What's Happening?

We have definitely been busy lately! Last Thursday was Ladies' Night Out, which is put together by our church. Held at the Commerce Civic Center, the program this year featured Iris Blue, a lady with an amazing testimony. Out of that night there were 12 salvations and 42 women who rededicated their lives to following Christ. A few weeks ago, I started a Beth Moore Bible study on David, in addition to an evangelism class on Monday nights and teaching Sunday School. Katie is taking a kids' version of Beth's study on the beloved disciple, John, and doing children's choir. She is in my Sunday School class this year. Jeff has started attending a new men's Sunday School class that he is really enjoying. He continues to sing his wonderful bass in choir and to play his saxophone during Sunday services. We're both excited about the Christmas musical our church is doing this year which has a 1940's theme. Joseph is loving his AWANA class on Wednesday nights, called AWANA Bees. He treasures the little art projects they do there and in Sunday School. He points to his name written on the back and says, "My 'Joe'!"

Labor Day weekend we drove down to Granny and Papa's, which is always lots of fun. (It was made much more enjoyable by the addition to our family of a minivan, I can assure you. There simply cannot be a price set on separating small children on a five-hour drive!) We had a nice long visit with Granny and Papa and assorted family. We got to play games and drive "Scooter" down to the river, which thrilled Katie. Jeff always packs work clothes along in the hopes that Papa will have a project that needs doing -- he wasn't disappointed!

Last weekend, we went to our nephew Joel's fifth birthday party at Chick-Fil-A. We had a great time spending the day with the Pittard clan, despite the fact that the children are rapidly outnumbering the adults!

Stuart called me yesterday and let me know that he and Virginia and Ralston have settled in nicely in Charleston. Ginny graduated in the spring with her PhD and has gotten a job there. Last week, they got a marriage license and they'll be getting married either this weekend or next. So, that's what's new with us -- whew!

Schoolhouse Rock

Today was the first day of school for Kaitlyn! We're off to a great start. I think the tentative schedule I've set for most days will work out very well. Most everything can be done in the morning after breakfast. We do Bible reading/lessons during breakfast. Things like science (which involves experiments), art, and math that require little Joe to be elsewhere can be done while he's napping later in the day. Since Jeff wanted to be involved in Katie's school too, he will do music and geography in the evening. That will only be one day a week for music, and a couple of days a week for geography. She'll have art just 2-3 times a week. We are thankful every day that God has given us the opportunity and the ability to homeschool. Even on the frustrating days, it's entirely worth it all!

Happy Birthday, Little Joe!

Today is Joseph's second birthday! On Saturday we had a little party for him with our parents, siblings, and our friends the Cospers. We had a great time and I loved being able to cook for a bunch of people! Our friend Abbie owns Common Road Bakery here in Commerce and she made the cake from my description of a rock quarry.

"You Wreck Me, Baby" (Tom Petty)

Well, I have wrecked our Taurus. I was driving home in heavy rain at 9:30 on a Friday night -- never a good combination! To top it off, I was heading into a curve and the car coming at me had its brights on. The road also has a railroad spur crossing it to join to the main track. When I completely lost sight of the road, my right front tire dipped off the edge. I might have gotten the car back on the road, but the tire caught on the train track. The car simply followed the rail up to where the two tracks joined and wedged itself in! It's hard to believe the damage it did. After talking with the insurance company and the guy at the body shop, we've decided to cut our losses and buy another vehicle. The insurance company will pay to fix the car, but we'll take that money plus what the body shop owner pays us for the Taurus and buy a van we were looking at just last week. (Until Friday night, the plan was to sell the Taurus and buy the van.) It's a 1996 Windstar -- the same color blue as our "old" car. Pictures to come!

It's a Boy! And a Girl!

Jason and Paige are the proud parents of two new babies! Jacob Carter and Sarah Elizabeth were born July 25, 2006. Jacob weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces, Sarah was 6 pounds, 7 ounces and they were both 19 3/4 inches long. Of course, they are absolutely adorable! I'll post a picture when I get the film developed.

Bonnie and Clyde/Katie and Joe

Kaitlyn: She's beautiful as ever! And very loquacious -- this is one case where the "Parents' Curse" has come true. You know the one: "I hope you have a kid who's just like you!" Thanks a lot, Mom! :) She is constantly in motion and constantly talking. Her imagination is totally unfettered. She makes up stories about her toys, draws pictures and tells stories about them, and she loves to make up songs. Usually she transforms a praise song or hymn that she knows into something of her own creation. Katie loves to read and write and learn -- she's very inquisitive. She's also silly as a goose. Her best friend is Lydia and her favorite food is tortellini.

