Showing posts with label Spring 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spring 2013. Show all posts

4.21.2013

oh yeah

So, as it turns out, there are a few ways to effectively quit blogging for a ten day period of time.

1. Slurp, edit and order FOUR copies of your blog {Vol. 7} for the kiddies and realize JUST how much write over the course of six months. Decide that the LAST thing you should be doing, is blogging more. Nuff said.

2. Come home from spring break with a memory card full of images.  Read that to mean :: 4 photography sessions in a single week + a million shots of your kids. Yeah, that'll nix the urge to blog right outta ya.

3. Have home improvement projects on your radar. Like painting the master bath {two colors} and readying the yard for spring with weeding and mulching and pruning and clipping and planting and whatever other "ing" we could think of.

4. Tell your hubby that we must, must, must make one of those cool word art pieces out of upcycled pallets to don the wall in your freshly painted master bathroom. Be afraid of me, Pinterest. Be very afraid.

Those are just a few ways to effectively quit blogging.

But sufficed to say, the urge will come back. You will see some of those images that are currently being held hostage by your memory card and you'll want to free them. You'll be itching to come up to your beloved Mac and log into your little spot on the web called Faith Family Adoption and just spill your guts of all the words that you haven't shared over the last couple of weeks.

So hello there.

I totally forgot that I had these pictures still unposted. I was feeling the pressure to edit those four sessions and to accomplish that crazy number of things on my spring break bucket list. And one day I just went,

Oh, yeah.

Those. I forgot those.

So here they are. Just random shots of our babies playing at our friends' house on spring break. It was the first time we've ever taken Gabe there. They were glad to finally meet him, because he's just adorable and all, and he was {as usual} happy as a clam to make new friends. He's such a little politician, our Gabe. Not in the creepy way...but the friendly one.

We sat on their back deck while the kids swung and ate popcicles and just laughed at crazy Papaw Gary and his funny antics. We rolled as Joel showed us just how long his tongue really is. And we ooohed and aaaahed at the thought of eight grandchildren trying to pose for a picture {our four are "honorary grandchildren" to our friends.}












Jase walked me to the woods on their property and showed me our tree...where Gary had carved these words and our children's initials in it. We are loved.



It was a precious time of rest and renewal in a way. And we enjoyed every minute.

4.11.2013

a drive, a party and a safari

So it's spring break!!!!!!!! Waaaaahooooooo!!!!!!

Can you tell this homeschoolin' mama is happy, happy, happy!?!

And to top it off, when we go back to school Monday, we only have 4 1/2 weeks to go!!! Suweet!!!

We headed out of state to visit our dear friends, Gary and Freda {and their family!}, this weekend for a few days. It's always easy and hard to go there. Easy because we love them dearly and miss them so much {it's been two years since we've seen them}, and because we love being back where we used to live. So many memories...both girls were born there and it was our first church out of seminary. We love it there...quiet, slow, easy.

But it's hard because we have to leave. :( And they spoil us ROTTEN.

Rot.

Ten.

And so we feel bad that they spoil us. Well, the kids don't feel bad about it at all. But Jase and I do. They are so good to us, love us like we're their own and well, it just does our hearts good to be around them. Even though I gain 10 pounds every. single. visit. We eat and eat and eat. Oh, my. Is it ever good.

We came into town on Saturday and soon after, headed to a birthday party for one of their grandsons. It was a gorgeous day. The kids had a blast playing and I snapped away. Which made me pretty happy too.













On Sunday, Jase took the girls to church and I stayed back with the boys. Later that afternoon I shot some pictures of Jessica's new baby boy. Swoon. He is gorgeous. I snuck a few kisses from him. And then we went out to eat and let the kids play outside and just had ourselves a grand ol' time.

On Monday, our last full day there, I had another session planned for a friend and after that, we headed to a safari. This brought back tons of memories from South Africa {where Jessica was with us too...} and I'm telling y'all...I laughed till I cried, nearly wet myself and got sneezed on by a zebra...all safely within the confines of our van.

This place was cool. You got a bucket of food and drove your own vehicle through the property with the windows down. The girls rode with John and Jess in the vehicle in front of Jase, the boys, Gary, Adisson and I. We could hear Jess screaming and the girls laughing. Good times.

First up were the emus. Heaven help me. I was DONE and we hadn't even started. These jokers were seemingly evil. Just look at 'em. Scary, huh?




Soon after, we came up on the llamas. I've fed llamas before and we took pics of them at Honey Camp several years ago. But man. This one fell head over heels for Jase. I mean it. He would not stop...





So we decided to just start driving away, because we were ready to move on and llama dude had gone back to our other vehicle. And when we did that...he did this...


And Gabe had to belly laugh as llama dude RAN beside our van for like 100 yards.


And Jase had to stop and feed him. Again. Dude was hungry.



And then, those darned zebras came. Kennedy fed them first.


Then us.


And then I got sneezed on my head by that there zebra when he so rudely put his entire head in my face waaaaay inside our van.

And this time, Gabe just looked like "Whoa, what the hockey just happened here!?!"


Hey there's Kennedy!


And behind me, is Joel!


Who's about to feed a ram because his mama was too chicken to do it!



But as it turns out, his sister wasn't too chicken...


And then this big ol' elk took a cue from llama dude and he got all up in Jason's business too.


And then,

the end.

Whew, we made it.

What a fantastic first weekend of spring break! We love you, McNabb family! Thanks so much for the memories!