The Can Clan

Strawberries!

2009-05-21T13:56:00.007-04:00

Today we went to a local farm to pick strawberries with some friends. Here is the whole gang on the hayride to the strawberry patch.
Megan and her friend, Alex...Megan hard at work...

Kyle with a pretty pick...

Carter admiring his ladybug...
The kiddos and their loot...

Tasty strawberries that I was thinking about making a few smoothies with until I realized I had already packed the blender!

Looking Back

2009-05-19T18:42:00.004-04:00

Wow. It is hard to believe that 6 years ago today we welcomed and said good-bye all at the same time to baby Natalie. I've never sat down and put her precious memories in writing. I'm not sure that I ever will either, but I learned a huge lesson today that I wanted to share. Something I had not yet learned even after 6 years. I have always know that I'm her mother. Never had any trouble with that, but it wasn't until today that I fully realized that she has a Daddy, brothers, and a sister. Seems like I've just been so selfish and caught up in me that I never really thought about the fact that Troy, Kyle, and Megan have each had to deal with her loss just like me. I've buried my feelings deep inside for years without thinking about Troy, Kyle, and Megan's feelings until today. My very favorite memory of our time with Natalie is so vivid. I'll never forget the way Troy cradled her tiny body with his left hand and gentle wrapped her blanket around her with the right. He held her a moment more then put her back in her little basket. He put his right hand on her and held it there gently, but firmly before giving her to Nancy. There are no words to describe what took place at that moment between father and daughter. I can only imagine what he was telling her in his heart. It was precious and I'm weeping just thinking about it. I don't understand why it has taken me so long to realize that Troy has walked this path, too. Kyle doesn't talk about her as much as Megan, but I know he thinks about her. Megan, being our most vocal child, talks about her all the time. She was only 1 and a half when she was born so it just amazes me that she thinks about her so much. She makes sure Natalie is in on all the boy/girl headcounts. She tells Carter about her often, too. She forever wants to know things like how old she is, what color do you think is her favorite, etc. Kyle and Megan have both expressed their desire to go back to her grave. We haven't been there in such a long time all because I haven't been ready. I feel terrible that I'm just realizing that we have all been on this journey together. I know now. Family forgive me. Lesson learned--I'm not in this alone. No matter what I am experiencing, my family is experiencing it, too. We may be affected in different ways, but we are all in this together.

2009-04-09T21:43:00.006-04:00

I had the awesome opportunity to go deep sea fishing last weekend. We started from Cape Hatteras, NC and went out to the gulf stream. I reeled in one tuna, a couple amberjack, and a couple false albacore. We also caught one mahi mahi. It was a great time. Here are some pictures.

Williamsburg!

2009-03-08T16:26:00.008-04:00

Kyle and Megan had lessons with a dance mistress at the Benjamin Powell house. They learned how to do the Virginia Reel. Here they are lined up.
Below is Kyle giving a proper greeting to Megan.
Carter just sat and watched.
Here is Megan trying out a luxurious feather bed.
Kyle all comfy...
Megan learning colonial style housewifery skills. Carter helped with the housework by dusting.
Megan at the Peyton Randolph House.
And last but not least, Kyle and Megan with Patrick Henry himself!

Christmas with Cousin Jack

2009-02-06T14:27:00.015-05:00

Blanket Yellow was a hot item. Jack loved playing peek-a-boo and tug of war with the kiddos. Meggie loved her Baby Jack.
Matching cousins!We can't wait to play with Baby Jack at the beach!

January!

2009-02-06T13:57:00.005-05:00

Since I no longer have to get up and take Troy to work, I tend to sleep in a bit. :) The kiddos never sleep in, though. I walked past the schoolroom one morning and this is what I saw. Kyle and Carter were doing Bible class together. Carter was so proud to be doing school like his big bro and sis.

Ollie and Carter napping together in Carter's bed!

At the Virginia Air and Space Center...driven there by Troy without me!

Another visit to the VLM...

Some very random pictures from December...

2009-02-06T13:55:00.014-05:00

Troy driving himself to work--first time in about 4 years. (I realize that this isn't the greatest picture, but I just had to post one of this exciting occasion.) Kyle mulching leaves
A pile of blankets, pillows, kiddos, and a dog in the schoolroom The Health Adventure in Asheville, NC
Kyle and his Great Grandpa

Carter in a tub full of bubble

Carter, Monkey, and Hiedibelle snuggled up in bed.

Cousins at play

Megan's Special Day

2008-11-03T20:39:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Megan's 7th birthday on October 9th. My Aunt Peggy and Uncle Russel drove all the way from Arkansas to celebrate with us. The kids had no idea they were coming. Below are their first reaction pictures.

The birthday girl showing off her new sewing machine.
and blowing out her candles.

