Saturday, July 2, 2011

Hanging out

Here's what the kids like to play on most mornings, in the back yard. It's so perfect for them! But gotta beat that heat that comes so fast. They're usually out there for about 1/2 hour before they come in because they're too hot.














The girls on the 2-person swing.














Ready for the pool!



















Aaaaand...walking back from the pool.














This, I'm told, is Florida jasmine. Lovely scent. It's all over the fence that separates the back yard from the front. Though now it's just about done blooming.














It seems all the trees have Spanish moss hanging from them. Here's one in the back yard.



















Anastasia playing in the sand.
























































Anastasia has been much more tired since we came down here. So we've gone back to naps regularly--but this is when she was just dropping wherever she happened to be when it hit her.














Heh...at the dinner table...



















...And here she had come to sit next to me to get her doll to sleep!














On one of our first weeks here we had a barbecue with the two other summer Fellows. Here's Wesley teaching my kids how to catch fireflies.














The old Capitol building is the pretty one. The boring-looking tower behind is, if I understand correctly, the current Capitol building. We still have yet to visit these. I guess there's a great view from the observation deck of the tower.














At the Museum of Florida History. This was in the section about the first Old-World comers to Florida.




























Umm...I don't remember what section this was. Something about trees and logging or harvesting for something.

























































A mastodon skeleton, found at Wakulla Springs.



















And some old cars. In the background you can see one that had been converted into a sort of camper. Pretty nifty!














The church had an ice cream social last Sunday, for which they rented a water slide. The kids (who came early enough) had about fifteen minutes on it before thunder was heard, and everyone had to come off. We got indoors just in time for the rain to come pouring, thunder booming and wind whipping the trees around!




























Having ice cream.














There was someone there who did face-painting, so she did some for the kids.

































And next I'll have to get pictures of the Tallahassee museum up--it was really fun and very pretty!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

"Wildlife" in Florida...well, limited to small creatures at this point!

Our first item is...fireflies! Or lightning bugs if you prefer. Wesley (another of the summer Fellows at St. Peter's) helped our kids catch these on a night when we had a fun barbecue get-together. Pretty exciting!














Some kind of june-bug type creature. After I took this picture it flipped backwards, awkwardly, onto the ground.














A gecko Timothy discovered on the front of the house where we're staying! Super cute. Timothy pointed out that it's exactly the kind of gecko he wants to get someday.




























A cute froggy.














A little green anole! At least, that's what I assume it is. Looks just like Isaiah's old Mr. Lizard. Except...I can't remember if Mr. Lizard had a neck thing that pops out? This one does. It's like a little flap that the lizard makes pop out (it's a reddish color) every once in a while.



















Here he is again on the side of the tree.














A snail the boys found. Unfortunately it was too scared to come out.














This is just for the total gross out factor. We've found a few of these. Not including the antennae, they are most often about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. YUCK! Thankfully the boys are willing to squish them, pick them up with toilet paper, and dispose of them down the toilet for me.














This little lizard (which also appears to be an anole, but I'm not as sure about it) is about 2" long and super cute! We discovered it yesterday on this grassy plant and found it hanging out there again today.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

The trip down

I'm finally getting around to some posts/picture updates. Here's from our trip down to Florida.
Driving through Chicago at dawn...




























The states as we came to them. I missed the one of Illinois, but probably because it was still too dark to get a good picture. Or at least, that's going to be my excuse.
Indiana was the home state of my Grandpa Jack, whom I sadly never met, but it was with warm feelings of him that I observed the countryside.














My Grandma Nancy's people (on Great Grandpa's side) came from the hills of Kentucky, so I was sentimental about it too. Besides...here were the first real hills I had seen in a long time!














The pretty blue hills of Kentucky.










































In Birmingham we spent the night...here are the kids the next morning.




























Some of the greenery alongside the road in Alabama. It really is the Beautiful, as their sign said.














And finally...














At the rest stop just after entering Florida.














In Tallahassee, passing by St. Peter's church.




























And we finally made it to where we're staying! A family was generous enough to accommodate us in their guest house, next door to their house. Plenty of room for us all, all the facilities we need and several luxuries beyond--an outdoor playhouse/swingset for the kids, a trampoline, access to our hosts' pool, wireless internet, and TV. We are so grateful!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Picture post

The beauty of spring:

The Fort. We were passing by on a walk.















David pushing Anastasia in the stroller on our walk.


















A willow tree in the sunshine.


















A bird's nest perched atop our neighbors' porch light.















































The wood violet is Wisconsin's state flower.


















"Can I wear my cassock at Evening Prayer?"


















































Timothy was lector...it was a sparse Sunday evening.


















Chapel garden...








































































































































Now the nest has eggs in it!