Christmas 2009

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What a difference three years makes...

Just had the FCHE Cotillion 2009 and it was so much fun. This was the second time that Judson and Caroline participated in the cotillion. The first time was three years ago in 2006. Caroline wore white gloves! Could not get her to do that this year. It was beautiful and once again we served the kids a five course meal with dancing and sign language in between. They have grown up sooo much. I tried to take their photo in the same place as last time.

Rainy days in Georgia

It has been raining in Cumming for more than a week straight! Yesterday we had so much rain that schools and roads were closed all over. Here is a picture of Windermere Park that the kids and I just went to last week for our nature walk. It was covered with water and the picnic tables were literally taken away by water. Judson is just like his father and was absolutely captivated by the weather. They drove around looking at all the flooding and had so much fun. Caroline and I on the other hand, went to mall and stayed inside instead. Hardly anyone was at the mall and we had our own fun there. The kids are growing so fast that it is hard to keep them in clothing that fits. We shopped for her ONLY and she (of course) said it was the best day ever. She has a new favorite store (Macy's) and loved trying on clothes for hours.... I LOVE having a girl!

Judson's 11th birthday

Judson would probably say this was a weird birthday. I know it definitely wasn't his favorite..but every birthday can't be your favorite, can it? Somehow, things just didn't seem to work out right. HOWEVER, the good outweighed the bad and the birthday was had anyway. Let me post the pros and cons....

PROS
* Judson is in good health on his day of celebration!
* Judson played in his first football game of the season...and they won 14-0.
* Judson's grandparents came to see him play and took us to eat lunch at Red Robin.
* Judson's granma made him the cutest football birthday cake and it was delicious.
* The day before his bday, Judson had cake and ice cream (and presents) with his
Sawnee Mountain Boys group.
* Judson recieved 25 emails wishing him a happy birthday.
* Judson got lots of gifts and mostly money from friends and relatives.
* Judson had his best friend, Mac, spend the night and played Spore, XBOX, and watched movies and football all night long.
* Auburn beat Mississippi State!

CONS
* Judson has been wanting a fishing boat for "his whole life" as he puts it. He has been saving money for at least three years and has been wanting to make the purchase this year. He and his daddy found a boat on CraigsList whose owner was in Cumming. They happened to be the second caller on the boat and it was sold to the first guy.
* Judson got a "King Kong" movie from his parents. When he opened the movie box, it was completely empty. I took it back to WalMart and wouldn't you know...there were no more "King Kong" movies?!
* Judson wanted Pillsbury Apple Turnovers for breakfast and we could not find them anywhere! Brant went to three stores to look for them.
* Judson's little sister, Caroline was sick and the cupcakes we made for the team celebration had to be thrown out due to contamination! They were so cute too!

Wanted to write all this down because sometimes in a "just turned" eleven's eyes some things can be distorted and the slightest disappoint can seem so BIG! Isn't it wonderful that we do grow out of this stage? Well, some of us do! :)

Nature Walks

Every Wednesday this school year we are going to take nature walks. The kids love it. They get to experience God's creation up close and personal. Each week they seem to find one thing to focus on. Afterwards, they sketch, paint or write about what they have seen in their nature journals. We took our cameras last week and took lots of pictures. Windermere Park was our walking place...

Judson's first game

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Brant gets an iPhone and goes mobile with the kids....

Due to the economy and the decrease in real estate market, I have taken a 7 on 7 off job at the hospital. Brant has taken the kids to Whitewater Park and Six Flags in the last two weeks. He has been able to do this because of the iPhone and being able to work on the go. Here are some photos from their trips!

Hooper Academy 25th High School Class Reunion

On July 25th, my class at Hooper Academy held its 25th class reunion. It was great to see old friends and reconnect with them. Alot of us have facebook pages and have become "friends" again through the Internet. Tina Bullard and I have remained close through the years and I can honestly say that she is still my best friend. We went to the reunion together because Brant had to stay and be with Judson for football evaluations.

Judson is playing football!

Judson has asked to play football for a few years now but finally Mom gave in! :) We were told that he would probably cry and whine and want to quit after the first couple of practices. Not Judson! He was ready to go back for more! Of course, he hasn't gotten HIS lights knocked out yet, but he has levelled some other boys. After hearing about this, Mom asked him if he apologized to the other boy (who had to go home after Judson knocked the wind out of him). Judson and Brant thought Mom was crazy to suggest such a thing! Judson said, "You don't apologize in football!". Here are some pics from his first practice!

Callaway Gardens

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First day @ Callaway

We are at Callaway Gardens on a mini vacation. We are here playing golf on our first day. Took advantage of a Stimulus Package for $99 a night with free golf, boat rental and garden entry...

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Summer is here!

Summer is here...I am still working full time evenings, at least four nights a week from 2:30pm until 11pm. Judson and Caroline are being sloths. We have let them watch TV, swim, have sleepovers and basically hang out and do nothing for about three weeks now. I know why I like for school to start! They are taking guitar and violin lessons through the summer on Tuesdays. Judson will be playing football in the fall and is getting geared up to practice three days a week for three hours each. Whew! Caroline will be working towards her black belt this fall while Judson is at football. Brant is getting busier with real estate but it is still SLLOOWW. We have learned to spend less and use coupons alot! We have to take a July vacation this year and it may be spent at home. We will see.... Here are some pics from summer so far...

Caroline's softball season Spring 2009

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Henry turns 50!

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Spring is here...well almost!

So sad that I have not been blogging much. Mainly due to working, homeschooling, working, homeschooling, games, church, etc. I started back full time on February the 1st and have been going full speed ever since. Every day seems to go at an alarming speed. I went with my sisters to the Creekside Women's Retreat in March right before Caroline's 9th birthday. We have had a great school year so far. Judson has won several contests...a Geography Bee put on by our homeschool group and he won first place in a 4H public speaking contest (county and district). He gave a presentation on Tae Kwon Do...the history and also all that it took to become a black belt. Brant and Caroline just went to the Father/Daughter Dance last Saturday night. It was a Medieval theme and they had more fun than they have ever had at a dance! Softball and baseball seasons have started. Judson got the first game ball of the season. He played catcher for the entire game and had some big hits and outs. Two of his friends are on the team (Andrew Eitel and Hunter Macauley) and Brant is helping coach. Two of Caroline's friends are on her team as well (Avery Snow and Amelia Schouten). She is really hitting well!

The Year in Review 2008

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