I can't keep up...

As I have said, life for the last 2 years and been a bit dazed and confused. Lots of things have happened that I should have posted and lots have happened that just kept me from doing it. The first year isn't even worth rehashing so I am just going to forgo that one completely. It's a big blur anyway. This last year... a bit of an improvement and here are a few occasions from it: ............................................................................................................................ Ainslee had to make a literary character from a pumpkin for school:

........................................................................................................................... Halloween:

............................................................................................................................... Christmas: Topping the tree:

Wonderment:

presents of Christmas Eve:

Case's discovering the keys to his truck:

Christmas Morning:

I always told they were getting coal for Christmas:

It was really candy- hehe .............................................................................................................................. St. Patrick's day and Ainslee's Leprechaun trap:

........................................................................................................................... Easter gifts from the Easter Bunny:

apparently I lost some pictures from Easter. ........................................................................................................................... Ainslee's 8th birthday party:

Ainslee's Birthday

Ainslee is like my Aunt Marg in a way. She has a birthday season instead of just a day. It was a short season this year, but a good one. We started out on Thursday the 24Th hiking with our new homeschool group and playing with her new found friends, Hanna and Ella.
On Friday the 25Th we went canoeing as a family. Our first stop was Mermaid Island (Island 9B on Lake Keowee) where we found lots of mermaid gold and the rocks the mermaids lounge on in the sun. We even think we might have seen a mermaid! From there we paddled too a neighboring island to explore and swim. Daddy relaxed in the sun, Case wrestled with untamable paddles, and Amelia and Ainslee went to the deep. On our way back, Case and Amelia tipped the canoe and could not get it righted. I threw a float to Amelia (Case wouldn't take one - tough guy) so they could swim to shore. In a panic, as I held on to the canoe full of water, Brian paddled to the shore where we were able to empty the water and paddle the rest of the way home.
Exhausted, we went home, cleaned up, and although she appeared tired, Ainslee decided she wanted to go to Ryan's for her birthday dinner. Even though I would have been just as content to stay home, I was also glad not to have to clean the kitchen. On our return home, the kids watched a movie and Brian and I, with an occasional Amelia, fixed the strawberry birthday cake(which didn't turn out). After a long and adventure filled day we headed to bed. Today Ainslee turned 4.
On the 26Th, I ran to the store to replace the cake that didn't turn out and was lucky enough that they would fix one just like I wanted, with plain white icing so Ainslee could decorate it with M&M's just as she wanted. Ainslee did a fantastic job decorating it. As Amelia and I headed to Aunt Stephanie's baby shower, Brian, Case, and Ainslee prepared for Ainslee's birthday party which was at Kids Planet in Greer.
Once at Kids Planet, the skies were menacing. It was dark and windy, but we held out. We found a shelter and finished setting up just as everyone arrived. Ainslee was tired from all our adventures over the last few days and was having a hard time being excited about her party. She didn't want to blow her candles out on the cake so we all helped her. We ate cake and ice cream soup (because it had melted by this time)the tried to get her to open her presents. She wasn't doing it. She clung to Mommy. She did pick someone to have a go at her butterfly pinata, then another , and another until it fell to the ground and Hanna whacked at it until it split open and the candy scattered. Ainslee was a bit upset over this. I do not think she quite realized, despite me having a conversation with her, that it was going to get torn up. she recovered and decided she woudl get a horse pinata. We moved on to presents and once again she needed her friends to assist her. Caitlin helped her start and after a few, Ainslee needed no more help. She had it down. She received many wonderful gifts and loves them all.
As the rains poured down, the kids ran to play in the playground and had a most wonderful time! Thank you to everyone who contributed to a wonderful 4Th birthday for Ainslee.

(pictures to come)

Stephanie's gifts

I made Stephanie a hooded towel for baby. I was gifted one of these when Case was born and found it to be so luxurious and warm for baby. So much better than the flimsy ones you get in the store, and they last so much longer too. Case and Amelia used theirs until they were 7 or 8. I hope she likes it as much.:








And Amelia made her one of these:

(picture to come)

It is handsewn of felt with wool stuffing that we obtained from our friends with sheep that she cleaned and "teased" (since we don't have carders yet), and has a bell inside to jingle as the baby shakes it. This isn't the exact one as I forgot to take a picture before we gifted it. She did an exellent job of making the stitches small and tight and stiching down the decorations very well to make it safe for baby's mouth. She worked all week on it and I am VERY proud of her.

