Ordinary Life

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Cloud , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . "Oh they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise..."

Hide Me , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Couldn't you just curl up inside? (with ant repellent, of course)

Hanging out with Ronnie , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Today Ronald McDonald paid our little island a visit- first stop the library for story time, corny jokes, juggling and magic. And then, McDonald's for lunch (what else?) My camera said "Absolutely Not" today, so my phone was called in as a substitute-- and did alright, for a rookie.

The Thinker (Deep South Edition) , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Little Sister is a Big Thinker...

Itty Bitty , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Driving home from Waycross, GA on Hwy 17 a few months past, we came across this small wonder. Though the sign out front proclaims it "America's Smallest Church" , there are other churches scattered throughout the country of comparable size. Still, it was a curious place to explore and worth the fifteen minute pit stop. Thanks, Clay-- for stopping.

storm , originally uploaded by Muddy Britches . ...roll on along...

Logan and one of her friends from church have created a "secret handshake. Typical of gals their age, neither do well at KEEPING s ecrets:

Hillbilly Horseshoes , originally uploaded by Muddy Britches . Chandler and Fisher got picked to play Hillbilly Horshoes on-field at a recent Charleston Riverdogs game. -- enjoy!

Goodbye, Michael. Your ride into the sunset came too soon. We will miss you. Mr. Michael Douglas Carnes OXFORD — Funeral services for Mr. Michael Douglas Carnes, 44, will be at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Miller Funeral Home & Crematory with the Rev. Homer Longoria and the Rev. Howard Carroll officiating. The family will receive friends from 5-8 tonight at the funeral home. Mr. Carnes died Sunday, May 10, 2009, at Atlanta Medical Center. Mr. Carnes is survived by his wife, Amy Carnes; son, Steven Carnes; daughter, Kelley Carnes, all of Oxford; father, John Carnes, of Ohatchee; mother, Peggy Brown, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; two sisters, Judith Carnes, of Plant City, Fla. and Debra Sears of Charleston, S.C.; numerous aunts and uncles; several nieces and nephews. Mr. Carnes was a native of Sanford, Fla., but lived in Calhoun County since 1984. He owned and operated Carnes painting for the past 8 years. Michael died doing what he loved, riding on his motorcycle. "Ride safe ya'll."...

Tomorrow will be the last day of Presidential Fitness season for Chandler and Logan. Chandler made Presidential for most everything he tried, Logan made several National rankings and Presidential in the Mile Run and Curl Ups. Next season, Fisher gets to join in and he can't wait! Tomorrow is the awards ceremony and Logan plans to bring her camera along since I will be in Bible study. Below are a few pictures from one of their last testing/practice days.

The kids and I spent Easter Sunday in Covington with family. I love these folks, too !

I spent the Saturday preceding Easter with my family in Augusta. I just love those folks! Here are some highlights from our cookout at Sprink Lake clubhouse:

While in Atlanta recently, the kids and I took in the King Tutankhamen exhibit at the Civic Center. The kids just wanted to see a mummy, but I made them stop and listen as I read to them from the different displays. This only lasted so long! They were disappointed that there were no actual mummies to be seen, though I believe they still enjoyed seeing some of the burial items. Probably the biggest impact item for them was the cat's coffin, which they were sure still contained an ancient mummified cat. (I imagine they are right) I personally found the detail of the carving fascinating and the many various "gods" with which they were buried the most interesting of all. I have heard about idols made from wood and gold my entire life, but I've only seen modern ones (you know, golf clubs, Hershey bars... whatever :) We've been learning about Egypt in our Mystery of History studies, so seeing the artifacts first hand was not only a real treat but a great way to observe...

Joseph B. Carnes July 4th, 1927 - April 3, 2009 AMAZING LOVE Retired Master Sgt. Joseph B. Carnes, 81, of Lumberton passed away April 3, 2009, at Southeastern Regional Medical Center, with his family by his side. He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, retiring after 22 years. After the military, Joe worked in construction and later contributed to his community through retail sales. Joseph B. Carnes was a dedicated family man, always making sure that his family was taken care of. We loved him very much and will miss him dearly! He was preceded in death by a son, Daniel Carnes; his parents Harley & Pallie Carnes, both of Franklin, a sister, Ruth Edwards of Franklin; and a brother, Zell Carnes of Grey, GA. Surviving are his wife of 58 years, Rosie Davis Carnes of Lumberton; one son, Larry D. Carnes and daughter-in-law Myoung-Jin, both of Florence, SC; three daughters, JoAnn Dudney and son-in-law Jerry Dudney, both of Lumberton, Kathy Willoughby and son-in-law Mike Willoughby...

Sir William (the Moist) II , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Evidence of True Love? There is not a subsequent picture where she socks him one (longsuffering)

Sir William, The Moist , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Rite of Passage Act of Love

Georgia , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Puddle of Mud April 2009 Loganville, GA

COVINGTON , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Just an oddly adequate description of what visiting family in Covington is like.

Chandler made everyone "cheese sandwiches" today for a snack. I've just got to show you mine:

They've crossed the line this time:

But, they are kinda sweet.

dance , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Just a favorite pic I came across on an old SD card.

