it looked as if it was a firey shooting star traveling back to space. we felt so lucky to have witnessed one of the last space shuttles to leave for the stars! then came some splashing on the sandy atlantic shore and then over to the pool for some cannonballs watching the sun set not over the beach as we were used to, but now over the rooftops---east coast felt backwards---sun setting over rooftops and shooting stars going backwards!! more out of this world pics to come!

ghost town in the sky

sometimes, the hokiest, simplest, and all-around cheesy places are the most fun. this "ghost town" was complete with a saloon show with lovely ladies, a real (scary) gun fight, and some put-together-with-spit rides. the kids, of course, thought it was great! the ride up (and even more so down) on the lift was spectacular---the views were beautiful. the kids thought it was AWESOME when we made it literally into the clouds! thanks mom and dad for a GREAT day!

putt putting around

family 4th

4th of july has to be one of my favorite times of year. for so long, i remember wonderful family times and celebrations. our early times were spent on my grandparents farm in georgia, then to their home in florida, and the past few years we have met and celebrated as a group in north carolina at their lake house. the last few years have been increasingly special knowing that these times are so treasured. my grandmother broke from chemo and made it in great spirits. she would not have missed it. her strength and courage has always led our family to keep positive and to truly cherish each day. cannot wait for next year! (by the way, their house is one of my all time favorites...i just walk around mesmerized at all the thought out details and craftsmanship---it is stunning) love my group!

town party

the town of sapphire every year has a cute little 4th of july festival. there always is a chance to win a vacation (this year to myrtle beach) by purchasing a little rubber ducky and then at the end of the day they race them down the creek. ours has yet to win. i really thought with hadley's good luck it would be our year...maybe next time!

chasing waterfalls

a little mix of freezing cold water and couple of crazy kids (and one crazy chris) and you get a fun filled family day!