Marching Madness on out to Montpelier

We headed down to Winston-Salem for the ACC/family reunion.  So gracious of Laura and Robert to host us all again.  Great time for the cousins---Sarah, Abby, Alex, Nicholas, Andrew, Margaret and Matthew were joined by sweet baby Charlie this year.  At 6 months, Charlie is just precious and James and Kate seem to be taking parenting in stride!

The Krispy Kreme Factory in Winston-Salem...
too bad it's merely minutes from Lalu and Big Rob's house.
Happy, happy girls.

   

 

                                                                 

                       'Cause everyone needs chocolate milk with their 3rd donut...

Granddaddy pitched for the crew for a LONG time.   

Lalu and Big Rob scored BIG with the cars for the birthday boys.

Keep feeding 'em and they're happy!

Back in Charlottesville, Andrew had "Town Model" night at school.  The lego house he's pointing to is addressed "1819".  

As if 11 snow days off of school had not been enough in the last two months, we got another 5" on St. Patty's Day.  The kids keep asking, "Doesn't Spring start this week???" 

We call this: "Just as confused as we are that it's March 17!" 



Michael and I were both finally home together for a few waking hours and assembled Andrew's birthday bed. The "Junior Loft" bed, as they call it, seems to have been a big hit!  Guess who else wants one now???

First day of Spring Break, I tried to be a good educational Mom and we headed to James Madison's Montpelier in Orange.  I was the only single Mom with 3 little ones, all of whom are mobile.  I now know why.  

Ran into Saint Helen with little Charlotte, Sam, and baby Iris, met up with old friends Celeste & Rob and their two 
precious boys, and bumped into old preschool friends on the way out.  

We WILL go to the Steeplechase here this fall!

Before heading out, two of us tried to get a picture of the 9 kids...
we didn't even come close to success.

 

Lent Service

Andrew wants to go to church every Wednesday during Lent that Michael is home and we can pull it off.
On Ash Wednesday, Tom had us come up for our ashes and spoke several sentences to us individually, addressing each of us by name.  After the service, Andrew inquired,
"How does Pastor Tom know everyone's name?"  

Me:  "Ha.  He's really good at that, isn't he??:)"

Andrew: "He must eat a lot of healthy food for his brain to have grown that big!"

Tom:  "Oh, if only Mary agreed!"
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Ash Wednesday happened to be the evening of the Duke-Wake game, which he knew.  After 45 minutes and after receiving ashes, I asked Andrew if he wanted to go home and watch a few minutes of the Duke-Wake game before bed or stay at church until the end?  "Will we have time for books?" "

Me:  "Yes"  

Andrew: "I want to stay until the end.  I want to learn more about Easter."

Out of the mouths of curious babes:)
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When Andrew came inside screaming bloody murder last night, I immediately got down on the floor with him and let him crawl in my lap.  While trying to assess if he had broken his hand, he screamed, "I wish God was with me." I am in awe that he was thinking of Him in that moment.  Of course the goal would be for him not to question God because he was in pain, but at least he was thinking about Him.  We'll work on fine-tuning the intricacies of the relationship.  

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The best use of time is to freely love.
The best way to love is to spend time.
The best time to love is always right now.

And Grace? Grace is strong enough to carry not only what you’ve done, but what you never got done, the things that can weigh heaviest of all.

''Cause it's always better sleeping in a princess outfit, 
with your nightgown escaping out the back like a cape.

PBS Kids at the Paramount

The creepy 
Cat in the Hat!

Just another day in LATE MARCH!  
This was the year of 11 snow days:(

Scene at 12:30. This is supposed to be 1:30! 

Helping me cook dinner and praising the Lord.  
A great way to pass the afternoon!

Birthday! #6???

Andrew's birthday fell on a Wednesday, so the weekend before, we took four of his friends bowling and then back here for basketball, lacrosse, pizza and ice cream.  

I lost the pictures on my phone from that party so have nothing of the crew, Matthew was the sweetest part anyway...absolutely mesmerized by the bowling scene.  And, like most foods he's tried, he has been willing to do most anything to get to more ice cream cake.