tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49467605806424893072024-03-05T02:33:52.524-05:00Capturing Our DaysAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.comBlogger423125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-48402307083875578922015-08-31T23:07:00.000-04:002015-08-31T23:07:54.432-04:00Tennis roadtrip!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
At the very beginning of the month, Caleb had an opportunity to play in a high level tournament for boys 12s, one in which selection into the tournament is based on ranking. As you might have guessed, he was selected to play. He was quite thrilled at the opportunity, even though he knew that most of the players would be ranked higher than him. This boy loves a challenge! Anyway, at this tournament they also have doubles, and Caleb partnered up with one of the boys that he trains with back at home. We were fortunate enough to be able to take his partner Amadeus down to Miami with us in our RV, Charlie. It was a fantastic weekend of tennis and togetherness.</div>
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The boys started off with their singles matches. And unfortunately for both of them, they drew seeded players. They might not have won those first round matches, but they played pretty well. Despite the extreme heat (over 100 degrees on the court) and rain delay, Caleb easily pulled off a win in his first match in the consolation draw. He was pretty pumped. His third singles match was, again, a tough one, completely outmatched in size, but still, he played well.</div>
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After singles was finished, it was time for dubs (doubles.) Although completely unplanned (unlike lots of the girls teams), the boys managed to pull together a few coordinating outfits for their doubles matches.</div>
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You see those two big smiling faces? They belonged to the winning team in that first round of doubles. What made that victory extra sweet for Caleb was the fact that he beat the boy who cheated him in the semi-final match at the 10s state chamionships back in June. Oh, it was pretty awesome. And I have to give a big shout out to that boy's partner, who was very honest and overruled his partner's bad call in favor of Caleb and Amadeus. It was a pivotal point in the match. Playing a pro set to 8, they had been down 2-5, but they clawed their way back on top and won it 8-6! It was an incredible comeback!</div>
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Their next doubles match was against the #2 seeds and the tallest 12s doubles team ever....I'm not kidding, as the following photos will prove it. Anyway, the boys knew they were outmatched. They just wanted to get out there and play their best. They did such a great job of managing the match, even though they lost 8-1.</div>
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See what I mean about size? I bust out laughing when I downloaded my photos later. Caleb's feet don't even touch the ground, as these two on his right are nothing but legs.</div>
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This shot above demonstrates how Caleb had to hit most of his shots....well out of his strike zone and all the way back at the fence. These boys hit hard and deep.</div>
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Yep, it's hard to believe the boys on the left were playing in the 12s, but they were. lol</div>
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Anyway, it truly was a great opportunity for Caleb to play against the top 12s players in the state. It has certainly boosted his confidence in subsequent tournaments. He can hang with the best of them, and now he knows it.</div>
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Well, just this past weekend, he had the opportunity for yet another tennis roadtrip. This one took us to the heart of Gator Nation, Gainesville, FL. We got into town early so we could check out the campus before the tournament. I did managed to snap a few quick photos with my Fujifilm. So I will get those up soon.</div>
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I apologize that I have been absent from my blog for (gasp) a month. We have been busy getting back to our home schooling, in addition to dance and taking on even more tennis training. That has left me very little time for shooting or blogging. Once things settle down here in the next week or two, I hope to get back behind my camera more frequently. Anyway, thanks for still hanging around and checking in on our little tribe.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-91662147552557537532015-07-29T07:02:00.000-04:002015-07-29T07:02:00.436-04:00The big stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As I mentioned in my last post, our July was pretty busy. The weekend after camping in the Keys, Caleb was baptized at a beach baptism our church put on. </div>
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As we were getting ready to cross over the dunes, we heard a familiar voice say "Hey, wait a minute. I know that family." Turns out it was the dad of one of the boys Caleb trained with in tennis last spring. Last time we saw this family was at a local tournament last fall. So it had been a while. Anyway, we figured we would head down to the shore and see if we could find the boy, Sam.</div>
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Before meeting up with the crowd, we stopped to snap a few photos.</div>
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After singing a couple of worship songs, all the people wanting to be baptized gathered near the microphone so they could share a brief testimony for why they chose to be baptized that day.<br />
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Although he said he wasn't prepared to say something, Caleb stood up there and shared how he was saved four years ago and had decided it was time to be baptized and that he wants to continue to praise Jesus. Be.still.my.heart.</div>
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When everyone who wanted to share was finished, several lines formed leading into the ocean. Caleb got in line with his friend Sam. And those would be sweat droplets pouring down from my precious son's face...at 9am. Yes, he sweats. A lot.</div>
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Patrick and I are so proud his decision to make a public demonstration of the personal commitment to Christ he made four years ago (on Uncle Andy's birthday, as he likes to say.) Our prayer is that he continue to walk in the ways of the Lord all the days of his life. Best decision ever.</div>
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So a few days later (and perhaps several years in the making), we finally filed our paperwork with the county courthouse to have all of the dumplings foreign adoptions recognized. For those of you not familiar with this process, it's a way of giving our children Florida birth certificates, which will make their lives easier (like when they need to apply to college or obtain a marriage license). They won't have to do what I've been doing and that is presenting multiple Chinese documents every time I need to prove something on their behalf. Let me tell you. It's been a pain but one they won't have to endure, thankfully.</div>
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Well, we had the fortunate privilege of having one of Patrick's friends who is a county court judge conduct the hearing. Usually, it is done in the judge's chambers. However, he let us into the courtroom so the kids could experience it. We also had the privilege of a friend of ours from church represent us. So it was a very personal and special time. After some time in the courtroom, we did head back to the judge's chambers. And then we finally snapped a few quick photos.</div>
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After that big week, we went back to our regular summer schedule of tennis, swimming in the pool, and decluttering. And soon, that summer schedule will be changing as we prepare to start school up in early August. Caleb's day time tennis training definitely throws a wrench into my planning because the local schools don't start up for two more weeks. That means they won't start evening training until then. But although I may not like how it affects my homeschool scheduling, I sure do love our evenings together. Tennis has no "season". It's all year long, every week (and every day if you're Caleb.) So having our summer evenings free has been such a treat- late evening swims or movies....it's been lovely. This homeschooling mama is gonna be sad to see our summer end!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-62762358968990330272015-07-24T06:02:00.000-04:002015-07-24T06:02:00.468-04:00Getaway to the Keys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, I know our summer has been busy, but sheesh....I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last updated the blog. I guess it's safe to say we have had a fun-filled July. And I'm just now getting the chance to share it. </div>
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Let me back up to a few weeks ago. We had been planning a little camping getaway to the Keys with our camping friends since, oh, last summer. And well, the time finally arrived for us to hit the road. We managed to get down there late Friday morning and promptly hit the water. Well, we tried to anyway.</div>
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See all that seaweed? Well, it made it a bit of a pain to get in and out of the water. Water shoes definitely helped minimize the ick factor. But the shore is very shallow. So we had to walk quite a bit through the seaweed and then some until we finally got to water that was deep enough to relax in. It was a chore but worth it.</div>
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The kids played games back on shore too, like ring toss. And when the sun got too hot, they hung out at the restroom right across from our site. See that space below? Well, even I could stand up straight underneath. So that provided some much needed shade at times for the kids (and me too.) lol</div>
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Our campsites sat right along the shore. It was a pretty amazing view.</div>
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The second day was more of the same. When the kids weren't swimming, they were playing board games inside to stay cool. Then, of course, they couldn't wait to get back out in the water.</div>
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One of the kids managed to spot a tiny crab inside this sponge. Can you find it? (Hint, it's almost in the middle among a dark patch.)</div>
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Day three rolled around and was filled with more of the same- swimming and trying to keep cool. One of the kids decided to hunt for coconuts. She found four of them. They were such a hit! So delicious. Poor Shail, though! He was in charge of the cracking. After the third one, he called it quits. The sweat pouring off him made it look like he just took a dip in the ocean. It was that grueling. In fact, I think he rinsed off under the outdoor shower right after I snapped these photos, clothes and all!</div>
