I have just figured out that 15 months isn't really a lot of time to plan a wedding. And the smaller the budget, the more time you really need!
Here is a small bonus picture of the silly chickens sitting on their own house at night instead of getting in it! There are lots of nests and places to roost inside and behind the bluish white wall.
They are huge! And from what I can tell from my reading they are going to keep growing until August. They are easy to care for, the goats are still a bit wary of them. I may be losing my nerve about eating the roosters, which I am only now being able to tell apart from the hens because they are challenging each other. I am also learning they like to dig holes. Four of them refuse to go into the coop at night, they prefer roosting in the tree next to the coop.
She wouldn't let me take a picture of her, but she did let me take one of her shortcake :) For my mom strawberries are just an excuse to eat whipped cream! Here is the quick recipe we used tonight.
Most of these were taken after I lost my camera, so Dirk took some and I took some. I will post some more tomorrow that I took at Arlington with my back up 35mm. If you have not been to DC recently, you need to go. We had perfect weather, the crowds were light and company was amazing!
This is one of the undoctored (incorrect dated) pictures that Dirk took of the group in front of the National Cathedral. Ampersand tells a cute story about it here.
This is one of the best group shots. I will be posting lots of individual shots and other shots from the cruise on Musings and Leftovers tomorrow. I can't believe how much dressing up means to these guys and how much they shift into their adult roles when wearing suits! The boys try and out do each other every year. They also want to out dress all the other homeschoolers on the crusie. They want the reputation of being the best dressed crew around!
On Friday, Athena picked up her Aunt Telena (her father's sister). Athena and Telena look so much alike that all weekend long people were confusing them!
One last 'break a leg' before her final recital!
Getting ready for Senior Prom at JC Pennys, she had less than 30 minutes between the end of recital and the hair appointment. She had left the dress in the wrong car, so I had to track that down while she got her hair done. She slipped on her dress posed for a couple family shots.
Here they are outside the Mall! She had just enough time to slip on her dress and stand still before they had to leave to get make their dinner reservations.
One quick close up.
Graduation! This is her and Edward standing in front of almost 200 people. They were renewing their Baptismal Vows and adding a few about accepting the mantle of adulthood and all the responsibilities that go with it.
Here they are actually getting their diplomas!
Nathan was serving during the service. He was very serious the whole time. Athena and Edward had requested and written Communion into their Service. It was really special to see people from all walks of faith sharing in this tradition.
Of course there was a party/reception right after! My sister and Edward's mom made enough food to feed 500-600, the 200 made a dent in it, but I think we will be eating graduation leftovers for a long time!!!
And here is how that cake came out. It was half chocolate and half vanilla with a whipped cream icing. I still can't believe you can get this done at Sams, with 24 hours notice for under $40! And it tastes better than any expensive cake I have bought.
It was just really funny to me to see the chickens in the lower branches of a tree.
I don't know what these delicate little guys are, but I really love their color. They are growing randomly in the middle of my yard.
It is so funny to watch the goats trying to figure out what these stange new creatures are :) They roam the goat pen by day, and spend the nights in their nice new outdoor coop!
This is what I spent the majority of the day dealing with, but the good news is I was able to do a little ahead, so that nothing is due until mid-June. I feel like I can breathe a bit better. I am not sure why the camera recorded the image upside down, but the more I looked at it that way compared to rightside up, the more upside down conveys my feelings :)
Athena and Edward.... they are this year's seniors! They have been studying together since 5th grade. I have been their primary mentor that entire time. Where has all that time gone! Are they really 8 years older?!?! Am I?!?!
This is a better picture of my favorite bush.
This is just so you can see how big (over 10ft high) it is.
Here are a some of the research papers turned in yesterday. I still have a few students who have a hard time understanding deadlines. They will be very angry with me when I won't accept them tomorrow or Friday.
I don't like the flash look, but by the time I got outside to take the picture the sun was on the other side of the house. THis is a huge bush that grows under my window, most of the bloosoms are still closed, but this one openned today. I may try again when the whole bush is in bloom.
This was the only actual picture taken yesterday.
It is hard to tell I am proud of her, isn't it" :)
