Mother-Daughter Moments

Make that the Top Eleven

11- Lisde's Arepa!! I am going to miss my good friend when we go back to PA. You rock Lisde!

Top Ten of Atlanta - in random order

1- Listening to Selah cheer for "Milky" Cabrerra at the many Braves games

2- High Dive at Heckers Pool- love the belly flops and nasal rinsings

3- Damon's year end program at High Point...I'll never forget him singing "The World is a Rainbow"

4- Putting several years of wear and mostly tear on Selah's bike trailer at Blankets. Who says you can't take a toddler mountain biking?

5- Chastain Park BBQ's

6- Teaching Selah to swim and hoping no one calls the police! She went from hysteria to a wild fish in two weeks!

7- Derek's wonderful hours.

8- Being creative while cooking in our "furnished apartment"

9- Learning that a one bedroom apartment is sufficient for happiness.... simplicity truly is bliss!

10- Trader Joes, Trader Joes, Trader Joes!!

10th Anniversary

Hawaii

Rainbow Falls

Hilo

Black Sands Beach

Waimea

Of course no vacay is complete without some mtn biking

Performing surgery on himself after stepping on a sea urchin (AKA Wana)

One day of business... Alii Health

Oh Atlanta, I hear you callin'

Atlanta

Derek is spending three months doing a Pediatric Orthopaedic rotation at Children's of Atlanta. We decided to load up the van and tag along! We are staying in a one bedroom apartment owned by the hospital. We are cozy! It has been a wonderful adventure trip. The boys spent 6 weeks attending High Point Elementary in Sandy Springs. They had a great experience and made friends that they will be sad to leave. Selah has also made a wonderful friend, but I think she will miss her gymnastics coach (Coach Kathryn) the most! The kids have proven to be quite adaptable. This has been a very healing time for our family as Derek's schedule has been incredible. We have had him home for dinner every night except for call nights! I have been extremely content with our laid back lifestyle. We go to the park & pool almost everyday. Other than that, I enjoy watching gymnastics classes and soccer games. I have no complaints or regrets about coming along. Living simply is truly blissful!!

Braves Game

Batting Practice

Atlanta Aquarium

Selah's Bedroom (AKA Closet)

Family Fun

Thank goodness for daddy!

Derek in action

Nurturing his favorite patient

Girl Time

Laying out

Decorating our lovely apartment

Kenyon

Damon

Selah at Gymnastics

Selah 's class

Bus Stop

Mountain Biking at Blankets Park

The perfect nap!

A Shout Out to Cub Scouts!

Kenyon started scouts when he turned eight, just six weeks ago. I am so impressed with the scouting program. Kenyon's troop is organized and his leaders do a wonderful job. He is always so excited to go and participate...and he loves pack meetings. But, the thing I find most outstanding is this program is designed to teach young boys to respect and appreciate their mothers. I loved it when Kenyon pinned his Bobcat award on me. His troop leader asked him why he thought I get a pin. He quickly responded, "because she helps me". It was such a tender moment between the two of us. How do we continue to teach our boys to respect women and their roles as mothers? I am grateful that my husband respects his mother, me as a woman, wife & a mother, as well as other mothers and women in general. He is what I pray my boys will emulate. I know it is also essential that I respect my role as a mother and as a woman. Thank you Cub Scouts for being a part of our "village".

Outer Banks NC 2009

One Week beachside in Avon, NC - We arrived on Saturday night with Z-Naefs, and everyone was stoked to start wave jumpin' and crab diggin'. We were lucky to stay in this sweet coastal crib - especially Derek, who celebrated the high ceilings (in contrast to last year's "Ty's Low Dive," who's low ceilings inflicted multiple scalp hematomas).

An elevator! Awesome!

But Sunday greeted us with rainfall, and the first half of the week was full of windy downpours.

It rained and rained and rained for days...

We found creative ways to entertain ourselves. Hide-and-seek, manhunt, Pictionary...



What do you do when you run out of things to do? What else! Truth or dare landed Carrie in the pool fully clothed and barking like a seal

And Hans had to wash down a potato bug.
Seconds, anyone?

Damon fed the birds right out of his hand on the ferry boat to Ocracoke. We learned all about Blackbeard, who pillaged these waters for many years and died in a battle near the island.

Pirates infiltrated our hot tub!

They made themselves useful, chasing away scalliwags

The pirates rounded up these stowaways and made them walk the plank.

Fearsome pirate

Finally the sun came out! Off to the beach.

Wave-jumping with Kenyon

Unfortunately the storm winds created a massive tidal sweep that turned the shallow water into a strong river. In an instant, an unsuspecting child could be swept all the way down to the pier! We held tight to the chitlins. Although one day their fussing and insubordination almost drove me to launch them down the river, Moses style, to be fetched out and taken home by another family.

They're lucky they're so cute.

I wish I could say the highlight of surfing was, well, surfing. But actually it was the fish that leaped out of the water and struck me right between the eyes. The swells were 8-10 feet. Can you still call it surfing if you don't get up?

Capture-the-Flag champions

Wore 'em out