Costumes and critters

Trick or treating this year happened under umbrellas. Last Saturday the kids and I met friends at the Jennings house in the Windmill subdivision beside the church. James was busy with another group here at camp, so he missed the soggy fun. I was supposed to guide a trail ride for that group earlier in the day but they wimped out with the rain. We did our best to stay dry under umbrellas, except for Avery who for some reason couldn't figure out how to share an umbrella the size of the Georgia Dome with Amelia. At least it wasn't too cold. I took the camera to get pictures of the kids trick or treating but decided not to drag it out in the rain. The only pictures I got all evening were right before we left the house.

The cheerleader/princess/cowboys-with-extra-large-hats crew.

Avery didn't wear the hat except for the picture and Shannon didn't wear his hat trick or treating either and added a grey hoodie to the outfit, so we had less than stellar cowboys. And after I had gone to such great lengths too.

Amelia perused the dress ups and thought it would be fun to be a cheerleader. I found a princess outfit that Amelia never got to wear in some things I was going through earlier in the week, so voila, a Halloween costume for Elizabeth. She wouldn't wear her hat either.

After trick or treating we headed up to the church for the Fall Family Festival. They had it indoors because of the weather and I hope they do it that way from now on. It was great being able to keep up with the kids easily, and Elizabeth could run around. It's a lot of work to keep up with them outdoors by myself in the dark. I always feel like a lifeguard, constantly counting heads and not able to have a conversation with anyone very well.

A mere 12 hours after arriving home we were back at church because Shannon's preschool choir was singing in the morning services. All last year he spent each week in choir and during any performance NOT singing. We've had a turnaround somehow and he participates each week now, and enjoys it. I witnessed a relapse during the first service where he just stood there, mostly frowing. I tried to get pictures but he was standing on the back row, behind a rather large bow in the hair of the one in front of him. The second service saw him bounce back the other way and enthusiastically participate. My angle was no better this time.
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The two hands on the back row pointing up are Shannon's! He has no head. This is the best picture I got.

Tuesday of last week we had a fun playgroup. A local lady has had a zoo-to-you business for about 10 years and keeps a large variety of animals at her place for educational programs, nativity scenes, birthday parties, you name it. Just a few weeks ago she opened her place as a petting zoo as well. It's only about three miles from our house, and the kids had a blast.

There were lots of goats.

The kids could go in the pens with all kinds of critters. Shannon really enjoyed the baby pot bellied pigs. There were even some that were only two days old.

He chased pigs for at least an hour.

It's a little hard to tell what kind of critter Amelia is after here. It's one of those crazy haired chickens with fluffy feathers all over it.

Amelia and Meg, goat herders.

There was also a large tortoise, and he was pretty cool. Avery taught him a trick.

"Look, he's going through my legs!"

Good job, buddy.

Amelia asks me about every other day when we can get a rabbit, so she thought this one was pretty fun.

There were all manner of llamas and alpacas, burros, yaks, sheep, and ponies.

I thought this part was the most interesting. We got to ride a cart over to the camels and got to feed one. This one's name is Micah, and he had a smaller friend named Obadiah. They said the camels are already booked through the entire holiday season for nativity scenes.

He was a large dude.

Turns out camels don't really spit all that often, and you really have to rile them up to make them do it. Llamas and alpacas, on the other hand, are more easily irritated. Thankfully we didn't have to find out the hard way.





A few of the kids in our group took a pony ride.

Good thing this was a long carrot! This guy was friendly.

Carrots are good, but does he not realize that just inches from him right now is some BACON?

Wednesday night after church James, my dad, and two friends from church left for a week of hunting in Missouri. They drove all night to get there. They're due to arrive home tomorrow night. Unfortunately it's been a warm week in Missouri so it hasn't been the greatest for hunting, but they've had a really good time anyway. Somehow it's been a pretty quick week even with him gone, though we miss him!

Thursday night several friends met in Dawsonville and took dinner to Sara and Josh M. and went to see new baby Ansley. What a cutie! The kids enjoyed some playground time at the Dawsonville outlet mall and at Chick-Fil-A.

Friday Mom came up to stay for a few days since Dad was gone with James. Saturday evening the kids and I headed to Vogel State Park up the road to hang out with some former staffers, campers, and friends. They were camping and invited us over for dinner. What a great place to camp! When we get everybody a little bit bigger it will be a blast to take the kids and go camp for a weekend. After Saturday night's brief experience I can see how it would still be a bit nerve wracking yet keeping up with little people in the dark and trying to keep them from playing and standing in the fire. It was great to see friends though, and we had a lot of fun.

Yesterday Mom and I took the kids to the Mall of Georgia just for kicks. We stayed nearly all day. The kids are always amazed at all the stuff a mall has to behold, since our world mostly consists of Wal-Mart, Ingles, or Family Dollar with the occasional Target thrown in on special occasions. The Mall of Georgia has a lot of extras too, like a carosel, play area, and train to ride, mostly courtesy of a certain Grandmom. Mom went home from there and we headed back to Cleveland and had dinner in front of a movie, then hauled out the tent so the kids could camp in the living room. We had a flashlight fire and devotion to end the day. And we didn't see a single mosquito.

Below are few pictures of Elizabeth I took this week. Folks sometimes ask me what I do with her during school time. Here's one of her favorite pastimes.

She likes to do school too.



She can even hold a pencil the right way. She really does watch and learn, and is very observant.



This was before official school started for the morning, and Amelia was teaching her. I heard her say, "Say circle, Elizabeth. That is a circle." Unfortunately right now all Elizabeth mostly says is, "No, no, no, no, no!!" Maybe Amelia can teach her to talk.

Sometimes she stays after it for 30 minutes or more, even moving to the floor when she gets tired of sitting at the table.

Well, I'm out of pictures so goodbye for now. I'm off to listen to it pour rain again all night. We're getting the leftovers from a tropical storm that hit Alabama. I'll always be grateful for the rain after the drought we just came through. God comes through again and gives us what we've all been praying for, pressed down, shaken, and overflowing!