Are you ready for some football?

Rachel geared up this week for her first football games she was going to get to be a "real" cheerleader. Of course we had to take some pictures before the game at home. What a little ham.

The team did a little practice before they went out on the field. Rachel's school name is St. Johns Christian Academy. The nice part of being on the team is she is having fun and there are several classmates on the team. Her group is for 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. 

On the field ready to start.

Rachel is on the far right in the front row.

Here is a video of the two cheers the team did during pre-game. This week her group will do half time. Her team trades back and forth with the younger Pom- Pom group.

Our Anniversary Trip

I know this is late but I wanted to get school pictures posted. Philip took me away for our anniversary which was July 18th. We were celebrating our 19th year together. He told me we were going away but would not tell me where. He likes to surprise me. We ended up in Savannah, Ga. We went walking down along the river and saw these old buildings. We thought this was neat to see how old and worn this building looked.

We learned that these bridges were used for people to stand on and watch cotton shipments go underneath and then the buys could bid on the loads they wanted loaded onto their ship.

We drove past the Lady and Sons restaurant ( Paula Dean's) we did not go but we saw that the list was full. We are told the food is very good.

This is an old ice cream place called Leopold's  and is very famous we are they make all their own ice cream in store and it was very good!!!

Rachel had tried shoefly  pie up in PA when we were there and I had promised her I would buy her a whoopie pie and then I forgot. When we got home we decided to make our own and I think she enjoyed that more and way.

Back to School Time

We started a tradition a few years ago when I was homeschooling Rachel of taking her out for breakfast the Saturday before school started. We have been keeping that tradition the past few years even though she goes to school away from home now. This is a picture of Rachel and her friend Gracie who spent the night Friday at her back to school breakfast. She decided she wanted to go to Denny's this year.

Grandma and Grandpa went along to enjoy the food and fellowship.

Rachel wanted to invite a family friend of ours ( and Daddy's boss) Miss Bambi along to enjoy the fun.

This week started with Rachel having cheer leading camp Monday and Tuesday. This is her first time cheering and she is excited. I will post some pictures of her in her uniform and from some games.

Thursday was the first day of school. Rachel started a new school (St. John's Christian Academy) and is now in the fourth grade. She loves her teacher Mrs. Barnes and has made several friends already!   

Summer fun 2

While we were in Hagerstown we did some historical sightseeing . This is the house of Johnathan Hager  the founder of Hagerstown.  We took the tour and found out many interesting things. One thing I learned was that the number one cause of death for a colonial women was her skirt catching fire. I thought it would be child birth or sickness. Who knew?

We walked around city park and took some pictures too.

Rachel enjoyed getting to meet Benny for the first time. Benny is Uncle Big Tim and Aunt Tania's puppy. He was about six months old in these pictures. He is so sweet and loving. He will lick you to death.

Rachel always loves to play in the creek down on my great grandparents farm. She likes to try to catch crayfish, skippers or minnows. This time Benny played in there with her and both were muddy and wet by the end of the evening.

Chick-Fil-A had cow appreciation day and so Rachel dressed up as a cow so she could get a free lunch. She had a good time and enjoyed the free food.

The other day I was mowing the yard and all the sudden I saw two claws trying to pinch the mower tires. I had this little guy in our yard. I thought it was a scorpion but my neighbor told me it was a crayfish. I was also told that scorpions can grow to be this big.I didn't think it would live outside of the  water  but he can for awhile. Always something going on at our house.

Summer Fun 1

We have been on the go so much I have not had a chance to update my blog. Rachel and I missed the last two days of school in order to drive to Maryland to see my niece graduate from high school. Isn't she so pretty and what a sweetheart.

Taylor posing with my parents.  When all the celebrating was done Rachel, Mom and I went to see good friends ( my former youth pastor and his wife and extended family) of ours in Bethlehem, PA. We were only going to stay an hour or so and ended up staying  6. We had such a great time I forgot to take a picture of them.

We drove to Reading, PA and spent the night and then drove over to Lancaster(Amish country) Rachel was not real thrilled at first but then had a wonderful time. We stopped and took a buggie ride, went to a pretzel factory did a little shopping and a lot of looking.

