Chasing Fireflies

Colors of our Weekend

PINK, KHAKI, GREEN, and BLUE

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This weekend:

I made invitations for Olivia's upcoming 11th birthday party,

Michael painted our dining room,

Michael ran in a 5K and placed 2nd in his age group,

We went fishing,

We watched a family movie Sunday afternoon - Hugo (based on one of Olivia's and my favorite books)

Isaac and Olivia both sang in our church's children's choir musical.

Colors of our Weekend

GRAY, BLUE, RED, GREEN, and WHITE

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On May the Fourth (also known as "May the Fourth (Force) be with you" to Star Wars fans):

My boys wore their Star Wars shirts and played with their Star Wars characters and Legos.

My boys ate X-wing fighter aircraft sandwiches for lunch.

We ate lightsabers for dessert.

On May the Fifth (also known as "Cinco de Mayo"):

Michael ran a 10K race in under an hour and finished with a smile on his face.

We ate Mexican for dinner - tilapia fish tacos with purple cabbage slaw and chipotle aioli, refried beans, guacamole, and lime/lemonade in lieu of margaritas.

We viewed the full moon before bedtime.

Colors of our Weekend

GREEN, BROWN, YELLOW, and WHITE

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This delightful spring weekend:

Olivia and Michael went on a Daddy/Daughter Camping Trip.

Isaac, Joshua, and I built a fire, too, and roasted marshmallows for s'mores.

Isaac and Joshua woke up Saturday morning and played trains.

Michael tilled up more garden space and we planted more vegetables.

We enjoyed the half moon on a cloudy Saturday night.

I made The Pioneer Woman's Vanilla Bean Scones.

Colors of our Weekend

BROWN, WHITE, and BLUE

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We've been celebrating a birthday this weekend.  :)

And hanging traps.

Can you guess for what?

Shiloh's Grand Illumination

On the evening of April 7 our family was fortunate to take part in a special commemoration.

April 6 and 7 marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh in the US Civil War.   

23,746 men lost their lives during these two days.

One illuminating candle represented each man who perished during the horrific conflict.

The engagement at Shiloh was the first large scale battle of the US Civil War and took both the North and South by surprise.

We followed a 10 mile illuminated path through the park.

Many fields were lit in places that actual men would have been standing 150 years ago.  Several places we drove through the center of the battle.

Candles surrounded ponds reflecting the memory of men who fought.

Cannons were illuminated by the lights of the night.

On this special night, lights memorialized men, like the stone and cannon ball memorials have during daylight hours for decades.

A giant star in remembrance of fallen men lit the ground as

the full moon and stars above lit the night sky.

It was a cool and sobering night.  On this one special night, lights memorialized the fallen men unlike any stone, cannonball, or other memorial ever has before in Shiloh National Park.

Each time my camera snapped a picture of the illuminated candles I was reminded how truly honorable these 23,746 men were.  These souls who 150 years ago fought for reasons they believed in all the way to the point of perishing.

It was truly a GRAND illumination!

Colors of our Weekend

RED, WHITE, BLUE, PURPLE, and GREEN

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Easter weekend included:

Reminders drawn on our palms for Good Friday;

Baking of hot cross buns on Good Friday;

A visit to a Civil War museum;

Saturday night dinner at Catfish Hotel;

A viewing of 23,746 luminaries at the Grand Illumination of Shiloh National Park;

Worship at church on Easter morning;

Easter Sunday turkey and dressing lunch;

Dying eggs and many many hunts;

Our first annual glow-in-the-dark egg hunt.

Colors of our Weekend

RED, WHITE, BLUE, GRAY, and BROWN

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This weekend:

The kids and I travelled to Memphis to pick up my mom at the airport,

Michael painted the kids bathroom,

We attended the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh,

The boys had numerous battles between the union and confederacy,

The kids found 8 eastern tent caterpillars in the back yard and fed them leaves.

Colors of our Weekend

RED, WHITE, BLUE, and GREEN

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On Friday:

A special package arrived in the mail.

We had a Pizza Picnic in the Park.

Ice cream was an after dinner treat.

On Saturday:

We visited our neighbor's pond and checked out millions of tadpoles.

God presented us with a spectacular sunset shining through the clouds.

Our church had two egg hunts--a daylight preschool egg hunt and a nighttime glow-in-the-dark egg hunt for 1st-6th graders.

On Sunday:

Relaxation was the family agenda after church.

We gazed upon the spectacular showing of Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon in the western sky.

Colors of our Weekend

RED, WHITE, BLUE, and GREEN

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We enjoyed a special 3-day weekend and:

Took a field trip to Huntsville, Alabama, to the US Space and Rocket Center.

Celebrated St. Patrick's Day - wearing green, eating green food, and searching for clover.

Hung out in the hammock while getting some sun.

