Obi loves hats

Today we are all recovering from  a long week at VBS.

And actually both kids have fevers, especially Obi who had a very high fever all night long.

Apparently he feels a lot better right now though because he asked me to put one of Rosie's dress up hats on him and then went and got my mirror.

Obi loves wearing hats. And he loves to look at himself wearing hats.

I love this kid.

Vacation Bible School continues

Rosie enjoyed her VBS days 2 and 3.

The Western theme has been really fun. It's fun how all the crafts and activities have a western theme to them and even the snacks go with the Moses story or the Western theme.

Obi discovered he loves raccoons hats. It's both a hat and something he can cuddle. 

The kids dug for treasure in the sand. That was a very popular activity. I'll have to remember that one.

In story time the kids learned about a different desert/western animal each day as well as stories from Moses's life. 

Obi loves wearing the hats.

He doesn't get to participate in much but he runs around and plays on his own.... or with me chasing him around. 

The kids always look so cute sitting on their little bench waiting to go into Mass.

Miss Alyssa and the rowdy boys.

It's been a LOOONG and exhausting week but it's been a week where we have all learned a lot too.  It's been good to see how Rosie interacts in group settings and how well she responds to a structured day.

Since VBS starts at 9am and goes till 2:30 it's also been a small taste of what it would be like if she went to pre-school next year.

I've been so impressed with the crafts this week. They are so well planned and so fun for the kids. I've also been so impressed with how hard Rosie works on them and how well she does.

 She's growing up so fast and I'm so happy to be able to spend this week with her at her very first Vacation Bible School.

First Vacation Bible School

Monday was the first day of Rosie's very first Vacation Bible School.

Isn't she darling!!?

She was so excited to be going to "class" and she was very happy to be using her new lunch box. 

Obidiah seemed to be happy too. He's too young to participate in VBS (or so they tell me) but he still enjoys running around with the other kids and watching everything they do.

VBS has a western theme this year and everyone was dressing up like cowboys.  Somehow Obi ended up looking more like a little gangster.

Look how darling they are!

  Here they are "making bricks" as they are learning about the people of Israel in Egypt.

 Day one was pretty fun and pretty exhausting. Both Mama and my babies. But we are having fun and learning a lot. 

I'm very impressed with the crafts and games. I also really really appreciate how much Rosie's food allergy has been accommodated for for!! (yeah for Gluten Free everything!!!)

All the kids seem to really having a good time and they are so darling and funny.

More tomorrow!

Christmas Beach Party and Evening Sand Castles

Last week was 182 days till Christmas, exactly half way to that special day.

Naturally that means it was time to have a party. On Thursday some of our friends came over and we had a Beach Christmas party.

I only managed to take one picture before the party because once everyone got there we were having too much fun and I forgot to take more.

This is a picture of our center piece. Rosie picked out leas for every one and we put Christmas bows on boxes of Skittles to give everyone for a Half Christmas gift.

Then we played outside at our "beach" and ate homemade peppermint ice cream.

After everyone left I took some pictures of the kids, who had not had enough "beach" time, playing in their new sand box.

Remember that awesome pink chair I bought myself? 

I got a bunch more.

I like how the circle of chairs and citronella yard candles look like a birthday cake in the middle of our yard.

Is there anything cuter than naked babies playing outside? 

She works contently and concentrates so hard on her work.

  We ended up playing in the sandbox until well after dark with just the light from our yard candles and the fire flies.

It was so much fun and a perfect end to a really fun Christmas party.

 I love being outside with my little munchkins and I look forward to a wonderful Summer at our beach with them.

 If you come to visit we have a chair for you now, and we may even have some homemade ice cream.

Crazy Catholics.... and the fun we have

On June 1st, our church held their first annual “Eucharistic Procession” to celebrate the ancient Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, historically known as Corpus Christi.

This Feast day has been celebrated by Catholics worldwide since the 11th century.

The word “Eucharist” comes from a Greek word which means gratitude or thanksgiving and is one of the names for Holy Communion, the bread and wine which become the Body and Blood of Christ at every Mass.

 A Eucharistic Procession takes one of those pieces of bread, or Christ’s Body, and makes Him the center of the event.

Our procession went down Highway 70, the center of our town, and it was recently mentioned in the Tennessee Register.

The bottom picture in the article of Father Michael carrying the Eucharist down the center of two was taken by William.

So what are those crazy Catholics going to do next?

Well since you asked, at Noon Eastern time churches across the United States are going to ring their bells on the 4th of July to celebrate religious freedom.

Let Freedom Ring, and all that...

Happy Half Christmas!

And thank you to my wonderful husband who gave this cinnamon lotion as a half Christmas gift. Isn't he fantastic!
And thank you to my in laws who gave me the gift card that bought this Christmas via (instant coffee) that I finally finished today. The box made a great toy.

Happy First Day of Summer!

Well Summer is finally, officially, here.
And what better way to send  the first day of Summer than playing at the beach and drinking ice coffee?

(don't worry. The kids' ice coffee was made with Ensure instead of coffee)

The kids were especially happy to have Daddy home to play with them and have picnic lunch with them....

at least until the plumber showed up and then Daddy had to go get covered in poop.
For which I am very very grateful. It's so nice to be able to flush the toilets again.

And now we're off to Mexican food... now that Daddy smells like a human again. And then back out to the sand pit!!

Sandy Shores

Our beach is now complete.

Fun in the Sun -- Photo dump

When I post during the day it's usually from the iPad. I like that I can take pictures with and post from the same divice. But I don't have any control over the layout of the posts, which I don't like, and the camera on the iPad isn't the greatest. But at least things get posted...so I guess that's good.

Today at our "beach day" in the back yard I pulled out the real camera and had way too much fun taking pictures of my adorable munchkins.

It's really late and I need to go nurse Obi so I'm just going to post these and let you see how much fun they had playing in the back yard.

oh... and I fought these things today. They were trying to take over the feed shed and wouldn't let me in. I sprayed poison at them and ran very very fast.  I looked very silly but I think I won.