The dark side

I don't like scary things. At all. Several years ago Michael sneaked up on me outside our town home (which wasn't in the safest neighborhood) and I believe I recall using some colorful language, informing him that if he ever did that again I'd beat the crap out of him.

I don't like scary movies. Or scary Halloween decorations. I remember praying--for years--every night that I wouldn't have bad dreams. The movie Ernest Scared Stupid scared me.


So did Hocus Pocus.


Clara appears to be a mix of both her parents. She has a sort of bizarre fascination with scary things (like wanting to see the scary Halloween decorations in Target) but gets scared very easily.


So when it came time to carve our pumpkin, I asked her what kind of face our pumpkin should have--happy, surprised, or scary. To my dismay, she told me she wanted scary. "Are you sure?" I asked her several times. "Yes," she confidently replied.


Michael loves Halloween and especially enjoys making scary faces and "bwah ha ha" sounds to Clara. This is a side shot of one of Michael's freaky faces. Apparently Clara is just amused.

I'm afraid she has gone over to the dark side of Halloween.



Fortunately, she wanted to be a queen for Halloween (same costume as last year--excellent). As long as that keeps up and no zombie costumes are requested in the near future, I can handle the scary jack-o-lanterns.

I think.

Can't get enough . . .

. . . of visits from family.

We enjoyed a great weekend with Michael's brother, Caleb, his wife, Shannyn, and their two fabulous kids. Saturday morning began with two cousin sous-chefs helping me make English muffins.


Then we (i.e. the dads and children) played outside in the front yard with a giant ball.

And subsequently got it stuck in a neighbor's very tall pine tree.


This then led my husband to climb on our roof to hit it down with a soccer ball, making me wish we had expedited our disability insurance application. Despite excellent aim by both Michael and Caleb (and after getting the soccer ball also lodged in the tree on two occasions), the ball remained happily perched in the tree.


All gloom and doom was finally put to an end when genius Clark found a handy pine cone, apparently just the right instrument for his dad to dislodge a large plastic ball.

It was all very intense. And yet quite satisfying.


And then because it's one of our favorite places, we went down to the Savannah River. Michael loves putting his feet in the water.


So does his daughter. His paranoid wife, on the other hand, with visions of a child plopping into the current, kept her flip-flops on and tried to keep her blood pressure down.


Clara's cousins Jane and Clark enjoyed the cool water along with their parents, too.


I definitely can't get enough of this pair.


Or days with lovely weather and few mosquitoes.


And who could possibly get their fill of this cutie pie with a dimple in her right cheek?

Not us, that's for sure.

Family. Isn't it about . . . time?

I am starting to feel this great urge to see and spend time with all of our Georgia family because we will be moving in two short months. I was thrilled when my sister-in-law came to stay with us for a few days with her two stinkin' cute kids.

We went to the Savannah River for some photo attempts. My go-go gadget arms would have been useful in getting Adam in for some shots, but alas, they were in the shop. But hey, I got a few while he was entranced by throwing rocks into the river. Man, that kid has a good arm.


He knows he's a stud.


Tabitha's beautiful baby girl, Hannah, isn't quite old enough to sit up yet, so we had some hilarious moments trying to catch her before she plopped over.


We also wanted to act domestic and tried our hand at making bagels. After broiling, boiling, and baking, I realized why a bag of six bagels costs twice as much as a loaf of bread.


Good thing the result was pretty terrific.


Then Clara and I got to spend time with my brother Clay, and his wife, Amie while Michael traveled to the Big Easy for a conference. The pumpkin patch was a highlight, and I especially enjoyed talking Amie's ear off the whole 24-hour visit. I'm sure my need for adult girl talk was not evident in the least.


Our chosen prize.


My brother and his gorgeous wife and kids.


Fun times.


Clara had a fun time playing with her cousin, Faith. I can't think about the fact that we'll be living nine hours away from all of these folks. I am just hoping that the beauty of our future destination in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia will entice our friends and family to come visit us.

Often.

Camping the awesomely lazy way

Take your own backyard.

Add a some of this nice fellow and kid . . .

And a whole lot of this . . .

And a lazy, I mean, efficient, gasoline- and daylight-conscious, mother . . .

. . . to create a happy memory for a five-year-old.

Plus a pumpkin thrown in the corner for good measure.