The Graves Family

Halloween weekend!

2010-11-01T08:25:00.003-04:00

Halloween weekend for me started out with a day at Six Flags... I had been promising Mitchell all summer that I would take him, but with busy schedules followed by temperatures of 100 degrees we never made it. So a few days ago I decided that it would be fun to go during their "Fright Fest" time... we had a blast! We rode all of the BIG roller coasters as well as other rides and got to meet some cool zombie monsters... but the best part of the day was just getting wonderful quality time alone with Mitchell!! Halloween night we had several of the kid's friends over for dinner and trick or treating (no... they haven't outgrown that yet!). We fed them dinner then sent them on their way into the neighborhood to have some fun! It was kind of nice letting them go while we stayed home and relaxed with the other parents! They all came home with full bags... which I'm sure are all being dug through by parents with a sweet tooth! Fun times!

Trader Joe's!!

2010-10-29T13:05:00.003-04:00

After all of the talk and hype that I heard over Trader Joe's, I couldn't wait to go to the new one opening in Athens... and today was the big day! I have to say that I am officially in love with a new store and will probably be spending quite a bit of time there! They have great stuff... and great prices, too! I am excited to be making some Trader Joe's chili for Halloween night!

Scenes from the Fall Festival

2010-10-29T12:19:00.003-04:00

Amelia and her friend Merritt looking cute in costume!!

FL fan, Gangster girl, Polar Princess, Candy Corn Witch!

Mitchell and Matthew at trunk-or-treat!!

Our car decorations for trunk-or-treat!

Mama and Daddy's car ready for trunk-or-treating!!

Fall Festival

2010-10-29T12:09:00.003-04:00

Every year our church has a Fall Festival... fun games, cake walk, Bingo, a chili cook off, trunk or treating... fun for all ages! Amelia decided this year to make her own pot of chili for the contest, competing against Dave... this made for lots of "friendly" competition at our house! We didn't pull off a two-years-in-a-row win with any of our chili, but it was wonderful anyway! I might have some new recipes to try after this night!

Twins!

2010-10-29T12:01:00.003-04:00

Aren't these some of the sweetest faces you've ever seen? Paul and Jennifer Baxley... our new pastor, and new friends... had these adorable twins about three weeks ago and I couldn't wait to get my hands on them! My mom and I went for a "short" visit and ended up holding them for about an hour! Big sister Livy was at school during our visit, but other big sister Maria was on hand to entertain and keep us company! A wonderful visit... my only regret is that I had to leave those sweet babies behind!

Chorus!

2010-10-29T11:56:00.002-04:00

As you know... Amelia LOVES to sing! So when she said that she wanted to be a part of the OCMS chorus we were not surprised! Last week they had their first of four concerts they will put on throughout the year... this was their fall concert. Once again I am amazed at the talent displayed by the children around here... the singing was beautiful! We are looking forward to the Christmas concert!

Clemson vs. Maryland

2010-10-29T08:31:00.005-04:00

Thanks to some friends at our church we were able to attend another Clemson football game with our dear friends Dave, Angie and Reese! We also got to connect with some other friends... my college room mate, Beth, and an awesome friend that we know from the Twin Lakes staff (where Camp Sunshine is held)! We were thrilled to be present for the retirement of CJ Spiller's number during the special half time show... love him! It was a beautiful day to be at Clemson!

Fiona Frost!

2010-10-29T07:54:00.003-04:00

Our church has been doing some special events with our 5th/6th graders this year to make that transition time (between children's dept. and youth) more fun for them. Their first event was an overnight campout... fun! The second event was a mystery dinner called "Fiona Frost"... I highly recommend it for any group of kids around this age! All of the kids came dressed in their "character" and remained in character all night. The setting is an abandoned mansion (aka, the Graves' home) where the Golden Grove Forensic Science Club has gathered together to help the police solve the mystery of the stolen treasure map... and one of the club members did it! The evening involved lots of clues, scavenger hunts, and a special menu for dinner. My friend, Molli, and I were the servers for the evening... don't we look fab? The kids had a blast!

Breakfast at OCMS!

2010-10-29T07:38:00.003-04:00

Mitchell had the joy (insert a little sarcasm here!) of being in the Family and Consumer Sciences class during his first quarter this year. The last day of the quarter they ran a little restaurant in their classroom... the Tribal Table Cafe... where they prepared and served a breakfast for parents and teachers. Mitchell got to work the cash register where we paid with monopoly money (why can't all restaurants come with money tucked inside the menu?). They all did a wonderful job, and Dave and I got a delicious breakfast!

Clemson Homecoming, part 2

2010-10-28T22:18:00.003-04:00

This year we again stayed in some cabins on Lake Hartwell... it is a great place for us to hang out, visit, and take in the beautiful scenery! It is also a great place for all of our kids to run around and play! After the game we enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the lake, then built a fire on the beach... we wouldn't miss this time with our dear friends!!

Clemson Homecoming!

2010-10-28T16:29:00.003-04:00

This is one weekend we always mark on our calendar as soon as the football schedule is out... Homecoming weekend at Clemson! For the past several years we have spent the weekend with my two bff's from college and their families. Our children have known each other since birth, and when they get together each year you would never know that they only see each other once or twice a year... true friends! Game day was beautiful, and we all enjoyed spending the day on campus!

Happy Birthday, Dave!

2010-09-30T16:18:00.000-04:00

Dave also celebrated his birthday this month... the big 43!! We celebrated at home with family, presents, and Oreo Delight birthday cake! A great celebration for a wonderful man!

Happy Birthday, Bailey!

