Ode to a Fountain - A Poem

Another awesome weekend:  Farmer's market, bike ride, burgers and fries, followed by playing in the fountain.  Here is how the latter went.

He wasn't so sure.  In fact, he ran the other way.

But his momma tried to convince him,

the water, it's really ok.

Momma showed him 

how to splish, how to splash,

He started to giggle,

and many smiles did he flash.

He learned that the fountain,

really wasn't so bad. 

So he stuck his hand in,

just a little, just a tad.

And then! Oh then!
The boy started to run.

And decided exploding water,
was really oh so much fun.

And when the time was done,

it was time to go.

Momma tried to scoop him up,

and Pooter, he said "NO!"

Easter Weekend 2014

The only thing on the required packing list

For two of the last three years we have hosted Easter in our home (and somehow I only have a post about the one from three years ago.  I'm going to have to go picture diving for last year's event...).  However this year, we set aside hosting duties to travel to Savannah to see one of our friends come into the Church at the Easter vigil.  It was really such a sacrifice on our part... to travel to beautiful Savannah and partake in the bountiful feast Easter party that our friend Thabo threw for her husband Chris (the newly confirmed).  We just suffered through.

The best shot we could get at the end of a very long day (before the Easter vigil).

In all seriousness...the rainy, dreary weather of Good Friday helped set the mood for our day of fasting and remembering that Christ had to die before he could resurrect.  And after more rain on Saturday, we were ready to celebrate our risen Lord.  Alleluia!

This smile didn't last for long friends.  

About half way through the readings Matthan decided he had had enough and melted down until he fell asleep on Tim's shoulder and slept the rest of the Mass.  We tried to get a family picture again following mass.

On Easter Sunday we hunted around the house for our Easter gifts.  The sunshine finally peaked through!  In the afternoon, we went to the Easter party and spent the rest of the day catching up with old friends.  

On Monday the weather was beautiful and we spent most of the day outside at the park. 

Great-Grandma Muriel and Matthan

Matthan walked and climbed most of the time.  And then he sat with me practicing drinking water from a cup.  What can I say, he's easily entertained.

Cousin Jo-Jo and Matthan

We watched "Uncle Tim" and Joey play football and fly a kite.

Joey

Aunt Penny and Joey

Grandma took time on her lunch break to come visit everyone.

Grandma Mary hugs

Matthan and Cousin Sophia (Fe-Fe)

And the girls skated on the sidewalk that runs along the edge of the park.

The skating girls - Ava (left) and Sophia (middle)

Part of Grandma Mary's Easter gift.

It was a wonderful Easter weekend.  He is risen!  Alleluia!

Outdoor Adventure Day

A few weeks ago, while The Hubs was shopping for his birthday fishing pole, I found a flyer and snapped a picture of it on a whim.  I'm totally thrilled that I did.  The flyer was for an outdoor adventure  day at Unicoi State Park for this weekend that included free fly fishing casting lessons, fly tying, wildlife shows, skeet shooting, air soft gun shooting, archery, trout fishing, hay rides, and raffles.  Did I mention it was ALL FREE!!! My kind of price!  This is an annual event, so mark your calendars for next year.  

The Hubs receiving a fly casting lesson

The weather was perfect!  And beautiful!  Can't you tell?

My first fly casting attempts

I didn't do too shabby considering I had never touched a fly rod before.  I was only a little spazz-tic.

Pooter chilling and watching the lessons

I had a few offers from some strangers to take Matthan home with them (I didn't take any of them up on this, case you were worried).  Mr. Paul was one of them.  He just scooped Matthan out of my arms and had him smiling in seconds.  He looked like a pro.  Then I found out he has 13 grandchildren.  Yeah...I'd say that's a pro.  

Mr. Paul and Matthan

For my kid who doesn't like grass, he sure adapted quickly.  While Daddy was learning to tie flies, Matthan crawled all over the ground, even played with some dirt.  I'm so proud.  I found a bunch of key chains on a table and gave him one and he was oh-so-entertained.  He continued to crawl all around with the key chain in his hand.  I have a bazillion pictures from his adventures and it was so hard to narrow them down.

Love that face!

They stocked the stream with trout that morning, but despite that, The Hubs didn't catch anything.  He had fun trying though.  He's getting pretty good...at casting...he's still working on catching.

Daddy fishing for trout and testing out the flies we made

I pushed Matthan around until he fell asleep, and so he napped while Daddy fished.  I wanted to crawl in there and cuddle and nap with him.

Pooter took a nap while Daddy fished

After the raffle, where we didn't win anything, we head over so I could shoot some arrows.  Don't I look intimidating?

Unloaded, case you were worried.

So, I found out that I am double jointed in my elbow.  The instructor told me this after I snapped my arm a couple times with the bow.  Can I just tell you, that HURTS LIKE THE DICKENS!!!  I still have bruises.  Anyway, my double jointed-ness put my arm at risk for getting whacked, so the instructor helped me adjust to avoid this.  Bless him.  (Click on the picture below to see my mad skillz).

Check out my sweet archery skills

We traipsed up the hill to shoot some skeet and I was all prepared for Matthan to freak out, but he didn't!  I shot first.  Yep, that's right, yours truly shot a shotgun.  The instructor laughed at me because of the noise I made the first time the gun went off.  It was something like Grrhhoommppff!  I thought I hit 2 out of seven but The Hubs says I hit more than that.  Whatever!  I hit some!  That was more that I expected.

The Hubs shooting some skeet

The Hubs did really well.  That's because he had so much cuteness cheering him on :)

Smiles even when guns are going off around him

Hiking at Fort Yargo

Do you ever have those days when you feel completely uninspired?  I really don't have anything terribly interesting to say...we went hiking at Fort Yargo... {insert witty banter that you find incredibly amusing here}... 

Thanks to Tim's mom and an early Christmas present of the hiking kid carrier, we are able to take our Little Man on hikes with us now.  He loves being outdoors...as long as you keep moving...he lets you know of his disapproval the second you stop walking.  

All the hiking wears him out :)

{More witty banter, lol, aren't I funny?}  Hope you enjoyed the pics! Come hiking with us next time :)