Catchin' up

It's time for the SWAK Carnival at We Are That Family BUT I've gotta get caught up with what's been goin' on in LIFE before harping on that handsome hubby of mine.

Let's start with Andrew - he's the middle boy so doesn't often get to start things. :-)
He needs one more science with a lab to accomplish Bright Futures requirements plus needed a biology class working towards his associates degree. The good news? Watson offers the class! The bad news? Not this semester.

SO, since Caleb is also focusing on Biology this semester, he & Andrew are doing labs together - yeppers, Andrew gets college biology and homeschooled lab. Sounds like a good combo to me.
Here, the boys are focusing in on very small things and attempting to draw what they see. In the above photo, Andrew is working on a yeast experiment assigned by his no-labbing-for-this-class college professor.

BTW, for those of you who asked about how Andrew's ethics professor graded his essay on regulating the trees, he received an A-.

This photo was made last Friday. I asked Jacob to come home from work to de-disasterfy his bedroom since an appraiser was coming the following day > a refinance is in the works. He sprawled on the floor with his feet on the hearth. Maryn gave him a foot massage. I proclaimed that he'd done nothing worthy of a foot massage, lazing around in front of the fire but obviously, a fiance' does not mind foot-massaging even unworthy feet.

I don't know how the wrestling match started. Perhaps Rachel asked for a foot massage too & Jacob objected? Maybe she jumped in to tickle the other foot?

But here's how it ended. And yes, he did clean his room (mostly) as well as the boy's bathroom. Maryn was helping so I've no idea how much foot-massaged-boy actually did.

That night was the first AHG camping experience: a camp-in in the church's fellowship hall. Rachel set up her tent while we "picnicked" then these guys did a nap attack on her & Amanda's sleeping bags - I never actually got a shot of Rachel in her tent since she had it all packed-up, ready to go when I came to get her early Saturday a.m. so we wouldn't be late for the Liberty Riders 4-H business meeting.
Maryn, Caleb, Jacob & I headed from the camp-in to Jason's 40th birthday party. Look at all these yummy goodies prepared for this fiesta themed gathering. Tammy was just cutting the chocolate truffle cake after doing the cheese cake - strawberry topping available on the side. Beans & rice, delicious salad (I got the dressing recipe!), enchilada casserole, chicken, and I'm sure there was more I can't recall. There was yummy punch made with orange/vanilla ice cream & lemon/lime soda. A great time was had by all.

There's that birthday boy! He looks pretty pleased about getting old, huh? LOL!

We sang & ate cake then most of the group went outside & enjoyed the bonfire. It was a nippy night so the fire rotisserie was in full swing - heat one side then rotate to heat the other.

I made this photo earlier today.

As you know, we currently have 3 braces faces. We were told that Rachel's could not progress while a canine remained high above the gumline refusing to come in SO we got a referral for the periodontal clinic at the UF dental school to "expose" the tooth (sounds illegal, dosn't it?). God worked things out very quickly. We got the referral on Wed., got the appointment on Monday - went in that same day for the evaluation and the surgery was completed Tuesday a.m.

Dr. Donovan said that he cut the gum at the ridge line then opened a flap to expose the tooth which was "way up there" - I'm sure that's good dentist speak - then scrapped a bunch of tiny cysts off the tooth, attached a gold chain - actually looks like a piece of a necklace - with special dental glue, flopped the flap back down and sutured it back into place.
Rachel thinks there are 15 stitches - her first!

Thankfully, Rachel has not had a big problem with pain although she says it hurts to laugh and as you can see, there is a bit of swelling. She even went to choir practice Tuesday night. Dr. Donovan told her to take it easy for the rest of the week; not to over exert herself so there was no working at the horse ranch today but she should be back in the saddle by Monday.

I'll keep you posted!