it IS next year

Cubs fans everywhere are cheering excitedly. Today is opening day and THIS is our year! We won the World Series in 1908 and we will in 2008......

from dawn til dusk

Well, vacation is officially over (although my bags are STILL packed). Dale was up at dawn getting ready for a long days work. He is finishing up the side of the house- leveling, moving dirt, spreading gravel etc.. Since he moves slower these days it took until tonight to get about 3/4 of the way done. He took 3 breaks- 8 minutes for lunch, 11 minutes for dinner and 3 minutes for his shot- slacker! (just kidding). I really am so proud of him. He has done so many things (pre AND post surgery) to finish up our addition. Everything that he has done looks amazing (except picking out the bathroom chandelier- I am holding my ground on that one). We are this close to being done- then we party. Watch for your invite.....

friends

On our way home from Florida we had a 5 hour layover in Atlanta (yes I said 5 hours!) Our friends Kyle and Jenn live nearby so I asked them if they wanted to hang out with us for awhile.
Here is a short record of our history: We met Kyle when we taught at Hilton Head Christian Academy. We were new teachers the same year. I'll never forget my first impression of him. We were in new teacher orientation and he just seemed so cocky and irritating. He had previously graduated from HHCA and seemed like he "knew it all". After the first few meetings I told Dale that I thought he was kind of a jerk! HA!! After the first few weeks of school passed we were an inseparable group. What does that say about me? I was either way off on my "first impression" OR we are three peas in a pod! hmmmmm..... Jenn was dating Kyle at the time. Dale and I had not met her just yet because she did not live in the area. She later moved there and we became friends. We spent many hours together following the men to basketball games (they were both varsity coaches). Jenn is a great friend because 1. she tells it like it is 2. she is loyal 3. you can trust her and 4. she is FUN to be with! They got married and moved the the Atlanta area in January 2000. Since then we have vacationed together in Gulf Shores, they made a trip to see us, we spent a marathon-less weekend in Nashville and I came to see them when Jacob was born. It's really not enough. We have missed living by them and sharing in each other lives. We spent a few hours last night with them and it was like we had seen them the day before. They are awesome people and very special friends!

Jacob, Carsyn and Luke...



Making good use of our time in Atlanta...



Jenn, Kyle and Jacob...

our last 2 days in the sunshine state

Our last 2 days in Florida were packed full of fun. My parents came over on Tuesday. They wanted to take the kids to the Mote. Of course the kids were excited. It never gets old. Reagan has a fascination with manatees so we watched Hugh and Buffett (their resident manatees) AND she spent her money at the gift shop on ANOTHER one! It was fun. After we left the Mote we stopped at the big tooth. Yes, it's a enormous tooth down by the marina. The path along the parking lot by the marina is filled with art (I'm not sure who gets to decide it is art though- sorry Jake). My kids think the tooth is awesome! In the afternoon we went to Aunt Sarah's pool so the kids could play and shiver in the water (it was a little cool). Then that evening Dale and I left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa and went out to dinner. I really can't remember the last time we went out. Was Bush even president??? Anyway- we went to the Dry Dock Waterfront Grill. We got to sit outside on the patio and watch the pelicans fish for their dinner. I even saw a dolphin! The food was amazing! It was fun to sit, relax and talk. I had forgotten what that was like.

On Wednesday we went out to breakfast and the kids played outside. We rode bikes, soaked up some last minute sun and of course walked to the market for smoothies. It was a great vacation!





the big tooth...



Nigel and Barbara at the big tooth...

surprise!

Thursday all of the Beachy clan headed on a secret mission to Florida. We were going to surprise dad for his 65 birthday (which was a month ago). We converged at the Beachy house around 1:00- dad walked in had a conversation with mom then turned to see everyone sitting in the living room staring at him. We yelled surprise- and he definitely was! I wish I had my camera (although everyone else did). That started our 5 day adventure with the whole Beachy family (Doug's family left today). We have swam, gone to the beach, played at Grandma's, gone out to eat, attended Easter service, gone to the Mote Aquarium (of course), taken family pictures on the beach and napped! It has been fun!! Here are a few pictures.....

At Fred's pool...





Grandma Great...



Dee and Mike...



Easter egg hunt...









The beach...








We have spent lots of time at the pool...








The Mote...



Carsyn and Dale eating king crab...

six

I officially have a six year old! WOW- I know I say this every year but MAN IT GOES FAST!!! It seems like just yesterday we were bringing home our first beautiful baby girl. After 6 years she is more beautiful and add to that: smart, thoughtful, energetic and feisty! We are so proud of who she is!!!

Friday was her birthday. We had a family party that night. Adam, Erin and Micah Vaughn came over for dinner and cake-ice cream. I like making the cake for the kids parties (this time I did not wait til the LAST second). It turned out just like Carsyn wanted. :)

Carsyn said her favorite thing about the day was being first in line at school wherever the kindergarten went (funny).
Luke and Reagan didn't want to be left out of the "what was your favorite thing from the day" question so... Luke said he liked the cake and Reagan liked Micah Vaughn.



Thanks Aunty Andrea, Uncle Jim, Devan, Eli and Samuel. I LOVE my Telly the Teaching Time Clock!!!!



Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Swank for the VERY cool Spidog!



Thanks Aunty Erin, Uncle, Cori and Micah for the Webkins and the clothes!!! He is best friends with the lab Grandma and Grandpa Beachy gave me in Florida (on my special birthday shopping day!!)



Notice a hand over hers - it's her dad's. He held her hand for a long time that night....



Wednesday I took Carsyn and Max on a birthday outing to paint pottery. They had fun!

when?

It was 70 degrees here so we headed to the zoo after lunch with some friends. We had a nice time however spring is in the air. At what age do you think it is appropriate to explain about animal procreation?

"the" plate

Every year the kids school has an auction. Each class does 2 personalized gifts to sell- 1 is a pottery piece and the other is something else (it differs every year). This year Luke's 3K class made a plate. Each child placed their fingerprint on it and turned it into a monkey. Luke, of course, was the last child to participate. He did not know the lady in charge and was leary to let her put paint on his clean finger. Mrs. Heinemann, his teacher, somehow convinced him that it would be fun (she is very good with him). After finishing the fingerprint Mrs. Heinemann painted a banana in his monkey's hand. Luke said, "my monkey likes apples." The lady in charged tried to convince him that monkeys only eat bananas. He was persistent in his belief that monkeys DO in fact like apples. After a few minutes Mrs. Heinemann painted an apple in his monkey's other hand. The story of Luke's monkey spread quickly. Several people asked me, "have you heard about Luke's plate? He is SO cute!"

So of course we thought we HAD to have this plate. I was to be in Florida during the auction (it was this past Friday) and Dale did NOT want to go alone. Oh, and then there is this thing about having $$ to donate- the whole idea behind an auction. Sometimes these personalized things go for as much as $2000. WOW!!! That is not a price tag that a teacher and stay-at-home mom can afford. What to do?!? What to do?!? Well, never fear, 2 generous people donated a bunch (ha!!! get it??) of money so this plate can now hang in our kitchen...

Thank you to our loving donors!!