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We had a short but lovely time in the Keys with our dear friends. We always enjoy their company, no matter how brief our visits are. And boy, we're so thankful that the mosquitos and no-see-ums gave us no trouble. That was a shocker.</div>
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Well, after our trip to the Keys, we were busy celebrating Madeline's Family Day, Caleb's baptism, <i><b>aaaand</b></i> having all our dumplings foreign adoptions recognized in the state of Florida (so they can obtain Florida birth certificates.) See, I told you we were busy around these parts. So check back a little bit later for all the rest!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-85491752128457120362015-06-29T06:32:00.000-04:002015-06-29T06:32:00.252-04:00Father's Day weekend getaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
For Father's Day this year, we thought we'd get away a bit to the other side of the state in order to enjoy the fine, soft sandy beaches and calm surf. As much as Caleb enjoys playing tennis, we thought we would sign him up to play a tournament on the West coast of the state, instead of the typical tournaments he plays in the central part of the state. That led us to hitting up Sarasota. We headed over Friday evening...in a torrential downpour. At one point, we had to pull off of the highway. And when we did, Patrick remembered that he left the hose running that he was using to fill the pool back up a bit because the water level was low. We were a good hour away from home, which meant quickly texting our neighbors to see who could get over to the house to turn the hose off. Fortunately, one of them was able to help us out, and we were able to continue on our way. Once the rain let up a bit, I took my camera out to try to capture some of the scene.</div>
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We were heading west, into the sun, and a lot of the rain was behind us. So I managed to capture this rainbow in the mirror and then some of the sunset in front of us.</div>
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We finally arrived at our hotel about an hour after we originally thought we would. So we quickly settled in and climbed into bed.</div>
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Thankfully, Caleb had only one match on Saturday in the middle of the day. So that meant we could enjoy a nice, relaxing breakfast out and then head to the tennis tournament.</div>
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Although he only played one match, he had three lightning delays. That meant our plan to hit the beach afterward was a goner. On Sunday, he played in the semi-finals, and although he didn't win, he played a great match. We're so proud of him. And since his tournament finished up earlier than he was hoping, we decided we would hit the beach. And boy, are we so glad we did.</div>
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Apparently, everybody else thought that Siesta Key beach was a good idea too. We couldn't believe how crowded it was. But oh, we didn't care. The sand is so white, soft, and fine compared to the sand on the east coast. And the waves...or the lack thereof...just glorious for relaxing in the water. It was funny to see people using pool floats and noodles, but that was because the surf was so calm. Even Havi was floating on her back and swimming (though I warned her not to open her eyes under water because it might hurt.)</div>
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It was truly an awesome time. We decided that Caleb needs to play more tennis tournaments over that way. lol We absolutely loved the beach. <br />
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Anyway, we love you Baba, and we hope you enjoyed your Father's Day at the beach.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-43369848797441932462015-06-17T06:02:00.000-04:002015-06-17T06:02:00.120-04:00He did it!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Caleb had been looking forward to the Bobby Curtis Junior State Championships since, well, last year's tournament ended. lol I kid you not. He had talked about it regularly throughout the year. He was really looking forward to playing well and finishing strong, and that he did.</div>
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As I mentioned in my last post, he had an early start time on Saturday. So he left with Patrick while I hung back with the girls. Havi had a fever throughout the night. So I wasn't even sure I would be heading over. But her fever broke. So we all hopped in the car and made the drive. </div>
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For the 10 and under division, the format was short sets using green dot balls and a modified compass draw, which insures that each player will get 4-5 matches regardless of whether they win or lose. The goal is obviously to continue winning and stay in the main draw (the East). And that he did! </div>
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He won is first match against a strong, young player from South Florida. This boy's older brother won the main consolation draw last year. So he knew his little brother would be good, and he was. The girls and I arrived after the match ended. So we hung out a bit with my sister and her family and the other players as well.</div>
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Caleb's second match was much easier than the first. He even surprised himself with how easily it took it. His opponent was as nice as pie. When they shook hands at the net, he put his arm around Caleb and was genuinely happy for him. From then on, you could find him watching Caleb's matches and cheering him on. It was the sweetest.</div>
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(And this is what a compass draw format looks like- lots of consolation draws for each round of winners/losers, with the goal to stay East.) </div>
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After two wins in the main draw, it was time for Caleb to play one last match on Day 1, the Quarterfinals. He knew that this would be a tough match. His opponent was a very strong green dot player. Nerves got the best of him, and he dropped the first set. But he pulled it together in the second and took it handedly. Then he took that confidence right into the third set tiebreaker and pulled off a win! I have seen Caleb pretty happy at the net after winning matches, but I have never seen scream with such joy as he did after winning that quarterfinal. It made my heart swell. And another tennis dad that we are friends with was several courts over watching his daughter and immediately texted me (he was THAT loud) "Heart always....pulls through". And it's so true. Caleb poured every ounce of himself into that match and found a way to come back and win it. We were so proud of him.</div>
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As I mentioned in my last post, that night we headed back to our neck of the woods for Madeline's dance recital. The next morning, we all drove over to the tournament together. We had gotten word from another family that Caleb's Semi-final opponent was known for cheating. And well, Caleb learned that first hand. Ugh. I hate cheaters. Caleb did a good job getting an official after the first bad call. But unfortunately, the boy made bad calls during both sets on "pressure points" and that took momentum away from Caleb. He fought hard, and the sets were tight, but he couldn't overcome the bad calls.</div>
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The good news is that he still had one match left- a playoff match between both players that lost their Semi-final match. Caleb, again, had to play a tough, young player from South Florida. One of the boys he regularly plays with/against in Central Florida, played this boy on Day 1 and gave Caleb some good advice. Nerves were a bit of a factor, and Caleb found himself down in the first set. But he clawed his way back and took the first set in a tiebreaker! He found himself down in the second set also, but he finally managed to wear this boy down and took the second set also. That last win meant he took third place in the whole tournament (out of 32 players!)</div>
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One of Caleb's tennis friends (and his cousin Josh) came over to the tournament desk to watch Caleb receive his trophy, which is glass!</div>
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His opponent's dad shook his hand and congratulated him.</div>
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These cousins shots crack me up. Josh adores Caleb.</div>
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Although you can't see it in the shot below, the tournament desk let Caleb write his name and score for his 3rd/4th place playoff win. So that is what he's pointing to. We are so proud of him. He was the only "non-South Florida" player to make it to the Semi-final round. </div>
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After we got home, the kids had some gifts to open. We got Madeline a little marker maker kit to celebrate her dance recital.</div>
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Can you tell who was also a wee bit excited?! lol</div>
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Then Caleb opened up his gift- a painting that Bammy did of him playing tennis. It was promptly hung up in his room near his trophies. He just loves it. Thank you, Bammy! </div>
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We are so proud of him. While he would have loved to play in the finals, he was hoping to at least make it to the semi-finals of the main draw. Not only did he successfully do that, but he also won the playoff match and took third overall. The gal who gave him his trophy commented to me that day that she still remembered the <a href="http://capturingourdays.blogspot.com/2013/09/more-tennis.html" target="_blank">first tournament</a> he played at that facility. She helped to run it. She told me should couldn't believe how much he has improved since then. I told her that, at that point, he had only been playing tennis for about 6 weeks. That's it! He's made so much progress in his game in less than two years. That just goes to show you how hard he trains every day. His determination and work ethic are second to none.<br />
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Caleb, we love you and are so proud of you. Keep aiming high, precious son!<br />
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And I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to our precious peanut Havi. Today marks two years since we met her in Taiyuan. Happy Forever Family Day, Hav! Love you girl!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-38435495406889713952015-06-12T06:05:00.000-04:002015-06-12T06:05:00.546-04:00We survived last weekend...and then some!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, the title of the post says it all. We were on the go-go-go since last Thursday, when Madeline had her dress rehearsal. Caleb lucked out with a tennis lesson during the rehearsal, so it was just the girls and me. I snapped a few photos at the house before we left.</div>
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We were there a wee bit early. So I snapped a few more photos of Madeline waiting to go back with her class.</div>
