One week is ok...

Bethany and Daniel went to a day camp this past week (and had a blast, I might add). They came home every night and left early each morning. Mom and I enjoyed having a calm peaceful house all week! We got some projects done, watched Pride and Prejudice (and loved it!), and Mom also got her wisdom teeth out on Wednesday. That kinda put a damper on the week; she's feeling somewhat better, though it stills hurts. Anyway, with all the other kids being gone, I almost felt like an only child this week! Being used to having several other siblings, it felt really weird! At first I enjoyed the peace and quiet, but after a while, it just didn't seem right! =) One week as an "only child" is ok, but I'll keep my siblings, thank you!

I think Dad feels the same way about having dogs... one week is ok. =) We are dog-sitting two beagle-mixes for some friends of our this week! We kids are having fun with them! And they are so cute!!

Annabelle

Sargent on the left, Annabelle in the dog box

Our corn is doing magnificently! The first that we planted is almost ready to pick, and there are actually four ears on some stalks!! It's incredible (that's actually the kind of corn it is too)! =) It should be ready next week.

the second corn crop we planted is beginning to tassel (you can see it on the far left)

We picked some for lunch tomorrow, but it will be better next week. Also have zucchini coming out our ears!

Fort Fisher, Wilmington, NC

Yesterday we went on a homeschool field trip to Fort Fisher in Wilmington, NC.  It was about a three hour drive, but we were all able to meet at the church and divide up in different cars so that we could ride with our friends. Made the trip much more enjoyable! 

THE FERRY


We took a ferry ride over the Cape Fear River to Pleasure Island, where the fort was located. Most of us kids had never been on a ferry. The water was beautiful, and we all enjoyed the ride, though the wind was blowing rather hard and it was useless to try to keep your hair in place for all the pictures we took!

the ferry boat

Bethany and Lauren Hutchins

Daniel and his buddy, Caleb Hoyle

Leah Greene, Elaina Hutchins, and Bethany

Amber Hoyle, Megan Moore, and I

Feeding the seagulls...

Cowboy Dan

Daniel and Mom

All of us girls, waiting to have lunch

THE FORT




The love of history in me demands that I give a little history of Fort Fisher. =)
For those of you who had never heard of Fort Fisher, shame on you! Well, actually, I had never heard of it either... Ahem! Moving right along...
Fort Fisher was the last port to remain open to Confederate blockade runners during the Civil War, and wasn't captured by Federal troops until January of 1865. Wilmington, the port protected by the fort, was the last remaining supply route open to Robert E Lee's Army. When Fort Fisher fell after a massive Federal amphibious assault on January 15, 1865, its defeat helped seal the fate of the Confederacy, and, of course, the war ended only a few months later.
The fort wasn't like one you might think of. It was actually two lines of giant mounds of sand placed in the shape of an L. Between each mound was a dip where a cannon was placed, and inside each mound was a room used as a boomproof or powder magazine.

The design of Fort Fisher

THE TOUR

On Shepherd's Battery...

At Battery Buchanan...

Battery Buchanan was right by the coast so we were able to go down on the beach and splash around a little.

Amber and I

Mom and Dad

Elaina and Bethany

The water was nice and warm. Thankfully the weather was also nice and not too warm!

Bethany

Daniel

LBC Homeschool Group

So this is our reward for finishing school?!

This was our first full week of summer break, and Monday we began spring cleaning (well, I guess it's really summer cleaning), tackling one room at a time, washing windows...

 dusting ceiling fans and around the top of the walls and corners...

 wiping down end tables and furniture legs...

 beating the rugs... (great job for Daniel!! =))

btw, in case your wondering about the sweatshirt... we had a wonderful week of cool weather this week! It's warming up again now, but it was so nice!! Daniel, pathetic southerner that he is, was complaining about the cold!!

 vacuuming the floors, furniture, and in corners behind and under furniture where dust likes to collect..

 wiping trim, and mopping...

 and cleaning bedrooms... and bathrooms... (yeah).

Work, work, work! =D  Ok, so Mom isn't that much of a slave driver... we took today off and went shopping!! Like, all day. Like, shop till you drop. Literally. =D We had a lot of fun though, probably spent too much money, but, hey, we don't get to go shopping that often. And Dad was kind enough to keep Daniel, so it was just girls day! For us anyway. 'Boy's day' for Dad and Daniel. =D  Bonding time! (lol) We haven't quite finished cleaning through the whole house. Still have the kitchen to tackle (that'll be fun). But we're planning on doing that Monday. Tomorrow we are going to do some sewing! Mom got material at JoAnne Fabrics and we are going to make some culottes! So, we've had plenty of reward for our labor this week! And right now (it's Friday, you know =)), we're all going to sit down, watch a movie, and eat popcorn!!

Duck-sized Chicken Egg

Daniel's favorite hen, Abigail--pardon me, it's Rowena now. Beth and Daniel changed it since they named the rooster Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe--is the most faithful hen we have. She lays every day with few exceptions has laid two double-yokers. This second one is almost as big as a duck egg!

Abigail's Rowena's egg compared with a regular egg

it hardly fits in the carton!

Can you guess?

Ok, I won't make any of you guess how old young Mom is! You might embarrass yourself... or her... =) (Reminds me of Carter on Hogan's Heroes! Klink: How old do you think I am? Carter: Ummm... fifty-nine? Klink: He's ten years off!! Carter: You're sixty-nine, sir! I never would have believed it! Newkirk, can you believe he's sixty-nine!) All the Hogan's Heroes fans know what I'm talking about! Love that scene! =D

Yesterday was Mom's forty-first birthday. I know, she doesn't look that old! (earning brownie points here!) =D  Beth and I made breakfast and supper. I didn't make lunch cause I was working. It wasn't a very good day for trying to keep mom from doing any work. She needed to make bread and do laundry, and I was housecleaning all morning. Oh, well. It's nigh unto impossible to keep her from doing something anyway. But she had Beth to help her.

It's tradition to have your favorite meal on your b-day. However, Mom always says that her favorite meal is one that she doesn't have to cook! (which I really don't understand since I love to cook... which she does too, but I guess when you do it every day all you adult life it's nice to have a day off). So, she had some chicken thawed out so I made sweet-and-gooey chicken, with rice and sauted snow peas. And a few leftover deviled eggs. And broccoli salad. Anyway... Beth and I also made peanut butter pie for dessert! Then later that evening we ate popcorn and watch a Zorro!

Make a wish!

No, we didn't use any trick candles! (Haha, they did that to Klink too!! lol)

 Opening her gifts...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!