December '16

The kids have been taking piano lessons for a little while now, and participated in their first recital before Christmas.

Another successful Christmas parade was attended on Main Street with the usual gang.

Relaxed hang out time was had at home.

After a PTO meeting we wandered the elementary school halls and saw this snowman made by Caspian.  That black line is a snake.  if you read the fine print next to his shoulder it says, "I am going to be a herpetologist."

One morning Annaliese went to work with Alexe, and Caspian and I found a creative use for the pile of pallets left over after the stone was unloaded.

If it's not obvious this is a goat playground.



The family came with me to walk the fence line and fix shorts.

A chilly morning in December, where a pipe in the chicken house split and made a lovely ice display.

One of my favorite candid shots from Base Camp.  I walked in to find a friendly game of Uno starting up during a break.

Another recital organized by the kids' piano teacher at the retirement home.

One of Alexe's Christmas presents this year was new eyes.  The newest form of lasik has a much higher rate of success, and works on the level of vision impairment Alexe has had her whole life.  (That level has always been about the level of a mole.)

We took her to Memphis,where she went into this little room for two hours.

We took that time to pop around the corner and rent a hotel room, then dash to the grocery store and procure snacks, before coming back to pick up our slightly loopy mama-bear.  (They gave her a valium to help keep her calm for the 5 minutes the procedure took.)

She was instructed to keep her eyes closed until the next day, and return to the surgeon the next morning at 8.  To accomplish this they recommend taking a sleeping pill and zonking out. Apparently there's a period of itching that is better to sleep through.  The googles are to prevent you from rubbing your eyes and tearing your retinas off.

We described the layout of the room, put snacks and beverages and the remote in arms reach, and left her to her peace and quiet.  (This was not our idea, Alexe insisted.)

We hopped in the truck and went to the Children's Science Museum, courtesy of a.Natalie and u.William.  The timing of that Christmas present, an annual membership literally procured half an hour earlier, could not have been cooler.

We spent a couple hours getting to know the place. We had never been before.

There may be a video of this young lady making a music video in front of the green screen.  I don't post videos here, but if you come to her wedding it might be shown there.

Caspian and I shot our way through this entire basketball course.  

And then we went home, and the next day Alexe came home in her own vehicle with new eyes.

This picture is here to remind me of the swelling in my heart I felt as Annaliese and I were walking the fence line once again checking for shorts.  (Ah, goats.)  As we came out of the woods she took off, blue coat flying out behind her, racing for the golf cart with the hopes of getting to drive back to the house.  I was overcome with the joy of having her there, and the sadness of what it will be like to walk these fence lines by myself after she is grown.  

Check out those baby blues!

We decided it was time to collect the many pumpkins Alexe had decorated the farm with in the fall, and feed them to the pigs.  The kids love this, mostly for the hatchet-action.

Pond steps project...

The pile of surplus stone that was gifted to us was calling out for something to do.  Last fall I took a couple of the larger pieces, originally intended as wall cap stones for a hotel, down to the dock to see how they would look as steps.

They looked nice, but there was no easy way to transport the stones, roughly 5 inches thick, 24 inches across, and close to 4 feet wide, down this slope. If I had to guess at their weight I would say more than 300 lbs each.  The tractor could safely make it to the top of the hill, but they required human power from the fence line, and to be hoisted into place after a suitable platform was dug out of the hillside.

Some time in early December Alexe had a day off, so I decided to stay close and find a farm project.  I spent all day dragging, (too heavy for the wheelbarrow or garden cart,) digging, and hoisting.  Alexe came to visit once, and comment on what a mess I was making with the styrofoam the stones had been shipped with.

After that day I took a break of several weeks.  Yes, we had a lot of these puppies.

Christmas break came along, and I suddenly had chattering little people to keep me company, so we headed back to this corner of the farm.

My helpers were easily distracted.  



But!  I persevered, and by the end of the day we had 33 stone steps in place, above the dock that still doesn't have a composite deck on it.  Silly folks think that stuff is worth its weight in gold.



I think they're going to settle in nicely.  And if not, oh well, this is where they're staying.



