Spring Break Part 2

We spent Tuesday with Grandma Riley. We ate lunch at  FATZ Cafe with Rhonda, Jordan and Kristine.  It was sooo good!  Then we headed back to Triangle Road for a visit. Grandma Riley is doing a lot better after being hospitalized twice earlier this year. It was so good to spend time with her, she is such an amazing and strong person. The kids love her toy stash and rootbeer floats! Dan and Grandma talked for a long time together while Rhonda, Kristine and I visited with the kids playing. Each time I get to visit with Rhonda I come away loving her more. I watched her patiently and lovingly stop and listen intently to what her Mom had to say. She is so attentive and thoughtful, I want to be more like her! Time always goes by too fast when we are visiting.

Instead of heading to Charleston on Wednesday we decided being with family was more important. So, we opted for planB, the Zoo. I love the Columbia Zoo, it sure beats the National Zoo here. Hollie, Xan and Grandma came with us. We got to enjoy the "grandma pass" which paied for the kids to do all the rides for free. We started and ended with the carousel (I still can't handle those). We stood in a long line for a train ride and then split up so Dan could take Tess and Abby on a pony ride while the rest of us walked around to see all the animals.

After the Zoo we headed back over to Blythewood. Uncle Wayne and his youngest daughter, Sharla, had just flown in for a week long visit. Uncle Bud came down from Prosperity with Drayton and Kelsey. We had a grand'ol time fishing, having a fire in Uncle Herold's shop, roasting hot dogs, visiting and dancing to Uncle Herold's music. We sure loved getting to know Sharla, Chris and their girls. We stayed up late laughing and enjoying their company.

Spring Break Part 1

We started our 8 hour drive to Raleigh late Saturday morning. The week had been so jam-packed making me tired, and Dan's red-eye flight had him exhausted so I drove most of the way. We took a long scenic route rather than being stuck on I-95 for hours in holiday traffic. It was a beautiful day and a gorgeous drive. After church on Sunday, Hollie and Xan caravanned the rest of the way to Grandma Greats with us.

It is so peaceful and enjoyable at Grandma Greats.  Grandma is 94 and is "hanging in there". Her knees and feet make it really hard for her to get around, but she still managed to make me Rice Krispy Treats! She has such a sweet way of making us feel so at home.

After getting the kids in bed Dan and I sat on the floor in Grandma's room and talked to her until 1130. Grandma told us about life during her early 20's and courtship with Grandpa. Dan and I didn't want the night to end with her. She told us something that touched my soul, and tear-ducts: It was after Grandpa had gotten sick...One day Grandpa was waiting for Grandma to return from an errand, he didn't like her to be gone long. (that's were Dan gets it;) He was seated out side on the side porch wating for her. She came home and greated him. Grandpa then said "Momma-girl, promise me that you won't break any of the covenants you've made when I'm gone. Because I want you with me forever." Grandma said she made a little joke and they went inside. Dan and I had never heard that story before and it did our hearts good. That night will be one I will remember and cherish forever.

We spent as much time as possible letting the kids just enjoy Grandma Great and her place. Dan really wanted this trip to be a good one for the kids so he managed to pack Jake's dirt bike. Jake was in heaven riding up an down the dirt road to Uncle Harold's pond, around his house and back. Tess learned to drive the golf cart all by herself this trip.  Between the dirt bike, golf cart, Uncle Harold dog Smudge, and the perfect weather, we were all in heaven.

We had a cookout at the Odum home with Grandma Riley and Aunt Rhonda and Uncle Lee Monday night. Clara doesn't take to new people very well but she took right to Aunt Rhonda. Rhonda had thoughtfully brought Easter eggs and activity sheets for the kids.

True southern way to cool off:)

Collecting the eggs with Grandpa.

Clara's new best friend.

That night I did something I'd never ever done before. I shot an AR15 and handgun. Scared me to death. I had no idea that the rifle would be so loud, and powerful. My shoulder wasn't prepared for the kick, even though they did warn me.  It made me think of soldiers who have gone to war with those, my Dad being one of them. The noise of it all would be so hard to deal with especially when you need to be focused and at your best. It is nothing like what the movies portray. I now know that I will not be touching another gun until I've had the proper training. Scary weapon. 

Grandma reading to the kids from their family history book before bed. 

History Bee

Jacob loves to read and has an amazing memory. Proof: he was one of 3 third graders from his school asked to compete in a county wide history bee competition because of his score on a history test.

He came running off the bus, which is always a very good sign, to tell me his exciting new. The grin of satisfaction on his face is one I hope to see a lot of from him!

With this competition came a commitment to practice for 15 minutes with a group every Tuesday morning for a month and to work at home. Jacob had a packet of history facts, 3 pages front and back, that Dan and I helped him with. One night as I was quizzing him he kept smiling. He told me "Mom, I just can't help smiling when I get it right!" He had those facts down pat!

