December happenings

Brief summary:
1. Cody had his first band concert. It was a great success and he did well.
2. Jonathan's birthday in Charlottesville
3. Jonathan painted our bedroom for my birthday. It looks super!!
4. Jonathan and the boys were home ALL day for 3 Saturdays in a row.
5. Chloe and I had a girls only date for lunch and shopping. She was very excited that there were NO boys and that we were shopping. She did not want to stop.
6. I decided to work at blogging again:)) Thanks for all the "gentle" reminders from everyone.

Blizzard 2009

The snow began about 6:00 last night and it is currently still snowing. We have over 2 feet of snow!!

Christmas Tree

We did our normal and went and chopped down 2 Christmas trees. It has snowed the day before so it was messy and cold.

First Snow

We were suppose to go get our Christmas tree today, but the weather has a different thought. It began to snow not long after we got up and continued most of the day. We enjoyed chilling at home!!

Jonathan's Birthday

The kids and I took off from school to go with Jonathan and Chloe to Charlottesville. They went to a doctor's appointment and the boys and I hung out at a children's mueseum. We then went to see Blindside. It was a great day!!

Thanksgiving in NC

Thanksgiving play

We had Thanksgiving at the Clifton house with many friends. The kids did a play about the celebration.

CWAC opened

Coffee with a Cause opened the doors.

Snapper Mower

Papa decided Cody needed a mower and so he got him one as a surprise. Both Cody and Keegan are enjoying it.

Camping with the Childers

We went camping at the Occoneechee State Park. It was really nice and we had a fun time!!

 

Cow N Corn

A whole crew of us went with our kiddos to Cows n Corn. It was very hot, but with a nice breeze we survived and the kids had a super time. We would like to go back to the fall events.

 

Papa visit

Papa came to visit and hang out with us before we go back to school. We visited the air mueseum and Frying Pan Park. It was fun!!

 

Papa dress

My dad bought Chloe this beautiful dress all by himself!! I was quite impressed with his choice as was Chloe.

 

My baby boy turns 8!!

Kale turned 8 today!! It is hard to realize my boys are growing up so fast. Kale chose to just hang with the family for his day. He wanted to eat at Cici's, get ice cream, and go to Funland. We did Cici's and ice cream, but will have to do Funland another time. We had a card with money on it, but the card got left at home. He also went to Target to pick up a flag football set and a few pair of shorts. Nana Jo and Nama had sent money and Papa had money at the bank for Kale. He had plenty to spend and even saved some.

Kale has always been and continues to be a VERY laid back boy. Not much phases him!! He loves all his grandparents, but he has a very special relationship with Papa. I believe it is because he is sooooo much like Papa and Uncle Marvin. He would move to his house and never blink an eye at home. He likes Papa'a laid back life, fishing, naps, and piddling around. He is a bright boy with tons of book sense. We often are not sure about his common sense, but the SCOPE teacher keeps reminding me most gifted chldren do not have common sense. So, we are feeling like he is probably VERY VERY VERY gifted!!!!! He loves to play football and is pretty good. However, he has a bad temper and often ends up letting his temper get in the way. He is working on it and we have seen some small improvements. Kale loves his sister and would do anything for her. Kale loves his brothers and generally will help them out when needed. They have the typical brother relationships. We love Kale and can't wait to see what his future holds!! Happy birthday, Kale Jonathan!!

Spring Break

During Spring Break, we put hardwoods down in living room, hallway, and kitchen. We began on Monday, worked Tuesday, took a break Wednesday and Thursday, and then finished up on Friday and Saturday. Naethan, Ben, and Clint were big helps with this project. The floors look really nice! We still have a few projects to complete in the kitchen, but the big projects are done.

For our break, we headed to West Moreland State Park with two other families. Our kids love hanging out with the Pelt and Clifton kids and were very excited to spend 2nights with them. We really liked this state park and will visit again to hike and stay. All 3 families ended up with different cabins, but close to each other. The kids enjoyed being able to run back and forth to each cabin. We hiked to fossil beach to find shark teeth. The hike was great and we even found a few teeth. Next stop was George Washington's birth place. It was beautiful!! We walked around and looked at all the houses and such. Our final event of the day was a game of kickball. This was lots of fun and we realized we are all very competitive. Each family had different meal responsibilities and no one let anyone down. The meals were fabulous!! We can't wait to do this again.

Spring break came and went in a flash. The good thing about that is it means school is lots closer to being done!! Woo-hoo!!!

Papa's visit

I had a workday so Papa came up for a visit. He picked the boys up from school on Thursday and they had ice cream (imagine that??). Chloe and I met them and Jonathan for dinner later that evening. The next day, Papa took the boys to the NRA museum and a few other places. Wendy came up on Friday night and stayed with us. Papa had won a karaoke machine and brought it up for us. The kids had fun singing and performing on TV. On Saturday, we ate breakfast at Panera then headed to find some fun. Mary Washington was having a cultural event so we headed there. The kids enjoyed the different displays and running around. It was nice out. Next stop was Ferry Farm. We did not stay long as Keegan was having some sort of allergic reaction adn needed medicine. After some great meds, we went into town to eat lunch. We ran a few more errands and then headed home. It was a full day!! Wendy had to head back home and Papa needed a nap. We cooked out and had a good dinner while the kids played. Papa ventured back home on Sunday morning. The kids had tons of fun, but are always sad to see Papa leave. They can't wait until summer to head to Bayboro:))

Keegan Daniel

On March 12, Keegan turned 9. It is amazing to look back at his last 9 years and to look where he is now. His character is one of a kind and his personaltiy shines in everything he does. He has come so far in life with the challenges that were before him. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for the rest of his life. Whatever it is, Keegan will be up for the challenge. We love you buddy and are very proud of you!!