Spring Break

We were a week late to the Spring Break game, but we definitely made the most of it when it got here. I dropped the kids off with my MIL on Wednesday morning, and she and my FIL took them out to the Davis Mountains for a few days of fun, mountain air and mud puddles. Jeff was working in Houston, so I was truly on my own. So, after dropping the kids off, I headed to Belton to visit a friend I've had for twenty years. You heard me right; I said 20 years. Is that crazy or what?! It was a wonderful visit, and such a bonus to get to see, not only her, but her lovely family, too! Afterward, I invited my mom to share in a big Sam's trip, so I would have company and another set of hands for pushing the other shopping cart! Then, I had dinner with my parents before heading home to a very silent house. I can't remember the last time just the three of us had dinner together. It was nice.

 I had to work on Thursday at CC. I was filling in for the director, who was out of town, in addition to tutoring my regular class and facilitating the afternoon program for the little kids. It was a busy day, but still very enjoyable (and a little odd, since I didn't have my own crew to keep up with). I just love being a part of that community! My mom had planned to sleep over on Thursday night, so she was waiting for me when I got home. After a little chit-chat and a couple of glasses of wine, we headed in to Marble Falls for pedicures, followed by dinner at a fun little wine shop/bistro Jeff and I had recently discovered on a date night. The dinner was wonderful, and the company was delightful!

We slept in on Friday morning, had some coffee and then headed in to town for breakfast at the French bakery, one of the Watts family's new favorite places. The atmosphere is fun, and the food is absolutely to die for! With our bellies full, we decided to get down to the serious business of shopping. There are quite a lot of cute local shops and boutiques, and Mom and I had so much fun poking around in all of them. The find of the day may have been the western-style, zebra-striped matching rain boots, at 70% off, that we bought for Ruth and me. I think we had gotten our money's worth out of them before we ever even got out of the store! We finally took a break mid-afternoon for some lunch at a wonderful, local deli. After lunch, we drove over to Johnson City, where we popped into one cute little store, drove by LBJ's birthplace a couple of times, and visited the dollar store, before heading back to the house, so Mom could get her things together and be on her way home. It's been a really long time since just my mom and I had so many uninterrupted hours together, and we had a blast! Shortly after Mom left, I threw together a couple of appetizer plates, and joined some of the neighbors for Friday Fun Night--a weekly neighborhood gathering out in the street. We hadn't made it to one of these events in a while, and it was nice to get to catch up with some of the neighbors and enjoy the incredible weather.

I spent almost the whole of Saturday in a classroom, doing a training class for CC. And when I was finished, I was pooped. So, I came straight home, warmed up some leftovers, and watched The Blind Side. That movie is so good. Every. Time.

Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous day, and I wasn't interested in wasting it indoors, waiting to be reunited with my family. So, I took myself over to Wildseed Farms in Fredricksburg, where I listened to live music, enjoyed peach ice cream, bought some herbs, and took no less than 200 pictures of the amazing flowers. It was a heavenly day! And by the time I got home, in the middle of the afternoon, I only had to wait about 30 minutes for my peeps to walk through the door. There were hugs and smiles and stories all around. I loved my little vacation, and they loved theirs, but it was so very good to all be back together again!

Beauty...
(poppy field at Wildseed Farms)

...and the beasts!
(the big boys, after a mud bath)

Happy Spring!

~from our family to yours~

Kryptonite

I am usually a super-stong, do-it-yourselfer, who does not cower in the corner or ever ask for help. But there are two things that turn my spine into jello. Every. Single. Time. They are cockroaches and tornados. (Actually, even just the threat of either one). The cockroach business we'll save for another therapy session. But, tonight, with a tornado warning flashing at me in another tab, we'll address this particular issue of mine.

As a young child, I lived in a small town in northwest Texas, that hosted a fair amount of tornados over the years. Many homes had basements or cellars, but ours did not. So, we would gather at the homes of friends and neighbors whenever The Threat was issued, day or night. With all the excitement in the air and the crowd of familiar faces, I might have thought these gatherings were parties, but for the adults' grim faces and grave examining of the dark sky. More than once, I caught a glimpse myself of the ominous clouds, producing their funnels in the distance. Though it was terrifying, it was also a bit exhilarating. I instinctively respected these storms and knew they contained a power that could not possibly come from man.

