Remember These?

Ribosome's, Nucleolus, vacuole, cytoplast???? Ring a bell??  Ryan had to do a project for science by making a model or poster of an animal or plant cell.  For 10 extra points you could turn it in early and for 20 extra points you could do both!  Of Course Ryan wanted to do BOTH! and turn them in early. He has had all A’s since he started getting letter grades but the extra credit was very important to him so we did both.  I remembered (vaguely) about making some sort of salt dough in the 4th grade so I asked around and got several ideas.  We ended up doing a mixture of even parts salt and flour and 1/2 water.  It made a nice sticky paste.  We used this for the Animal cell and made all the parts out of the clay too.  We then added toothpicks with the names of each part.  It was still pretty damp and sticky so I put the oven on the lowest degree and set it on a cookie sheet with the door open.  (The last thing I needed was for the thing to melt or catch fire)  It worked and looked really nice.  When I had looked on line for ideas, several over–achiever moms had made the cell projects out of Jell-O or cakes.  So after I got permission, we decided to make the Plant Cell into a cake that his class could eat after Ryan presented it.  Ryan loves to bake and can mix up a cake all by himself.  I just helped to pour it into the pan and put it in and out of the oven.  Ryan then iced it and we decorated it with various kinds of candy.  I think we could have done a better job but it was just for extra credit and so I could be the over-achiever mom :)  He is going to take it to school tomorrow….WITH all the forks, plates and napkins…For Chris and all you other teachers out there (I am one too and know the drill!)

The Animal cell made out of salt dough

Working on the Plant cell cake

The finished cake and Key

Still Bouncing Along

Basketball season is still going strong.  Preston is still enjoying playing basketball for NBHS on the B Team and is now playing point guard.  In the last few games he has scored 9pts and 7pts.  He is also a force to be reckoned with on defense.  Grant’s team just tied a team that has not lost in 2 yrs!  It was an exciting game and Grant scored 5pts.  Ryan’s team has also been winning; some in blow outs and some by just one or two.  He has scored a few points and plays great defense.  Although Preston will try out for HS baseball next week, we still have several weeks of basketball left.  Here are a few pictures from past games.  (I have a really hard time taking pictures 1) because it is such a fast paced game and 2) they ALWAYS do better when I turn the camera off- go figure!

Ryan and his team have #10 covered

Grant at the Free Throw line

Grant bringing the ball down

Ryan on defense

 

Ryan at the Free Throw line

Preston guarding the fast break

Preston on defense

2 more of Preston

And The Winner Is…..

Ryan!!  Out of the 34 Bowl games, Ryan got 21 right!  He beat his mom by just ONE game to regain the GOLDEN FOOTBOWL TROPHY for the next year.  Ryan had previously won the 2004/05 bowl season, when he was just 4 yrs old!  He was presented the trophy by last year’s winner: Preston.  The Griffin family keeps possession of the trophy for another year.  Good Job Ryan! Ryan has chosen to keep the trophy in his bedroom.

FYI:  Michelle’s family has been doing this bowl challenge for many, many years.  In 2003, Michelle decided that there should be a trophy awarded to the winner each year.  She took a plastic bowl (“bowl games”) and hot glued a small Nerf football to the bottom.  Then she spray painted the entire thing gold and the GOLDEN FOOTBOWL trophy was born.  The winners get their names written on the outside of the bowl.  The first name to be added to the bowl trophy was Michelle’s dad, Frank.  Past winners include:  Frank 03/04, Ryan 04/05, Grant 05/06, Frank, 06/07, Michelle 07/08, & Preston 08/09.

 

Congratulations Ryan!

They’re Here, They’re Here!!

The most anticipated visit of the year and a great way to end one year and start another:  A visit by the Rohrbaugh’s!

