I'll start with a painting by God. Once I'm brave enough to venture out and take my camera off of the automatic setting I'll probably be able to do stuff like this more justice. By then the knobs will probably have corroded into permanent position.
It was really pretty out before I left for the barn the other morning.Random.
Now to see if I can remember what it was I wanted to summarize for the past few weeks. After James got back from hunting we had a pretty normal week, including a retreat group over the weekend. The boys had their 3 and 5 year check ups. I forgot the five year one included a round of four shots, and had already told Shannon he shouldn't be getting any. Whoops. Avery had to get one too to get him up to date on everything. They also all got the H1N1 vaccine, recommended by our doctor. Thankfully everyone was able to get the FluMist version except for Elizabeth who was too young, and got both kinds of flu shots that day. Fun was had by all. Shannon had grown over three inches, as had Avery, who was also still in the 90th percentile for weight. That explains all the short pants this season.
Three days later I took a very grumpy Elizabeth back to the doctor and had my suspicions of an ear infection confirmed. When my sleep is continuously interrupted for several nights I take it as a sign that we should go see the doctor, no matter how badly I DON'T want to make the haul to Gainesville. (It's only 40 minutes, but it feels like forever. Guess I'm not cut out for commuting!) This might be kind of gross, but again it's my blog...with all the cold symptoms that caused the ear infection I've had plenty of opportunities to use the nose sucker with her. She's our only kid that has loved that thing. Everybody else screamed and averted their faces, Elizabeth thinks it's hysterical. She blinks several times, laughs, then grabs it and tries to shove it up her nose. James says she'll probably be our huffer. There's got to be at least one problem child, right?
Since we were already in Gainesville and didn't have anything contagious we stopped by INK to play before heading home. Thus began our party week.
Tuesday morning we had playgroup at our house, crammed in school, and headed off to gymnastics. That night we had dinner with the Davidsons, and Jenny, Rebecca, Amanda and I played Rock Band on the Wii which Jenny had borrowed from a friend. (She had to give it back the next day- I couldn't NOT go.)
Wednesday morning I packed our overnight bags and the kids and I went to Alison's and stayed with A.J. and Tozer while she got her hair cut. After lunch we headed to McDonough. The kids stayed with my dad and Nanny while my mom and I went to what turned out to be the best show I've ever seen. Mom and I got VIP tickets to Cavalia which was playing in Atlanta. It's a combination of Cirque du Soleil and horses, which I have decided I would watch every single day if I that were possible. We were treated very well as VIP's. I learned it either means you actually ARE an important or famous person and are therefore treated well, or that you can buy special treatment as a Very Increased Payer. The whole thing is in humongous tents, including stabling for nearly 60 horses. We were privy to a nice lounge with hors d'ouvres, drinks, and desserts, awesome seating, and a tour of the barn. The show itself was amazing, and included incredible technical effects and music, phenomenal acrobats, and a two hour line up of all kinds of riding and horses performing at liberty. There were people flying around on wires, dressage, trick riding, Roman riding (standing on two horses' backs), jumping, and tons of other things. I can't decide which part I liked the best. You can Google Cavalia for more details. I'd love to post pictures but they wouldn't let us take any. I do have this one though.
A record of my mom and I escaping for a night on the town, just the two of us. It was time well spent!Thursday we got back in time for me to head out for a Girls' Night Out baby shower for a girl in our Sunday School class. Yay for more partying!
Friday James left for a manly weekend of camping and Jeep four wheeling near Chattanooga, TN. He took Shannon with him, and Shannon got to enjoy his first camping trip. He can't wait to do it again. Here are a few pictures of the weekend, but you'll have to get out your magnifying glass. One of the guys on the trip took them and sent them in a tiny resolution, so do your best! (James, could you please send me the ones you took with your phone? Thank you.) :)
For the sake of posterity I included one you can't see anyone in but it reminds me to record who went. Chad K., Nathan W., Curtis D., Bennett D., James, and Shannon. The midgets. 
James and Shannon and the Chattanooga Choo Choo. While the guys were gone I lead a trail ride for a college group. Then the three kids and I headed to Ingles and grabbed a pizza and a movie. I took a few pictures of Amelia's latest accomplishment, which is riding her bike. We got her a bike after her birthday, but she was scared to ride it because it's a little tall for her. Now she's got it, and is becoming quite a proficient bike rider. She even got a new helmet since the old one was getting too small.
Avery loves leaf piles.
Sunday morning we were greeted by the sound of a torrential downpour, making it tons o' fun to get to church. Some days it would be nice to have a two car garage. This was one of those blow the umbrella away days. James and Shannon were going to meet us at church in time to leave for McDonough (again) for our yearly pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner at Granny and Pa Pa's house. One rockslide in the road and an hour later they made it, and we headed down without incident. It was a nice afternoon spent with family, in spite of the fact that no one could go outside to play. Granny and Pa Pa's house was less crowded back in the day when all of us cousins didn't have 1-4 kids apiece.
We got home Sunday night and got ready to greet James' folks who were arriving from Texas Monday mid-morning.
And that's where the next post begins! Huh, turns out this wasn't so brief after all. Hope you skipped all the boring parts.
PS- Amelia was listening to us talking with my dad at the table the other evening. James was telling him about a chicken dish we're serving in the dining hall now, and was describing how instead of ordering the chicken already breaded we, "put the coating on ourselves." Amelia got a twinkle in her eye, made the proper pseudo-confused face and said, "You put the coating on YOURSELF? Why?" The art of the witty response is beginning to take shape. I am proud.
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