Nate's Card

This was a fantastic bday poem!  We all had a good laugh over it.  Thanks, Nate!

Another Marble Run

Not sure if it's some kind of addiction or just a fun hobby they keep returning to :)... Chad and Micah built another great marble run.

Bubble Soccer

I think the  kids were supposed to be kicking a soccer ball toward a goal, but it was too much fun to just bump and roll around in these bubbles.  Every little bit, someone would get stuck upside down with feet waving in the air.

Claire's Joy

This fall, Claire started working in the 2's and 3's nursery once a month on Sunday mornings, and in the King's Kids Children's Choir (4 and 5 year olds) on Sunday evenings.  She LOVES it!  And that's probably an understatement. 

Tubing the Shenandoah

This post is a bit belated.  Finally got these pictures off Chad's phone. :) 

We went tubing on the Saturday before Labor Day.  Had a great day!  The kids were excited but nervous, because they'd never done something like this.  Then, when we arrived, we were required to watch a 10 min safety video.  The safety video included both flat-water (ours) and white-water tubing, and did not specify which was which.  Boy, a couple of the kids were esp worried after that! 

But we all had a great time!  The bus dropped us off at one end and picked us up at the other.  And, we chose to do a refloat, meaning we rode the bus back to the beginning to do it all again before going home. 

This was a wonderful place to eat lunch!

And to find crayfish!

Cedarville Trip

Can hardly believe this was our 20th college reunion!  We are OLD. :)  

We had a wonderful trip with the family-- fit a lot into the long weekend, that's for sure!  The kids are all old enough that they are quite flexible, and they really enjoyed seeing around Cedarville.  It was fun to see how things have changed, and also to show the kids places that hold memories.  

One thing I don't have a photo of is the dorms.  We went over to Lawlor and Printy.  Chad took Micah into Lawlor to show him where Daddy lived.  I did not ever stay in Printy, but I took the girls into see a room.  They were pretty shocked when I just walked up to one of the college girls and asked her if we could see her room!  I'm quite sure if I had told them that I was going to do that, they would have forcibly held me back.

They sure have done a lot to make the campus more beautiful!  It's a lovely place. 

We got to experience a fair amount of wind and cold.  

Shivered thru some of the cardboard canoe race.  Wow!  They several people we saw go down in the water must have been frigid!

Watched most of a volleyball game-- fantastic!  Katie and Jenna loved this.

Went to a Prism concert.  I think all but Micah enjoyed this.  So much variety.  My personal favorite had to have been the symphonic band, tho!

We also went to a music reunion and talked to Mr. D for a bit-- he's retiring this year.  Sad day for Cedarville University.   He is such a fantastic director.

Went to the Homecoming parade in the rain.  Cold!  But they still threw out candy and passed out root beer floats.

Went to a play in the beautiful "new" theater.  (Quite a step up from Alford)  Play wasn't the best we've ever seen, but it still was nice.

And can you believe this is the Fine Arts building?  Where I had music theory in the creaky old rooms and practiced many hours of piano (and even a few doomed hours of trumpet and French horn) in the basement... where we chased out bats... Sure looks a lot nicer now. 

And some things never change. :)

Another part Chad and I enjoyed (and our kids were very patient for) was reconnecting with friends... Chris and Brenda Handel (meal at Youngs-- our first date!), Eric and Johanna Johnson (saw the recording of them winning Wheel of Fortune), Ken and Kim Lee (and their beautiful kids), quick stop to see Jeff and Mary Ellen Cunningham, supper at Cracker Barrel with Ed and Linda and Megan Dungan, short visit with Joe Collis and Peter Hykes (both students there now).

Had a great time in our hotel, even tho we were sorely disappointed with the quality of the place.  If you ever get a hotel in Springfield, call us and we'll tell you which one to avoid!

I will definitely say that traveling is SO much easier now that the kids are older.  I don't know how my crazy mother did so much of it when we were young. :) 

This is the Creation Museum.  We went Sunday afternoon, and it was a great time-- very touristless.  They told us the day before had been crazy.  We had been there 5? years ago, and this time was tons better.  So many neat things to see and read.  Besides the planetarium show (which was awesome), I think we saw 4 movies and tons of displays.

And outside of the museum, they have some lovely landscaping

And we left Kentucky at around 6pm.  Made for a long night!  We got home between 2 and 3 am.  Slept in, but then everyone still headed off to school for part of the day.  

Mom and Glendee

My mom and family friend, Glendee Wakeman, visited a couple weeks ago while my dad was in Russia. They got to see a program at school and get a tour of Grace led by our kids.  The 3 of us ladies spent a day in Harper's Ferry-- very nice!  Great weather, and it was definitely the tourist off-season.  Perfect.

This ranger was our talkative, super-informative tour guide. :)

This where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers meet at Harper's Ferry

Micah and I also took Glendee to some places in the area so she could see the beautiful place where we live.  The waste box above was rather puzzling... it was in a bathroom in Hagerstown's City Park.  ?

And we went to see The Falling Waters!

Laboring with the Wingerts

OK, so we didn't Labor much on Labor Day.  Contrary to the way I remember spending holidays as a kid... :)

We stayed Sun pm at Chad's parents' house and then got up to play tennis in the morning.  Lovely day for it!  Got back to their house and Don and I took a reading walk around their neighborhood. Ate some delicious pancakes.  Played a game or two.  Watched some home video.  Had a delightful picnic on their gorgeous deck.  Very nice day.

Kid Pics

I took the kids to War Memorial Park in Martinsburg on Saturday.  Wanted to get some substitute school pictures since the ones done at the school are expensive and not desirable. 

Here are a few of our favorites...