I am not sure what they really thought of Alabama but we gave them a true Alabama experience in just a few days!  The kids were thrilled and played together NON-STOP for 5 days!  They rode 4-wheelers, shot guns, played football, basketball, video games and card/board games, and hide and seek in the dark!  We took them to see chicken houses, a cotton field, the world famous Boll Weevil monument, and where we will build our house plus all the crazy things we have talked about for 4 years while living in Maryland right down the road from them.  We saw each other sometimes every day and then had to move away so it was wonderful to see them again.  Carey and I talked and talked and talked.  Dennis and Scott did manly things like hunt and grill.  Dennis took Scott hunting several times for hogs, deer and quail.  Scott shot the first pig and a few quail.  Dennis shot another pig and more quail.  No deer to be found.  Dennis and Scott cleaned Scott’s pig and then they grilled/smoked it for New Years Eve.  We rang in the new year twice (eastern and central time zones).  Once at Dennis’s parents outdoor shelter where we played games and watched football (of course) and the New Years Eve shows.  Then we got the kids ready for bed in time for the Central time zone new year and off we went to bed.  Early the next morning they left for Maryland with just a few tears this time :)

Scott’s pig (182 lbs)

Sleepovers every night

Inside a chicken house

Chickens ready to go

Riding ATVs

The Rohrbaugh’s at the Boll Weevil Monument

All the kids in a cotton field

The kids saw this pig while riding the ATVs and Dennis shot it

On the steps of our house

Playing football w/4 cousins

Easy Bake Oven time!

New Years Eve

Getting ready to eat Scott’s pig

In the woods where we will eventually build our house

A Griffin Family Christmas

Dennis’s dad’s brother and sister’s families got together on the 26th for more food, family fun and a few presents. The boys’ great uncle William gives everyone money and we all give presents to him, Aunt Mary and Aunt Jean. We all enjoy this time to reconnect as we do not see each other much during the year.

Most of the clan…only one family of 4 missing

**you have to click these larger pictures to see the whole thing-not sure why but I am working on that**

Christmas- Round 2

Around noon, we arrived at my parent’s house for round 2 of our Christmas Day.  They had already opened presents from each other and were waiting on us.  My parents always get the boys the NFL jersey of their choice for the year, a magazine subscription and a few other little things.  We had a good time passing out presents and watching everyone open them.  Later we called my brother and then had a nice feast!

The gift that always fits!

Jerseys!

Merry Christmas

We joke about it being the best Christmas because we did not have to drive 14 hours to get here but it was true.  Celebrating Christmas in our own home, going to visit family and then sleeping in our own bed every night was wonderful.  This Christmas was nearly perfect. The only thing missing was my brother.  He could not make it from California due to work obligations….(move closer Frankie!)

All in all, we had a wonderful day.  We have been at my parents’ house on Christmas morning almost every year since the kids were born.  Ryan said, “so we will open our presents at Gran’s” and I had to stop him and say no we will open them here.  He wanted to know about Gran and Granddaddy, so at 7am not only were they waiting in our driveway for the kids to wake up but my aunt and uncle were with them.  They called to tell me they were there and I did let them in the house for coffee.  I was so excited that I could not sleep and got up early to start breakfast. 

My kids usually sleep to at  least 7am even on Christmas Day.  My brother and I used to wake up in the dark, go peek at the presents under the tree and then try to go back to sleep but there were many times we were all up before dawn opening presents.

With all the noise the kids finally woke up and went to check the tree.  They started tearing at the presents so fast I had to tell them to slow down.  Preston got his long awaited and so so wanted cell phone!  Grant was excited to get an IPOD TOUCH and Ryan’s favorite gifts were a robot kit and electric drums.  Together they got an XBOX 360.  That was one of the last gifts they opened and when they did Ryan looked at the TV and saw that it had “grown”.  The other boys were then excited and shocked that they did not notice.  While they dug in their stockings, I finished breakfast and we all ate together.  It was so nice that Dennis had to remind me that WE had a few presents under the tree!  We did not get each other much this year because we bought the TV.  I did get a bigger crock pot (we out grew the last one) and a machine that will take all my many negatives and make them into CDs or put them on the computer.  We’ll see how well it works and how long it takes me.  I have a huge safety deposit box full of negatives.  I got Dennis a planning book about building a house and his annual ball.  I am not sure how or why it started but each year we have been married, I have given him some sort of crazy ball.  This year when you squeezed it you could see bugs inside-yuck! I also got him the game Catch Phrase which has been a huge hit this holiday season!

Finally awake or are they??

Looking for their stack

 

Ready to open

 

The audience!

Ryan went for the biggest one first

 

Grant’s IPOD

Look at that grin!

It’s over! :(

Ryan and Dennis “resting their eyes”

Family picture before we headed over to my parent’s house