More Pictures

To see ALL the 6-Flags pictures as well as ALL the June trip to TN and visit with the Roses go to dotphoto and view my albums. use curtnjennyd as the username and it should let you view more than you want!

Try this for 6-Flags show...<

Trip to the Optomitrist

Ruth is getting glasses. Today she's excited about being like Emily and Titus. She forgets that cousins Adam and Jared also wear glasses... as long as she's as cool as Emily! I hope that once they come in and she has to wear all the time she will be just as ok with the whole thing.
She's very cute right now. Of course, she was already very cute... but the lenses make her ever more so.
The doctor says that he's giving her 60-70% of what her eyes need, but because it's such a big change he didn't want to do it all at once. She needs to still be able to walk, I guess. :) I guess her official diagnosis is myopia (?) and stigmatism... enough that her whole life is blurry. Lovely, eh?! The doc said myopia, which is near-sightedness, but he also said far-sightedness and that she needs a plus lens. If anyone out there knows which one needs a plus lens that would help. :) Otherwise, I'll have to ask him agian which one he really meant. Maybe I just remember wrongly... but I doubt it. ha! I also have some sight issues. Enough to need glasses when inside working, reading, watching TV, computer, etc. Everyone else seems to be normal for the most part.
Bennett is truly color deficient. This is something I already knew, but the doc confirmed it with is little circle colored numbers. Now we can tell his teachers with certainty. He told Bennett he shouldn't be an electrician. I'm thinking bomb squad is also out. ;) My Dad is also color deficient and seems to lead a normal life so we have great hope. My only sadness is that his most favorite thing is art and he doesn't see the brilliant colors that are available. Sigh!These are some photos I found online to help illustrate what he may see. I remember as a child taking a trip to Canada to visit a family and Dad had a hard time driving because their traffic lights were turned sideways. He had to learn which direction they were turned and then drove by light location instead of color.
This helps explain why. He also said the other week while he was visiting our house that "Bennett's more colorblind than me". :) What a loving old Grandpa. Bennett's fine with it. We've never made a big deal over the whole thing.

More Flags, more fun... Six Flags!!

The two eldest earned tickets to 6-Flags during the school year by reading 6 hours within a certain time frame. We HAD to take them before school starts back. I actually had to take a day off work in order to fit it into our crazy schedule. I can't imagine what we'll be doing once Ruth and Lydia are also in school.
Bennett went last year so he was very excited about returning and was talking the whole thing up to Maggie. We drove the little two girls to Aunt Stacy's for the day. She made breakfast with eggs that Maggie claimed were "as good as Grandpa's" and that's no easy task!
Maggie seems to be much more of a daredevil than he is. Last year he didn't want to get wet or go upside down. Maggie was all about the water and probably would have gone on the coasters if we would have let her. She's still a bit too small. Maggie was VERY intent while driving the old timey cars. She didn't understand the whole "on rails" part of not having to steer even though Bennett tried to explain that she didn't have to steer and to just GO. :)
After our first trip on the Scream Machine Bennett turned around with this wonderful smile to see if Maggie had as good a time. She wasn't convinced that it was fun, but we did do it a second time. It's just so rough and not made for little people. Anyway, we opened the park at 10:30 and ended up staying way past what we planned and closed it down with the workers at 9 that night. It was a lovely day to play. They enjoyed everything we did. The $40 pizza for lunch. The $10 pretzels for supper. The water slides. The Monster Plantation! The biggest hit was the Dahlonega Mine Train and the memories it brought back for Curtis and me were fun as well. Those things have been around a while. The Scream Machine... 1972! :)
These pictures... on the Scream Machine... on the Log Flumes, now known as the Log Jamboree... and the water slide area known as Skull Island. This ended up being a big hit for the kids.


This last photo was as the minute hand was approaching 9pm. I let them take a couple trips together on the Mine Train while I took pictures.
Please be this sweet to each other forever!

P.S. At the end of the night Curtis finally convinced me I had to ride this Acrophobia ride where they take you 200 feet in the air and drop you, push you, down to the ground faster than most of your stomach and heart can fall. The kids are standing very near the bright light at the bottom. The wind was so intense it blew Bennett's cap off his head "and it was on tight" he told me. Crazy Curtis. Serves me right for actually listening to him. And I rode it twice.


My Super Heros!

Singing in the Rain...

... more like squealing and screaming in the rain. When I got home from work tonight the bottom let out and I got quite wet just running into the house. The kids also thought it might be fun to get wet and since I didn't object they grabbed cups to go collect water to drink. I told them no jackets allowed! :) Bennett decided he would rather ride his 4-wheeler though the ever growing puddles of mud and water. By the time he actually emerged with his shoes and helmet the rain had become an almost pleasant drizzle. The girls were quite drenched and proceeded to splash in the pool, which has been filled with rain water over the last 4 days of heavy storms. When they got no fatherly objection to this move, it became more splashing and jumping and sliding. I had them strip down and wrap up in towels and head to the shower, but they didn't get very far and came back to continue to swim... naked in the rain filled pool. They giggled and danced and sang "the girls in the pool go up and down, up and down..." Entertaining if nothing else. Bennett in the meantime had splashed all the water out of the biggest puddle, received several "slow down" whistles from his father, and acquired just enough mud to make him feel like a real boy! Some video footage is attached below. Since this storm had no lightening attached... we thoroughly enjoyed God's gift tonight. Good night!

Picture Addendum

After posting all the pictures in the below posts... I noticed the girls' hair was so different I needed to put a new one. Shortly after all our trips we went to get summer cuts. I took all the girls together. They all now have matching bobs on accountah the cutter lady took it upon herself to bob Maggie. Turns out it's a good look for her right now. Plus, now they all look like Kit Kittridge, the American Girl... and you know us and style! :)

Playing Catch...