After some heavy rains in January the pond is starting to fill up.  The dam had to be wrapped in plastic after the hay, erosion cloth, and seeding was all ineffective.  We'll try sod in the spring.

Fall 3

Annaliese's godmother came to Mississippi with her beau after traveling from Germany for Eliza and Charlie's wedding.  They were incredibly pleasant and easy houseguests, and Caspian took a particular shine to Christoph.  

Alexe asked me to get her something to wear for halloween.  She loved it.  Half a dozen times I heard her telling friend, "I finally look the way I feel!"

One of Caspian's hobbies. Finding necklaces, cutting them up into their component parts, storing them in a big box, and when he's particularly bored, sorting them.

This young lady has been at our house for several sleep overs in the past couple months.  Miraculously the three of them seem to get along, and on the most recent visit they invited Caspian to bring a sleeping bag in and sleep on the floor of Annaliese's room.  For a little brother who isn't allowed to have sleepovers until his next birthday, he loves the inclusion.

My daughter.

Who hd a terrible fall on the playground.  A call from the school, "You need to come get your daughter, and probably take her to the doctor, she's pretty hurt...click." I drove rather quickly to the school, worried, and more than a little irritated at the complete lack of details about what had happened and how Annaliese was.

Poor little girl was in the nurse's office, she had slipped on the monkey bars and done a full face plant on the ground.  So happy to wrap her up and carry her home with me.  Nothing to be done while the swelling was so high, so we tucked her in on the couch.  She was in shock, and upset that it was Halloween and her costume was not going to work with her injuries and she might not be able to go trick or treating.

Alexe was amazing and talked her into going as a zombie.  We attended the same halloween party we've been going to for 6 years, and everyone had fun trick-or-treating.  Not sure why I have no pictures from the night...

In Jackson to speak at a conference, took some time to wander the nearly deserted downtown, and fell in love with this empty building.  Lamar Life Insurance building.  Built in the early 20s by a firm out of Texas, still straight and true, stone, with statues all over it!  

Another visit to the dentist.  Cavities in baby teeth.  We may need to look into getting some dental insurance.

The black eyes were impressive, and Annaliese did pretty well through her self-conscious healing time.  Her friends at school were very supportive and as far as we know didn't tease her, and there was no break in her nose.  

Caspian was home sick for a couple days.  This and his sister's face injury was the start of a series of unfortunate events. From the death of a student at Base Camp who had worked at the BTC for close to 3 years, to illness and injuries, (we'll cover the lovely Thanksgiving week later,) to the election, the world seemed to have a cloud hanging over it.  

It was a good time to remember our many blessings, and find reasons to smile despite the current events.



And maybe buy ourselves a present.  Not sure where these are going, possibly in the barn we are planning, but they're on that list of things I have always wanted.  Spent a day in Memphis removing these from an old warehouse that was about to be demolished. 

Fall 2

A children's birthday party.  There's a healthy population of youth in this town, and these parties occur constantly.  Sometimes Alexe lets me off the hook, but not this time.

The kids showing off their cart-driving skills to their chess coach.

Caspian's current career goal is herpetologist.  He has other scientific pursuits for the time being, which his microscope helps with.  He also enjoys making potions in the kitchen that he hides around the house where they explode their containers or gently leak horrible smells.

Date night.

At a gallery opening.  With the kids.  But still a date!

Alexe turns 34!  

My spring chicken. Who has been both 15 and 79 since I met her.

Alexe outdid herself in finding the most obnoxious-to-make cake request so far.  A 7 layer Russian honey cake.

Another Friday evening at the brewery.  The pictures here may make it seem like we spend an inordinate amount of time at the brewery, but it's really just one evening a week.

We tend to go early, which means the kids are bored until their friends trickle in.  

Farm boy filling up the wood boxes.

In Greenwood for an overnight, full day of meetings for a board I serve on.  Bowed out of the evening activities, to enjoy a quiet walk along the river, and enjoy a great bbq place in the back streets.

a.Jenny and two of her young ones in town for a visit.  They were en-route from Colorado to Virginia for a.Eliza's wedding.

Nice to show them around our little world.

It was adorable watching Annaliese and Caspian show off their budding piano skills, and be blown away by Celeste's cello.  It seems like they're practicing more now...