Fun at the Blount's

Last week we enjoyed tacos at the Blount's house. While the parents hung out upstairs, the kids had a really fun time playing in the huge basement playroom.

A Great Thanksgiving!

Today we were blessed to have the Hightower and Melendez families over to our home for Thanksgiving. Oh my, what a GREAT day! However, we did miss our family and hope that they had a great day, too. Here are some highlights of today's action, which included a feast, several hikes in the woods and down the creek, trampoline games, dramatic readings, an original play and much more.

Can You Find Dahlonega?

Start at the heart of d'town Atlanta and find GA 400/19 (which begins just north in Buckhead). Then go straight up about 50 miles (all 4 lane except the last 5, which includes a beautiful drive along the Chestatee River), and you're there!

Roasting Marshmallows

Since it has been so cold at night, we have been enjoying the fireplace a lot. We even break out the marshmallows on occasion.

Back Yard Foliage

I took these pictures of Schaeffer in the back yard to capture a glimpse of the fall foliage.

Ann Ferris- World Class Babysitter

Ann Ferris is now a full, fledged, in-demand, world-class babysitter. She is caring, enthusiastic and creative. Last Friday, a mother dropped her son off at our house for a few hours to let Ann Ferris babysit on her turf for a change. I captured a picture of her in action. (Sarah Wynn is painting with water colors in the foreground.)

Nini for a Week!

Kristy's mother, "Nini," came to keep the grandkids while Kristy and I attended the church planting Assessment Center last week. Thankfully, we were able to convince her to stay a few extra days. On one excursion, we went up to Dahlonega to enjoy the scenic mountains and to drop by Connie's Ice Cream Parlor on the square. What a great week!

Soccer Team Party

After Schaeffer's soccer team won it's final game of the fall 4-0 (with Schaeffer scoring 2 of the goals), the boys enjoyed a party at the home of one of the players. Here are some highlights.

The Red Rangers

Handing out trophies (this one to Schaeffer)

The gang having hot dogs and hamburgers

Assessment Center

My apologies to all of you devoted followers of the Caston Chronicles. I realize that I have not posted this week and that you are starving. :0) As many of you know, Kristy and I attended the PCA's Church Planter Assessment Center this week, a required hurdle in the PCA church planting world. It was an intense week of personal and ministry evaluations. We are so thankful to report that we "passed" the assessment and have been approved as church planters.

Anyway, I plan to begin regular posts again very soon... some really fun pictures are on the way. Thanks for your patience!

SWC and SMC

Sarah Wynn and Schaeffer enjoyed playing together last week. Of course, they play every day like this. However, I usually don't have my camera to capture the fun. Schaeffer is a world-class big brother!

Friend Visits from Nashville

Emily Patridge, a friend of ours from Greenwood who lives in Nashville, was in town this weekend and spent the night with us on Saturday night. We all had a blast seeing her again!

Daddy the Pharaoh

The other day Sarah Wynn asked me for something. I think it was is she could have ice cream for lunch. Now, sometimes that is a lot of fun, but not the week that the house has been inundated with hundreds of pounds of candy. Anyway, she kept asking, and I kept giving the same reply. That is when she became utterly exasperated and declared that I was Pharaoh. "Why am I Pharaoh, Sweetie?" She replied, "Because you keep saying, no!" :0)

Square Dance

A couple of weeks ago we went to a CHEER homeschool square dance at Perimeter. Here are the highlights.

Reformation Day, Part 2

Here is the part of Reformation Day that we spent with the McDonalds trick or treatin' and roasting marshmallows in the cul-de-sac.