Junior Spelled J-U-N-I-O-R

Junior, March 2008

Junior recently took on the challenge of spelling out his name in Magnetix pieces. Nearly 5 years ago, Syndi did the same thing with Legos, but she was younger and required a lot of help from Daddy. Junior did it mostly himself, but with a little help from Syndi.

Our flashback picture, to June 2003:

A Visit from Leah

Syndi had a friend over last weekend. Leah Camper, Syndi's best friend when we lived in Michigan, spent time camping with Syndi this weekend. Syndi's Grandpa and Grandma met Leah and her mom (Hi Anke!) in Alabama, and camped nearby for the night. Severe storms raged through the area and across into our county here in Georgia before passing through Atlanta. The campsite survived the hail and the tornadoes missed Rome by a few miles.

When they returned, they pretended to be at a campsite in our back yard, cooking over the fire pit (to the left of Syndi above).
We saw a beautiful rainbow from our back yard.
It had begun to rain, so the girls came inside, and then we saw this.
Near the end it became a double rainbow, but I couldn't even capture the whole rainbow in one photo, much less the double rainbow.
This is Syndi and Leah back in 2000!
That was then,
and this is now:

Leah joined us at church Sunday morning, and we took this picture out in front of our church. Syndi and Leah had a great time together, renewing an old friendship.
Aren't they cute?

Junior Flashback I

Junior Caruvana

April 2004

Family room toy box in our new Georgia home.

That was then...

and this is now.
(Last fall actually.)

Happy New Year 2008!

Happy New Year 2008!

It's been an interesting year, and a good way to review what's passed is to look at how everyone has aged over the last year.

So here goes...

SyndiLu has lost a lot of teeth over the last year, but none so noticeable as those two front teeth she lost just before Christmas last year.
She's growing up too fast.
It would appear JuneBug hasn't changed much,
but he's thinned out and shot upward.
And he has a lot more attitude.
StevieBoy has gone from that pudgy little toddler to a little man.
Following the footsteps of those before him.
Julia Grace, the little princess.
A year ago Jules was in the womb. We didn't even have pictures a year ago.
Oh, how she's grown.
Jon and Sylvia.
Jon has a lot more gray hairs at his temples than last year.
Jon found Sylvia's lone silver hair, and proudly pointed it out to all the children.
(To show her wisdom to them, of course!)
-----
It's been a good year.
And if we're diligent and start working on it tomorrow, we'll get a newsletter out in the next few weeks to tell everyone about it.
Have a blessed 2008!

Haltom City Playground

While in Texas for Thanksgiving, I played with Syndi, Junior and Stephen at a park in Haltom City.

The kids all enjoyed monkeying around.
Silly boys.
Seven years ago I sat in this very same slide with Syndi in my lap.
Flashback Below! Weren't we cute?!
November 2000
Now I have 4 kids that can go in my lap.
Sometimes more than one at a time!

Looooong slide.
The three of them all went over to the swings.
Junior and Syndi made for a neat B&W photo.
Peaking down at Fossil Creek, which meanders around the edge of the park.

We'll see pictures from Fossil Creek in the next post.
The 3 Stooges preparing to descend to the creek bed....