Beautiful Snow!

 

Today we had our very first snow of 2013.  And it was a good one!

 

It started mid-morning as sleet, then tiny snowflakes, then to a full blown heavy snowfall.

 

 

Everything is so pretty!

 

 

 

We went for a quick walk to get some pictures.

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow it will warm up and I'm sure the snow will be all gone by bedtime. So I don't think we're looking at a snow day on Monday. 

 

 

Lucky for us, today we were able to grab a BIG load of firewood!  Marty covered it up to keep it dry and we'll finish unloading it tomorrow.  It made for a lovely fire all afternoon and evening.

 

 

 Nothing like having a snug house on a snowy day.  We are so lucky!

 

 

Florida Getaway 2012

 

The day after Christmas, we packed up the boys and headed out in the rain for an eight hour drive to Destin, Florida.  We were all set for two days of sun and fun!

We arrived only thirty minutes before the sun set, but thank goodness for those thirty minutes. It was gorgeous!  And the boys were SO happy to be on the beach after a long day in the car.  There was running, jumping, leaping in and out of the water, and lots and lots of picture-taking of a spectacular sunset.

 

 

 

This is where we stayed.  On the eleventh floor!

 

 

I told you it was a spectacular sunset!

 

Our first morning there, Sam noticed a pigeon on the balcony. He went out to feed it and very quickly it was joined by several other pigeon friends.

That very quickly led to a giant mob of frantic seagulls hovering in a cloud off the balcony, screaming for food.  The boys threw pieces of cereal into the gull-cloud and the gulls would catch them in mid air and roate around so all the birds got a turn.  This turned into a morning ritual and the boys fed the birds each of our three mornings there.  They loved it, though it was a bit messy.

 

Later on the beach, the birds were hoping for more cereal.  It didn't happen.

 

We went on a dolphin-watching cruise our first afternoon there.  We rode the Southern Star, which was a very nice boat.  It was packed and very cold and windy.  But we did see lots of dolphins!

 

 

They were so friendly and approached the boat over and over.

 

 

 

The gulls also followed the boat for a long time, hoping for some Fritos, which some of the passengers threw to them.

 

Both boys were sick, which sure was a shame.  Benny had a cold and Sam had a raging sinus infection.  Though we were only there two days, I had to find a walk-in clinic and get Sam some antibiotics and steroids.  That was an unpleasant morning.  But we got what we needed, and went off to the Gulfarium on our last afternoon there. 

 

The boys loved it.  They watched a dolphin show, a sea lion show, and looked at alligators, fish, penguins, sharks, and otters.  We enjoyed the view of the ocean, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got to pet an otter!

 

After the gulfarium, it was dinner at Golden Corral, which was a big hit for everyone.  Benny even had crab legs!  Then it was one last wild romp on the beach (the boys went crazy) and then a night snuggled in with TV and blankets and Ipads and hot showers after getting so wet and cold.

The next day we headed home with our cold medicine and our sandy clothes and our photos and memories. I hope we get to go again next year!  There is something magical about kids and the beach.  And they won't be "kids" forever.  For now, it's so important to enjoy times like these.

 

 

 Happy New Year!

 

Christmas 2012

 

Christmas sure snuck up on me this year.  It seemed to come so quickly after Thanksgiving!  But we sure had a great one!  This year we got to spend Christmas day with Mom and Dad!

 

 

Mom is recovering from knee replacement surgery and has had a rough time.  So she wasn't feeling a hundred percent that day.  And Dad has a back problem that flared up terribly, so he wasn't feeling great, either.  But you'd never know it--they were both so cheerful and happy.  They had a gorgeously decorated home, two Christmas trees, and tons of presents and good spirits.  When we arrived, we dove into sausage biscuits and fruit and opening stocking gifts. 

 

Then we moved onto tree gifts and of course, everyone was so thoughtful and generous.  Here's Mom modeling a handmade scarf I gave her......

 

And see the Moose she gave me?  She made the sweater that has a big Z on it.  Z is for Moose!

