Love

Christmas is almost here. Oh, I had lists and ideas and all sorts of wonderful plans for this December, this season of advent to bask in the wonder of Christmas with our children, our first Christmas as a family of five. And then the REALITY of life set in. A husband working furiously to finish finals and papers in order to finish his seminary career (six LONG years of bless-ed seminary, finished-so thankful!!) We have endured two months of sickness between our three children...stomach virus, Strep throat, RSV, Strep throat again. I think I've wished everyone in the pediatrician's office a merry Christmas 4 times this month-every Monday! And on our most recent visit (yesterday) Graham accidentally scratched Daddy in the eye, which resulted in a corneal abrasion. He's been attempting to rest (in excruciating pain) unable to open his eye. Add to that the daily chores, plus attempting to proceed with necessary remodeling projects (we now have one FULLY functioning bathroom, yay!) and still trying to get organized and "settled in" while taking care of one or more sick kiddos for weeks now. Our advent wreath and Christmas Tree are/will be our only decorations out this year.

Today I blew my top. Yelled at our children, yelled at the dog, slammed a door. It was ugly. I struggle to serve patiently and selflessly. Today I became painfully aware of my selfishness, my weakness. Sleep deprivation only makes my weaknesses weaker. I will be heading to bed VERY soon. :)

What is amazing is how God's love casts its ever-present light over the dark spots of life. Millie's belly laughs and adorable "wounded soldier" crawl. Graham waking up in the middle of the night when he heard Dan get up, to help usher him around in the darkness since he can't see with his injured eye. A sweet neighbor bringing by a box of birthday chocolates just as my 2 o'clock hankerin' hit. Grandma inviting Hannah Reece over to make Christmas cookies while I ran some errands. A word of encouragement from a friend. An email asking for prayer for a loved one with cancer. Perspective. Thank you Lord, for perspective.

LOVE. God's love. This is why God sent Jesus to earth, as a baby. To show us what LOVE looks like. Thank you Lord, for this reminder. May you and I be conduits of God's great love this Christmas, and all year long. In our weakness Lord, may your strength, your LOVE shine through.

Egypt Day

Graham goes to a school that implements Core Knowledge.  Core themes are woven into the disciplines, even the basal readers.  Graham comes home excited about what he is learning.  This makes me (a former teacher) very happy.  :) We have really enjoyed the opportunity to extend his learning at home.  It has been so enriching, for ALL of us!   The series of books What Your ----- Needs to Know,   written by Hirsch, is the basis of the Core Knowledge program. 

One of the topics studied in first grade is Ancient Egypt.  A couple of weeks ago, the entire grade culminated their studies with "Egypt Day".  Each classroom was a station and the students enjoyed Egyptian food, played Egypt Bingo, made an Egyptian collar and had a wonderful time.  Here is our "mummy" sporting his best mummy pose.  :)

********

"I learned about mummies, and people put the mummies inside sarcophagus'.  Babylon and Egypt both had gods and goddesses.  They were just Egypt gods, not the real GOD.  :)  King Tut was also named Tutankhamen.  Tutankhamen was one of the most famous kings of Egypt.  Queen Nefertiti was one queen of Egypt, too.  Queen Nefertiti was also a very famous queen.  And the people that lived in Egypt also thought that every night a man rose out of a flower on his flying boat and every night he picked the moon in his boat.  People that lived in Egypt had to catch fish to get food.  The people of the Nile river that lived in Egypt shared the Nile river with the people of Babylon.  King Tut died a long time ago and was put in a sarcophagus.  Also, he turned to a King when he was nine years old.  People that lived in Egypt had only pyramids.  The people of Babylon only had Zigurats.  A Zigurat is something that looks like a pyramid except it has bumps and it looks like it has steps.  Only the kings of Babylon and the queens of Babylon could go on top of the Zigurat.  The people of Babylon that were not royalty could not go on top of the Zigurat.  I felt very excited to learn about Egypt.  Learning about Egypt was the best thing I've ever learned about since I started in first grade."  -Graham

Eight Months

Tiny baby with a big, huge personality.  Oh Miss Millie, we're wild about you, girl!

