Wishing All Mom's A

Mamaw Stapleton

Mamaw Stapleton is coming to town. She'll be here to visit beginning this evening and will be staying as long as Mom can get her to.

Visitor

We enjoyed our visit with Mr. Alex over the past two days while his mum was out of town on business. I believe that he had good time getting home from school early for two days, and having a bit of time to play outside before dark.

Dental Visits

The visit to the dentist today went well. No cavities, no other problems. Looks like that we are headed for a cool 6 months.

Happy Birthday

Granny reached a milestone of 81 years today. She decided early in the day that the celebrate by doubling her daily walking to 2 miles. Don't forget to give her a call and wish her a Happy Birthday.

Pregame Antics

Sean & Tommy relax before their game.

Cardinals vs Angels

Sean at bat. Notice the baseball leaving the hand of the pitcher. (It is just above the outfield fence to the right of the pitcher).

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Dean and I went to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to tour their Egyptian and Greek exhibits for his Humanities class. These are just a few of the objects that we found interesting on our tour.

Egyptian Pottery


Greek Pottery


Statue of Bess

Greek Vase

Greek pottery

Cardinals vs Yankees

Sean on third-base again. Waiting to come home.

Cardinals vs Rangers

This is a progression of photos showning Sean scoring his first run of the season in their game against the Rangers

A Novel Tour

Sean is playing the role of Willie Wonka during his 5th grade class' Novel Tour presentation.

Opening Day

Playing Center Field

Baseball Portrait 2005

Sean

Slaying the Dragon

Dean has successfully slain the dragon (car repairs). The van will now start!!! YEAH! It took a bit of poking and prodding, but ignition has been achieved.

WAY TO GO!

Valentine Flowers from Dean

A close up shot of the lovely bouquet that Dean gave me for Valentine's Day.

Danielle & Ben on Valentine's Date

Flowers for Danielle from Mr. Ben. As they get ready to leave on their big date.

January 2005

The month of January may just be as busy as December. I will be working on several projects:

1. Doing some work for Cypher in the afternoons and weekends,
2. Grapevine border for the Dendtler's
3. Mural for the Dillion's.

Danielle will be beginning Indoor Colorguard on the 4th. Dad will not be attending any classes this quarter due to the startup of the 300 mm plant at work (One big project at a time). Walter will continue working for Friendly's, after his brief excursion back in the the wonderful world of Timmons over the Christmas break. Sean will be applying himself to his math and spelling.

Go family!

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Happy Birthday Dean!

Gingerbread Creation

Walter's gingerbread tractor trailer. He did a great job for his first gingerbread creation.

December Calendar

Wow December is here and there are so many things to do.

• I will be beginning work on Allison's Serengeti Dream, a mural, today. This project is expected to take until the 17th to complete. I've built in the 20th-22nd just in case it is needed to finish it.
• Danielle will be participating in a Chorus Concert this evening.
• Danielle will march with the band this weekend in the Ukrops Christmas Parade.
• Walter will participate in his first Indoor Track Meet of the season on Wednesday the 8th.
• On the 9th, Sean will be in his class's production "Holiday Dances Around the World"
• The 11th is a busy day, Walter will be taking the ACT's and Dean & I will be attending our Sunday School Class Christmas Party.
• Dean will be taking his final exam on the 15th.
• We will be celebrating Christmas with my in-laws on the 18th.
• Christmas Vacation begins on the 23rd for the kids, and we will be celebrating Dean's Birthday.
• Christmas Eve will be spent out with Dean's family.
• Christmas Day will be spent out with my family.
• Walter will be working full-time the 27th-31st.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Have a great month.

Christmas in the Air

Now that the Thanksgiving holiday is over, it is time to move forward with preparations for our Christmas celebrations. The tree and decorations have been pulled out from storage, and all are in the house. Time to jump into the task of decorating the house.

Thanksgiving Blessings

Thanksgiving Blessings to all of you and your families.

