Coquina Beach Kite Runners

We spent a FANTASTIC afternoon at Coquina Beach today... This is our very favorite beach and we were happy to enjoy it before the oil leak makes its way to our shores:(  BEST part of the day (other than being with family!!!).... the kite!

Can't believe I got them to stand stillnext to each other long enough for a cute picture!  To be honest, he was pinching her:)

Having a little fun with my sister's camera... these pictures are all "straight from the camera"... You know I'm too sun tinged for any photo editing!

The debut of our beach umbrella... how did we ever stay at the beach WITHOUT one???  It was AWESOME for keeping us cool on the beach.  For real.  And the kite... they all took their turn with it...

Our traditional beach picture with these three nuts...

This boy had the best time with the kite.  It brought him so much joy, Papoo let him have it!!!

Papoo helping Ben with the kite... and Ben was asking him over and over about air currents and how the kite stayed up.  Think they discovered a new science fair project. 

Great day!!

             

Well, it's summer. Almost.

We know it's summer around here when Torrey shows up!  If there's one thing you can say about Ben and Carly, it's that they LOVE their cousins!  All of them.  But this girl?  Well, these nuts have had some REALLYcrazy times together...

2003

And yup, my sister and I made them dress alike when they were little... we even made Ben dress up like Blue from Blue's Clues, and dressed Torrey up like Magenta and took them to Sears for a big photo shoot.  (Thanks to Ryan's mom for those FANTASTIC costumes!!!) Anyways... not much has changed with these 3, even though they live in different states...

Ok, I take that back....  What's changed is:

"Torrey!  You are SO MUCH taller than me!!!" Yup, Little Girl is all grown up.  Not sure how I feel about Torrey being 14.  And tall.  And no braces.  Pretty sure I'm coping mildly better than her dad is!

And well, they are still causing trouble...

This would be the girls "making" muffins tonight... Right after they cleaned up their batter fight.  Pretty sure that Carly started that one.  At least that is the story they are sticking to! 

Looking forward to a fun week with my niece and sister....

Smack Down... Eli vs. Miggy

Eli came over for a little while this morning while his Mama ran an errand... I don't usually let him play with Miggy too much these days because Miggy got pretty mad at him last time they "played together".... but this morning I wasn't feeling too sorry for Migs, so here they are having some "fun".  Well, Eli had fun!! 

disclaimer:  Miggy is declawed, and hey, he could have run away if he wanted to. 

No baby or cat were hurt during said Smack Down.

Eli's Mama was sitting right behind him cheering him on... she's no fan of Miggy!

2 points for the tail!

2 points for my choke hold... I mean, just trying to look in your eyes, Miggy!

2 points for Faking the Cat out... he thinks I'm done!

Here comes my hand... under my leg... unfortunately, Miggy sees it coming!

2 points for poking your eyes!

2 points for my "Nice Kitty" fake out.

Ouch... 2 points to Miggy for an unpredictable attack.

Ummm, he got my knee!

Migs thinks about running away, but gets a few swats in on his way to surrender...

Winner gets an apple!!!

The "Bird" Feeder

Ok... so Earth Day.  Of course it's nice to celebrate the Fine Earth our Creator has created for us... but I'm becoming convinced it's just another "excuse" for a craft project at school.  Which I can understand, being crafty and all.  Ben's class made bird feeders out of recycled products... milk cartons, straws, peanut butter (provided by Ben's Mom, buy-one-get-one at Publix), string, and bird seeds. 

We told him right away that the Vagrant Squirrel who lives in our front tree would love it.  He said it was for a bird.  Teacher said if he had a picture of a bird eating at his bird feeder, he would get a "No Homework For a Week" pass.  (Ben HATES homework, because "I already know how to do this.  In my head.  Why do I have to write it down EVERY SINGLE NIGHT????"  and really?  What 5th grader DOESN'T hate homework??)  Ryan even told her about Our Squirrel.  She said he wouldn't mess with it, because it's a BIRD feeder.  I said, "Um, peanut butter?". 

So, here's how it went.  Ben hung up the bird feeder on the front of the house.  In about an hour, it was suspiciously missing.  I found it on the ground.   And hung it back up.  I went to work.  They went to an over-night-swim-meet in Fort Myers.  I came home from work and it's missing again.  And I can't find it anywhere.  Until I looked up.

Got to hand it to her for her mad decorating skills... somehow she hung it right above her nest. 

She sat for a long time looking at me... Crazy Mama with a Camera.  And a cell phone.  Telling Ben there would be No Homework this week!

Close up for my sister.  Please don't think I'M a squirrel fan now, but I AM considering since this little rodent helped us out so much... and she's so very entertaining.  The cats are in a constant state of upheaval watching her out the window as she has been STEALING for her nest. 

Click on that picture to see the nest, and the bird feeder right above it... and she's off to the right of it all, center of the picture.

and in the off chance that the teacher thinks BEN hung it in the tree...

I just might have won Mother of the Year with my photographing skills!

I will Carry You...

You. Must. Read. This. Book.

