The lack of posts should not suggest we aren’t doing anything fun. 
Actually, it is quite the contrary.

Not having any activities this semester we have lots of time to finish our work and still have time later for many play dates and a few outings of our own. 
[What’s that you say?  I should be using the time we have to clean my house? 
Pffft.  We have all winter for that!]

My girls being Meerkats.

Enjoying the water area at the zoo without any other zoo guests.

This is the look one second before you fall in.

And this is when you are soaked.

A docent approached us and asked if we would like to see some furs. 
Sure.  We had NO idea what she had in store for us!

This was a completely intact tiger skin.  Head.  Tails.  Claws.  Ears. 
Each piece was genuinely still attached.  No piecing together.  It was also crazy heavy.

Then she got out a snow leopard and Marie/Skeezix was more than willing
to hold that one out for photos. 
She quickly found she needed the help of her brothers. 

The kids splurged for ice cream from their own money.  So Scooter/Hanny and I couldn’t just watch them eat! 
We split one!

And always time to be silly at the end!

Next trip to the zoo I am going to ask every docent we see if they have anything cool to show us!

First as a cowgirl.

Then as a hair dresser.  She styled her sissy’s hair.  [No scissors thankfully.]

And hide.

Angel doing her math. 

They defend God’s word

And keep the floors clean.

We peek around corners to see who is playing the piano…

Mr. Skifstad – the piano teacher!  He just started to come to our house [rather than us go to the church.]

 

One of the coolest things to do in my book is go on vacation.

I wish my budget allowed me to LIVE on vacation. 

It doesn’t.

But thankfully God blesses me with some now and then and this year turned into a two-vacation year.

THANK YOU, FATHER!

On 9/3 we got out of bed at 12AM and hit the road for Nags Head, NC.  Hurricane Irene had gone through the week before and left the area we were renting in with little damage.  [Areas both north and south were hit much harder, however.]

We checked into our vacation house with our “FAMILY for the WEEK!”

27 People.  Yup – 27! 
11 Adults, 13 kids, 3 babies.

My family (7) , my mom (1), my friend S’s family (8), her mom and dad (2), my friend R’s family (4), and S’s brother’s family (5).

We ate all our meals family style and took turns cooking. 
We ate like ROYALTY. 
We had dessert every night. 
[Do you wish you were there yet?]
I wish you were! ♥

And our house was right on the beach.

Now – it wasn’t the fanciest house out there, but the price was right, the bedroom set up was right, the pool was alright, and the movie theater made my kids’ year!  [Yes, there was a movie theater in the basement.]

There were a few too many mosquitos, and the Atlantic Ocean was closed three days to swimming.  It remained open for frolicking.

It was wonderful.  I hope you enjoy a few pictures.

Highlights…

• On the way down we got to stop at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.  It is one of the most fascinating places I have ever been.
  
• On Sunday we worshiped at a local church, Nags Head Community.  The congregation was encouraged to return at 4PM that day to go assist with Hurricane Irene clean up on the Sound Side which was heavily damaged.  JB and the boys went, as well as some of our friends.
  
• My friend R’s husband brought his guitar and music folders and lead worship many of the nights.  My kids are born singers.  [I am not, but I made a bigger effort than most people would appreciate!]
  
• The kids lovingly remember their pillow fight with S’s brother, “Uncle Budd.”
  
• I got to see 4/6 sunrises and shared two of them with my sons.
  
• Watching Tangled on the movie screen with my big girls.
  
• Watching Scooter go from not wanting the sand to touch her on Sunday to “owning the beach” by Thursday.
  
• Driving to Currituck Sound to see a puppet show and witnessing crazy flooding along the way.
  
• Seeing a HUGE rainbow on the ride home to NY.

The best way to look

at these is to hit, “View Slide Show.”

Love,
Stacy