These days..

 I've learned how to get pics from my phone to the computer. So for those of you NOT on instagram..here's some pictures of life as we know it: June changing into outfit number 4 of the day, the kids being taught a drill at the Tredegar Iron Works Museum ... 

After school mess. We eat on this same table-the transition can be overwhelming.

Dayne and a Civil War soldier.

June's exciting new feat: the monkey bars!!

Kids learn a "drill" at Civil War and Emancipation Day in Richmond.

Spring break/sprinklers!

After 2 days straight of puzzles..

Geof. the HOT redneck doing yard work.

A pregnant Lizzie (yes, we're irresponsible pet owners)

 Learning how to do some fun braids to Dayne's hair (she didn't like this look..it was pulled out and in a messy pony-tail by mid-morning, I'm sure),

 Movie time with cousin Christian (my cousin Ivy's oldest. They came down for a short visit this past weekend.

 Geof. and the kids before their school's 5K PTA fundraiser. Cole and Geof. ran that thing so fast. We couldn't believe that Cole came running through the finish line not even 5 minutes past Geof. and Geof. told me that he pushed himself hard the entire race! Cole came in first for his grade. Dayne ran the 1 mile fun run and has a great stride and zipped past the gathered cheering crowd on each lap, but chose to walk the rest of the way.  :)  

 Geof. and Dayne, half-way through our nightly reading of "James and the Giant Peach".  Those two have something special. 

Dayne's top-knot. I love it. She does not.

Cole got a bow and arrow. This is him mid-yell at  June to, "MOVE!". Don't worry, she was far from danger. He's cautious.

June and Dayne

My girls again. More different than different can be. June woke up from a short nap (fallen asleep on her knees at the kitchen table while doing a puzzle) and whined and cried for the next half hour because she couldn't watch a Barbie movie. Dayne came home and did a little (no a lot) of beat-boxing (well, kind of) while making earrings. So happy and content, self-assured and entertained. Both girls are such a light in their own way...and I really like taking close up pics of them both..

last week

Funny girls Easter morning. It took three tries to get Dayne to smile normally..and June was mad that I didn't give her ample time to get into character, I'm sure. Caught her off-guard, ya know?



We went to an Easter egg hunt at our favorite park, Maymont. They had a bonnet parade and a lady gave us this big straw hat that she'd decorated with crystal crosses and pictures of saints. June was not happy (surprising, actually) to be in the parade and handed over the extravagant "bonnet" to Dayne right after. Dayne wore it happily the rest of the time..

Nauvoo

Drove out to Nauvoo, Illinois Thursday late afternoon, arriving around noon on Friday. 17 hr drive (the drive back took more like 21..!!). We were exhausted but so happy to be with Geof.'s family who'd driven from WA state, Colorado, Utah, and Kansas to meet. We were ALL exhausted.  Gma and Gpa, 16 of the 20 grandbabies, and 5 out of the 6 children were able to make it.
My kids thought they'd died and gone to heaven. A wonderful trip.