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This year was the first year that we did not have general admission for the rectial; we actually had assigned seats. And I was away at a tennis tournament one weekend when I asked Patrick to go to the studio to buy tickets. Well, I had no idea when I asked him to do that that seats were assigned. Thankfully, he got to the studio "late" and purchased tickets pretty high up in the middle. My telephoto lens appreciated that. lol Honestly though....it did because even those seats were a wee bit close for shots of the whole class. So I quietly got up and sat myself in the very last row, all by myself. Score! Madeline performed both Friday night and Saturday night. Her class did a ballet number to "Love is an Open Door" from the Frozen soundtrack. It was sweet.</div>
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Since the children's program was included in the rest of the recital, they did their curtain call right before intermission. Then they were dismissed.</div>
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Saturday started early (as in dark-before-the-sun-rises early, not bright). Patrick took Caleb to his tennis tournament, and the girls and I joined them after his first match finished. His tournament will be a completely separate post because it's too much to include with this one. Suffice it to say that after three matches, we all (my sister's family included) came back to our neck of the woods for the Saturday evening performance. After the show, I had to snap a cousin photo.</div>
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I also snapped a quick photo of Madeline with her friend Jenna, who also happens to have an older brother named Caleb and is also homeschooled. Much in common?! lol</div>
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Anyway after Saturday night's show, we all headed back to the house for some food and swimming. I actually had to kick my sister out the door because Caleb had to get up early and head back to his tournament for Day #2. Still, it was a fun night filled with lots of laughter and memories in the making.</div>
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Well, Madeline, you make us so proud. You definitely love being on the stage. And we love the beautiful dancer you are becoming. Keep up the hard work! We love you!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-76325248505601679312015-05-29T06:35:00.000-04:002015-05-29T06:35:00.220-04:00Surf fishing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Bright and early on Memorial Day, Patrick convinced us all to do some surf fishing. We had hoped to beat the sunrise, but this mama was too tired from hosting Caleb's tennis buddies at the house all weekend when the boys were not playing in their tournament (which Caleb played very well in, by the way.) Anyway, we arrived as the sun was waking up, and Patrick got to work setting up the rods.</div>
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We had nothing biting for a while, but we did have a blue heron who thought he could hang around and try to steal our bait. We wouldn't let him, though, so he had to fish for food himself.</div>
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Eventually, Madeline managed to catch a catfish. Caleb's expression is hilarious in the shot below. He really didn't mind the fish.</div>
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Once Patrick managed to unhook him, we decided to toss him over to the heron instead of back into ocean. He snatched it right up. It took him a while to eat it, but he did. The kids got a kick out of that.</div>
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Then an old colleague of Patrick's spotted our family fishing while he was exercising on the beach and stopped to chat. We hadn't seen him in a few years, so it was nice to catch up.<br />
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On a photography note, I enjoyed shooting the wildlife when we were at the beach but was bummed I didn't have my telephoto lens on me. I just might have to break my personal rule of one lens only at the beach, at least when we're fishing.<br />
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Next weekend is going to be a big one for us. Madeline has her spring recital for dance, and Caleb has his tennis state championships tournament. Last year they fell on back-to-back weekends. This year we're not as fortunate. We will be doing a lot of driving back and forth because Madeline will be performing both Friday night and Saturday night, while Caleb's tournament will be Saturday and Sunday. Can you say busy? Ugh. I wish it wasn't. But we're going to do our best to get each of our kids to their siblings event because it's just that important to us. These are the biggest events of the year for them both. It just plain stinks that it happens to be the same weekend. It goes without saying that my camera will be seeing a lot of action though. I better get my memory cards and batteries ready!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-54533873951945381902015-05-19T06:07:00.000-04:002015-05-19T06:07:00.507-04:00The big 4-0<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So my sister and I had to get together to celebrate our second 20th birthdays this year. We love living a short drive from each other, which allows us to spend the day together and sometimes even longer. </div>
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Well, as I alluded to in my last post, we opted to combine our birthday/Mother's Day celebration with one of Caleb's tennis tournaments. On the Friday before our birthday, we arrived into town in the afternoon, just late enough to miss an opportunity to swim at our hotel before heading out for the evening's festivites. Instead we grabbed a few quick treats from Starbucks to nibble on back at the room.</div>
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Then Patrick and I took Deb and her crew, along with ours, to the Cirque Du Soleil show La Nuba.</div>
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The show was fantastic, such a display of creativity and strength. I certainly felt my age when I left. lol Anyway, after the show we went to a Cuban restaurant for dinner. Delicious! We stayed at a hotel off Disney property, the Marriott World Center, which had this great view of Epcot in the evening.</div>
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On Saturday, our actual birthday, Patrick took Caleb to his tennis tournament (at the facility down the street from my sister and Andy's house). But my sister and her crew headed to the hotel to hang out with us by the pool all day. Once Caleb finished up his matches, he came back to join us. I picked this hotel because of the three big pool slides, along with a splash zone. And boy, were they perfect! Even the splash zone had a slide so Havi and Josh didn't get left out. We had such a fantastic day lounging by the pool...so relaxing and fun. I actually forgot to bring my camera down to the pool. So I only have a few iPhone photos from our time swimming that I still haven't uploaded yet.</div>
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Anyway, because we spent so long at the pool, we went to dinner that night in the hotel at a casual Italian spot. Havi promptly fell asleep as soon as we sat down. Poor girl slept across two chairs but was so zonked she didn't even budge. After dinner, we asked Andy to snap a photo of the birthday girls in front of the eatery. He was standing in such funny "photographer" positions, I had a hard time keeping a straight face.</div>
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After dinner, we went back up to the room where we proceeded to sing Happy Birthday to the Twinsies and eat cake. <br />
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Having spent all day every day at the women's pro circuit tournament the week before our birthday meant I had zero time to bake us our birthday cake. Boo. But Patrick graciously picked up a cake for us at Publix, and my sister brought along the candles. So we had something to eat and blow out. Anyway, I will have to make it up to me/us soon. </div>
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On Sunday, we checked out of our hotel and headed back to the tennis tournament for Caleb's semi-final match. Although he didn't win, he played so great. And my sister and her kids actually got up extra early to come watch him play his 8am match. Yep. 8am on a Sunday. That's love.</div>
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So that about catches us up to speed here. Caleb will be playing in another tennis tournament this weekend (no surprise there). But since it's a long one, Patrick wants to go surf fishing one day...like really, REALLY early in the morning. We'll see if that plan comes to fruition.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-19810416190165179452015-05-13T06:09:00.000-04:002015-05-13T06:09:00.192-04:00Did somebody say tennis?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Last week was filled to the brim with tennis. And the reason it was so was due to the Women's USTA Pro Circuit tennis tournament that was played where Caleb trains. Consequently, this precious tennis loving boy of mine was able to be a ball kid once again. And boy did he love it. He worked four long days, only taking breaks to participate in his own privates and group lessons.</div>
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The first day's matches included two girls that also train with Caleb, as they were given Wild Card spots. Caleb really enjoyed working one of the girl's matches; it was very special for him to ball kid for her. She'll be heading off to the University of Oregon to play tennis for them next season.</div>
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The first day of main draw action saw the return of Taylor Townsend, who won both singles and doubles last year. (And that singles win earned her a Wild Card spot at the French Open, where she upset Serena Williams in the first round and eventually lost in the third.) It was a great match to watch, but a repeat was not in the cards for Taylor; she lost in the first round. </div>
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Sometimes he got to work matches alongside his friends.</div>
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Sometimes Caleb got to work alongside his coaches too because he's homeschooled and could help out earlier in the day.</div>
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The one position he was itching to do was the scoreboard. And on his last day working, he was finally able to do that for a doubles match.</div>
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After his own three hour practice (yep, you read that right), he came back to stadium court to work the doubles feature match, which included Taylor Townsend and partner Maria Sanchez. It was quite a match! Taylor and Maria won that round of doubles and, eventually, the tournament.</div>
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Someone else apparently thought Caleb made a cute ball kid and couldn't resist snapping his photo. Of course, I couldn't resist capturing the moment! lol</div>
