So, I don't have a whole lot of time, but I though I'd give everyone an update on how things are going here!

We start up school today... I guess we're going off of  UVA's school schedule, because Dad also starts school today. I'm doing history, English, American Lit, and Science at home, while doing my other subjects at the community college. I think it's going to be harder than I originally thought... I'm having a little bit of a hard time trying to make up a homework schedule. I've never had to be this organized before... but I'm trying!

 Rebekah starts up ballet either this week or next, I don't quite remember.  Rachel is NOT taking ballet, but she has found a new hobby! She and Mom are going to become volunteer's at a local animal sanctuary. They still have to be orientated, but Rachel is soooo excited about this, and she can't wait to be working with the animals!! Well, she can't wait to work with the cats, but I have a feeling she'll be working with the dogs also.

 Mom is really busy keeping up with us... driving to ballet, making up school schedules, helping with school, driving to voice lessons, keeping tabs of the cats, who are both more mischievous every day. (Daisy has excaped twice this month... and perhaps more that we don't know about!) Rosie is the only one of us who isn't trying to keep up with us. She just spends the day watching the squirrels outside, or taking naps on her pillow. She and I have been going on a lot more walk lately - it's just dawned on me lately how old she's getting. Now, healthy beagles have a longer life expectancy, but still, we've had her since Pennsylvania! So we've been going down the the fishing pond where she can explore and wade, and sniff to her heart's content.

 Well, that's it for now. I have to go start school, and figure out how to finish my history homework.  Thankfully I don't have a lot of homework for my other classes... yet!!

    Cheers!!

 Sarah Beth

 So, I am offically now a college student!  I know, I know, where did the time go? One second I was a carefree homeschooler, and now I'm in 3 structured classes with teachers other than my parents. Scary.

 I'm taking 3 very different classes - Global History, an Orientation class, and Acting 1. Global history sems interesting... it's history from the stone age to about 1500, whch is something I haven't studied since 9th grade. I like the teacher, and from what I've heard he's a very popular teacher so I'm lucky to have him.

 Orientation is the required 'you're not in high school anymore' class... no one actually wants to take it, but all new students are supposed to take it. It's learning about the difference between college and high school, and about how the faculty are your friends, how to use online resourses, and meeting people. It's also the easiest A you can get.

 Acting 1 seems like it'll be lots of fun. Well, once the teacher stops talking. Yesterday she managed to talk for all 2 hours and 45 minutes of the class. It was ok (I learned about a few audition that are comint up, and about the acting club at school) but she seems the kind of absent-minded person who once you get her started she can just take off and it's anyone's guess as to where she'll land!

 So, these are my classes, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11 to 3:45. Daddy is also teaching a class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which is quite convenient. I have to go a little too early from my liking so he can get to his class, but he has to stay later for my class, so it works out.

 That's all for me today. I have homework to do for history class, so I'd better be off.

   Cheers!!

 Sarah Beth

 Arin and I decided that the world needed a tutorial on how to eat 'The snack that smiles back!' So here you go world -

 STEP 1. Find a box of goldfish crackers. (we do not reccomend taking your mom's debit card into the store and accidentally using it as credit, therefore having to forge your mom's signature on the recept. Not that we did that or anything)

 STEP 2. Pick up the utterly adorable kitten and give it a kiss on it's nose

 STEP 3. Pick up the Goldfish box.

 STEP 4. Open the cardboard box. DO NOT get distracted by the shiny silver bag on the inside - you're just going to have to rip that apart too.

 STEP 5. Open the silvery bag inside of the cardboard box.

 STEP 6. Smell that? That's the Goldfish goodness right there.

STEP 7. CAREFULLY put your hand in the box. You don't want to crush any of those smiling goodies in there!

 STEP 8. Insert a goldfish cracker into your mouth.

 STEP 9. Savor that cheesy deliciousness as it swims down your throat. MMMmmmm... 

 STEP 10. Follow it down with another cracker... you don't want them to get lonely!!

 There you have it - how to eat a Goldfish cracker in 10 easy steps. All photographs (except one) were taken by yours truly, all modeling was done by the lovely Arin and fussy Nero. And me.

  Cheers!!

      Sarah Beth

 Hi everyone! I'm back from my ventures, and am missing my friends terribly.  I had lots of fun though... horseback riding, eating chinese food, seeing an AMAZING production of Les Miserables and taking lots of silly pictures.  I have some for you right here -

Here I am the first and last time I ever ride bareback on a horse. That's all I have to say about this one. 

 Arin and I had fun at the local ice-cream place... btw, peach ice cream is the best ever.

 At the Chinese restraunt... we give each other this look a lot - lol!!

