Monarchs

Every year monarch butterflies come though on their migration path to Mexico.  I’m not sure why this year is different — I’ve heard that the hot weather played a role — but there were hundreds of thousands of monarchs on campus this week.  Not only were there more butterflies than usual, but they stayed for 4 days, much longer than usual.  As Bill said, it seemed a not-so-fleeting glimpse of the transcendent.

Lightpainting

If you read this blog, you’ve probably figured out that I like to take pictures.  A lot.

So when I had the chance to go to a photography class about night time photos and painting with light, I jumped at the chance.

We went out to Ft. Griffin State Park and shot the ruins.  I love the hands-on instruction.  It was an absolutely fabulous night.  No moon.  Clear.  A little cold.  Perfect.

Here’s our group and some really cool stuff you can do with light.  (Photo credit Nil Santana, our instructor)

And here are two I took.

All about Molly

Molly is working on an All about Me unit at school, and she had to make a poster to share with her class.   She was very excited and to work on it.

The finished project:

If you can’t quite read what it says:

I am 5 years old.

I live in a house.

My friends are Zoe, Elizabeth, Kaleigh, and Leah.

When I grow up, I want to be a horse farmer, a ballet teacher, and a cooker.

Favorite foods: pizza, chocolate donuts, strawberries.

Favorite books: ones about kittens.

She gets to present her poster to her class today at school.

Surprises

I enjoy reading my friend Katie’s blog for lots of reasons: she’s a delightful writer, a fun person, and she lived in Oxford for a while, so I love reading her memories of Oxford and walking through those places in my memory.

One of my favorite posts that she’s written recently (besides the ode to Starbucks chai tea lattes) is one on the surprises in her life.  I decided to do likewise.  It’s been great fun to reflect on a few delightfully unexpected moments in my life.

1.  Paris.  I expected it to be somewhere I “should” go , and that I would enjoy, but mainly checkoff, the main sites.  Instead, I was completely enchanted.  I cried at the twinkling Eiffel Tower, awed at Notre Dame while sitting in this absolutely charming cafe, and relished a rainy afternoon strolling through neighborhoods and parks.  I cannot wait to return someday.

2.  My 22nd birthday.  Bill rented a convertible and we drove up to Cedarburg, WI, and then went to the drive in that evening .

3.  ACU.  That both of us found jobs here right after graduate school.  AND that it has been everything we’ve imagined.

4.  Motherhood.  I knew I wanted children and that I would adore them, but I could not have imagined how it shaped my identity and how much I love that shaping.

5.  Willie.  I still surprise myself that I was brave enough to try out to be ACU’s mascot as a freshman, and that I made it.

6.  Abi (and then Smudge and then Clyde and Bonnie).  I didn’t think I liked cats (and I knew I was allergic) and then I bought a really cute little kitten one lonely day in Milwaukee and named her Abilene.  Now 15 years later, there’s usually one in my bed every night.

 

A fall affair

That would be the West Texas Fair (and Rodeo, but we didn’t go to the Rodeo).  I have to confess that I wasn’t exactly looking forward to going.  Last year’s trip to the fair was hot, crowded and dusty.  This year, we went on a different night and the heat had broken.

It was a gorgeous, cool evening and we ate fair food.  You know, like funnel cake.

 

We rode rides and slid slides.

We saw some fuzzy friends.

And just enjoyed the evening.

If this post doesn’t convince you to find your local fall fair, I read this piece on Simple Bites today, and it just might do the trick.

First Day of School

Well, the girls are well into their 3rd week of school now and loving Kindergarten with Mrs. Arnold (JA’s Kindergarten teacher, too!) and 3rd grade with Mrs. James.  Here are their first day pics

There’s a Cars 2 Thermos in that flowery backpack!

In their classrooms

JA and Shae who has been in class with her every year — 4 years in a row now!!  (The sitting next to each other didn’t last long, though!)

Old Faithful

Shedd Aquarium

If Kentucky Horse Park was the perfect place to take Molly, Shedd Aquarium is the perfect place to take my future Marine Biologist.

Waiting to get tickets

Morton Arboretum

I think our family’s favorite thing we did on the trip was go to the Morton Arboretum and their Children’s Garden.  The girls climbed, played, and waded for an entire afternoon.

I hope that your trips (and moments in your daily life) have those perfect days — where everything is just as you would have imagined it.  For me, this was one of those days.

(Notice that the tie dye project was quite successful!)

 

And here’s Miss Sassafras doing her best impression on Sassafras Pass.

Amusement Park!

One afternoon, we went to this Amusement Park made for kids 2-9 years old.  It had rides that were just right for the girls and they had so much fun!  (The fact that it was about 72 degrees also added to the enjoyment!)