 

 

The BIG surprise was for the boys--an X Box!  They were stunned and thrilled.  They went upstairs, hooked it up, and started playing right away.

 

After a while, Linda and Cecil came over.  We made a buffet dinner while Mom rested her knee.  There was plenty of food and plenty of conversation.  All in all, a wonderful Christmas.

And afterwards, we hurried home to pack our bags and head to sunny Florida! But that is another post.  Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

 

Benny's Christmas Concert

When the sixth grade band first picked up their instruments in September, everyone had their eyes on the prize:  Their first ever concert in December!

That time has come.  All the practicing. All the hours of band class.  All the work, all the worry.  And at last, it was time for the annual Christmas Concert.  This is an evening where the middle school band as well as the high school band performs several holiday songs for the audience.  Raffle tickets are sold as fund-raising efforts for the band.  Cookies are sold as part of the fund-rasier too.  But most of all, it's an evening of fun and excitement, particulary for the sixth graders as this is their first time showing off all their hard work.

On the day of the concert the kids were all SO excited.  Benny was ready to leave the house way, way early.  We finally went ahead and left quite a bit early and dropped him off at the band room, then found a seat in the front row of the gym.

 

It's good we did, because soon the gym was filled to capacity. 

 

The middle school band went first.  They played "Jingle Bells," "Jolly Old St. Nick," and "Up On the Rooftop."  They were so good!

 

 

 

And so proud!  They had round after round of thunderous applause after each song.

 

 

When they finished, you could see the relief on their faces. And you could still see so much pride. They had every reason to be proud, too. It was a job very well done!

 

After they finished, the high school band played several songs. They were outstanding!

 

At the very end, there was a surprise appearance by SANTA!!

 

Santa made the rounds, and the middle school kids jumped up and down with excitement when he came their way.  It was so fun.  Santa also walked around the gym and poked and waved at all the tiny children staring in amazement.

 

It may be a coincidence, but Santa looks a lot like the man who coached Sam's soccer team two years ago.  Hmm.  Oddly, he also looks like the man who had been running the snack bar earlier.

But I'm sure that's just one of those strange things you can't explain.

 

Meanwhile, I cannot WAIT til the next concert.  And next December, this will definitely be one of the highlights. I see a new holiday tradition to look forward to---the annual Gilmer Band Christmas Concert!

Yey!!

 

 

Benny's Big 12!

 

How can my little guy be twelve already? It's not possible!

This is it.  The final year of having a
"child" instead of a "teen."  Next year--two teens in the house!

 

Benny opted for a small family party this year.  I was at a loss how to make it fun so I just turned to all the old, familiar favorites we've been doing since they were four. 

We started with pin the tail on the donkey!!

 

Benny won! Then it was on to Birthday Bingo.  Benny won that, too.  And yes, there were prizes for the wins...a sticky hand and a jar of "Flarp" were big hits.

 

Fortunately the boys were good sports and joined in the games in a good spirit. (I was worried they'd roll their eyes and be embarassed.  You never know these days what you'll suddenly get.)  So..that was fun.  After that, both boys were sent on a big scavenger hunt, running around the house gathering pens, rulers, socks, hats, cat food, and all kinds of treausres.

 

After the scavenger hunt they were both awarded the big prize of the night:  Confetti gun blasters!

 

They took them outside and enjoyed the heck out of them.

That went on a for a long time.  Then we moved onto the final game....the pinata.

 

Sam and I bought the pinata together.  We wanted a big cupcake.  But all the pinatas hung from the top shelf of the store and we couldn't reach it. We also could not reach the dinosaur.  Or the party hat.  The one and only pinata we could reach was a monkey. So that's what we got

And that poor monkey was smashed to smithereens by two boys who loved an excuse to be rough!

 

 

The (now) traditional birthday monkey decapatation. 

 

Then it was off to Papa's Pizza for lots of pizza and air hockey.  Then back home again for cake and presents!

 

Happy Birthday Benny, and don't be in too big a hurry to turn 13!