But we love each other anyway!!

 Mom with her amazing photography skills takes another amazing picture!!

After I visited Arin, Mom, Beka and I drove up to CT to see Oliver in another one of his plays... Les Miserables!! It was soooooooo good, and I actually had other friends in the production, and it was really cool to see them too.

 Here we are with Jess... she was in Annie with us last year.

 And here we have an Annie flashback!! We were all in Annie last year.

 I got to spend a week in CT and we had lots of fun.. Jess came over and we took silly pictures -

 And here's Jess in the weird ball...

 I got to play the Wii Fit.... which was really, really fun!!

 Oliver's parents took us to see Beauty and the Beast... only one of my favourite musicals EVER!! Here we are after.... 11pm but the only time the both of us were dressed up. :)

 So, that was my really fun vacation. Now it's back to the grind... I'm starting community college next week!!! I take a placement test tomorrow, and I'm kinda nervous about that.  I don't like tests. At all. Hopefully I won't totally bomb the math part... although if I do, at least it is community college and I can take as many classes as I need to.

 Ta-ta for now!!

  Sarah Beth

 Well now that we're done with all the vacation stuff (i have to show Rachel how to put up pictures - she wanted to do the few that we got at Gramma and Grandpa's house) I thought that I'd move onto more current pictures.

 Our 8yo cousin from California has been out visiting us. It's her first visit by herself and she's finding Virginia very different from California! We took her to pick peaches last week on a farm near Rebekah's ballet school. Consequently, Rebekah was at ballet class when we went to the peach orchard.

Unfortunately for us, we are in between peach harvests at the moment, so we didn't get as many peaches as we wanted. We shook down those peach trees like crazy, stood on top of the wagon. and climbed the trees. Even so, there were too many unripe and overripe peaches, and not enough ripe ones.

 Allie and Rachel were a bit too small to reach a lot of the peaches, but they were big helps when Mom or I would shake a tree. I usually ended up with peaches hitting me in the eye, or getting cloncked in the head with a couple peaches.  It was Rachel and Allie's job to pick up the good peaches that dropped.

 After we picked ourselves a box of peaches, we went back to the orchard store, where we got some yummy slushies. They are made from the fruit on the farm, and had strawberry and peach slushies. I got peach... it was sooo good! Here's a lovely picture of Rachel and myself -

 Allie was balancing on the railing and drinking at the same time... my goodness, that girl is multitalented!

Rachel, as usual when the camera is around, started goofing off. She loves that cowboy hat of hers, and Mom wouldn't let her have it on for the pictures. That ended up being a bit of a tug-of-war.

 I'm not quite sure how I ended up with the hat...

 Here's Allie laughing at Rachel's silliness

Rachel started getting me to goof off too... here we are with our 'sad little orphan' faces. hehe

 The next day, Rebekah decided that she wanted to make a peach pie. It was the first pie she ever made, and it turned out very well. It was sooo yummy! We were all very proud of her, and it was all gone by the next day.  (and you can see our 'new' oven in this pic...we finally switched out the oven that came with the house to our oven, which we love!!

Phew!!! I think I've finally gotten my blog caught up with all the recent pictures!! Mom is taking Rachel and Allie to Mitchie Tavern (pronounced Micky...go figure those old Virginians) in 2 days, and if she takes pictures there I'll try to get them up before we leave. Oh - which I don't think I've mentioned. Oops.

 We are having such a busy summer... first the family reunion, then the trip through Laura Ingalls Wilder territory, Allie coming out, and next week Rebekah had ballet camp in Pennsylvania!! I'm tagging along to see my friend Arin, and then we're all going up to CT on the weekend to see my other best friend in Les Miserables!! He's a lead and I'm soooo excited to see him, and all my other friends that are in the show/coming to see the show.  It's going to be really busy the next 3 weeks, but soo much fun!!  

 Cheers!!!

   Sarah Beth

   One of the fun things we did while in Colorado was to on a trail ride. Even those who refused to go on horses when they were kids, managed to get on a horse to ride with their kids.

 Here we have the riders -

And here are the unsuspecting horses -

Cowgirl Addie!!

 Rebekah, scoping out the horses

At the corral lineup.  From left we have - Nana, Rebekah, Me, an unnamed cowhand, Katie, Allie, Rachel, and the twins, Addie and Greta are right in front.

Miss Katie - she had problems with her horse on the trail (It was a bit hungry) so she got to be right behind the guide, who lead her horse all the way through the trail. But she sure looks cute on that horse! (and look at the beautiful mountain behind her!!)

