Happy Spring!

Here it is April already! It seems like when spring finally decided to spring, it really sprang. (Or is it sprung?) I am sitting here in shorts, and it's wonderful. This really has been the coldest, wettest winter I can remember in a long time and I finally feel like my bones are starting to thaw after a long deep freeze.

We had Open House here at camp right after my last post, and it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. It was just right for showing people around camp and turning them loose to play and try out all the camp activities. Oh wait, that was the day just BEFORE Open House. Something got lost in translation between here and Heaven when we were praying for great Open House weather, and it was off a day. God came through anyway, because in spite of the rain, wind, and cold temperature, we had a bigger turnout than we've ever had before. It was still fun, and a success.

Back in January when it was still very, very cold, a friend at church mentioned that her six year old daughter would love to take riding lessons. I told her I would love to teach my own six year old but hadn't had the chance because I always have the other kids with me. So we worked it out for her to watch the kids once a week so I could teach both girls. Here's the smallest photo in the world to prove it. Cell phones take little bitty pictures.

Amelia on Maverick, Hannah on Taffy. Such cute little ladies on big horses! Amelia likes horses, and I hope someday she'll enjoy riding with me.

Besides embarking on her career as an equestrian, Amelia started sporting another new talent a few weeks back.

No, I can't do it.

Ok, I'll show you how I can shove my front tooth out.

Cute, huh?

And for my final trick, just call me Bubba. Sometimes these are the kinds of shenanigans that go on during school hours.

Saturday before last our friend Sara turned six, and had a bicycle parade party in the gym here at camp.

I forgot Elizabeth's sippy cup so I put a tiny bit of water in the bottom of a big cup. She kept going to the water cooler so nice people kept refilling it for her. They didn't put tiny amounts in it though, so she was well baptized by the end of the party.

Let the parade begin.





Of course James is going to participate, it's a bike parade, duh.



Elizabeth sporting a tissue paper cape.

Sara the birthday girl, out in front.



Avery couldn't work up the motivation to ride a tricycle that day. So he just ate a bunch of cake and pinata candy instead. What more do you need in a party?

And just a few short days later:

Voila, an official snaggletooth!

And just because six year olds can be weird....

Is it not freaky how she can look ahead with one eye and cross the other one?

Never hurts to have a couple of photos in the aresenal just for blackmail. (Psst- I love these photos. They make me laugh.)

Here are some pictures of another week before last project. You can't have Easter without colorful hard boiled eggs that hang around in the refrigerator for weeks after Easter.

It's fun to have a reader in the house. This year Amelia was able to mix the egg dye by herself, after we clarified what "lavendar" was.

Meanwhile, Shannon was outside riding his Jeep. The Jeep has had a lot of miles put on it since the weather turned nice.

Dad was in Dahlonega for the day and stopped by camp to say hello.

And then Shannon took the Jeep into the woods for a wilderness adventure.

Then he figured out what we were doing in the house, so he parked the Jeep for a litle while and came inside.



The final product. They ate two right away. Maybe those eggs won't hang on for weeks and weeks after all.

And now, because I am extremely sleepy and can't seem to keep from nodding off over this post, I shall retire to my bedchambers. I have many more photos to post of weekend fun, Easter, etc., but I just can't do it right now. I don't think drool is good for the keyboard.

By the way, my dumb camera battery decided it wasn't broken after all, so I can use my camera again. Yay dumb camera battery! Unfortunately this probably means it just wasn't making a good connection in the camera, and is a problem just waiting to resurface one of these days when I really want the camera to work. For now I'll take what I can get.

Look for more photos soon! (Don't forget, my "soon" tends to be like most people's "afterwhile.")