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It was such a fantastic week of tennis. The girls were troupers. The days were long, and there were times that Madeline had had enough and wanted to go home. But overall, the girls did great. Unfortunately, we had to miss the last three rounds because we headed out of town for my birthday/Mother's Day/tennis tournament extravaganza. I'll share all about that next time!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-22056859267550049312015-04-24T06:05:00.000-04:002015-04-24T06:05:00.215-04:00Playing in the sand and surf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Most of our Saturdays are spent hanging around the tennis courts. And depending on the draws and how Caleb does, he sometimes plays on Sundays as well. Last weekend was no different. He made it to the semi-finals on Sunday but couldn't pull off a win against a higher ranked player. Not playing in the finals meant he had an earlier return home....which meant we decided to scoot on over to the beach for a little bit. We didn't stay too long, maybe an hour or so. But it was long enough for everyone to get wet and sandy and have some fun.</div>
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With the longer summer days approaching, we will surely be hitting up the beach even more.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-86319019185238994652015-04-17T08:20:00.000-04:002015-04-17T08:20:53.651-04:00Hand Camp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend, we had an opportunity for the dumplings to attend Hand Camp, an action packed weekend full of activities for children with upper limb differences. It was put together by a great group of people at <a href="http://www.handstolove.org/" target="_blank">Hands to Love</a>, an organization run by Dr. Paul and Ruthie Dell, that believes difference does not equal disability. Volunteers put together a weekend camp that allows children with upper limb differences to participate in all sorts of activities and parents to network. This year they celebrated fifteen years of Hand Camp. They have gone from 10-12 kids to over 90 kids in that time, truly amazing. Many of the kids have been attending camp for a while. And while it was our kids first year, they quickly made some friends and had a blast. </div>
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Since we found out pretty late about camp, all the cabins were booked. No problem. We hit the road in Charlie and dry camped right there at the camp. We had our own "cabin" on wheels, for which we were grateful. We arrived Friday afternoon, cut an air hose underneath the RV trying to park (fun!), checked in, and proceeded to rummage through all the goodies in our welcome bags. Since the Dells live in Gainesville (Dr. Dell is a hand surgeon at the University of Florida), there was a ton of orange and blue...and boy, did the Gator in me get a little homesick for the home of Gator Nation! lol</div>
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After check-in, we met our "family pal" Kristin and had some dinner.</div>
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Patrick ended up taking Havi back to the RV, and Kristin and I headed down to the campfire for a welcome presentation and s'mores.</div>
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Saturday was filled with activities galore. The dumplings did sessions on music and soccer while Patrick and I did small group discussions for parents. Our group leaders were AULDS (adults with upper limb differences). It was a great time of reflection and learning.</div>
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Then it was time for Caleb's favorite- archery. He shot lefty and did awesome! Madeline wasn't interested.</div>
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Then it was off to tennis. The dumplings were all looking forward to this one. After doing some basic volley and groundstroke drills, the activity pal played with Caleb. They both had a lot of fun. And just to let you know how crazy small this world is, I happened to talk to another mom who is not only living Gainesville right now, but she and her family attend the church my sister attended as a student and know the pastor and his family well! What a blessing to meet this mom! God is GOOD!</div>
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After tennis, it was time for lunch and then right back out to activities. Next up was the ropes course. Caleb and Madeline were both too intimidated to climb the course (I think it was like 50 feet high.) So they climbed around the "grotto". Even Havi got in on the action thanks to Kristin.</div>
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Havi was so little, her helmet kept slipping off her head.</div>
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After watching so many kids go up, the dumplings decided they would go up to the half way point and then come down. But unfortunately, time ran out before they had their chance.</div>
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So they headed over to art and STEM. They decorated these cute clay pots.</div>
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Then they came outside and put their handprints all over the 2015 banner.</div>
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After art/STEM, it was time to swim in the lake. The water was a little chilly, but the girls didn't mind too much. Caleb preferred to play a little badminton and volleyball (with a beach ball) with the big kids.</div>
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Because of his limited range of motion with his left arm, he tried using his right for hitting most of the shots. Any ball to his left side was hit like a tennis backhand. It was pretty cute to see...even on the volleyball court, the tennis player in him came out.</div>
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After swimming we had dinner and then a parade down to the rec hall for the evening activity.</div>
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Once down to the rec hall, the dumplings went on a hay ride. See that little head in front of Caleb along the side of the hay bed? That little munchkin really enjoyed the hayride and promptly fell asleep...face down in the hay!!! lol</div>
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Then it was time for some fun booths- cupcake decorating, face painting, photo booths and dancing. Rion Paige, who has appeared on the X Factor, also sang a song for everyone. What a sweet gal she is.</div>
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Sunday morning was time to pack up and prepare for departure. The children sang a song they all learned at music the day before. I still hear Caleb and Madeline singing it around the house.</div>
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There were also a couple of slideshows, highlighting previous years hand camps and even some photos from this year. There was also a graduation ceremony for the CITs (high schoolers), as they will have their own weekend retreat geared toward teens in the fall.</div>
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Then it was time to say goodbye. Caleb really hit it off with a boy named Sam, who happens to be 2 years and a day younger than him...also from southern China..and just a few hours drive from us. So we will definitely try to get together with him and his family.</div>
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Kristin, our family pal, was great. She is graduating from UF next month, and then she begins graduate school in Occupational Therapy. The girls really took to her. (Caleb was too busy playing with Sam and his younger brother Joey. lol) It was nice to know the girls were in good hands when out and about the camp.</div>
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We all had such an amazing time. </div>
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We're grateful to Dr. Dell for extending an invitation to us. </div>
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And we can't wait until next year!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-77159349178996642142015-04-10T06:10:00.000-04:002015-04-10T06:10:00.537-04:00A minimalist Easter celebration and why<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This year for Easter, we decided to keep things simple. As in years past, we went to church Sunday morning and had a simple dinner at home (maple glazed ham, mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach.) We also opted to dye eggs on Easter Sunday too. However, we did not do baskets for the dumplings. We've never done anything outrageous or grand on Easter, but this year we decided to scale back on the candy and chocolate, gifts, and "stuff." The girls each got a little chocolate bunny and two small chocolate squares. Caleb got a bag of gummy bears and marshmallows. They all split some peeps. That's it. And not a single one of them complained. Well, Havi did when I first told her she needed to eat breakfast before she ate her chocolate squares. But then I relented, and all was well in the world again. </div>
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Earlier in the week, the girls did an egg hunt at Patrick's work while Caleb went to tennis practice. And as such, we decided to skip the egg hunt at home. Once we got home from church, we snapped a few photos of everyone outside.</div>
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The sequence on Havi's dress was so reflective that it shimmered on Caleb's shirt. I didn't even see this until I uploaded the photos. And if you couldn't tell, that big boy of ours has decided he wants to grow out his hair. Just how long he's going to let it grow, only time will tell.</div>
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So after photos, it was time to dye eggs.</div>
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After egg dyeing, we went swimming and watched the movie Home Alone 2. I found it funny that we watched a Christmas movie at Easter. lol</div>
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Anyway, the simplicity of our Easter celebration was the result of our desire to keep our focus on the true meaning of the holiday. We wanted to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, not keep track of baskets, eggs, candy, and "stuff." </div>
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One of our goals for 2015 has been to declutter our home and our lives. We have donated a lot of stuff we no longer use in our home, and it feels great. But we're not just ridding our home of unnecessary things; We are also "decluttering" our lives, in particular our food choices and screen time. All three dumplings have been supportive of these changes as well. It's been great seeing them spend more time doing things together as well as taking an interest in their health and well being.</div>
