Portrait Day!

Finally! It really has been a few years since the girls had formal portraits. It was a trying day since Ashlyn's tummy was hurting her, and they were extremely busy. They seated us and forgot about us until I reminded them that we were waiting. Even with all that, the pictures turned out great. I have many, but will just post my favorites.

Dancing for Seniors

Kiley's dance class is very special to her. She's been with the same girls for five years. She has also been a part of the ministry team. This year they danced for a senior (as in citizen, not high school) banquet at their church. I think it really blessed them. I was only able to capture pictures of them practicing in the atrium, it was too crowded inside. The lady behind them is Ms.Vikki, the director of the dance studio. From left to right is Sarah, Abigail, EvaJoy, Kiley, and Elizabeth.

Fall Festival 2009

We've been going to the festival for a few years now 'cause it is AWESOME! The girls love the bungie bounce.

Pumpkin Carving

Ashlyn waited patiently to carve pumpkins this year. There just never seemed to be enough time in the day. So, one evening when Kiley was at a sleep over, she went for it. Of course she picked a princess crown for her pumpkin in true Ashlyn fashion!

Raptor Center Field Trip

We are fortunate to have the Carolina Raptor Center so close by. We've done a couple field trips there and they are always fun. The girls dissected owl pellets in class and then were able to see the owls in real life!

Riverbend Farms

This year we went to Riverbend Farms to pick our pumpkins. We came back with 5, for less than $20; What a deal! At this farm, there are lots of things for the kids to do including some major slides made from silos and a pumpkin house. We had a great time! We love fall (except for the breathing issues associated with it)!

Tea Parties and Girls

Sometimes I wonder how two girly girls came from this mostly tomboy! I love it though. They love anything girly! Ashlyn worked on this tea party while Kiley and I were working on some school things. She even dressed 'bear-bear' and 'doll-doll' in American Girl clothes.

Back to School

School for us starts the middle of August. It's kinda soon for me, but I'm thankful come the end of April when we can be done for the summer!

The girls love Classical Conversations. They are both in the Foundations program in the morning and soak up a ton of information, it still surprises me how much their little brains take in! Kiley is in Essentials this year in the afternoon, so she has a writing assignment each week that she presents to the class (as well as grammar). She has been really creative in her presentation. This week her paper was on ziggurats. She put it on weathered and crumpled paper she painted with yellow and brown paints and tore the edges to make it look old. Then she put hieroglyphics on it. The next week, her assignment was on The Great Flood. This one she nailed to a plank!

Ashlyn gave a presentation on her favorite book, Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy. Of course she had to dress up in her Ladybug Girl costume. She even has a ladybug backpack so the outfit was complete. She did a great job presenting her book and retelling the story page by page. The kids were really engaged and I've even heard one of the boys call her ladybug girls since then.

Day 3 - Part 2 - The Great Wolf Lodge

This place is awesome! It's a great place for family days. Granted, we didn't have to wait in line behind more than 3 people, so I can't say if it's worth it during the busy season. The girls absolutely loved it. One of them, who shall remain nameless, said it was better than Disney! I wouldn't go that far, but you can pack a lot of fun in a few hours everyday. Both girls had their favorite rides. Kiley loved the tornado (which Ashlyn wouldn't get back on after the first time), and Ashlyn loved the blue slide (which Kiley would not get back on after the first time). They both tried everything though, even when they were afraid to, so we were proud of them. Definitely will keep an eye out for special days at the one near us!