Owen is 7

We celebrated Owen's 7th birthday last weekend.  Owen was so excited about his birthday this year- way more than in years past.  He started a countdown to the big day and was sure to remind us each morning how many days were left until his birthday. When his day finally arrived, the first thing out of his mouth after waking up was "today is my birthday".

As usual, we had our family over for cake and ice cream.  It was great to see everyone.  Owen wanted a Star Wars themed cake this year, and Aunt Hannah was glad to help out with that.  Owen's birthday also gave us an opportunity to use the beautiful table runner that Aunt Connie sent.  It is so festive and looked great on the table.

 After the cake and ice cream, it was time to open gifts.  Owen received so many nice things including clothes, baseball stuff, and video game figures.  A lot of folks went in together and got him a basketball goal, which I know he will use a lot in the future.

I think that Owen had a great day overall.  We sure do love that boy, and we are very pleased with the young man that he is becoming.

102

Five generations

 We were fortunate to celebrate my Great Granny Moore's 102nd birthday with her.  Granny's family has grown exponentially over the years so we've had to start reserving a large room at a restaurant to accommodate everyone.  This year, we met at Ryan's for the birthday dinner.  Granny sure does well for a centenarian.  She is such a sweet and special lady and is well thought of by everyone.  We hope to spend more birthdays with her.

Golf

Brian has really been enjoying the set of golf irons that he received for Christmas.  He goes to the golf course whenever he has time and the weather is nice.  He has two little helpers that like to go with him.

Easing Back In

I am trying to ease back into my running routine.  The goal for the year is "injury free", so I am not rushing anything.  I have cut back to running 3 times a week, and I am going to build mileage slowly.  I have run two 5ks recently and my time is getting back to normal.  I ran a 30.52 for the End It 5k, but the course was a half mile too long, so it was actually better than it sounds.  The following weekend I ran a 25.38 at the Run for the Ribbons 5k.  So far, so good.

New Acolytes

 Olivia has reached the age where she is old enough to serve as acolyte in church.  February was her first month.  She did a great job.  Her jobs include lighting the candle at the beginning and extinguishing it at the end of the service.  Later in the year she'll start assisting with communion.

Acolyte training took place in January.  Owen and I were just going to sit and wait while Olivia completed the training. Since we were there anyway, the preacher said the Owen could go ahead a be trained.  So, Owen is now an acolyte as well.  His first week of service was last week.  Like Olivia, he did a great job.  He got a little upset toward the end because he had to sit on the front pew by himself, but he pulled it together and made it through. 

Wild West Railroad

 After years of being a good sport about doing "girly" things, Owen finally got a day trip that was tailored toward his interests.  The St. Mary's Railroad hosted a "Wild West" train excursion in late February, and we booked passage.  This trip featured an old-timey steam engine, and a wild west shoot-out.  

The train ride itself was a pleasant experience.  The weather was beautiful, which is good because we were in open-air train cars.  I enjoyed listening to the whistle of the steam engine and taking in the coastal scenery.

At the turn-around point, we were treated to a re-enactment of the shootout at the OK Corral.  There were two "wild west" clubs that played the parts of old west heroes and villains.  After the shootout, "Wyatt Earp" spoke to the crowd about the history of the OK Corral.

The actors / cowboys boarded the train for the return trip.  They circulated through the cars and spoke with the kids.  Several of the cowboys commented on Owen's cowboy boots.  They also passed out shotgun shells for the kids to have as souvenirs.

Back at the station, we were able to check out replicas of relics from the old West.  There was also an Indian Village set up.

The Native Americans invited the kids to do the "Candy Dance".  Olivia had her camera bag and was able to stuff a lot of candy into it.  Our outing ended after the candy dance.  It was fun to experience a piece of the old west in south Georgia.