Thanksgiving 2014

My youngest "indian" helped set the table before our Thanksgiving meal.  

Since we weren't quite ready to eat, the kids occupied themselves by decorating a gingerbread house.  It looked so good that we ate it for dessert an hour later!

The next day, we put up the tree and got the house ready for Christmas.  Although our youngest is almost 8 yrs old, she still loves to play with the nativity set.

Wonderful Advent blessings!

Wrestling Tournament

Our son decided to try wrestling this fall.  Although a freshman and new to the sport, he made varsity.  As his mom, I feel a little better that there are weight classes, but he'll be still be up against more experienced wrestlers.

The conditioning and meets are a great outlet for teenagers since they come home exhausted!  The coaches are also fabulous about building strong character values.

State Meet

Last weekend was the SC State Cross Country meet.  Our school had both our boys and girls varisty qualify for this race in Columbia for Division 2A.

The gun went off.....

The sandy hills were unexpected for our oldest as she struggled to keep up with those more experienced with this course.  We later found out that spiked shoes was the key to performing well.

Our daughter finished 27th overall, and the team came in 6th place! 

Young Adult

Our oldest is now 18!  She wasn't excited to be woken up for breakfast in bed, although she did appreciate the fresh watermelon.

The entire day was planned.  First, she went to work while I cleaned the house and got ready for the party.  When she got home, she enjoyed all the sweet cards, gifts, pumpkins, and watermelons.

Next, the family went for a jog on the Swamp Rabbit.

And to eat, her preferred restaurant was Don Pablos.  But, we accidentally got her an On the Border gift card, so we went there instead.  

It's hard to believe our oldest can now vote, buy lottery tickets, get married, apply for a credit card, enlist in the military, go to her own medical appointments, sign for a loan, or buy cigarettes, all without the consent of her parents.  It's time like this when we have to trust in our daughter to make good decisions, know we raised her with our best efforts, and pray that our Lord will always guide her.  Happy 18th Birthday, my sweet baby girl!

Birthday Celebration

Our son turned 15 over the weekend and, to my surprise, spent the day with his family.

Although he's not much of a morning person, he did appreciate his breakfast in bed:  homemade waffles with blueberries and chocolate chips inside. 

  

For his restaurant choice, he requested India Palace, and for his home-cooked meal the next day he wanted meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans.  

His cake was a bit unique, though.  Half joking a few weeks ago, he mentioned he wanted a cake with the Declaration of Independence on it.  I'm not sure if he was in the middle of studying US History, or just watched a documentary on PBS, but it surprised him that I took note of it.  Thanks for all the cards & wishes!

Ears Pierced

Our youngest wanted her ears pierced for her birthday, which is 2 months away.  But since she's planning to be the flower girl for her cousin's wedding, we decided to do this early.

She chose pink crystal hearts, clutched the teddy bear tight, and closed her eyes.

She was all smiles afterwards.  In 8 weeks, she plans to trade the original earrings for some soft pearls, and show them off with her hair up at the ceremony.

Riding the Swamp Rabbit

A friend and I decided to ride our bikes to the end of the Swamp Rabbit trail.  It was a beautiful weekend, nice & cool.

She's a retired Army Colonel, and despite the 10 yr age difference, she's in better shape than me!

We decided to stop at a local brewery on the way home for one of the best, fresh brews you can get in SC.