Halo 2

Dean and Sean have a new game to play Halo 2. Their's was the first game out of the store where they purchased in on Tuesday. They've been working on playing online and off.

Wish you both luck in the challenge.

Concert Performance

Danielle & Carson before cut up before their concert performance.


Danielle singing during the concert.

Voting

Dad & I were out at the polls this morning. We were in line for just about exactly an hour. I'm sure glad that we took our coffee. It made a nice outing. The crowd was quiet and not a hint of disorder. There were a couple of surpizes from the county - they always want more money for something.

Go Vote, if you haven't. It is a great way to put your two cents worth in.

Halloween

Danielle dressed as a Renaissance Witch, while Sean showed off his Skateboarding Injury costume.

Homecoming

Ben & Danielle as they prepare to head off for their dinner and dance.

Recap

Here it is almost the end of October. So much has gone on and so much has stayed the same.

According to the High School news, marching band hasn't been all that great for the past few weeks. The trip to Charlottesville didn't come off neatly as it had last year. There were lots of communication errors that messed them up. They scored a 2, but had expectations of a 1.

Culinary Arts has been delicious. Walter has provided us with several interesting meals and has helped out during a catering event at the school.

Sean has gotten into the swing of the 5th grade. I'm so proud of his increased spelling abilities. He's even had his picture posted on the classroom door twice now for being one of the top ten readers of his class.

Dad's class is going. Hopefully quickly. The content is great, but the professor isn't all that great.

Drivers Ed

Danielle has put in a whole hour behind the wheel, so far. I've been slightly frightened. JK. She's been doing just fine. It's the optical illusion of being closer to the edge of the road that gets me from the passengers seat.

We only have 39 hours left, 10 which need to be at night.

Packing a Punch

Wow, The little guy really exploded. He set on of the neighborhood "bullies" right by punching him in the mouth, after they had tormented him for some time.

I hope that this little outburst will finally end the torment. Sometimes after an altercation like this the two parties become best friends....

Here's hope for a change to the better.

October

Here it is already October. Tonight is the football game between Manchester and Clover Hill. It will be quite interesting attending with the Manchester Band, when I am an alumni of the Clover Hill Band. Hmmmmm......

The kids will do great. Who knows maybe I'll even see a former classmate or two.

Big Game

Tonight is the first home football game. Time for the Marching Band to show off for the evening. This will put everyone in that old "School Spirit" mood.

Good luck Danielle.

X-Game Event

Sean put in his time this afternoon attempting to do some X-Game style tricks on his bicycle. He did manage to pull the stunt off once, but the second go round didn't work out nearly as well. He crashed and then fell onto his handlebars and put a really nasty looking bruised and scrapped up place on his left side. A quick trip to the doctor reassured us that it was pretty much superficial.

A New Driver

Well, Miss Danielle has done it. She passed the driver's license test, and received her learner's permit. Now only to complete 40 hours drive time, behind-the-wheel training, and driver's education. By June 2005, she'll have her full fledged license.

Trip Extended

Oh boy, Shrek's business trip has been extended an additional three days. They ended up staying at The Homestead.

Shrek's Business Trip

Hee hee. Mr. Walt is having a grand time on his 'business trip'. Work has been going well and he is enjoying his time at The Inn at Grist Mill Square, a Bed & Breakfast where he is staying. He has been enjoying sleeping in a queen-size bed. Lots of room to spread out. He has informed me that he has been keeping his room clean and even making the bed. He says that they come in and fluff the pillows during the day for him. He appreciates that. He has discovered RC colas - and will bringing a few of them home to enjoy later. Before he leaves he will have an opportunity to soak in one of the local hot springs. With all their physical labor, I'm sure that they all will enjoy the benefits of the hot water and 'bubbles'.

Here is a Lesson in History

The division of the human family into its two distinct political branches occurred some 10,000 years ago, when humans existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunter/gatherers.

