This afternoon was open house in Mallory’s Gateway to Technology class at school, so the girls and I met Lindee there to go to that.  It was so cool to see all the things they have going on in that class, and the things they have coming up.  It was the first time I’d been inside the new school, and it is absolutely beautiful.  Here is Mal standing in front of the 6-2 hall, which is the team she is on.  Sixth grade is yellow

Wednesday when June and Mason got here after school they helped me bake a pound cake – I needed to make three for the turkey supper at church this weekend and to share with Gran.  They are good chefs

At BIG that evening, during the Bible lesson. Another good evening.

Tuesdays are usually sort of hectic, between getting the girls picked up, homework done, and Mallory fed & ready to head to dance.  This week, though, we did squeeze in a little bit of time for Mal to help Kimbrell do a little coloring on Mal’s tablet

Yesterday Charlotte and I went to Old Salem – a surprise for her to celebrate her 65th birthday.  It’s always great being together, and I had not been to Old Salem since I went with Lindee’s class when she was in the 4th grade, I don’t think.  It’s a beautifully restored area, of course – much smaller than Williamsburg, but I thought the guides were every bit as good.  Needless to say, one of my favorite things was the cemetery.  This is a plaque in the African-American church yard.  It says, “The only gravestone not removed in the 1913 landscaping was Squire’s, which archaeologists discovered in place. Squire, an enslaved African-American, was digging a well near the wool factory that was built and owned by Moravian industrialist Francis Fries, when he died on July 23, 1844, at the age of 42.  Although Squire and wife Betty were Baptists, they both worshipped at the African-American Moravian Church.

We ate lunch at the Tavern at Old Salem, where the waiter highly recommended we try the pear cider. He did not mention that, and we did not think to ask if, it was hard. Charlotte really liked it, so she drank mine AND hers

I finally got at least a semblance of a picture of Charlie during his BMX race last night – it’s just blurry because he was going so fast

Good day today.  Mal & Clara came out here after I picked them up at school, and after they finished their homework we made sweaters for their stuffed animals out of socks :-).  They enjoyed making them as much as June and Mason had when I did the same activity with them a few weeks ago.

Then this evening the auditorium series kicked off in town. Obviously my pictures weren’t great, but we saw Loren and Mike – a duet of guitar players. Mostly they played, with a little singing thrown in. So, so good.

This afternoon June and Mason helped me make English pea dumplings for supper tomorrow night – it’s going to be such a busy evening that, even though we were eating supper at church tonight, I wanted to go ahead & get a start on tomorrow evening.  Here they are adding the dumplings to the pot – actually tossing them in   We hope they’re yummy!

Yesterday the children participated in the service at church, and they did such a good job.  Here they are practicing the anthem beforehand.  From front are Will, Judah, Raina, Mason, AJ, Kylie, Rylan, Rachel, Carter, June, Eva Kimrey, Anna, Elizabeth you can barely see, and Brandon.  So cute.

What a fun afternoon we had today, when Addie & Lee had Mason’s party out here at our house.  This has been his party for the last several years – kids come here for hotdogs and to run in the woods – what more could you want?  Here he is with his birthday cake.

Group photo – except for June and Clara, who were still out playing in the woods, and Nathan – Stephanie Penland Hines’ youngest, who was out on the trail with Addie and his mom.  First row is Aiden, a friend of Adam’s who was spending the night with him & came along to the party, Adam, Mason, & Mason’s BFF Shepherd; second row is Aiden’s big brother Ethan – also sleeping over, Charlie, and Steph’s oldest Austin; back row is Mallory.  Fun, crazy group – and great, great day.