2010-09-30T16:13:00.000-04:00

Our sweet Bailey turned 5 this month! She had treats with candles to blow out (well, she had some help with that one!) and presents! Then Bailey got the one thing that she wanted the most... spending quality time with Callie, our cat. Thank you, Callie, for letting Bailey invade your space for a while!

Wedding Time!

2010-08-30T21:30:00.000-04:00

On Mitchell and Amelia's second day of school, August 6th, we did what any other responsible parent would do... we let them skip school! We left right after their first day to head to Winston Salem, NC for our niece's wedding... the rest of the family was also arriving that day and we wanted to spend as much time as we could with them! We had a great visit, the cousins had a blast hanging out together all weekend, and the wedding was BEAUTIFUL!!

First Day of School!

2010-08-30T21:27:00.000-04:00

Can it be... that we now have two middle schoolers?! Mitchell is looking forward to being the top dog in the school as an 8th grader, and Amelia is just a little nervous about finding her way around school... and is excited to be sporting her new Hollister shirt and cool mani/pedi! The house sure will be lonely and a lot quieter without them at home... I'm going to miss them!

Mitchell goes to Macon!

2010-08-30T21:20:00.000-04:00

Mitchell's Oconee tennis team won their age division this past spring, so they got to go the state championship in Macon, GA! It was a VERY hot weekend, but Mitchell and his team stuck it out and played some hard matches... we were proud of all of them!

Willy Wonka!

2010-08-30T21:08:00.000-04:00

Amelia's 11th performance with Oconee Youth Playhouse was in their production of Willy Wonka... she played an Oompa Loompa and a Candy Store Kid! This musical was adorable and Amelia did a wonderful job! The kids in these shows have the best time with each other both on stage and behind the scenes... and an awesome cast party rounds out the fun after the last show. Amelia comes home with many new "autographs" on her tshirt... who knows... one of them may be on a big stage someday!!

Indiana Trip, part 3

2010-07-30T21:00:00.000-04:00

We finally make it to Indiana! Going to the farm every summer is one of our favorite vacations, and we all look forward to this trip each year! There is LOTS of family there, so it's fun to catch up with everyone that we don't get to see very often. The weekend consists of visiting, eating lots of great food, playing in the barn where the cool hay loft is, playing with the baby goats, wading in the river, swimming at Aunt Wilma's swimming hole and swinging on the big rope to get in, roasting hot dogs on a huge fire, games, hayrides, smores, helping Uncle Danny do his morning chores (you've never seen a bunch of kids so excited to wake up at 6am in the summer!)... and the list goes on! See why we can't wait to go?

Indiana Trip, part 2!

2010-07-30T20:20:00.000-04:00

Next stop for us was in Louisville, KY to visit my cousin, David, and his sweet family! I don't get to see them much at all, and have never met his boys, so this was definitely a treat! We just spent time hanging out, visiting, and swimming at their amazing pool with Henry and Hamilton... SO cute!!

Indiana trip!

2010-07-30T09:36:00.000-04:00

This year on our way to the farm in Indiana we made some stops along the way. Our first stop was in Mammoth Cave, KY where we took an amazing cave tour! It was a first for Mitchell and Amelia and they thought that it was really cool and not what they had expected! Definitely a side trip worth taking if you are ever passing near there!

July 4th!

2010-07-30T09:29:00.000-04:00

July 4th was a great relaxing day for us... going to the pool, grilling out with family, seeing a beautiful sunset right outside our front door, and of course, sparklers!! I loved our lazy day!!

Summer Camp!

2010-07-30T09:21:00.000-04:00

This summer was full of summer camps for our whole family! Amelia went with Oconee Co. 5th graders to 4H Camp at Rock Eagle and had a blast! She loved it so much she can't wait for next year! Mitchell attended two camps this summer... the first one being Clemson University's tennis camp. He said that it was hard work, but they also had a lot of fun! We were thrilled that Mitchell got to spend more time at Clemson other than a football weekend... he really got more of a feel of a college campus! The second camp Mitchell attended was Passport Youth Camp with our church. He also had a great time there and it was a good bonding time for our youth who went! After all of our camps, we were glad to be back together for the rest of the summer!

Amelia's Birthday Celebration With Friends!

2010-07-30T08:36:00.000-04:00

Amelia invited three friends to go to Stone Mountain Park for the day for her birthday... what fun they had! One of their favorite things was doing the Sky Hike... we also took in the 4D movie, went to the top of Stone Mtn. then hiked down, then had a relaxing picnic on the lawn before the laser show started! Since it was so late when we got done, the girls all slept over at our house... a very fun and full day!! Happy Birthday, Amelia!

Happy Birthday, Amelia!

2010-07-30T08:28:00.000-04:00

Amelia's first birthday celebration was with family at home... and of course, Isabella was there (she is practically part of the family!)! We had dinner, red velvet cake, and Amelia got to open presents! Happy 11th!!

Camp Sunshine, part 2

2010-07-30T08:08:00.000-04:00

There is a quote that the counselors at CS say to each other throughout the week (in a joking way)... "It's not YOUR journey!". Although this is mostly true, we all really know better... I mean, just look at these pictures! We get to act like a bunch of kids! Working at Camp Sunshine is definitely 100% about the children there, but the counselors are the other reason we return summer after summer. We have formed the most awesome friendships with many people over the years... friendships we would not have had a chance to make had it not been for CS. And this year, something like a third of our staff was former campers.... that is so amazing and wonderful! I cannot describe the joy I feel when I get to work side by side with counselors who I once took care of when they were very sick with cancer... pure reward!!

Camp Sunshine!!