Jacob, Clara, and I headed to Frederick Community College with plenty of time to spare. We registered Jake and then had an hour to kill before it started. All the schools arrived and put up their school posters, I counted 12 different elementary schools. I noticed that Kemptown didn't have a have a poster, nor a representative/teacher there. Dan was in Washington state all week leading up to the competition and took a red eye flight to make it just in time for the first round of the competition Friday morning. Jacob did a great job. He didn't progress passed the first round. Dan and I sat close enough to hear the questions. Jake got some really hard questions like "What was the name of the Native American group recognized by the president in 2012?" What? Most of the questions Jake got were significantly harder than the other and wasn't on the study material. Jake was really disappointed. Dan and I reassured him and then went out for Jimmy Cones ice cream.

Tess: The Big Fish

Today Tess was awarded the "Big Fish" award at school. This is an award given to one student per class based on their good attitudes. To honor the students they got to eat lunch with their parents on the stage. I picked up a special lunch for she and I, Subway was her request, and got to eat lunch with her and the 3 other kids from the other 2nd grade classes. The principle, Mrs. Canning, read a write up from the teachers that nominated the kids to all the 2nd grade and then presented them with their award. When I got there Tess was nervous to stand in front of all her peers with the principle. I'm so proud of her. Dan is in Washington and hated to miss this special time with Tess.

Tess was the last one to be presented the award. I listened carefully to what the teachers were writing about the students. All the kids nominated were good listeners and accomplished their tasks with good attitudes. Tess was actually nominated by Mrs. Rhinehart, a special aid for her class. Mrs. Rhinehart wrote that Tess is always happy, wearing a smile on her face no matter what the task is. Then what stuck out to me was when Mrs. Rhinehart wrote that "Tess never, ever does anything that would make any student not smile!"  That's Tess. She is such a sweet, kind hearted happy girl. She seeks out those who need a friend.

Congratulations Tess. We are so proud of who you are.

Above: Tess and her 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Burns

Below: Principle Canning with Tess and I

March Madness

It has been a busy month. Full of psychotic weather, silly kids, labor intensive work, and a rollar coaster of emotions.

Weather: This has been a record breaking Winter for Maryland. Super low temps and then a crazy day of warmth. So weird. Lots of snow. The kids will now have to go to school 5 of the 7 days to make up for the 12 snow-days we've had.  Snow is beautiful and I really do like it but we are all ready to enjoy some Spring weather. Little did we know how very muddy our backyard, drainage point for the neighborhood would get!

Silly Kids: Abby is one silly chic! Her wardrobe choices crack me up. 

For pajamas one night she came out wearing this:

 I then enjoyed taking photos of her being silly, and Clara chiming right in. Abby wore this leotard every night for a week.

Work:  Just in time for Spring to come we got our new fireplace installed. Thanks to our tax returns and lot of Dan's hard work it looks great. Dan scrubbed all the creosote off the tiles from the old stove. It really makes a big difference downstairs. We had the fireplace installed on Friday had ourselves a nice cozy fire even though it was in the 60's that day. Then that Sunday it snowed! After 3 uses, Dan has cleaned it and closed it up for the season. We will love it next Winter and will never have to be in a cold house without electricity again!

Dan accomplished two huge projects to go with our new fireplace. He built a wood rack behind our shed and hauled over a quart of wood, not split, to our house! Funny story. After completing the wood rack Dan was concerned about the price of a quart of wood. He prayed that Heavenly Father would help him find free wood. And the very next day I saw on Facebook that some friends of ours came home from church to find a huge tree had fallen on their home. Luckily it didn't do any damage to their home and they gave us the wood! Dan borrowed Mike's truck, rented a Uhaul trailer, and spent 2 hours yesterday lifting hundreds of pounds of wood. He now gets to split it and stack it in his wood rack. So, Heavenly Father answered his prayer immediately, too bad for the Jones's!

He is a busy man that husband of mine! To save us loads of money Dan changed the brakes, front and back, on our Odyssey! He was a bit nervous yet confident that he could do it. After watching youtube videos and reading up on it he did it. And we are still fine!!!

Dan has started running again and is doing plenty of weightlifting with all his projects!

I have gradually started to exercise again. I tore a ligament in my knee last October. After staying off of it for months since we didn't want to pay for an MRI and praying the pain would just go away, it hasn't. I just went to the doctor again and wills start physical therapy for my knee. My knee cap is off center and when I exercise, do stairs or get down on my knee, it gets off track. Physical therapy will teach me how to strengthen the muscles and tape/brace the knee cap so it stays on track. I am really enjoying spin class and Zumba at a local mom/pop gym. Clara is going through some serious separation anxiety stuff making it impossible to leave her at the day care for more than 10 minutes. I've successfully woken up at 5:10A.M all of 3 times now to get to class. I'm try to get classes in on Saturday's and when Dan works from home.

I finished 2 blog books and ordered them. I finally framed our family pictures and Dan helped me hang them. And lastly, I registered Abby for Kindergarten!

The next big project:  plant a GARDEN!

Emotions: We miss Buddy. It was a really tough first week after we said goodbye. I felt like the worlds worst parent ever! Clara has become incredibly defiant. NO is her favorite word. Yet she is also very clingy to me wanting to be held a lot more and never left. Did I mention how much we miss our dog! I miss my parents and sisters. With so many projects recently there are tired, often cranky people in our home right now.

General Conference will hopefully help us all settle our emotions a bit.