Camille, at eight months:
-says ma-ma, da-da, na-na, and many other squealy, shrieky utterances that would be hard to spell  ;)
-does the cutest crawl, shimmy, stretch move that gets her where she needs to go-fast!
-isn't sitting up without support just yet, but goes from crawl position to a arm-hip lean...almost there!
-is recovering from her first (double) ear infection...the tummy does not tolerate antibiotics well
-has two teeth on the bottom and loves to chew on her "razzberry" toy (a silicone teething toy that's a bumpy rasberry in the shape of a pacifier)
-between teething and the yucky antibiotic tummy-has gone from sleeping through the night to waking 1-3 times a night again
-nurses every 3-ish hours
-eats several ounces of pureed fruits,veggies,meats 2-3 times a day....LOVES yogurt!
-would rather play with the sippy cup than drink from it  ;)
-sometimes, it seems that she's a little bored when G and H are at school...she kind of looks around and whines at times.  They are a constant source of entertainment!
-now recognizes close family members and will enjoy their cuddles, for a few minutes.  Then she begins to glance around, searching and lunging for momma.
-sucks the thumb when sleepy, and loves to cuddle with her blanket and fiddle with it for comfort
-takes two big naps, or one big one and two shorter ones
-is fascinated by the telephone
....is wonderfully made and a precious gift to our family!

Millie's Eye View

Baby girl has started chattering, screaming, howling, screeching, giggling...she's a noisy one!  But then look at her teachers  :)

She's a tiny thing (25th percentile for height and weight at her last dr. appt.)...with a BIG personality!  Camille growls at daddy when he plays with her, screeches at the dog and laughs hysterically at her brother and sister's antics.  Just for fun, a Millie's eye view....craziness!

The Home Stretch



Pastor Doug presenting Dan to the congregation as a candidate for ministry



The church voted an entusiastic "yes!" to bring Dan on as associate pastor.  This week he will be "examined" by our presbytery (which is the local governing body of our denomination).  As exciting as it is that things are moving forward with Dan's new position at the church, he is still very much immersed in his work there and in his studies.  He is finishing up his last three courses for Seminary.  Add to that many pressing house projects (I'm talking sinks in the bathroom kind of projects!) and 3 small children.  Life is full.  We are very grateful.  And very tired.  Please pray that God would strengthen us and that we would find opportunities for rest.  The goal?  The end of Dan's last seminary semester...DECEMBER 3rd!   

Happy Baby and House Projects

When Camille wakes from a nap, I almost always duck into the bathroom to catch a glimpse of her beautiful smile.  I sorta captured it, but with a big giant camera in the hand that usually snugs her in close.  ;)  My heart literally jumps when I see that smile spread!  There might be sugar hidden in those dimples, they are so kissable.  

And on a different note, can you BE-LIEVE this pink guest bathroom??  Please guests, come visit us in spite of our pink bathroom!  Ha!  Hannah Reece felt it was a selling point, especially before Dan peeled off the faded Noah's Ark border.  

House update:
FLOORS!!!  My feet and legs no longer ache when I fall into bed at night.  Husband, with his mad skills and his amazing parents Rog and Nancy have been hard at work around here!  Have I mentioned how I hit the jackpot in the in-law department?

father and son hard at work

PAINT!!  Every area with floors started out with a new coat of paint. I'm amazed at what a few coats of paint can do for a space.  I'll share pics and colors one day soon.



so grateful that Dan's buddy, Tim, came over to help prime the walls

 WHAT'S NEXT?  Bathrooms.  In a big way.  I'm talking leaky potties and broken sinks. 

Renovating is a lot. of. work.   Dan has a clear vision and he is a focused, hard worker.   I am constantly amazed at him!  Poor guy has had to listen to my whinin' on more than one occassion...I am not very patient enough and struggle to see a process like this through.  I get so overwhelmed and have to fight the urge to have it all done and ready for me to fluff our little nest.  Progress is good and I am thankful for this roof over our heads. 

Roly Poly Millie

On your mark...

get set...

ROLL!

Super Baby! 

