Papa's Day and such

Sittin' on top of the world

Unfortunately, Ben had to work on Father's day. We made up for it by making him quite a feast for dinner. Since E and I aren't much of meat-eaters, it isn't cooked very often. But for Ben's special day we made him cube steak (from the cow he bought - but that's another story), mashed potatoes, lima beans, and corn. I real country dinner. I figure anytime he gets meat, he's happy. Then we made him traditional chocolate chip cookies. He hates when I try to make them healthy or add nuts. He wants them plain and simple. Esther enjoyed 'helping' me bake them and especially eating them. This was a real treat since she doesn't eat sugar often and shouldn't eat cookies with butter (dairy sensitivity).

Yum!

Oh, Cookie, how I love thee!

She painted Papa a picture, which is hanging on the fridge now.

In other news, we've had a busy week getting ready for our trip. We leave tomorrow for a week of traveling to visit friends and family (Bowdon, GA; Picayune, MS; Bush, LA; Gulfport, MS; and back again). We google-mapped it, and it will be just over 1,100 by the end. Whew!

We bought a Kelty backpack carrier for Esther of eBay and also received a great new activity center. She LOVES playing in the box, coloring on it, and watching the cats sleep in it.

And lastly, here is a picture of a plant hanger I crocheted during naptime this week. Our sister-in-law gave us this beautiful plant and it needed a home up high. The pattern went a little wonky, but I think it turned out okay.

We're out of here for a week. Many pictures and stories to come...

Blueberry Festival and Baby Colt

Well, the Blueberry Festival in Alma was somewhat of a bust, but the weekend overall was good. We knew Alma was small and that it would be a local, small-town festival, but it was REALLY small-town. There were very few handmade crafts and most everything had a confederate flag on it. We managed to get Esther a Blueberry Festival t-shirt and stuffed blueberry, which she loves. It was also another great opportunity for her to wear the berry dress we made.
We bought a few pints of blueberries, then headed to Valdosta to see our new nephew. Baby Colt is a few weeks old and is the sweetest thing. He was born a month early, but is a tough little guy and is doing great! Esther loved checking up on him and visiting with Uncle Boo Boo and Aunt Courtney. She enjoyed walking around the farm and 'mooing' at the cows.

And, we've started having some success in poddy training. I just couldn't resist posting this pic.

Lastly, I uploaded a video of Esther dancing at the Packway Handle Band show I mentioned last post. We couldn't get a shot of her from the front because she would run over to dance with us. It it is fun none the less.
She's been very demanding this week about having music (munic, as she would say) on at all times. Then she'll stand in her chair or on the couch and dance around. It's quite funny!

Packway Handle Band at Ashford Manor

Packway Handle Band - traditional bluegrass

Cora (Our friend from the Botanical Garden), Ben, Esther, and I went to hear some bluegrass Monday night. Packway Handle Band is one of our favorite local bands. They played at a local Bed and Breakfast that was just beautiful. We danced the night away. Esther was not content to sit on our blanket. She had to be right in front of the stage (or trying to climb up on stage - a groupie already)!

Dancing with Papa - her favorite!

Twirl Girl

Our girl's got some moves!

Dancin' with Mama

We had so much fun. We're glad that Esther has our same love for music and the need to shake her groove thang!

What a week it has been!

Indeed! But we got through it and there are many blessings.
Last weekend, Ben and I stole away for an adult-only weekend at Asheville Music Jamboree. It was beautiful venue and we really enjoyed the time we were there. (Here's one of the few pics we got while there).

