Chance of a Lifetime Weekend

So, we had nothing planned for this last weekend.  Jeremy intended to be gone Sat and Sun to meet up with his buddies for some metal-head shop work on the new race car he has started building. .but then that got canceled Friday. 

So then it was back to nothin'.  We enjoyed a low key evening at home watching a movie, drinking apple cider and eating a delicious fall version of caramel corn (of which I must share the recipe one of these days). 

Saturday started like any other Saturday. .lazy :-)  As I was getting out of the shower, the phone rang.  Now that is NOT unusual. .and we hardly ever answer it on the weekends, unless we recognize the numbers (because our jobs NEVER end. . unless we make them).  But I decided to answer the phone so the person didn't continue to call every 15 minutes to see if we were home yet.  I was surprised to hear from a gentleman that manages the local airport.  He was reminding me that they were having free airplane rides for the kids. .and a helicopter was there to boot.

Wow. .you should have seen us fly into warp speed after that!!

Within 20 minutes we were pulling into the airport.

D was up first and caught the helicopter ride with his friend Landon, who was out there when we arrived.

He was super nervous. . as you might recognize from the smile.

And lift off!!!

His sister was as excited as he was. .yelling "there goes D!!" All the while clapping her hands.

She could hardly wait for her own turn!

We were going to let Jeremy ride with her. .but he didn't want to go in the helicopter. .and I went up a few years ago when the life flight units that service our hospital came for a P.R. visit.

So we let Tristan go in the chopper with her.  They loved every second of the ride.

They also had the opportunity to ride in a small airplane. .and after the great fun of the helicopter, they could hardly wait their turns. .even Camille!!

They had an absolute blast!!

But you may be wondering what happened our fourth kid. .not aforementioned above??

He will get up on the roof. .climbing out of the bedroom window to get there. .but was. .under NOOOOO circumstances (and I mean NONE) getting into one of the flying machines.  He enjoyed some peace and quiet in the pickup until everyone was done riding!

Saturday turned out to be an absolutely GORGEOUS day. .warmish with NO wind!! I dug out my Christmas lights from the garage and got them untangled.  Jeremy and 2 of the boys helped me hang up the icicles on the front of the house.  Some of them weren't working properly, so they were laid aside, and we will finish them up another day, hopefully next weekend so they will be ready to fire off Thanksgiving evening.  The front of the house is the hardest to get at--so their help was really appreciated. 

The boys are sure getting to be old hands at pinning up lights.  Jeremy just kind of drives our little tractor around and we hook them onto the house--either from the bucket (which D thinks is some type of county fair ride) or from the rooftops!

And I just couldn't resist giving ya'll a big howdy wave!

Tristan and D had the bows out and target practiced with some leftover pumpkins.

Cami and I did some bird watching while jumping on the trampoline (actually--she jumped and I watched!)

We enjoyed hot apple cider two nights in a row. .

Lots of good food. .

And enjoyed the company of friends on Sunday after church. .where we downed some VERY good Cajun cookin'.  After which Kendy and I, with the help of our young friend Bailee. .proceeded to whip some little boy butts at a game of basketball.  And I will NEVER tell them that I couldn't sleep last night because my back was out. .and the top of my rear end is quite sensitive to movement today.  Initially I chalked the back thing up to this very nasty "cough from your toenails" cough that I have been blessed with this week. .but when the gluteal muscles chimed in too. .I decided that I most certainly am getting too old to act like a child

:-)

As I told Kendy. .it's like the country song goes. .I'm not as good as I once was. .BUT, I'm as good ONCE as I ever was!!

Perhaps the greatest part of the whole weekend. . .

Was the sunsets that we saw 3 nights in a row!!

I'm thankful that God was an artist!!