The Moon is up...not sure the Sun wants to wake up

This week has been a transitional week to be certain!   All week we have been all rising before 5:20am to take Randy to work and have the car.   This enables Sabrina to go to pre-school.   Every good choice in life has some sacrifices.   Our's is sleep.   We are all needing to adjust our sleeping schedule.   The nocturnal folks in our home (Julie) have a hard time getting to sleep early enough to get at least seven hours of sleep.   Needless to say, a thirty minute nap time is happening whether we wanted it to or not.   Hopefully we will adjust soon!

1st day of Pre-K

Early Monday morning our new schedule started.   Abruptly, shortly after 5am we wake up and take Randy to work.   On the first day of school it was hard waiting for school to start.  Every fifteen minutes the question was asked when school was going to start.   We did EVERY puzzle in the apartment waiting for the magical moment to arrive.

The next stage in waiting was taking pictures.   Someone wanted to take pictures of me since I was taking photos of her.   Not bad for a first shot.

The group shot.

Waiting by the door with backpack.

Walking by the playground, with "observation" eyes.

Our new friend from the summer.   They are in the same class.

!st day of school with Ms. Jessica.

Very bright and creative door decoration.   Looks like it could be a fun quilting idea.

Time for peddle pushers

Sunday we took one last trip to downtown Savannah before school starts.   As often we do, we parked on Hutchinson Island and then took the water taxi across the river to the downtown area.   The biggest surprise was how high the Savannah River was!   Not only was it super high but it is chocolate like with sediment.   Think Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and you've got the right look of the river.  

Doing a balancing act on every planter and raised curb.   This girl is going to be great at the balance beam.

Another large ship transporting goods down up the river.

The ferry taxi in dock (green and yellow).

Rain, Rain and Thunder and Lightning-- Go Away!

Being Oregonians, we are used to the rain and to some degree love the mild temperatures it brings.   This summer we are noting that weather has really been crazy all over the United States with the fires in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah  and flash flooding in the Southeast!    Last Monday we were able to go for a swim in the morning and then the thunder and lightening started in the afternoon.   For about a ten days we have seen and heard lightening and thunder during some part of the day...which creates conditions where it is unsafe to be outside or swimming.   So, we are going through withdrawals.   Last night around four A.M. we were awakened by thunder booming through the windows.  About five A.M, Sabrina jumped into our bed with her sleeping bag.   For about three hours the sheet lightening and thunder continued accompanied by gallons and gallons of rain...looked like fire hose streams shooting off the rooftops.   Randy felt the vibrations from the thunder while he was driving to work.   Needless to say, he quickly moved through the parking lot to the building, taking his second shower for the day.

Ships and Grasshopper!

Saturday we went for a drive between rain showers and attempted to go to Ft. Jackson.   Somewhere we missed a turn and found ourselves near Ft. Pulaski where we decided to stop and eat our picnic lunch.   After lunch we took a stroll down to the river where a huge ship went by as we were exploring for shells and fiddler crabs.  

Shells Sabrina had handed me with the ship behind me.

Two "crabs" on the wall.

The full ship continued past us to go up river toward Ft. Jackson.

On the way up the trail we saw the largest grasshopper we had ever seen in our entire lives.

Sabrina's hand is about the same size.   It was almost as long as our camera.   (3.5 inches?)

Sabrina looking at it up close!

Later we stopped at Ft. Jackson and saw the same blue ship go by the old fort.   It passed another ship right in front of the fort and it appeared they would collide from our angle.

The other ship passes between the blue ship and the fort.   Fun to see!

Sticker fashion

Sabrina's new found hobby is to dress sticker dolls in sticker outfits.   She loves matching the shoes, hand bags and dresses.    After this photo, she managed to add even more dolls to the page!   Who knew that stickers could be such fun?!

Bridge Therapy

Randy went to visit his mom in the hospital in July as she is recovering from her stroke.   They worked on holding cards.   Since then, Joyce has a card holder and has some dear Bridge friends who are helping her play Bridge again.   Not only is this great for her body and soul, but this is great for her mind.    Bridge is a game which requires mental awareness and the ability to count and track cards.   What great therapy!

Ba,Ba, Black sheep....

In the car today, Sabrina sang in a high soprano voice her version of "Ba, Ba, Black sheep"

"Ba Ba Black sheep have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir three bags four
One in a half
One in day
One for the little boy who lives down the way."

Her song was the background music for our family afternoon drive to the Savannah Wildlife Refuge. 

These water lilies were full of bugs and dragonflies.   The flowers blossomed high above the water line.

"The Moon lives at night. The Sun lives at day."

The last couple of mornings our entire household has been up and moving (drinking coffee or milk)  by 5:20AM.   Sabrina and Julie have been driving Randy to work and then keeping the car for the day's errands.  
Yesterday morning, Sabrina looked up and saw the "beautiful stars".   This morning her comments were about how the beautiful stars were up again.    She pointed to what I (Julie)  believe is a planet (Venus?  maybe---astronomy is rusty for me.)  and said "That is my favorite star!"   Followed by "Is that one (a star) your favorite mom?"  
As we drove Randy to work, she exclaimed with glee that she could see the beautiful stars through the moon roof of our car.   She was absolutely fascinated with their brightness and the overall darkness of the morning sky.    Upon arriving back home she made an announcement "The Moon lives at night.   The Sun lives at day."   For about ten minutes we sat in the apartment parking lot looking at the beautiful morning sky.  
The next big lessons will be about what is "living".   But for now, it is nice to see the sky through our daughter's eyes.