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While we still have a way to go with decluttering our home, we're happy about the direction we are going in. We've realized the importance of living with just the things you need. That was one thing my Bubby (gramma) taught me well. But that was easy for her to do, as we had very little. These three precious kiddos of ours, however, are growing up in a very different world than the one I grew up in. Patrick and I have a greater opportunity to provide for them, making it more difficult to instill in them this same core value. The world and its influence will also try to pull them in a different direction. But our desire is for them to value togetherness over stuff. And if that is our desire for them, we need to model it for them as well. Now don't think we're going to go off the deep end and sell everything we own and live off the grid. We're not going that extreme. But...we're embracing the minimalist approach to living and are already happy with how it's working for us. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-84127036246820258772015-04-03T11:07:00.000-04:002015-04-03T11:07:11.540-04:00Bubble fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Patrick recently bought the girls some bubble guns. On the day he did, it happened to be quite stormy out. Let me just say that bubble guns and windy conditions make for a cul-de-sac full of bubbles. They had so much fun. Madeline even grabbed an old tennis racquet to swat at them.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV2uuge4v8RzCnbJskgmTcfsQ2o990eqoAWvTQr1J25xd0uSarQJ9YLygwhhmkneRQQmV6rgT3KoFFeRt8IsgXqsaf1aAqk6dRQuxif_IntkXqI-3sA7j7zCKn0g1HN68QFU7qtWQ9Bna/s1600/20150327+blog-1.jpg" /></div>
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This weekend we are keeping a low profile. Since it is Easter on Sunday, Caleb is taking the weekend off from tennis tournament play. He commented that it's going to be weird being home on a Saturday and not playing. We plan to decorate eggs. So we'll see how that goes with two very opinionated girls. lol<br />
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Anyway, Happy Easter to all my family and friends who continue to read this blog!!!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-31286852483076023892015-03-20T06:09:00.000-04:002015-03-20T06:09:00.186-04:00And the birthday celebrations continued<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Madeline's actual birthday started off early in the morning with some flowers and gifts to open.</div>
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Then it was time to head to Epcot to enjoy lunch with the princesses. </div>
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Let me tell you...it was HOT. And there isn't much shade at Epcot. So waiting outside in Norway for the royal family to be called in to the banquet hall was a test in patience. But the girls managed to toss leaves into the water, while the boys and mama snapped photos and tried to stay cool.</div>
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When we were finally called in, it was time to change the girls into their dresses. Since none of their dress up dresses were in good shape, we opted to let them wear their dresses from last Easter. Thankfully they still fit!</div>
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Before we even had time to grab appetizers from the buffet, the princesses started coming around to the tables.</div>
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They were all so sweet with the girls. It was so cute to witness. And Caleb was a trooper through it all. I think being a "Disney adult" and ordering salmon off the adult menu probably helped. lol After changing back out of their dresses, Madeline was given a birthday cupcake and card signed by all the princesses. She was tickled.</div>
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After lunch we headed over to China. We all arrived safely and with no jetlag. I wish it was that way every time we went, but we'll take what we can get. We always go to see the Reflections of China 360 movie. Caleb especially loved hearing about Marco Polo, as we studied him and his travels for school all of last year. He and Madeline also both enjoyed pointing out all the places they've been to in Beijing. It made my heart swell.</div>
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This next photo is for my friend Donna. She called me out on not paying attention to posing the dumplings when we visit <a href="http://capturingourdays.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-busy-day.html" target="_blank">Jinci Temple </a>in Taiyuan when bringing Havi home. I did better this time. ;)</div>
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Before leaving the World Showcase and heading over to Future World, the girls got their faces painted. Although Madeline is not animal lover, she picked the cat princess because she couldn't resist the glittery crown. And Havi is about all things "Frozen". So she picked the snow princess.</div>
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Since the Flower and Garden Festival was happening, we ventured over to the Butterfly exhibit.</div>
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Then it was time for mama and the older two dumplings to hang out with Nemo. Havi has just become terrified of dark enclosed spaces/rides. She will NOT go on a ride like this one. Makes me sad.</div>
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But she did enjoy all the marine life after the ride.</div>
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And this last photo was my feeble attempt at getting all three dumplings together for a shark attack. That's Caleb's baseball cap between the girls, really. Photo fail. Oh well.</div>
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We had a grand time celebrating Madeline's birthday all week long. It's hard to believe she's already seven years old. Seven! Where oh where does the time go?! Madeline, you are beautiful, smart, loving, funny, clever, loud, girly, and simply amazing. We love you so much, girl! Happy 7th Birthday!!!!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-22913419635431158752015-03-16T05:34:00.000-04:002015-03-16T05:34:00.582-04:00A camping we will go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I mentioned in my last post that we had some very special peeps making their way south for some warmth and adventure. My SIL/BIL Michele and John came down from Connecticut with my niece Lydia to help Madeline celebrate her 7th birthday. They spent a little bit of time doing some theme park thrill seeking, and then we met up with them over at Fort Wilderness. They had the pleasure of keeping Miss Peggy occupied while we stayed in Charlie. It was so much fun to have them indulge us in our camping adventures.</div>
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We arrived early Thursday afternoon (as in two weeks ago). And since the weather was warm and gorgeous, we all went swimming. Then we came back to the campsites to ride bikes, play kickball, and hang out.</div>
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After dinner, we headed over to Chip and Dale's campfire sing-a-long for some fun American folk songs and s'mores.</div>
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Friday started with rain and cooler temps, which meant swimming was out. So we did lots of lounging around the campground. The kids especially loved riding around in the golf carts. Oh my! lol Anyway, we headed down to the lake for some fun on the playground and tether ball. They might have also played in the sand a wee bit.</div>
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Then we headed over to the stables so we could see the horses. Havi was the only one small enough for the pony ride.</div>
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Then it was back to the campsites for more kickball and spectating..and maybe some ring pop sucking.</div>
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On Saturday, the weather was the same as Friday. So instead of lounging about, we decided to head over to ESPN Wide World of Sports. </div>
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We waited an eternity for the bus to arrive that would take us to Downtown Disney (via Typhoon Lagoon) and then over to the Pop Century resort...and then to Wide World of Sports. Well, we just couldn't bare the thought of waiting for another (third) bus once we got to the Pop Century resort. So we hopped into cabs. And when we arrived (over an hour later), we discovered that the Atlanta Braves were playing the Detroit Tigers in a Spring Training game. Well, since game time was in less than an hour, we decided to go. While waiting in line for tickets, Madeline decided her loose tooth had to go and promptly yanked it out. And I snapped a right-after-it-happened-still-bloody-mouth photo to prove it.</div>
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We grabbed a quick lunch before the game, and the girls pretended to take over Sports Center.</div>
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After three innings, Havi had had enough. So we walked around the grounds, with the hope of making it over to the tennis courts.</div>
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We eventually made it there. (The place is HUGE.) Anyway, Caleb thought center court was pretty cool.</div>
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And then there might have been some races in the open field next to center court.</div>
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Saturday night we had dinner at the Pioneer Hall and were thoroughly entertained by the Hoop-Dee-Doo musical dinner show. They had us laughing the whole night. If you ever decide to enjoy a dinner show at the Walt Disney World Resort, this would be the one!</div>
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Sunday was our departure day. So we loaded everything up and then had one last swim in the pool.</div>
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We had such a wonderful time camping with Michele, John, and Lydia. We're so grateful they were able to come down for such a long stay to help Madeline celebrate her birthday. She declared that this was the best birthday ever. On her actual birthday, which was the 12th, we headed back that way to enjoy lunch with the princesses in Norway at Epcot. So Part 2 of Madeline's birthday celebration is up next!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-66934211277152425032015-03-01T05:09:00.000-05:002015-03-01T05:09:00.115-05:00How she got there<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So I finally managed to borrow Caleb's phone in order to shoot another video of Havi riding her pedal bike. But before I share it, I thought I would include a few photos I snapped of Havi last fall after she just received her balance bike. I never got around to posting them because I was so busy sharing about our trip to Connecticut. But I thought now would be a good time to sneak them in...also because (maybe) I haven't picked up my camera lately. Shame on me. But thankfully, that's changing soon because we have some special visitors coming next week to help us celebrate another little dumpling's birthday.</div>
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Anyway, she had been riding her balance bike about a month when we had this impromtu shoot in the cul-de-sac. Isn't she just the cutest?</div>