2010-07-30T07:53:00.000-04:00

Who would have ever guessed that nestled in the middle of nowhere, in the country, off of Keencheefoonee Rd... I would find one of my happiest places on earth? Camp Twin Lakes is the amazing facility that hosts a variety of special medical camps all summer (with an awesome staff, I might add!)... Camp Sunshine is where Dave and I find true joy, rewards, and happiness for one week each summer. This year marked my 18th and Dave's 16th summer with these amazing children with cancer. We get to love these kids for a whole week, thanks to the generosity of their parents who allow them to be in our complete care. There is chemo given, multiple other medications, IV's hooked up in cabins at night, blood transfusions... ALL done throughout this very normal camp!! We lead them through the day's activities, but THEY teach US the lessons!

Beach Weekend, part 3

2010-06-30T22:39:00.000-04:00

One of the kids' favorite things to do at the beach is to ride on their boogie boards in the ocean... they did this for literally HOURS while Angie and I looked on from our comfy beach chairs! We did join them at times for a few good rides on the biggest waves!! One night Angie took our kids down our memory lane... way back to our childhood memories! We drove down Ocean Blvd., passing by many of our familiar landmarks on the way, until we reached The Sea Captain's House for dinner. The funny thing is, Angie and I both used to eat dinner here with our families when we were little girls and have distinct memories of sitting in that restaurant with our parents and grandparents! The food is still great!! A perfect addition to our wonderful weekend!!

Beach Weekend, part 2

2010-06-30T22:31:00.000-04:00

Amelia and Isabella had so much fun together on our trip... they always do when they are together... true best friends!!

Long Beach Weekend!

2010-06-30T21:58:00.000-04:00

On Mitchell's actual 13th birthday day we loaded up the car and headed to Myrtle Beach for a long weekend with his best friend, Reese! I took Mitchell, Amelia, and Isabella, and we met Angie and Reese at my parents' camper at Lakewood Camping Resort in MB... a bff weekend! We had perfect weather and spent most of the day in our bathing suits either on the beach, by the pool, riding our bikes, or just playing. We ate good food, stayed up late, slept in, and just enjoyed spending time with our best friends... a GREAT weekend!

Lucky 13!!

2010-06-30T21:45:00.000-04:00

For Mitchell's 13th birthday party with friends he wanted to have a "Minute To Win It" party... it was a blast!! We set up about 20 games in our basement for them to compete in... 10 for everyone to play, and 10 in which one player was eliminated until there was one winner. All of the kids had SO MUCH fun with these crazy games, and were exhausted after they were done. They went upstairs, re-fueled on a DQ ice cream cake, and let Mitchell open presents. Mitchell LOVED his party!!

Saving the Blue Whales!

2010-06-30T21:37:00.000-04:00

Amelia is quite the little entrepreneur and is always looking for a way to help others... so when her friend Claire read that the blue whales were becoming extinct, they came up with a plan to raise money to help save them. They organized a car wash, lemonade stand, and ice cream sundae table to raise money for their cause. They enlisted the help of me, Dave, Mitchell, Emily, and Trinity to keep things running on this hot Saturday morning! The neighbors of Calls Creek (and some from outside the neighborhood!) really came through for them, and after the morning was done they had raised about $140! Amelia and Claire sent $100 to the Save the Blue Whales organization and used the rest to buy food for the local animal shelter... we are so proud of them and their hard work!

A Worthy Cause!!

2010-06-30T21:26:00.000-04:00

Dave and I attended the first annual "Cocktails for Cancer" that was hosted by Camp Sunshine... a really fun night!! Several mixologists were there making their special cocktails, and we all got to vote on our favorite... yum! The most fun was getting to see our CS friends for a fun night... we even got to meet Anoop Desai from American Idol there! A worthy cause... raising money for children with cancer!

Strawberries!

2010-05-30T21:16:00.000-04:00

We waited until near the end of the season before we finally made it to Washington Farms to pick strawberries... always SO yummy!! This year we had the help of Amelia and her bff, Isabella... it was a hot day and they were troopers! As usual, Amelia ate as many off of the vine as she put into her bucket... she just can't help herself (I admit... I had to try a few fresh ones, myself!)!! We ate a lot of the fresh ones at home and put away several quarts in the freezer for later... great for desserts and smoothies!!

Summer starts!

2010-05-30T21:08:00.000-04:00

Mitchell started off their summer at a pool party hosted by their friends Merritt and Jackson. They had a blast swimming and got to make yummy ice cream sundaes for a treat! Great way to kick off the break!

Last Week of School!

2010-05-30T21:00:00.000-04:00

During the last week of school Amelia had her awards day and the big 5th grade cookout. We were so proud of Amelia... she received awards for achievement in music and p.e, as well as some academic awards!! The kids really enjoyed the cookout... one last time to hang out before summer starts! Amelia had a great year with all of her sweet friends!

OCMS Awards Night!

2010-05-30T20:55:00.000-04:00

We were once again very proud of Mitchell and his achievements in school this year. He received awards for achievements in math and for getting all A's! Way to go, Mitchell!

Clemson weekend!

2010-05-30T20:42:00.000-04:00

Amelia and I headed back this year to the Bring Your Daughter To Clemson weekend... and had so much fun! We toured the Clemson Dairy, the beautiful Geology museum, did a spin class at Fike... followed by Pilates (it about killed me, but Amelia said that it was "easy"!). Amelia made a friend this year that she plans to keep in touch with... Katie from NC! Katie and her mom went shopping downtown with us on Sat. afternoon and the girls had the best time! Sunday morning we ended the weekend with the closing session, followed by touching Howard's Rock and running down the hill with the Tiger! My favorite picture is the one with the girls all rubbing the rock together... maybe they will all be back together right there someday with their daughters!

