Sky Hike!

On Friday, we headed to Stone Mountain with my mom, nephew, aunts, and cousins...and of course my own awesome family! We had the MOST beautiful day ever and it was perfect!! It was near 70 and not a cloud in the sky. We headed straight for the Sky Hike and while Jay and my sweet Aunt Martha stood in line (for an hour!!!) my mom, aunt and the kiddos headed to the playground right behind it that was SUPER fun! I will post photos from that next. But, I wanted to get right to all the AMAZING fun we had on this ropes course.

Now...I am not afraid of heights or ropes courses. But, seriously, I was really nervous the whole time! I wasn't afraid because I did it all and even did some of the harder elements. But, I was nervous most of the time. But, let me tell you...my nephew who is FIVE...totally rocked this thing out. Put me to shame!

The girls did awesome and totally rocked out too:) We had the best time! It took a while to complete and the top level was closed for renovations so the whole thing took us about 30 minutes which is a long time to keep your legs from collapsing:)

There are about a million photos below, so you might just want to stop now! But, my mom took so many good ones that I want them all in my blog book for this year. Also, please not that the below angle...and the tight harness...do not for flattering photos make:)

Here we are...up close

Here we are in perspecive...yes...those are large pine trees that we are in the midst of! We are on the second level at least 20 feel in the air...there is a third!

OK, it might look like Jay is going forward with his arms out. But, no. He is walking on a small plank 20 feet in the air BACKWARDS!! I was in shock!!!

This is my BABY girl on the second lever...with her arms out! I never could muster the nerve to do THAT! Go baby girl!

Anli is on the very top...so high that you can hardly see her. Mom gave us some perspective in this photo.

Here she is closer up.

OK, here is a photo of a crazy thing that happened. Jay wanted to on the harder side that my FIVE year old nephew wanted to do. Well, since he had been kind of going beside Julian...that left ME (nervous aunt!!) to go beside him. I mean it is pretty comical...if I wasn't a nervous WRECK!

Later Jay told me that he was only freaked out here (hadn't been freaked out all day) because I was freaking out...um...YEAH! I was trying to help him and keep myself from fall at the same time. But, mom's do whatever for little ones...right?

More to come...Sky Hike ROCKED! I loved it and our whole family would definitely go again. We will be going back really soon for SURE while the weather is so nice!

Stone Mountain Fun!

We are enjoying this amazing Spring day at Stone Mountain with family!
Love it!!

Ice Ice Skating!

The first Fridays of the month are homeschook skate day at our local rink. We LOVE to ice skate, but haven't been able to attend the past few months because we have been busy. So, today we got up and headed to breakfast together and then over to the rink.

We love this day because we can get our tickets AND skates for only $5 per person...compared to almost $10 other days. And boy were there lots of homeschoolers there today! There were so many, that they had to resurface the ice in the middle of our 2 hour block! We have gone before several times and it's always a BLAST!

We all had to get our ice feet about us...and then...we were off!

Dad and the girls take a break while the Zamboni works its magic!

The girls had never seen a Zamboni at work before, so their faces (and ours) were glued to watching it...pretty cool thingie:)

Until next month...

A Pirate's Life for Me!

For several years, our children have been loving AWANA and I love being their leader! Last year I was able to lead Anli's group and this year I am Virginia' leader. I absolutely LOVE to see and hear children reading and memorizing God's Word...and having a BLAST doing it! We have had several theme nights and one that was especially fun was Pirate night. They ALL were so cute.

I love this picture below of Virginia getting ready for VBS this year...we are doing High Seas and the kids were getting ready for a voyage of getting God's Word in their hearts!!! But, I also love one other of our kids in the background totally into the song:) OK, here is just one of the million things I love about Anli. She is in the preteen group at our church called The Edge. They have begun meeting for worship time with the AWANA kids and though most of the other kids don't want to dress up anymore...my Anli is ALL over it! She is SO enthusiastic about everything that to not jump in with BOTH feet is unheard of for her. Her enthusiasm has rubbed off on a few of the "I'm too cool" kids:) You GO girl!

During game time they had a treasure hunt and it was a blast! Last year, they had it in hay...and since Virginia is HIGHLY allergic to weeds, grasses, etc. she about couldn't breathe. So, this year they chose packing peanuts...THANK you!!! They searched for coins and those coins were worth points for store night.

Beautiful...

Last week Virginia had her ballet class photos...beautiful! My girl loves ballet and is determined to get to do pointe. I don't think I ever took ballet (I was more of a gymnast, softball, cheerleader type...surprising right?) but I love to watch my girl and love that she has found something she truly enjoys and is really good at. This is her 5th year and she is doing great! I'm really proud of you sweet girl...you are beautiful inside and out!

Cupcake Fun!

Anli is taking a cupcake decorating class and is doing a wonderful job!!! Last time she made the cutest little dog cupcakes. I wish I could take the class with her...I'd love to try it! The best part of the class (for us!) is that she makes one for herself and one to SHARE. We always look forward to Tuesdays...

Enrichment Idea: St. Patrick's Day

If you would like to take a few days to focus on St. Patrick's Day here are a few things I am using this week.

Here is a short (9 minute) Veggie Tale Clip that you might want to watch...pretty good stuff on the history of Patrick in classic Veggie Tale style!




Also there is a download for $4 for a lapbook on Saint Patrick and Ireland. It goes over the history and geography of Ireland and the history of Saint Patrick. We are not doing the whole lapbook (not enough time along with all else we are doing!) but we are simply doing a modified file folder book of the things that we are interested in and are important. Check it out:

http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=34275&it=1&filters=0_0_0_0

Also there is a recorded class on all this too:

http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=34216&it=1&filters=0_0_0_0

Hope this helps you this week as it did me and my family! Enjoy...

