Wishing for more hours in a day

The girls have convinced me to take them to a friend's house tonight for trick-or-treating. Knowing my camera's memory was full I started loading pics/videos onto the laptop this morning. Wow! There were pictures in there as far back as Jesse's birthday! There is just not near enough time in the day to get everything done.

This is going to my catch up on pictures post. And believe me there are going to be many!!

We had another Ice Cream Social this year. It turned out that many of our friends could not be there due to family vacations and sickness. It was a very small group, but the kids had a blast. I think the Mom's and Auburn did too.

I never posted a picture of John on his birthday. Here he is. Like the new haircut? I do! It took the girls some time to get used it. They still don't love it. I think he's sexy.

We also had Nature Club, something new April wanted to try. I had thought about skipping Nature Club because I was still upset about the passing of Betty Grey the day before, but I went. Sometimes I wish we could go back in time and change things. The girls had a great time, but I spent most of the time thinking. Anyway. Here are a couple of pictures:

The group!

I had forgotten I had taken this one. Now it has such special meaning to me. Love you both!

I can say nothing more.

John's Birthday!!!

Today, my wonderful hubby turns 40! To be honest I have been looking forward to this since I turned forty. Mainly due to all the over-the-hill jokes, because he was still in his thirties.

We gave him his presents last night. We bought him two button-down shirts and another sweater like he bought a few weeks ago. The first one was a plum color and the new one is Carolina blue. :)  Chloe also gave him a new Hulk Hallmark ornament. It was really cool! The characters were 3-D and you could open the book to read a mini-comic book.

This morning we took him to Tiffany's for breakfast. Lunch was at Miyo's (Chinese). Dinner he is going to have my lunch leftovers: grilled salmon, garlic green beans and fried rice. We also ordered him a cake from Tiffany's. All chocolate!! It was beautiful. (I'll post a pic tomorrow.)

All-in-all, I believe his birthday has been pretty close to perfect for him.

As I was about to post this, he received a package from his sister Mari. It was a grilling cookbook. I think I know what will be on the next grocery list. :)

Scaling down

I have been thinking a lot lately about scaling down. Not scaling down friends or school, but the possibility of scaling down to a smaller home. Of course, we are talking decades down the road but it is already in my head. John's too. We talk about it every now and then.

Thinking about paring down has made me think of my grandparent's house. It was my favorite place to be growing up...my happy place.  My Grandmother had a small cabinet in her dining room that held her dishes, silverware and maybe even cups. I have found one at IKEA that is similiar (in some ways, very different in others), but it makes me think of her.  If I had room now, I would have one.

The most fantastic Nature Class EVER!!!

We actually went to a new place, with a new teacher, for Nature Class today. We had class with Ranger Jay at Riverfront Park in downtown Columbia. I cannot begin to tell you how awesome Ranger Jay is. He had all the elements we've been missing in Nature Class without Chanda...excitement and enthusiasm!

We had a class on habitat. Ranger Jay had quite a few skeletons. There were many giggles, and oohs and ahhs. Then we went down some scary "steps" and into the woods, heading into the river.

Ranger Jay also had some nets for catching things!

The first thing we found was a small snake. Though Ranger Jay could not recall the name he was sure it didn't bite and was almost full grown.

Yes, both girls held the snake!!! I was shocked and amazed. :)  After the snake, we went to another location to see what we could find in the stream of the river.

We found the bones of a racoon (the skull too!). This was the first bunch of bones we found. I found almost all of the ribs in an area. Then one of the kids found the skull a feet away from the ribs. We also found some bones that Ranger Jay believed were from a fish. Chloe's theory is the racoon ate the fish, then a bigger predator came and ate the racoon.

Ranger Jay (above) found some pieces of a swing set in the river. :(

We had a great time! I'm sure Carrie and April are going to schedule more classes with Ranger Jay and we are certainly excited about it.

Growing pains

I am having serious growing pains! Watching my children grow, pains me.

I found myself watching Jesse this morning as she worked in the library. She had dressed herself: jeans, purple tunic sweater with a belt at her waist. She looked so grown up. I know we are closer to her leaving home as each day passes and seeing her like that, and working, was difficult and rewarding.

Chloe was a bit distraught this morning because she left her beloved Fedora at home. She had many comments about her lack of hat from the librarians. She feels better now; we are home and her hat is back on her head. ;)

Always something interesting

We have a ton of things going on, as usual. Our Nature Classes that we have loved for over year are changing. They  hired a new teacher and I'm not sure we, as a group, are going to stay. He says he is a homeschool graduate, yet most everything he says goes against what we, in our group, believe to be a good education. He may get tossed to the side; we are still making up our minds.