Field Day!

2010-05-30T19:35:00.000-04:00

Oconee Co. Elem. School's Field Day is always a really fun day for the kids! Amelia participated in her last field day with OCES... kind of sad!! Mitchell got take part in the fun, too... the Beta Club from the middle got to come and help out with the activities! Mitchell got to help lead a 3rd grade class around to all of the stations for the day... I think he had as much fun as the kids, and they loved him! Everyone got Dilly Bars for a snack... thanks DQ!

OYSP Spring Showcase

2010-05-30T19:19:00.000-04:00

The Oconee Youth School of Performance held their Spring Showcase at the Classic Center in Athens this month. Amelia was in a hip hop number and a musical theater number... they were both very good!! I always am am amazed at the level of talent that these kids show in all of their performances! Amelia wants to audition for the Musical Theater Jr. Company for next year... wish her luck!

Amelia's Voice Recital!

2010-05-30T19:13:00.000-04:00

We are always amazed at Amelia's singing talent (where did it come from?)... and we got to hear her in another wonderful performance during her spring voice recital. This time she sang two songs, one by herself and a duet with her friend Maya. All of the girls did a great job!

Relay For Life

2010-05-30T09:16:00.000-04:00

Our family has attended Oconee County's Relay For Life for the past few years... and we look forward to this fun and meaningful night every year! Mitchell and Amelia have fun hanging out with their friends (armed with cell phones and cash), and Dave and I get a chance to enjoy the good food and socialize with our own friends. We know that the kids will find us when their cash runs out... and somehow we never mind giving them a little more since it's all going to such a great cause!!

OCMS Tennis!

2010-05-30T09:09:00.000-04:00

Mitchell's middle school started a tennis "club" team for the first time this year and they got a chance to play some other middle schools in the area this spring. Mitchell did very well in his matches, both in singles and doubles! He plans on working hard at his game so he can maybe play on the JV team at the high school next year... go Mitchell!

Happy Birthday, Callie!

2010-05-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Callie celebrated her Sweet 16 with all of us on April 27th! She is doing very well for a 16 year old cat... she enjoyed her party with good food with a candle, cards, and presents! Jake and Bailey enjoyed the party with her... Callie shared her treats with them! Happy Birthday, Callie!

Beautiful Spring!

2010-05-30T08:51:00.000-04:00

I love Spring! It is one of the prettiest time here in Georgia with everything in full bloom! I had fun with Amelia's "professional" camera taking some pictures of the flowers around our house... and of the dogs! I think that Jake and Bailey are excited about Spring, too!

Mitchell's baseball season!

2010-05-30T08:42:00.000-04:00

Mitchell played his last baseball season this spring... choices are never easy for anyone! He loves to play baseball but has chosen to concentrate on tennis, which he loves even more! Being one of the oldest on his team, Mitchell got to be sort of a role model for the team and got a lot more play time on the field... even on the pitching mound! A wonderful season!

Amelia's softball season!

2010-05-30T08:20:00.000-04:00

Amelia had another wonderful softball season this spring... some wins, and some losses... but a very sweet team of girls who had fun no matter what! Amelia even got to try some pitching this year! A fun pool party and an adorable cake and trophies rounded out this great season... which may be Amelia's last due to some activity choices she had to make for next year.... we'll see what comes!

Happy Birthday Granddad!

2010-04-26T09:48:00.003-04:00

This past week we celebrated my daddy's birthday with a dinner at La Parilla's followed by presents and chocolate cake. We all had a great time and were thrilled to be able to celebrate with him!

Children of Eden

2010-04-26T09:41:00.003-04:00

The week after spring break was very busy for Amelia! She was at dress rehearsal until about 9:30 every night preparing for her next musical with Oconee Youth Playhouse... this is Amelia's 11th musical with them!! This musical, "Children of Eden" is a beautiful play based on the book of Genesis and covers the stories of Adam and Eve and Noah's Ark. Amelia was a child of Eden and also an owl on the ark. All of the children did an amazing job and we are very proud to have such a wonderful program here for Amelia to participate in!

Spring practice

2010-04-26T09:37:00.003-04:00

Every year Dave is invited to a UGA football spring practice along with other faculty/staff of the university. This year we all got to go with him and see the practice and meet some players and coaches. Following the practice was a delicious dinner catered by Peaches in Athens... yummy!

Spring Break

2010-04-26T08:56:00.003-04:00

On Easter Sunday I head out with Mitchell and Amelia to Myrtle Beach, SC to spend our spring break. We stayed with my parents in their camper at Lakewood Camping Resort right on the beach... we couldn't have asked for better weather! It was a glorious sunny and in the 70's/80's all week!! We enjoyed LOTS of time outdoors on the beach, by the pools, playing games, putt putting, boating, and of course eating lots of ice cream and Krispy Kreme!! It was a perfect week away!

Easter

2010-04-26T08:49:00.003-04:00

Mitchell and Amelia loved waking up to surprises from the Easter bunny! After breakfast we headed to church for a beautiful service. One of my favorite traditions of Easter at our church is decorating the beautiful cross outside the front of the church. Everyone brings flowers to add to the cross and when everyone is done it is stunning to see!! After church we headed home for a delicious lunch on the grill, then the kids and I packed the car to head out for Spring break!

Palm Sunday

2010-04-26T08:43:00.003-04:00

I love Palm Sunday at our church... seeing all of our sweet children waving the palm branches as they enter the church just gets me every time!! After a wonderful service and hearing the children sing, they all get to have an Easter egg hunt. This year it happened to be raining so we improvised and hid all of the eggs inside the church... they had just as much fun finding all of the candy-filled eggs! After the hunt we all head to the fellowship hall for a covered dish lunch... yum!! A great way to spend a rainy Sunday!

