A few more pictures from Spring Break - Stone Mountain

Being goofy.... as usual

Posing at the top of the mountain

Slowly making our way up the mountain

Do you see a theme?

How did those little legs make it all the way to the top and back down? We aren't sure.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for:
1. The bumper of my van will be fixed by the other person's insurance
2. We were blessed throughout our camper incident and get to pick up our new camper tomorrow (it's used but new to us)
3. The new camper has a bathroom :-)
4. I am able to help John out at the office but still have a flexible schedule
5. Reeses peanut butter eggs (not diet friendly and very addicting but still yummy for a little sugar boost)
6. Spring and all the flowering bushes and trees (not overly thankful for the pollen though. It's bothering me)
7. the dollar store - love it.
8. hearing Elisabeth recite her memory verses that she learns at MMO.
9. that summer is almost here
10. the blessings God gives us

More Spring Break pictures - The High Museum of Art

Ansley's masterpiece. She painted it at the kid's area at The High Museum.

One of my favorite paintings at The High
John's favorite painting of the day. It's a Norman Rockwell. Never seen Norman do a pirate scene.

Ansley at The High Museum of Art - Atlanta
Elisabeth at The High Museum of Art - Atlanta

Ansley sitting on the lawn at The High

Taking a lunch break after seeing the Terracotta Warrior exhibit

Ansley doing cartwheels on the lawn of The High Museum of Art

Spring Break

Wow - I haven't been here in a LONG time!

Ron, Jan and the girls

Ansley and Elisabeth brushing Oreo. Oreo is a Kune Kune pig (pronounced cooney cooney). We just like saying it.

Mom and the girls at the zoo

Surrounded by bamboo at the Atlanta zoo

The kids feeding parakeets at the zoo

Elisabeth and her parakeet

Last week was Spring Break for the kids. John took a few days off so we could go to Atlanta and be tourists and do some of the things we never get to do when we visit there. We had a nice, much needed, relaxing time. We took the dogs with us so they could play in the lake at Ron and Jan's. Belle loved the water and it was funny watching her entertain herself swimming back and forth and splashing and trying to eat the water. Winston just watched and took it all in. He's getting older and his hips hurt him so he's just content sitting on the dock and watching the other dog be goofy and crazy in the water. We even took them out on the pontoon boat. Neither dog fell overboard and they didn't knock any children in. I call that a successful pontoon boat ride! The water was too cold for the kids to swim in........they were so disappointed and I really believe that they would have swam in the cold water anyway if we had let them.

We also visited the Atlanta zoo which I haven't been to in years (many many years). It looks so different. I didn't even recognize it. The weather was beautiful and the kids had a great time. The pandas were cool to see. I've only been to one other zoo with pandas (Washington D.C) so it's always neat to see some. They are rare. Someday I am determined to go to Chengdu China where the Panda Research/Breeding Center is and pay to be able to hold a baby panda. It's one of those things on my list to do before I die. Kind of like the bucket list.

Let's see.....on Friday we went to the High Museum of Art to see the Terracota Warrior Exhibit before it packed up and left. Another place on my bucket list is Xi'an China to see the "real" Terracotta Warrior exhibit. I want to see it bad! I find all of it completely fascinating. We haven't been to the High Museum in years either so it was neat to take the girls there and make a day of it.

Last but not least we climbed Stone Mountain and stayed for the laser show. Ansley has climbed Stone Mountain several times but Elisabeth never has. We felt she was ready and could probably make it to the top. And she did! We aren't sure how those little legs made it up and back down without having anyone carry her. She was so proud! Again the weather was just right.....not too hot and not too cold. It did get chilly during the laser show but it was bearable. The laser show was good and the kids thought it was great. They had never seen anything like it before. We had a picnic on the lawn before the show and the kids were able to run around and play and do cartwheels. It was a fun (but exhausting) day.

Unfortunately Spring Break had to end and instead of being able to be on "vacation" and be tourists all the time, we had to come back to home to reality and go back to work and school. Boo Hoo! It was fun while it lasted though!!

Happy Easter!

Easter morning family picture

Elisabeth and her prized cotton candy. What was the Easter bunny thinking?

Yay! The Easter bunny came!

Ansley and her Easter cookies

Coloring eggs

Today was a lovely day and relaxing too. Just the way it should be. I got our Easter clothes all ready the night before and prepared part of the meal the night before so I wouldn't be so rushed this morning. I knew this morning would be busy enough.....with the Easter bunny stuff and having to take pictures before we left for church. The girls were so excited that the Easter bunny came. They got chocolate bunnies, cotton candy, peeps (of course), peanut butter eggs, M&M's, and lots of other stuff. The Easter bunny was good to them this year. The only bad part about the Easter bunny bringing so much candy is that we had some major sugar highs and lows today. There were times when it got downright ugly. But nothing a good nap couldn't fix! After church we ate our delicious meal (thanks in part to HoneyBaked ham....yum yum!). And then we headed out to hide 84 eggs in the front yard for the kids to find. They found them all! And yes they had more candy in them.......plus some stickers and some money. Gotta love eggs with money in them! We all took a nap (except Ansley) then we headed outside this evening to blow bubbles and enjoy the last part of the day before the sun went down. It was a great Easter day and we are so thankful that Christ died and rose again just like he said he would! He has risen......He has risen indeed!

The sickness is gone.....I hope!

A few days after my last post the sickness marathon began. It started with Ansley suddenly having a 103 fever. Her fever lasted all day everyday for 4 days. She missed a week of school and as much as I tried to avoid it I became the next victim. I thought I was going to die! A 103 fever feels terrible! I tested positive for the flu.......so I took Tamiflu. It made me sick to my stomach and the medicine they gave me for that made me drowsy. It was a terrible 5 days! John also got sick at the same time and then Elisabeth was the last to get it. The last 2 weeks have been a blur and thank goodness we are almost back to 100%........just in time for Spring Break! Trust me....nobody ever wants to get the flu. I wouldn't wish it on my enemy!

John and I are glad to say goodbye to March and are hoping April will be much better. March brought a stolen pop-up camper, my grandmother's death, the flu and then my car being rear-ended while I sat innocently at a redlight. The insurance company knows me well by now!! On a positive note we were able to get money for our poor stolen camper and now we are in the process of searching for another one. I have reservations to camp the 1st weekend of May so the time crunch search is on! Then we have to totally re-stock the inside of the camper. I like to shop so that shouldn't be a problem. We also found a new place to store it this time so hopefully no one will drive off with it again!

Other than sickness and a whole lot of talking to the insurance company there really hasn't been much going on. We are looking forward to celebrating Easter this weekend. Looks like the weather might be a little warmer than it is this week (thank goodness) so we should be able to squeeze in some Easter egg hunts and get some good pictures. I am boiling eggs as we speak so we can dye eggs tonight! We wish you and your family a wonderful blessed Easter!