September stuff..

Now that it's October, I guess I should post the rest of the pictures from September.  What can I say, this blogging thing is just not working for me lately.  Life is busy... and computer time is rare.  Except today, pay day, therefor it's also pay some bills day.  So, I can steal a second to update the few that may be following our family's happenings.

 

 

Here is my T.  I have been wanting this T for some time now.  And thanks to Michaels I now have it.  The kids comments:  "Wooh mom, there's no glass"...  "It's 3D,  how'd you do that?!"... "what's the T for?"..."Treacle".

 

And here are my cool dudes.  Peas in a pod, I tell ya.

Soccer season has started.  Nathan is on the Thunder Cats team.  He seems to be doing better this year at soccer than in the past.  He still prefers to play defense, in particular goalie, even though at this age they aren't supposed to play that position.

 



Gracies' team is the Silly Cats.  Rather appropriate for a group of 4 and 5 year olds.  She is SO excited to be playing soccer.  We told her she has to wait for soccer to be finished to start dance this year.  Our schedule is so busy as it is, our motto with the kids is "one thing at a time".  The funny thing is that she has such dainty kicks, and her toes are always pointed... as if she is used to that!  haha  Dance is definitely her calling (for now), but she did score 2 goals on Saturdays game.  Maybe when she grows up she can invent some type of soccer ballet.

 



Bryant is assistant coaching for the Silly Cats... I can't express how much he resists the temptation to just take over.

Bryants' brother Stefan, returned form Afghanistan recently and made a pit stop to visit us on his way home to New York.  Stefan wanted pictures of him an Bryant in their ACUs together.  And of course they had to throw in one that shows the difference in rank.  I tried to suggest that Bryant put his foot on Stefans' back while Stefan was doing the push-up.... Stefan didn't go for that though. 



School...

 

September 4, 2012.  The day after Labor Day.  The first day of school.

Gracie: Kindergarten, Dr. Leblanc

Nathan: 2nd grade, Mrs. Boston

 

 

First week of school, Gracie lost her first tooth.  Only thing is she didn't know where it was.  I told her that she probably lost it while she was eating her lunch.  So, she wrote the following note to the Tooth Fairy with a picture of the cafeteria that she drew with the tables and their numbers of where her class sat and ate lunch that day.  She also included a map of the school.  In the morning she found a note from the Tooth Fairy at the bottom of her letter, a dollar under her pillow, and one map of the school missing.  Apparently the Tooth Fairy came through.  However, this smart cookie asked me this morning if we gave her the dollar, I replied with I believe it's from the Tooth Fairy, she said yah but the dollars from the Tooth Fairy are supposed to be signed by the Tooth Fairy, mine isn't.

 



Summer wrap up...

It's been awhile, but we've been busy so please forgive me.  Here's what we've been up to...

 

Bryant turned 32.  We celebrated with a yummy Oreo cake and some fast racing.... followed with some crab legs.

 

 

Then we headed to Gettysburg, PA for the Strine family reunion in Dover.  The kids had fun playing a bobbing head game... against each other.  Eli on the other hand preferred splashing in the rain puddles.

 

 

 

We stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in their camper at Gettysburg.  And we enjoyed touring Gettysburg battlegrounds by bike.  We explored quite a bit of grounds and climbed and played on anything we were allowed to.

Then the two older kids headed to New York for a week with Grandma and Grandpa.  Eli and I drove up later for some canning, some playing, some visiting... and for the other two kids.

 



 

With summer almost thru... it was time to start thinking about going back to school  We started that with a Back to School Luau where we ate and played... Gracie also won a backpack!

 

And finally, our last hoorah of summer.  Yesterday, was Labor Day and we headed to the National Harbor.  We ate chili dogs, played at The Awakening (the giant man coming out of the sand), walked the pier, and played at The Launch Zone (a preview of the new National Children's Museum coming this winter).  It was a great ending to a great summer.

 

4th of July...

Over the 4th of July weekend/ week, we spent our time in New York.  We were all there for grandma's funeral and while the time was sad, we definitely still had plenty of joy.

Jenna conquered the monkey bars.  Fearless.  She's simply fearless.

The kids got buggy rides from grandpa.

And 4-wheeler rides from grandma.

Jonah bravely took the challenge of getting the frisbee off of the barn roof!  I jokingly said that the first person who gets the frisbee down gets 100 bucks.  Well, he was up and out of his seat faster than anyone else and shortly after he was asking me to pay up!  I think we scrounged up some money, it was just 100 bucks missing a couple of zeros.

Nathan and Jenna had fun playing in the sprinkler... until the dog ate the sprinkler.

Greg turned 29.  He's single ladies, and he's awesome!! (this picture does not do him any justice, sorry Greg)

Uncle Greg has 6 nieces and nephews that just adore him.  And they worked hard to prepare a dance routine for him as his birthday present... Party Rockers!

Greg's birthday is on July 3rd, and as tradition he always gets fireworks for his birthday present from his siblings.  The kids were so excited to set them off this year... however, the cows had other plans.  They decided to escape the pasture and wander around.  Apparently they assumed that the grown ups didn't need fireworks this year, they needed to chase cows instead!

Grandma Strine.

My dear grandmother went to be with the Lord this summer.  Her funeral was one of reflection and celebration of her life as her grandchildren sang for her one last time.  She was such a beautiful lady, both inside and out.  I joyfully look forward to the day when I get to walk with her again, and maybe she'll have some yummy cookies or pie waiting for me.  (And if there is camping in Heaven, then I'll be sure to look for grandma in her camper... maybe I'll even sleep on the table.)

"And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own; and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known."

Luella May Strine

May 11, 1927- June 25, 2012