New Look

Here's the new look. After trying several pairs of glasses at Seneca Optical, bringing four pair home and my wife and I picking our two favorite, I left it up to friends and family on Facebook to decide between the top two frames. This picture is a self taken-photo right after arriving home with my new glasses.

This is Parker

Parker was playing Monday night and put this on his head and was playing nicely on the floor. He look so cute, I had no choice but to take a picture. I took about 10. This is my favorite of the photos.

Ladybug Fabulous

A girl Kallsen goes to school with had her birthday party Saturday. It was a Ladybug theme party. They held the party at the park near our house. The party started with kids just playing on the playground. Then the fun began!

The girl's parents painted rocks red with black spots and had them hidden through out the area surrounding the playground and they did a Ladybug hunt (similar to an Easter egg hunt) then did Ladybug theme cupcakes and ice cream. After doing the cupcakes and ice cream they played a Pin the Ladybug on the Leaf game. After the game playing, all the kids watched Clara open her gifts.

Each child that came to the party got a gift bag that included a bug display case (for the bug catching), a scoop to dig in the dirt while looking for bugs and some pieces of candy. Here are a few pictures taken during the party.

Kallsen looking for Ladybugs

Can you see the Ladybug?

Ladybug Closeup

Kallsen found three Ladybugs

Pins the Ladybug on the Leaf

Contestants wore masks

Giftbags for the party guests

I commend Clara's parents for coming up with such a creative and fun birthday party. This morning, as I edited pictures and wrote this post, Kallsen and Parker were 'hunting bugs' through out the house.

As a parent, you're always looking for fun and creative ideas. This is one that I really liked.

In The Wall

A week ago, when Nana and Papa were in town, we took the boys Go-cart racing. While we don't race go-carts often we do race them enough to have an on-going battle between Joseph and his Momma about who is a better driver.

Joseph claims he can prove he is ready to drive real cars on real roads by his ability to beat his Momma on a go-cart track. The below pictures tell the story.

This is Joseph, in the wall, with the go-cart operator walking out to pull Joseph from the wall. The box, the operator is holding, kills the engines of the other go-carts so he can safely walk across the track.

This next picture is of Sara with Kallsen celebrating their victory after Joseph went into the wall.

Stumphouse Tunnel & Isaqueena Falls

My in laws, Frank and Bobbie, came to visit this past weekend. They came to watch the boys play basketball in their final game of the season. They spent the weekend in Oconee County. It gave them the opportunity to see Stumphouse Tunnel and Isaqueena Water Fall north of Walhalla off of Highway 28.

Stumphouse Tunnel is a railroad tunnel that was in the process of being built in the 1850s when construction was halted due to the civil war (or the War of Northern Aggression as it's known in the South). Construction was never finished. Locals say if the tunnel had been completed, the south would have won the war.

Isaqueena Falls is one of the highest and most beautiful water falls in the Southern United States. Unlike a lot of the other water falls in the area, this one is easy to get to where just about anybody can see the beauty of the falls. It is less than a half mile from the parking area to the over look of the falls. No several mile hike up and down difficult terrain.

When our friend Joe from Ireland visited with my parents in October 2007, we took them to the falls and the tunnel as well. Enjoy the pictures.

Nana holds Parker's hand while walking to the tunnel

Looking at the Entrance to Stumphouse Tunnel

At the entrance of Stumphouse Tunnel

Looking back out Stumphouse tunnel

Kallsen & Joseph going down the steep mountain side instead of following the service road like everyone else

Kallsen at the top of Isaqueena Falls

(He's not as close as he looks, but closer than made Mom & Dad comfortable)

Joseph at the Overlook of Isaqueena Falls

Kallsen looking at the Falls

Isaqueena Water Fall

If you're ever vacationing in upstate South Carolina, Northeast Georgia or Western North Carolina, Stumphouse Tunnel and Isaqueena Falls is open year round, is free of charge and you don't have to hike a long way to see the tunnel or the waterfall. And it's only a few miles from where I live...a great reason to come for a visit!