Our Top 12 for 2012

12. We took several trips this year, including cousin Megan’s wedding and Thanksgiving at cousin Kimberly’s and of course camping.

11. All four of us attended 4-H Camp Wahsega: Macey as a Cloverleaf camper, Ansley as a teen leader, and Haley & Logan as chaperons.

10. Along with Logan’s brother Reid, we threw a surprise 75th birthday party for their mother, BJ.

9. Logan has passed all the tests for his bus driver license and will finish up next month.

8. Haley started her 20th year teaching (How did that happen?!?) and is working on her gifted endorsement.

7. Ansley finished middle school with straight As and was selected for Honors English (where she made a 99 and will go on to 10th grade Honors English next year.)

6. Ansley started high school (9th grade) and enjoyed marching band (clarinet). She continues to take piano lessons too (and is becoming quite accomplished!).

5. Macey started middle school (6th grade) and was accepted into 3 accelerated classes.

4. Macey is in chorus and has started playing percussion in band. (She was the first to get to move up to snare drum from the marimba, and she got to play the chimes in the Christmas concert.)

3. Macey is continuing her dance education (ballet, jazz, and tap), and Haley is back to tapping too. ;)

2. Ansley got contacts.

1. We are blessed beyond measure!

Veterans Day

Please pause today and give thanks for our veterans! We owe them so much, especially our appreciation and gratitude. Thank you, veterans, for your service to our country!

Royal Fun!

Since our invititations must have been lost in the mail, we had our own royal wedding party! My mom has a great post HERE about our royal fun and frivolity last night in honor of the marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton. Best wishes, Will and Kate!

Whee!

Yesterday, the girls and I went to my parents' house to visit with long-time family friends and their children/grandchildren who are visiting this week. Because it was so nice out, we decided to try the zip line- that goes across the lake- and ends on the other side.

Our little dare devil was happy to go after Uncle Brian and our 15-year-old guest. Ms. Cautious was a little hesitant, but since her little sister did it, she did too- and loved it! They would both have ridden time and time again if we hadn't had company!

Here's a view from where we were standing looking to our right, across the lake, to the landing pad. (Grammie and I learned the hard way that the landing pad needs a bit of work!)

Even though he is supposed to be horizontal babying a torn muscle in his knee/calf, Grumps could not resist getting in on the action! He *says* he dragged across the water to slow himself down...

Finally, I couldn't be outdone by my girls, so off I went too.

Click HERE if you need a laugh or want to watch my Dad and me!

Zippidee doo dah, zippidee yay!

Happy New Year!

How do you celebrate the new year? Last night Ansley's friend Isabel spent the night (last year and maybe the year before both girls spent New Year's Eve with her), and the girls rang in the new year singing karaoke, making up twisted lyrics to songs, playing with sparklers in the yard (Using them as magic wands a la Harry Potter was cute!), and watching the ball drop in Time Square and the Peach drop in Atlanta on TV.

Top 10 of 2010

As we count down to the new year, my family and I decided to count some of our blessings. Here's our Top 10 of 2010:

10. A "new" pontoon boat
9. a new bike (for Macey)
8. The girls learned to dive off the dock
7. Turning 12 & 9 (Nevermind Mom & Dad's ages- we're just happy to be here!)
6. St. Augustine
5. 4-H Camp Burton on Tybee Island
4. Disney World
3. Washington D.C.
2. Time with family & friends
1. Health & happiness