How many kids fit in a hula hoop?

This past month has flown by with the flurry of activities that we have been a part of. From our first doctor's visit, to our birthday's, to houseparenting, to graduations, to the last week of school, to round up, there hasn't been a dull moment!

We started the month celebrating Jeff's birthday and the very next week saw our baby for the first time. I cannot begin to describe that amazing feeling that we both had to see our baby on the ultrasound monitor. We could see all the little fingers and toes and ears and nose. "Bob", as Jeff is calling it for now, was just over 3 1/2 inches and moving its little arms and legs all around. The doctor gave us pictures from the ultrasound but they don't do it justice. In another month and a half or so, they will do another ultrasound on a better machine. We hope to be able to scan those pictures in so you all can see "Bob" as well!

Next, it was Leigh Ann's birthday, preceded by Cindi's birthday and Mother's Day. We spent the evening relaxing anticipating our upcoming houseparenting stint. We spent the remainder of that week and weekend houseparenting. It was a busy time as two of our residents graduated this year. We had a great weekend and even got to see Shrek 3 before it over.

Finally, the week we have all been waiting for, THE END OF SCHOOL! It was another busy week with finals, grading, and wrapping things up. We did however, find time for a little fun. We spent the afternoon of the last day with a few crazy games followed by a good ol' fashioned staff vs. residents softball game. It was a beautiful day and fun was had by all. Too bad that the residents lost the game after all the bragging they had been doing all week!

To top off another crazy week, we participated in the semiannual "round up". The kids and staff herd the cows into a set of pens, chutes, and gates. We then "guide" them (with whips and shockers) into a final gate where they receive their shots. The head of operations did an amazing job in redesigning the chute system this time and we had all the cows completed in just over an hour (compared to about three hours last time). It is truly a "ranch" experience.


Needless to say, after these last few weeks we are spent and looking forward to a change of pace. We have two weeks to recuperate before heading to camp for a week with the kids. During our recuperation time, we still have many things to keep us busy but at least the lesson prep and teaching part is done for the time being. Jeff is doing some prep work of a different kind as he will be preaching at church on Sunday. We are also eagerly anticipating visits from Jeff's parents and Pete and Dorothy in the coming months (Did anyone tell them how HOT it is going to be?).

From Little Rock to Eureka Springs

The last two weeks have provided us with more Arkansas culture then we have encountered in a long time. On Friday, April 20, the teaching staff took the kids to Little Rock for a tour of the Capitol Building and Clinton Presidential Library. The tour of the Capitol was very educational. The building is beautiful with three stories of marble ordained with ornate chandeliers and gold. We were able to see where the senate and legislature meet (when they are in session). And were able to meet and have part of our tour guided by our very own Representative Hoyt.

The Clinton Presidential Library is a very unique structure to say the least. It looks like a gigantic mobile home built out over a river. It is full of all of his presidential papers and every piece of correspondence that took place during his eight years in office. On display was a replica of the oval office. There was also Clinton's limo as well as the china Hilary picked out for their time in office and some other neat relics of their history.

Last weekend we celebrated our first anniversary! We had an awesome time in Eureka Springs which is a unique tourist town with hundreds of Bed and Breakfasts, horse drawn carriage rides, Christ of the Ozarks, the New Holy Land, Thornberg Chapel, caves, shopping, and many restaurants. It is located in the north west corner of the state in a beautiful area of lush green mountains and many small farms. We enjoyed staying both nights in Bed and Breakfasts and were treated to probably the best breakfast we have ever eaten on Sunday morning. Friday night, we spent some time wandering in the shopping district before heading up to see Christ of the Ozarks, an impressive 7 story high statue of Christ with his arms outstretched. The next morning we toured Quigley's Castle. An interesting house built to house plants four feet from the inner wall throughout the house. It also had neat stone gardens. We then went on a tour of War Eagle Cavern. It is a huge cave full of neat artifacts and many bats. From there, we headed to War Eagle Mill, a working mill where a waterwheel generates the power to mill the grains. We enjoyed some homemade cooking in their restaurant before heading back to the next Bed and Breakfast. The second night we had our own cottage. For dinner, we enjoyed eating at Ermillio's where we had some of the best and, according to Jeff, most authentic Italian food ever. That evening we enjoyed watching the video of our wedding that Jeff had put together from the footage taken at our wedding. Sunday morning we headed for home but not before stopping at Outback for a bloomin' onion and some steak. That night we opened the container that has held the top of our wedding cake for the last year. Much to our surprise and great delight, it tasted the same as it did on our wedding. What a great weekend!

As for the pregnancy, the first trimester is over! Can anybody say AMEN?! Most of the morning sickness has ended and Leigh Ann has more days where she feels good then bad. We are thankful for this and look forward to what the next few months will bring.