The Growing Caldwell Family

I love how nice their school pictures came out! In some ways Sarah Graves looks much the same from last year. I love her big smile and adore that she wants to have pigtails. She is still a little girl but growing up so quick and so independent. I think Charlie looks so cute in his tie! His face has matured so much just like he has.  I love the way his smile goes up a little higher on one side. Like he wasn’t planning to give a big smile but something made him smile.

Lucy was all smiles when she received her blessing from Reverend Ashley.  At nearly 12 years old, Lucy is still a happy, vibrant girl. She naps more and her vision and hearing aren't as good, but she loves people and enjoys every opportunity for affection.

The Cub Scouts had an overnight campout and that made for a fun time for the Lions! Charlie and his buddy Emmett enjoyed seeing each other! They helped put on a skit as part of their entertainment. So much fun to hang out with your buddies! Charlie was very helpful in gathering sticks for the fire. Charlie's favorite part was roasting marshmallows around the campfire! He had a great time and loves to tell people that his daddy is his Cub Scout leader. So sweet!

Sarah Graves had her friends, Lauryn and Olivia, over for a fun play date! We mixed up cookie dough and icing before they arrived and let them help cutout cookies and ice them for a lovely tea party. While the cookies baked, the girls dressed and did their makeup for the event. They decided that speaking in a British accent was a requirement! They were too funny drinking their "tea" (aka lemonade) and making fancy lady conversation! I was their server and they politely asked me to come sit and chat. They also made a batch of slime. Making it was the fun part. It quickly turned slimy and gooey!  We also ordered pizza, played outside, played store (I was the absentminded cashier who gave the wrong change!), and watched Descendants! It was a busy and very fun afternoon.

A few weeks ago we had a chance to visit with Aunt Barbara and Uncle Les. They were in town for a conference and made time to come by and visit with us. The kids were happy to tell them all about school and their activities and Lucy was thrilled to have long belly rubs! 

Both kids are enjoying choir this year. They performed recently and sang several songs that I remember singing during chapel while I was in high school. Nice to hear familiar songs and see my children enjoying them. They sang Thy Word , Seek Ye First , and This Little Light of Min e.  So sweet to see Charlie there wearing the robes. SG was excited to process in with the adult choir. She loves to be a part of church. I couldn't see Sarah Graves while they performed, but they sang out so nicely. You could hear their voices. They did really well!

We had a fun time celebrating Lovie's birthday! There was the usual kid craziness, LSU football (we won!), a dreamy buffet of barbecue from Heirloom barbecue, and lots of laughter.  Jeanne' made this yummy peanut butter cheesecake! So good! The kids love to "help" her open her presents! Truly the best mom, grandmother, and friend I could wish for. I thank God each day He saw fit to bless me with her for a mom. 

Mom and I took all the kids for a fun day at the farm The part the kids love so much is the fun park with all the neat play things. Most of them are built from farm equipment, but have been turned into a lot of fun! Two little monkeys! Livy was nervous to try it, but once she did, she liked it! So much fun on this big slide built right into a hill! We took a tractor ride out to the pasture and saw the cows. Sarah Graves fed them bread!  These excavator toys were a big hit! Who wouldn't want to immerse themselves in corn? My silly boy! After a picnic lunch, we were ready to tackle the corn maze! Finding our way through the corn maze wasn't easy! Each one of us took a turn leading the way. In the end, Charlie got us out! He takes great pride that he figured out how to get through it all. I'm not sure if he got lucky or really figured it out! Here's hoping he has a great sense of direction and know...

Waiting in line for the train. Riding up! You sit backwards as you ride up so you have a view from the front of the train.  We made it to the top! I have to admit, the ride up was steep and I had a few what if type thoughts!  We were up pretty high and as we stood at the top, this one rain cloud blew in and began to drizzle on us. Pretty neat to see that. We enjoyed our ride down and learned a little more about the history of the train and how even locals use it to get up in down in bad weather or emergencies. After our train ride down, we got ice cream at Clumpie's. We had fun trying their unique flavors like peanut butter oatmeal cookie!  This made for a great ending to a super-fun weekend!

The next day we continued our adventure at the Creative Discovery Museum. The kids had a blast! There was so much to see and do! There was this neat screen that was so fun to dance and move in front of to watch your shape morph and change colors There was a cool medical exam room where they practiced reading x-rays.  A stage with backdrops, lights, and a soundboard for cool effects! Sarah Graves fell in love with their sewing room that had a machine to cut out shapes. Charlie was taken with this circuit center and loved making the small machines come to life when they got power. A fun puppet theater. There were music rooms with all sorts of instruments, a Japanese section, and a rooftop play area that taught about simple machines.  We spent a total of 5 hours in this museum. They really fell in love.