My three little skeletons...

It's been busy around the Messer house! Jonah started the 4th grade. Luke started back in Preschool, he is in the 4 year old class and goes five half days a week this year. The girls go to daycare every day all year while we are at work. Luckily my Mom and Dad take care of Jonah and Luke after they get home from school until we get home. Anyway I think we are back in the swing of things and have the new routine down. I found these cute skeleton p.j.'s and the kids love them, they glow in the dark so that is really cool!

Lilly, Luke, Rosemary

What we have been up to this summer

I still have not accumulated a lot of vacation since I used everything I had plus went in the hole from my maternity leave with the girls so instead of taking a big vacation we took several day trips. One of my favorite was a train trip from Greensboro to Charlotte. Whether you drive or take the train it takes the same amount of time but on the Amtrak we all got to see the scenery and relax on the way there and back.

This is the Amtrak station in Greensboro. I had not been in there since it was turned back into a train station and I thought it was really nice!

Mom, Jonah, Luke, and myself went on the trip. We are waiting on the train to arrive. We met my brother, Michael and his sons Ethan, and Colin in Charlotte since they live near Charlotte.

Once in Charlotte we went to the Discovery Place. Unfortunately we did not know they were renovating it so most of it was closed. They did have a really cool pirate exhibit.

Michael, Colin, and Luke in the wind tunnel. It showed how it would feel with high winds from a hurricane.

Colin, Ethan, and Jonah.

We had time left so we went to a really nice park after lunch. Then we got ice cream and went to a library before heading back to the train station.

Luke fell asleep on the train ride home and wasn't fully awake when I took this picture.

On the next trip I did not get to go. My parents took the boys and went with some friends and their grandson to the Lazy 5 ranch. I have been twice in the past and it is a really neat place. They have a petting zoo and then you can either drive your car through or take a horse drawn wagon through the zoo and feed the animals.


Luke and Zan.

The goat was nice enough to let Luke hold his horn.

Most of the animals are loose walking around, except for the giraffes, rhinos, and other animals you would not want to be walking around while you were in the zoo. The best thing to do is pay for the wagon ride, the driver will tell you facts about the animals and stop to let you feed them. Most animals will eat out of your hand.

Jonah feeding the giraffes.

Our next big occasion was Jonah's 10th Birthday.

This year he had an indoor Rock Climbing Party.

Jonah

Shane even gave it a try.

Jonah's friends.

Afterwards we had cake . All the boys seemed to have a great time.

I took off work the day before school started for Jonah (4th grade) to take the boys to a city pool. You would think since it had been HOT all summer that it would be on this August day, but no, it was chilly. We still had a lot of fun.

Jonah and Luke goofing around.

It is a fairly new pool and they have a beach area that has different kinds of mushroom looking towers that water comes out of. Jonah and Luke were under one of these.

We had a great summer but as usuall it went by to fast.

Music Camp

Most of the summer Jonah has spent his weeks at different day camps with different themes. One of the weeks that he said he didn't want to go to but has had the most fun (two years in a row) was our church music camp. This year it was Jonah and the Whale. It was Monday -Friday from 9am to 3pm and in that short time they memorized their lines, did some crafts which were used as props and perfected the musical in time to perform for two services Sunday morning. It just amazes me every year.

The Whale, angels to it's left and the cast to it's right. My Jonah is the only guy in the picture. They had probably 20 girls and 6 boys. The main character Jonah was a girl. She has her hand folded under the Whale, she did the best job!!

King of Nineveh and his people. Jonah showing how strong they were.

People of Nineveh. Jonah is in between the girls with boas on and he is dancing. I had no idea he would be doing anything other than being part of the chorus. It was a wonderful surprise to see him sing and dance.

The musical lasted around 45 minutes and everyone did the best job, you would never know they had put it all together in five days. I can't wait for next summer's musical!

Let's go to church

So, I was in the bathroom getting ready to go to church when Luke came in and told me he was dressed and ready to go. He still had on his pj shirt, then he on his pants from Halloween monkey costume, and to finish his look he put on his dinosaur tie. I tried to hold back the laughter and told him he looked real good. Then I finished getting myself ready and helped him out with a new shirt, pair of shorts and his dinosaur tie.

Yummy Watermelon on a hot summer day

Grandpa Herman came over Sunday afternoon and brought a cold watermelon to eat. It was a perfect day for it, it was hot and humid.

Everyone loved the watermelon and wanted more than one piece.

Lilly

Rosemary

Jonah

Luke

You would have thought Rosemary & Lilly were experienced pros at eating watermelon.

Herman and Shane

As you see Luke had it all over his face. Jonah was much cleaner when he finished.

Look at Lilly's curls.

Rosemary and everyone was happy to have had cold watermelon on a hot July day!

Thanks Grandpa!

Look what's new....

My Dad, the King of Yard Sales found this Triceratops. The kids love it! It's head moves it makes Dino noises, opens & closes it's eyes and mouth.

The girl's mostly like to pet it, feed it it's pretend leaf, and stick their finger in it's eye and say eye.

Luke loves to kiss and hug the girls way more than they like for him to.
Luke and Lilly.

Our next new item in the house is a toddler bed. A friend e-mailed me last week and asked me if I wanted it and I was so excited! The girl's love it. It is Lilly's bed. She doesn't move around the crib as much as Rosemary so that is why I let her have it. They have played and played on it. Putting each other to bed and their babies.

Lilly is in the polka dots putting her Dolly to bed as Rosemary fixes the covers.

Lilly asleep her first night in her big bed. Don't you just love the way they sleep with their little bottoms in the air?

Let's go to the country...

Growing up when we were going to the farm my Grandmother grew up on we called it going to the country. I spent a lot of my childhood there playing with cousins, walking to the spring in the woods, or walking through the fields to the river. I am so lucky to have all of those great memories and that my kids can grow up going to the country or our home place and play with their cousins and have all the wonderful memories like I did.

This past Saturday I met two of my cousins Shelly and her three kids, Ella, Brinley, Callen and Adair and her two children, Georgia and Sylvia for a play date.

We all brought food and had lunch together.

Played outside most of the day.

My Mom came along too. She's giving Rosemary a drink and Lilly is sitting so nicely.

Lilly & Rosemary played with some toys their cousins brought.

Lilly, Ella, and Sylvia.

Callen, Shelly's youngest (5 months old) took a nap outside. It was such a nice day with a breeze blowing on a sunny summer day.

Georgia, Ella, Brinley, and Luke took a break from playing outside to color.

Lilly and Rosemary sitting on a rock. I believe that my ancestors used the rock to help them get on a horse.

When I was younger there was a swing on this grand old oak tree and I was so excited to see they put up a new swing.

Rosemary and Jonah watch as Georgia and Luke swing.

Brinley and Georgia watch as Jonah and Luke swing.

Luke

Brinley and Georgia.

What a great day at the country! I can hardly wait to go back for our next get together. Hopefully we can do it again soon.