Giant Swallowtail Butterfly

On Sunday, we saw this beautiful butterfly feasting on our periwinkle flowers.  These flowers continue to bloom from April to November.I sure wish some of the grandkids could have seen this butterfly….they so enjoy bugs, butterflies, birds and animals.I actually tried to catch him, but no luck.  Next time Heather’s boys are here we will check out the flowers for a giant swallowtail butterfly sighting.

David and Melissa Visit

Our lives seem to become busier every year and our visits from David and Melissa are not as frequent as their earlier years of marriage. We attended a wedding together this past weekend and thoroughly enjoyed our time together.  I grabbed them for a quick photo before the wedding. Melissa asked me not to put a photo of her on my blog, but I don’t recall ever clearly responding.  I couldn’t resist.

Hodge October Birthdays

We celebrated the Hodge family (and extended family) birthdays recently. 

 

First is Kevin (our son-in-law) who will be celebrating on October 28th.  Although his birthday is first he is the youngest among the celebrants.

 

 

 

 

Kevin’s sister Tiffany was born just one year earlier on October 30th.  And…..

 

 

 

Tiffany’s sister-in-law, Sheila, was born a few years earlier, also on October 30th!  Each person with a birthday chooses a favorite dish to be served and the result is a wonderful potluck dinner.  Thanks to the Hodge family for always including the “in-laws” in Kevin’s birthday celebration.

Football Season Continued…..

Here are a couple photos of recent football action. Austin plays every Tuesday except when he is on intravenous antibiotics.  His team has only lost one game so far. Ty plays every Tuesday and Thursday and I think his team has only lost one game as well.   Both boys are thoroughly enjoying playing football.  So far it is their favorite sport!

My Wednesday Boys

Every Wednesday Nathan spends the afternoon with me and we also pick up Ty from school.  Heather then brings Austin after football practice and we all go to Wednesday evening church. Ty first does his homework and then he loves to play Wii NFL football.  In the photo above he is intent on his game.

And here he is giving me best his “front toothless” smile.

Nathan is a very affectionate and smiley guy.  He loves to play catch, work puzzles and dump out every toy I have in the toy area.  I really treasure these times we have to spend together.

Deer Season

Everyday we have deer pass through our yard.  Before dawn there are usually several laying down in the open area near our garage.  Most often there are doe with their fawns. Occasionally we have a couple of buck come through as was the case this past week. I’m hoping they stay in our area and no hunters get the chance to take them out….we so enjoy their visits.

40th Anniversary

No, it’s not our wedding anniversary, but October 3rd is the 40th anniversary of our first date.  At the very least we always acknowledge the date and oftentimes we have had a small celebration for just the two of us.  This first photo is not from 1969.  I couldn’t find a photo of that Homecoming evening.  I believe this photo is from 1972. And here we are about 40 years later…..still together and still in love.  We give God the glory for our lasting relationship.

Flag Football

Ty had his first flag football game this week.  He had a wonderful time and played a great game.  He played everything from quarterback to cornerback and was aggressive on every play.  Ty’s highlight would be catching the only complete pass of the evening.  I think we might be in for a few years of watching football with the Hodge boys!