Last week I spent most of the week not going...anywhere. I had a touch of vertigo. Really, can you have a "touch" of vertigo? Anyway. Because of it I was forced into finding a local doctor. I'm sure my doc in Edgefield will be relieved to know I now have someone close, but I hate starting over. He knew everything there was to know and I liked him. :(  The new doctor seems nice. A woman. Not sure how I feel about it but John is very relieved! I have to go back in a couple of weeks to make sure I'm good and double check my blood pressure (it was REALLY high). I had fluid built up behind both ears, which was causing the vertigo. I am very happy we caught it before an infection set in. Whew!

John had a four day weekend due to the Columbus Day holiday. He also spent all of last week working at another location, so I think he is looking forward to being back in his own office tomorrow.

The girls are doing well in school, though I admit with John home as much as he has been lately we are a few days behind schedule. I find it difficult to look at the calander and know I cannot add days to it. It is pretty well set on 365 days. Darn it!!

Taekwondo is going well. My Tuesday classes have been going smoothly so far. My only problem is Alex and I really wish he were Mike's problem. :)  I am now a paid instructor. It is not much, but I am happy Master Mike believes in me enough to allow classes to continue with me at the helm on Tuesdays. Jesse and Chloe would have been devastated if classes were closed.

Most other things are unchanged. Jesse is still volunteering at the library. We are still homeschooling, and loving it...most days (not today). And I still have laundry that needs to be done. Somethings never change. :)

Update

We have had a lot going on lately. I know there were some things I wanted to blog about last week, but honestly as I sit here I cannot recall them. :(

John and I spent the weekend working around the house. Saturday morning I cleaned the garage...again. It had gotten to the point I would almost fall every time I came in due to the ladder being on the landing (with a ton other stuff). It is better, but I admit it is a work in progress. We still need to figure out a way to store the pool for winter and a few other large items need permanent homes too.

John worked on our back door this weekend. In three-and-a-half years, the bottom had already rotted! John said it was beginning to get to the wood of the house!! I'm glad he fixed it this weekend. It looks great and John even has a couple of new tools. Which, of course, makes him a happy guy!

We are. Okay, I am, trying to work on a way to redo the girls' rooms. I am starting with Jesse's, because it seems easier. :)  We are talking about new beds and stuff but I'm not sure. We may keep their current beds. They do need dressers. The biggest part is not their clothes, but their stuff. So much stuff!! Chloe wants a stand for her TV.

However, her TV started going on the fritz yesterday. We have been talking about getting her a new TV for awhile now and it just may be the time to do it. Jesse wants a desk for a laptop that she does not own. :)  Not sure how it will all play out. Time will tell.

Taekwondo is going well. Jesse will be learning the komas this session. Chloe is still working on her short stick. It is difficult for her to get very far when Master Mike is only there once a week and I do not remember that form. In fact, I hated that form when I was learning it. I think I hate it more now. I will spend this session trying to remain calm. :)

This session I am going to have a white (though he may test into a yellow) belt in my colored belt class. That is the second class for green through red belts. I am not sure how it is going to work, but at least this is a guy I know personally and I believe it will be okay. I'm hoping it will be okay. In addition, I will have a new black belt recommended (our asperger's student, who I adore!) AND I have to practice my own form for my graduation in December to third degree. My heart is pounding just thinking about all of it. In addition, I will be teaching five first degrees the single short stick form; our longest form at something like 92 moves!!! Heart pounding!!!!

A difficult time

All families have hard times. They cannot be avoided. This week was the Autry family's turn, my mother's mother's side of the family.

Last Sunday was our annual reunion. The one time of year we HOPE most of us can come together to catch-up and simply enjoy each other. Now, I have to say our reunions are not like some I have heard of lately. I have come to discover that some family reunions are for family members who only have THAT last night. Well that is asinine! Under those circumstances all of my grandfather's seven children would not had been invited (all girls!). I repeat asinine!!!

Anyway. We found out late last week we were going to be missing at least one person, Betty Grey. Betty Grey is my mother's first cousin (I hope I have that correct). She is always smiling and happy, even when things are not going so well. Every time she saw me she would smile (as she did most people). But Betty Grey was in the hospital last weekend. You see in late July Betty Grey was diagnosed with emphysema. I believe it was almost immediately she was put on oxygen. I had not seen her since her diagnosis and was looking forward to seeing her Sunday. I was sad to hear she would not be there. After talking to her son, Doug, on Sunday I feared I may not get the chance.

I did not. She had contracted pneumonia and with her lungs already in jeopardy her body could no longer hang on. She passed away Tuesday afternoon. Her daughter, Jamie, wrote that 900 people came to visitation to say goodbye. I believe that is all that needs to be said about what type of person she was. But I'll say it anyway; she was loved. Not only by her family (which I was happy to be part of) but by most people who knew her.

My heart goes out to Johnny, her husband of 36 years, who is beyond distraught. I hope somehow he can find some peace through the memories they shared. I also feel for Lexi, her youngest granddaughter, who when told she could anything she wanted of her grandmother's said simply, "I want my grandma." I know their hearts will heal, as ours will, but it will take time.

The world lost a great lady who will forever be missed.