Don't Blink

Well...

2010-11-16T17:15:00.000-08:00

Since I have neglected my blog for a year my daughter has hacked it to update everyone on my wonderful life!

First, this fall was a busy season for our family! Afton graduated from Brigham Young University with her BS in Geography emphasizing in travel and tourism. Exactly one month from her graduation date she started working for Marriott and has loved it (especially the discounts!). Chuck got engaged to Jessica and are getting married in April! My wonderful son in law Andrew is graduating in April so that will be another busy time! Andrew {my blood son} had an amazing cross country season and discovered his talent for speed. MaryBeth had a great basketball season almost undefeated! Aaron is doing great in school at the top of his class.

I am just so blessed to have such amazing children! But especially my favorite child, Afton, who is awesome.

Why cant every day be Christmas?

2010-01-13T04:07:00.000-08:00

January 13. I am just stashing away the final remains of Christmas. Looking over the pictures (thank you Afton) I wonder why December is always the fastest month of the year? Can't it hang around a little longer?

I am most grateful for grown children who still want to come home, an almost 10 year old who still enjoys the magic of Christmas Eve, such a beautiful place to live (Williamsburg truly is THE place to be in December), and of course being just a stone's throw from the beach!

Change

2009-11-01T16:07:00.001-08:00

As the leaves continue to change, noted changes and milestones within our family are taking place as well. This has been a busy Fall. Andrew entered his freshman year of high school. He also decided to detour from our family's usual choice of soccer or basketball and venture into the world of football. MaryBeth was most anxious to begin 7th grade and hence be able to play on the school basketball team. She also celebrated the big 13! She is still at a wonderful age where a weekend with mom and a few close friends is preferable. How much longer will that last? Aaron continues to be our favorite source of entertainment. At 9 (almost 10) he just squeaks by being young enough to trick -or- treat. Sad he is our last to dress up and go begging door to door. Following is a montage of pictures from the last several months. Here's hoping this will satisfy my daughter who is on me to make a new post. This one is for you Afton!!

My Cleaning Poem

2009-08-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

I asked the Lord to tell me

Why my house is such a mess

He asked if I'd been "computering",

And I had to answer 'yes'.

He told me to get off my fanny,

And tidy up the house

And so I started cleaning up...

The smidges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.

That really did the trick...

I was just admiring my good work

I didn't mean to "click".

But click I did, and oops -I found

A real absorbing site.

That I got SO way into it-

I was into it all night.

Nothing's changed except my mouse,

It is very very shiny.

I guess my house will stay a mess...

While I sit here on my hiney.

hard-core Heels (camp #2)

2009-07-08T11:25:00.001-07:00

The very next week after girl's camp, we drove down to Chapel Hill, NC for MaryBeth to attend a girls basketball camp. I wasnt about to just send her packing for the second week in a row. Family road trip!!! We spent the week and celebrated July 4 in North Carolina. We had so much fun. While MaryBeth spent her days sweating it out at practice, we toured the campus, shopped for all of our must have Tar Heel merchandise and ate some great food.

She doesnt look very sad about leaving does she?

Yeah, they are the best!

MaryBeth and Coach Sylvia Hatchell (UNC women's basketball head coach)

just goofing around

"Tyler Hansbrough!!!!"

MaryBeth receiving advice from coach Dad during a scrimmage break

it's not every day you get to watch your daughter play ball in the Dean Dome

watching the fireworks from Kenan Stadium (UNC football stadium)

"Know the Ropes" (camp #1)

2009-07-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, we are on a delayed post mode here at the Richards' house. MaryBeth attended girl's camp with our church youth group two weeks ago. I was a bit nervous (yes me, I know that is hard to believe) about her being gone a whole week. MaryBeth had an amazing time! Thank you to all of the leaders who attended and helped with the camp. You all helped to create an awesome week for the girls!

Ye be warned!

2009-05-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

What is the Y made of??

2009-04-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

So, we went to Utah over Spring break to visit with our three BYU scholars and with my brother and his family who recently moved to Salt Lake City. We had an awesome time visiting with family, good friends, and even new friends. Though much fun was had ... the guys all going to priesthhood session together then out for a "guys" night, celebrating Elisabeth's birthday with pedicures and dinner at the Training Table, attending a live session of General Conference, attending classes with Afton and Chuck, checking out the bio lab, first lunch ever at Cafe Rio (thank you Maryanne!!!), Monday night dinner at Brick Oven (free rootbeer and all), marathon shopping at the Orem mall...oh, and at Deseret Books, more pedicures, designing and buying note cards (LOTS of them), back to Rob's in Salt Lake to watch UNC dominate in the finals (MaryBeth was so excited for the TarHeels that she cried!)... Anyway, the memory that will stand out as one of the best for the kids was climbing up to the 'Y'. For the unknowing, there is a huge letter Y that is on one of the mountains surrounding the Provo valley and can be seen from virtually anywhere on campus. From the moment we arrived, the kids were begging to climb it. "We dont have time today" and "it looks too muddy" and every other excuse we could think of was offered. They were relentless. On our final day there, we gave in. Aaron just had to know "what the 'Y' was made of".

