Valentines, snow, skating, and getting old

Here's the only picture from my birthday. I toted the camera around that day thinking I might capture a few photos to forever remember the last time I turned a year older, seeing as I don't plan to get any older on my next birthday. Wait, I said that last year.
The nice folks at Papa's Pizza sent me a free buffet coupon for my birthday as they had James, so we went there for lunch. It also happened to be a Thursday night, so we had dinner at Rebecca's (where this picture of Amelia and Rebecca's dog Lily Belle was taken), and she gifted me with a flowering plant that had a "Sweet Sixteen" balloon in it.

I can remember my actual sixteenth birthday quite well, a (gasp) BOY/GIRL party where we played Ping Pong and hung out in the unfinished den addition my dad had been working on for over a year. I got up the nerve to ask a boy I had had a crush on since the first day of school to come to my party and he did. When he drove up in his brand new Beretta (he had turned 16 the month before so naturally his parents bought him a brand new car), I was nevous and giddy. That was the beginning of an eternal flame that was to last for FIVE WHOLE MONTHS! In the 10th grade this is a record. I believe my parents prayed him out of my life, as his parents didn't think letting him stay out all night as a 16 year old was a bad idea. I think they also thought the 18 inch woofers installed in the trunk of his car soon after he got it were a bit over the top. (So did I, but I never would have admitted it. This was TRUE LOVE, and some foolishness can be overlooked for the sake of it.)

So anyway, earlier in the month Ruth came over to spend the night with Amelia, she sassed me, and this is what happened to her.

Actually she asked me if she could have a whole apple at lunch to see if her loose tooth would come out, but I had already cut it up. So I offered her a carrot, which she ate with no problem. It was the rock hard brownie out of the Easy Bake Oven that finished it off.

The Friday before Valentine's Day James and I went to the Valentine's Dinner at church. The comedian who was the feature of the evening had his flight cancelled due to weather up north, so they got a last minute stand in. It was also snowing in Georgia, but there was a good turn out anyway. We sat with several friends from our Sunday School class, and got pictures of only our across the table friends.

Curtis and Jenny, Ruth's parents.

The comedian mentioned that he and his wife each had a candle on their side of the bed, which they would light to signal when the mood was right, if you know what I mean. He said it just occured to him that he had been through 15 candles to her one since they were married. Guess what James got me for Valentine's Day. (In all fairness he said it was his intention to get me some nice smelling candles since the ones I have are nearly burned up, he just thought it would be all the funnier in light of what we heard at the dinner.)

It snowed nearly all night and Saturday morning there was about three inches of snow. It had mostly melted by afternoon, but we had fun in it that morning.

Shannon came in the bathroom to tell me, "I've got some bad news. There's snow all over the car. Now you won't be able to see when you drive."



So we bundled up, and off we went for a walk. The snow was too dry and powdery to make a snow man. Anything bigger than a snow ball would fall apart. We would have skied though, had we a nice run down a mountain, a chair lift, and...skis.











































Sunday afternoon, Valentine's Day, James rode his bike home from church and then I took the oldest two kids skating. We met a few friends there for some rear end busting fun.

Amelia with part of the Jennings and Baumgarder crew, who were apparently looking at somebody's else's camera.


This was only our second time skating, and Amelia decided to try roller blades.



Shannon opted for the more traditional way to bust his booty.







Jill B. and Sydney.



Both of them were doing pretty well near the end. Shannon actually turned into a maniac on wheels once he realized he could go fast. Next time we'll work on stopping without it involving a wall or person.



Amelia was ready to come back the next day. I was too, except for the painful rental roller blades. If I was going to skate more than twice a year I would definetely buy another pair.

We did finally have a few gorgeous days this past weekend. It got up to 64 degrees, which was truly a heat wave for this winter. Unfortunately I didn't get to enjoy it on Saturday, as Rebecca and I were at a camp fair in Columbia, SC for the day. James was in Birmingham, AL at another camp fair, and my folks came up to stay with the kids. I enjoyed the road trip and hang out time with Rebecca, though it's a haul to Columbia. Mostly because there's no easy way to get there from here. I'm sure we were on at least 20 different roads.

We're doing all we can this time of year to get the word out there about camp, and hopefully gain some more camp registrations for this summer. We're behind right now, and it's been a matter committed largly to prayer. I'm looking forward to seeing how God will come through. I'll let you know.

I did get to enjoy the awesome weather we had on Sunday by guiding a trail ride for a group from a local college. In short sleeves! I felt like I was coming out of hibernation. It really is amazing how a little sunshine can give you a whole new outlook on life. This week it's cold again. I have a feeling God often views us as He did the Isrealites- "You people ask for rain, I send lots of rain, you complain. You ask for a break from hot weather, I send lots of cold weather, you complain. I can hear it now in July, 'Man it's hot!! Wish it would cool off!'" Sorry, Lord.

Sunday Shannon's choir sang again. Aren't they cute? The early service is always fun to watch, because at least half of them spend their entire time yawning.



This photo is funny for a couple of reasons.

The yawning, and the look on Shannon's face, which so completely represents his feelings about singing with his choir in church. Please ignore the scary eye, which refused to be doctored by my highly unsophisticated software. I actually think it helps represent the intensity of Shannon's feelings though.

Ethan is cute, Shannon is peeved. Not sure what happened to everyone's color here. The lighting is weird in the church and the camera doesn't know what to do with it. (And I don't know what to do with the camera, as I am still only about 1/2 through Digital Photography For Dummies.)

This is the face accompanying the song whose words go, "I'm inside, outside, upright, downright, happy all the time." Amelia F. looks cute though, in spite of the blur. I'm feeling inspired to finish that Dummies book. I'll go find it now.

The only other thing of note this week is that my cousin Brooke's baby was born this week, baby girl McKenley (no middle name yet) Barnett. This makes my dad's brother Danny 6 and 0 for girl grandbabies.

I'm off to bed so I can hit the hay first thing in the morning. I mean, throw the hay. To the horses, that is.

Farewell!