Dodge Ridge - Ski Day

An absolutely perfect day to ski!  Four in our Crew headed out to the slopes today.  Lilly and I hit the lodge donned with color books and games!  She was thankful to have a few friends to play in the snow with too!  Garret had a great day, getting in a quick run with his dad, just before his two hour lesson!  During his lesson - Wade and Bret went to the back side!  Rachel stayed nearby on her favorite - Lift 2.

After an early and quick lunch Wade and Bret returned to the backside - this time accompanied by Rachel.  She had a great time, and even did some Black Diamond Runs!  Garret got a little more time in with Dad, and thanks to Sam - he had one more great run before the day was over.

Well, I'm about through with ski trips for the season - but the home school group is shouting for more!   Who could blame them?

Almond Blossom Parade and Party!

The Almond Blossom Festival is an annual event in our town.  We call ourselves the Almond Capital of the World. 

This year the celebration was a little more special for the Crew's!  We've been enjoying our own Almond Blossoms!  We were also glad to have two of Wade's co-workers and families join us for the festivities!

My pictures of the day are seriously lacking!  Here are a few from the parade!

Clowns, and more clowns!

The Starbucks Float!

I asked Jack (my Sunday School student) what his favorite part of the parade was.  He said, "The tractors!"  

Yeah, Ripon Sea Lions.  Notice the little guy with his head sticking out the bottom of the float!  When we expressed concern for his safety, they told us his dad was a doctor.  Oh, I guess we don't have to worry, then?!

Garret is waiting for the adults to quit gawking at Papa's Bike!

Lilly wanted her turn!

This is pretend!  Wade and I share the same dream of seeing our beautiful country when we retire.  However, the mode of transportation has yet to be decided.  This is his idea!

The parade, and motorcycle gawking was followed by a great BBQ and fellowship at our house!

Spring flowers, and No TV, No Computer!

Spring has sprung!  Garret and Lilly are learning a poem in Grammar right now.  One of the lines says, 

"March brings breezes loud and shrill,

 Stirs the dancing daffodil."

We're getting a few blossoms.  The bee boxes are in the orchard, but not sure when those little guys will come outside as we're expecting rain through Wednesday!  Maybe the Lord will bless us with a little sun in between the showers!

This is what our children accomplished Friday.  I was on the couch recovering from oral surgery.  Wade was working at home.  Our four children rushed through school and chores in anticipation of endless hours of computer time!  The fun ended (or so they thought) when Dad said, "Go play outside!"

We now have a rope swing.  The camera quit taking pictures for some reason...but you get the idea.  Our children were not killing brain cells on mindless games until 4:00 p.m. on Friday!  And I think they did end up having fun!

Weeee!!!!

A little celebrating

We celebrated Rachel's birthday throughout the day on Tuesday.

She woke to breakfast - pancakes topped with blueberries and peaches!  Yum!

She had one more gift to open.  Flip flops that Lilly picked out at Old Navy!  Need those for swim team!

After lunch, Rachel and I each baked a pie.  Hers was pumpkin, mine lemon meringue (not as good as Grandma Crew's - but Wade says I'm improving!)

After a dinner of Baked Potato Soup, (the absolute most fattening meal I make!) we sang another Happy Birthday to Rachel, and enjoyed our pie!

Here's Daddy celebrating - before he let us know how poorly he was feeling.  He's in bed with a fever!  Please pray for him!

After dinner, Wade had a meeting at church - so I decided to take all the kids to one of Rachel's favorite spots!!!  Grandma was in town - so she met us there!  How nice!  She helped Rachel make a few selections!!

I did say Rachel's favorite spots!!!  This guy was ready to scram after about 1/2 an hour!!

Here he is faking a smile for the camera :)!

It was a great day - a little school, a little play!  We came home and watched Rodger & Hammerstein's - Cinderella (1957).  Rachel enjoyed it!  Michaela would call it a gray movie (black and white!)   Grandma would say - too much singing!  The boys thought so too.  Garret conveniently left during each and every song!

Now on to the rest of our busy week.  Spelling Bee - Thursday, and skiing Friday!  We cancelled the ski trip last week, due to falling snow.  Has anyone checked the weather for this week?  Ha!  We're going to get dumped on!!!  All the dads tell me it will be great!  Most of the moms will be sitting in the lodge! I'm determined to at least take my lesson!  Brrrr!

Thirteen Candles

Tuesday, February 10th is Rachel's 13th Birthday!

Here's some pics from an early celebration!

Rachel enjoyed lunch at her favorite restaurant with a few special friends!

They had a great time!

Then home for gifts, yummy cake and some more fun!

Rachel received this sewing box from Grandma Helen.  It belonged to Grandma Helen's grandma.  Her name was also Helen Rachel.   Our Rachel is Rachel Joy (sorry, we didn't keep Helen in the name!)

Tomorrow is a school day, but we do have a few special things planned.  We'll be blogging about them later. 

 Happy Birthday Rachel!

A Note from Lilly

 I never want to forget this...
Young children have the most interesting way of spelling the things they want to communicate.  I remember when Rachel was in school the teacher had them keep a journal.   When the journal made its way home, I stood in my kitchen - laughing at her spelling, but crying because I was so touched with what she had written.  Funny, I understood what she was saying - all I had to do was use my phonics skills- all the right sounds, just the wrong letters.  Lilly needs a little more practice - so I'll interpret for you...

I love this, but I promised my mommy that I would go to the store

Isn't that sweet?  What did she love?  Her math fact families.  I was keeping her busy with them, while I worked with Bret on Grammar!

Happy Ground Hog Day

This morning our family opened up our Atlas, Almanac and other various interesting library books.  I read a fun story about the Liberty Bell - fitting, because we were studying the state of Pennsylvania.  We filled in our notebooks with facts and details about the state.  I quizzed them on events we've studied in prior history lessons that had to do with the state.  We were wrapping it up when I decided to look at one more book...

What do you know?  It's Groundhog Day!  What state does Punxsutawney Phil live in?  None other than Pennsylvania!  

Here's what we learned about Groundhog Day - the first celebration was on February 2, 1886.  The townsfolk had a celebration that day and waited to see if Phil would see his shadow.  They'd been watching him for years before that and decided that Phil could forecast the weather.  If he saw his shadow on February 2nd it would be six more weeks of winter.  If not, spring would soon arrive!  Well today he saw his shadow.  A welcome relief to the dry Californians!!

We also learned that Pittsburgh is a big manufacturer of steel - now we get it -Pittsburgh Steelers!  We remembered that the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia in 1776.  I explained why the Pennsylvania Dutch are not really Dutch, and we drooled over pictures of Hershey Kisses coming off an assembly line!

Happy Groundhog Day!