Happy Racers

This afternoon, the kids and I took Little Horse for a walk up to the tennis courts. 

Chloe had lots of energy and ran much of the way.  She would stop and run back to me.  Then run ahead again.

Normally, the courts are empty on Sunday afternoons so it's easy to snag three and shut/lock the gates before turning the hound loose to run.

Look at all of these happy faces!

Even Dylan didn't stop grinning ear to ear and he chased around the tennis courts with the kids!

I don't think there is such a thing as too many happy kid and dog pics, do you?  I didn't think so.

The kids got so hot from running around that they took off their hats and coats and mittens.  Chloe's cheeks were rosy from the cold, but what is seen in the pic is her attempt at re-applying Disney princess make-up on her cheeks.

We had smiles and laughter the whole time until Mommy got too cold to stay any more.  Then we had pouting.  Hard when it's time for the fun to end and go home.  :(

Walk at the Chattahoochee River

We met our friend Cas this morning for a photowalk along the Chattahoochee River.  We had had the heat blasting in the car, but it got to hot for Todd and Chloe....so they got out of the car and Chloe ran around while Owen and I continued to soak up the heat.

It was cold and we started off with one grumpy kid, but that changed as soon as we were crunching along on leaves through the woods!

They had so much fun running through leaves and following the trail.

I let Cas borrow one of my lenses, but I don't think it played very nice for her.  Boo.  Hiss.

However, this was the first chance I really had to get out and play with my new camera and I was absolutely LOVING the pics it was taking.  Yay!

I also love when the kids are so happy that they willingly stand still and smile nice and even give each other hugs so I can get pictures of them!

They each took turns bringing me special leaves because we were having a Unique Leaf Contest.

During our walk, there were several fallen trees that they had fun climbing.

Chloe!  You get down from there right now!

She got a kick out of standing up on a tree and being taller than me.  :)

So did the boy child.

Another tree to climb!

And then there were caves to explore and run around in.  So cool!

Afterwards, we went out to lunch at the $3 Cafe for hot wings.  It was a good lunch and their bathroom was an extra warm place to go and warm up.  If only we had known at the beginning when we first arrived!  We would have hung out extra long in there.  :)

Evening at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

I bought tickets to go hear Handel's Messiah at the ASO with Owen.  There were only two nights of performances and we were lucky enough to get some nice balcony seats for tonight.  We both dressed up nice.

Owen asked if I would wear a dress, so I found one dress suitable for winter and layered up with tights, boots and a long sweater!

He even put gel in his hair so he would be extra handsome! :)

We had a good view of all the musicians and the choir members on stage, but I think Owen might have liked it better if we had been closer for him to see the instruments being played.  We were all the way at the top!

 The second violist is Paul Murray, sitting just to the left of the harpsicord and has white hair.  He is a friend of one of the bloggers I follow and I had wanted to meet him afterwards to say hello.  But Owensk was very tired by the end of the performance and just wanted to go home.  I don't blame him.  It was two hours past his bedtime!

Owen fell asleep during the second half and missed my favorite part of Handel's Messiah with the Hallelujah chorus.  He didn't much care for the music and said the only good part about the night was intermission when he got to eat the brownie I brought for him.  :)

Oh Tannenbaum!

The kids were big enough this year to put together the whole tree, except the very top.  They were so ecstatic to finally put the tree up after begging for a week to do it.  We had just been too busy in the evenings.

They both worked together to make piles of the branches for each level and then put together one level at a time.

Did I tell you they worked together?  They did.  They worked together very nicely!

There wasn't any bickering.

Until it was time to hang the ornaments.  And then one little girl got sent up to her room for a nap because she was causing too much trouble and needed some sleep.  We saved a bunch of ornaments for Chloe to hang up on the tree after she got up, so she didn't completely miss out on the decorating fun.

Owen's Indoor Soccer Meet and Greet

Owen got to meet his coach Wim Lippers and his teammates for the winter season of indoor soccer this morning.

While O's team was making introductions, Chloe and I were taking pictures of ourselves.

And then she asked to hold the camera and take a picture of me.  One picture in her mind equates to roughly 22 pics taken as fast as she can press the shutter button before it finally registers that I told her to hand the camera back.

The indoor games are taking place on Saturday mornings in this gymnasium belonging to a local Presbyterian church.  It also doubles as a basketball court.

The team practiced together for close to 45 minutes.

Our boy was in heaven.

I thought these dried out hydrangeas looked pretty cool.  

Thought it was even cooler that the kids wanted to stop and smile for me!

Grandma Suzanney's Birthday

The Grandmas came over on Grandma Suzanney's birthday to celebrate.  We had meatloaf, fresh green beans and mashed potatoes and then a Publix cake for dessert --> everything that Grandma Suzanney asked for and a special treat after staying away from meatloaf and cake for months in order to get healthier again.  Woot!

Of course Owen was right there to help her blow out the candles on the cake.

And Bean, too.  Bean!  Get your hair out of the cake, you goat!

Chloe was right there as Grandma Suzanney opened up her birthday card that she had picked out and decorated inside.

I think Grandma Suzanney liked the cards that the kids picked out for her and signed.

She liked her new rain coat and kids had to be in the pic with her to show it off and do karate moves.

LOVE the reactions over the picture of the kids with Grandma Suzanney standing in the Gulf of Mexico together when we were at Clearwater Beach the week before!

Owen is just clapping away with excitement!

HaPpY bIrThDaY Grandma Suzanney, we love you!