While we were watching the Wimbledon Men’s final replay on ESPN Classic between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, A walked by and looked at the screen.  It was showing the match statistics for each player under their country’s flag.

A : “There’s the United States and hospital.”
Me: “Uh no, sweetie. That’s the flag for the country of Switzerland.”
A: “Oooooohhhh.”

Some tennis players probably feel like they play for the country of Hospital as often as they are injured.

I can’t believe how behind I’ve gotten on this blogging thing.  I will try and update you all on our happenings over the last few months in another post very soon.  In the mean time,  here’s a few pictures from our vacation to Inks Lake State Park and San Antonio.  I found a really cool program called Smile Box and had a great time creating a photo album with it.  Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Ok, so the hurricane hiatus has been a little too long.  The 6skinnyfeet have been too busy to blog.  But I’ll break into the monotony of non-posting to bring you this weather update from Aggieland.  Yesterday’s high was 75 degrees.  Here is what we woke up to this morning…Yes, that is snow on the roof and ground in our part of Texas.  Usually we have trouble getting A out of bed to get ready for school.  L ran to tell her it snowed and A got up and dressed in record time.  She had plenty of time to eat breakfast and play out in the snow.

Finally, a use for the snow mode on my camera!

Snowflakes are yummy!

So what do snowflakes taste like anyway?

The girls were very excited to see the snow.  This was A’s first snowfall.  L last saw snow during a Christmas visit to Grandma and Grampa’s home in Oregon when she was 4 years old.

Around 3 o’clock this afternoon the snow really started to fall and accumulate.  We have over an inch outside now!  I had forgotten how much I enjoy watching it snow.

Now the waiting begins.  Ike is coming.  Sometime tonight we should really feel its effects.  I suspect I’m going to be up at 4am watching the non-stop hurricane coverage on the Houston TV station.  This one case where being a very light sleeper is not an advantage.

We are ready for it though.  Cars are gassed up.  Flashlights have new batteries.  Canned food is stored.  Bathtub is full of water.  Cell phones charged.  Emergency radio located.  Clothes and dishes are all washed.  Containers are filled with fresh water.  Outdoor toys stored in garage.  Kids asleep.  Now if I could just get myself to go to sleep……….

Hurricane Sunset

Father God,

We have seen your glory in the clouds and light of the sunset.  Please watch over us and quiet our anxious hearts and minds.  Keep us safe during this hurricane.  Watch over all the people who have had to leave their homes.  Keep from harm all the people who chose to ignore all the warnings and stay in their own homes.  Give us your strength and help us to find ways to help others in this stressful time.

In your glorious Son’s name, Amen

The Heavens declare Your glory

School started in August for us. A started kindergarten. So far she loves school and wearing a uniform like all the big kids. She loves her teacher Mrs. Rickaway and is glad to be in class with many friends from Sonshine School. She even takes a nap every day during rest time. As recently as June, A wasn’t interested in going to Kindergarten. But when we started shopping for school supplies and clothes she really got excited about school.

Kindergarten girl

Third grade is going well for L. She is enjoying getting to know her new teacher, Mr. Hawkins.

Ready for School

I’ve gotten a bit behind on blogging about the 6skinnyfeet. So here’s an update of the last month’s happenings. L spent the 1st week of August at Grandma and Grandpa’s house going to music camp every day. Their church, High Pointe Church of Christ, hosted a music camp every morning. The kids learned and performed a musical called Livin’ Inside Out in an Upside Down World. A and I drove up to see L perform on Friday night. L loved it. She was in her element – singing and acting. She had a speaking part as well as sang with the chorus. She said her lines perfectly. She said she was a little nervous, but I certainly could not tell. During the last song, she led all the little kids around the stage skipping. Looks like she’s got the musical theater bug like her mom and Aunt K.

L delivers one of her lines at the mic.

A star is born!

L remembered her lines perfectly.

