4/8/23
As tradition has it in our family Easter baskets are delivered on Saturday:
Non-edible hair products are a nice touch:
Peeps on a stick?!
Nice!
Hair masks are a nice touch indeed!
Chocolate Easter Bunnies are awesome too:
Easter eggs with surprises inside are always appreciated:
Dad likes his peeps and malted milk candies:
Mom had a basket too:
Sunday we went to church and enjoyed a nice Easter service:
4/7/23
We did a dish to pass dinner party:
Everyone came in their assigned character costume:
Time to select the secret murderer!
We took turns reading the clues:
Trying to decipher who was the murderer!
Was it the Inspector!?
The Hippy Girl “Misty Visions”?:
Perhaps Ms. Tango!:
Dad did great narrating the game:
Mom stayed in character as Em Fatale the wife of the one murdered!
And the murderer was. . .
Dee Minor ~ Played by Lizzy!
Final bows for all the cast:
That was a fun game night!
4/4/23
The Westwood Whirlwinds Girls Soccer Team and the coaching staff too:
Awesome season so far!
These photos were taken after a winning game:
Go Whirlwinds!
4/5/23
1/2/23
For the Saturday morning session we went over to the Lowry’s house. We are so happy to be able to continue this tradition with their family. The Sunday afternoon session has another tradition of “spa treatments” as we watch the last session of conference together with just our family. Mom braided Lizzy’s hair:
And then Rachel’s hair:
The girls finger waved Mom’s hair:
This year the girls really gave Dad a “make-over”. It started with Rachel offering Dad back cracking relief:
While Rachel was doing that Lizzy was preparing the spa treatments:
That’s a lot of applications!
Starting with the lip treatments:
On to the face scrub:
It was not really coming off….
Still scrubbing. . .
Dad is enjoying the next face treatment as evidenced by his smile:
A chocolate rub next (antioxidants of course):
A finishing spray of course:
Still trying to remove the orange scrub from the other treatment:
Did he agree to make-up?
He is brave:
Finally waxing the legs!!
That was crazy fun for the girls and apparently fun for Dad too. Mom will have nothing to do with any of it!
3/26/23
Franklin Jr.’s birthday was this week so we celebrated together on Sunday. Dad made him a chocolate cake:
Luna was very excited that her favorite friends were here!
Time to light the candles!
Make a wish Franklin:
Luna has to sit in the middle of her favorite friends!
Happy Birthday Franklin we are so glad we could celebrate you!
3/20/23
This game is intense!
Go get her Rachel!
Defense!!
3/22/23
Mom comes to every single game to support Rachel and her team. She also provides rides to any player who needs a ride to the games. Thanks Mom!
3/18/23
Mom and Dad have been planning and preparing to backpack section hike the Appalachian trail (AT)! They practiced at a local park with a small trail and over 300 stairs. They went up and down the stairs with their packs multiple times because they planned to start their hike at Amicalola Falls that had a climb of over 300 stairs:
The stairs were a nice challange:
It was early in the morning but was starting to warm up:
3/15/23
The planned AT backpacking day arrived and they decided to take us on the trip. We stayed at an awesome Airbnb while they hiked. The place had goats!
3/16/23
Mom and dad had a shuttle driver meet them at their car where they planned to hike to over the next two days and then he drove them to the starting point at Amicalola Falls.
They hiked a small trail that lead to the falls:
There was a paved path at the bottom of the falls:
Now it was time to start the first section of the stairs 175 steps:
Still going up!
More steps!
The steps are done, now to get to the start of the 8.5 mile approach trail which is not even part of the AT. The At starts at the top of Springer mountain and there is no way to get there but to hike!
They made it to the top of Springer Mountain and the start of the Appalachian Trail!
The happy couple!
The first (if you start from the south) white blaze of the AT!
The next blaze was on a tree:
They made it back down Springer mountain and headed north along the AT.
There were some easy stream crossings along the way:
Mom still likes her bridges.
The plan was to hike to this waterfall:
Long Creek Falls was in sight!
They made it to the waterfall!
They set up their campsite by the stream coming down from the waterfall.
3/17/23
Mom and Dad got up before 5am to try and pack up the tent before the predicted rain, but it rained before they could get all packed up. It was still dark out but they were all packed up so they decided to start their hike:
Rain, wind and fog, not to mention it’s still dark!
They got in three miles before the sun came up:
It was lightly raining throughout the day and the hiking was super challenging. Mom and Dad said it was the hardest hike they had ever experienced! They made it back to the car and look who greeted them at the Airbnb:
These goats were crazy!
3/18/23
The next day mom and dad decided they did not want to section hike as planned so they took us out for some adventures. Our first stop was a tiny house open house:
Mom likes the tiny house concept, Dad not so much.
Then we stopped at some weird roadside thing:
And our final stop was the Big Foot Museum!
Lets go inside and see what evidence they have!
“Real” science:
A reenactment of an “actual” Big Foot attack!
We weren’t all convinced… but it was a nice outing. Time to head back to the Airbnb and then home tomorrow.
3/6/23
Rachel made the middle school soccer team again!
It’s a packed schedule. They play twice a week!
A very good game and a win!
3/8/23
Game number two!
Great Game (not a win).
3/4/23
Mom and Dad took us to an amusement park!
We met back up together with Lizzy and Dad and Lizzy did some scary rides together:
Up we go!
Ready set go!
We met back up with Patricia and Rachel and got on another ride:
Rachel and Patricia were hiding their faces every time Mom tried to take a picture but she got them!
Rachel and Patricia went off on their won again and the three of us went on this ride:
Then we hit the roller coasters to finish out the day!
That was awesome! Thanks Mom and Dad!
02/14/23
Mom set the table up with some special cards and a nice gift basket for us:
We had a big basket of goodies to share!
Dad got each of us our favorite snacks:
Dad gave Mom some flowers, chocolates and lotion:
The girls exchanged cards:
Patricia made cards for Mom and Dad too:
Rachel gave everyone a $1
Including Mom:
And Dad:
We had a very Happy Valentine’s Day!