In the Spring of 1991, at the end of one of my eighth-grade school days, as I waited for my mom to finish the after-school responsibilities that go along with any teaching job, I gained a more intimate fear and respect for tornados. As we watched the sky darken through the computer lab windows, where my mom was trying to shut down all the machines in the face of the stormy weather, we heard the briefest sound of one of the town's tornado alarms before the power went out completely, and we realized we needed to head for cover. Our initial reaction was to strike the "tornado drill position" in the hallway--a drill we had practiced many times during our school years, always accompanied with giggles and excitement at escaping class for a few minutes. This time, I felt no such giddiness, though I did have the impression that everything was moving in slow motion. We hadn't been in the hall long, when the janitor came along and remembered he had the key to the school basement, where old school play costumes and props were kept and where rats were known to roam freely. As we, and the handful of other people left at the school, made our way down the hall--again in slow motion--I turned my head to the right just as we passed the large windows at the front of the school, and I saw It. The swirling abyss of blackness was just outside the door, traveling casually down the street that ran in front of the school.

I don't know how long we endured the hell of the basement and the not knowing, but when we finally emerged, at the firefighters' urging, it was like  stepping out into a very unpleasant dream. Nothing seemed based in reality, and yet, everything seemed so incredibly real. The football stadium and field house just a parking lot away from us, were completely gone. And there were stories that "things were bad" on the end of town where our house was situated. I'm not at all sure how my mother managed to control the shaking of her hands or the beating of her heart (which as a child, I never noticed, but as an adult with kids of my own, know for certain must have been the case) to coax our car to move in the general direction of our home. The signs of the monster's passing were evident everywhere--mangled trees, crumbled buildings, downed power lines. The road to our house was closed, but we were finally able to snake around on back roads to get there. The main house was still standing, but the playhouse my grandaddy built with his own hands--the one I had lamentably become too cool to play in in recent years--was upended across the neighbor's fence, and the garage sale items my mom had been storing inside were strewn across what seemed like every inch of the neighborhood. And all the buttons had simply been plucked off all the clothes, as if the tornado had some great sewing project to tackle and couldn't be bothered to visit the fabric store for supplies. A neighbor's garage had collapsed. Houses and businesses all over town were destroyed. The power was out for days. And every night for a week, we holed up in another neighbor's basement, watching the clouds taunt us over and over by dipping down little funnels that never quite reached the ground. It remains, to this day, one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. Even now, just the mention of a tornado watch is enough to send shivers down my spine.

Several years later, I had another close encounter with one of these beasts. Just home from college for the summer, at the end of my Sophomore year, I waited out another terrifying storm, alone in my parents' bathtub. That one traveled unabashedly up I-35, taking out whole towns in its wake. Just a mile from where I was hunkered down, the lake's marina was obliterated.

So, tornados are my Kryptonite. And, I'll admit, I can be downright silly about it. My first order of business in every home I've ever lived in has been to establish a tornado plan. I have been known to decree a home unfit for purchase if I can't come up with a "safe room." That's why my sweet husband drew a true safe room into the floor plan of our house, and then saw it through to completion. He did a great deal of research and came up with something that should withstand just about anything. So, if you're looking for the kids and me tomorrow and can't find us, come knock on the pantry door. We may be in there warding off the effects of the Kryptonite.

Look who I found guarding the pantry

Piggies, beware!

No one to blame but myself

I have often heard parents blame teachers for a child's academic difficulties. I have also heard teachers blame parents for a student's lack of progress. But, as both parent and teacher, I have no one to blame but myself when things go awry in the school room, which they did a bit this week. When that happens, I don't have the luxury of trying to pin the blame on someone else. I simply must figure out where things went wrong, retrace a few academic steps and then move forward in a way that, hopefully, best helps my students/children reach their full potential.

Happy Pi(e) Day!

It's 3-14, which means it's Pi Day, for all you Math nerds out there. And, you don't live in a town with a restaurant famous for its pies and let this particular holiday slip by unnoticed. Now that I think about it, this could possibly be my favorite of all the holidays!