Random Fishing Photos

2008-11-03T20:22:00.003-05:00

Saturday's only catch...a crab caught by Troy. Random pictures from Sunday (10-26-08)

Catch of the Day

2008-11-03T20:14:00.002-05:00

Reeling it in...
Proudly displaying his catch...
4 inches shy of being a keeper...
Kyle's total for the day......one nice puppy drum.

Troy's Crazy Catch

2008-11-03T19:55:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday Troy caught a seagull while fishing. It was totally insane. Troy was not happy, but the kids and I thought the whole ordeal was entertaining. The seagull just so happened to fly by at the exact time that Troy was casting and flew right into his line. The line got tangled around his feet.

Troy was able to free him and he is flying away unharmed in the photo below.

Troy's only catch for Sunday....a seagull.

Mr. Bagel

2008-11-03T19:39:00.004-05:00

Carter is a little helper. He loves to help in the kitchen. He always needs to "taste dat" regardless of what it is. Here are a few pictures of him helping me make bagels a few weeks ago. He kept stirring away even after the dough was super thick.

Here he is working on his kneading skills.

The James River Bridge

2008-10-05T22:16:00.005-04:00

Raised for a ship to pass...
Being lowered...

Fishin' on the Pier

2008-10-05T21:44:00.011-04:00

Headed to the pier... Carter's first catch... Carter's favorite part of fishing...playing with the bait.
Troy's flounder... Kyle's catch... Does something stink? Oh, it is just Miss Meg's bad attitude. Another catch for Carter... Another for Kyle... Megan's catch... "Look what Daddy caught!"
A triple catch...

Grand Total for the Day:

Carter-1 Spot, 1 Croaker

Megan-1 Spot, 2 Croaker

Kyle-3 Spot, 1 Croaker

Troy- 2 Spot, 1 Flounder

In the Spotlight

2008-10-04T20:27:00.003-04:00

Carter is a performer. He and Megan are always putting on shows for us. Today, Carter found this little spot where the sun was shining and made it his own little stage and spotlight.

VLM

2008-10-04T20:12:00.005-04:00

We spent the morning at the Virginia Living Museum. Up close and personal....
A new exhibit open today called Wild Music--Sounds and Songs of Life. A cellist and violinist from the Virginia Symphony came and did a presentation for the museum.
No, we didn't adopt a kid. The extra little boy just wanted to have his picture taken again so he joined our crew.

Camp Canalichio

2008-10-03T20:33:00.005-04:00

Tonight Troy and the kids are having a little backyard camp out. We have never been camping as a family. Troy has wanted to go for years, but I haven't been to excited about the idea. Now that the kids are getting older it seems a little more doable for me. Anyway, enjoy the pics of the campers and their campsite.

Well, Troy and the kids minus Carter. I just brought this little outdoors man back inside with me. He liked the sleeping in the tent outside idea for about 30 minutes.
I ALMOST had a totally quiet, peaceful evening all to myself.........

Carter just belched. He said, "juice me." He is forever cracking us up. I'm sure I'll have fun with the Bug tonight.

A Week in Williamsburg

2008-10-02T20:16:00.019-04:00

I'm super sorry it has been so long since my last post. A few weeks ago, we spent 5 days in Williamsburg during their Home Educator Event. Below is a picture of the kiddos on the shuttle bus on the first day of our adventures. Needless to say, Carter LOVED the bus.
At the brickyard on day one of firing the kiln...Kyle outside the cabinetmaker's shop...

Kyle, Megan, and Carter exploring one of the gardens...

On the third day, we met with the Marquis De Lafayette. He was kind enough to let us have a "portrait painted" with him.

On the fourth day, we met with Thomas Jefferson.
I have no idea what was being said in the two pics below, but Kyle is definitely explaining something to his younger siblings.

In one of the pews at a very old church in Williamsburg...

The Wythe House...

Candy break...

At the public stockade... Ready for his whipping...
Kyle was put to work pumping the bellows at the foundry...A lesson on how to play hoop and stick for Carter...

Playing hoop and stick at the Getty house...

The Palace gardens are incredible!

A Bug on the lawn:

The Maze on the Palace grounds:

Look closely and you can see Troy and the kids in the center. Kyle at the entrance to the Palace cellars.

Just a fun-loving Buggles! On the path to the historic area...
I love the brick overpasses on the Colonial Parkway.

Liebherr

2008-09-25T19:57:00.009-04:00

On Wednesday I was able to ride in our prototype truck at work. It was really cool!

Try. Try Again.

2008-09-07T10:45:00.004-04:00

We spent Labor Day at Sandbridge Beach. Troy and the kids decided to try to fly a kite.
Troy's turn...
A Megan/Carter collision...
They gave it their best shot...
Better luck next time!?!

