Monday, November 17, 2008

Catching up......!

Yes, it's been a long time. Too long, I've been told! I'm not even sure where to begin.

We visited Myrtle Beach, SC over the Labor Day weekend. Our trip was intended to go there to attend a Myrtle Beach Pelicans minor league baseball game. Jon Mark Owings of Gainesville, GA is on their team and plays outfield. The Owings family are great folks, and we wanted to go to give Jon Mark some support. We enjoyed the game but we weren't too impressed with Myrtle Beach. I guess we've been spoiled by Destin! Plus, it was just too stinkin' hot!

Let's see -- what next? Things have been so very busy around here. I had been hoping to get back into the church choir and help with the Christmas production, which is a very big deal in our very small town! It's been called the "Biggest Little Christmas Production" in North Georgia. You can go to www.concordministries.net to learn more about it. Anyway, things kept getting in the way, and I was so disappointed to have to send my regrets again this year. However, the Good Lord was looking out for me and my sanity. Sam has been diagnosed with a visual muscle problem and we are now driving to Marietta (2 hours there and 2 hours back) once a week for vision therapy, also twice a week for reading therapy. Truly I would have pulled my hair out if I had ONE MORE THING on my plate!! We are excited that the baseball baron can be helped, and grateful for a wonderful doctor who can help him.

Speaking of the baseball baron, he tried out and made a new travel baseball team, the Gainesville Braves. He is very excited about this and we are already involved in practices. They will really crank up after the first of the year and are planning to play in at least three tournaments.

During a lull in the action around here (ha!), I administered the Iowa test to my three star students. The bookworm (grade 7) scored on the 12.7 grade equivalency level, the baseball baron (grade 4) scored on the 8.2 level [even with his vision problems!] and the DIVA (grade 2) scored solidly in the 3rd grade level. So I was pleased ..... it never hurts to have a little affirmation that things are going well and we're traveling in the right direction. I was more nervous than the kids while waiting for the test results.

Following our ITBS testing, we managed to grab a few days in Destin in late October. We stayed at the beach house and dear hubby's parents came down for a couple of days as well. The bookworm has turned into quite the shutterbug and took some great photographs. She's entered several pictures from last year's Key West trip in the National Geographic Photography Contest for Kids. Let's hope she does well. Grand prize is a Nikon camera!

We're beginning to gear up around here for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cold weather, the winding down of football season for our beloved Bulldogs (only more more game ..... vs. Georgia Tech), shorter days --- all draw us to the conclusion that 2008 will soon be over. For the first time in her life, I won't be spending Christmas with Jessica. She will be staying in Philly with Josh over the holidays since he can't get off during that time. Very, very bittersweet for me and she will be sorely missed. I knew the day would come, but just not ready for it.

I'll be adding pictures to this rambling mess soon, and will probably do some pretty savage editing at that time. Til then, ta ta for now!