Bento-ish Creations

I am perpetually stumped when it comes to what to put in my kiddos lunchboxes.  Who am I kidding?  Meal planning in general is not my strong suit, but I am working on it.  :)  I've been stalking several websites like this one and this one in recent months...looking for new ideas.  These special lunch boxes can be quite pricey, and even though I liked the idea of it....didn't want to commit to investing in two of these puppies until I gave it a trial run.  I'm making a really short story long here, but the short of it is that I bought some of these nifty divided Z*plock boxes at Tar*et and they're working out great.  They've got a little more space than an actual bento box, but I'm finally able to spice things up, and the kids love their lunches!  This method is also great because it forces me to be more thoughtful about my prep and so I make them in the evening, which makes for one less thing to do before we walk out the door at 7:25am.

So without further ado, here some of my efforts at a basic bento-style lunch. It's a start, but I'm always looking for new ideas of foods to try out... if you have any ideas, please share. :)

turkey, carrots, cheese cutouts, triscuits, raisins, animal crackers, applesauce

sometimes I roll the napkin with a bit of pipecleaner for pizazz ;)

turkey, cheese cutout (thanks aunt carrie for the cool cookie cutter!), goldfish, yogurt raisins, leftover hushpuppies from dinner the night before, cantaloupe

my note to graham, we had a little incident with a bully the first week of school...these are hard truths, even for us adults.

pb&j, gummies (sometimes I sneak in a "treat" on Fridays), pretzel sticks and  frozen blueberries-I use the foil-lined muffin papers to hold in the moisture

strawberries, yogurt for dipping in the little tub, banana (washed before cutting to avoid contaminants), choc. chip fiber bar cut in half, pretzel sticks



some days, if I'm feeling a little more creative, I go with a theme :)

Happy Birthday Hannah Reece & Aunt Cindy!

Hannah Reece loves her new baby!  Thank you Aunt Cindy...you have a knack for the perfect gift.  :) Click on the link to see the video.  (My Aunt Cindy and Hannah Reece are September 9th birthday buddies.)  It was so special last year, Aunt Cindy, my cousin Ashley and her husband TJ came down for a visit and we got to celebrate the birthday buddies together.  I love you, Aunt Cindy!  Miss you so much and wish we could party together.  :)

Here's some more viewing enjoyment in honor of our birthday girl (she's FOUR today!) Check out our funny bunny and flipper-dee-doo!  Hannah Reece keeps us in stitches like this time with her late night antics.   Oh, there's never a dull moment with our sweet girl!  Thank you Lord, for Hannah Reece!

Yes, please!

butter 'n Bible

Posted for the first time in a loooong time over here.  Although we strive to eat for good health, I admit, I'm a sucker for anything with the word "butter" in it...those southern roots run deep y'all!   Butter....buttermilk...butterfinger...well you get the picture.  ;) 

Tonight we had this delicious meal for our weekly breakfast-for-dinner night. 

Buttermilk Pancakes-with homemade butter syrup.  'Nuff said. 

Reviews:
Dan:  "These are the best pancakes I've ever eaten."
Graham:  "Oh Mom, can you make these pancakes again and again and again?!"
Hannah Reece:  *silent chewing*   This is the highest compliment from our picky, squirmy little eater.

So now your wondering (and so am I) Bible???

On Friday, Dan's taking his LAST of 5 ordination exams required by our denomination for ordination.   It is the Bible Content Exam.   He's been taking exams online from previous years for practice.  For fun/torture I decided to accept his invitation to try one of the 100 question exams to see how much I really know about the Bible...aaaaannnd....let's just say, without mentioning any scores....I was humbled.  My Old Testament knowledge STINKS!  So my goal is to read through the Old Testament (in my New Living Translation Bible which helps my pea brain understand things a little better) by Easter.  There, I wrote it out loud.   Now y'all can hold me accountable.  :)

Buttermilk Pancakes with Butter Syrup

All I can say is yum.  Yum. Yum. Yum.  It's just too bad that I don't have a picture of the finished product...oh that's right, it's because we inhaled the finished product!  ;)

BEST BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

via Becky Higgins, via Martha Stewart
[ Makes nine 6-inch pancakes-or 12 4-inch ones in my case ]

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 c. buttermilk

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle

Heat griddle to 375 degrees (on my electric cooktop lowish-medium). Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps. Heat oven to 175 degrees (for keeping the finished pancakes warm). Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.