Hampton Carousel

2008-09-07T10:35:00.002-04:00

After our adventures at the Virginia Air and Space Center, we took a little spin on the historic Hampton Carousel.

Virginia Air and Space Center

2008-09-07T10:01:00.003-04:00

Sorry I'm a bit behind. These pictures are from Labor Day weekend. On Sunday we went to the Virginia Air and Space Center. It is a super cool museum. They have several real airplanes and many of them you can sit in. There is even a retired AirTran Airways DC-9 that you can walk through and sit in the cockpit. Add some hands on exhibits (paper airplane test lab, crater maker, shuttle landing simulator, and many more) and you've got a really awesome place to spend the day. Below you will see Megan helping out with a static electricity demonstration. She got picked to be a helper at both Nauticus and the VASC. She loves to be center stage!Troy tried to get some cool pictures of a few of the airplanes that are on display.
In the center of the picture below you can see the actual Apollo 12 Command Module. It is the brown cylinder looking thing.
These pictures were taken from the observation deck.

Nauticus

2008-09-02T21:56:00.009-04:00

Saturday we went to Nauticus for their Back to School Bash. They had a special Members Only VIP lounge where we snacked our way through lunch and pick up a couple of cool freebies. Here are the boys looking handsome .
There were several make and take crafts for the kids and cool science demonstrations. Megan was able to participate in a combustion demo. Seabots: Pilots of the Deep is a really neat exhibit. We were able to design our own ROV and then test it out in a tank. Here is the engineering team hard at work.
Proudly showing off their machine: Giving it a test run:
Kyle is controlling a real ROV in a tank behind the blue wall. If you look closely you can see Megan and Carter on the screen. The ROV has a camera on it and Megan and Carter were on the other side of the tank. Lots of Fun! The family in a shark cage. We decide that shark cages really don't offer enough protection. Any large shark that wanted to eat you could.
Megan and Kyle being silly. They were pretending to hold their breath and swim.
We decided to watch The Living Sea before heading back home. A few minutes after the movie started some obnoxious lights started flashing. Then we heard a voice you couldn't understand because the movie was so loud. I'm thinking this is really a poorly done special effect. These piercing lights do not go with this peaceful scene at all. The theater lights come on and the movie is turned off. The lights and voice are the fire alarm! The entire 3 story museum must be evacuated. So down three flights of stairs we go! We wait around outside for a little bit then decide to take a walk before heading home. Below are a few pictures from our walk. Oh, I don't think there was a real fire. We never saw any smoke or even fire trucks. I think some punk kid pulled a fire alarm. Oh well, we'll catch the movie next time.

Fun at the Zoo

2008-08-24T20:04:00.004-04:00

Today we went to the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. The kids had a grand time. Here is a picture of the crew!

Prarie Dogs!

2008-08-24T19:56:00.002-04:00

Giraffes!

2008-08-24T19:48:00.005-04:00

A Picture of Katherine!

2008-08-22T17:41:00.005-04:00

Here you go! A real picture of me at the beach!

Where are you? Is that what you said? I'm right in the center of the picture getting pounded by a wave! Click on the picture and enlarge it. I'm there. See! Lots of love to all!

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

2008-08-22T16:31:00.008-04:00

Carter has taken it upon himself to keep all birds off the beach. He chases every bird he sees. Here he is on one of his 'important" missions!

See ya, Birdie! This is MY beach.

Just Fishing!

2008-08-22T16:28:00.001-04:00

Flyin' High?

2008-08-22T16:21:00.004-04:00

What you must do before you try to fly a kite if you did not put it away properly:

UP....UP...
DOWN!

Surfer Girl!

2008-08-22T16:14:00.004-04:00

Carter Bug

2008-08-14T18:49:00.004-04:00

Carter has been cracking us up lately. Tuesday night he came to the dinner table and said, "Oh nummy pine cones!" I guess I had never served him corn still on the cob. Poor deprived Kid!

Last night at dinner, Carter burped. He laughed and said, "I popped!"

Tonight, Carter was playing with his beloved monkey (Monkey and blanket yellow have equal value now.) He said, "Mommy wook at him socks."

He is such a fun, loving boy!

First Day of School

2008-08-14T18:39:00.002-04:00

Monday was Kyle and Megan's first day of school. Below are a few pictures of my super students. Time for recess!

August 10th at Sandbridge Beach

2008-08-14T18:21:00.002-04:00

Saturday at Grandview

2008-08-04T09:15:00.005-04:00

From Daisy to Prim

2008-08-04T09:08:00.003-04:00

8.1.08
Here are a few pictures of Megan's Fly Up Ceremony.

Bluebird Gap Farm

2008-08-01T14:54:00.009-04:00

The kids and I spent a few hours at Bluebird Gap Farm today. Here are some pictures of our adventures.
Feeding the goats...
Big, beautiful sunflowers...
Megan smelling the roses...
The kiddos feeding the guineas...
Carter chasing the guineas...
Just a swingin'...
"Wook Mommy, no hans"...