As much as I would love to actually be playing catch with the kids and a ball... it's really playing catch up with the blog and the dirty dishes!
I wanted to post some more pictures since I just never have enough pictures of my family.
Mom FINALLY retired the end of June and we had a big shin-dig earlier in the month for her big moment. The girls in her office really put on a show. Curtis took tons of pictures for her since he didn't have old friends to catch up with and the rest of us were able to visit and watch Mom in all her glory.
I got to see my best friend from high school and it was just like old times... only much more interrupted and brief. I remember her husband's football number was 64. She laughed and wondered how I remembered that. How could I NOT remember it after seeing it written on everything she came into contact with in school! I also wanted to go to UGA with them and play in the band and go to football games. Sigh... to be young again! :) Zack is getting too big and too cool for photos these days. I remember his father making sure he was always posed just right before any shot could be taken. No smiles... just that "too cool for words" expression that we all laugh at these days.
My silly sister. We were just discussing how much my Maggie is like my sister. I may have to ship her off to PA one day just so she can get adequate training in blond-headedness! ha! Maggie is a dangerous combination of blondness and left-handedness. Zowee!

After her party we all went back to their house and ate like pigs. Lara had flown in from PA for the gathering so it was fun to get to see her, even if it was only a couple hours. The cousins always enjoy playing together and being at Grandpa's house only makes things better.
Here are some pictures from camp. Bennett and Maggie were off at camp and missed Grandma's retirement party. I did not tell them that and I think they are able to still exist without too much harm done. This was Maggie's first year but she was totally ready and had a great time. She was also appointed to the red Waya tribe, the same as Bennett. I think that's a good thing. By the time they don't want to be on the same team we'll be too poor to send them anyway.


They both had a good time but never come home with names of new friends. I think they have too much fun to exchange addresses... or we live in a new time. But I remember bringing home the name and address of every girl in my cabin and every boy I dared to ask with the hopes and expectations of carrying on these lifelong friendships that never lasted more than a month. Bennett even was looking back at last year's cabin photo and said "I think this boy was in my cabin again this year" but he can't remember his name and doesn't know for sure. I guess they keep them busy enough or my kids are that introverted. :) ?? This is Maggie with Caroline, another little 6 year old.
This is Ruth with Buzz. He's one of the "in charge" type people. I believe he and Chief Cash were officially called Program Directors, but I'm not positive. Buzz has been a counselor in the past. He's a pretty cool guy and got by one of our pastors to date his daughter (whose camp name is Bee - get it, Buzz and Bee!). I guess we approve. Ruth sure does!
Here a small group of the counselors. Mia, Flash, T-bone, Forrest, etc. The goofy one right in the middle with no red or blue would be Cash. She's been hanging around for a while prior to camp and is engaged to Red, another counselor. Someone said if you put Red and Cash together you get a rash! :) Oh, the humor of camp! If anyone wants to visit let me know. I'll give you a guided tour.


Here are a couple more shots from this summer.
We have had some fun times with cousins. Bennett and Micah always enjoy their time together and they NEVER get enough. He just needs to move in with us for a month and then Bennett can go to his house for a month. Then maybe they would be satisfied, as well as tired of their respective Aunt and Uncle. :) Ha!

I believe this was right after a hot, sweaty 4-wheeled excursion through the woods. They came in for refreshments and to watch the camp DVD. Bennett is trying to excite Micah in hopes for a partner for next year's camp week.


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This was one of my favorite shots of Maggie. We had a family photo shoot by a professional and if I ever get up the nerve to pay out the cash for their pictures I'll have more fun hat pictures of all the kids.
Somehow Lydia escaped all these photo downloads. I'll have to put more birthday shots on her post later. Got to go bake muffins!

Feeling retrospective...

It's Monday morning at 2am. I haven't posted in a couple weeks and still haven't put up the post-camp photos and stories. I've been busy doing other things. My sister's family came back from Tennessee and stayed a couple days. We had our family photos taken (but still can't decide what to buy). I finished the Peachtree Road Race again this year. I turned 36 and am "older than daddy" according to Maggie... which is actually true. My parents came and spent a couple days with us and spoiled the children. Curtis and I had a nice dinner out and 20 hours away from home, alone.

This particular picture of Bennett was while we were patiently waiting for Daddy to finish up in Ingles. He was popping that orange springy toy out of the spring holder and I was trying to catch it in air. It only took a few tries before we timed it just right. He thought that was just too awesome.
Lots can happen around here in just a couple of weeks. For some reason the only time I have to find pictures and stories to post always comes way after everyone else is snoring in their proper spots.
Tonight Ruthie is staying with her best friend Amelia. Bennett is sleeping on the couch for unknown reasons. I don't have to work in 4 hours! I still love to read The Pioneer Woman every day in the hopes of one day taking and editing decent pictures. I want a new lens! :) But then I got a dinner and night out instead. Hmmmm, the sushi was delish... but in the long run, the lens would have been better. .

We stayed out 'til midnight tonight playing cards with our friends. Bennett kept all the kids entertained with "pretend VBS activities" so we could finish our hand of Phase 10. I lost again. It's just not right. He also took pictures for us. He likes to keep his finger over the flash to give the shots that circe 1970 dark look to all the shots. He likes to set the kids up for particular poses... most of which are not publish-able (if that's even a word).



I also took 2 girls for check-ups this week. My friend had the room decorated for my birthday... because she's crazy silly. They even had a group happy birthday song that they made up and sang for me when we walked in the room. Crazy people we hang with. :) Both girls checked up normally. They are too similar even with 3 1/2 years between them.


Our friend Ms. Kristi poses with all the kids after the work was done...
This is all I can get accomplished before the hand hits 3am... and that's just too late to stay up! :)