Finishing Something I Started

I often feel like most things I do I leave unfinished. Perhaps that has to do with the stage of life I'm in (or maybe I'm just telling myself that to make myself feel better). This weekend I finished a race--something that I'd been planning for and training for during the last few months. The River Run is a favorite of mine, and David and I got to share it with friends this year. We went to Jacksonville without kids and ran the 15K together with 15,000 other runners. I'm so thankful for the fun challenge of the race, relaxing time at home, and laughter with friends. Although the race was quite taxing to my (quickly aging) body, I feel rejuvenated by time away. Thanks Sellners for joining the adventure, Mom and Dad for hosting, and Sara and Chuck for loving my kids. I'm so grateful!

A Visit with Mims

I forgot to post these pictures of our time with Mims a few weeks ago. We had a great time at the last home basketball game and loved our hang out time. We love you, ML!

MG's Art Exhibition

On Friday, MG had an art exhibition in her classroom to celebrate the completion of their artist unit. It was really impressive to hear all that the kids had learned and to see their masterpieces. Here's a sample of some of MG's work:
Her study of Monet yielded a watercolor and a focus on lilypads-


During their study of Michelangelo, the kids painted lying on the floor underneath their tables and worked on their "frescos" like the one below.

A Kandinsky-inspired piece:

MG loved her study of Mary Cassatt and painted this piece with the following photograph as inspiration.


Ahhh--an artist's life. . . .

My Sweet Children

Snow!

We had some unexpected snow today and enjoyed a day off from the routine. This morning, the first word out of Sam's mouth was "WOWWWW!" It was so fun to experience the snow through little eyes. We even tried to make a snowman with our neighbors, but I think it ended up looking more like a snow blob with eyes, a nose, and arms. Being from the South, it was still magical!

Lost Tooth!

MG lost her first tooth tonight. She actually let me pull it out because it was hanging in her mouth--she is much braver than me! Here's a picture of her and of her note to the tooth fairy:

We had the privilege of a sweet visit with dear friends for the last few days. MG and Sam loved endless games of hide and seek, and Sam was able to win Taylor's heart again. We also got a few fun hours with Ann on Sunday. It seemed like old times, and we could definitely get used to having all of y'all back here. Leachmans-we loved our time together and have been in mourning today after your departure. We love you!