After a grueling 45 minutes of hiking at what had to have been a 90 degree angle, we reached the 'Y'. The reward was an amazing view of the valley below, aching muscles, and time to reflect on the weeks events. We decided that the fun and memories made for us were what the 'Y' was made of. We are not going to tell you what it really is made of, you have to climb it yourself to find out!

First Day of Spring

2009-03-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

Yeah for free shaved ice at Rita's!!!

Third Time's a Charm

2009-03-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Third cubscout that is.

3 sons and 10 pinewood derbies later, Chuck (er, the boys) finally built a winning car!!

Yeah Aaron!

Snow Day

2009-03-04T04:25:00.000-08:00

We never imagined actually having a snow day in Williamsburg. In the almost three years we have lived here, there have been a few forecasts that claimed snow, but never anything worthy of getting out of school. What a treat!

We spent a glorious day freezing our buns off! Some good friends invited us over to play. They live right on the James River. It was so fun to sled down a hill and end up in the sand right on the edge of the water. (This very much contributed to the freezing our buns off factor.)

Sledding, snowball fights, a fun game of hide and seek, and then it was inside to warm up. We spent the afternoon roasting marshmallows, sipping hot chocolate, playing games and puzzles, watching favorite movies, and of course, celebrating Andrew's birthday.

A perfect day!

An Uninvited Guest

2009-02-28T10:13:00.002-08:00

As we walked into the house last night, a bird flew right in with us. It scared me to death, I thought it was a bat. We then spent the next half hour trying to direct it to the front door, and later to an open window. Call us easily amused, but we were seriously in stitches! It was a hoot chasing after the bird, room to room, trying to gently guide it to it's escape.

First, Chuck tried to dust it out the front door.

It just wanted to hang out in the living room.

Then in the dining room...

It then flew upstairs to Aaron's room to play Jack "Sparrow"...

a little Playstation 2...

read up on the solar system....

and finally do a little reading and Rubic's Cube before flying out the window.

(and Nicole, I know the focus is too far left and not on the subject. A few pictures are just altogether blurry. You think kids are tricky, try photographing a trapped bird!)

The End Of The World

2009-02-05T13:03:00.000-08:00

At least that's how MaryBeth is feeling right about now. She broke a bone in her hand while practicing basketball the other evening. Not just ANY bone, apparently there is a worst bone to break. Leave it to MaryBeth to find it.

The ortho doc assured her that not only would she be "out" for the rest of the season, but would miss the first two months of soccer as well.

With three games left in an undefeated season, that REALLY hurts!

Cheer up girl, next season is just around the corner!

Nine

2009-01-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

Happy happy birthday Aaron dear!!!

Thanks Grandma!

2009-01-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

Grandma Carol came to visit this weekend. We enjoyed Colonial Williamsburg without the crowds, froze our buns off at Yorktown Beach, and most importantly began celebrating Aaron's birthday. Grandma and Aaron made the cutest, beachiest cupcakes ever. Thank you Grandma for keeping us company this weekend!

42

2009-01-19T16:49:00.001-08:00

Happy birthday Chuc k! You are the BEST!!!

Tar Heels 83, Cavaliers 61

2009-01-16T14:44:00.000-08:00

Since Chuck and MaryBeth are such huge UNC basketball fans (fanatics really, MaryBeth has the whole starting lineup memorized), we took a little 2 hour road trip to Charlottesville to cheer them on as they took on the University of Virginia.

The funnest part for Aaron was when we told him he had to keep his jacket on when we ordered pizza (in UVA territory). We told him the waiter might do something weird to his food if he knew he was sporting a Tar Heels t-shirt. Aaron was so hilarious when he proudly ripped off his jacket to expose his true colors! I think he thought he was an undercover spy.

The Tar Heels won, of course!

"Do you guys LOVE each other!?"

2008-12-05T10:13:00.001-08:00

Yes!

Raking the Leaves

2008-11-12T12:13:00.001-08:00

I went outside to check on Aaron. He was raking the leaves on the street, quite impressively while riding his rip stick at the same time.