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So I looked back on my computer to pull a video or two of her when she first got her balance bike (and thankfully found some.) It's the <a href="http://www.twowheelingtots.com/ridgeback-scoot-balance-bike/" target="_blank">Scoot</a> by Ridgeback, and I'm so glad we got it for her. It's built like a real bike in <b>every way,</b> except it's missing the pedals. These videos were shot when she first hopped on it.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyzLdPjw1Q5CHvbk7rvR4I2avcFHoksH8cm507ojRluzmDmmg_tFdKeAaIsFa3_frMQG-ZD-IGAqzjTD0Hllw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwwMEXceYVGcSw3TvG-YcTmza6evW-BBo-apaFpKHDLALWgjxChtdFJf_vJ5iwKwBNNuCC192SA5te5dwnhQg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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After riding her balance bike for five months, she was more than ready to move on to a pedal bike. If I were to take a photo of the bikes side-by-side, you would see why she so easily transitioned to her pedal bike, which is the <a href="http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/kids/hotrock-girls/hotrock-12-coaster-girls" target="_blank">12" Hotrock</a> by Specialized. They both have 12" wheels, highly adjustable seat heights, and wide handle bars with comfortable grips. Unlike most big box store bikes, the Hotrock's pedals are further in front, allowing a child to easily push on the pedal to gain speed. Not only that, the frame of the bike is wider and lower to the ground, offering the rider more control.</div>
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I have had several people tell me how amazed they are that Havi can ride a pedal bike at the age of 3. Sure, she's a bright little girl and a fast learner. But really, the right tools and some practice was all it took.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy347YNnma6BfF8HnGBi-FFM42b5tRz0JoM6LcM_BkRbjt-O2nPIGUtcxdfr9_HOmc5FYTF_MhRAGvwYBaZqA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Still 'lil Hav, we're really proud of you, girl!</div>
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Go get 'em!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-80353447877251533642015-02-20T06:02:00.000-05:002015-02-20T06:02:00.101-05:00She pedals!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So last week Havi decided she was going to get all "grown up" on us and start riding a pedal bike. Yep, you read that right. It all started when I accidentally tried running over her balance bike because a certain little someone left it right in the middle of the garage, and I couldn't see it when I opened it up and tried pulling in. The sound of crunching metal made me stop, of course. So I got out and surveyed the damage: twisted handle bars and back tire/brake. I managed to fix the tire and brake while Patrick repaired the handle bars all before we left for camping. Thank you Jesus. </div>
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But it got me thinking...if I couldn't fix the bike, I surely wasn't going to replace it with another balance bike. I determined that she would just have to learn how to ride Madeline's old pedal bike. Well, while we were camping, there were a handful of little pedal bikes with training wheels on them because of all the munchkins on our camping trip. And so I decided to put Havi on one of them to see how she liked pedaling. Well, it was clear she enjoyed it. So when we got home from our trip, I decided to take Madeline's little pedal bike to the shop to get air put in the tires and let Havi have a go at it. Needless to say, she took off! Little girl knew exactly what to do. In actuality, she probably could've started riding it sooner. She has shown so much control on her balance bike. But maybe I was secretly hoping to get some longevity out of the bike since it wasn't the cheapest on the market. Who knows?! lol</div>
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Anyway, the other night I snapped a few photos of the kids playing tennis in the driveway as I was getting ready to take some photos of Havi riding her bike. But then I ended up talking to a neighbor and didn't take any more photos before the sun set. Oh well.</div>
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And here's a video Caleb took of Havi right after she learned how to ride her pedal bike last week. I really need to have him get a few more videos because now she cruises up and down the street with some serious speed.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwtj5Xb9lbgXn9PubxPWa7WvJTxLrLbiVC-6M--BtZU9UGtc_XZVwd_RW__C6gFFYFN_99EB6toz8kZWHWAIg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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We are just so proud of her. </div>
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And now she can keep up with all the bigger kids on the street. She may be the youngest and smallest, but she won't be left out!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-88164118608014701932015-02-13T08:28:00.000-05:002015-02-13T08:28:27.885-05:00Did somebody say "camping?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's hard to believe it's been since last August that we went camping. Unfortunately, Patrick had a big test he needed to study for that kept us close to home at the end of last year. Add to that two failed camping attempts, and you end up itching to get out there in the fresh air and under the open sky. We usually go camping with two groups of friends. However, this time our friends Lisa and Shail invited one more family to join the fun. I kid you not when I tell you that there were <b>seventeen</b> kids to go along with the eight grown-ups. Yep, we were a pretty large and rowdy bunch! We just couldn't help it. lol</div>
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Our campsites were right next to a huge "forest" that the kids had so much fun playing in all weekend. They climbed trees and rode bikes and scooters all day.</div>
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Most of us managed to find a bike or scooter to use in order to make our way over to the petting farm. </div>
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The animals are always a hit. And we lucked out that there were several kid pygmy goats and lambs that were just two or three weeks old. The kids got to hold the kid goats, which was precious. My heart just melted at the sight.</div>
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One of our campsites was next to an empty site that the kids decided to use for games. Let's just say that didn't go over well with security. lol Oops.</div>
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Our new friends finally arrived late Friday night. So we ended up going back to the petting farm with them on Saturday. I didn't have any camera with me. So I missed shooting that outing. Then afterward we hit the pool. Yes, you read that right. Being that the lows were in the mid 40s, we didn't bring swimsuits for the dumplings. But that didn't stop them. Madeline borrowed a suit, and Caleb and Havi swam in their clothes! I, of course, didn't have a suit, and so I couldn't get in the pool with Havi. Instead, I watched her on the steps. She rather quickly remembered what to do- holding her breath, opening her eyes, and then kicking and swimming. I couldn't believe it! She had a blast swimming around the steps. And because I had to watch her closely, I couldn't snap any photos. Boo.</div>
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I did manage to pull out my camera as we were getting ready to have dinner that night and head to the rodeo.</div>
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Popcorn was a big hit with all the spectators. And I remembered to bring my 80-200mm f/2.8 for close ups of the cowboys and cowgirls.</div>
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My favorite part was watching the bull riders. Eight seconds seems like forever! lol</div>
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At one point, the kids participated in a calf catch. They tie two ribbons on the calf that the kids chase. They break them into two age groups, and now that Caleb's ten, he went with the older group.</div>
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He got pretty close in that photo above, but he didn't get a ribbon. One of the younger boys in our group, however, grabbed a ribbon in the younger age group. He won a swamp buggy ride! Not bad!<br />
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Team Ghost Riders was there with these cute monkeys riding collies!</div>
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Then it was time for the cowgirls to do some barrel racing.</div>
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After the rodeo, all the kids lined up to ride the mechanical bull. A few of the dads rode it too!</div>
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Our last morning, we had a little church service. We sang praise songs blasting from the iPad, and Patrick did a little bible study. Of course there was bible trivia and candy or chocolate was given out for correct answers. Then we all went to brunch at the restaurant. And after that we started packing up. </div>
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The fathers stayed back at the campsites (working very hard) while the mamas took the kids to the pool again. Well, first we went to play mini golf, which was a very long bike for Havi. But we were misinformed about cost and had to turn around because our pockets were empty.</div>
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That's when we hit up the pool for a second day. Once the guys were finished, it was time to head out. We had such a fantastic time. It was great to make new friends and hang out with old ones. While camping does take work on our part, we love how it pulls us out of the daily hustle and bustle of our lives and allows us to relax and just be present. We love watching the kids have so much fun, and we enjoy the fellowship we have with our friends. It's such a refreshing time. And thankfully our next camping adventure is just around the corner!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-82375849605321825312015-02-03T06:02:00.000-05:002015-02-03T06:02:00.196-05:00That roll of film that took forever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I popped this 35mm roll of Kodak Portra 400 into my Nikon F100 last June and shot the first 2/3 of it during the summer. I didn't finish it until almost Christmas. Oops. Anyway, here they are. And just like in the past, these are straight scans (from Richard Photo Lab using their Noritsu scanner) with my watermark added.<br />
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Last summer, this precious peanut often fell asleep in the hallway by our office/my sewing room.</div>
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<strike>Cupcakes</strike> Frosting for breakfast.</div>
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Chillin' at the tennis courts.</div>
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Silliness at home.</div>
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I snapped a few shots of Havi using Madeline's old pedal bike while she waited for her balance bike to arrive.</div>
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And then I snapped a few once it finally did arrive.</div>
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Then Christmas was upon us (note the tree in the background and the somewhat "winter-ish" attire)</div>
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(That's a bling-y sticker on Madeline's ear; they're not pierced yet.)</div>