Perfectly Polished Formal

2010-04-26T08:36:00.002-04:00

Amelia has been going through a program called Perfectly Polished that teaches proper etiquette and many different dances. Each year ends with a formal dance in which they get to show us all of the dances they learned. After the morning rehearsal my friend Krista and I treated Amelia and Merritt to mani/pedi's and then lunch... they loved that surprise!! Amelia and all of her friends looked beautiful in their dresses and had a great time dancing the night away! My favorite dances were the sibling dance and the father/daughter dance... so sweet!!

Greenville trip

2010-04-26T08:31:00.003-04:00

Every year our children's choir gets together with the children's choir from First Baptist Greenville, SC for a fun weekend together. This year it was our turn to travel to Greenville, SC for a fun night of games, socializing, and ice skating! The two choirs sang together during the worship services on Sunday morning before we headed back to Athens... they added so much to the services! Our children look forward to seeing their "Greenville friends" every year!

National Anthem

2010-04-26T08:27:00.003-04:00

Back in February Amelia was invited to sing the National Anthem along with other 4th/5th graders from OCES at a UGA men's basketball game. They did a wonderful job and we all enjoyed staying for the game afterwards!

Upward basketball season

2010-04-26T08:21:00.002-04:00

Amelia played basketball again this winter with the Upward program... we have always loved this particular program because it combines the learning of the game with the learning about having a Christian attitude and memorizing scripture. Amelia played very well this year and we were proud of how she played the game!!

Snow!!

2010-02-16T16:11:00.003-05:00

To top off our wonderful winter break we had a beautiful snow fall one night and woke up to a winter wonderland! It didn't last long, but we still enjoyed the view!

"Wicked" girl's night away!

2010-02-16T16:01:00.003-05:00

Back on Amelia's birthday (last June) we gave her a night away with me and Grandma to go and see "Wicked" the musical... the time finally arrived!! We had an awesome night staying in a nice hotel, having dinner with my best friend, Angie, and seeing "Wicked"! We were even treated to a back stage tour before the show, thanks to Dave Wilson!! It was so cool seeing the sets, costumes, dressing rooms, makeup areas, etc...! Since Amelia was out of school on Monday we stopped and did a little shopping on the way home... a perfect girl's trip!

Skiing the Wolf!

2010-02-16T15:54:00.003-05:00

Being the bad parents that we are, we took the kids out of school a half day early to head up to NC for some good skiing! We left Wednesday afternoon and stayed overnight in Asheville... Mitchell and Amelia thought that it was so cool that they could swim outside in the pool while the snow was coming down (the pool had a connection in the water between the inside and outside)! We headed up to Wolf Ridge on Thursday morning and enjoyed skiing the entire day.... we even had fresh snow to ski on! We are already looking forward to the next time!

Grease is the word!!

2010-02-16T15:50:00.002-05:00

Amelia was in her 10th production with Oconee Youth Playhouse in January! OYP put on the musical "Grease"... and Amelia and other cast members performed in 6 shows over two weekends. Amelia did a wonderful job in her role as a Doo Wap kid and had so much fun!

Lazy Days of Winter!

2010-02-16T15:48:00.002-05:00

Like I said before, we had a very relaxing time over our Christmas break... everyone in our house participated in the laziness! As you can see, Jake has found his favorite spot to sleep at night... in Amelia's bed!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2010-02-16T15:40:00.002-05:00

Grandma was actually on a cruise for her birthday, so we had to wait until a little later to celebrate. We had a great dinner at Mirko's and then went back to their house for chocolate cake and icecream... a great celebration!

New Year's Eve!

2010-02-16T15:34:00.002-05:00

Our great friends Dave and Angie Wilson came to spend New Year's Eve at our house this year... and Mitchell was thrilled to have Reese here, too! Amelia also had her best friend Isabella here, so we had a great time ringing in the new year together! On New Year's Day we took a tour of UGA's campus, courtesy of Dave, then came home and prepared a wonderful traditional New Year's Day dinner with pork chops, greens, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes and corn... yummy!! What a great start to our new year!

Catching up... starting with Christmas!!

2010-02-16T15:27:00.002-05:00

Christmas 2009 was a very relaxing break for our family... we enjoyed the company of family, many friends who came to visit, and lots of good food and treats! We stayed home the entire break and loved every minute of our wonderful quality time together!

Amelia's Voice Recital

2009-12-23T22:10:00.002-05:00

Amelia had her 3rd voice recital this past Saturday night at Oconee Youth School of Performance. One of the songs she sang was "Notice Me Horton" from Seussical the Musical. She did a fabulous job and we were so proud of her!

Christmas before Christmas!

2009-12-23T22:07:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we had a Christmas celebration with my sister's family here in Watkinsville at my parent's house. We got to open presents, eat a wonderful dinner, and spend time with each other. We all love these family times during the Christmas season!!

Church Christmas Banquet

2009-12-23T22:03:00.003-05:00

December 16th was the annual Christmas banquet at First Baptist Athens. Once again the children of the church did a wonderful job of entertaining us with their special musical called "The Christmas Lamb". They did a great job singing and their costumes were adorable! Amelia was a brightly colored tucan. Mitchell helped the youth group with the serving of dinner after the show... they looked very festive in their Santa hats! It's a great way to celebrate during the hectic season!

