Since it is Summer Break, I thought it would be a good time to post Spring Break Pictures :)
This is the living room inside the authentic log cabin that we stayed in, just outside of Birmingham, AL.
It was just my mom, my self, my two kids, and my sister's two boys.
So, two adults and 4 children.
Fairly good ratio.
The weather was beautiful, and it was a perfect vacation for kids.
No schedules, lots of outside time, plenty of nature, right outside our door.
We met for 3-4 days, and we never once loaded up the kids to take them anywhere!
That made it enjoyable.
Alex (Kelly's oldest), Simon, Evie
I noticed they have brown bags.
This must have been our nature walk.
What was that?
We heard a gun shot.
Well, a musket shot.
The historical park we stayed in was hosting a Civil War Living History for the local school district.
Simon was thrilled.
A gun ..... and cannons .....
This Confederate (we were in the South) Soldier was showing the kids how they ground coffee beans, what they ate, how they repaired their uniforms, etc.
These two young girls (homeschooled) had an exhibit showing how cotton was spun, etc.
They explained that during the Civil War, with the South being cut off from the industry-driven North, that many southerners were forced to 'relearn' the arts that their ancestors knew .... canning, spinning cotton, making clothes, etc. The older generations taught the younger ones (who were more dependent on the North's products) out of necessity.
Simon, Blaize, Alex, and Evie
Alex and Evie got along really well, and Simon and Blaize seemed to pair off well together, too.
Really, they all got along great together.
The flag exhibit
This gentleman showed us Alabama's flag from 1861 with the "Goddess of Liberty" sown on it and the motto, "Independent and Forever."
Simon exclaimed, "Oh, I know who that is! That's Betsy Ross!"
This was the Confederate's National Flag during the War Between the States.
This is the Confederate's Battle Flag during the Civil War.
They had to make a separate flag for battle, because on the field, it was hard to distinguish between the Union and the Confederate flags. I thought that was an interesting bit of history/trivia.
Ringgold-Gap flag
Matt grew up in a region rich with Civil War History: Ringgold, Georgia, but by God's grace, in a family far from stereotypical southern mindsets towards race.
I really respect how Matt grew up in a home that was consistently open to hosting missionaries and that was filled with art & music.
On our scavenger hunt, this was our picture of a bird :0
Simon thought it was so funny (to use a picture of a picture instead of an actual bird)
In this picture, Simon reminds me so much of my cousin Sarah at this age, it's the same facial expression she would have when she thought something was funny.
Looking up the hill at our home away from home
I can't remember how old this log cabin was, but it is from Alabama. It was moved to the historical park from another location in Alabama.
It did have electricity and a bathroom.
Retro playground just down the hill. I am sure it was breaking all kinds of federal regulations concerning safety with its outdated equipment (now seen as so dangerous!)
I guess historical parks are exempt from regulations!
The boys were all crowded around a single Nintendo DS one night.
Evie was trying to rally them to get up and exercise with her.
So cute.
Blaize did get up and do a downward dog with her :)
Simon and Alex were inspecting and simultaneously terrorizing (though unbeknownst to them) a colony of ants.
Evie was wondering how long she would have to wait on the boys to lose interest in the ants.
I'm surprised that she wasn't more interested.
Evie and Si have been known to pass an afternoon 'feeding' and building shelters for ants in our yard.
Evie decides to start dancing to pass the time.
You might remember from Super Hero Day that her super-power is dancing.
The dancing didn't work, so she moved onto stand up comedy.
She won over Blaize, who promptly joined her act.
The boys playing army men in one of the two bedrooms.
Very quaint.
Each kid was allowed to buy a toy at the General Store, and Simon had bought a set of army men ... appropriately it was the South and the North. Only in Alabama ...
Evie is a little mama to Giraffey.
Here she is sharing her headphones.
Evie, in her room, in the midst of one of her purposeful messes.
Looks like chaos to us.
But, it is very deliberate to her.
Simon came home from school the next week to spend his afternoons setting up different battles.
What a shame it would be to come home from the woods and not have stains like this on the back of the kid's jeans!
Love that kid!
He brightens my life so much with his wit, intelligence, good spirits, and unassuming nature.
It was too hot to ride outside!
Evie was attached to this flower for a day or so.
Until it succumbed to the Texas hail storm.
Crazy little gnome that lives on our back porch
Simon's First Spreadsheet
The General Store just down our driveway
On the General Store's Door
Blaize and Simon passing the time on the store's porch
Evie and I dressed alike
But I don't have a giraffe
Alex stopped for a pic!
Pretty much one of the only ones who paused long enough for a camera shot that wasn't blurry!
Evie, Giraffey, and Alex going on a walk down the hill to the store or to the park
Here is a Giraff-ey sequence
Yesterday Simon told me he really hopes the death angel doesn't come by our house.
I casually agreed with him (but obviously not with enough conviction for his predicament)
Then he said, "But mom, I'm the firstborn!"
The kids with their General Store Toys