Mom- "Why are you raking the leaves that are in the street and not the ones that are in the front yard?"

Aaron- "You can't ride the rip stick in the grass."

October Sky

2008-11-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

Toward the end of August, Chuck brought home the movie October Sky. The kids loved it. This immediately spawned a new found interest in rockets. Aaron dug his NASA uniform out of the bottomless pit of his closet, the kids started doing "science projects", and then the inevitable happened. Chuck brought home a rocket kit. He didnt even say a word. He didnt have to. He walked in the door and poured the supplies out on the kitchen table. The kids immediately gravitated to the table. Why dont they do this when called for dinner, scripture study, homework? The next hour was spent building the perfect rocket. Upon completion, we all piled into the car (again, with nobody having to be told twice to do so) and drove to the closest wide open space we could find. I have to admit, it was pretty tense. Setting the rocket in position, stepping back, pushing the button, watching the object we only just assembled make a sharp twill sound as it shot off the launch pad towards the sky, leaving behind a whitish gray trail of smoke.

Happy Birthday MaryB.!!!!!!!

2008-10-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa Ferguson came to visit on Saturday. After soccer games, college football (must see TV), and a mandatory stop at Cracker Barrel for a late lunch, we FINALLY headed to the pumpkin patch. We squinted our eyes to pretend all the leaves were in their full red, orange, and yellow glory. We shivered a bit to pretend the air was crisp and not really eighty degrees. (though we are not complaining....we love Willaimsburg's indian summers!) We did not have to fake the anticipation we shared as we all piled out of the car and each headed off in different directions, on the hunt to claim the perfect pumpkin.

Who knew there were so many different varieties to choose from? Aladdin, Howden Biggie, Pie, Magic Lanterns, Prizewinners, Jaredale, Lumina White, One Too Many, Peanut, Full Moon, Cinderellas, Fairytale, Mammoth Golds, Munchkin, Little Ironsides, and Long Island Cheese. Wow!!!!

College Kids!

2008-10-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I look too young to have kids in college, but it's true! They're having a great time. Afton says it's weird having the whole gang together again. Chuck, Afton, Andrew, Kevin, and Lauren have been hanging out since elementary school. Three years, three missions, and one wedding later, they are all back together at BYU.

First day of school!

They go to Denny's after playing Ultimate Frisbee..

They play racquetball...or at least try to!

and of course support the school's football team! Go Cougars!!

A word is worth a thousand pictures....

2008-09-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Oh, wait I have that backwards, don't I? Well, words are all I have right now. When Chuck left for Germany to pick up our son from his mission, his final instructions from me were "take LOTS of pictures". Well guess what? Apparently the landscape in Germany is practically identical to that in Virginia, so really no need for pictures. YES! That really is what he said to me!

They did have a great time. They toured around for four days before flying home. Chuck had the opportunity to meet some of the people Chuckie worked with and served as a missionary with the past two years. We know he has forged realtionships that will last throughout his life and are grateful for the opportunities he has experienced.

We at home were so excited to see them and knew that the 25th would be a very long day of waiting. Little did we know just how long! Their flight out of Germany was cancelled. We waited all day to hear from them and to know when and where they would fly in to. Finally at 10 pm, Chuck called from Chicago saying they would arrive in Richmond just after midnight. Only about six hours late, not bad.

Of course we were all thrilled to see Chuckie and enjoyed a bunch of family and friends coming and going throughout the next five days. We also squeezed in shopping for new clothes (you know, things in a few colors other than black and gray, and not ties!) dentist and doctor's appointments, a few good movies, a day at Busch Gardens, and lots of pictures and stories from the mission.

Next, it was time to pack up for school. I flew to Utah with Chuckie to help get him settled in to his apartment and to visit Afton and Andrew in their new apartment as well. It was a second tearful, happy reunion at the Salt Lake airport. Not only were Afton and Andrew there to welcome us, but my brother Rob and his darling family as well. I didnt get any pictures here either, but Afton got some and has posted them on her blog (aftonicole.blogspot.com).

We have had a wonderful month, full of family and reunions. We are so very grateful to all those who add so much to our lives and who touch us in ways they will never fully know.

Beach Bums

2008-08-17T13:15:00.001-07:00

We love the beach! Love them all! We will travel near. We will travel far. Here are a few pics from three recent beach trips.....three different beaches.