The pie case at the Bluebonnet Cafe

Two of Weston's favorite things make this day possible: Math and Food!

mile-high meringue

Nom, nom, nom

...And a sweet little helping of "Cutie Pie"

Dream House Complete

We bought our land in July. In Texas. In the middle of a long drought. And, we thought it was just about the most beautiful property we had ever seen! A year and a half later, our house is finished, and we are settled nicely into it. I love everything about this house! But the land. Oh! The land! In March. After some glorious seasons of rain. The land has made this truly my dream house. These ten little acres are peppered with wildflowers and foliage in every shade: purple and yellow and pink and green. And, my personal favorite, blue! There is a beautiful blanket of bluebonnets lining my driveway, and leading visitors right up to my front door. I love it so much!! It's just what I've always wanted! And, I get to share it with the people who mean the most to me. Can life possibly get any better than this?!

Home, Sweet Home

A Texas Welcome

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

BLUEBONNET TIME!!

The cutest bluebonnet posers of all time!

Look out, ladies!

Beautiful Ruth

10 Months

Our Little Bitty (a.k.a Claycito) is 10 months old today! He has been very busy this past month growing two new teeth, standing straight up from the floor without holding on to anything, raising his arms in delight, dancing whenever he hears music, holding the sippy cup himself (and finally guzzling the liquid inside) and eating like a horse. He has finally given up the "army" crawl, but he still isn't executing a traditional crawl. He goes along with one knee down and one foot down, making it seem as if he could stand up and walk at any moment. What he has not been doing is packing on the pounds. He only gained 2 ounces over the course of a month, so he is now scheduled for a little blood work later in the week, just as a precautionary measure. He is happy and healthy, so I'm sure all is well. He is still in size 3 diapers and mostly 3-6 months clothes, with the occasional 6-month outfit thrown in. He does seem to be getting too tall for some of the smaller clothes, but the bigger ones done quite fit him in the waist. He is such a sweet, sweet baby, who just adds so much joy to every day! We just love this little guy so much!

showing off the pearly whites

standing on his own two feet

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's off to State we go

Ruth spent the day competing at the district PSIA meet in New Braunfels. Her four events were Ready Writing, Poetry Interpretation, Spelling and Music Memory, and she placed in all of them. She got 2nd in Writing, 1st in Poetry, 4th in Spelling and 5th in Music. Those first two earned her spots in the State competitions in May, in Ft. Worth. She has worked so hard preparing for each of these contests, and we are just so very proud of her!

Taking home the blue for Poetry Interpretation

A story about red-streaked hair earns her a red ribbon

Fourth place in Spelling

Different color ribbon, same beautiful smile!

Texas Independence Day

I can't tell you how amazing it was to celebrate Texas Independence Day at the Alamo! It just brought chills. A huge thanks to our CC field trip coordinator for planning the whole day--from the viewing of the IMAX movie about the Alamo, to the picnic on the Alamo grounds, to the fabulous guided tour. I have visited the Alamo several times, but this was, by far, the very best it's ever been. I'm so proud to call myself a Texan, and I sincerely hope that I've got some of that "Come-And-Take-It," "Victory-or-Death," line-in the-sand spirit within me. Happy Independence Day, Y'all!

Our wonderful tour guide

With all the hubbub going on for Texas Independence Day,
 it was impossible to get a traditional shot of the Alamo.  But, I thought a shot of this
outbuilding was still nice, especially with the Mountain Laurels framing it.

The boys were very excited about all the canons and guns.
(Moments before I snapped this shot in the gift shop, they almost sent this one
careening into the John Wayne display behind it). 

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Back in September, Weston started working on the Great Illustrated Classics version of The Swiss Family Robinson. At the time, I felt it was a little beyond his reading level, but he was determined, so I agreed. Almost every school day since then, he has been reading small chunks of it. Admittedly, there were times when I thought we ought to save this "really hard book" for the future. But Weston, even in the midst of a few harrowing reading lessons, wouldn't be deterred. He wanted a book like this under his belt. Well, yesterday, he finally finished it! And, he could just barely get through the last paragraph, for the giddiness of being so close to success. It was a wonderful accomplishment for him! He has come such a long way in his reading ability since September. And I just couldn't be prouder of him! We saved our party for tonight, so Jeff and Ruth could join us. It was truly a champion's party, which included pizza, watermelon, popcorn, coke floats and a viewing of the old Swiss Family Robinson movie. Way to go, Weston!!