5th Grade Musical

2009-12-23T22:00:00.003-05:00

Amelia's 5th grade class at OCES put on their annual musical for an auditorium full of proud parents. The musical was titled "Snowbiz!" and was so cute... we really have a bunch of talented kids... and one very hard working music teacher! Way to go 5th grade!

First Friday

2009-12-23T21:51:00.002-05:00

Several weeks ago Amelia and her friends Isabella and Merritt came to us with an idea.... they wanted to sell hot chocolate and cookies at Watkinsville's monthly First Friday celebration (which in December was also the Christmas tree lighting ceremony) and use it to purchase things like medical supplies and animals for World Vision and Samaritan's Purse. They had every detail planned out and followed through on everything.... after some sleepovers and lots of hard work! That Friday night we set up their table downtown and they did the rest.... they were even interviewed by our 2 local newspapers! They (and their parents) braved the very cold temperatures, and at the end of the night they had raised $100!! Needless to say we were so proud of them!!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-23T21:44:00.002-05:00

Well, this year we enjoyed our very last Thanksgiving feast at school... sort of bittersweet! We will miss the fun time, but not so much the food! Thanksgiving week we spent in NC between Greensboro and Winston Salem. As we did 2 years ago, we used my sister's vacant home as our personal hotel for Dave's family. Dave's Dad doesn't have the space anymore to have us all, so that gives us a place where we can hang out and be together when we were not visiting with Ann. Ann continues to do well, although we can see her memory slipping a little more each time we see her. We had a wonderful time visiting with her and Russ over the break as well as some of Dave's siblings and their families!

Girl's weekend!

2009-12-23T21:38:00.003-05:00

The weekend before Thanksgiving I went to Greenville, SC to do some Christmas shopping with my best friend Angie. We had a very fun time together and got a lot done! Friday night we just went out to dinner and caught up with each other. Saturday we got busy and shopped ALL DAY!! We did take a dinner break at PF Chang's for some cosmos, great food, and to watch Clemson football on the TV there. After a good night's sleep we had breakfast at Starbuck's and shopped a little more until I had to leave. We had so much fun that we have decided to make this weekend a yearly tradition!

Champs

2009-12-23T21:34:00.003-05:00

OCES 5th graders are involved in a program every year called CHAMPS (Choosing Health Activities and Methods Promoting Safety). It is a wonderful program and the kids learn a lot! They also have to write an essay about a subject of their choosing and they are entered into a contest judged by our local police dept. Amelia wrote about internet safety... and won 1st place in her class!! She received her prizes at the Champs graduation and we were so proud of her!

Operation Christmas Child

2009-12-23T21:30:00.003-05:00

The Mission Kids groups participated again in the packing of shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child... a great lesson for all of our kids! Adults in the church "adopted" our children and helped them purchase items and pack their boxes... it was a wonderful way to have the different generations interact with each other!

Jake's Birthday

2009-12-23T21:25:00.002-05:00

Jake (our sweet chocolate moose) turned 2 years old on November 14th, and of course we celebrated! Jake and Bailey enjoyed some doggy ice cream and Jake got a new toy to play with... a moose!

Homecoming

2009-12-23T21:21:00.003-05:00

Clemson's Homecoming game was on Halloween day this year... fun! We stayed in the same cabins this year with our good friends the Wilsons and the Kellys and had a wonderful time catching up. Despite the rainy weather we were able to tailgate and attend the game... it finally stopped raining at half time! We look forward to this weekend every year!

Catching Up!!

2009-12-23T21:16:00.003-05:00

Our church once again had a very fun Fall Festival night with lots of great activities for the kids (and adults)! There was a cake walk, games, Bingo, a hot dog and chili supper, and trunk-or-treating at the end of the night. There was also a chili cook-off for the adults, and guess what? Dave's chili recipe won for best all around chili!! We went home happy with cakes, lots of candy, and a new ladle (the prize for the best chili)!

Lazy pets

2009-10-18T18:56:00.002-04:00

With it being cooler outside we have had some lazy dogs and cat around here! Who exactly does the sofa belong to anyway? One morning recently we found Bailey and Jake snuggling together on the chair and covered them with a blanket... they loved it! They're not too spoiled, are they?

Webcam chatting!

2009-10-18T18:49:00.004-04:00

Recently Amelia spent the night with her friend Isabella, and Isabella happened to get sick on Saturday morning. So... we went right over to pick up Amelia and bring her home. After getting her home, Amelia was so sad that she couldn't spend the rest of her time with Isabella... and Isabella cried when Amelia had to go! Dave taught Amelia how to set up the video chat on gmail, and Amelia "invited" Isabella on... you should have heard the girls when their faces appeared on each others' screens! I have never heard such happiness in my life! Their day was made and they pretty much spent the rest of the day "chatting" with each other... thank goodness for technology!

Fall Break

2009-10-18T18:40:00.003-04:00

Mitchell and Amelia were out of school for 3 days recently for their fall break, so we decided to stay local and do fun things around here. Dave, Mitchell, Daddy and I played golf on the first day and had a beautiful day on the course! While we were golfing Amelia "took" my Mama to the mall for a little shopping spree at Justice and Claire's... and came home with multiple purchases! On Friday we went to Washington Farms pumpkin patch and corn maze and had a fun afternoon there. The corn maze was challenging and fun, we all had fun shooting corn cobs at targets and sling shotting pumpkins into a pond! We picked out several great pumpkins and watched the pig races, too. Another fun break.... we are already looking forward to the next one!

Happy Birthday Bailey!

2009-10-18T18:24:00.002-04:00

Bailey turned 4 years old on Sept. 21! She celebrated with Jake by sharing doggie icecream with him, and made sure that Callie had some cat milk for the party. She got a stuffed squirrel as a present and loves it! I think that she had a fun time!