The pivotal event of societal evolution was the invention of beer. This epochal event was both the foundation of modern civilization and the occasion of the bifurcation of humanity into its two distinct subgroups: Liberals and Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain, and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so it was necessary to stick close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days killing animals to barbecue at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of the conservative movement.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting, learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly barbecues and doing the sewing, fetching and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the liberal movement. An interesting evolutionary side note: some of these early liberal men evolved into pseudo-women.

Liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the trade union, the invention of group therapy and group hugs, and the concept of democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that the conservatives provided.

Over the years, conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth.

Liberals are symbolized by the jackass.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men.

Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't "fair" to make the pitcher bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer, They eat red meat, and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumber jacks, construction workers, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, soldiers, athletes, and generally anyone who works productively outside government. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to "govern" the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the wild west was tame and created a business of trying to get MORE for nothing.
Here ends this lesson in world history.

Dad's Fall Class

History and Methods of Science

Reviews some of the pivotal moments in the history of science, focusing on how they changed our understanding of science and the world. Covers topics such as: the Aristotelian and Ptolemaic views of the cosmos, the Copernican revolution and Galileo, Newton’s Principia Mathematica, Einstein’s theory of relativity, Quantum Mechanics and the uncertainty principle, the Big Bang, Darwin and evolution, microbiology, and genetics. Studies the rise of information technology as a major medium of communications in our time. Establishes the claims of natural sciences and how these methods differ from those of the social sciences.

Lance & Shanna's Wedding

The Bride & Groom

The Family. Everyone looks great.

Band Camp

Danielle has been at band camp for the past couple of days. They are working on the show for the coming season. They are using a Western theme. They will all look so cute in their new uniforms and using all new equipment.

Squash the Terrorist

Mama sent this over. It is kind of humorous. Play

Trip to the DMV

Well, Danielle made her first attempt at obtaining her learner's permit. However, there was this one question that stumped her. She didn't miss any questions regarding the signage, just the regular ones. We'll let her try again at the end of the month.

Automotive Adventures

What a day! Starting with an early morning phone call regarding a needed car repair. Next on my first trip out of the day, I get a flat tire. Calvary to the rescue....help with that tire changing.

By dinner, it was time to get with the car repair - the Mr. handled it beautifully. The Oldest helped out greatly by having my tire repaired at the same time.

Crisis averted - cars repaired. YEAH!

Shrek Walter

Walter received his nickname at work, "Shrek". So in honor of this event, I present.........

Massive Rain

The weather has been hideous.  Yesterdays "rain shower" dumped a massive amount of rain.  We had a river around the house, just like when we first moved into this house.  The runoff puddled between our house and our neighbors in a large pond.  The ducks could have landed there and swam around awhile.

Hopefully we won't have storms like that any further this year....

Pout Pout

The van had trouble this afternoon following church.  The starter is acting up again...Dad had to go back out to the church and remove and replace the starter.

I was sorry to have to even ask him to go out in this rainy weather to take care of it.  Just hope that the new starter holds out longer than the other one.

Sipping Vodka

This is too funny –  
 
A new priest at his first mass was so nervous he could hardly speak.
 
After mass he asked the monsignor how he had done.
 
The monsignor replied, “ When I am worried about getting nervous On the pulpit, I put a glass of vodka next to the water glass. If I start to get nervous, I take a sip.”
 
So next Sunday he took the monsignor’s advice.  At the beginning of the sermon, he got nervous and took a drink.  He proceeded to talk up a storm.
 
Upon his return to his office after the mass, he found the following note on the door:

1.       Sip the vodka, don’t gulp.
2.       There are 10 commandments, not 12.
3.       There are 12 disciples, not 10.
4.       Jesus was consecrated, not constipated.
5.       Jacob wagered his donkey, he did not bet his ass.
6.       We do not refer to Jesus Christ as the late J.C.
7.       The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not referred to as Daddy, Junior and the Spook.
8.       David slew Goliath, he did not kick the sh*t out of him.
9.       When David was hit by a rock and was knocked off his donkey, don’t say he was stoned off his ass.
10.   We do not refer to the cross as the “Big T.”
11.   When Jesus broke the bread at the last supper he said, “take this and eat it for it is my body.” He did not say “ Eat me”.
12.   The Virgin Mary is not called “ Mary with the Cherry,.
13.   The recommended grace before a meal is not: Rub-A-Dub-Dub thanks for the grub, Yeah God.
14.   Next Sunday there will be a taffy pulling contest at ST. Peter’s not a peter pulling contest at St. Taffy’s.