I've lost my girl

Ruth had the opportunity to go and play assistant to her Dad on a short recruiting trip this week, so it is decidedly masculine around our house. But I actually started to feel like I was losing my girl last week, when she announced to me that she wants to have a Star Wars themed birthday party in a few months. What?! Ruth's birthday party is pretty much my one chance a year to throw a really girly party. Because, Every. One. Else. In. My. House. Is. A. Boy. And she chooses Star Wars. {sigh} I blame her father.

A worker is worth his wages

We have long wondered about the best way to handle household chores, and we've tried a few things that just haven't worked. But, a couple of weeks ago, we instituted a new system, which we are all very pleased with, so far. The way it works is all the chores and their monetary values are printed on magnets and kept on the freezer in the utility room. And each child (old enough to do chores) has a magnet with his/her name on it. (There are also separate assigned, non-negotiable, non-paying chores that must be done). Once the children have completed all their school work and regular chores, they then have the opportunity to earn some money with the elective chores. They may choose from any of the listed chores that haven't already been done by someone else. Each chore may only be done once a week, and only if it needs to be done. They must tell me which chore they intend to do, and I must show them how to do it, if they've never done it before. Then, I have to inspect the work, before a chore magnet can be put under a kid's name. On Sunday, we tally up each kid's pay. Chores can be divided, but then, pay also has to be divided. The system works well, I think, for several reasons. One is that the kids can pick their own chores, and they can compete for the "best" ones. Our kids are also motivated in the competition with one another to make the most money each week. And they also take pride in the jobs they have done and try to keep things a bit neater. Besides all that, the other chores seem to be getting done more quickly and without as much prompting, so that the paying jobs can be tackled. I'm so glad we found this system, and I hope it continues to work so well for us. How do you handle chores at your house?

This week's completed chore chart

*I have already been asked by several people what is printed on the chore magnets, so I am adding a little update here to clear up the fuzziness: Our assigned, non-paying chores include loading/unloading dishwasher, taking out trash, setting/clearing table, and picking clothes up off the floor. Ruth also has a paying job that is only hers, which is doing the laundry. Some of our extra paying jobs are dusting various surfaces in the house (window sills, base boards, cabinet doors), cleaning potties, tubs and sinks, sweeping the front porch, picking up toys and trash outside, cleaning out the van, wiping down all the stainless appliances and straightening books on the bookshelf. Most of them are valued at 50 cents, but some of the bigger jobs are a dollar or more. I think each family has to decide for themselves which chores are for pay and which are just a contribution to the family. And, each family also has to decide what the right value of each chore is to make it meaningful to their kids. If there is a job that particularly needs to be done, and no one selects it, I can do it myself and the kids can loose the privilege of getting to earn money for it, which they don't really like because they think of these as "their" chores.

The true nature of people: stupid, impatient and completely uncaring

This is a rant post. Can you tell?!

I had plans to attend a writing seminar in Austin this evening, and since Jeff is out of town, his parents volunteered to keep the kids for me. I dropped the kiddos off at their house, visited for a little while, and then started making my way toward Austin. I only made it about 20 miles before I came upon an infinitely long line of traffic at a dead stop, and there I stayed for more than an hour. There was a train on the track parallel to the highway that would go forward and then back, over and over again, obviously trying to redirect its path. I saw a fleet of emergency vehicles, what looked like a couple of hearses, and the AirEvac helicopter come in for a landing. Obviously, there was a major problem. Thus, the stopped traffic. And, the emergency vehicles. But many of the other drivers seemed to to be completely oblivious to the trauma happening just a half a mile in front of us. They began making unsafe u-turns into the oncoming traffic lanes, off-roading through the bar ditch, climbing out of their vehicles, beating on the sides of their cars and yelling rude and even obscene things into the air. People were literally dying right in front of them, and they acted as if this had all just been an elaborate scheme with the sole objective of delaying and irritating them, or maybe even, for the ultra-curious ones, of entertaining them. And, most of them seemed not even to give a thought to the fact that it could have been them in that car accident or to acknowledge that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. It made me so angry, and so sad. Is this really how people are deep down inside? And not even so deep down? Are they really more concerned with getting home to watch some stupid reality t.v show than they are about human life? Obviously, accidents like this happen every day. But, this is the first incidence like this I have been thrown into in quite some time, and I'll tell you, it didn't do much for my thoughts toward humanity, in general. What a sad, sad lot.