Happy Birthday Dave!

2009-09-22T19:18:00.002-04:00

This past Friday night we finally celebrated Dave's birthday with family (his actual Bday was on the 16th). We had a wonderful dinner of pot roast, which was Dave's request, and had Oreo Delight for his birthday cake... yum! Mama and Daddy came over to help us celebrate and we had a nice time together!

Weekend in Clemson

2009-09-18T21:18:00.002-04:00

This past weekend we celebrated Dave's birthday in Clemson, SC. We had given him a night away with all of us at the Martin Inn at Clemson's Walker Golf Course. Dave and Mitchell played a round of golf on Saturday afternoon while Amelia and I spent the afternoon relaxing at the pool. Then we spent the evening with our dear friends Neil and Denise Burton grilling out steaks, catching up, and celebrating Dave's 42nd! All of our kids had a blast playing outside together with other neighborhood kids while we watched the Georgia football game on TV. On Sunday morning we got to sleep in a little, then had a wonderful breakfast on our suite's patio overlooking beautiful Lake Hartwell. After breakfast we played some tennis, then packed up and headed home. It was a perfect weekend of quality time together and with great friends!

Clown Makeovers!

2009-09-15T18:41:00.004-04:00

This past Friday Amelia had her friend Isabella over to play for a while. After dinner they decided to paint their toenails and do clown makeovers! They were so funny to watch because they giggled their way through the makeovers... and check out the results! They had so much fun!

Labor Day weekend

2009-09-13T17:37:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we traveled to Myrtle Beach, SC for a long relaxing weekend. We stayed at the Lakewood Campground Resort in my parents wonderful camper and had a great time! The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed playing on the beach, riding the waves, searching for shells and sharks' teeth, swimming in the pool, water wars (a really fun game at the campground), riding down the HUGE inflatable slide, and playing putt putt... we also ate very well! It was great because we were on no particular schedule and stayed up late playing games and slept later in the mornings. Just what we needed to officially end our summer!

OYP Gala

2009-09-02T06:49:00.002-04:00

Sunday night we attended the Oconee Youth Playhouse's annual Gala, which is a fundraiser event for them. At the Gala the students perform numbers from this year's upcoming shows... this year they will be doing Grease, Children of Eden, and Children's Letters to God! They also recognized the kids who have done 5 or more plays, and 10 or more plays with OYP... Amelia has now done 9 plays, so she was recognized and received a star! When you have done 10 or more you get a star on the "Wall of Fame" at OYP! One more to go, Amelia!

Sad moment for Mom

2009-08-21T09:34:00.003-04:00

Ever since Amelia had enough hair to hold a bow she has worn one in her hair... all colors, all sizes... her hair was almost always up in a bow! I guess almost 2 years ago she stopped wearing the bows and graduated to more mature things for her hair... I really missed those bows! She was even known in her classrooms for wearing the bows, and it was mentioned a few times in classroom memory books.

Last night Amelia was cleaning her room and called me in to show off her hard work... especially in one particular drawer where the bows used to be. I say "used to be" because she has decided that she no longer needs a drawer full of bows and had a huge pile of them on the floor to give away! It's pretty funny explaining to your 10 year old why you are getting all teary about a pile of bows on the floor... Amelia is really growing up and we have officially come to the end of a very sweet stage in her life!

Fun Wednesday!

2009-08-21T08:51:00.003-04:00

Wednesday was a big day for Mitchell and Amelia for different reasons. First... Mitchell got his braces off! He was so excited to have them off for a while (official end of phase 1) and we celebrated with lunch at Chick-Fil-A before heading back to school. Also... this week was the kickoff for Wednesday night church activities and our church had a talent show. People of ALL ages participated in the show... Amelia and her friend, Elli, sang the song "Oh you can't get to heaven... on roller skates... cause you might roll by those pearly gates...!" They wore their skates while singing the song (accompanied by Elli's dad on guitar) and they looked adorable! A great day for the Graves!

Camping!

2009-08-19T08:03:00.002-04:00

This past weekend we took a break from the busy start of school to enjoy some fun and nature! We met the Wilsons at Trackrock Campground in the North GA mountains for 2 nights of camping. The weather was absolutely perfect with highs in the low 80's and the lows in the 60's at night... perfect for tent camping! We all had fun exploring the campground, hiking, eating (food is always better outside!), playing games, riding bikes, and swimming... as well as lots of catching up with great friends! It was just what we all needed!

School!

2009-08-08T17:53:00.003-04:00

We now have the first 3 days of school behind us... only 177 more to go! Amelia had a great first day of school... she discovered that she is going to be in classes with many of her good friends and has already made some new friends, also. She is very excited about her 5th grade year! The first day of school did not exactly go as planned for Mitchell. He had been fighting sickness all week and his fever did not go away in time to attend the first day... he was SO disappointed! HIS first day went great, though... he has classes with many of his friends and likes all of his teachers... a great start to 7th grade! We hope for 177 more wonderful days for both of them!

Tennis weekend!

2009-08-03T13:43:00.002-04:00

Mitchell's tennis team went to Macon this past weekend for the USTA junior state championship tournament. Although they didn't win all of their matches they all played very well and we were very proud of all of them!!

"Dear Edwina" weekend!

2009-08-03T13:38:00.003-04:00

Amelia was in 4 performances of "Dear Edwina" this past weekend... whew! The musical featured kids from 1st grade through 8th grade and was very cute! We were very proud of Amelia's performance as a neighborhood kid... this was her 10th musical with Oconee Youth Playhouse!

Birthday!