Esther

When we selected the name Esther for Sabrina's middle name, we were thinking of  Esthers we knew were strong.   Biblically, Esther in the Old Testament is a strong woman who saves her people from destruction.    We also personally knew a couple of Esthers  who were kind but firm in their beliefs.   We overlooked the most famous Esther of the movie industry:  Esther Williams.   Ironically, it is this Esther that Sabrina has resembled the most lately.   She takes to water like a fish.   This afternoon we literally spent two hours diving for toys in the apartment pool.    Not only does she have an athletic ability to swim and dive naturally, but she enjoys doing flips, turns and creative jumps!   If only MGM was still making the old musicals.....

Football camp

Last night there was a preview season game for the NFL.   Since we are on the East Coast, the Seahawk's game started at 10pm.   Needless to say, Randy wanted to watch another game:  Atlanta v. Cincinnati.

Julie:   "Hey look, there is Quizz Rodgers returning the punt. "  (Quizz played for OSU a few years ago.)
Randy:   "I am sending you to the wife football camp.   That was not a punt return but a kick-off"
Julie:   "Was the ball kicked and returned.   Looked like a punt return to me."
Randy hitting his head with palm of his hand:   "First of all, that was not a punt.   You need to go to camp."

To think I thought I knew what I was talking about.... guess I better stick to quilting or baseball.

Future Beaver

Tonight at the dinner table, Sabrina is chomping at her food:

Randy:   "Eat like a princess and nibble your dinner."
Sabrina:  "But I want to eat like a beaver!"   as she chomps one more bite out of her tortilla and shows her teeth.

Quotes of the Season

Some noted quotes from this summer:

"My eyes are brown and Annie's eyes are brown because we are twins"  (Annie is Papa's dog.)

"It is my favorite in the whole unicorn!"

"Stink Ray"  instead of sting ray  (She has a toy sting ray from the Aquarium)

"I haven't had my _______ yesterday"--meaning I haven't had _______ today.  (and I would like it)

"This is my favorite!  (digging in a toy box)  (Next toy)   THIS is my favorite.   Is this your favorite mom?"

"Annies love their chew bones."  "Annies love to play ball."   "Papas love oatmeal."   (pluralizing the subject)

State of Watermelon

As earlier posted, we noted that it was difficult to find peaches on farms or at fruit stands near where we live.   However, last night we ate some of the watermelon we purchased on our trek and thought Georgia should get credit for having wonderful watermelons!   The flavor was wonderful and the melon was juicy!   I wonder if another state has claimed to be the watermelon state....

Seven

Seven is a great number!   It is a prime number.   In Bible studies I recall that sins and debts are to be forgiven after the seventh year.   Anyone who was a slave in those days was to be freed after the seventh year.   It is a year of new beginnings.    A new chapter starts after year seven.    Seven can not be divided evenly.  
Today is our seventh year anniversary and a sense of new beginnings and new chapters is starting.   Sometimes there is a refinement that takes place to bring us to the new beginnings as refinement takes place.   That could be in the form of one or both of us making adjustments in our thinking and dreams for us to move forward as one united couple.   The first seven years are filled with memories of adventures:  Cycle Oregon, our daughter's birth, living in Charleston, buying our home in Corvallis and fixing it up, and now living in a Pooler, outside of Savannah, Georgia.    Sure, there have been some hard times, but the good times are sweet.   Perhaps it is the hard times that help make the good times even sweeter!   The last seven years sure have been filled with some great memories and times of sharing!
We are looking forward to what the next seven years bring and how we grow as a couple.

A tribute to the Beatles.

Julie's family getting ready for a photo.

With our parents.

Gramma Joyce with Claire and Joey.

Everything was funny that day!   (Due to lack of sleep!)

Favorite photo through Avery Park Rose Garden.

Father McBride and Mother McGroom! (With the Secret Service , John, behind them)

Randy with Groom's men walking through Avery Park.

Bunny ears!

Camping at Horse Shoe Bend August 2008.

Hiking in Sister's Wilderness Area August 2008

Camping on the hill near Todd Lake.2008

At our Todd Lake Camp site.2008

On Cycle Oregon at the campground at Diamond Lake with Thielson in the background.  September 2007

At Crater Lake on Cycle Oregon September 2007

On the descent on the Old MacKenzie Highway on the last day of Cycle Oregon. 2007

Cycling around Crater Lake.  2007

At Cougar Reservoir on Cycle Oregon.  2007

Uncle John and Arthur visiting us at the Dorena Lake Campground.

On Tour de Blast with Mt. St. Helens in the background.!  June 2008

The day after Sabrina was born.  May 26, 2009

At home with our daughter.  2009

Her angelic sleep pose  2009

After her baptism at her reception at Papa and Grandma Judy's house.  October 2010.

On the beach in Newport, Oregon.  September 2012

At Ft. No Point in Washington.  July 2009

On top of the Astor Column, August 2009.

At Forsythe Park in Savannah Georgia, December 2012.