Here's the news story about the accident, if you want more information. 

Monday, all day

Oh my word. I cannot tell you how glad I am to be to the end of this day. It was Monday. All. Day. Long. My oldest child woke up with a vendetta against me this morning. So, just overlay that over everything else. Two kids started the day with minor tummy troubles, which they got over fairly quickly, but which were not any fun at the time. Jeff had a meeting in Austin this morning, so I had to take the whole crew into town when it was time for Max to go to preschool, which isn't a big deal at all. It just puts everything out of whack for our school day. Attitudes toward school work were already pretty far out of alignment today, so we really didn't need the added burden. Over lunch, one child became enraged by the lack of spinach dip in the house and just could not regain control. In the early afternoon, I had to learn how to use the delay feature on the oven for "a vegetable dish to feed 20 people," that we would need for the Cub Scout Banquet later in the day. At 2:30, Weston had his follow-up appointment with the pediatrician to see whether all his infections had cleared up. They had, thank goodness. While we were there, I went ahead and had them do Clay's weight check, so I wouldn't have to come back later in the week. Well, somehow that kid managed to fall right off the growth chart he had worked so diligently to get his dot on. Doc is perplexed. She hasn't ordered any tests yet, but she wants me to keep a food intake journal for him for a few days, and then she will consult with a pediatric advisory board she is part of to see what they think. At 3:30, Ruth had an appointment with the orthodontist. She got new rubber bands, a different wire and an excellent report. After that appointment, I went to the preschool to pick Max up. I reached for something on the console and discovered melted Valentine candy everywhere. Lovely. At 4:15, I took the boys to martial arts. Ruth stayed in the van, I thought, to get some neglected school work done. But she was so upset about losing some privileges during the day, that she actually just sat there and worked herself into a frenzy, which ended in a migraine headache for her. At 5:15, we arrived at the location of the Cub Scout banquet so Weston could place his centerpieces out on the table. I found out the hard way that the paint wasn't dry on one of them. And, when Jeff met us there, he reported that the "vegetable for 20" (baked beans) had spilled in his car on the way over. (There was still plenty to serve, but the prospect of a dirty, stinky car and an impending road trip were not exciting). Then, my third child, making a mad and reckless dash to the restroom, managed to run into a wall and jam his thumb, though it sounded more like he was being murdered. Jeff stayed and watched Weston receive his Tiger Cub badge, and then hit the road for a work trip that will keep him away all week. But, the straw that just about broke the camel's back, was when our very own newly christened Tiger Cub won the award for sportsmanship at the Pinewood Derby, and burst out crying because he didn't win a trophy like some of the other boys. That's when I knew it was time to end this day before I did something crazy. I sped home like a maniac, insisted the children go straight to bed, and poured myself a large glass of wine. I'm so thankful we get to start over tomorrow!

Change the way you think about Brussels Sprouts

If you already like Brussels Sprouts (like me), you will LOVE these. If you aren't really crazy about Brussels Sprouts (like Jeff), these may just change your mind. My mom made them for us a few weeks ago, and we made them for ourselves last night. Just talking about making them literally made our mouths water. We were so anxious to put the delectable little morsels in our mouths, we ended up eating dinner at 4:30 in the afternoon! And all we had was the sprouts! And now, I'm eating the leftovers cold instead of dessert. They are that good. And, as a bonus, they are super-easy to make.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Lemon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp. water
Juice of lemon half, about 1 Tbsp.

In a 12-in. non-stick skillet, heat 3 Tbsp. of the olive oil over medium heat. Arrange Brussels sprouts in a single layer, cut sides down. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and a grind or two of black pepper. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Remove lid and sprinkle sprouts with water. Cover and cook 2 minutes more. Sprouts should be just tender when pierced with a fork, and beginning to caramelize. Remove cover and increase heat slightly. When cut sides are well-caramelized, toss sprouts in pan, drizzle with lemon juice, and sprinkle with more salt and pepper to taste. Makes 6 delicious servings.

