Jump In

Hannah's 6th grade year thus far has been the year to jump in and try new things. Like jumping off that rope swing in the above picture, some things have been a little scary and are a bit of a challenge. She has always excelled in school and many things have come easy for her, until (cue scary music, eek, eek, eek, eek) pre-algebra. Hannah was 1 of 11 students that qualified to participate in an on-line course. We discussed it and decided that it would be good for her to take because she would be a class ahead in math in high school. It has been very challenging and there have been some rough nights getting through homework (thank goodness my husband can rock an algebraic equation, because, friends, I am no mathematician). I am so proud of my girl for jumping in and trying something that she knew was not going to be a breeze. She is learning that things don't always come easy and that hard work pays off. We were thrilled to see an A on her report card the first quarter!

Hannah also applied to be on her school's technology team. She was accepted and is thrilled to be a member of her school news team. I pray that Hannah will always have the courage and confidence to jump in! Disappointment is a part of life, but you never no what you might be able to accomplish if you just try!

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. -Dale Carnegie

Wordless Wednesday

Fashion Statement

There are many things that mothers should teach their daughters, like how to braid, how to use a curling iron and how to apply make-up that looks natural and not "made up". Then there are fashion rules that should be passed down to the next generation such as, never wear white after Labor Day, when you do wear white pants or shorts (before Labor Day, of course) make sure that you are wearing the appropriate undergarments (you know, NO FLOWERS), and absolutely never mix stripes and plaid! I guess I haven't stressed that last one enough with Hannah!

Where's Harry?

Harry Potter's sidekick, Hermione Granger, was spotted in the trees beside my house last night. I wasn't aware that the Hogwart's Express made stops in the Bluegrass! Hermione was dressed in the latest Griffendor fashion, with her black robe trimmed in maroon and maroon and gold striped tie. She was armed and ready with her ivy trimmed wand in hand. I just wonder, where was Harry Potter?

Mums The Word

Yes friends, mum has been the word since JULY! I apologize to all my loyal followers, all 2 or 3 of you! I won't even bore you with all the reasons I have for not blogging. I wish I could tell you it was because I have been on some extravagant trip like backpacking Europe, on safari in Africa or cruising the Mediterranean. I haven't been to any of those places, but my travels over the last few months have taken me to Dollywood (don't get too excited people, that's with a D not an H), actually, it was a very fun place to visit. I also got to visit that famous mouse that lives in Florida recently and I had a brief stay at Hogwarts. After all that travel I think Dorothy was right. There's no place like home!

I had a wonderful summer but I am so glad fall is finally here. I love this time of year. The color in the trees has been so gorgeous the last few days. Last weekend we visited a couple that grow and sell mums on their farm. They had so many different colors and varieties. I am really enjoying the daisy variety that I chose for the pots by my front door. They add just the right pop of color. Everyone needs a little pop of color in their life!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Roughin It Part 2

Tomorrow I will be leaving for a week of church camp. The above pictures are scenes from last year's camp. What a wonderful week of fun and spiritual renewal. Last year I was a first time camper. Yes, I was deprived as a child and never went to summer camp! This year I will be a counselor in a cabin full of first timers. There will be nine girls that will be entering 5th grade. Please pray that it will be a fun week for all of us and that I can be the example that I need to be and a mom to these girls when they are missing theirs. I pray that God will be glorified this week and that we are drawn closer to Him and to each other.

Roughin It

Every summer we say we want to go camping and then somehow time gets away from us. There are always camps, vacations, ballgames, work and too many other things that consume our short summer months. This year we FINALLY did it. We hadn't been camping in so long that Hannah doesn't even remember the last time. SO SAD! It was a short stay but I hope this trip will be a long term deposit in her memory bank. We went to a state park that is less than an hour from where we live. We dined on hobo dinners from the grill and of course we had smores for dessert. It's not camping if you don't have smores! We had so much fun just getting away for a little while that we hope to make it a more frequent occurrence. I do love all the modern conveniences of home (and a nice hotel), but it is also nice to fall asleep to the crickets' lullaby and awaken to singing birds!