We Go Digital

Hey, Hey!  We've gone digital.  I picked up the digital cable box today.  There are lots of things to see.  Check the TV Listings.  I subscribed us to HBO, The Movie Channel, and Starz so be sure to check out those channels also.   There are a number of channels that have been blocked - mainly Pay-Per-View or inDemand Channels.

Carnival Going Ons

The family had a great afternoon of fun and games at the Infineon Carnival. Walter, Danielle and Sean all participated in activities.


Sean playing Moonwalk volley ball.


Everyone on the horizontial bungee jump.


Danielle and those baby goats.


Walter goes for it.


Danielle off for a ride.


Sean takes a ride.


Bull riding by Walter


Danielle takes a turn.


Sean take a turn.


Danielle flies up the wall quick as lightening.


Sean scampering up the rock wall.


Danielle wanting to do kerokee, but fighting stage fright. Turns out that they didn't have the song that she wanted to sing. So the nerves were all for nothing.

Tension Relief

IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE, DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE: "TAKE TWO ASPIRIN" and "KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN"!!!!!

Alert!

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fishery is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen, and golfers to take extra precautions this spring, and be on the alert for black bears. They advise people to wear noise-producing devices such as little bells on their clothing to alert but not startle the bears unexpectedly. They also advise you to carry pepper spray in case of an encounter with a bear. It is also a good idea to watch for signs of bear activity, and to be able to distinguish between black ! bear and bobcat droppings. Bobcat droppings generally contain rabbit and squirrel fur. Black bear bear droppings are larger, have bells in them, and smell like pepper spray. Take care.

Summer Reading Has Arrived!

Walt & Danielle, your new summer project has arrived. Be sure to completely read 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens prior to the beginning of school and complete one of the activities for each chapter as part of your assignment. You will need to take the copy of the book and chapter activities to your English class at the beginning of school this fall.

Good Luck - It will be productive. At least it's not doing a novel.

Poor Kids at the Mall

I just spent several hours observing teenagers who were hanging out at our local mall. I came to the conclusion that many teenagers in America are living in poverty.

Most of the young men I observed didn't even own a belt; there was not one among the whole group. But that wasn't the sad part . . . many of them were wearing their daddy's jeans. Some of these jeans were so big and baggy that they hung low on their hips, exposing their underwear. I know some of them must have been ashamed their daddy was short, because his jeans hardly went below their knees. They weren't even their daddies' good jeans, for most of them had holes ripped in the knees and had a dirty look to them.

It grieved me that in a modern, affluent society like America, there are people who can't afford a decent pair of jeans. I have been thinking about asking my church to start a jeans drive for the "poor kids at the mall." Then on Christmas Eve, I could go Christmas caroling and distribute jeans to these poor teenagers.

But here is the saddest part..... it was the girls they were hanging out with that disturbed me the most. I have never in all of my life seen such "poor" girls. These girls had the opposite problem of the guys . . . they all had to wear their little sisters clothes. Their jeans were about five sizes too small. I don't know how they could even put them on, let alone button them up. Their jeans barely went over their hipbones. Most of them also had on their little sister's top; it hardly covered their midsection.

Oh, they were trying to hold their heads up with pride, but it was a sad sight to see these almost grown women wearing children's clothes. However, it was their underwear that bothered me the most. They, like the boys, because of the improper fitting of their clothes, also had their underwear exposed. I have never seen anything like it. It looked like their underwear was only held together by a single piece of . .. . string.