Bye-bye blank walls

I am always slow to hang things on the walls in a new house. Call me a hole-a-phobe or a commit-a-phobe, but I like to take my time when it comes to totally altering the landscape of a perfectly good blank wall. And, yet, I crave to have the emptiness filled. What can I say? I am a woman of contradictions. And, in our house, there is a sort of unspoken rule: Don't ask the husband to get out all his hanging gear--hammer, drill, wall anchors, level, ladder, etc--for just one item. (And whatever you do, don't go about hanging something without a wall anchor)! So, today, we took advantage of being trapped in the house by the weather to add a little pop of interest here and there. I love to surround myself with things that remind me of people, places and ideas that I love, which all of these things do perfectly.

This one we've actually had up for a while, and I absolutely LOVE it.
It is in the "kid wing" of the house, where everyone is sure to see it
everyday and be reminded what's expected of them.

This was a housewarming gift from my grandparents.
I love the way it exactly matches our woodwork.

On the left is an embroidered picture commemorating our wedding date,
made by Jeff's aunt and given to us just after we married. It's always been special.
And right above the bed is the amazing quilt my amazing mother-in-law made for me recently.
It's family heirloom hankies, hand-quilted together in absolute perfection. 

This was a gift from my parents for Christmas. It is hanging in a high-traffic area,
which must be passed on the way to the garage. I need this reminder daily, and especially
when I'm trying to get everyone out the door to go somewhere.

My nephew has arrived!

Tyler Lane Teasley arrived this morning at 9:13, weighing 8 lbs. 9 oz. and measuring 20 1/2 in. What a beautiful addition to the family!! Congrats, Jodi and Chad! He is just precious!

School Update

Wow! I have done a really terrible job of keeping up with our school work here on the blog. Believe me, it's not because we haven't been doing anything. In fact, our school days are quite full, and our extra-curricular hours are full, as well. I won't try to cover everything going on with Watts Homeschool, but I will try to hit some highlights.

Ruth has been doing an incredible job in Math, making 100s on almost every assignment. She is cruising through her History book, and is on schedule to finish that up at the end of April, so she can spend some time in May just focusing on Texas History. She has read some very interesting books and done some neat projects for History, as well. She has begun the upper level Latin book and is doing very well with that subject. So well, in fact, that we have allowed her to divide her Latin time in half and fill the remainder of the time with the Rosetta Stone Spanish program, which she is excelling at. She has written some wonderful research papers for her CC Essentials class and has had some time to practice for her upcoming Ready Writing contest. She has begun the fifth grade Grammar book, and is also spending time working on Grammar assignments for CC. She has just about mastered the Spelling list for her PSIA Spelling competition and has also done some work in her regular Spelling workbook. She is making great progress with her piano music and is also practicing for her upcoming Music Memory contest. She is doing a wonderful job with her CC memory work. She has also done several neat experiments for Science. And, she has been working on her delivery of a poem for the PSIA Poetry Interpretation Contest. And, in addition to all that, she is attending martial arts classes two days a week. We are so very proud of her and of all her accomplishments.

Weston is becoming a stronger, more motivated student, and we are very proud of him, as well. He is most of the way through his first grade Math book, and he loves getting to do extra Math activities, when the opportunity presents itself. He is getting to be a much better reader and is even reading on his own some of the time and reporting about what he reads, rather than having a parent sitting with him to offer assistance with almost every word. His writing is getting neater, and he has learned a lot about putting sentences together. Spanish doesn't seem to come as naturally to him, but he works on the lessons diligently and has shown quite a bit of improvement. We have added a couple of things to Weston's school day since the beginning of the school year. One of those is electives from his Cub Scout book. He is super-motivated to get those activities signed off just for the thrill of completion, and so we have tried to increase his opportunities for doing so. Because of this, he has earned more beads than any of the other Tiger Cubs in his group. We have also added in a special Bible time for Weston, after finding that he was having trouble recalling some of the Bible stories. He seems to thrive with the one-on-one time and is able to remember the details much better. In addition to his regular school subjects, he is also thoroughly enjoying his participation in CC, scouts and martial arts.

These kids are just amazing, and we couldn't be prouder of them. Every day is a learning adventure, and we are thankful we get to be a part of it!

Working on CC memory work