Ahoy there, mateys!

It's time to celebrate a certain 8 year old birthday boy!

Love my handsome 8 year old boy!!!

Dr. George

Isaac got creative while Ian and I were working on English. He made his little pal a stethoscope out of pipe cleaners.

My handsome boys

They never fail to make me smile!

Biker Dudes!

Celebrating spring with the first bike ride of the year. Little over 6 miles today--not too shabby for the first of the season. My legs will thank me tomorrow, I'm sure.

First and third place finishers

Way to go everyone! Thanks especially to Miss Liz and her coaching staff.

Balloon relay

When else would you find this age group of boys getting this "up close and personal" with each other? All for the sake of good competition.

PPC Girls fighting their way through four way tug of war

This a serious battle! And these girls are serious athletes.

They make it look so painful!

I'm pretty sure this didn't hurt a bit (and that's not just nurse speak for "I'm about to jab you with a big needle). Just Ian gettin' his green on!

PPC Sparkies captured first place!

What a fun day, cheering our team to victory. They worked hard and played well. Smiles all around!

I think we killed it!

This was our science experiment for the week, studying the effects of acid rain. After just 4 days, this is the difference between the two, once-identical plants. Pretty impressive!
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This year's gingerbread house...

...complete with a snowboarding gingerbread man!

Ian's Icy Igloo

Ian has been determined to build an igloo this winter. The boys have both thoroughly enjoyed all the snow we've had so far. This is a picture of his most successful creation to date.

Ian's Tycoon Tutorial

Somehow, Ian managed to bankrupt both Isaac and I in just over an hour this afternoon. This is a shot of the board at games' end--and yes, all those properties belong to Ian. He managed to land on all three of one color early on in the game, and quickly built up his real estate with hotels. Isaac and I didn't stand a chance... (and just for the record, I was the first to go down!)

The view from the top

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The view from the bottom:

When one is in that laughing heap!
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Snow days are for...

SLEDDING! Nothing beats back the winter blues like some time spent sledding down the hills with my boys, ending in a laughing heap at the bottom. Between the shoveling required of late and trudging back up those hills, I figure I've worked off any holiday pounds!
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Lions, and Tigers, and...Nerf guns! OH MY!!!

So, Isaac chose to spend some of his Christmas money on yet another nerf gun. Luckily, this one blasts 3 darts per second and comes with 60 darts in 3 pre-loadable clips. He'll never be without ammo. And I'll never lack for the little orange pieces of foam that have become my home decor staple of late! Remind me once again that I'll miss them when they're grown and gone...
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Silent night

Don't know as that can ever be said of the ER, but it sure is pretty just outside the doors!
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My latest creation

After a day of intense study for my CEN, this was a fun creative outlet. Joy is decorating her baby's nursery with monkeys, so I made her baby shower cake to match her bedding. It turned out so cute that I think I'll have to convince one of the boys to have a jungle themed birthday party soon!
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Sunrise for Susan

Ian came creeping into my room this morning whispering "There's a beautiful sunrise and I thought if I could find your camera, I'd take a picture of it." I love sunrises! Such a reminder of God's faithfulness. I'm glad that He promises His mercies are new every morning.
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The view from my seat

Crossing the border into SC. I knew we were back in the south when Ian asked "how much longer ya reckon it's gonna take, mom?". We could see Paris Mt in the distance from this spot.
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My Sister, My Friend

Today is my sister Susan's birthday. Words cannot adequately express how much this woman means to me. There is simply something special about sharing your life and your heart with someone from birth. We all long to be "known" and Susan knows me like few do. I am blessed to call her not just sister, but also friend. Without her sacrificial giving to my boys and I, we could not continue to homeschool. She loves my boys as her own and gives so much of herself, her time, and her energy to us. I'm so excited for her to now be closing out her home business and be able to focus on what she does best--being a wife, mom, and teacher. I admire her as a godly woman. She has a depth with God that inspires me and she's not afraid to share out of her experience with others. She is one of the most beautiful women I know. Happy 37, Susan! I love you!

Now THAT'S a small skateboard!

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