Give 2 Troops

When we have time on Thursdays, we go with our friends to Give 2 Troops, and prepare care/necessity packages from donated items that get dropped by airplane in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are always other soldiers there helping and we get to talk to them about their experiences when we're done.

They send out hundreds of homemade cards from school kids, and other people in the community. We always end up making cards because there are never enough.

Tyler, our most enthuiastic emtemologist

Tyler cracks me up - He loves pinning bugs, and when he saw me labeling them he decided to make his own labels. Can you see his little chicken scratch?

That was hard work, and Tyler fell asleep in the beach chair.

Ocracoke Island -

This is the other ferry which crossed our path as we were en route.

We did see dolphins at one point. Sorry - no pictures.

This is an example of the kinds of beach homes that are scattered throughout.

The beach here was a couple of degrees warmer than others.

And it was littered with shells.

Ocracoke Lighthouse

Swimming at the neighbor's pool

A Field Trip to the Beekeeper's Farm

Here the kids are in the house looking at a demonstration hive. This is one of the regular hives that Mr. Miller opened up for us.

We were in the screened porch.

This was a demonstration of the smoker.

Pine straw is burned inside and blown across the bees to prepare them for the hive being opened. Mr. Miller shows us his bee suit.

Mrs. Miller made a honey cake, and whole wheat bread to spread honey on. YUM!!!

Sewing Club: teddy bear sleeping bags

Jarom couldn't resist.

Even Tyler sewed a sleeping bag, with help from Mom.

At the Estuarium with Sean

Grammy will remember the boardwalk where the turtles were. Now the area is filled with lilies.

It had just rained.

Hi! Cute turtle.

This one is to pair with Ashley's nature rain picture!

Pairs From Nature

Our two caterpillars we picked up from the last entemology meeting, and the only two strawberries my one plant will ever grow. Boo hoo.

The caterpillars now have cocoons, and as soon as my camera arrives home in the car that Damon took to work, I will take a picture of them.