Jack goes to the Asheboro Zoo

If you know anything about Jack at all, you know that he LOVES dinosaurs.  With his 5th birthday coming up, John and I decided that we just had to take Jack on a road trip to the Asheboro Zoo to see their special exhibit.  You guessed it, DINOSAURS!!!!!

Elissa, Celia and Lily joined us there which made the day perfect!!

The pictures say it all!!!

Family gathering!!

It has become our tradition, this is the second year, that we get together my family on a Saturday in September to reminisce and remember.  There are 16 of us now and it is no small task to get on everyone's calendars. 

Elissa, Chip and Celia arrived first and were thrilled to be reunited with Lily. (see previous post) We all got to see a calf that was just 7 hour old and had just been born on the farm behind our house.

I take advantage of the opportunity to get a family photo.  It is a rare occasion when I have them all together and I do love the yearly picture of the whole gang (although some are more interested in having their picture taken than others i.e. Jack)  I feel so blessed every time I look at these faces!!

So there you have it....This is what we looked like on September 29, 2012.  We are not a perfect family by any means but we have a good time when we get together and I love, cherish and am grateful for each and every one of us.

Big gifts come in small packages!!

In September Elissa and Lily spent the night with us on the way home from a trip to Maryville, TN.  To our delight when they got up the next morning Elissa shared the news that Lily didn't want to go home with her but was hoping to stay with us.  Serendipitously, we could make it work because the Pope family would be returning the following Friday for a Saunders family reunion.  Soooo we got to keep Lily for the week.  I felt so pleased and honored that at 3 years old she was brave enough to spend the week with us by herself.

We went to Asheville and had a chance to visit a friend that had a 7 week old baby.  Lily happily seized the opportunity when invited to hold her.

 
We really didn't do anything special but we had such a wonderful time with her. She was such a sweetheart and we all enjoyed every minute. 

And of course time in the sandbox is required.

And some time at the playground.

Gifts do come in pint size packages.  We do love our little Lily!!

Happy 4th Birthday Lily

Lily turned 4 this week so Papa and I picked up Jack on Friday night, in pajamas and ready to go and headed to West End.  He was a great traveler and fell asleep just as planned.

Lily requested a party at the lake, a great spot for an August birthday. 

Celia and Jack were happy to join in the play at the lake. We all had a great time!

Presents to open, food to eat, candles to blow out and more presents to open. Lots of fun at the lake!

And then a little time with Nana...we are so lucky to have this precious four year old in our lives.
                                                            Happy Birthday Sweetie!

A Week in the life of Celia and Lily

Our precious little granddaughters came to visit for a week and we have lots of plans.  The visit started out with bicycling around an obstacle course around the cul-de-sac.

CELIA the great

                                                                       

LILY the great

 Then we visited Paris Mountain State Park, played on the playground and went for a hike.

Celia & Lily the great climbers

Then we went to the library and checked out 22 books.  Did we read them all?  YES

And had a tea party every day!

It was HOT outside, so a day at the Children's Museum in Greenville with Jenna and Jack was a perfect way to spend the day.  The kids just couldn't get enough of shopping @ Bi Lo, horse back riding, medical treatments and construction jobs.  This place is incredible and we had a great day!

The next day we had to go check out BRAVE!

Do a little grocery shopping @ the real Bi Lo.

And finish the week with a birthday celebration for Sam's 2nd birthday.  Papa and I are two of the luckiest people in the world. 

St. Louis Arch

On the way home from our KC trip we stopped in St.Louis and visited Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Arch, the Gateway to the West.  The Arch stands 630 feet high and is an impressive masterpiece of architecture.

We took the 4 minute ride to the top in little 5 person pods.  Tiny windows opened out onto the city and the view was spectacular but my dislike for heights was with me the whole time.

This is the view from one of those windows directly down onto the Mississippi Rivier.  Can you find our Prius?

Inside the top of the arch.

Roosevelt was "so right".  How are we doing?

Family and Fun

It is always great to visit with family and this visit was especially fun for us.  Laurie and TJ were gracious enough to host us for the weekend, with lots of family time, storytelling and oh my goodness great food.  So much for dieting this weekend!

Mina, Alina and Emma were hard to catch for a photo, but easier when you can catch them chilling with a movie.

 

Kendall sitting very patiently waiting for dinner.

Emma and John became fast friends when she realized that "Grandpa" was good at chasing her around the house.  He got quite a "run" for his money.

Gretchen with Lila, the newest member of the family.

Katie, Shenouda, Gretchen and Lila

 

Beth and Katie also waiting patiently for dinner

John's Uncle Ray and Karen joined us for lunch.