Says Martha’s people: “The key to fluffy pancakes is not to overmix the batter; it should not be beaten smooth. If serving these pancakes with bacon, reserve half a teaspoon of bacon drippings to grease the griddle instead of butter.”

And the tasty syrup (or yellow syrup as my children call it)

BUTTER SYRUP

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 stick butter

1 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking soda


Melt together whipping cream, butter and sugar over low heat. Slowly increase heat until the mixture barely comes to a boil. Add vanilla & baking soda. (Be careful on this part, because the baking soda makes it foam up to almost overflowing within seconds if you don't remove from heat quickly.  I had to make a break for the sink to catch the overflow!) Turn off heat while whisking continually until ready to serve.

Reviews:
"These are the best pancakes I've ever eaten."

"Oh Mom, can you make these pancakes again and again and again?!"
*silent chewing* This is the highest compliment from our picky, squirmy little eater.

When a Man Loves a Woman

He will move a tree (twice) to center it up *just* right...so that his woman won't drive herself crazy thinking about how the tree is slightly off-center every time she looks out the window.

Thankfully, my man's fully aware and has accepted the fact that I've got issues. :)

This tree is a baby Royal Poinciana...we hope one day it will be fully grown and gloriously red like this one in full bloom :

What's for dinner?

Toes? 

 Camille enjoyed her first ever taste of babyfood tonight.  She loved it!  She is our first babe to willingly drink milk out of a bottle- and tonight-our first to lick her lips and reach for more baby food on the first try.  As daddy suggested, maybe she inherited grandpa's appetite along with those adorable dimples!

With each baby those "recommendations" at the pediatrician change.  These days, they do not recommend cereal as baby's first food.  First up for baby girl...pears!  Millie ate about one tablespoon (total) and started shivering after several bites to let us know she'd had enough. 

Big sister jumped right in with bib and a ready scooper. She's been waiting for this moment for like...five and a half months! ;)

 

Wonderfully Made

Hannah Reece has always been REAL sweet on her daddy.  For a while, she couldn't even spare a kiss for me!  "No kisses for you, Momma, only for Daddy"

Well, lately...all that has changed.  ;)  Now she is momma's girl.   I'm getting so many hugs and kisses I've got a few extras to share with her Daddy, too! 

Hannah Reece will start preschool in just a few weeks, sniffle sniffle.  Lately, when she gives me big squeezes I say..."you better not go to preschool...I might miss you way too much!"  To which she usually replies, "momma, I have to go to school, yes-I'm going!" accompanied by more giggles and kisses. 

Today, during our little hug time I said, "could you just stop growing, girl? You are growing up WAY too fast!  I need you to stay little forever and ever." To which she replied "Momma, I can't help it....Jesus is making me grow!  :)  He is making me healthy and strong and when I get bigger I can be a Mom just like YOU."   Yes, sweet girl, and you are fearfully and WONDERFULLY made!  I love you, Hannah Reece!

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.  Psalm 139:14 NIV

Happy Baby

Our Miss Millie is one happy girl.  She rarely cries...and when she does it's usually for one of three reasons-hungry, sleepy or poopy.   In this season of upheaval...this gift of an easy-going baby is a demonstration of God's grace to us!  ;)    At five months and three weeks old Camille:

• has settled into a little schedule-which has been slightly interrupted by big brother's school schedule recently.  She naps 2-3 times a day: 8ish, 11ish and 4ish.
• sleeps from 7pm-7am, waking once to nurse around 5am-even when she wakes up more often, I can't wait to go see that sweet little face smiling up at me  :)
• is usually covered in drool...she's teething (no chompers just yet!)
• searches the ground for Charly when we walk in the front door...and giggles when she spots her  :) she gets so excited when Charly walks by and kisses her toes. (yuck!)
• is immensly entertained by her brother and sister...maybe that's why she's so happy all of the time....constant entertainment!  
• gives big slobby open mouth kisses (my favorite!) and snuggy hugs 
• chatters loudly and with inflection...so opinionated...she'll fit right in  ;)
• finally found her thumb this month after 4 long months of searching
• nurses about every 3ish hours
• still happy at doctor visits (for now!) 
• scrunches her nose up when she grins  :)
• has a favorite plaything...her feet 
• is starting to endure the carseat without too many tears :)
• is a petite little thing, she wears size 3-6 months in clothing.  Brother and sister were well into 6-9 months clothing at this age.
• is content to sit in the bouncy seat or highchair for about 25 minutes while I clean up the kitchen or fold  a load of laundry....this is so helpful!  Trying to sit up on herown when reclined in the bouncy seat, so I think we'll have to retire that piece of baby gear soon.
• is super sweet on Daddy.
• learned to flip from tummy to back and back to side
• soothes herself to sleep
• enjoys hanging in the pool with Daddy 
• has a case of stranger anxiety and frets when momma's out of sight
• flashes those big blue peepers and gummy smile...melts me every time!

Worn out from all of that wild jumping ;)

Millie Grace...sweet, sweet face

memory makin'

A big first grader,

this energetic *almost* four year old,

one fuzzy-headed angel baby,

our dern mutt....er, I mean beloved lizard-wranglin' pet,

and many, many house projects

are filling our days....and nights...

time to hang on and enjoy the ride!  :)

Never Say Never

I know I shouldn't say this...but I never want to move again!!! There, I said it.  It's off my chest and lost into blog cyberspace oblivion...I feel so much better now.

We (Dan and I) have moved MANY times.  (I think I've mentioned that before.) But a move with 3 very young children and a puppy?  Yeeeaaah. 

Also to add to the mix, we arrived at the new house...realizing that the floors were much less desirable than we originally thought.  (read: very nasty)  Our plan was to remove all of the tile and carpet towards the end of the summer when traveling was finished, etc.  To sum it up...my amazing man of a husband, father-in-law, and brother-in-law tackled the job of removing carpet and lots and lots of tile in less than TWO DAYS.  They are amazing. And now we have a very dusty slab-ish floor.  Patience. 

Sooo we are extending our time at Grandma and Grandpa's house until they kick us out the floors are finished or the dust is contained...whichever comes first.  :)

I have so many wonderfully sweet pictures to share...but for now, those will have to wait. 

The last few weeks have been filled with goodbyes, hellos, tears and laughs. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to say goodbye to our friends in Charlotte.  We made a last minute decision for the kiddos and I to fly to Florida with Dan's mom early...on the day of Graham's Kindergarten graduation.  I was a teary mess!  That evening as I tucked the kiddos into bed together here at Grandma and Grandpa's house, we all just cried.  God provided lasting friendships for us and our children there in North Carolina...in such a short time.  I'm so grateful for technology and travel so that we can keep in touch.

Dan's maternal grandfather passed away almost two weeks ago...he was Dan's hero and a pillar of faith.  What a blessing to be able to enjoy the impact of his legacy of faith...even as he has gone on to heaven.  Dan is so grateful that he and Hannah Reece were able to spend time with him several weeks ago...those memories are so precious now.

It has been fun to spend more time with family and reconnect with old friends here.  Mercy, it is HOT in these parts!  We've been keeping cool in the pool.  :)

In baby news...little Miss Camille erupted into her first giggles...she's so ticklish!  :)

Oh, and I can't forget, Mom and I and the kiddos drove to Tampa to meet up with my sweet friend Amy and her four adorable kiddos.  Amy and I go WAY back...we were in the baby nursery at church together!  What a sweet time.  That's all for now...hopefully we'll have our computer set up soon so that I can post pics!

A Weekend Apart

Grandpa Yaichner is very sick.  He is in his final days here on earth...and then onto eternity with the Lord.  His life is such a blessing and a legacy left for generations to come.  Daddy has a very special relationship with his Grandpa.  The had some fun together many summers during Daddy's childhood; Grandpa calls Daddy "Duke".  Daddy and Hannah Reece traveled up to Holgate, Ohio together this weekend by car to join Grandma and Grandpa there.  I can't wait to hear their stories of the time with Grandpa and other family members. 