I know it also saddens your heart to receive this report on the condition of our American teenagers. While I go to bed every night with a closet full of clothes nearby, there are millions of "mall girls" who barely have enough material to keep it together. I think their "poorness" is why these two groups gather at the mall, the boys with their short daddies' ripped jeans, and the girls wearing their younger sisters' clothes. The mall is one place where they can find acceptance.

So, the next time you are at the mall doing your shopping and you pass by some of these poor teenagers, would you say a prayer for them? And one more thing . . . Will you pray that the guys' pants won't fall down, and the girls' strings won't break?!

Infineon Carnival

This in from Dad. These are just some of the activities that will be going at the Carnival on the 11th. Let's all go and have a great time.

- Moonwalks
- Carnival games with prizes
- Clowns
- Disc jockey
- Mechanical bull
- Rock climbing
- Legendary racecar driver, Mario Andretti (on Sunday only)
- Cotton candy
- 3 lane bungee run
- Dunking booth (thousands of votes have come through!!)
- Hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers
- Micro reality racetrack
- Snow cones
- Human foosball
- Mist tents
- And much, much more!!!!!

Entertaining

Sean has been entertaining the neighborhood for the past two days. Yesterday he had Steven, Brandon, and Jasmine over playing board games (Jenga and Cranium), playing basketball and hide-and-go-seek. All the while we were also entertaining Alice's family, and were visited briefly by Rachelle and her two cousins. So at one point we had a total of fifteen here.

Today the guest list includes Steven, Brandon and Jasmine. They have played PlayStation (Vice City) and are now watching Pirates of the Carribean.

The Journey's End

Mamaw & Papaw are home. They got in yesterday afternoon around 4:00 pm.

I talked to Mamaw this morning and she has over 2000 pictures to sort through and show us. WOW! She has lots of animal shots and or course scenery. I'm looking forward to seeing them.

They both commented on how exceptional the yard looked as they pulled into the driveway. They thought it was fantastic. Dean & Sean - Take a bow!

Amazing things

Mr. Walter did an amazing thing this morning...he brought down his laundry without being asked. Who knew it could happen?

Positive Side of Life

Some positive points to ponder....

* Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.
* How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.
* Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.
* Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.
* Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?
* Most of us go to our grave with our music still inside of us.
* If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing is free yet?
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.
* We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box.
* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Skating In the Circle

Sean is preparing to flip his board.

Automotive Class 100

Dean and Walter discuss the options on the vehicle. Hmm..now just where is this thing leaking oil. They spent part of the day changing the oil, filter, sensor, and air filter. WOW. Tomorrow they are going to clean up the garage. Next week they are replacing a seal.

Shopping

Well the shopping trip went just fine. We tramped thru Kohl's this afternoon while it was raining outside. Danielle took Miss Rachelle with her for a second opinion on clothing. For a while there I thought that Danielle and Rachelle were going to buy out the store, thanks to a great bit of "trimming" we got away with half. Sean has a new look he is trying out "Skater". Complete with somewhat baggy pants but not totally droopy. He also found several nice shirts to go with the look. I even managed to find 4, yes you heard it right, 4 new dress. A truly amazing feat.

Dad's Vacation Days

Hi de ho, Dad is home of four days. This nasty mandatory vacation has him home this Thursday and Friday - with out his permission. Grrrrr. Let's all help him to enjoy the days off. Maybe they won't page him too many times and he can enjoy playing some Asheron's Call - kicking some monster hinney.

Welcome To Timmons Group

This came through on an Welcome to Timmons email. Walter on his first day at Timmons Group, where he is interning in the Survey Group for the summer.

Walter came home today with a goodie bag of Timmons stuff, a hat, mouse pad, couple of pens, fancy ruler, coffee mug and most importantly a key ring,

Blackberries

We ran out to take care of things at Mamaw & Papaw's house, looks like there maybe four little roosters, instead of three. The turkeys gave us another egg this afternoon. We saw a deer back behind the dog lots. Not really good just running into the woods. We picked some blackberries, they were growing out of the old car. We also picked up a bunch of seed tick hitchhikers. Of course, home we came and each and everyone of us jumped into the shower and the clothes promptly went into the washer. Those are some pricey blackberries.

