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Wow–it’s hard to realize that it’s been a week already since we returned from the Fine Arts Festival in Indianapolis.  I’ve had a very busy week at work (hey–it takes a lot to keep the place quackin’!)  Alysia and the kids had an interesting week getting back into their school schedules.

I really want to post some Indy 07 tales, but at the moment this is the best I can do.  It’s a picture I took with my cell phone of the House of Brass performing their presentation.  I will try to get some video up really soon.

Meanwhile, I want to express many thanks to the Caribbean Trading Company.  Stan and Ellen, the kids looked great!  I cannot thank you enough for helping us with their outfits.  Your customer service is wonderful!

Hi everyone.  I’m going with our oldest three to Indianapolis for the National Fine Arts Festival.  To help them get ready, they’ve performed twice at our church.  Here’s a video from Sunday night, July 29th. 

Have you heard some of the latest twin news?  There’s no longer any way to tell Cassie and Carlie apart!  They both have glasses now!  Oh no!  What will we do?

Meanwhile, they’re scared of their upcoming report cards–they’re afraid they’ll make a ‘C’ in Algebra!  Poor things.

But let’s think…they’re in 7th grade taking Algebra.  Algebra!  At least I got to wait until 8th grade!  (Lord, please bless Ms. Blackmon, where ever she may be!)

Both girls are doing well on their instruments.  I hope to have the first-ever performance of Cooper’s House of Brass sometime this fall…just gotta get that first arrangement finished!

Well, it’s October already, and that means marching band and birthdays!

Alex’s band marched at the Phenix City Invitational last Saturday.  OK, so it wasn’t October then, but it is now!

I must admit Shaw has a tough show this year, but I believe it is stretching them–all of them, including the students and their director.  Unfortunately for the band, the judges didn’t seem to appreciate the difficulty level and focused solely on the performance.  Mind you, they performed three times in less than 24 hours.  (Alex said it was four, since they practiced it Friday afternoon.)

Vindication is possible–they are scheduled to perform at another competition in Marietta later in the month.

Meanwhile, Anna and I have monumental birthdays this week: she turns 16!  There really isn’t any reason to discuss my age, is there? (-;

I spoke with Andrew Cooper–he’s due to be on station in NC early in November.  We’re all looking forward to Thanksgiving in Albemarle this year!

Andrew Clanton is still in training at Ft. Benning.  Can you believe we have yet to see him?  (For those of you who don’t realize it, Ft. Benning is the other half of Muscogee County, where Columbus, GA, is.)

But his graduation is just weeks away.  Momma and Granny and most of the gang will be on-hand for that!  Hang in there, Andrew!

Wow!  Our week of National Fine Arts Festival is over…or is it?

On Saturday, we all (except for two) got up early and headed over to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park.  It was a hot, muggy, central Florida day, but we enjoyed ourselves.

We took a break from the park for lunch at Taco Bell…I mean Chick-fil-a…no, it was McDonald’s…oh that’s right–it was KFC!  Thanks, Hannah, for picking out such a good spot for lunch!  lol

Some of us took an extended break from the heat, but about half of the group headed back to the park for more adventures.

I went and visited the ‘theme park artifacts’ reseller Mouse Surplus.  I picked up a few small items, but I just didn’t think we could squeeze that monorail car into the back of the van.  Maybe next time!

Dinner was at the Mythos restaurant in Islands of Adventure.  Later I took Jordan, Carlie, and Alex for ice cream at Beaches and Cream.  Wow–that “Kitchen Sink” holds a lot of ice cream!

After a day in the heat we were all pretty worn out and ready for a chance to sleep in.

Woohoo!