Graham, you are totally fascinated by Grandpa's farm.  On a trip up when you were about 2, you got to see the combines working there.  Grandma and Grandpa Yaichner always spoke about how smart and obedient you are, they are proud of you.

Hannah Reece, Daddy called this evening to tell me how much your sweetness has perked Grandpa up, even as his health is declining.  He called you his little "sweetheart" and smiles at you. You've blessed he and Grandma Yaichner in a very special way this weekend.  I believe that they can see in your zest for life a piece of the legacy they'll leave behind as they move onto the mansion God's prepared for them in glory.

Camille, Grandma and Grandpa Yaichner just loved the photos we've sent of you and I know that Daddy's told them about what a sweet, sweet girl you are.  We look forward to visiting family in Ohio as a family of five...maybe next summer.

*******************

Graham, we've really had a quiet, laid-back weekend together.  I've enjoyed playing our new board game "Armor of God" with you and visiting with you.  Tonight I even gave you a good scrubbin' in the tub...I can't even remember the last time I did that!  You're such a big boy now, you usually take showers.  You've enjoyed playing uninterrupted Mario Brothers on the Wii and building marble tracks...without having to worry about your sister coming by to level it.  :)  You told me that you like going on a "date" with me this weekend.  It's been a sweet time together.  You've enjoyed sleeping in Momma and Daddy's bed this weekend...and are excited that Grandma's riding back with Daddy and Hannah Reece.  Plus, you get to "camp-out" on the living room sofas with Daddy while she's here and sleeps in your bedroom with Hannah Reece. Can't wait for tomorrow when we're all together again.

Hannah "Maria" Reece :)

She climbs a tree and scrapes her knee

Her dress has got a tear

She waltzes on her way to Mass

And whistles on the stair

And underneath her wimple
She has curlers in her hair
I even heard her singing in the abbey
She's always late for chapel
But her penitence is real
She's always late for everything
Except for every meal
I hate to have to say it
But I very firmly feel
Maria's not an asset to the abbey
I'd like to say a word in her behalf
Maria makes me laugh
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!
Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand
Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?
When I'm with her I'm confused
Out of focus and bemused
And I never know exactly where I am
Unpredictable as weather
She's as flighty as a feather
She's a darling! She's a demon! She's a lamb!
She'd outpester any pest
Drive a hornet from its nest
She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl
She is gentle! She is wild!
She's a riddle! She's a child!
She's a headache! She's an angel!
She's a girl!
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!
Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand
Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

(song: "Maria", the Nuns)

Rainy Day Fun

We spent Memorial Day at the North Carolina Zoo with our friends, the Tuttle Family plus "Mimi" Chris' mom.  Chris and Dan spent several college summers on staff at Montreat Conference Center.  They've been friends ever since.  We consider them family.  It's been such a treat to live just a few hours away from each other while we're in N. Carolina.  We've gotten to enjoy some really fun times together. On our way to Ashboro, look what pulled onto the interstate from the Charlotte Motor Speedway...Graham was so tickled to see a NASCAR car carrier!

It was sunny and very warm when we arrived.  About an hour into our time there, a cool breeze kicked up, the clouds rolled in and it started to rain.  Not just a little.  A lot of rain.  Fortunately, we were on our way to see the chimpanzees when it started sprinkling, and there was a nice covered area there.  The kids LOVED it!  They were just running around with the chimps (who also happen to love playing in the rain)! 

These huge glass panels were all that separated "us" from "them".

Resourceful Aunt Carrie just happened to have crayons and paper, score! The kiddos enjoyed coloring in between running around in the rain.

Hannah Reece just could not help herself.  :)  She tells me she would love to paint her hair black like Gabriella Montez on High School Musical.  I haven't told her yet that there are millions of women (like her momma!) who spend way too much money trying to have hair the color of hers! 

 

The kiddos making their best chimp faces in the mirror

It was such a great day.  :)  We will really miss these dear friends.