Corn Maze Time

We are becoming corn maze samplers - we check out a new corn maze each year.  This year we went with a homeschool group to Phillip's Farm.  It was fun going with a big group of people, that way too we could go during the week and avoid the crowds.

Amber was most thrilled that her best buddy was going to be there and was thrilled we arrived about the same time.  First off was the maze and Chris took a group of boys and I followed with Amber and Lily.
The boys had been given a series of active tasks they needed to complete to reveal each clue along the way and Chris really got them involved; it was fun to watch.

After the maze, we headed out to the huge play area that included peddle go-carts, bounce houses, bounce pillows, tractor see-saws, ducky pump race ways and some wild storm drain pipe racers.

Next we were off to the big and little tractor rides while some of the big kids chose to go back to the peddle go-carts until the younger kids were done with their tractor ride.

The last two activities involved a Fun House (I stayed out with Amber) and feeding the goats.

All the kids had a great time and were nicely worn out when the time came to leave. 
I am so glad Chris was able to have the day off and enjoy it with us.

Amber Turns Three

Amber is no longer a baby or toddler, she is a beautiful little girl in both her looks, her words.

Look my shadow!  She exclaimed on a walk one day.

Here are three funny conversations I remembered to write down this year:

1/15: I'm laying with her to get her to sleep.  She swats at her ear.
Tina:  Is your ear buggin' you?
Amber:  Tares a bug in my ear?  Is a spider coming out?

4/27:  Each time we tried to call Amber a "girl", for a while we would be corrected and told "I not girl.  I'm a baby".  Then today when we called her a "baby", we were corrected with "I'm not a baby.  I'm a princess."  There you go.

7/7:  Amber is being super sweet to Chris, cuddling and telling him she loves him.  Chris jokes "Are you buttering me up?"  Amber responds "I not butter you, I putting you away".  Chris said he'd rather be buttered up.

9/1: Amber is sitting in Chris' lap. She looks at his face very intently and then says to him "Is that a creature in your nose?". Chris responded with a big smile, "No, that is nose hair". What a great vocabulary for a two year old and apparently also time for Chris to do some grooming. :-)

I wish I had written down all the adorable and attention-getting things she's said this year.  It's amazing how quickly she has progressed from broken sentences to serious conversations.  

Along with her mastery of language, a very distinct personality has also appeared.  She has a wonderfully independent spirit.

Though she likes to hang with the boys and be rough and tumble with her brothers sometimes...

She more often, than her brothers, will choose to do something inside quietly with me, like creating very interesting dramas with her toys or taking selfies on my phone.

She is definitely a little mama, repeating all I say to the boys - from correction, to comforting boys when their hurt, to giving direction - with not only the same words but inflection too.  Strangely, though they don't take to being corrected by each other well, they take her corrections with a smile.  

She is definitely the princess of our home, ruler over nearly all she surveys.

She and Titus continue to be two peas in a pod, which leads to some bickering at times but more often to quality play time together that warms the heart.

Lance is her champion and pet dog.  Jared is her play buddy and pet cat.  I'm so thankful for how all the boys have bonded with their little sister.

Amber loves all her "guys", especially her Daddy, on whose lap she would rather be than any other place.  She treasures their reading time together each night, and special bike rides.

For her birthday today, we went to the NC Zoo, she had wanted to see the elephants and zebras, in particular.  Thankfully, the animals did not disappoint. 

She is maturing in other ways as well, like learning to take our "no" with grace.  Though she clearly liked this giraffe, she gave no argument to putting it back.

Last but not least we have the celebration photos.  Celebrating the life of our precious little girl.  May God bless her always and may she hang tight to His love.

Gone Fishing

Lance has wanted to learn to fish for a long, long time.  When I saw the "Hooked on Fishing" class for SEEK, I knew he would be excited.  Since the class started he's been absorbing and then conveying back to us all that he's learning in the class.  When they got their fishing poles and tools to practice casting in the yard his enthusiasm for fishing only increased.  After school, he can often be found in the front yard practicing.  On a funny note, one day he even got his line stuck in a rather strong spider web hanging from the maple tree.

The class is actually being taught by an older student at SEEK, with an adult assistant.  The young man happens to live on a property with its own pond where he invited all the kids to come out and try fishing last Thursday after SEEK.

It was fun to see Lance's confidence in applying all he learned.  

He impressively caught 3 fish.  

After the boys got a chance to fish for a bit, Chris (his teacher) showed the kids how to clean a fish he'd caught the other day and put in the frig for the demonstration.  Lance was not as keen on this part, but he stayed and watched.  

While they fished a bit more, Chris' mom cooked up the catfish for the kids to sample.  Lance said he liked it and I think we have a real fisherman in the making.

HIlton Head Vacation (Day 3 & 4)

The next morning, we stayed in to eat breakfast and let things warm up a bit before heading out to the beach.  The boys (all four) had big plans for their castle and moat.

Titus started by digging his own canal to the sea. Very impressive and he did it all by himself.

The older boys began the construction of their circular kingdom.

The boys received many accolades from beach goers as they passed by.

After construction, we warmed up a bit in the hot tub and headed in for some lunch.
Then the boys wanted to learn how to play Shuffle board.  

The girl lost interest and frankly needed to rest, so we headed back to the room while the boys went into the club house to play games.  They came back to a sleeping Amber and me contently reading a book.

We were running low on food but were not inclined to go out, so we decided to order Panera online and Chris went to pick it up real quick.  Then it was time to take a sunset walk.  I told the kids about how the last time we were here, there was no moon and without lights on the beach we almost missed our resort.  This night there was no such danger as the moon shone like a big lighthouse in the sky.  Amber and Titus flirted with the waves up and down the beach (and lost the battle a time or two).  Lance and Jared looked for treasures and Chris and I just enjoyed the quiet beauty (trying to stay a little ahead or behind the kids).

Eventually it was time to head back to the room and start packing up, we needed to leave early in the morning.  So into the Jacuzzi tub they went one last time.

Since I was a little girl, I have felt there was something magical about watching the sun rise on the beach.  It's an experience I've wanted to share with my children for years. Despite them growing up in Florida, we never spent a night on the beach where we could just walk out before sunrise.  Everyone was a little groggy but they were troopers and they all sauntered out to the beach to sit and wait for the sun with me.  It was a bit cold, so we bundled up in blankets on top of one of the resort storage boxes.  As you can see it was a perfect sunrise.

The lesson I learned this vacation is that things will be what you want them to be, I can vacation with my family and actually relax.  The kids haven't stopped asking when we can go back and I must admit I'm just as anxious to return.