Wednesday Night Fun!

2008-07-31T08:43:00.012-04:00

Last night Megan's Daisy class had a pajama party. All the little girls brought pillows, stuffed animals, and snacks to enjoy as they watched a movie together in their pajamas. It was Megan's last class as a Daisy. There will be a "Fly Up" ceremony on Friday where she will be officially promoted to a Prim.

Kyle also had a little fun last night. He graduated from the Royal Ranger class into the Discovery Kid class. Above you see him with some of his fellow Royal Rangers. The picture below is of him after he received his Discovery Kid vest.

After their program they had punch and cake and played a game called Spoof. Troy and some of the other dads joined in on the fun.

Today's Catch!

2008-07-26T22:11:00.005-04:00

This is my first fish caught in Virginia. It is a red drum (redfish).

Carter was very excited to touch it, of course.

The Really Big Dinosaur Show

2008-07-25T21:05:00.018-04:00

Today the kids and I went to the Virginia Living Museum to see a puppet show. While we were waiting for the show to begin one of the puppeteers asked if I would be willing to participate in the show. Being the outgoing, attention-loving person that I am I said, "uhm.......no." He looked totally shocked then said he had never had anyone say no before. Because I had our camera he said I was off the hook. After he left Kyle asked, "Do you want me to do it for you?" I told him it was totally up to him. After thinking about it for a few minutes, he decided he wanted to participate. He went up to the puppeteer and told him he would volunteer. I was shocked since Kyle is pretty reserved, but he wanted to help out. The pictures below are from his "part."

Some more pictures during the show:

Up close and personal with a puppet after the show:

Volcano 101

2008-07-21T08:54:00.007-04:00

Troy and I spent Saturday working around the house. We were trying to wrap up some projects and put the finishing touches on our home. The kids got tired of helping me clean the house so I gave them a break. Kyle really wanted to make a volcano like the one his class made at VBS last week. He thought it was the coolest thing ever. He couldn't wait to show Megan and Carter how to make it. Here is a picture of his Volcano 101 class.

Outrigger Island

2008-07-18T21:31:00.007-04:00

Kyle and Megan have been on a little island adventure this week. A local church put on a Vacation Bible School with Hawaiian flair. They had a blast. The church did a wonderful job scheduling activities. Each day they sang songs, listened to stories, played outdoor games, made a craft, and ate island inspired snacks. They wrapped up the week with a family night that included food, inflatables, rock climbing wall, and a Christian band. Enjoy the pictures!

Little Tiger

2008-07-14T14:33:00.004-04:00

Mr. Hole-in-One!

Saturday evening we played miniature golf with our community group from church. Here is Carter standing in front of the hole where he got a HOLE-IN-ONE! I couldn't believe it, a three year old getting a hole-in-one. The kids had a great time.

July 12th in Pictures

2008-07-14T14:10:00.019-04:00

..........and one last picture for the individual who commented on not seeing any pictures of me on our blog!

Our Herd

2008-07-11T14:35:00.004-04:00

Today is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. Here are the kids all dressed up and ready to get their free kid's meal. Kyle and Megan did the decorating all by themselves. The tails are my favorite part.

Beach Bums

2008-07-10T19:52:00.015-04:00

We are quickly becoming beach bums. We went to Virginia Beach on the 4th. I managed to really enjoy myself despite the fact that there were a million other people there. I really don't like crowds or bathing suits so I just knew I would be miserable. I think the waves have a calming effect and seeing the kiddos have so much fun made it all worth it.

Sunday we went to a much less populated beach--Sandbridge Beach. It is a little further south than VA Beach. We actually tried to go there on the 4th, but the car in front of us got the LAST parking spot. It was cloudy off and on Sunday so I think that helped keep the crowd down. We had a great time as a family. We bought the kids body boards and they somewhat attempted to use them. All three of them thought they could just lay down on their boards on the waters edge and somehow catch a wave. It was really funny to watch.

Kyle was actually able to give his body board one good run. I'm glad I was able to capture it.

Carter also did a little "fishing." He ran up to Troy and I screaming, "I caught a sish. Look I caught a sish." We looked in his hand and he was holding a jellyfish. Yikes! Thankfully, it was a clear one. The lifeguard said that type usually doesn't sting. It was a good thing because they were everywhere. Clear blobs washed up on the shore with every wave.

Troy took Kyle and Megan on a walk down the beach. He caught two crabs for them. They had so much fun. We miss all our friends and family. We hope our blog will entice you to come visit soon!