Wisconsin Mills

Man, I'm so annoyed at Blogger. It absolutely WILL NOT put pictures, captions, and text where I want them to go, as you have undoubtedly noticed on the last few posts. So, with that in mind, let's see how this post will turn out.

Here are Ellie and Savannah on their way to school.

Next is Ellie at her cheer lesson.

Finally, Savannah at ballet.

Fall Break 2011

It's time for Fall Break. That means a trip up north to visit family. We are taking "Flat Avery" with us to meet the cousins in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Benjamin getting ready to play the saxophone.

Andrew played the cello

Kristi and Rachel posing.

The whole family lookin' good!

Woody and Jessie

Oh, look! It's Woody and Jessie! Or maybe Alex and Avery in their Halloween costumes. There was some talk of daddy Josh dressing up as Stinky Pete. I'd sure like to see that costume.

Happy Birthday, Eireann!

Eireann turned one year old on September 29th. We had the party at our house so Great Grandma Melba could attend. Eireann was more interested in putting her feet on the table and chewing on my refrigerator magnets than blowing out her birthday candles. She's a cutie, though, and we are so glad to have her.

At the Carnival

For a fun family outing, we went to a little carnival that was set up in the mall parking lot. Mark and kids, except Brittany who was at a band competetion, Mandy and kids, dad, and I spent an entertaining hour wandering around the grounds and riding rides. Hardly anyone else was there, so we got good long rides. I haven't been to one of these things in years! Ticket prices were exorbitant, but we had a good time.

Group picture, only the whole group isn't in it.

Avery and Alex on the kiddie roller coaster.

Kirk on a parachute ride.

Alex and Mandy on the carosel.

Kirk, Blaine, and Gabriel at the pirate ship.

Cousins on the carosel.

Eireann and I rode on a sled. They wouldn't let us on a horse.

Alex on a boat ride.




Mandy, Avery, Alex, and grandma on the ferris wheel. If you look closely, you can see grandpa and Eireann standing in the shade of the snack bar.

Kirk and the Band

Kirk got to play at his first school
football game on Tuesday. He plays
the tuba. Find him on the back row.











Here he is next to the sousaphone.










He is to the left of the sousaphone,
waiting for the game to start.

Who Doesn't Love Uncle Mark?

Alex, Avery, and Eireann came over about 4:30 this afternoon while Mandy and Josh went out. Uncle Mark is so much fun, and the kids love him. He even got little Miss Eireann, the non sleeper, to take a nap! While he was at it, he took a nap himself.

How Does the Garden Grow?

We put out a small garden late in June. We've had green beans, radishes, tomatoes, green peppers, peas, and now, corn. Avery was very excited about the corn as you can see from the video.

Friends are Forever

I haven't seen my friend, Royce, in over 15 years. I got to visit with her tonight, and we had a delightful time. Royce knows everything there is to know about camping and outdoor survival. She and I worked together with girl's camp for a few years back in the '80's. She is the one who taught me how to rappel, and then took me rappelling with her. She now lives in Alaska, and is the director of 8 clinics in the Aleutians. She has had many interesting experiences, and I love to listen to her stories. I hope I don't ever lose track of Royce again. She is one of my favorite people.

Broken Thumb

Kirk attended a church youth activity with me on Saturday, and came home with a broken thumb. He says he got it playing tetherball. The ER doctor told him not to tell anyone about the tetherball. He said to claim it was a football injury.

Back to School and Chicken Pox

It's back to school time again. I went back on Thursday, and the students return Monday. Mandy's and Mark's kids went back on Friday. So after one day of school, what did Mandy discover on her children? Chicken Pox! Alex and Avery both broke out on Saturday. I fixed them a Chicken Pox care package to help with the boredom and itchiness. They will both get to miss the first week of school.

Happy 87th Birthday Melba!

On Sunday, July 31st, Melba celebrated her 87th birthday. Here are a few pictures.

Birthday cake

Presents

More From the Beach

This is the view from our window. What a beautiful location.

Light House Times Two

We went out to see the Cape Henry Lighthouses. The old one was built in 1791, the first public works project of the new United States. The 'newer' one was built in 1881, and is still in use today. When the old one was built, it was 500 yards from the water. Today, it is only 250 yards. There are 191 stairs to the top of the old lighthouse. I climbed up to get a view from the top. Kinda cool.

Blogger won't let me put captions under these pictures, so from top to bottom they are...