PS. Don't forget to buy your family some Lucky Charms Cereal:) We got that today and the girls were THRILLED!! Jay was pretty happy too...he loves that cereal:)

Braces!

A few weeks ago (yeah...I'm behind from taking a break) Virginia got braces and she looks absolutely adorable! She had an expander in her mouth last year and when she lost her front upper and lower teeth, our orthodontist told us it was time for braces!

Jay took off work that morning in order to be there for the BIG day and we were all really excited! What a GREAT daddy we have!!!

She was a little nervous that it might be sore, but she loves them! She chose pink and purple for her first colors...and that is what she was the MOST excited about...choosing the colors. She gets to change them every time she goes in (6 weeks) so she will get to have lots of different options:) She can already notice a difference! I can't even imagine how beautiful that smile will be in 9 months...'cause it's ALWAYS been gorgeous to me!!!

Love. that. smile!

Our orthodontist is amazing and almost every one of my friends have taken their children there. I LOVE his office (though it is quite a drive from our house...but he is WORTH it!) because all the kids' chairs face out these floor to ceiling windows looking out over the woods. They also have multiple bird feeders that bring amazingly beautiful birds for them to watch...you can see Anli is mesmerized!! Daddy...well...he is standing watch over his baby girl:)

This is the wildest and smartest contraption. It holds their lips back so that they can "paint" on the sealants so they do not get cavities around and under the brackets. But...it makes for one crazy smile!

They give all the kids their own mirror to watch everything that they do. They talk through each step and let them view it so that they are not anxious or scared. Love them.

Then...they quick dry everything...looks kind of something from outer space!

Then...the MAN comes to place all the brackets and get it just right. We ***LOVE*** him!! He is a Christian and is just a neat guy. (These are from my iphone...not good quality...but family was waiting for instant photos!!)

What a CUTIE PIE!!! I tell ya...she is one amazing girl!!!

Germany Fun!

For the past 3 weeks we have been studying Germany and have had a great time learning about all the amazing things found there. We are really blessed to know someone (my roommate from college!) who is living there now and has sent us TONS of wonderful pictures! We have studied about the castles, Martin Luther, German foods...AND we ended with a fun and yummy dessert.

We had been reading a few Grim's Fairy Tales during the week in our Literature part of studying Germany and then I found an idea in Family Fun magazine to make a fairy tale village. Well, instead we just let the girls' imaginations run wild and make their very own fairy tale house out of cake, lots of different candies, and icing.

Virginia went with the castle from Rupunzel and even had the idea to braid some of the candy leather to make her hair. I do have to say that I don't remember some of the way Grim's fairy tales went...Rupunzel in a dessert with twins? I didn't remember THAT part! Anli made Tinkerbell's house in the movies that have recently come out. She made a tea pot home...just right for a Tinker fairy!

Then...we ATE them! It was a sweet way to end our tour of Germany. And now...we are headed to Africa for a while and I can't even wait!!! I have so much stuff to share with the girls, video to watch from our trips there, and lots of photos!

The neatest part is that we are meeting each month with a lady and her EIGHT children to help teach her English and to share Jesus' love as she is here as a new refugee. God has PERFECT timing...we can also be brushing up on our Swahili!

Raising some Safe Side Superchicks!

Last night in AWANA, my hubby showed the first part of a video that I loved!!! I couldn't wait to share it with you today. It was put together by the lady who began the Baby Einstein videos and John Walsh from America's Most Wanted. It is a REALLY goofy and funny video to keep your kids on the "safe side." And I tell ya...it's really good!

We have always talked extensively to our kids about strangers, personal space, etc. but I learned some really good things in this video that I could see my girls not realizing the dangers in. Jay and I both thought it was excellent in content and FUNNY in presentation...I mean really goofy:) The kids loved it and laughed and paid perfect attention.

It comes with a family guide that we are going to use. I pray every morning for protection for my girls...but I must also teach them too! This fun video encouraged us to have some good conversations and we look forward to seeing the rest of it and talking through the family guide.

You can go visit their site at:

http://www.thesafeside.com/

So...stay on the safe side! We are watching this video with both of the girls, but your older kids might think it's kind of young. So, mainly elementary kids is best for these videos...and I tell ya...they LOVE it!!! Thanks Jay for taking time in AWANA to keep all our kiddos on the "safe side."

Lent Update

This has been the most wonderful Easter season for our family! My husband has been wonderfully consistent and leading family devotion times each morning at the breakfast table. But time each night around the candles and the readings and discussion about prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ has been so powerful for all of us. We have even begun have time to sing together each night about the cross and about the gift for Jesus Christ and our salvation. It has truly been an amazing gift!!

I am praying that after 40 days of not only meeting together around the breakfast table, but rejoicing together each night in God's Word will instill a holy habit in our family's day. It is so sweet to go to bed each night meditating on the prophecies and promises that are answered yes and amen in Christ!

We have also enjoy adding to our Easter tree each and every night! And we have kept out Lenten lights going each night during devotion that Noel piper encouraged us to begin.

It is quite powerful when each Sunday we snuff out one night. As it gets it gets harder to see, we are reminded of getting closer and closer to the death and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

I pray that you will go to Noel Pipers article on Lent and even if you haven't started now do it for the week before Easter. She has an option in her article for the week before Easter and the readings that you will need. They are wonderful and full of Scripture!

I pray that you are encouraged in your walk with God during this season of Lent to focus completely on the cross and boast in Jesus alone!