Walter's First Day - My Doctor's Report

Walter had a great first day. Walter tells us that he spent his day pretending to be a pole. They used his height as a guide when doing some preliminary site scouting. They are suppose to install permanent "monument" boundary markers tomorrow. Walter will get to show off his skill at digging holes. Sean & I even passed the truck he was in while we were out in the East end taking somethings over to his dad. It was weird passing my "baby" in a company vehicle.

The cast has to stay on for another two weeks - July 6th - at minimum. I do believe that I may sit down a bit latter and cry. I really feel depressed. There is so much to do here and my ability to do it is greatly hampered. How do you clean without water? Driving is tough enough let alone open jars, sweep/mop floors, vacuum (this one really causes trouble). Grrrr.

Happy Father's Day

We enjoyed taking Dad out to Panera for lunch. Dad took Sean off to the skate park for a twirl around. I hope he has had a great Father's Day.

Flameboy

Sean got a new skateboard from Dominon Skateboards. It is a local skate shop here in town. The skateboard itself is a World Industries Flameboy v2.0 Custom Complete, assembled with Bullet 7.6 trucks, Red Bullet 53mm wheels, Bullet bearings, and Blackmagic grip tape. Now that he has a awesome skateboard he needed to find somewhere to try it out fully. We found a local Skate Park where Sean can go and practice some of the more "adventuresome" tricks. The admission is $7.00 per day, that includes the whole day. In order to go he still needs a helmet and elbow pads. Sean spent the better part of the evening testing it out on the ramp he has and even doing some tricks. He has a few new bruises to show, but they are just badges of sport for him.

SAT Scores

Walter scored 1120 on his SAT's. He scored 550 on Math and 570 on the Verbal.

Walter on Tylenol 3 with Codeine

Walter has been taking Tylenol 3 with Codeine and he is being absolutely ridiculous. He is quite amusing. He even has said that he has a hand. He's been wanting to go out for ice cream but he's not fit to go. I believe that he would be arrested for public intoxication if he went out. He thinks that he is so funny. He has even been telling us what Carla wants to eat from Taco Bell.

And on top of Walter being silly, Danielle has taken over one of Ben's shirts and started sniffing it.

Piggy Dance

I ran across this while entering a bill at WheresGeorge.com. I got a big kick out of it.

The Australian: 'House-sized' meteorite hits [June 17, 2004]

The Australian: 'House-sized' meteorite hits [June 17, 2004]:
Interesting

Day 2 - Farmer Smith

Well so far so good. The animals are all cooperating and there is plenty of help to be had. It was a bit messy yesterday with the on and off drizzles, but today was much better.
We were rewarded for our efforts today with our second egg. How nice. The kids also enjoyed a brief snack at the raspberry vines. YUM YUM.

Surgery

Walter went through his oral surgery just fine today. He has had plenty to eat and taken a nap. He's just about ready to hit the Tyenol 3 again, but hopefully that won't last too long.

6-18 He's up and at it. No worries. Walt seems to be just fine. All he is going to need to really do today..and until the stitches come out is to watch what he's eating. Nothing hard.

Wyoming Bound

Well gang, Mama & Papa have set off to Cody, Wyoming. They anticipate being gone at least until July 6th, but maybe gone as long as July 16th. Stay posted for more from the road as it becomes available.

Year-end Count Down

There are only 1 school days left this year. Sean enjoy the last day of school. Walter & Danielle have completed their exams, so they are out for the year.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Mr. Walter will be starting his new position at Timmons beginning June 21st. What an exciting way to begin the summer. I wish you the best on this great opportunity.

Richmond Metro Zoo

Thanks to Danielle & Sean for suggesting this as an outing, so that we could give Dad time to work on his Accounting Exam and "term paper". The Zoo has really changed over the past couple of years. They have added a chair lift ride over the animal pens. It really gives you a great birds-eye view of some of the larger animals.

