November/December

In November

We went camping and Phillip cooked breakfast.

Hannah bought her first car.

 

Jimmy had a birthday.

So did Lilly

and Lucy.

In December

 

Laura had a birthday.

 

The Frankenbergers made a giant snowflake for us.  

 

Emily and Jon came for the Brown family Christmas party.

 

My brothers, Mark and Brett, enjoyed the Christmas party.

 

Jason's family opened gifts a little early since they spent 

Christmas in Roxboro with Jennifer's family this year.

 

Jonas shot his grandpa with cannon from his pirate ship.

 

On Christmas Day, we were introduced to Flutterby Fairies.

We played games.

 

We shared delicious food.

 

We were blessed. 

 

 

Lilly's Dragon Spends the Night

Lilly's dragon had an accidental sleepover at our house last night.  I thought it would be interesting to show what a dragon does when he sleeps over.

He has a snack.

 He plays games on the computer.

He helps work the puzzle.

He reads the newspaper.  The comics were his favorite section.

He says "Goodnight" to his favorite person.

This dragon is safely back at home now.  He missed Lilly but he had a good time at our sleepover.  Since he is such a good dragon, he is welcome at our house anytime.

October

Hannah made these cupcakes for my 59th birthday on October 2. 

Phillip took a vacation day and we went to the mountains.  This picture was taken at the Lake Lure Flower Bridge, one of our new favorite places.

We sent a box of soft dolls to Haiti.

 

 We picked the last of the summer flowers.

Jonas ate a banana worm.

We put the summer gardens to rest,

and planted the fall gardens.

 I got a double-yolker.  

October was quite a month!

40 Years

October 19, 1973

 

And Then - - -

Jason Michael

Jaclyn Diane

Rachel Hope

Emily Caroline

Laura Christine

Hannah Grace

 

 

And Then - - -

Jason and Jennifer Robinson

Jaclyn and Daniel Frankenberger

Rachel and Jimmy Isbill

Emily and Jon Thomasson

Laura and Michael Henshaw

 

 

And Then - - -

Caleb Frankenberger

Jack Frankenberger

Lilly Isbill

Sam Frankenberger

Lucy Isbill

Jonas Robinson

 

 

And Now - - -

October, 2013

What's Next?

 

We don't know, but we trust God that the next ?? years will be as exciting and blessed as the past 40 have been.

Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

Phillip took a vacation day on Friday and we went to the mountains.  We found this delightful place in Lake Lure, the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.  When a new bridge was built, the community got together and turned the old bridge into a garden.  It was a wonderful place to explore, exactly the kind of garden I'd plant if I had the expertise and creativity.  We couldn't figure out how we didn't notice this when we were there in March for Laura's wedding.  When we read the literature, we realized that it wasn't planted until April so the plantings are very recent. 

 

Notice the mirror in this picture.  

This planter was in the tropical garden.  It's made from an old tire cut and painted to look like a parrot.

Every garden had its own "gardener," characters made of pumpkins and gourds.  

This guy was our favorite.

 

This one is for Lilly, who loves fairies.  I doubt if this kind of fairy has visited her fairy garden at home, but she seems happy in her Lake Lure fairy garden.