Longing for spring and a new camera...

I am having spring fever...big time...I told Kris the other day that I just need to SPRAY PAINT something...ha!  I am so incredibly ready for garage sale season, and ready to open the windows and let the fresh spring air in!  I am ready to get the kids outdoors and just let them run, run, run! 

In other news...my camera died... it just will not work anymore.  I have had it for 7 years, and have taken at least 10,000 pictures with it, so I suppose it was time for the old girl to quit.  I had the Canon Rebel XT...and I took it everywhere...and took pictures with it every day.  We are working on getting a new one before Claire's 2nd birthday...which is in just a few days on the 18th!  Since I haven't been able to take pictures for a couple of weeks, I thought I might share some old ones. I recently read about a blogger who lost her home in a house fire, and she was so very thankful that she had blogged and kept so many memories online...makes me want to blog about every minute of our lives!  Hope you enjoy this random stroll down memory lane...

Our Claire with her sweet thumb, June 2011...she was about 4 months old...so tiny and sweet!

 

My three beautiful kiddos before church one day...this picture makes me LONG for warmer days!

 

Our sweet smiley girl, about 5 months old.

 

Daddy teaching Asher how to call in a wild turkey, Spring 2011.

 

My mom and dad, summer 2010, I think.  They have been married for 40 years.

 

Another picture that makes me long for spring! Vinca, my favorite "unkillable" flowers :)

 

And one more summery picture...homemade strawberry shortcake, with strawberries from Mitchell Farms...and Grandpa Mitchell's shortcake recipe! Yummy!

 

 

Can I just share some of the blessings that are going on in our home right. this. minute?  Claire is in Asher's room dancing her little heart out to "Rise and Shine (and give God the Glory, Glory)" and I just heard her and Asher giggling like crazy down there!  We have electricity...for the air conditioner, and it's supposed to be 109 degrees today.  My beautiful , beautiful girl is hugging me as I type...right. now.  She just woke up.  I had coffee and read my Bible this morning.  My sweet boy came down from his fun room just to ask if I could "hold him"...be right back.  I got my kiss, hug, shakey-shakey and "shiggle" from my boy...my life is good...I am so incredibly blessed.

It's been almost a month...

...since I posted last! Yikes! I can't believe I've let this much time go by! Things have been busy. We went camping a couple of weeks ago at Roaring River State Park. It was brave of us to go in August, because it's so stinkin' hot, but it wasn't too bad down there. The mornings and evenings were cooler, and the afternoons weren't terrible. We did a lot of swimming, cooking and eating. Our second night of camping brought a great surprize. Our "neighbors" in the camper next door were bluegrass artists, and had about a dozen other bluegrass artists over for some music! It was great. We really enjoyed it. Afterward, Katie was so impressed that she asked them if they had a cd to buy!
Katie is still enjoying karate, and can't wait for school to start, which is, by the way-tomorrow! She is so ready, and is just so excited to go.