Paper Dragons by Susan Alton Schmeltz

In March, kites bite the wind

and shake their paper scales.

They strain against their fiber chains

to free their dragon tails.

Here is a Post!

The last post was from our March HI trip.  So much has happened since then, I really am trying to catch up and post about it and then go back in and get things I missed like, oh, Andrew's 2nd grade musical?!? {The kiddo is going into 4th, for crying out loud.}

I do still love blogging and have neglected it!  I know facebook is the go-to for pics for the most part, but you can't really design your own fb page.  Also, with the blog, there are no ads or other unwanted stuff.  So I will continue!

Most recently, Jon's sis got married in Austin and we were there with most of his family.  SO. MANY. PHOTOS.  I will get through them before the school to-do list onslaught in 15 short days!

~mk

Wicked!

We took the boys to Charlotte on Saturday for their first major musical - Wicked!  It was really great and they did well, and enjoyed it, even though the first act was over two hours long.

Friday night, we prepped by watching The Wizard of Oz.

We checked out the orchestra pit before the show.  They found this really cool.

We can't wait to see another one.  Maybe Lion King?.......

OBX Vacation July 11-18: Thursday, Friday, and {sniff, sniff} Departure Day

Our last two full days and departure morning were filled with playing in the surf, flying the dragon kite (Andrew named him Owen after the main character in Jurassic World), and horsing around in the pool.

Love these sweet, busy hands

You've gotta bury Daddy at least once every beach trip.

Right before we left, I snapped a few of the house.  It really was cool!  The boys were so excited about it and hated to leave.

LEGO retrieval in the boys' bunk room.  I KNOW a few were left behind, even against our best efforts.... {sigh}

Goodbye, Outer Banks!  We will see you next summer, I hope!

Keepers from October 1, 2014 Photo Session

Waaaaay back in October, we had photos taken at Clemson Extension.  I posted some hilarious outtakes here. Now, I have finally made the time to post the ones we actually like. :)

Aunt Phyl's 80th Birthday Weekend

Aunt Phyl turned 80! The weekend was a very special one with family that hadn't been together in a long time.

I took a personal day April 17 so Andrew, Ethan and I could embark upon the whirlwind WV adventure to celebrate. It went like this:

Friday, April 17
Drove to York, SC at 5:45 am, piled stuff and people and hound dogs into Jack's truck and headed to Yeager airport in Charleston, WV, where we picked up a rental car in the afternoon, then picked up Aunt Rena in Sissonville, then headed to the farm at the Mellin Ridge, where the boys and I hung for a while before driving to Harrisville to be with Mom for a couple of hours and then journey North to Morgantown to Mary Beth's place, where we arrived before 10 pm and crashed in her gorgeous basement.  Woosh!

Saturday, April 18
Breakfast at MB's, then I took the guys to Skyview Elementary for a few minutes so I could see and hug Jennifer, Heidi, and Janet because they were running an Orff music workshop there, played for a while at Aunt Phyl's and had lunch there, I bummed around Morgantown for an hour or so by myself, then we headed back to MB's for naps.  By then it was time to get ready for dinner at the Montmartre restaurant, which tops the historic and beautiful Hotel Morgan.  It was definitely the fanciest dinner the boys had ever attended and they both did pretty well.  After that, we all headed back to MB's to chat for a while and then it was off to bed for all.

Sunday, April 19
We awoke early and were on the road headed South by a little after 8 am.  It rained on us nearly the entire drive home, but we arrived back in Columbia around 6:30 safe, sound, and a little weary.

The weather was beautiful Friday and Saturday.  Here are my favorite photos from the trip....

Playing on the swing that was just hung by Uncle Jack as I know their Grandad Chuck overlooked

Three generations of the Welch family!  Here we are with Aunt Rena, Dad's sister

Pre-dinner chat at the Hotel Morgan

Asked a purple-haired passerby to take some shots of us.  She did well.

Beautiful Welch sisters.... I can only hope I look that great at 80 or 85!

Right before digging in!  Al was hiding.

This time, Aunt Rena was the one hiding.

Aunt Phyl and Uncle Jack (who the boys call Big Jack)

Ethan's reaction after witnessing a kiss moments before...

Always giggling

Still broken up over Ethan the comedian

Peek-a-boo

Ethan was "leading" the Happy Birthday song, but decided to
 take a ginormous bite of his ice cream right in the middle of the song.

Happy Birthday Aunt Phyl!