Photos of Life

I admit that I have not been very faithful at snapping pictures like I used to be.  Life just gets busy and it quickly passes by.  I think I need to slow down.  I sat down the other night with the girls' old iPhone that they use as a camera.  I always find amazing things on there.  I love that every picture isn't perfect.  But, it tells a story...a moment.  Some pictures are just random, crazy.  Others have deeper meaning.

Sisters.  What could be better than having each other?

I'm enjoying our first very warm day of the year.

Ivy, Eva, and Joy spend a lot of time playing music... daily.

Would you believe this is colored pencil shavings?  Who would have thought they would make such an interesting photo?

Virginia scenery.  It's beautiful here.  I need to take time to look at it more often.

Pets are good.  Growing up, I always had a pet.  Hobo and Chip aren't ours, but we get to see a lot of these crazy dogs.

Just hanging out, coloring.  There is such a comfortableness about this scene.

I'm not sure what to say about this.  We live in the country.  Dogs bring things out of the woods.  The girls find them.

The girls find lots of things.  Eva, especially.  One day she was very thrilled by the fact that she actually caught a mouse out in the woods...with her bare hands.  My question is why would she want to?  She brought it in the house to show me.  Yep.  Placed it right on my kitchen counter...in a baggie.

She was told to immediately release it back into the woods.

 Random Joy

Loving baby Abraham

History

I am so fortunate to live in a state that is full of history.  Sadly, I do not take advantage of it often enough.  I mentioned before that I teach a high school history class at our home school co op.  Last week, a group went to on a field trip to our capital and Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello.

I didn't know before our field trip that Thomas Jefferson designed our state capital building.  He sent the designs to Virginia while he was in France as Ambassador.  He wanted marble columns, but Virginia has no marble.  Those columns are really trees covered in stucco.  And, apparently, the building did not turn out as he expected.  

Thomas Jefferson

Our tour was full of interesting historical facts, and I enjoyed it tremendously.  

 John Smith and Pocohontas  (Not lovers regardless of what Disney says)

 Very dramatic painting of the Battle of Yorktown.  The artist (which I fail to remember) painted all the men with faces of George Washington, while adding his own likeness to one of the men.

 One of the copies of the Declaration of Independence

Old elevator not in use

 George Washington's statue

One interesting fact about this room is the black and white floor.  The black tiles are granite from Vermont.  They show fossils all through them.  Can you guess the creatures?

 Part of our group

We later headed across the street to this beautiful church.  There was some significant detail about this, but I forgot it too.  I was thinking it was where Patrick Henry gave his lively speech, but my friend, Amy, reminded me it was a different church.  Maybe this is where all the governors attended?

An organ player was inside playing magnificently.  I can't imagine working that huge organ.

Next we headed to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home in Charlottesville, Virginia.

 Recognize the picture from the nickel?

I was not allowed to take any inside pictures.  The house was beautiful and quite interesting.  Thomas Jefferson was an extremely intelligent man.  All of this is nothing without a Savior.  He failed to see that truth.

My Life Lately

Not a whole lot to say around here except, "Life Goes On".  So, here it goes...

Seth and Tia took Eva and Ivy on a hike...away from the edges and cliffs...I think...so they said...

I did some painting and repainting, with some help from the kiddos...the walls look so much nicer...cleaner...

We were getting ready for co-op...

And, yes, she lets me put a little curl in her hair even when she wears her camo...

Oh, and we got a snowstorm...everyone had to pitch in and help because Dad was out of town...

...well, almost everyone...

We paid some young men to come and clear our long driveway...

...then it snowed 8 more inches...

Now, the snow has melted, and it has been warm enough for lunch on the deck.  Looking forward to springtime.