Explored our woods and discovered a turtle shell.

Olivia finished up another cross stitch piece.

Colors of our Weekend

YELLOW and PURPLE

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This beautiful spring forward weekend:

Michael found two boxes still in the garage that have games in them. They have since been brought inside.

We spent many hours online researching an exciting new venture for our family.

We spied many spring blooms around our house - including the bulbs we planted on 11-11-11.

I brought many spring blooms inside our house to perfume several rooms.

I hope you are enjoying spring, too.

Colors of our Weekend - March 2, 3 ,4

BLUE, BROWN, RED, and YELLOW

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Our first weekend of March:

Olivia and I woke early to take my Mom to the Memphis airport and ended up having a girls day out.

Michael and the boys drove to a farm to pick up our quarter of a cow.

Olivia and I picked daffodils.

Colors of our Weekend - February 17, 18, 19

BLUE, RED, YELLOW, and BLACK

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This weekend:

Michael's parents came to visit.

Michael and I worked on various projects for Isaac's upcoming birthday party.

I made Joshua a Super Joshua cape because Super Isaac needed a superhero comrade.

Michael and Olivia went on a Daddy/Daughter Date to dinner and the theatre.

Colors of our Weekend

RED, BLUE, and GOLD

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This last weekend of February brought us much activity!

Olivia wrapped up her 8 performances of the production "The Fisherman and His Wife."

Isaac celebrated his 5th birthday party with his friends and family. 

I took a much needed Sunday afternoon nap.

Sunday evening brought us a crescent moon, Venus, and Jupiter lighting up an impressive night sky.

Colors of our Weekend

BLUE and RED

 

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This weekend has been all about Isaac, our birthday boy!

He requested to eat dinner at a Japanese hibachi grill Saturday night who served him a "sparkling" dessert,

On his birthday morning he woke to streamers on his bedroom doorway,

He celebrated with a chocolate Superman birthday cake (decorated by his Daddy) and mint chocolate chip ice cream,

I gifted him with a Super Isaac cape that I made especially for him,

I prepared my sweet birthday boy's favorite dishes - sweet potato biscuits and turkey bacon for breakfast and homemade pizza for dinner.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISAAC!!!

Colors of our Weekend

RED, YELLOW, and GREEN

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This February weekend:

I made invitations for Isaac's upcoming birthday party.

I played more Words with Friends.

Michael installed a new ceiling fan in the boys bedroom.

We enjoyed a celebratory dinner.

Olivia assisted me in making pizza dough and later rolling it out.

We had a Super Bowl Party at home consisting of guacamole and chips, football shaped pizzas, chocolate football cake and a half-time super bowl history lesson (we are a homeschool family, afterall :-) ).

Colors of our Weekend

RED, GREEN,  and BROWN

 

 
 

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This weekend before Christmas:
Michael took Isaac and Joshua to their first "Lowe's Build and Grow Workshop" where they made train engines.
I made homemade pizza dough.
We thoroughly enjoyed our family friend's coming over to eat homemade pizza ,talk, make gingerbread houses, watch kids play, laugh, and drink cider.
We explored our backyard woods and spied all sorts of nature treasures.
Michael cut a tree up for a project.
We lit our 4th and final candle on our advent wreath.

Colors of our Weekend

RED, BLACK, WHITE, and PINK

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This weekend:
Olivia performed in "A Christmas Carol" production each day.
Olivia performed a song in our church's Singing Christmas Tree.
I decorated for Christmas.
Michael made hot chocolate three times and caramel popcorn once.
We gazed upon a beautiful full moon.
We lit our third candle of our advent wreath - the pink candle of "joy."

Colors of our Weekend

RED, GREEN, and BROWN

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Our weekend was packed full of Christmas goodness.
We bought our Christmas tree.
We each participated in our town's Christmas parade.
We spent an amazing evening dining on pizza and hot chocolate and visiting with some special friends.
We strung the lights on our tree, sang Christmas carols, and drank more hot chocolate.
Olivia sang in our church's children's choir musical.

Colors of our Weekend

BROWN, YELLOW, and ORANGE

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This weekend:
We celebrated 11.11.11;
We played outside a lot;
The kids had friends over to play while their parents moved them into a new house;
We were sobered viewing candles in memory of 12,000 who lost their lives during the Civil War;
I hosted a baby shower and celebrated with one of my friends who is expecting her first "Little Pumpkin."

Colors of our Weekend

ORANGE, RED, BROWN, and YELLOW

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Not only did our clocks get set back this weekend, also:

I made invitations for a friend's upcoming baby shower.
We enjoyed apple crisp when Michael's parents came for a visit.
I planted 72 daffodil bulbs (with a little help).
Olivia and I had a Girls Afternoon Out enjoying beautiful fall color.