2009-07-28T16:19:00.003-04:00

Even though my actual birthday is July 27th I have gotten to enjoy a few days of celebration this past week! Dave and I went out to the Hilltop Grille in Athens one night last week and listened to the live music on the patio during our wonderful dinner... it was lots of fun and we can't wait to go back on another Thursday night soon with even more friends! I also got to celebrate with my family on Sunday with a great lunch of steak... and Cecilia's chocolate cake (the best cakes in Athens)!! Turning another year older was a lot more fun with friends and family!

Hanging Out

2009-07-28T16:11:00.003-04:00

We have been on the go a lot this summer... but we did enjoy just hanging out at home with friends on many days! One recent afternoon Mitchell enjoyed a poker game with Dave while Amelia and her friend Isabella baked cupcakes for us all... Yum!

The Cruise!!

2009-07-23T09:58:00.003-04:00

WOW!!! What an amazing vacation! My parents, our family, and my sister's family all went on a 7 night cruise on Royal Caribbean to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and the Bahamas... thanks to my parents' wonderful treat to us all! This was the first vacation that we have all taken together and I can say that it has provided us all with TONS of wonderful memories! We had some really fun excursions... a bike ride in St. Thomas, snorkeling tour on an awesome catamaran boat in St. Maarten, parasailing in the Bahamas... and 3 wonderful and relaxing days at sea to explore our great ship! We all gathered each night for dinner and most of us attended the great shows that followed. Mitchell and Amelia discovered just how great room service is... Mitchell and Brandon had room service about 2 times a day for breakfast and a midnight snack of pizza and cookies! Mitchell loved his independence on the ship... we hardly saw him when we were at sea until dinner... he shared a cabin with Blake and Brandon and they had full run of the ship. We also got to celebrate Blake's 18th birthday on the cruise... a special time!

Not all vacations are perfect, though... Amelia's UTI came back and she started running a fever at the end of the week (we just kept her dosed up on Advil and Tylenol and she felt fine) and she also got to experience a very small jellyfish sting... and Mitchell decided to see if the lifeguards were paying close enough attention at the Flow Rider when he got caught underwater in the roughest part of the water flow--he was stuck under the dividing net-- (the lifeguards WERE, in fact, on their toes and responded more quickly then we could have hoped for... Mitchell was fine, but a little shaken up). The good news is that Mitchell got right back on the Flow Rider that same day!

We had a blast every day... and we are ready to go back!!

Amelia's 10th Birthday

2009-07-09T22:48:00.002-04:00

Amelia has had a few days of celebrating her 10th! On June 26th we took her to Mirko's for dinner per her request... yum! On the 27th we celebrated more with cake and presents. She was thrilled with our gift to her... a girl's weekend away in January when "Wicked" is playing at the Peace Center in Greenville! Amelia, me and my mama will go on this girls trip and we are all looking forward to it! We are even getting to go backstage for a tour!

Yesterday Amelia celebrated with 6 of her friends by taking them to Helen for tubing down the Chattahoochee... they all had so much fun! Thank goodness the weather held out for us... it turned into a beautiful sunny day after driving through black skies and very heavy rain! After tubing we all came back to our house for pizza, cake and presents.... what a fun day!

Camp Sunshine

2009-07-09T22:42:00.003-04:00

Every summer Dave and I spend 1 week with children with cancer at Camp Sunshine. It is by far one of the most rewarding and special weeks of our year! As another counselor put it "How can you be so exhausted and recharged all at the same time?"... but that is exactly the way you feel there! These kids teach us so many lessons about life that we can't teach them! We are very fortunate to be able to volunteer here every year!

Our Trip to Indiana

2009-07-09T22:34:00.002-04:00

On June 11th we made our annual trip to the Branham farm in Indiana... a trip all of us look forward to every year! Dave's mother was one of 9 children, so that makes for lots of Aunts, Uncles, and cousins (and now cousins' children)! Most of the family lives very close to the family farm and we all gather for a long weekend together of relaxing, catching up, eating lots of yummy food, tractor rides, hay rides, four wheeling, seeing the horses, cows and goats, swimming, playing in the barn and climbing up to the hay loft... just lots of fun!! Everyone leaves the weekend tired, happy, and full!

Mitchell's 12th Birthday

2009-07-09T22:26:00.004-04:00

We can safely say that Mitchell had an AWESOME 12th birthday! He started his celebration a week early on June 3rd by taking 3 of his friends to Stone Mountain Park for the day. We all had a fun day there doing the new Sky Hike, seeing the 4D movie, the Red Barn, climbing the mountain and taking in the view, and ending the day with a picnic dinner on the lawn before the laser show... what a fun day!

Mitchell also celebrated with family on his actual birthday, June 10th with dinner, cake, and presents! Mitchell's biggest surprise came when he opened one present.... the game of Life. I attached a note to the box that said "In real life you don't always get everything that you want... But... sometimes life can be full of surprises!" At this time something in the game box started to ring... Mitchell's new cell phone! He had NO idea we were giving him one and he was SO excited!!

Swim Team

2009-07-09T22:18:00.002-04:00

What a busy and fun summer so far... now it's time to play catch-up once again! I'll start with the swim team... Mitchell and Amelia really enjoyed their 6th season with the Barracudas! Both did a great job with moving up an age group and most of all had a blast during the whole season. The season ended on June 27th with the county meet where the Barracudas came in 2nd place! We were proud of all of them!

Locks of Love

2009-05-26T16:04:00.003-04:00

You've probably noticed that Amelia has changed quite a bit in the last few posts here. She had 10 inches cut off of her hair for Locks of Love! This is her 2nd time donating to this wonderful organization and we are very proud of her!