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Every time I pick up my film camera and shoot, I get mad at myself for not doing it more often. It's challenging to shoot active kids for sure, and I find myself hesitating before pressing the shutter. But I love the challenge and surprise of getting my scans and prints (yes, prints!) in the mail. This art is not lost on me. I love it. I sure wish I had shot more rolls in 2014 though. I only shot 3. Boo. But I hope to shoot more this year and start learning how certain films behave. I have spent all of January trying to declutter my home and also my life. In doing so, I hope to create extra time for the things I love, including shooting film.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-8789024573352841202015-01-28T05:31:00.000-05:002015-02-02T19:31:30.533-05:00Winter sun and sand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Patrick has been wanting to take the dumplings to the beach to dig in the sand a little bit. So we finally found some time to do that the other day. We managed to get down there about an hour before sunset, which you know is a dreamy time for the photographer in me. It was very windy and bit on the chilly side. So they didn't get in the water at all.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUG8SmoRYWrTxhWaJStQEgHJu-I_QxAhP0yPP9fYmG2OXz-Wkg2eSzFdK6Oi7wQp2B311lErLufXsoQci4-LJT0TzGsr7n45l6nrEQTTe7exU_SNg86oyn7HQmzo5znsxkZtw_Y01tJ5Z/s1600/20150125+blog-1.jpg" /></div>
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There were just a few others also out enjoying the beauty at sunset. So I snapped a photo of them too. </div>
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After digging a bit, Caleb and Patrick tossed around the football.</div>
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While I love the boldness and brightness of sunsets over <a href="http://capturingourdays.blogspot.com/2012/08/oh-sun-how-i-love-thee.html">the river</a> to the west, there is something special about the dreamy, pastel sunsets over the ocean to the east. Most of the images I shot were to the north, as that was where the sky was prettiest....that is until the sun finally set, and then out of nowhere the sky to the south was full of soft, delicate pastel clouds, which I captured in the last photo.</div>
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The dumplings had such a great time digging in the sand and making castles. The boys also had a lot of fun playing catch. And me? I just loved watching them all enjoying themselves so much. We really need to say good night to the sun more often while digging our toes in the sand, right?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-25687332504485075882015-01-22T05:04:00.000-05:002015-01-22T05:04:00.105-05:00The camping trip that never was<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, tennis and the cold trumped our camping adventures last weekend. It ended up being chillier at night than we had anticipated. And since Caleb was playing in another tennis tournament, we decided to sleep back at the house. Riding bikes and scooters was about all the dumplings did at the campground during our limited time there. I think we spent more time at Bammy's site on Caleb's Birthday Eve than we did the following weekend. lol Anyway, here's some proof that we really did try to camp last weekend.</div>
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Even though it was brief, the dumplings still had fun. We're looking forward to camping with several of our friends next month. We'll have to drive a good bit to reach that campground. So there's no chance we'll skip on back home if it's cold. We'll just have to deal with it, which is fine because we'll actually be prepared for it instead of just winging it like we tried this past weekend. </div>
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Well, Bammy's visit is coming to a close. We have really enjoyed having her here. There's been lots of laughing, singing, coloring, and playing. We will surely miss her when she heads back to Connecticut.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-13351242217660635702015-01-16T06:02:00.000-05:002015-01-16T23:12:38.866-05:00The big day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
One of the beauties of homeschooling is setting our own schedule, which includes days off. So naturally, we opted for a little day time fun on Caleb's actual birthday. The plan was to do something low key because he was supposed to have tennis practice that night. So we decided to hit up a local putt putt place that also features some alligators. We thought we'd play 18 holes first and then try to feed the gators. There were some snakes and other critters on hand for viewing as well.</div>
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One hole had a cave to putt through, which was pretty cool.</div>
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We had so much fun. Everyone had some great shots, including Havi, who had no problem hitting your ball as well. lol Once we were done with putting, the dumplings each waited their turn to take a photo with a baby alligator. Havi went first. She delcared it "heavy."</div>
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After photos, they tried to feed the alligators, but since it wasn't their typical eating time, they could only convince these fish that are in the piranah family to eat up.</div>
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After finishing up with golf and the gators, we went to lunch at little Cuban restaurant. We encountered a little drama as we were getting out of our car, as we witnessed a car traveling at a good speed clip the back of a parallel parked truck and then continue on a bit. Amazingly, about 100 feet past us, passing through an intersecting at just that moment, Patrick spotted a police car. I ran up the sidewalk flailing my arms like a lunatic. Thankfully, he spotted me and stopped. Then a public works truck who also witnessed the whole thing relayed what happened to the police, and he took off to find the vehicle. What a scene!</div>
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Well, after all that, lunch was delicious. But unfortunately, much to Caleb's disappointment, his tennis practice was canceled that night due to rain. He was so bummed. He wanted me to bring cupcakes at the end of practice. So that had to wait until the following day. All of his training buddies wished him a happy birthday. And I think that made up for the delay in cupcake delivery.</div>
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So today we are headed to another tennis tournament. Bammy has really enjoyed watching Caleb and Madeline play tennis. So another tennis tournament was put on the schedule for this weekend. Thankfully there will be no rain, but it will be a bit chilly..well for us Floridians anyway. lol</div>
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Have a great weekend!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-55826308491804315292015-01-14T06:04:00.000-05:002015-01-14T06:04:00.157-05:00His Birthday Eve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I mentioned in a previous post that Bammy was down from Connecticut to help Caleb celebrate his birthday. Well, since she's down for a little while, we thought we'd put her up in some pretty nifty accommodations- our dear Peggy. We set her up at a campground at a local park in town, about 15 minutes from the house. On Caleb's Birthday Eve, we headed over to Bammy's place to help her get settled in and have some dinner and s'mores. Caleb wanted to light the charcoal.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp0Ge2qSZL9wn5cX37wU3gjubBkt86YMtA7j7MKchvt5XOdtoCIQ_NJXrjb_NKXykxEWhvM5br-KcXyw21kNMOCAgLJZy5jX_0-rlA3ilGJY3_4nR8DDzs1_Inu1kgqm37wXjgnil2Ejj/s1600/20150111+blog-3.jpg" /></div>
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Then Baba had to head back to the house for a few things we forgot (of course). So in the meantime, the dumplings played with Bammy. Caleb might have also pretended to be Santa Claus.</div>
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The meat head that I am brought my Nikon but left all my CF cards at home. Duh! But thankfully I had my Fujifilm in my bag and made do.</div>
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Havi may or may not have had a thing for the s'more sticks.</div>
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Eventually Baba made it back to the site as the sun went down. We managed to eat by candle light, which was cool. Then, although I don't think they're actually allowed in the campground, the dumplings played with some sparklers. I guess you could call us rebels.</div>
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I wished I hadn't forgotten my CF card for my Nikon because it does so much better in low light that also has a lot of movement. My Fujifilm is just slower in the dark, and my subjects have a hard time being still. Not necessarily the best combination. lol Anyway, I'm glad I was able to capture the moment the only way I could. Perspective. ;)</div>
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We had a lot of fun that night. Good thing we just might be joining Bammy later in the week.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-80876305362612101462015-01-12T07:02:00.000-05:002015-01-12T07:02:00.475-05:00Happy Double Digits!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I can't believe our precious Caleb is actually double digits!!! Where oh where did the last seven years go?!</div>
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So, as I said in my last post, this precious boy of ours declared that he would like to play in a tennis tournament the weekend before his birthday, making it difficult to try to throw him a party back at home. So we decided to let him play and that we would bring the party to the courts. We left early in the morning, and boy was it cold! (40s is cold for us Floridians.) We arrived about two hours before Caleb's first match so we could get the party bus/players' lounge set up. One of his buddies had the lone early match. So Caleb was eager to try to catch the end of it.</div>
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Patrick and Bammy set up a couple tables in front of the RV for all the food.</div>
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The cousins decided they would try to hit the ball around a bit. I'm just so glad that the kids playing matches right in front of us didn't lodge any complaints because we might have gotten a bit loud a time or two.</div>
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Then all the boys headed out for their 11am matches. A lot of them came back as winners, including the birthday boy. Then it was time to head to the party.</div>
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There was a lot of laughter, eating, and good times. There might have also been a game or two of tag thrown in there.</div>
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I ended up baking several dozen chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, as well as chocolate chip cookies and rice krispy treats. I also made my Aunt Alison's delicious Texas caviar. Patrick did a great job grilling hot dogs and hamburgers. He watched the first set of Caleb's first match and then headed back to heat up the charcoal. It worked out very well. </div>
