Silly Selfies

This goofy girl wanted a pre-church selfie with me.

In Home Spa

I don't know where they have seen this but the kids set up a "massage studio" in the living room today. One got to lay on the coffee table with a pillow for their head and be covered in a blanket. Then the others would rub their backs. There was even a waiting area set up.  I did not participate. I couldn't fit on the coffee table. ;)

Baking with Eva

Eva has taken an interest in baking and cooking. Today she and I made Lemon Raspberry Napoleons with homemade lemon curd and fresh whipped cream. YUM!

We decided to eat them outside after dinner.

Hiking

We hiked around Lake Rim today with Stella. She was SO excited!

 

We stopped at a few lookouts to check out the flora and fauna.

This last shot was a miracle. Everyone is looking at the camera including the dog. What magic does a random stranger on the trail who took the picture possess?

Strawberry Picking

Every year when we are in Fayetteville, we try to make it to Gillis Hill for strawberry picking. We really enjoy it. This year we made it early enough in the season for some great picking. We filled two five pound buckets in record time.

 

 

I made several different strawberry desserts this week. I made strawberry shortcake. Next on my list is strawberry cobbler.

Deep Sea Fishing

Brendan had been asking Jason if they could go fishing over Spring Break. He did one better. He hired a boat and guide and they went to Wilmington to do some deep sea fishing. By all accounts they had a great time. Brendan told me, "It was awesome!" The wind made the seas VERY choppy and Brendan almost lost his hat. They came home with a few big fish which Jason prepared and we grilled up. Fun father son bonding.

Aloha Zoo 2019

As part of our Spring Break plans we went to the Aloha Zoo in Cameron, NC.

Its a rescue zoo and, as such, doesn't have as many animals but still has a LOT of unique ones. Also, it is smaller and the animals are often closer, even loose. This noisy peacock just wanders around the zoo.

 

There was, of course, a petting zoo portion where you could feed the animals.

 

 

 

You also get to feed Stretch, the resident giraffe that they rescued. The kids loved that!

 

 

We have had experiences with the monkeys there before. Last time we went one threw bread at Jason. I am just glad he didn't throw poo.

 

 

Here are my monkeys.

 

  

They had many exotic animals like this ring tailed lemur. It makes me wonder what their stories are.

 

As I said before, the animals are really close to you. I was less than six feet from a grizzly bear.

 

 

The tigers were amazingly close. The white tiger just laid down right in front of us. It was amazing to see one so close.

 

 

 

These tortoises just roam around outside the reptile house. 

Jason is imitating this iguana.

 

Inside the reptile house, the kids got to touch a boa constrictor. No thank you!

 

This bird kept talking back to Jason. It was so funny. It was like a squawky conversation.

We ended the trip with some fun at the playground and then left for lunch and the drive home.

It was a super fun family outing.

Beginning Spring Break

Today is the first day of Spring Break. The kids decided that they wanted to spend last night camping in the backyard. Only a few made it through the whole night since either their siblings wouldn't be quiet (Brendan's complaint) or it was too hot (Paige's complaint).

This is a sight rarely seen - the big brother and the youngest sister playing together nicely. They are SO different but, at this moment, having tons of fun together.

Big Girl Room

Eva is growing up. She will be in middle school soon. I decided it was time to redo her room to reflect her age and make it more functional for a pre-teen. Jason built her a desk. She got to design it and he built, painted and stained it for her. It looks so cute up next to her window. I got a purple chair to match her room.

She still loves purple but I got rid of the flowers and butterflies and stuck with a simple duvet cover  set with tassels.

 

Stella approves apparently.