Seth's first tournament

Seth is playing for the South Lakes High School team... we are proud.

and here is his big sis cheering him on... a picture I could not pass up...

John's schultute (updated w/ pics from Germany)

Our friends sent pics of the first day of school for the kids J would have started with this year in Germany had we been able to stay! We were so glad to see these!!! They all look so big and we have only been gone a few months!
Thanks to our neighbors back in Mittlebrunn we can carry on the German tradition of a schultute for our little guy. All his buddies started 1 Klasse this week. J won't start till the 8th but we are ready! A schultute is a school cone or bag. When children in Germany set off for their first day of school parents and/or grandparents present them with a big cardboard cone, prettily decorated and filled with toys, chocolate, candies, school supplies, and various other goodies. It is given to children to make this anxiously awaited first day of school a little bit sweeter. As part of our going away gift our dear friends sent us on our way with all the materials to make this cool alligator. We had alot of fun putting it together!! So we are ready now... and truly anxiously awaiting... my last baby goes to school!!

more pics of our German friends!! what an exciting day!!

Ukraine Independance Day

Natasha made these jello beans to help us celebrate!!! YUM YUM!

With all our adventures this summer we have not really done many things ALL together as a family... so we were due! We took the kids to the Air and Space museum out by our home here in Reston VA and had a really nice relaxing afternoon enjoying this huge place!!

This is a T-33, the first airplane G'pa Hickox flew.

This is an F-86, Gpa's favorite airplane. (but he never actually flew it)

Fish

Its been a long action packed summer. We've moved and spent alot of time traveling here in the states. Saying goodbye to good friends and hello to old friends and family... I guess what I'm trying to say is it has been a roller coaster ride of a summer. And this last month I couldn't keep up to blog. I hope to go back and post last month but this morning I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and tired... and am just trying to get moving in the right direction... forward...so I'll just do the next thing... I'll post today.

We got fish. I love fish. Like candles they seem to bring comfort.
Here are (top to bottom) Scruffy, Angel, and Bubbles.
I'm so tired of boxes right now I can't see straight. So the fact that we got this little aquarium (which had been in storage for 3 years) set up and going was a great diversion... continues to bring us all some peace, healing and satisfaction that we are indeed heading in the right direction... forward.

GGma in Atlanta

A quick visit with GGma Gloeckner in Atlanta!

The next day we headed back to VA (drove 13 hrs w/ 3 stops) for begin HS golf, crosscountry, do some dr appts before school begins...

A vacation from my vacation

sorta... actually this week was alot of work... but fun work.

J and I spent the week learning defensive driving and weapons training. The kids stayed with Natasha at Grammy and Grandpa Hickox's house and visited the Georgia Aquarium, Coke Museum, The Varsity, Dialogue in the Dark, and Bodies... also got to swim and play alot with cousins... good week for all!

Here comes the sun... Destin FL

This was the prettiest week we have had in 10 years... the water was perfectly clear... it was just beautiful! The kids played in the waves, sand and pool all week. Other than that we ate!

Actually Seth worked in a game of golf. S, R and Tasha fished. M played volleyball and shopped with grammy. And we all flew kites. I read a book! Wow what a week! One post, lots of pics...