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Field Trip Thursday

Thursday was field trip day.

And it’s the perfect time of year to take one.

The flowers were AMAZING…

While we were standing on the bridge this big fellow surfaced.

And then a guy on his lunch break came to fish. He must have caught 25 of these in the 30 minutes we watched him fish. Each one he threw back into the river. He did catch a bass too and we saw a HUGE coy (sp?) at the bottom of the river near the rocks.

I wondered why this guy was so much fluffier than all his friends. Different kind? Likes his winter coat? Hmm….

This was a special treasure we found. Duck eggs

The ducks ate bread right from our hands.

These sweet fellows were the hit of the day.

We spent quite a while on the bridge watching and feeding them.

Son #2 found a squirrel nest way up high in a tree and pulled baby girl along since she’s broken her arm.

He even posed for a picture or two.

Don’t they look sweet???

Here’s one of the bridges where we saw the baby ducks.

And to our surprise the water park portion was open and running. At first it was "Lets see who can go through without getting wet." But that soon turned into "How wet can we get?"

See what I mean?

Not sure what this was at one time but it was a cool place to imagine knights and dragons.

This is on our way back to the car to go and get icecream.

And this one cracks me up because son ##1 is looking at that guy like he’s real.

See son #3 peeking out from behind the guy with glasses??? He’s a ham.

Now if this isn’t a place to rest and read a book I’ve never seen one.
Visit the Reedy River if you are ever near Greenville, SC. It’s a great place.

5 Comments

Posted: May 2, 2009 by Julie |Category: Homeschooling | Tags:

What do you need?

This is my new wall hanging in the kitchen. I’m using these colors in there. I also found it on sale for 9.99. But those reasons are not the reasons I bought it.
This is what I need in my house. PEACE.
"Dear Lord, may your Peace descend on our house like rain."

4 Comments

Posted: April 28, 2009 by Julie |Category: Happenings | Tags:

Random Mondayness

I"ve wondered why the kids have trouble with concentrating on their schoolwork

Maybe it’s because I’d rather be having art class on their faces…..

It’s so hard to concentrate this time of year. I’m thinking of adjusting school next year so we start when it’s so hot and end by April.

Anyone know what this is??

Here he is outside in his natural surroundings. Pretty good disguise God gave him, huh??

Anyone out there with ADD kids?
Advice?

Have a great Monday….

3 Comments

Posted: April 27, 2009 by Julie |Category: Other Happenings | Tags:

Broken Arms pt. 2 (with photos)

Still waiting to find that darn cord for my little camera but here what I have to share with you….
Baby Girls second cast….
The stuff you see around the top is moleskin to help with the abrasiveness of the cast.

And here’s the mutant thing she got at the ER who now has a cast just like hers.

We’ve had a time with itching and the dr took her off of all meds today and gave her something they give people with Chicken Pox. It has a mild sedative in it.

"Oh happy day" "Oh happy day"

The Loritab and Benedryl were making her crazy. And I’m talking off the wall bouncing like a monkey crazy.

Today she threw herself on the floor screaming this morning and yelled about how badly she was itching and banged on her cast. So I called the Dr. and said either she needed a different medicine or I did. And I was open to either.

So we spent the day shopping and I got a few things for the kitchen. I’m going to paint the table, buy some benches and do a different theme. Fun, huh??

Anybody have any cast offs they want to send my way???

I’m thinking a good excuse for spending money is finding a way to entertain my dear daughter who can’t be in the heat.

Think my hubbie will buy that?????

4 Comments

Posted: April 25, 2009 by Julie |Category: Happenings | Tags:

Broken Arms

You would think with all the boys in our house one of them would be the first to break SOMETHING other than items that belong to me but low and behold Baby Girl was the first to fracture her arm. We spent the night before last in the emergency room and yesterday in the Orthopedic Surgeon’s office. The break should heal fine but we’ll be casting it around here for about 6 weeks.

Tonight at the boys football games she was running around like a crazy woman. KIDS! So resilient!
I have pictures but there are on my little camera’s hard drive and I can’t find the cord to plug it into my computer to download them. Hopefully I’ll find it in a day or so.

I’m missing my bird book too.

Wonder where that is??

My oldest won his first flag football game tonight and my younger two sons finished their season undefeated. A good night at the ole ball park!

Number three son chasing after someone’s flag!

Have a good Friday.

1 Comment

Posted: April 23, 2009 by Julie |Category: Happenings | Tags:

The Prom Shoot

This weekend I was able to shoot a few shots of a friend’s niece who was going to the prom. This was her first and my friend was so sweet to buy her dress, have her hair cut, fix her hair, paint her nails and have her looking overall FANTASTIC by prom time. Here are a few of the shots I”ve processed so far.
Isn’t she beautiful???