On Saturday around 5pm we were laying down for a quick rest to gear up for the night's festivities when I received an URGENT text message from my brother. We didn't have any phone service deep in the woods, so my heart jumped. It read, "URGENT. Mom broke her leg. Dad freaking out. Come home now!" Needless to say, we packed up with superman speed and got out to the trolley to take us to our car. I was lucky to get a ATV to take me down to the road, then I ran down the road until I found a nice man who was able to take me to a phone (he lived on the property). I called home and got the story...Mom, Esther and Dad were at the playground. Mom stepped off a piece of equipment wrong and sprained her ankle and broke the other leg in two places. Luckily, my brother and sister-in-law were able to come rescue Esther. Dad is wonderful (love you), but taking care of wee ones isn't his gift. I later listened to his 8 phone messages and heard his terror!
So we made it home in a few hours and all was well. Mom has a high pain tolerance and a wonderful attitude. She had surgery on Wednesday and got a plate, 6 screws, and a pin to give her a new bionic leg. She is getting around pretty well in the wheelchair and has lots of support from family and friends. I spent the last week with her until she kicked me out and told me she could do it herself. (: Here's a drawing E and I made for 'Mammi' on our driveway.
Part 2 of the saga: Last Sunday, we were blessed with our nephew (Ben's brother's son) a month early. Though there was a little fright at first, Colt Wesley Fleming and Mama Courtney are home and doing great! Ben and Esther went down for a few days last week to visit while I stayed with Mom. Esther entertained everyone and is still talking about baby Colt.
Now we are back to "normal" here in Athens. Both back to work and E back to her toys, sandbox, and her own bed. Esther and I were able to go to the new Athens Farmers Market yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. We got some baby carrots and garlic (courtesy of Becky and Boo), a loaf of Luna Sourdough, and some soap for new Mama Courtney (courtesy of Ansley's Songbird Soaps - thanks!). We are gearing up to go to the Blueberry Festival in Alma, GA this weekend. We'll be swinging back through Valdosta to see Colt and then a quick stop in Albany to see my Uncle. We've got the traveling dust this summer, so more pics and stories to come!

Graduation, Mother's Day, etc

All the family came over before graduation and we grilled out (veggie and meaty burgers). Esther enjoyed all the attention and playing with her cousin, Spencer. She also felt so big playing in the back of Pops' truck.We only got a few pics of me in the regalia. Ben made me walk, which I'm sure I will appreciate in the future. I was just ready to get home and celebrate being a MASTER!
For Mother's Day, Ben made me a beautiful fruit salad and I helped with a black bean, peppers, and onion omelet (YUM!). We then went to the Botanical Gardens and walked around. Esther enjoyed the trails and searching for frogs in the ponds.



After the Garden, we went and got sand for E's new sandbox. She loves it! It is hard to get her out once she's in, but gives us some chill time while she plays. In fact, she is in the sandbox while I'm writing this. It is really nice to sit out in the shade and both enjoy some playtime. Here's a pic of her and Papa building a castle.

It feels good to be officially done with school. I am working about 30 hours at the Garden and really loving being back. Ben and I work opposite days so we don't have to put E in daycare. It is working out pretty well, though we miss each other. Our friend is opening up a Montessori out of her home in August. We are excited give Esther some social time and allow us some time off together as a family.
Well, the mosquitoes are getting bad. I guess we'll go in and make dinner. Until next time...

Summertime...and the livin' is easy.

I finally finished my last project of the semester and am ready to graduate with my Masters degree on Saturday. It has been a long, hard road, but I feel very accomplished and excited to move on. With some extra time on my hands, we've been spending a lot of time outside, enjoying the beautiful weather. We've done a lot of planting, trips to the park, and went strawberry picking last weekend. Here are some pics to recap.

scrunchie face at Lake Herrick

Here, duckie-duckie (Memorial Park)

Bustin' a move in the kitchen - topless!

Check out this strawberry!

I made this berry dress for the blueberry festival we're going to in June in Alma, Georgia (Esther's middle name is Alma and she LOVES blueberries). It was perfect for strawberry picking too. Here is the back below.

This will have to be a quick post, as I am finishing up projects and studying for a final. Only 12 more days until Graduation! I passed my comprehensive oral exam with flying colors and have pretty much checked out of school since then. It is taking all I can muster to focus these last few days.
With a bit more time on my hands, we have been able to do a lot more fun things. The pic above was taken by a good friend, Ansley, at a play date with other Athens Conscious Parents ( a wonderful listserv/group of common-minded families). Esther had a wonderful time playing on the playground and going down the big slide by herself. We also spent the weekend planting - heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, chocolate peppers (new to me), basil, lemongrass, and some seeds for flowers. Esther's favorite part is watering them. I will upload some gardening pictures once I get them off the camera.
Things are going well, as the stress is finally lifting. I'm looking forward to just working and being a Mom and Wife. E just woke up from her nap in a coughing fit (poor thing). Gotta go...