Rebekah and Rachel maneuvered their horses pretty well... much better than I did actually. Mine was a slow-poke, who didn't like going very fast. Or moving at all for that matter. This was before I got my cowboy boots (!!!) and my tennis shoes didn't do a whole lot in the kicking area.

Uncle Chris and Greta on the biggest horse - I was behind them on the ride, and this horse was HUGE! Although, for some reason in this picture I'm in front of them. *shrug*

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One thing our family is really into is the game Slap. It's kind of like dutch blitz.... but you can have as many players as you want. I usually play the first two rounds and than I'm out - our family is just a bit competitive. And ruthless.  Here's the card table -

And here are the scary-looking players. *snicker* (this was the only picture that wasn't all blurry from people moving at lightening speeds to get their card down before another player)

 On our last day we got a bunch of family pictures. Papa took us to this empty lot across from a gas station - but it had a great view. One of the things Papa wanted to get was a picture of the whole family holding Glendale newspapers - apparently if you send this kinda thing in it gets put in the newspaper. Here was a practice shot for the camera -

 And here's one of the 'nice' ones.

Here's a nice picture of our family with the older and younger Browns. And the beautiful Rocky Mountains!!!

 Nana and Papa with all the grandkids - ranging from 17 to almost a year.

 Here's a picture of Rachel that I love!

 So, that's the end! We all had a fun time at the family reunion, and made some wonderful memories!

 I'll be back tomorrow with some peach-picking pictures

   Sarah Beth

 One of the things we wanted to do as a family was go on a nice hike. One that would be rigorous enough for those of us who loved hiking, but easy enough for those of us under 6... and the few who just wanted a nice stroll.

We decided to go into Rocky Mountain National Park and hike up to a waterfall. It was a beautiful day with a few clouds in the sky, chilly (we were up at a pretty high altitude) and the trail was pretty nice. A bit steep at areas, but we all managed from the 3 year olds to the 70-somethings.

 Aunt Nicole and I having a chat either about Thailand, cameras, or Switzerland, I'm not sure which.

Halfway up the hike - a lovely picture of Papa and myself. And Addie crawling around on the rocks.

Uncle Jürgen waving at the camera... and his kids, Chris and Nicole stopping for a Kodak Moment.

Christopher enjoyed the hike immensely - all he had to do was hang on!!

 Here we are in front of the waterfall. It was huge and very pretty.

 You rarely ever see a picture of my uncle without a camera - even at the edge of a waterfall. Especially at the edge of a waterfall!

A lovely group shot with Papa and Nana. Speaking of Nana...

 We had all gone up the mountain at about the same pace, but we went down in smaller groups - Some people (those without children) even opted to go farther up the mountain. Nana and Aunt Ann went down first with most of the littler ones, then Mom, Uncle Chris, Uncle Jürgen and I went down together - Uncle Chris and Mom racing each other to take pictures of different flowers and insects.

 This was the last picture we took of the group before ours - and we were scared for a bit that it would be the last picture of Nana that we ever got!

 When we got to a bend in the road, Nana, Aunt Ann, and some of the younger kids accidentally took the left bend, not the right, which was the way to get back to the starting place. We managed to catch Aunt Ann, and all the kids were with her.

(the infamous bend)

 It wasn't until we were all getting into the shuttle back that we all realized that Nana was not with us. Mom, Papa and Aunt Ann all stayed to search out Nana, and the rest of us got onto the shuttle back to the parking lot. Everyone was very worried about Nana - but there were kids who were getting cranky and hungry. I was left in the parking lot with the keys to Mom's car, and everyone else went back to the condos.

 I heard some interesting conversations between the shuttle drivers, the park ranger (it took me a while to realize that the ranger was actually a she!) and the hikers who seemed to have no reason to be lounging all over the benches at the waiting area. Then over the Ranger's walkie-talkie I heard something about 'No woman of that description up here... but we'll keep looking"

 I could only assume they were talking about my grandmother.

 About an hour after I had been left on my lonesome, Mom, Aunt Ann, Papa and Nana got off a shuttle. Apparently Nana had kept going when she and Aunt Ann and company went off the wrong way. Mom had alerted the rangers after we had left, and they were all over the place looking for Nana. Aunt Ann and Mom went up the way Nana had gone, hiking halfway up to the next shuttle stop and then back down to the original trailhead - where they found Nana, who had just thought she was having a pleasant hike, and wondering where the rest of us slowpokes were.  

 We all went back to the condos - me to finally get something to eat, (it was tiring just sitting there waiting... the only thing there was to read was an old copy of Rebekah's Pointe Magazine) and everyone else to a well-deserved rest.

 Tomorrow, we have the trail ride!!

  Sarah Beth