2016 Rundown

This past year marks the year of the fewest blog posts ever on the blog.  I managed to get major trips and a few quips, but it's been a bit sparse over here!  Here's a pretty decent rundown of 2016:

January

• New Years Day was spent at Dollywood with Cousins I and S, getting the most out of the season passes that Poppy and Mimi bought us!
• For her 7th birthday, New Daddy let Cutie "drive" the van in the circle around church after the parking lot emptied out.  After the communion service that night, the congregation joined hands at the front and our pastor prayed.  Sweet Presence of the Holy Spirit.  It seems like it was just a few weeks ago.
• In the middle of January, we took a quick overnight trip to White Oak Pastures and stopped by Providence Canyon State Park on the way home.  Photos
• A small circus came to the local fairgrounds, and we decided the kids could stand a little exposure to a circus.  Pony rides at intermission and was one of the highlights.  The motor bikes were cool, but loud.
• Precious celebrated her 11th birthday at the end of the month with a night at a local hotel with a couple of friends.  They enjoyed cupcakes, pizza, and the heated pool.

February
New Daddy took Precious fishing on the Hooch, and we did a lot of school.

March

• We made our first trip to Indiana since the changes took place at the Tabernacle.  We were incredibly blessed, to say the least.
• Tater and Cutie went fishing with New Daddy, and Tater jumped in the water (because he wanted to be like the Wild Kratts).  New Daddy quickly grabbed him and then took this hilarious video of Tater's explanation (3 years old).
• CC Faces of History- Precious was Ruth from the Bible, and Bubby was Maewyn Succat (aka St. Patrick)

• We spent Easter weekend with Poppy and Mimi.

April

• We took Cousins I and S to the UGA Vet School open house
• The next day, we went to the historical reenactment village at a local state park.  The girls bought historical clothing.
• We were having company one night, and I sliced a sliver of the side of my left index finger off with my brand new knife.  New Daddy and Precious finished cooking supper while I held my hand up to slow the bleeding.  Then, I had to redo all of the left hand fingerings for the Bach concerto I was accompanying at the end of the month, to leave out my index finger (yes, the important one).
• Three days later, we went on a field trip with our CC group to the Etowah Indian Mounds.
• In the middle of April, we took the three older kids to hear the Atlanta Symphony and chorus perform the Brahms Requiem.  One of the most remarkable things to me was during the baritone's solo, "Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am," an elderly member of the chorus collapsed onstage and was escorted offstage after the movement ended.
  The music was sublime.  I made the kids learn the text in German and English so they'd know what was going on (and the scriptures are just marvelous).  As we worked through it, they came to see it as a special form of torture; but they did get a decent kick out of "Wir weg" (veer veg) when it happened in the performance.  There was a premier of a neat Jewish piece by Leshnoff that was very enjoyable, as well.
• After CC ended, we took a weekend trip to Cherokee, NC and stayed at the fabulous Yogi in the Smokies Campground while the cabins were still half-price.  I spent my spare time studying piano accompaniments for the upcoming violin recital.
• We came home from Cherokee and commenced the re-flooring/re-stair railing/repainting project that was to consume the whole summer.  It was only supposed to last a few weekends... and I still haven't painted the stair risers as I type this.
• Cutie fell asleep during Bubby's outreach band concert at a nursing home.
  

May

• Our CC group had a fabulous time at a "Sleep in the Deep" at the Chattanooga Aquarium.
• We joined our previous CC group for a field trip to the Dahlonega Consolidated Gold Mine for a tour with a hilarious guide and panning for pretty rocks.
• Fabulous meetings at the Agapao Tour the weekend of New Daddy's birthday.  I surprised him with a fruit tart in the hotel room to celebrate.
• We celebrated my Grandmother R's 92nd birthday with a family reunion.  My aunt from Phoenix flew in and got to meet the adorable Cousin E.
  

June

• Snake day at Sandy Creek Nature Center
• Petting zoo at the summer library program
• Camping at Davidson River with the R family
• Painted the hallway the same color as the downstairs office before putting down flooring in the hallway.
• Father's Day- The "You are keeping us off the streets" card from Bubby left us in tears of laughter.
• Started the stair railings

July

• Bubby caught a juvenile snapping turtle while fishing with New Daddy.
• Vacation Bible School, where I was the very nonchalant director of outside games.  It was SO hot.
• We kept CC friends for 3 days while their moms went to practicum.
• Bubby went on a surprise trip to Washington DC with Aunt R and Cousins I and S.

August

• The kids became obsessed with singing rounds in the car.  Here's a video of us singing "Frere Jaques."
• A juvenile hawk tried to get a chicken, but Rosie was amazing and rescued the chicken.  We found a pile of feathers and the hawk pretending to be crazy.  Someone held Rosie back from making passes at the hawk, and I grabbed my oven mitts and with Precious' help, shook the hawk from its death grip on the mitts into the neighbor's yard across the fence.  Rosie had a small nick below one of her eyes.  The chicken was fine, though missing a few feathers and hiding in the bushes.
• We got new pillows and a rug for the living room!
• Band camp
• School started
• Floated down the Little Pee Dee
• Bubby had a hotel night with a friend and Cousin S for his 10th birthday.

September

• Long Creek Falls hiking trip (where the car did more hiking than we did)
• Lake Tugalo kayaking with the B family on my birthday
  

• Cutie went fishing with New Daddy.
• Lots of school
• Pretty much finishing (or at least arriving at a "point") the reflooring/repainting/re-stairing project

October

• Hiked the Sliding Rock trail at Tallulah Falls State Park - photos
• Played piano for a wedding
• Camping trip to the Chimney Rock area of NC before wildfires ravaged the area the next month
• Before and after this trip, we all got through the 2016 Georgia Norovirus.  And then it hit someone else... and on... until we'd all had it.

November

• Bubby's black belt test in Tae Kwon Do
• Precious started Vision Therapy.
• Fall Band Concert
• Another trip to Jeffersonville, this time with some local friends.  We visited the Big Spring Preserve.
• Thanksgiving with Grandmama R's family, then Mimi and Poppy

December

• Singing Christmas carols and playing piano duets with a new pianist friend and our CC friends at a local nursing home
• Cape San Blas trip with the B family
• Christmas at home, then on the road.  New Daddy enjoyed the Monday holiday, since Christmas was on a Sunday.
• Precious celebrated her birthday at a hotel, this time with Aunt Mo and Cousin E.  We shopped and watched the Hallmark channel and the 1949 Little Women.
• We rearranged the girls' room, and they are thrilled with the new look.  1.5 trash bags filled up with discarded stuff was probably the most significant improvement.
  
  

And... wow.

We made it!

What a year.

Thank you, Lord for Your blessings.

-->