Some more recent photos

I'll get the hang of this blog thing fairly quickly, I hope. I have yet to invite anyone to see it, as it seems to me pretty pretentious to think that others would want to come and see and hear what I have to say regularly. But you see, one of my friends is so great at posting in her blog, that I really enjoy reading and seeing her family's recent activities, so much so that she is inspiring!

Let me clarify, that pic from yesterday's post was taken last August, nearly an entire year ago. I do have more recent photos of my family, but not all in one frame. Nearly all are at SCA events, however.

Here's Rael, happy in his red linen tunic at Opening of the Inne at Coldwood.

And here's Connor in his Japanese tunic and jacket (haori). He looks so cute in it!

And the most recent photo of the littlest man, Gavin,who is not in medieval clothes, even though we were at an SCA event. Notice the hair is much shorter now!



And another photo (since I know people really appreciate seeing them!) of me and my boys while the rain was pouring pouring down the day before the 'official start' of an event that we went early to help out - on the Thursday of this year's Memorial day weekend in Hardwick, VT. Gee I am really a brat - perhaps that is where Rael gets it from, no doubt! In nearly every photo I have with him and another person has bunny ears. Perhaps I started it all unknowingly with this one?

Anyway, this was an especially nice cabin to have when it was absolutely pouring rain out. It was cold at night, but DRY. And it rained a bit more the next day, but it that was *before* we had set up our own tent, before anyone else had arrived at the site yet at all.
Here's a photo of Dan and our boys getting ready to play "Clue" - that was an interesting first time playing the game...

We go camping very often, and it is usually to an SCA event. Since it is fairly inexpensive (we eat out of a cooler, only have to pay for gas) and it is especially great that we get to see our friends who do not live near us at nearly every single event we go to. If not, we get to meet lots of new people who already share the same hobby and interests!

Our pets are usually left at home; my dad doesn't seem to mind watching them for us, lucky lucky us! Sometimes one of our pups gets to come - but only if I can be certain that the weather cooperates (not too hot, not too wet - nothing like a wet dog inside your tent, eh?). Sam's the black dog. Frodo is the chocolate. Mr.Bun is the bun (surprised?). this four pound lagomorph was raised around our two large dogs; he is litter box trained and lives in a modified extra large dog crate in our living room. He also growls, will dig/scratch, possibly even bite when provoked. And by provoked, I mean reaching into his cage to feed him in the morning, or by reaching into his cage to feed him at night. Or by reaching into his cage to pet him or give him fresh hay... O the joy that is our punky rabbit named Bun!

We also have a ball python named Jacobe (from my pre-Dan days; who knew they lived to be 20 to 30 years old?) and a ten-gallon tank filled with sand and a few hermit crabs: Hermie, Snapper, Crabby, Hermie (yes, that's two with the same name as they have the same looking shells), and an unnamed one. I do not have any photos of them, even though Dan is very partial to these "cool" crustaceans. They are really quite interesting once one gets past the feeling that they look and move very much like spiders.

It took me awhile to "like" them. I did care for them by reading all I could get my hands on (homeschool project! and there's not much info out there really, but hermit crabs can live nearly 25 years!!). Ours are happy crabs, tunnelling int eh three inches of sand, climbing on their Maine driftwood, eating much of the food scraps we add to their dish... I did as most moms would do, setting up the habitat carefully, even though I do not care for these spidery-looking things. I am not afraid of spiders, mind you, just do not like them in my house due to previous incidents where I found them in a child's nose (a single tiny baby spider when I suctioned one of the twins as an infant and another time when Dan had to go to the emergency room b/c his arm had a bite that was becoming pitted and black!). On that lovely note, I've spent way too much time trying to decipher the process of loading photos and posting, so I will get off now... Much of this has been recapped info, most of you have already heard.

I promise new stuff for next time! So return tomorrow, folks, for more fun and games from the Happy Haley Household!! Thank you very much, and good night!! :D