7 Weeks--Fun

We just completed our 7th week of school BEFORE Labor Day!  A lot of our extra activities have started or are starting this week.  We have quite the full schedule this year!  

A few highlights from the last week:

Tera used Legos and beads to represent how feudalism worked in Norman Britain.  The poor serfs were left with very little from all their hard work...

Member appreciation day at our gym came complete with smoothies from Smoothie King, which just happened to coincide with Daniel's actual birthday! 

Helping make corn muffins for Massachusetts week

Daniel and I were on to band practice and saw the biggest rainbow in the sky.  The pictures do not do it justice!  It was beautiful! 

Michael is doing quite well in drawing this year.  He followed this video tutorial to draw this anatomically correct twig for his botany study.  

Happy 16th Birthday, Daniel

We blinked and our little boy turned into a young man!

A young man with quite a few talents.
A young man who knows where his faith lies.
A young man who is passionate about many things.
A young man who is fearless and isn't swayed by popular opinion.


You make us belly laugh.
You are the kind of person other people enjoy being around.
You are quick to think of others more highly than yourself. 
You are uniquely you, Daniel!

We love you and know that God has great plans in store for your life!

Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 

'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

Jeremiah 29:11

Everybody's Birthday

The kids don't get to celebrate birthdays with their cousins, so when we do get together we have a "everybody's birthday party"!

Almost 18 years ago, Uncle John bought Tera a TY bunny. Tera became attached to "Bunny" and took her everywhere! I called him up soon after, telling him he needed to find another one as a back-up. (I thought I had messed it up in the wash and we were concerned she might lose it.)

I have had "Bunny 2.0" stored in tissue paper in a ziploc bag for all these years. I told my brother (since he won't be here for Tera's 18th birthday) that I wanted him to give it to her today. I got very choked up and almost cried!!!!

We joked that "Bunny" has lived a hard life compared to "Bunny 2.0", but there is no doubt that she's definitely been LOVED!

My clan right here... 

Jeep Fun

My brother and his family were in town for the Jeep Invasion this weekend.  We met up at our house for breakfast---Tera's cinnamon rolls.  

Then, we headed out for a group Jeep ride around Cades Cove!  John and I had the two youngest cousins with us.  The teenagers were all together in Christy's Jeep.  It worked out perfect! 

 So happy to spend this day making good memories....