I just read this amazing book.  About a story I already heard.  And it was still so completely fascinating to me, I insist that you read it, too.  Somewhere around HERE I mentioned that I loved reading Angie Smith's blog because I found it to be so encouraging... and I have found this book to be the same.  She tells the story of how her family handled losing their daughter, Audrey.  While it's such a moving story (read: tear-jerker!!) this book is so much MORE than that.  It is certainly for people who have walked this road, whether through miscarriage, loss of a child in infancy, or later in their life.  It is also for people who are THEIR friends and family.  She so beautifully covers what helped them, what was hard to hear, and what you should AVOID saying.  It is ABSOLUTELY for everyone who has ever grieved or felt ANY kind of loss, or wondered where God is in the midst of our trials.  I found it to be most encouraging in reminding me that God carries us through times of grief, and brings us joy!  She weaves the story of Lazarus throughout the book, and seriously?  I've read that story nearly a million times and just might have finally gotten the full point!  ANYWAYS, beautiful writing.  Great story. Amazing God.  Quick link to Angie's Blog... and finally, the lyrics to the song she wrote with her husband, Todd, and Christa Wells:

I Will Carry You

There were photographs I wanted to take,

things I wanted to show you;

sing sweet lullabies,

wipe your teary eyes.

Who could love you like this?

People say that I am brave, but I'm not.

Truth is I'm barely hangin' on.

But there's a greater story

written long before me,

because He loves you like this.

I will carry you while your heart beats here,

long beyond the empty cradle,

through the coming years.

I will carry you all my life.

I will praise the One Who's chosen me to carry you.

Such a short time, such a long road.

All this madness, but I know

that the silence has brought me to His voice.

And He says,

"I've shown her photographs of time beginning,

walked her through the parted seas;

angel lullabies, no more teary eyes.

Who could love her like this?"

I will carry you while your heart beats here,

long beyond the empty cradle,

through the coming years. 

I will carry you all your life.

I will praise the One Who's chosen me to carry you.

"I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.  You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy."     John 16:20

Red Flowers 2010

Our annual amarillas pictures...  our winter was "so cold" I was a little worried they weren't going to make their appearance this year!  Better late than never... our sure sign Spring is here!

We took them last night, but I redid them this morning since Carly's hair was wet:)  I had to include this picture of BEN winking!  The girls are already asking to call. 

(this one is for my dad... the YELLOW lantana didn't make survive our COLD winter... but I don't remember you planting THAT much purple... do you?? obviously we need you to come home....)

(she smashed her chin in the pool... I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often!)

The Lost Art of Randomness

I am a HUGE fan of Snail Mail... not bills and stuff, but REAL letters from REAL people!  This is not shocking news from the person who's favorite pass-time is making cards.  Cards that I actually send.  Nor is this shocking news from the person who wrote (and received!  You Go, Ryan!) a letter to her Intended EVERYDAY during our long distance relationship... and have kept the vast majority of those letters, plus letters from my family members and BFF.  I believe I am well known for saying that Handwritten Communication is a Lost Art.  It would make sense that this is a Quality I want to instill in my own little Protege'.  She's quite clever with a roll of tape and a marker!  When I woke up this afternoon (um, I WORKED last night, I wasn't just being excessively lazy), she had this waiting for me.  I'm sharing it with you.  You are welcome!

And here is the present that went along with this letter....

Oh, and perhaps the very best part... My First Letter in my New Mail Box...

I am a rich woman, indeed!  And while I have your attention.... here's a little Random Goodness for you... Eli came over for the morning.  He had fun bonding time with Uncle Ryan and his cousins, who are all home on Spring Break.  This bonding included chasing the cats and watching Fantastic Four (in BluRay, of course.  Elis is somewhat Picky)... 2 of Uncle Ryan's favorite things to do!!

"Ben do you want to say anything to your cousin?" (I mean, REALLY?  He was dancing all around him, grinning from ear to ear, and saying NOTHING.  Ben, not Eli)... "Ummmm, I love you Eli????????"  nice.

Carly feeding Eli some yogurt.  Of course the child CAN feed himself, but we find it much more entertaining to do it FOR him... plus, who wants to clean up someone ELSE'S kid?!!!  I find it highly entertaining that Carly feeds children the way her dad does... with her OWN mouth wide open for each bite!  Eli likes coming to our house.  We have LIFE cereal and cats. 

And while I'm being Random.... we've been spending quite a bit of time HERE:

Completely LOVING the annual passes we got for Christmas!  We are DETERMINED to get our money's worth and then some... and because we can't seem to do ANYTHING normal, we have read many books on the "Secrets of Disney" to find out interesting facts to add to our Cespool of Useless Knowledge.  Such things as: There are NO bathrooms in Liberty Square on purpose because there were no public bathrooms in Colonial Times.  See?  Did YOU know that?  Yup, Useless.  But entertaining.  And we have verified each Very Important Fact.  Also in the category of Not Normal would be how we got that picture...  It seems you CAN get up to the Top floor at the Contemporary Resort (you know the one the Monorail goes through?!?!) WITHOUT a keycard for the elevator if you just push ENOUGH buttons.  And there's a really nice balcony just off the private lounge up there.  Of course, we didn't COMPLETELY realize we were in a somewhat Restricted Zone initially, but yes, I was pretty much aware of it just prior to snapping that picture:)  Whoops!  We were tempted to Hang Out in our New Home until the fireworks, but it just didn't seem right:)  I mean, did the girl working there REALLY think we had booked a room for $1900 a night?  Us and our little kids who were perfecting their Chipmunk Dance down the hallways?

Yup, that's all I've got.