Snow and Ice(ing)

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Noahism of the Day






There is a tradition at the kids' elementary school to create Dicken's inspired snow villages. Rachel made a beautiful inn she called "The Out Inn" when she was in 5th grade:


While sitting at the table Noah lamented that he couldn't use this box design that he created on Sunday for his snow village:
Noah said, "I guess they wouldn't want a Fusion Reactor Core Generator at School."



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Haley's 13th birthday

Rachel was invited to Haley's birthday party held at an awesome place in Senoia called Cutie Pies and Cakery;


The girls decorating their cake boxes. Each girl iced and decorated their own cakes:





Rachel loves to design with circles and the color blue:














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These are photos from the day before Thanksgiving when the girls baked and decorated cupcakes:









Here is a mash up of two of my favorite pics of the cousins:


Off in a little bit to take photos of this year's snow village.

Let's Get Together...Yea, Yea, Yea!

Spring has sprung and an opportunity to get together with aunts and cousins. Michael and I took the kids down to my dad and Alice's house for Easter. Saturday, the girls helped me bake and decorate a cake for my sister, Tracy's, birthday, the kids hunted eggs, and my dad grilled hamburgers and hotdogs on the Big Green Egg.


Here are Rachel and Haley's toes after a spring inspired pedicure:


Haley and Rachel made and decorated cupcakes for Easter:

They also decorated some hard boiled eggs:

Rachel and Haley hanging out:


Rachel and Haley help me make fondant decorations for Tracy's birthday cake:
Me coloring some fondant:

Rachel and Haley cut fondant to make decorative spheres:

Here are some fondant flowers drying:

Here is the strawberry and devil's food cake frosted with chocolate:

Here is Tracy's birthday cake:





Michael blows bubbles waiting for the kids to start hunting eggs:

Michael snuggles up to my dad:

Dad, you aren't uncomfortable...are you?


Aaron isn't hunting eggs, so he poses with a plate of chili. Noah, Haley, Rachel, Eve, and Tyler are ready to go:
Aaron gets whacked with a confetti egg:




Haley:




Rachel runs away from Aaron:



Tracy and Tyler with the cake:


Dig in:


Happy, slightly early, Birthday, Tracy! Happy Easter, everyone!

Birthday Pics...

Michael helps the kids put on helmets:

The guide puts Eve on Moose (the horse):

Rachel climbs onto Dallas:
Noah and is funny horse, Bandit:

Aaron and Scout:
Michael on Wishes (my horse, Ranger, is in the background):



A cool Golden Garden spider at the stable office:
No birthday is complete without an opportunity to get your picture with the:



Eve says we are silly...because it is just a port-o-potty.

Michael and Noah on the 4-wheeler in Pine Mountain:

Michael with Rachel:
Noah prefers the pile of sand:
Haley and Rachel taught Aaron how to drive the "mule":
Rachel and Aaron with cousin Haley:

A cool gift from Aunt Katherine:
Rachel and Haley mugging for the camera:
Granny Alice found a yummy cake at the store:

Cousin Tyler and Aunt Tracy:

Aunt Katherine takes a spin:
My sisters using sticks to take down huge spider webs in our path...not always successfully. We were all laughing at how goofy we knew we looked. The other benefit of trapsing through the woods is taking a bunch of chiggers home...NICE! (right, Katherine!) My sisters are so funny. I really like hanging out with them!


We never did find the old cemetery we were looking for...maybe next time...and a quart of some banned chemical that keeps chiggers off!

:::::::::::::::::::Kudos:::::::

I'll upload some photos from Granny and Grampa Towhey's later. Grampa already has a fantastic blog about the birthday. He also blogged about Denny and his 30 years with the DeKalb Services Center for the handicapped. Denny was NOT thrilled with the attention, but everyone did a wonderful job. The Eagle Scout projects at the school are so needed and look great.

Yeah to mom and Jim for giving blood, too!

:::::::::::::::::::A Noah Moment:::::::

First thing this morning Aaron checked his email and called up, "Hey look, I got 12 emails, Dude!"

To whit Noah replied, "They're probably filing complaints against you!"

Take care!