Joseph: Cute as a button! And a study in perpetual motion! He has two speeds -- fast and asleep. He loves heavy equipment -- especially Daddy's dump truck. Nothing makes Joe happier than seeing Daddy walk in the door. Unless you count food. He is highly motivated by his tummy. He has a shoe fetish -- if there are shoes lying around, they'll be on his feet in no time! He loves to sit and read books, especially "the Bike Lesson" by the Berenstains. He is becoming quite independent and knows exactly what he wants. Whenever he willfully disobeys, Joe backs away from us, covers his hiney with both hands, and giggles. His favorite song is "The Three Little Pigs" by Mr. Eric, and his favorite possession would have to be "Binky", his pacifier.

One Room Schoolhouse

How to educate the children we have been blessed with is one of the biggest decisions parents make. For our part, Jeff and I started wondering what to do before we even had kids! When Katie came along, we began really paying attention to the world of schooling -- home, public, private. Jeff and I both came to the conclusion that if we wanted to raise her with the best education possible and still retain a Biblical worldview we would have to take it on ourselves. For our family, God was telling us that homeschooling was the best choice. Last year, when Kaitlyn was a month shy of five years old, we started her out doing Kindergarten and she loved it. We did only reading, handwriting, math, art, and Bible, in addition to taking advantage of "teachable moments". I had decided that we would use it as an evaluation -- if she thrived, then it would be on to first grade. If she didn't do well, we'd repeat Kindergarten with a full curriculum. She did great! So this Monday we ordered her first grade books and supplies for the fall. After much research and prayer, we decided to go with Sonlight Curriculum. They are a veritable feast of curriculum! It's one-stop shopping for all the best resources out there. In addition to the core classes, which focus on history and literature, Katie will also have Bible, art appreciation/skill lessons, and music appreciation. I love that Sonlight's worldview is Biblical, and teaches children to think critically about their faith, how to apply it to their lives, and how to share it with others. The hard part will be waiting until September to start school!

The End of the Rainbow

Last Wednesday, Katie and Joe and I drove down to Mom and Berk's so we could all go to Blackshear the next day. The five of us rode in Mom's Toyota Camry which made for a very interesting trip. And by interesting, I mean crazy! I had to choose between the lesser of two evils - allow the children to sit next to each other, meaning they could also touch each other - or to sit in between them, meaning I would have a 5-year old on my right and a 2-year old on my left. Hmmm. . . Those of you with children will know that this was quite a conundrum. I chose to sit by the window on the trip down, but I separated the two on the way home! Poor Berkley, who had never had the privilege (?) of going on vacation with small children before had also not had the privilege of actually hearing children complain that "He's touching me!" Or changing a diaper, literally, on the side of the road. Or listening to "Bullfrogs and Butterflies" ad infinitum. Or playing "I spy" for a hundred miles. I'm sure he's glad now that Stuart and I were already surly teenagers when he began dating Mom. Anyway, other than that, we had a wonderful visit with Granny and Papa, Uncle David, Jessica, Albert, Kiley Jo, Aunt Cindy, Shanna, etc. As always, Granny had lots of good food -- watermelon, fresh corn, chicken & dumplin's, cream cheese pound cake, scalloped potatoes, ham, rice & tomatoes, and sausage for yours truly. When we first arrived, Granny asked us if there was anything special we wanted to do while we were there so Mom, Berk and I gave her a list. We wanted to eat a lot, go for walks, take naps, rock on the front porch, go out to the pond, visit with family, and play Scrabble. Can you believe that we managed to fit all that in? I just love going to Granny and Papa's!

Oh, and don't feel too sorry for Jeff, not being able to go. We very much missed him being there, but he did get a rare treat -- to go out to dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse, followed by Superman Returns. Not bad for an evening of "baching it". :)

Honor Plant

Martin Marietta Materials' Jefferson Quarry has won Honor Plant this year! The company magazine, The Conveyor, says, "The Honor Plant selection committee evaluates performance in eight areas: safety, operating costs, maintenance practices, appearance, community relations, productivity improvements, innovation and financial performance." According to Executive Vice President Dan Shephard, "To be chosen as an Honor Plant shows that you were the best of the best. . ." The award is given to only five plants out of the more than three hundred in the company. The plants are evaluated over a three year period.

Saturday, June 24th, Jeff and I will be going to a banquet to celebrate the award. Not for the first time, either -- in 2002, the Warrenton Quarry won Honor Plant when Jeff was an employee there. Coincidence? I think not!

Mollywobbles

We have a new addition to the family! An adorable little orange kitten showed up at our door several nights ago and we couldn't resist. She quickly melted Jeff's heart and left her tiny pawprints in it! The kids are completely enthralled. We think little Mollywobbles is great, though not exactly the cutest cat we've ever seen (she has a pointy nose). Maybe she'll grow out of it . . .