Any of you photographers out there have some tips, criticism or helpful ideas I’m open!!
Have a great Tuesday…….

Wondering…

Yesterday we had two make-up flag football games. The weather was beautiful and while I was busy trying to capture shots like these of my number one son:

I also took time in between the action to look around me and see things God has put on earth that we consider normal or maybe even a nuisance. Things such as clover:

Growing beside a fence man built. Was this pretty little flower meant for us to enjoy instead of spray and kill? I know horses love it but man? No. I don’t think so.

But it’s a cute little flower with tubular shaped petals reaching up to it’s Maker. Praising in a way we forget to at times. A lot of times.

Do we praise the normal? The mundane? The innocent clover?

I think it’s all about perspective, don’t you?

What do we see in the chains of our lives? Do we see freedom on the other side? Or do we see freedom in the space God has provided for us?

I wonder if she likes clover or the fence?

Or if my kids appreciate the carpet God made just for us…

Or if my oldest knows just where his talent comes from?

And what do I think about people who are different from me? Do I want to get to know them better? Learn about their lives? or do I shun them just because they ARE different?

You know God really didn’t make us all that different. We’re all the same in so many ways. But we have such different life experiences. What if we all learned from one another? What if we all wanted to know more about the other person than telling about ourselves?

What if?

6 Comments

Posted: April 18, 2009 by Julie |Category: Football | Tags:

How was your Easter?

We had a great Easter weekend. Sunday after church with met with some of our Christian Family for a picnic lunch and a game of softball. We had a blast. It was a beautiful day and I begged out of the game to take pictures. Here are some from the day.

Our oldest up at bat…..

My husband pointing "over the fence" before a great bunt!

His "He Man" pose…

Son number two up at bat….

At first base….

Rounding the bases….

It was such a great way to spend the day thanking God for the past, present and future.

3 Comments

Posted: April 15, 2009 by Julie |Category: Happenings | Tags:

Just Me!

Hey. It’s just me. Sweet me. Mean me. Mommy. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Enemy. Child of God.

Child of God.

That’s the one I need to remember the most. Especially on the yucky days.
The days when I want everyone to leave me alone for just 10 minutes of peace and quiet. So I can do something really important like go to the bathroom without anyone yelling for me. So I can sit and do my bible study or listen to something on the radio without someone screaming that they need their butt wiped.

Or me yelling back, “Give me just a minute, PLEASE!”

There is a resting in knowing who I belong to. And a peace when I rest in the truth that he loves me no matter what. Even on the yucky days. Even on the days when I’ve got nothing. Nothing to give. Nothing to use. Nothing to say. Nothing good. Nothing wholesome. Just blackness. Just the same old same old same old sweeping floors, cleaning up candy wrappers, putting poopy toilet paper actually IN the toilet.

To know that my God looks down upon me with a smile, a shake of his head and a nod of compassion means the world to me. He knows what it’s like to have a hard day……

………to tell people (kids) over and over and still they do not “see”.

“Lord, open their eyes to see you.”

“And while you are at it, I’m going to hang on your shirt tale until you give me the grace, the love and the compassion & strength to be what you’ve called me to be, to do what you’ve called me to do.”

“Because without you I’ve got nothing.”

“Nothing at all”

5 Comments

Posted: April 9, 2009 by Julie |Category: Photography and Tips | Tags:

Those conversations

Our middle son who is 9 has a brain that thinks constantly. He is very smart and his questions sometimes are beyond me! The other morning we had a conversation that began with money and ended with why Dad can work for a living and earn SO. MUCH. MONEY. and he only gets an allowance of 5.00 per week. And of that 5.00 he has to tithe and save ONE. WHOLE. DOLLAR. Which led to the importance of saving money, then daddy’s education level, which then led to the spiritual significance of money and the way God takes care of us.

The whole conversation reminded me of If You Give A Pig a Pancake.
If Caleb asks a Question.

Whew! Ok, it’s only 9am.

So after this in depth conversation that left our heads spinning I went for another cup of coffee. My brain doesn’t work that early in the morning.

God used that conversation (however confusing for me) and a 10.00 bill in the mail from his aunt……..late Birthday money to show him how God provides for us. "It’s amazing how God takes care of us isn’t it son?" When we least expect it. From a source we least expect.

But before the mail arrived and after we had the conversation about not being able to give him any more allowance than we already give him I found this on the steps going up to his room. A note, taped to a box.

I guess he figures if we won’t let him earn any more money he’ll just beg for it.