Both lighthouses

Spiral staircase looking down

Me on the stairs

Me at the top looking towards the new lighthouse

The light is supposed to be seen up to 15 miles away.

Aquarium

We went to the Virginia Aquarium, which has an IMAX theater. Saw a great movie on life under the sea. Then we toured the exhibits

Military Aviation Museum

B-17

Dad by the B-17

Yesterday we went to the Military Aviation Museum. They have a collection of WWI and WWII planes. Some were originals, some were replicas. It was really interesting. I got to look inside a B-17 like grandpa Bruce used to fly, and walk among the other planes in the hanger. They had the real plane belonging to the Duke of Windsor. He's the one that abdicated the throne. It had a ZIPPER! that opened the fabric to access the engine. Very unique.

At The Beach!

Mike and I decided to take a quick vacation this summer. After trying in vain to find an affordable motel in Myrtle Beach, I decided to try Virginia Beach. SCORE!!! I got a great deal on a beachfront motel, so here we are. We have a room with 2 queen beds and a view of the ocean.

Big Band Fun Fest Dance 2011

Mike and the Has Beens played in the Fun Fest afternoon dance. It's so much fun. Mandy's kids had a ball.

Youth Conference 2011

I attended Youth Conference which was held July 14-16. It was great. The activities were fun-2 dances, a swim party, singing at the nursing home, 3 workshops, and a testimony meeting. We stayed at the homes of members in the Bristol/Abingdon area. The youth are awesome!

Youth pose for a picture.

Birthday Celebrations

Today we celebrated Blaine's and Brittany's birthdays. What a wild afternoon.

Independence Day Parade 2011

Happy Independence Day! Went to the parade this morning to see Mark and Mike play with the Kingsport Community band. Mark is in the white shirt with the saxophone, and Mike in the yellow shirt with the red trumpet.

The Farm

This week Mandy helped out some friends by feeding the animals on their farm while they were away. She invited me to come out and see it. The place is called Mini Meadows, and it's a petting zoo with gem mining. Lots of fun.

Avery's Dance Recital

Avery has taken dance lessons this year. Today was her first recital. She's so cute in her costume.

Avery Plays T-Ball

Went to Avery's T-Ball game yesterday. She plays first base, and is a good little athlete.

Camp 2011!

Watching the canoes

Stake staff skit

I'm on the left.

Getting back in the canoe

Swamping the canoe

Waterslide

Speed Limit sign at entrance to camp. Really?

So much fun at girls' camp this year. New location with air conditioned cabins, lake, and waterslide. Awesome!

Newest Fashion Statement

Melba's latest fashion trend is a purple cast. She broke her wrist on May 27th. I won't lie, it's been really, really hard, but we all hope she will heal well and without complications.

A NEW CAR!!!

This is MY new car, and I LOVE it!

It's a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. I've named her Ellie. Isn't she cute when she smiles? See her dimples? This car is supposed to be the best vehicle in the country for gas mileage, getting 47 mpg on the highway and 35 mpg around town. I can't wait to take a trip. The question is...whom should I visit first???

Dollywood!

By the Fountain...

At the Entrance...

Today I went with Mark and his kids to Dollywood, and I realized why I haven't been in so many years. I don't like amusement park rides. I have trouble with motion sickness, and getting into a contraption that spins me around and makes me dizzy on purpose is just plain silly. Anyhow, I had a pretty good time just watching. I did ride a log flume type thing that got me wet, and tried a different type of attraction where I was harnessed into rock climbing gear, and got to climb ropes and stuff. I liked that one! We stayed about 5 hours and the kids rode all kinds of things. Just as I got in line to ride the ferris wheel, they closed the ride. There were thunder storms in the area, and the rides were shutting down, so we decided to head home. We got caught in a pretty vicious storm, but we sat it out in the car and were able to get home safe and sound. Maybe someday I'll get to go back again. Then I'll ride the ferris wheel.

Storm Damage

Last night we had a BIG thunderstorm with hail and high winds blow through our area. Mark and I were at Melba's place, dumping her garbage, when her lights flickered and went out. The lights came back on, then flickered out a couple more times. Finally, they came back on and stayed on. It was after midnight before Mark and I left for home. When we got home, our power was out. The reason? A neighbor's tree fell across the power lines. The power company says they won't get out here to fix it until Saturday. That's three more days!!! It's a good thing we have a generator.