We had a wonderful weekend. The kids didn't have school on Friday because it was a built in snow day that we didn't have to use. (That doesn't mean we didn't have snow during our long winter. That just means the powers that be didn't cancel school when we had to take two hours digging ourselves out of our street. That would be a different post.)
P.K. came back home on Friday from his two weeks away. We were all glad to have him back. Friday night we had family movie night and watched The Water Horse. The kids thought it was a good movie, but P.K. and I thought it was sssllloooowwww! Regardless, I love family time when everyone is relaxed and we don't have to think about getting to the next activity.
Saturday morning P.K. took Rachel and Aaron to swimming lessons while I got ready to clean out the garage. Maybe this wasn't a fun part of the weekend, but we purged some STUFF! We drug everything out of the garage, went through it and put what was left back in. The Goodwill got some good donations from us. P.K.'s Saturn was full. I finally gave up my big Rubbermaid containers of clothes I've been dreaming of fitting back into one day. If I ever win the battle of the bulge, I will treat myself to a few new items. I also donated a lot of activity books and supplies from my short lived teaching career and our homeschool days. We gave a couple tricycles to a friend with a little one who will get a lot of use out of them. Our neighbor who was outside watching her kids play inherited several Pampered Chef cookbooks (I had duplicates), some chapter books that Rachel isn't interested in reading, and a computer keyboard. P.K. tried to get her to take some other things, but she doesn't want her garage to look like ours. We parted with a file cabinet that we picked up at a used furniture store in our early days in California. It was an ugly green, but it has served us well. As we took out drawers, I learned that it had once been purple and blue. One of the the college guys across the street helped P.K. carry it to the curb. The poor kid didn't know that it had been through three states and probably carried spiders from all three states. I didn't volunteer the information either because I didn't want to touch it. One man driving by saw all of the stuff pulled out on the driveway and thought we were having a garage sale. We would have paid him to take some of the stuff. P.K. also gave up his trunks from his Coast Guard days. They were slightly damaged. I think he was ready to part with them many moves ago, but I get a bit sentimental. One of them served as our coffee table when we were first married. Why is it so hard to part with our stuff we don't really need? How did we become so emotionally attached to this stuff? It made us really happy when someone we know would agree to take something. I think because we knew it was going to a good home.
BEFORE
AFTER
As you can see from the pictures, we will never park a car in the garage. At least I won't die from embarrassment when someone catches us with the garage door up.
The city has several days a year when residents can put extra junk out for garbage pick up day. Luckily for us, our next garbage day was the bonus pick up day. I thought I would let you see the treasure we put out. There is a huge box of stuff behind the black garbage bags.
The kids were so well behaved all day long. Hannah played outside the whole time. Rachel and Aaron spent a little time watching their favorite shows, but other than that they were outside. In line with our obedience brings blessings philosophy, we treated our well behaved babies to dinner at Red Robin. Yum!
Hannah discovered seeds from maple trees. P.K. and I call them helicopters. Hannah and Aaron collected them in buckets and all the kids watched them twirl off of the deck. P.K. and I found them to be very nostalgic. I love it when nature entertains them!
Sunday we went to church together. Rachel and Aaron had Celebration Sunday in their class. At the end of each unit they have a special day to play games, win prizes and review what they have learned. Rachel won a movie pass to the new theatre just down the road from us so we took an opportunity to see a movie. We saw The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. We all loved it. I thought it would scare Aaron and Hannah. We showed them a preview before we went and they both wanted to see it. About a third of the way through Hannah (who is 4) asked me if we could rent it when it comes out. I told her we would be buying this one. It was a good two hours, but it went by quickly. Go see it if you haven't already.
I had to take a picture. I thought they were too cute with their ($3-gasp)boxes of movie candy. They seemed so grown up. P.K. and I were reminiscing about the days when we would take them to a drive-in movie and they would be all over the place. They are all at great ages. Family outings are so much fun. I know it won't be many more years before they would rather see the latest movies with their friends and not their families. But a momma can pray...
Monday I did my usual Monday morning Bible study with my friend Becky who is stationed in Washington (state). When we got off the phone an hour and a half after we started (makes it sound like we did some heavy duty studying...which we did...our current study is tough, but we do get off track...maybe me more than Becky...I totally digress...my point exactly)my house was very quiet. For a brief moment I thought the rapture had occurred and Becky and I who are trying to learn more about God and do his will were left behind. But alas, P.K. had taken the kids outside to ride their bikes and play with the boys next door.
We live on a dead end street and they were building a road at the end for the
Tonka trucks. P.K. actually took this picture so I am not sure about the orange cones. Our neighbor is VERY safety conscious so I'm guessing he put them out. It's not a bad idea though. Hannah loves to dig. If you give that child a shovel and a patch of dirt, she is set.
It is weekends like these that make me sad when the kids have to go back to school and the rest of us go back to the craziness of day to day life.
This is Georgia State Representative John Yates. He is a World War II survivor and spoke at the ceremony this morning. He has spent much of his political career fighting for the rights of veterans and survivors of those who have died. It was an honor to hear him tell his story. World War II vets are a fast dying breed.
Aaron is placing a flag by a grave.
After placing a flag, the Scouts would step back, pause and salute the flag and the grave.
I love this picture of Aaron and his best friend, Coleman.
Hannah placing a flag.
Rachel placing a flag.
Hannah's salute.
Aaron and a couple Scout buddies.
Rachel and Hannah with some Scouting friends.
My three favorite Scouts after placing flags.
I paused by this particular unknown grave and offered a prayer of thanksgiving for the specific life that was given. Some where at some point in our country's history a mother or wife never saw her child or husband again. She had no idea what happened. As a mom and Navy wife, I stood in to pay tribute to this particular person for the mom or wife who never had a chance.