Here is a video of one of the songs form Livin’ Inside Out in an Upside Down Word.

I so love that L loves to sing. I love to listen to her sing at church. What a blessing to listen to. Not only can L carry a tune and belt out the songs she knows, but she really sings with genuine emotion and feeling. Not something most of us adults do. She really loves to sing to God. What a joy to listen to her joyful noise!

We finally finished swimming lessons for this summer. A and L both enjoyed them this year. L has has made quite a bit of progress in the pool. She can actually swim some and has learned to dive while sitting on the side of the pool. Here’s a few pictures from the fun day.

L braved the Lightning Falls slide

A still can't bring herself to put her whole head and ears in the water.

A was a little reluctant to cross the lily pads, but with a little help from her teacher, the exceptional Miss Ellen, she bravely crossed.

Resting on Slippery Sam

Edouard came calling this afternoon. It’s finally raining. Aggieland hasn’t seen any measurable precipitation since the beginning of May. Our poor lawn is on life support. I guess I should be more careful what I pray for. I prayed for rain, and God sent a tropical storm. All in all, it was a quite an enjoyable afternoon. I love to listen to it rain. Growing up in Oregon, the land of perpetual water falling from the sky, I never appreciated it much. It was just a nuisance. But after living in Southern California, where it rains once or twice a year, and now in Texas where months can go by without rain, I really love rain. There’s something really relaxing about listening to the rain patter on the roof and drip off the eaves of the house. So here’s of list of some things I like to do on a rainy afternoon.

1. Take a nap. Well, I tried to, but A was having a very noisy, “quiet time” in her room.

2. Read. Right now I’m reading Shadowplay by Tad Williams and The Shack by William P. Young.

3. Bake. I made yummy cinnamon, apple bran muffins.

4. Do laundry. 2 loads done.

5. Drink an iced mocha

6. Watch baseball on TV. Astros 7, Cubs 11

7. Blog about my rainy afternoon.

The Oatmeal Water tower

No not the cereal… the community of Oatmeal, TX is where the annual Denmark/Knox reunion took place this past weekend. J’s family gets together every year for games, food, fellowship, and a Sunday morning worship service. We were able to spend Saturday with the family this year. Here are a few pics.

An intense game of Blokus

A trailer becomes a boat for the cousins

The younger crew of cousins

Showing off the captured grasshoppers

I asked A today what she wanted to be when she grew up. She immediately reported that she wanted to be a fairy. Hmm… I wonder where you go to school to become a fairy. Do you have to earn your wings? What are the long-term health effects of fairy dust? Maybe I shouldn’t have let her watch the episode of What Not to Wear with the hippy, dippy girl who saw fairy wings as valid way to accessorize to her wardrobe. I really was quite surprised at her answer. She’s wanted to be a pirate since last Fall. I asked her if she still likes pirates. Her response – she doesn’t like pirates any more. “Only girl pirates, Mom.”

I was hoping A would say geologist. She’s had a fascination with volcanoes since last Fall also. She loves them. She’ll talk your ear off about them. She loves to tell anyone who will listen about all the things that come out of a volcano. Grandma bought her a little plastic volcano that you can fill up with baking soda and pour vinegar in to make it erupt. Almost every evening she asks to see her volcano erupt. I’ve been trying for months to figure out exactly how this thing with volcanoes started. Some of my theories involve the Discovery Channel and Dora the Explorer. I remember watching a show on Discovery about volcanoes with A. She was glued to the TV. Dora has been known to inspire my girls. I’m pretty sure L’s interest in soccer was due to watching Dora play. Maybe it was the Dora episode with the ooey-gooey volcano?

I finally found out this morning the reason for A’s interest in volcanoes. After she found a book about volcanoes at the public library I asked her why she started liking volcanoes. She told me that she had seen them in the movie Fantasia. Well, if it’s not Dora it’s Disney. Maybe that also explains the whole fairy thing?