I love this picture of a man plowing his field using horses. I wish we had a little slower life like the Amish. The flower gardens had little or no weeds and I loved seeing the wash hanging outside to dry.

We stopped at the Choo Choo Barn to see the huge model train display. Rachel loved getting her picture taken in this train. Many years ago Tim, Dwight and I had our picture taken in a very similar train.

Rachel made two cards while up at Grandma Leathers. She came up with these designs on her own. She also sold her first nine cards while in Maryland. Way to go Rachel!!!

Chicken Humor

Rachel and I were reading her Ranger Rick magazine. These are in honor of Mike who always loved Rachel's chicken jokes. Hope you find a little humor in them.


Here goes:
q.How do chickens keep in shape ?

a. They do lots of eggs-ercises.


q. Why could't the hen find her eggs?

a. She had mislaid them.


q. What did the little chick say to the big chick?

a.  "Peck on someone your own size."


q. Why did the chicken cross the basketball court?

a. The referee called, "Fowl!"


q. What game do chicks play with their moms?

a. Peck-a-boo.


q. Is chicken soap good for you?

a. Not if you're the chicken.

SPRING IS HERE!!!

Thankfully spring is here and I took some pictures to show you how spring looks in Moncks Corner. These are about two weeks old so add a little height to them.These are my impatience on the back porch. I love these flowers just wish I could get the variegated kind down here.

My dailies are coming up. These were given to me by the teacher I work with last year. I can't wait to see them bloom this year.

Our new favorite bush in our family is the knock out roses. This is the first one to bloom and it is right at my  back porch.

I have to show off Rachel's latest card. It was for Pastor Al' s birthday March 15th.

I planted these last spring and they are beautiful this year.

We already found a bird egg shell on the ground. We found the whole egg at about this spot last year.

I love these trees. I don't know what they are but they are blooming everywhere.

One of my favorite signs of spring, daffodils. I pass these on the way to school each day. One sign I should have taken a picture of was the yellow pollen on my car.I hope spring has come where you live. I love having the windows open and working in the yard.

Can You Say Way Behind And Busy?

Sorry I have not posted in a while I have been substituting a lot at school and trying to keep up with everything else.I have done some traveling too.  The picture above was the sky Rachel and I have been enjoying on the way to school. It really makes you sort of want to go to work.

Rachel has been working on her card making skills. The sympathy card was for her teacher when her mother pasted away suddenly. The thank you  was for some gifts she got for Christmas.

Rachel and Miss Sharon (our pastor's wife) at our church Super Bowl party.

For valentines day I got up and made Philip heart shaped eggs. The hard part was getting all the egg off the cookie cutter.

Rachel's flowers for valentine's day from her Aunt Lizzie, Aunt Kathy and Uncle Paul.

Rachel made heart shaped meatballs, jello and these cookies as part of her dinner for her Daddy for Valentine's Day. My gift from Philip was a getaway. We left Feb 18th for a five day cruise from Charleston. What a surprise!  We really relaxed and just enjoyed being together.

This was a model of the ship we where on made out of Legos. Even the waves were Legos.

Our ship when we were in Freeport, Bahamas. This was Carnival Fantasy. Thanks for a great getaway Honey!

A picture of Philip and me taken on the cruise.

Christmas Eve

I am so sorry it is taking forever to post these. It has been crazy here. These are  pictures from Christmas Eve. Tania trying on her apron.

Aunt Tania always makes sure Rachel gets new purses. This time it had a gift certificate for The Dollar Tree. Rachel loves to go there. I think she may use it for some spring stuff for her garden or outside playing.

Taylor opening her apron from Rachel. Note to self : We need to start Christmas presents earlier this year.

John, Taylor's boyfriend came along to celebrate with us. ( Don't worry by now he knows we are all crazy.)

Grandma, Tania and Taylor all trying on the aprons that Rachel made for them. Rachel was so excited to see them all wear them.

We saw more snow at Grandma and Grandpa Knepper's house. As you can tell it wasn't much but Rachel was still dieing to get out into it.

Rachel trying to make a snow ball or snowman but the snow was just to dry. We also got together at Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Dick's house to play some games on New Years Eve. We had a good time.