Zoo Shots

Sean & Danielle flying high above the animals at the Richmond Metro Zoo.


Time for a cool drink. The orangutan enjoys a sip of water on a hot day


Sean had the rare opportunity to pet a Galapagos turtle.

Cast

Now that I'm stuck in a cast for at least 10 days, I'm going to need a bunch of help. Thanks so far to Danielle for helping with the laundry and to Sean for helping put together the TideBuzz.

Year End Notes

The schedule for the rest of the school year is a little odd. Be sure to keep me posted on any schedule changes and happenings. I want to make sure the next 10 days go smoothly. Everyone keep up the good work at school and make us proud.

Joke

Why doesn't Mexico have a navy?
-CARDBOARD DOESN'T FLOAT :)

Alice's New Look

Alice's new hair style. The before photo on the left was taken on June 4th. The after photo on the right was taken on June 8th after the removal of 13-inches of hair. A brand new look. What do ya'll think?

Happy 42nd Anniversary

Today is Mama & Papa's 42nd Wedding Anniversary. They were married June 8, 1962 in Pennington Gap, Virginia. Be sure to tell them Happy Anniversary.

Slugger!

WOW. What a game! Sean slammed a hit to almost the right field fence. He ran the bases like a man possessed only to be caught sliding into home. His hit brought in two run and put the team back on the board. The next two times at bat also were hard hitters to the outfield, both doubles. What power and the running......

The game ended with a score of 8 to 7 in favor of their opponents, but the team had played hard and well. It was a great ending to the season - going out doing their best.

Congratulations!

Way to go Rockies! 11-12 victory. Sean you did a fantastic job on catching. Keep up the good work.

Weekend Update

To recap the events of the weekend.
Walter reports that he feels that he did well on his SAT's, he's predicting a score of around 1300.
Danielle & I had a great visit to the Windy Oaks Animal Farm. There are lots of pictures be sure to ask to see the slideshow.
Sean & Dean attended the baseball game. This was the first game of the playoffs. The team lost, but much luck is wished for on Sunday's game.

Windy Oaks Animal Farm

Danielle and the King Springer Spaniel. They breed them at the Windy Oaks Animal Farm.

Prairie Dog

Danielle and her Prairie Dog friend at the Windy Oaks Animal Farm.

Gibben

Gibben from the Windy Oaks Animal Farm - He is so cute sucking his thumb.

Weekend Movies

We've several movies to enjoy this weekend:

1 - Calendar Girls (due 6/10)
2 - Mummy Returns(due 6/13)
3 - Secondhand Lions(due 6/13)

Plus two PS2 games: Onimusha: Blade Warrriors (due 6/10)and Kill Switch (due 6/10)

Graduation

This evening Danielle and I will be attending Ben's Graduation Ceremony at Swift Creek Baptist Church. Anyone that would like to attend with us come on along.

Saturday The BIG DAY

There is so much to do on Saturday. All events are simultaneous, Walter will be taking the SAT's at Manchester - followed by work from 2-6, Danielle & I will be at Windy Oak Farms for her Veterinary Explorer Outing, Sean & Dad will be at the 1st tournament game at Manchester at Noon.

The family will regroup for dinner at home. I am going to put a nice beef roast in the crockpot with potatoes, onions and carrots. Yum, Yum.

Mama Stapleton

Mama Stapleton will be returning to Pennington Gap this weekend following Andrew's baseball game on Saturday. Mamaw & Papaw will be driving her home following the game and they will return on Monday or Tuesday.

Birthday Wish

June 4th is Aunt Susan's birthday.

And the Winner is....

Congratulations to Walter who won the Gummi Worm eating contest in his Chemistry Class on Mole Day! Way to go. Now to wait for the prize.

New Glasses & A Concert

Mr. Dean has an eye exam Thursday and will hopefully be able to pick out just the right eyewear to enjoy for the next year or so.

Miss Dannie has on Thursday afternoon the first colorguard practice of the 2004-05 season, followed that evening by a concert performance. Sing wonderfully.