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Then it was time to head out for the next round of matches. Caleb had to play against his buddy Charlie (the other boy in the bright green shirt above), who is a tough player. It was a really great match between them, but Caleb wasn't able to pull off a second win that day. Still, it was such a fantastic day. </div>
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After his last match, we headed back to party central to clean up and prepare for departure. We didn't want anyone to bring gifts, but he did manage a few from some friends and family. He scored some extra wide sweat bands, which he loves.</div>
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He also got a 2015 tennis calendar from Phil and Marsha, which he has already hung in his room.</div>
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His buddy Walker, who trains with him back home, gave him some fun mustaches.</div>
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And his buddy Charlie gave him a tennis shirt.</div>
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A few party attendees decided to model the mustaches for us.</div>
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Since the sun was still up, and there was one more meal to be had that day, we decided to stick around a little bit longer and hit up our favorite little Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. Phil and Marsha were able to join us again as well. Dinner was delicious, as always. I mean, how can you go wrong when everything is so fresh? And in typical fashion, when we all went to sing Happy Birthday, that little stinker Havi blew out Caleb's birthday candle!!! Madeline did it to him when he turned six, and now Havi has gone it done it when he turned ten! Little sisters!!!! Sheesh.</div>
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Anyway, what a way to spend his Birthday "Adam"! Last month, I heard a fellow blogger refer to the day before Christmas Eve as Christmas Adam (because Adam came before Eve.) And well, I think birthdays can have "Eves" and "Adams" too. I'm so grateful that Caleb has the opportunity to play so many tennis tournaments at a great facility that's a stone's throw from my sister's place (and her in-laws too.) Our family may not be large, and we may not live in the same town, but we sure try to get together as often as we can (and tennis actually helps to that end!) Speaking of my sister, we both ended up wearing very similar outfits- blue jeans, gray shirts and black jackets. Craziness!!! (And I'm kicking myself that I didn't get a photo.) Needless to say, we confused a few players and parents. lol Also, I have to give a big shout out to Patrick and Bammy for all they did to set up the party. The day would not have been possible without them.</div>
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So, welcome to the double digit club precious Caleb. </div>
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Can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for you this year!</div>
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Happy 10th Birthday, big guy!</div>
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(p.s.- And stop growing up so fast!!! Please!!!)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03179852745286335505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4946760580642489307.post-43653057959049716872015-01-09T08:12:00.000-05:002015-01-09T08:12:12.326-05:00Good Bye 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
As I look back on all the photos I took during 2014, I can't help but be grateful. Grateful for the amazing memories we made as a family. It was a busy, fun-filled year, and it was so good to us. I know most people highlight just a few things from their year, but I just can't do that. This post is very photo heavy, as I chose to share photos that reflected some of the bigger celebrations each moth.</div>
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January</div>
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We took a trip to the other coast of Florida to camp and celebrate Caleb's 9th birthday. It was great to camp on the water, explore the old fort, and relax.</div>
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February</div>
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Caleb and I attended the finals of the Delray Beach Open by The Venetian. He got to meet a lot of the players, get autographs, and take photos. On the drive home, he declared it the best day ever.</div>
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March</div>
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Michele and Lydia came down from Connecticut to help Madeline celebrate her 6th birthday at Splitsville in Downtown Disney. We had a great time bowling and putt putt golfing.</div>
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Caleb played in tennis tournaments almost every weekend, but he sure enjoyed playing at the courts down the street from Deb and Andy.</div>
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We also went camping with several friends over "Spring Break". We ALWAYS have a grand time with them, great fellowship and fun with dirt, too.</div>
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April</div>
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We managed to dye eggs before Easter and also have a little egg hunt at the house.</div>
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May</div>
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This was a very busy month for us. Caleb had his first opportunity to be a ball kid at a local pro tennis tournament. It won't be his last!</div>
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We took a boat out on the river to celebrate my birthday and Mother's Day.</div>
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We also celebrated my birthday with my sister and had fun trying to reinact an old high school photo.</div>
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Bammy also came down from Connecticut to celebrate her birthday at the end of the month.</div>
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June</div>
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I had my first roll of 35mm film developed that I shot using my SLR. Loved it!</div>
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Madeline had her Spring recital and did amazing. This girl of ours loves the stage.</div>
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We also managed to go camping at a new campground, one with a rodeo. It was such a great time. We're actually planning on returning real soon.</div>
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I also shot my second roll of film.</div>
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July</div>
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Michele and Lydia came down from Connecticut for the 4th of July/early Madeline's Family Day celebration. The kids had a blast in the water area of the hotel.</div>
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My sister threw a joint super hero birthday party for Leah and Josh. I had so much fun shooting this one!</div>
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August</div>
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We still had more camping in us, back at our local spot on the beach and still with glorious sunsets.</div>
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September</div>
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Havi finally got her balance bike, and she couldn't have been happier.</div>
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Caleb played in the State Doubles Championships for 10s and had a great time.</div>
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October</div>
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We flew up to Connecticut to help Lydia celebrate her 8th birthday. We love Connecticut in the fall!</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5wILGbfpSRTaYjGoxFtuxyym7nwk__tA6ht88RxRoxDVjPC2H2dBqxhwpgbi4YzAu_KZxtLwuzBSMwSH13yPLzfhGgtLf_xsNG9PDZpUkvr46_JFjP02EF909iJc3YSLp4sGAbcMajzA/s1600/20141005+blog-51.jpg" /></div>
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We didn't wait until the last minute to get pumpkins. Yay!</div>
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We took another boat out on Patrick's birthday. He said I couldn't be the only one getting a ride on the river for their birthday. So he fixed that. lol</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylUcxVwkWK0bMADRZDBTodx7jw_TmETkpLbklbURIx_z5kucBNeQEoCEUMTbxrKqH1qeU2PjkvtHOntvIIjjkgN1Gpl2uczjeGmEkE3-xub6t-XAWZvTohQb4sTo1b7jFkPpn7HkWTdSM/s1600/20141022+blog-14.jpg" /></div>
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Halloween saw a new costume, a repeat costume, and no costume.</div>
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November</div>
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The little peanut turned 3 and celebrated by hanging out at the tennis courts.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8xi6xFVkjk6-z23SF0tVYhU0oajn7PGk4MOEzOstLaeIA1s-JlGdnV800azz2KVIhOEBo_WdmzCMnI-CSvLgAqmt9TPQrPhDOMR9Wry9GyS_m3FEFWckNfU5smZdeT88xMxpjdMIbr3l/s1600/20141123+blog-18.jpg" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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I had to throw in this out take from our Christmas card photo session at the end of the month, as I really didn't photograph anything else.</div>
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December</div>
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I think December is busy for everyone, and we are no exception. Madeline had her winter recital and made a beautiful snowflake.</div>
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We managed to celebrate Christmas with Mickey and his friends, in addition to doing so at home.</div>
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We also had the opportunity to visit family in South Florida, ride a few rides and get some faces painted.</div>
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As I looked back at the photos I chose to share and those I chose not to, I realized that the ones I'm leaving out are the ones that reflect our every day. Before bringing Havi home from China and Caleb's tennis training taking off, I did a much better job of not only capturing our every day moments but also sharing them on the blog. It's been hard for me to find the time to post as much as I used to. And so often, those ordinary, everyday moments get edged out when something big happens that I want to share. So in 2015, I hope to do a better job of getting those simple, everyday moments back up here on the blog. And you just might see me try to slip in a few shots from recent months because I just can't help myself. lol</div>
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Well, we have a very big weekend planned. Bammy is arriving today, and on Saturday we will be heading to the tennis tournament in the party bus. We're really looking forward to celebrating Caleb's birthday in a fun and unique way. Can't wait to share all about it!</div>
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