Split Creek Farm

On the way back home from strawberry picking, we stopped by Split Creek Farm - a local goal dairy. We were greeted by Sophie the Newfoundland dog, who begged for a belly rub and then knocked Savannah over just by standing up. Gage figured out how to make rooster sounds after chasing a few around. Savannah found an egg that a chicken had just laid...on a tractor seat! She brought it to one of the farmers but he told her to keep it -- it lasted about 10 minutes in her pocket before breaking. We visited the new baby goats (2 days old and so cute), pet Caroline the piggy - who is old and blind, but happily oinks when you pet her, chased some chickens, and had a lot of fun. Lunch was a spinach & goat cheese omlette..-yummmm...

Strawberry Fields Forever

We got an early start today and headed to Hardy Berry Farm to pick strawberries. Mommy got lost along the way (surprise!!) but we made it and picked a big basket of beautiful strawberries.  Savannah was a great picker, and Gage, well....he just ate...a lot. I see strawberry shortcake in our future!

overalls and tractors....

pettiskirts and pink cowgirl boots....

cat naps

After a nice walk where we started collecting "nature things" like acorns and star-shaped seedpods so we can make a "fairy house" ( birdhouse decorated with things from nature that fairies can live in, if they so choose), and some fun with chalk outside, Savannah nibbled on a few oreo cookies and zonked out on the ottoman with her kitties for a snooze. I love to tire her out during the day, but don't love it when she's up past MY bedtime at night!  And...Gage fell asleep with his hand in the snack-trapper bowl the other day while eating bunny rabbit graham crackers. Little piggy!

spring flowers

The cherry trees and daffodils have come and gone, but tulips are out, azaleas and loropetalum are just starting, and the verbinum (snowball bush) is gorgeous!  Our neighbor Lisa has a new camera and came over to test it out. Gage had a booger face and was uncooperative (to say the least) because daddy was mowing the lawn on the tractor and he wanted to go for a ride, which he did...while Lisa took pictures of Savannah.

 

a windy spring day

What a perfect spring day. Brisk, windy, sunny - certainly felt like spring. We spent the afternoon on Kite Hill on the Clemson campus, made a giant princess castles in chalk on the driveway, putted around on big wheels and cozy coupes, and had frozen yogurt at the new Three Spoons in Clemson - where they have a chalkboard to color on and where the kids scored giant balloons!

A visit to Connecticut

We left beautiful springtime weather in SC to visit chilly winter in CT.  We had fun with some of the kids' cousins, picked pussy willows, sat on tractors, visited Grammy's moo cows, and got a little dusting of snow. Savannah and Elizabeth (we call her Baby Elizabeth even though she's almost 3!) marched around Grandma Rooney's house to the same "marching song" about 20 times, and they even got me, Kristine, Gram Rooney and "Aunt Yinda" to join in the marching. Gage loved sitting on Grandpa's tractor but could not figure out how Grandpa got those cool orange blinking lights to turn on (he tried and tried all the buttons), and yes, we did have a few boo-boo toes thanks to the ever-popular rocking horse at Grammy's.

Sweet home Alabama.....

The Rapp family is on the move again! Adam was recruited by University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa for an amazing job opportunity. We accepted the job, so it is official that we are moving to Alabama. It involves a promotion, a raise, less teaching, and lots of other perks. We are now in the midst of selling our house and finding a new house in AL. On to a new adventure and chapter in our lives :-)

take me out to the ball game....

Saturday we attended our second baseball game of the year - 77 degrees, sunny, sure was a beautiful day for a game.  Savannah is snuggling Ross, one of her buddies. If Ross' parents ask him about getting married someday he says he plans to marry Savannah. If we ask Savannah the same question, she answers Ross.  At the ball game all of our friends skip sitting in seats and instead park it in a grassy open area along 3rd base. The kids run around like crazy nuts, the dads stand on the wall to watch the game, and the moms chat, run after kids, kiss boo-boos and snap pictures when the Clemson Tiger stops by (which he ALWAYS does!).

Playdate fun

We had a little princess and superhero dress-up play time before our make-your-own-pizzas were ready today. The princesses and spiderman were shooting webs at me when I walked in on them...

Little carnivore

No, that's not poop on the rug..it's turkey breakfast sausage. Gage LOVES it. Anytime I open the refrigerator he opens the bottom drawer and takes a sausage link out to gnaw on. Sometimes (as you can see) he grabs the whole box and makes a break for it. He is a little meat lover!

Beautiful spring day

Savannah had no school today, so we hit the zoo this morning.  They had a little baby monkey that she LOVED to watch, Gage napped for a bit in the stroller, and then he got out and walked like a big boy. That is the first time he actually stayed with us when we were out and about and didn't try to take off.  Our little guy is growing up!   He threw crackers at the giraffes, trumpeted at the elephants, and...well, he ate one of the elephant crackers too (they look like Wasa crispbreads).  Savannah told me all about owls, and how they go to sleep in the morning and wake up at night - apparently they are learning about owls at school!  We are home for an afternoon nap and then off to Clemson's first baseball game of the year with some friends. 75 degrees today!