Just Can't Give Up

I keep trying to let this blog go, but I just can't do it. :)  It's always fun for me WHEN I get around to doing it, so I'm going to try again.  And again.  And, if necessary, AGAIN, to keep up with it.  Shiloh has promised to help me, and since she's better at posting pictures on Facebook than I am, she will be a tremendous help.  So, hello again!  How many times have we gone through this?  Here's hoping soccer season won't derail us again...

And here's an actual picture to start off our year.  Shiloh attended a college showcase for soccer the second weekend in January (ummm...COLD!) and enjoyed herself immensely.  She proved she can hold her own in an environment like that, and she got to play some excellent soccer.  Daniel was pretty proud. :)

Random Goodness

 

 Cora and Shiloh like to design hair creations for Adah.  This is one of Shiloh's recent creations for Adah - isn't it cool looking??  Her headband adds just the right touch. :)

 Here's our handsome boy without his two front teeth!! How cute is he?

 He's humoring me in this picture because it was about the 15th picture I took and he really wanted to get back to his legos. :)

 When Shiloh's friend Caroline was visiting, I took everybody to Preddy Creek Trail on a beautiful spring day.  It was definitely not long enough for my nature lovers!

Shiloh took these pictures of a recent sunset over the top of our neighbor's house.  It was gorgeous!

Camping!!!

Two weekends ago we had the opportunity to go camping in Douthat State Park in western Virginia.  It was a beautiful drive, and the weather was perfect (if a bit windy - the wind kept knocking our tent down until we finally got it secured!).  It was a GORGEOUS park, and we had a wonderful, relaxing time as a family.  Coming out of a busy season, it was a much-needed getaway.

 

 

Oh - we almost tried to kill our dog, Roscoe, on the hike.  We forgot he's a basset hound who sleeps 18 hours a day and whose exercise routine consists only of following me around the house during the day.  :)  He slept all the way home after our 4 mile hike.  Here was one of our gorgeous views that weekend:

 These pictures are Shiloh's handiwork - she's quite a good photographer!

 Love this picture of me with my Doodle Bug. She was a bundle of energy!

Here is a boy ready for camping:  (i.e. Redneck training is almost complete)  He even created a homemade fishing pole only to have his hopes dashed when we tried to buy a bobber at the country store and were told that he needed to fish with a licensed fisherman (even for catch-and-release!). 

Cora is trying not to fall into the lake and I'm not looking (Shiloh took the picture).  Yikes.

My girl goes nowhere without her cleats...ya know, just in case she might need to play a soccer game while she's camping.

 Roscoe was a little chilly, so the Cora and Abigail wrapped him up in a blanket.  He stayed that way until it was time for bed and he climbed into our tent to snuggle down next to the boys.  He's a wee bit spoiled, but he's such a good dawg.

 Beautiful, beautiful Adah contemplating deep issues of life and death:

 Nope!  Not really.  Just waiting for dinner and being her usual smiley self. :)

 Girls in action:

 The mama staying warm by the fire:

Shiloh's pulling her weight:

 Nathaniel, a budding redneck-in-training, because he doesn't have a blaze orange hat yet:

A blurry picture, but it's attempting to show Jackson with his homemade spear for spearing fish.  We did NOT eat trout for dinner, however. :)

Mountain man with his...uh...mountain dog?  Lazy basset hound mix?  Weirdest looking dog ever?

They only posed like this because we bribed them with food.

Hey, hey!  Look at that good lookin' couple married almost eighteen years! :)

 This was the view from our campsite, which I enjoyed the next morning with a cup of (barely tolerable) coffee.  Someone teach me the trick for percolators, please?  Turns out they don't have a Dunkin' Donuts in the wilderness, as my mom later advised me.

All in all, it was a wonderful, relaxing, trip that was way too short.  We're planning on going again over Memorial Day weekend, and I shall work on my percolator skills before then.  Actually, I think I'm just going to be all frou-frou and bring my french press. :)

Get out there and enjoy spring!!!

COUSINS!

 

We went to Tennessee for Easter this year, and it was WONDERFUL to see my family.  The kids had a great time with their cousins, and we are all looking forward to going back down for a longer visit!

Soccer

 

Shiloh's team this spring season!  She's having a great time playing in her favorite position again, as a forward.  She wasn't quite "on" at the last game, and Daniel got to the bottom of it afterward.  Shiloh confessed, "It seems like I'm the only one getting hurt in the games!" :)  She has been laid flat a couple of times because she plays so hard and puts her body on the line.  She was a little tired of it and had to decide if she wanted to play as hard as she had been.  From the way she's been working out this week, I would say yes.  I worked out with her today, and I have my feet up now - not too sure I'll be able to walk tomorrow. :)  The other kids have a fantastic team this spring, and they're undefeated so far.  Because of competing schedules, I've only gotten to see them play two times (hence the lack of pictures for their team) but we're hoping this season they'll get to play for the championship again and win it this time. :)