Logan Aleece , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Logan turns older, despite my pleas....

Logan turned 8 and celebrated by inviting a few Sunday School/Homeschool friends over for tea in her "garden".

Strawberry Beginnings , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . won't be long now...( if I can beat the "early" birds to pecking..er, I mean, picking them)

High Heel , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Art, just sitting around in a Five Points alley way, waiting for someone to take it's photograph, so I did...and there ya have it- a high heel.

I didn't hug this tree, but we did get pretty close in our time together:

Sometimes, things just work together, ya know? If you ever find yourself studying the ocean's movement, and if during that study you are instructed to build a model ocean but can't find any sand, it may all work out anyhow, if you happen to live on a golf course and have one to three children who do not mind being sneaky little thieves on occasion. That is how we managed our project...bunker sand snatched from the 15th hole: (we really only borrowed it)

One of our projects while studying Greek civilization was to create a frescoe, like the many found throughout their ancient architecture. This project turned out to be one of those "Mom does the majority" projects. Oddly enough, the kiddos were still extremely proud of "their" work and tickled to see their frescoe work hung in the schoolroom: * Word to the Wise: Never mix Plaster of Paris in a large yet narrow mouthed jar.

As one of our projects to learn about ancient civilizations-Greece specifically on this particular day- we took to some Sculpey and made clay pots. After the children rolled their "snakes" of clay into a pot formation, I baked them and then we painted them(as well as large portions of our skin and clothes) The end product has been grouped with other projects that we completed...each child pretty much stuck with "their" signature color- Chan went red, Fisher blue and Logan pink/purple:

While running errands today, the kids persuaded me (fairly easily) to let them walk in the pet store for a minute or two. Fisher secretly hoped we'd be leaving with a puppy and since I knew this particular chain doesn't carry puppies, I entered with no sweat. Puppies remained on the forefront of Fisher's mind however, and he looked for them on every aisle. As we passed the "Rodents", a glass of gerbils specifically, I remarked that you couldn't get me to buy anything with a tail...I'd already served my time (see Maria above) Fisher- paying more attention than I realized- reacted with a great garumph and protested : "But Momma...puppies have tails!" "Snips & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails-that's what little boys are made of."

Chandler and Logan have been encouraged to begin committing the Psalms to memory. Their choir instructor at church has even added a reward as incentive for the quotation of three specific Psalms. Psalm 1 is one of the key verses and the kids have had me listen to their attempts at recital throughout the week. ((Turns out we have at least 4 different versions of the Bible here at home, adding a bit of a challenge)) Chandler quoted: " Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, ....he will be like a tree, firmly planted by streams of water ...whose leaf does not SHIVER... " According to some theologies, I can claim this version as an all inclusive relocation to some lush tropical isle..right?

bloom , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . Flower on a tree at CBC

kids 114 , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . A tree at church caught my attention--- I pretty much climbed inside to take this picture :) I am reminded of dragons or lizards with flicking tongues...

The kids went to an audition for Willy Wonka Jr at the Beaufort Children's Theatre this week. They were to bring a head shot to attach to their forms...we printed of a few quick candids . Here are those plus the ones we didn't print:

I tried my hand at making Jelly Roll cakes. I impressed me! There were no egg shells in the cakes, everything was palatable and nobody got food poisioning! What more can one hope for?

Oh, the things I won't do to take a picture!

The weather has led to a lot of outside time for us recently:

We had the pleasant surprise of snow while in Greenville recently. It was the first time in probably five years or so that we have seen (or played in) any real amount of snow. Since I didn't have to live in it for months on end, it was an agreeable snow :) And thank goodness for 80% off Winter Apparel Clearance! A Snow Day slideshow is at the end of this post, but here are a few of my favorite "snow shots": See the fallen flower...cool, no? Beach...Ha! Frozen Flowers Brrrd Bath... Why Me, Lord? SLIDESHOW:

I've become somewhat a bird lady in recent years. This weekend, we catered to my weakness and got a few new birdy- things. It didn't take long for our new friends to drop by:

Chandler and Logan practice for The Sonrise Choir's special song time on a recent Wednesday night (I only took video during practice so as not to be disruptive during service) : All The Earth: Praise To You:

Fisher's choir group sings on a recent Wednesday night:

All of the children have been involved in a "choir special" in recent weeks. Those posts will follow shortly but first, the fun one. This was practice for Fisher's group, The Genesis Choir. Mostly you'll hear a lot of talking as the kids do their run thru...but also some giggling. Here's why - look at the boy beside Fisher and watch as he moves through a chorus of movements from funny faces to arm farts. (I later learned that my giggling eldest may have been silently egging him on from behind me, though I have yet to confirm this for sure):

kids 075 , originally uploaded by kellybrewer . The kids enjoy one last swing before leaving the park. Jarvis Creek Park Hilton Head Island, SC 3/9/2009

Regularly Scheduled Blogging postponed due to beautiful weather ...

While in Greenville this weekend, we were surprised with snow showers and the delightful immobility that ensued. Snow Day pictures to follow in the near future. Until then, Mr. Frosty Pants: BEFORE: AFTER: