Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Just Some Fun Stuff

Edited to add: (by Kristen) at the risk of sounding like an uninvolved mother, it was actually I who took the kids to Chick-fil-A that night and took those pictures. Sorry mom. Had to take the credit because it wasn't very obvious....

The sun has broken through the clouds. It's supposed to be nice tomorrow, but then cool and rainy the rest if the week - including the days of the birthday celebrations. I'd like to see warm sunshine, but we'll have fun no matter what. I'll be sharing some pictures of my mom soon, then I'll share the celebration next week.


Chick Fil-A is a great company with Christian principles. I love that they, like Hobby Lobby, honor the Sabbath and are closed on Sundays. I have to admit, though, that it's not my favorite place to eat. Especially on Monday nights.

Let me explain. I have to say that this company has a fabulous marketing department. They have tapped into a huge demographic - young families. Every Monday night they have a craft night for kids. At times, they have free meals for the kids. They have people running around with balloons for the kids. They have free ice cream cones for the kids - and the lady with the balloons will put sprinkles on their ice cream if they run up to her after they get their cones.


DC and I have filled in for Kristen on a few occasions. I told her last week to please not ask me to do that any more. It is not an occasion for the faint of heart. It is crowded, it is loud, there is not room for two high chairs, it is chaos. And there's a big cow running around!

But - the kids LOVE it!! Last night Home Depot joined in the fun and they made wooden projects - Feisty made a bird feeder and Care Bear made book ends. They have face painting, they made ornaments at Christmastime - I can't think of what else. It is a wonderful time for the kids.


Here's last night - note the cow's paw on Katie's head. She was really enjoying it, and not afraid.






Feisty and Emma enjoying the gourmet food.






Sunday afternoon, as I was fixing lunch and Kristen and the twins were catching some zzzzs (believe it or not, I didn't do the timer on my new stove correctly and the meat loaf wasn't cooked), DC and the big girls were outside digging up worms (and bringing them in the house), watering the bean seeds, and generally having fun together. They spotted this awesome sight in the high branches of the very large Marshall seedless ash, and came running in with great excitement - a first in all of these years in this house. A great horned owl. What a blessing.







Have any of you ever seen a tulip like this? Looks like a star when it opens - I just love it. It has taken over this one patch.






20 comments:

Hootin Anni said...

Oh my gosh....that tree seems to have grown something? Isn't that just awesome?!!!!

And funny, our Chik Fil a's are quiet and very peaceful. And I love their waffled potatoes. We even have on in our large Mall's food court,....that too is a quiet place. Hmmmmmmm.

Great photos as always Dawn.

Linda said...

Dawn - you are so sweet. Thank you for your kind,kind words. They mean so very much to me. I can't tell you what a sweet blessing you are.
After spending a few days with our five grands my already high esteem for you has risen several notches. You do so much for your sweet granddaughters, and I know how exhausting it must be. What a wonderful relationship you are forging with them. You pour so much love into their lives. They are truly blessed to have you.
I love those tulips!!

Carole Burant said...

I really don't blame you for not wanting to go to craft night at that place...I don't think I could handle it either! lol No doubt the kids love it, though:-)

What a great picture of that Horned Owl! Owls are something we don't often see...in the 31 years I've been living here, I've only ever seen one of them.

Your tulips are just gorgeous, I love their star shape! It's just recently that I found out that tulips come in all kinds of shapes, I always thought they only came in the one shape.

Dawn, I too noticed right away that someone had crossed the X in Xmas and wrote in Christ:-) xoxo

Unknown said...

The Chick Fil-A does look like a lot of fun for the kids, but a big headache for adults! I think I could handle that atmosphere about once a month or maybe once every 2 months or something.

I enjoyed all the pictures. :-)

Needled Mom said...

I am with you on those noisy places. How can one's food settle properly?????

The owl is GORGEOUS! We have one that hoots in our tree at night but we have so far been unable to actually see it. I do love the sound of it.

Those tulips are really stunning, aren't they? Did they naturalize themselves in that bed? I would love to have them come to my house... ;)

Cute pictures of the girls! The twins are really growing. Our little one finally started walking last week. He was just way too lazy. Yours will be there soon, I'm sure. Then you will have a chase on your hands.

I hope it will be warm for your celebrations. Can't wait to hear all about the fun. Have a good week.

Sam said...

Wow, that owl is amazing! I've never seen an owl up close like that. How incredible.

I don't blame you for not wanting to go to craft night. It sounds so fun for the kids, but exhausting and overwhelming for the rest of us!

Cute pictures of the girls!

grammy said...

That owl is so amazing. Love the outing with the kids. Isn't being a Grandma great and tiring (o:

RainyD said...

wow - that horned owl is just amazing!!!

I have never been to a Chik Fil a's... sounds like a nightmare!!!

I love seeing pictures of the girls - they have grown so much. Thank you for sharing a bit of you with us :)

Sherry said...

I think I will eat ChickFilA to my heart's desire when we go home. We don't have one up here...along with no Chipotle or Sonic...I might easily gain 5 lbs. while I'm back. Can't be a good thing.

Susie said...

How great to see that owl so nearby. We have smaller ones that nest in our trees, but nothing like that!
There is a Chick Fil-A at the mall about 20 miles from us, but I've never eaten there. Sounds like a place kids would love, but I'm past that point in my life!
Hope the birthday planning is coming along nicely.
Love those tulips too!
xo

Ms. Kathleen said...

Wow, that owl is amazing! I think your tulips are daffodils? http://www.pbase.com/jimsthiel/image/57357659 They are lovely to be sure.
I can honestly say I have never been to a Chic-fa-lay place. I wonder if there is one in Rapid City? You can tell I don't get out that much in the wintertime!

Hugs to you!

Jess said...

An owl...wow .
And those flowers are great!

I guess the kiddos love that place!

Hope all is well

Love, Jess

nancygrayce said...

I love Chik Fil A, but the crowd of kids and the big cow would do me in! The owl, oh, wow! I don't think I've ever seen one up close and personal like that. He (or she) is amazing!

I do think I've seen tulips like that in North Carolina. How pretty.

Whew! You're busy! I'm tired now.

Shawna said...

I just want to say that I must be a bad mother. I would run like the wind as far away from that restaurant as possible. lol I bet the kids do love it, though!

Those pictures are so good. How neat that you were able to get a pic of that owl. And I love those tulips though I would have never known that they are tulips. "Regular" tulips are my favorite flower.

Happy Thursday to you, Dawn! :0)

Christa said...

What a great picture of the owl, amazing!

Kristen said...

You failed to mention that it was I, not YOU who took them to the Home Depot night and took those pictures. Give credit where credit is due, please. :-)

Nancy said...

I love your flowers and the owl is a once in a lifetime photo opportunity. You are so right about the Chick-Filet circus but the kids do love it!

I'm still very busy and will be until the TLC preschool closes for the summer but I just had to visit a few of my favorites. It's great to see the grands pictures and hope all is going great for Kev too. Blessings my friend!

Sharon Lynne said...

Wow!! I've never seen an Owl in the wild.

I don't like noisy places either...

The flowers are gorgeous.
But I REALLY liked that Owl!

Sharon Lynne said...

Oh..re: the National Guard...
Was DC in full-time or did he do one weekend per month?

groovyoldlady said...

I don't think thre are any ChickFilA's in Maine, though I used to frequent one in the mall in Daytona.

The owl is AMAZING! I know we have loads of owls up here, but I've never seen one..

I have some cool tulips - some are almost spikey looking, but none look like yours.