Nana's Visit

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Ainslee and I went to get Nana and Case to bring them here to SC Feb. 5. Case was coming home and Nana was coming for a two week visit. Two weeks didn't seem like enough when it was all said and done, but we did enjoy her while she was here. The purpose was for Nana to get a break. She takes care of my aging grandmother and hasn't been away from there for several years. I hope it helps her. I sure know it helps me to have her here. She is a great help with the house. She takes it upon herself to help me keep up with the daily upkeep. She also is great with the kids. I have been trying to get Amelia to go outside and make fairy houses as in her book, but she never would. I knew that if I went out there and helped she would take off with it, but I never did that. Nana did. She is good about things like that. She does the things I know I should, but don't. Thank you, Nana. She also helped the kids make a this lovely Valentines Mobile.

During her visit we discovered an island (really a peninsula) to explore at the end of the neighborhood leisure trail. It was a great adventure. While exploring, we found "bones" buried below a tree. We truly believe it to be a part of a tree root, but it really did look like long bones secretly buried.
Nana left with Brian on Feb 20Th to go back home, but we hope to see her again soon... perhaps in June or July.

Amelia's Birthday/ January 14th

Amelia chose to go to Whitetop, VA for her birthday this year. Brian goes up there once a month for work and we have visited a few times when he has and absolutely loved it! So this summer when we went Amelia picked this as her birthday destination. We took her lifelong friend Trisdan with us. We arrived in the darkness of night and rambled a bit trying to find the cabin. It was one we had never been to before. When we did find it, we were very pleased with Amelia's choice. Ainslee immediately make her first snow angel. However, we had planned to go skiing the next day at Beech mountain and quickly headed to bed just before Daddy walked in the door.


We arose bright and early the next morning to bundle up and head out for skiing. Everyone was excited. It took about two hours to get to Beech Mountain around curvy mountain roads. We arrived and the kids entered an all day kids ski school since none of them had ever skied before. Off they went to learn to ski as Mom settled in to the lounge to watch. I watched and started to get antsy. Watched and got antsier (is that even a word?). After taking a few pictures and drinking some coffee, I had to get out on the slopes. I rented all I needed and signed up for ski school myself. It had been about 20 years since I had skied, after all.


The mountain wasn't busy that day and as soon as I got out there for my lesson, it seemed like we were all together. I practiced with Ainslee on the bunny slope and skied with Amelia and Trisdan on the green runs. We all had a wonderful day and hope to do it again sometime.


We headed back using Brian's GPS. It told us exactly where to go and got us to the cabin, but gee-wiz barnacles! We went from NC to VA to TN back to Va and into TN again before we finally got to NC to stay. Not to mention the 2-3 miles of barely one lane dirt road over a forest covered mountain top in pitch black dark it sent us over! I wasn't about to turn back with it saying we had only 7 miles to go though. We did get home, but I now know GSP systems are not for me. I will stick with the tried and true. My good old paper map.


The next day we decided to stay at the cabin and play. We had recieved 6" of snow overnight and it was beautiful! The kids put on the snowsuits and went out to romp in the snow. The cabin has a creek and a christmas tree farm behind it, so they had lots of area to explore. Ainslee made many more snow angels and they all thought it such a thrill to put bathing suits on and get in the hot tub.


The day wound down with Daddy arriving and preparing us a delicious dinner. We dubbed it "Brian chow soup". Derived from the fact that we forgot half the ingredients to what we were really going to make ( chicken chow mein) and he did a bang up job of improvising. It worked out perfectly; warm soup on a cold night.


The next day we had to leave, but not before a bit more snow time with Daddy as Mommy packed. We had a wonderful time and we all hope to go back as much as possible.


P.S. In case you are wondering where Case was, he decided to spend the time and his birthday in MS helping Nana and Grannie-Nannie. His Nana said he was a wonderful help and she really apreciated him coming. After hearing of our fun, he did say he wished he had come, but I do want to acknowledge his generous nature. On his birthday, he chose to give to others.