Ann Pitner brought the girls a gift

Ann is moving on Friday. She and her husband Gary have lived across the street from us for 9 years. Sweet Gary passed away this year and Ann is moving to Madison to be near her daughter and son-in-law on Friday. Today, she brought the girls a China Doll over. Her name is Madison. She said it will help them remember where she lives now, in Madison, GA. I have often hunted the girls down for dinner and found them across the street visiting with Ann and her dogs. Her and Gary will be missed! 

Girls went to a friend's "Gotcha Day" celebration today.

Some people celebrate the day they got their adopted child. It's like the child's birth into their family. The theme of the party was "Red Thread". There's a Chinese proverb that says, "A red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."

Girls' riding lessons

                                 Girls know how to groom (brush) and tack (saddle) a horse.

                                                    They can climb on without any help!

 

I'm so proud of the girls!!! They are both great little "western" riders! A neighbor saw Ellie riding the other day and said she would be a great "english" rider because of how straight she sits when she rides. The girls raced through cones today and were timed. They both did really well. Ellie came in second among all Phil's students on time and this was only her second time doing the cones! Emma learned to lope today. In western riding, the progression is: walk, jog, lope, gallop. In english riding its: walk, trot, canter, gallop. (galloping is what I'd call running???) Rosie is the horse Phil starts the kids on. She is a gentle, old horse. She can't gallop, she can only go as far as loping. Phil has 5 horses... Senator, Flashy, Dee, Rose, and Dream. (Dream only has one eye and has arthritis, poor baby.) The girls love for me to schedule their lessons around feeding time so they can feed the horses after their lesson.

                                                   Emma warming up around the ring!

Maybe a few more tweaks...

I switched my "Big Lots"rug from the keeping room and moved it into the breakfast room. Then I got the rug I had rolled up in the attic and put it in the keeping room. It used to be in the keeping room, but when I moved the ottoman from the family room to the keeping room, the gold rug didn't work. For some reason, when I put the tan curtains up and took down the bright red ones, that rug worked. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but the rug is 2 toned and has tan and gold in it. The red rug seems to define the breakfast nook, but it also makes it a little dark. I'll have to look at it for a week or so and decide if it stays or if it goes to the attic. Oh and I ended up getting bigger rods for the keeping room windows. (Home Depot had the best deal on those).

Sunday afternoon with the family

Fall is near and I've got the itch...

Before

After

I found a pair of panel curtains at TJ Maxx clearanced for $12.00 and I grabbed them. Only problem, I couldn't find another pair for the other window. So I cut them in half and voila, only spent $12.00 for curtains for my family room. Then I took the long curtains off the family room windows and put them in the keeping room. Only problem, I needed 3 sets of panels and couldn't find one more, so I cut them and put the thinner panels on the smaller windows. I didn't spend any money in that room. Then I went to Lowes and found window treatments for the bay window in the breakfast room. I'm still deciding if I want just the valence or the valence with 2 panels. Hmmm... Those weren't clearanced or free, but they weren't bad ($15.00 per valence and $30.00 per panel).  I guess I'm feeling a little entitled since I was able to reuse the same rods and I've put up with my K-mart bright red valences for 10 years. It seems to give the space a little less of a "bistro" feeling and a little more sophistication. Because of less contrast in the window treatments and the walls, it seems to tone down the yellow walls that were always a bit bright for me, but didn't bug me enough to want to spend the money to repaint the whole interior. Who knows, I may faux finish one wall in the keeping room like I did in the family room. I think the older I get, the more I'm drawn toward the neutrals, with just a splash of color.

Laurel is back from Italy!!!

Turkey Meatloaf stuffed in green peppers (and for the kids... meatloaf muffins)

Update on the boys and their gals...

Tyler was accepted into the UGA Masters Program! He will begin this fall working towards a masters degree in Mathematics Education. It should take him 2 years. He wants to teach college math. He also may have a job with UGA as a Research Assistant... it looks promising. We are keeping our fingers crossed! Emily is working again with Ms. Evelyn at the preschool and is considering taking online courses to get her teaching degree. 

Laurel got home from Italy 2 days ago. The gang is surprising her with a "Welcome Home Party" tonight! Alex is so glad to have his girlfriend back home! Alex started a new job at Grouchoes, a deli near  5 points in downtown Athens. He also got accepted at NGC, but the 2 classes he needs for his Associates in Business aren't available. He's going to try and pick them up during drop/add week. 

Drew is still loving his job at Gardenview and loving spending time with his girlfriend, Haley. Both Haley and Laurel will be graduating from UGA this year. Laurel with a degree in Interior Design and Haley with a degree in journalism. 

First Day of School 2013-2014!

Ellie will be going into 6th grade and Emma into 2nd!!! I drive the girls to their schools in the mornings and they ride the bus home in the afternoons. They were both extremely excited and also just a bit jittery this morning:)

Today was meet and greet!

Emma is going into 2nd grade this year and back at High Shoals Elementary School, but without Ellie. Ellie's moving on to middle school. I can't believe she will be in 6th grade. Both girls ended up getting great teachers! Emma was hoping for Mrs. Burke, Ellie's old teacher, and was so excited when she found out she got her! Ellie got Mrs. Chambers, also a super sweet teacher. Ellie was a bit intimidated by the size of her new school. There are 3 or 4 elementary schools that feed into Malcomb Bridge Middle School. I have no doubt she will find her way around in no time!

The Zinn's came over for an end of the summer visit!

The girls always pick up right where they left off when we get together. Ray didn't come this time because he was spending "daddy time" with Mike. Cathie and I enjoyed chatting the afternoon away while the girls went for a swim, then we let them take turns driving the golf cart, and before they left we taught them how do the beat to "Cups"! It ended all too soon, as usual...