Virginia Beach is a convenient one hour drive from our home. It is not our favorite, a little too crowded for us, but great for a quick fix.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina. "OBX". 2 and 1/2 hours south. We love the shells, the surf, and the seafood.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Worth every minute of the 8 hour drive. When it comes to beaches, Hilton Head is our one true love. We love the marina, the Low Country landscape, the warm water, the crabbing, the dolphins, the fireworks.....

a few more

2008-08-08T14:22:00.001-07:00

These are a few more pictures I took with my "not as good as Afton's" camera. Yes Chuck, when you read this, it IS a hint!!!

The first several shots are of the beach and boardwalk directly behind the shops, where I easily kept myself entertained while Afton and Andrew finished out their Friday afternoon of work.

This is the view from the street running along the marina in Marigot.

unloading at the outdoor market place

fresh mango.... the best!!!

The Church has it's own cute little building right in Phillipsburg.

Thank you so much to mom and Chuck for holding down the fort while I was gone! Poor Chuck got a little more than he bargained for!!!

"between really happy and homesick"

2008-08-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

That is how Afton is describing her feelings this week. I could not agree more! This is the place I am finding myself lately. Can you really be homesick when you are already home? I think so, when all of your kids are not there.

Afton and Andrew are spending the summer working in St Maartin, a small island in the Antilles-West Indies. Half the island is owned by the French, the other by the Dutch. Afton and Andrew are working and living on the Dutch side of the island. They are managing two Del Sol t-shirt shops. It has been a great experience for them and an awesome way to spend the first four months of marriage! I had the opportunity to go visit with them for a few days last week. It was so fun to see where they have been living and to see them enjoy the time there together.

hard at work

The beach right behind their stores. Rough job, huh???

The jungle

Andrew in the jungle, getting ready to play Tarzan

fresh spices

While Andrew was swinging in the treetops , Afton and I went shopping. These are a few of Afton's great shots. We ran across a quaint fresh produce market in Marigot, the capitol on the French side of the island.

the beautiful beach

I had time to go to church with them on Sunday before my flight home. These two nursery leaders couldn't resist posing for a picture.

The Final Countdown

2008-07-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

We have exactly one month to go before Chuck comes home from his mission!!! To say we are excited would be a HUGE understatement!

Chuck (the dad) flies to Hamburg, Germany on August 20 to pick him up. They will tour the mission for several

days before flying home on August 25.

We sure love you Elder Richards!

Blast From the Past

2008-07-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

So, Rick Springfield was performing a concert at Bush Gardens. I thought it would be fun to take the family and expose the kids to a little 80's culture.

A bit blurry. My camera's battery was dying. That's ok. this is probably as close as you want to get to watching a 60 year old man bouncing around on stage. The highlight for the kids was when he accidentally dropped his guitar. Mine was listening to "I've done everything for you"... and watching Chuck dancing to the music!

In Her Shoes

2008-07-15T15:26:00.001-07:00

MaryBeth started basketball camp this week. She is following in her sister's footsteps, literally. After the first day of camp she complained her shoes were uncomfortable. Instead of buying new shoes, she pulled out Afton's old James Wood HS Colonels basketball shoes from freshman year. Quite "fitting" since MaryBeth grew up watching Afton's ball games and was always her biggest fan.......and still is.

Just Chillin'

2008-07-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to have some of MaryBeth's friends over to hang out and work on some crafts. We spent the day before driving around to different stores collecting the various materials we would need. They spent about fifteen minutes on the projects and played

around with Photo Booth on the computer the rest of the afternoon. It used to be pots and pans and empty boxes that trumped the latest toys. Now, I guess it's the computer. Lesson learned...again!

I Love New York!!!

2008-07-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

Tourists....

The movie Night At the Museum really made this Easter Island exhibit a star. There was a line to snap a photo and even foreigners were pointing and exclaiming "Dum Dum!!"

How much do you weigh on Mars?

NYC street fairs, gotta love them!

Yummy RAY'S pizza!

Chuck took the weekend off and we headed north for our NYC "fix". We had a good excuse. Michael just moved into a new apartment in Brooklyn and we had to check it out. We visited Liberty Island, the Natural History Museum, saw The Little Mermaid on Broadway, and ate way too much good food.

Must Be Cub Scout Day Camp!!!

2008-07-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

2008-07-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

bird houses......

BB guns......

archery.........

marbles.....

and velcro walls......

OH MY!

First Things First

2008-07-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

On April 26th , before summer even began, we had a wedding. Andrew and Afton Huntley ( I don't know how long until I will get used to that!) were sealed in the Washington D.C. temple. Thank you to all of our family and friends who traveled from near and far to share this very special time with us.

2008-07-04T09:39:00.000-07:00