Changing Normal

Okay, I just got done reading Missy's blog...JOSY?!?! I haven't been able to get on your blog for a while (I finally found the invitation in my yahoo mailbox, but it had expired, and I'm not on the computer much anyway...plus, that's not really my "check everyday" email anymore...)...SO, I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you, or anything...and it sounds like you're expecting?!?! How out of the loop am I?!?!

Had to get that off my chest...

Anyways, today's filled with packing for Reunion (which was already mentioned in Missy's blog) & vacation to the Smokies!! I'm so excited!! I love the mountains...and reunion...I think we're leaving pretty early tomorrow so that we can swim for a bit at our hotel. I finally found one of those floaty things, and even better, it was on clearance!! :) LOVE it when that happens!! This is the same floaty that she did so well in...next year will be the vest, though, I think...this is the first year she's been at all interested in the swimming pool for more than a minute...Our condo in the Smokies has a really neat water area, too...and the best thing is this condo place is right behind the HONKEN scrapbooking store!! LOL They have one of those water tree things...

Anyways...lots going on here...Abbey's learning to write her name!! She's kinda written it before, but I found these printable tracing papers online & am teaching her how to write her name that way. Her "A's" are really good!! She's having a hard time with the "e's" & "b's" but they're a more controlled circle-type shape, and I found these other practice line-things that should help her be able to control her curvy letters...

Sorry, you get teacher talk from a former preschool teacher!! LOL

Anyways, I've gone ahead & made lesson plans for us to follow for after we get back from vacation...when we get back, we're going to have a couple of weeks learning about farms!! :) I think we'll take a trip to a couple of different farms around here...Fulton Farms aren't very far from us, and then there's always Young's...Feed the goats, and eat some ice cream that came from the cows...

At church, we're thinking about doing something different for Christmas...I found a very cool kit from Group Publishing's website (www.group.com) that's called "A Night in Bethlehem." Instead of there being a play, it's a walk-thru experience through Bethlehem (marketplace, a Jewish family's home, and the nativity, to name a few)...It's reasonably priced, and what I love about it the most is the interaction with people & visitors that just doesn't happen with a Christmas play. Plus, there's so much more to do than act, ya know? There aren't lines to learn, but instead jobs to learn...My ultimate dream (and we'll see how this goes, and if we want to build on it next year) is to have live animals somewhere. We have so much land in the back that's just super cool & could accommodate that...but that is SO not in our budget for this year, plus it's a mess, and we'd have to do some heavy talking-into, I think, to get volunteers for that area!! LOL

Anyways, we have the go-ahead from Pastor & the Elders to order the kit & go for it!! :) I'm excited about it, because there's no rehearsals, no lines to memorize, and it offers a great environment for interpersonal communication!! :) Something our church is really trying to improve...

There is a set to build, though...but I've got an awesome resource for that!! :) Mr. Jan!! :) He's very good at building stuff like that!! :)

Okay, on to different things...

Our Women's Retreat is coming up in October...I'm getting excited about that...and so are the other ladies. Things are coming along just fine...we're just getting close, here....

I'd better get a move on...I'm working on laundry for this week/end!! :)

Love you all!! :)