Cake Confessions...
I consider myself a pretty good baker...I bake all the time, but for some reason I have not decorated that many cakes. So, I decided to make Clara's birthday cake. No problem. Cake tasted great. Then she asked for a pink dog. Oh my gosh, I have a new respect for ya'll that are amazing cake decorators. I definitely failed! Go ahead and laugh, Marissa! Um, it kind of looked like a pig/Chihuahua/rat, and it was pink! Yo...but then, Morgan Moore posted this fabulous recipe for Carrot Cake and I totally redeemed myself (with Morgan's help). I thought, hey, I can do this. I can learn how to frost and pipe a cake. Wow, it was a fabulous carrot cake. Thanks, Morgan, for helping me not feel like such a failure.

Go Tree-Frogs!

Last night Joel and Kimball went on a frog hunt in the backyard. He was very excited. Kimball packed a bag full of supplies: flashlight, whistle, toy computer, frisbee, and cape. Kimball loves most critters, although he is afraid of tree-frogs; bright green and very quick, they have long, creepy limbs and are notorious for urinating on him. Ironically enough, Kimball's soccer team is named "West Ashley Tree-Frogs." Unfortunately, Kimball's ferocity on the field is very much like his ferocity toward Tree-Frogs. (We need to work on this!) Any tips on how to teach your child to be MORE AGGRESSIVE in soccer? We are happy to report that Kimball's team did score 3 goals. (We won't say what the other team scored. It's a good thing the final outcome was "0-0") Here are a few pictures.

Keep your arms inside the boat at all times...
If you're brave, check out this story. alligator
A man snorkeling in Lake Moultrie was attacked by an 11 ft. 10 inch alligator, and lost his arm. YO! Picnickers treated the man and got him to the hospital, then spotted the alligator with ARM IN JAWS! (Warning, don't look at this link if you are nervous about seeing an arm in an alligators jaw) Arm By the time the alligator was captured, he had swallowed the arm...but they retrieved it and sent it to the hospital, just in case. I guess the arm was in pretty good shape? Um, I think we'll keep our kids inside the gate...

Happy 5th Birthday, Cowboy Kimball!

We love you.

We had an awesome Cowboy birthday party for Kimball. About 15 kids came over to dig for gold, bounce, relay race, and eat cake. Kimball's favorite part? the presents, of course!

There's GOOD, and then there's AMAZING...
Having a home is expensive. When things break, you have to pay to fix them, or you have to have a really handy husband. So when I left for California a couple of weeks ago, I left a list of "to-do's" for Joel. Not really expecting him to have much time, I categorized the lists into 2 sections "Good-Husband Jobs" and "AMAZING Husband Jobs." I know, wishful thinking, given his crazy schedule. Well, much to my surprise, Joel managed to do EVERYTHING on my list, and more. Ladies, never go out of town without leaving instructions for the hubby. Joel spent the first few days lounging, reading, watching t.v. Then, when he started to miss us, he went to work. I LOVE HIM! Here's the list:
"Amazing Jobs"
Seal granite, condition leather recliner, caulk toilet and shower in kids' bath, fill planters, seal back splash tile, fix leak in closet (roof), paint master bath, new light fixture in Master bath, clean behind washer and dryer, stairwell fixture changed.
"Good Husband Jobs"
Piano Business cards around the neighborhood, water my plants, get mail, return stuff to Best Buy, change sheets at least once, bills and paper work.
After all that, he cleaned. Man, did I score when I married Joel! What an awesome anniversary present to come home to. 7 YEARS!

Fun Fall Stuff

Soccer Practice

Kicking a goal
Watching from the sideline

Stopping the ball

Taking a knee

Naughty Mommy! Has anyone ever done this? I put the sprinkler under the trampoline and let the kids go to town. I figure the net keeps them from slipping off. VERY FUN! We had a blast.

First Days of School

It's happened! I (Mom) finally have 6 hours a week to myself...ah, preschool. Good times!

Clara has been asking to go to school since the day we dropped Kimball off (last year). Needless to say, she is a natural, a perfect leader of her Monday-Wednesday class. Kimball is also a wonderful leader and friend to everyone. He now attends 5 days a week, and seems to love it. I am so proud of them both for the kindness they show to everyone around them. Sweet kids. I just love them!

Charlottesville, VA trip!! Labor day weekend was a blast! We drove from Charleston to Winston-Salem NC and picked up Spencer and Sarah, then we drove to Jeremy and Mary Kathryn's house for the long weekend. We swam at the lake, played at the park, ate good food, and played Settlers and Ticket to Ride into the wee hours. It was the best. A few highlights were the cousins all playing together, Spencer and Joel eating minnows they caught with their bare hands, Kimball beating up Spencer, and the best burger on the East Coast at Five Guys. Oh, and don't you think we need a top for our family pyramid,? (No we're not pregnant)

This our maiden voyage into onling video posting.... here's a typical visit to the pool.