Touring UNC--Chapel Hill

Last night, we decided to take advantage of the 80 degree (as opposed to 100+) weather to tour UNC's campus. Of course, it didn't hurt that there are no students there yet, so it was quiet enough to take photos. Here's a highlight of my favorites:

The Forest Theatre! This theatre is an outdoor, stone amphitheater built into the hillside on campus. It's beautiful, and if you come visit me, it's one of the first places I'll take you, because I'm a theatre geek. I was in heaven!! Look at that stonework! Oh, and guess what...if you're not Mormon, and planning on a temple wedding, you can reserve it to get married in! Beautiful.

We let the kids go onto the stage and yell to listen to the amplification of their voices, then we talked a little about the plays that might take place...definitely planning on going back.


Now, the Coker Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Again, I was speechless, in a state of bliss... The stonework and plantings were amazing. Check out this cast iron gate:

This was a tunnel of vines, built up over a wooden structure, but you have to be there to really get the effect.

Some got creative in how they laid stone. I love how it looks like the leaves on the vine it was next to.
Big leaning tree. Stephen tried to fix it, but... No, kidding. I just thought it's branches were beautiful.
A little man-made creek, lined with stone. Very pretty, the water was trickling down it.

The sundial at the planetarium is HUGE! Zach is standing next to some detail work on the metal hand of the dial. We are studying Earth/Space science for homeschool this year, so we'll be visiting this planetarium quite a bit, I feel...



Here we are at the well. It's the symbol of UNC. For many years, this well was the sole water source for the 2 dorms surrounding it. It's at the heart of campus. The photo is kind of blurry--but I had to include it. Zac took it for us. :)



Just admiring the detail in the stonework...

Here Stephen stands at the place where a protester drove a car into a group of students the weekend he was interviewing here. They weren't protesting him...I'll have to ask him if he remembers what the protest was about.

Caught in the Rain

It finally cooled down enough to go to the park. We, of course, walked. Then, the thunder started, so we headed back...and then the rains came down and the floods (in the gutters) came up. Wow, the drops were huge and fast! We had fun though. By the time we reached the apartment, we all looked like this:




Zac wasn't too happy about it, which is funny considering HE was the one that told me that if it rained, his super cool nature shirt would protect him and we didn't have to hurry home.

The other funny part is that the kids seem to have acclimated quickly. It's 78 degrees, and Chayge just went and grabbed a fleece jacket. Payge is shivering.

Happy July 24th!

T'was a warm day here in North Carolina, with a high of 100 and a low of 78. The guys on the radio said the "feels like" index was 113, but I'm not sure how they measure that. Is there a scientific way or is it someone's opinion? Personally, I figure once you pass 95 degrees it's OK to just say that it's hot and we need to find something to do in the shade and/or water. We're not even to August yet, which I hear is the hottest month. YAY for pools!! We've been to the pool three days out of seven, and I suspect will go even more this week. Wha-hoo!! I won't have pictures because I'm in the water the whole time, and I just don't trust that pool+camera would =good results.

Anyhow, back to the events of the 24th. We had a stake pioneer activity, with all sorts of old fashioned games. The kids made corn husk dolls first, had a watermelon seed spitting contest, and played some games. First off was the three-legged race (see video below), and the stick-pull (see below) and then the cow-pie toss. The cow pies were made of Great Stuff spray foam and brown spray paint, just like I made the hidden wonderland.

The Wonder of it All.

So, Wonder...the fish...made it through three weeks of driving to and fro, hither and thither, near and far. He was doing great--until we put him in a fish bowl full of Durham city water. Now, I cannot prove that the water killed him (and I even let it sit in the bowl a few hours before adding him, as was recommended), as Zac pointed out to me that we don't know Wonder's exact age at time of purchase (what 6 year old says that?!?), so he might have died of old age.

Either way, we had a funeral service where the kids drew pictures of Wonder. This was their idea, and the pictures turned out nice. Unfortunately, you can't really see them (see below). You kind of can if you click on them and make them even bigger, but the colored pencil just didn't show up. Chayce's is of Wonder blowing love bubbles (pink, heart shaped bubbles out of his bowl), and Zac's is of Wonder just chillin' with his cool rainbow colored rocks. Then, Wonder went on that swirly ride that only dead fishies are lucky enough to get to ride on. Too bad they don't really get to experience it...given their dead status. Farewell, Wonder!

Nature Walk Shirts

1. Take a solid colored t-shirt (one that fits your wee one). Darker colors work best. Put cardboard or layers of paper inside to prevent the bleach from soaking through.

2. Have your cute kids put flowers, leaves, and sticks that they've hunted for or found while outside playing onto the shirt, however they want.
For example: Payge's--but I helped her a little, hence the peony petals in a circle at the bottom. Yes, I got to see them bloom twice this year! Once in Indiana in June, then in July in Idaho.
3. Spray with bleach (while still lying flat) Use paper towels to blot the nature items so they don't drip onto the shirt when you remove them. Remove them quickly, dunk shirts into cold water as soon as the surrounding areas start to lighten.

4. Let dry, or wash in the washer then dry. Done!!

Thanksgiving Point

Before we headed back to Rexburg for my class reunion, we spent some time in Provo/Orem with friends and family. Stephen's aunt took all of us to Thanksgiving Point to see the Museum of Natural History that they have there. We had a great time!



First, we took in a 3D movie called SeaRex, all about the evolution of creatures on the earth, and the HUGE amphibians that lived in the water, even before the dinosaurs. Very cool.

A dino foot compared to a Payge. She really was in a good mood, but tired.


Here, the kids are playing in the "Erosion Table". Running water, sand, and little plastic dinosaurs can keep kids busy for long periods of time.







Using paint brushes to dig up fossils in the sand pit. Fun!


A face painting booth (yes, she requested her arm, so she could 'watch') was available, because it was the 10th anniversary of Thanksgiving Point. T'was a party!