Sparks-A-Rama, March 20th

Our church participated in 'Sparks-A-Rama' at the Tennessee Temple gym. The kids spent months practicing for the games and were so excited to participate. Unfortunately, one of the kids didn't show up and the team was going to be disqualified ... luckily, Lydia was there to watch the games and she was allowed to participate. They all did such a good job. Our team won first place!
Caleb participating in the games
Abigail crawling along in the next game Poor Lydia, the noise seems to be getting to her!

ERES 1st Grade Program, March 23rd

Caleb was so excited about their program. We got daily reminders from him in the month leading up to the PTA Meeting. He was an autumn tree, and his part was to herald the coming of fall. The story of the frog and the toad was acted out by the kids with the help of a narrator and songs sung by the kids. We laughed at how cute the kids were. It is always a blessing to see your kids perform on stage! Lydia was so enthralled with watching the 'big kids'. Grandmomma and Granddaddy came to watch the program too. Afterwards Caleb was so proud of himself. Caleb announcing the coming of the fall season!

Jump Rope For Heart, March 18th and 19th

The kids at East Ridge Elementary spent months preparing themselves for the "Jump Rope for Heart" event. They each raised money to sponsor children with heart problems. Coach Dave provided "heart healthy" snacks for the kids and with the help of parent volunteers the children participated in jump rope competitions. It was a lot of fun for the kids and I sure enjoyed watching them enjoy a healthy activity. Caleb jumping "doubles" on the long rope.
Abigail jump roping in the first round.

Visit with Aunt Martha, March 12th

Grandmomma's sister, Aunt Martha, came for a visit from San Francisco. The last time she was here was when Abigail was a baby so she hadn't met Caleb and Lydia. The kids were very excited to finally get to meet her after years of exchanging Christmas cards. We met at Grandmomma and Granddaddy's house for dinner. Aunt Alli, Tommy, Peyton and Logan came over too. It was a nice treat to have the whole family together for a meal. That usually only happens on holidays! Allison, Tommy, Peyton and Logan with Aunt MarthaGrandmomma and Granddaddy with Aunt Martha
Roy, Trudie, Abigail, Caleb and Lydia with Aunt Martha

Fun at the Park, March 9th

The kids had a day off from school today, exactly one week after the last snow day, and we spent the afternoon at the park. The kids were so happy to get out of the house and play outside. It was a long winter to be cooped up inside the house. They had a blast playing on the playground.

Snow Day, March 2nd

Well, another month and another snow day. School was cancelled at 11:00 am due to expected snow fall of a couple of inches and the threat of icy conditions. Apparently the automatic phone system was down so I never got a phone call. Luckily one of the secretaries at the church heard it on the radio and mentioned it to Roy! The kids were excited to have another day off from school ... until they got home and realized that they had chores to do! It's amazing what an incentive playing in the snow can be for kids to complete their chores in a timely manner. My camelia bush struggling to bloom in the snow!

Our backyard as seen from the deck off our kitchen.

The front of our house as seen from the yard across the street.

ERES 2nd Grade Program, February 25th

East Ridge Elementary School Second Grade Program: A Celebration of Dr Suess. The children learned songs, rhymes, and hand motions to celebrate Dr Suess week at the school. Abigail was responsible for welcoming the crowd and telling them what the program was about. She spent a lot of time memorizing her lines and was so nervous, but she did a great job. The kids all did an awesome job and all of the parents, friends, and families enjoyed the show. Grandmomma and Granddaddy were able to come and watch the program too. We were so proud of our little star!

Faith's Birthday Party, February 20th

Saturday, Feb 20th, we piled in the car and headed to Atlanta to celebrate Faith's fifth birthday. We were all so excited to see everyone and a birthday is always cause for a celebration. We got to Uncle Erik's a little early and hung out before heading over to Monkey Joe's for the party. There were tons of kids there, it was total chaos! The kids had a blast playing on the inflatables. They wore themselves out before heading into the party room for pizza and cake. Faith had a Hannah Montana cake which Abigail and Lydia loved. It was from Publix so Mommy loved it too! Then it was time for presents. Faith got so many fun toys, cute clothes, and even her very own suitcase. She was so excited about everything she got and the kids were all so excited to see her reaction to their presents. Lydia and Faith "driving" the car. They are BFF's. It is so cute to watch them together!

Caleb climbing on the inflatable wall up to a slide.

Abigail sliding with a new friend.

Faith opening the Wii game we got her. It was a game that her cousin Noah has and they pllay it together when she is at his house.

After all the birthday fun we headed back to Uncle Erik's house for some more fun times. The kids played with Faith's toys and played the new Wii game she got. PePaw got so excited watching them!

After we were all played out we piled into the van and headed home. It was a long, but fun day, and we all slept good that night!

Snow Day, February 16th

School was cancelled today due to the snow that they were expecting. As you can see from these pictures, the cancellation was a tad hasty. We did have snow but it was short lived. The kids were excited to have a day off and play in the "snow". It was nice to be able to sleep in a little and enjoy a day together!

Class Valentine's Parties, February 12th

Happy Valentines Day at East Ridge Elementary School with Mrs Pawlawski's 1st Grade class and Mrs Feher's 2nd Grade class. The kids were so excited to have a chance to look through all of their Valentine's cards, eat some snacks, and work on a special holiday craft. It is always a treat to have the opportunity to spend the day with the kids at their schools. Their friends always welcome me with hugs too which makes it even more fun! Lydia loves to be able to visit her big brother and sister and meet all of their friends. Lydia sitting with Abigail enjoying the goodies.

Abigail and her best friend, Kate. Her family are missionaries and she is only in school for a few months while they are home on furlough.

Caleb and his friend Luke

Caleb and his friend Brandon