Spring Break 2012!

Ahhhhh. 

Spring Break.

I looked forward to a week off ...

from school,

from sports,

from the routine of day-to-day.

We enjoyed time just being at home.

But we also enjoyed our annual Durhamtown trip:

Of course, Blaine was suited & ready lickety split!

J-man waiting on the green light ...

Jacob is still unconvinced of the fun in riding one's own vehicle.

He was, again, perfectly content to ride with me.

However, I was NOT perfectly content with sharing my 4 wheeler.

His 7 year old body is getting way to big to share that seat with!

Will Mock suited & ready

The newest members of our gang -

Christa's brother, Adam, & his son Max

Blaine doing what he loves -

getting the tires off the ground!

Love seeing Blaine take the lead in this hobby ...

I prefer a vehicle with 4 wheels!

Blaine jumping.  Again.

Jarrett's even starting to get some air!

Max had a bit of a spill - 

actually a full-on face plant into a mud puddle!

Lunch break!

Will & Jacob -

love this shot!

LOVE my boys!

(the one behind the camera too!)

Amy & I represented the only estrogen in the group -

I think we kept up pretty well!

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We also went up to Riverhaven and enjoyed the gorgeous weather there!

Enjoying Mom's newest toy ...

It's supposed to be a one-man kayak,

but I picked up a little hitchhiker!

Jarrett & Blaine,

hunting for 'river monsters' ....

They proudly brought back this dead fish

'river monster' for us to all check out.

We found out later that it was a Gar.

(sounds kinda scary huh?!)

Jarrett doing a little studying of the North Hall 

baseball directory.

And Jacob & Blaine enjoying a little Connect 4, dockside!

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Next up, we enjoyed watching Micah play in one of his JV games ....

Great week off ...

good change of pace.

Just what we needed to make it through to the end of school!

Dust, Heat & the Little Red Hen

During the week before school started,

Bowdie and the older 2 headed to Durhamtown.

Did I mention the temp was right around 100?

And the humidity ... well, I don't know the percentage, but let's just say high.

It was supposed to be a family trip, 

but Jacob started a nasty cough the day before.

I figured the dust and heat would not do anything to promote healing,

so we stayed home.

But Riley and Papa went ... along with the Warbington boys,

Mock boys, and Smith boys.

I was brokenhearted disappointed slightly saddened to miss the boys riding,

but I was ecstatic to stay in the air conditioned house all day!

B-RRR-ight and early!

Blaine

Jarrett

Riley

Riley looks so grown up here!

Nice mixture of dust & sweat on Blaine's face ...

Blaine & Jarrett

Just a bit dusty, huh?!

Did I already say that I was glad to be inside all day?

Yes, the boys are tan, but I'd bet most of that brown look on them

is good 'old Georgia red clay.

(pretty sure Papa's shirt was white at the start of the day)

Who needs a tanning bed??!!

MEANWHILE, 

BACK AT THE RANCH ...

Jacob and I were having a grand time ...

he got to choose our activities for the day.

We played games, 

made cookies (gingerbread - his choice),

and the Little Red Hen made an appearance!

(that'd be me, when I make homemade bread)

It was great 1:1 time with him ...

He suited up all by himself ... hat and all ...

I call myself the Little Red Hen because we start from scratch to make the bread ...

just like the Hen in the children's book by the same name ...

first we have to grind the wheatberries to make flour ...

And this honey is used to sweeten the bread ...

it is 'made' right here at the Cleft - in Ms. Maggie's hives ...

mmmmmmm ...

Putting in the flour ...

Reading 'The Little Red Hen' while the bread rose ...

yes, I'm a teacher through and through 

and had to keep with the theme ...

We even made cinnamon rolls with the dough ...

Not bad, huh??!

All in all, a good day ...

whether in the air or in the dust!

Spring Break ... Team Jenkins Style

You know that you're a family of boys when,

for Spring Break,

your big outing is to ride dirtbikes & 4 wheelers at a place called Durhamtown.

Last Wednesday, that's what we did.

But we had a crew.

The Mocks, the Warbington boys, the Smith boys ...

and Mr. Ben.

We had a blast - the weather was perfect, 

the dust was minimal,

and the trails were muddy.

We look tough, right??!!

I think this shot is kinda scary ... we all look like masked marauders.

What hides behind that helmet????

My Christmas present ... Bowdie got me a whole outfit.

I mean, if I'm gonna ride, I must look the part ... ha!

Bowdie, cranking up his bike.

That exhaust, according to Mr. Ben, is like a sweet fragrance

in the nose of dirtbike lovers everywhere.

I personally thinks its more like pollution.  :)

The following 2 pictures show how a 6 year old puts on

a big, 'ol heavy helmet ...

1.  Place said helmet on the trailer, with hole for head facing up.

2.  Bend down and place head in hole.

3.  Push down head to insert fully into the helmet.

4.  Stand up.

Voila!

Helmet on.

Pure genius!

This was Katie Beth's first D-town trip.

She is still talking about it.

I love a girl who appreciates motors & dirt!

And this is Will Mock.

Trip #2 for him.

He looks like a serious rider from head to toe.

And we're off.

This is Blaine on the PeeWee track.

Blaine, Jarrett, Will Mock & Will W. spent a good bit of time here.

It's a great place to warm up.

J-man

Will W. getting a little air!

Blaine-o warming up ...

Alrighty ... Blaine's officially warmed up here ...

And Will Mock, king of drifting ...

Because Jacob refuses to learn to drive one of the smaller 4 wheelers,

he had to ride with me.

Which meant he had to wait while the boys road the PeeWee track.

He didn't mind a bit.

Really.

This shot says a lot.

Blaine breezing by on the red bike.

Jarrett slid and fell behind him.

He's still got skinned elbows from this fall.

But I'm so proud of him.

As bad as it hurt, and probably scared him a bit,

he got back on and rode the rest of the day with no complaints.

And now for the big track.

This is Bowdie.

Yeah baby!

Another shot of Bo.

Mike Smith ... wowsers.

And Mr. Ben.  Yikes.

This is Austin Smith ... following in his daddy's footsteps.

And Wesley following suit ...

Blaine-o even tried it out ... but I must say, this track was intimidating,

even for me to watch.

Once again, here's Jacob as he waits.

Perfectly content.

Probably pondering the meaning of life, 

or maybe his favorite Lego hero.

Probably the latter.

The Posse ...

Wesley and Austin are buddies from school ...

fun for them to ride together.

Takin' a break ... Christa was fighting a sinus infection,

but toughed it out in all the dust and pollen to come and ride.

Yeah ... she's got some tomboy in her!

Can't stand it ... LOVE this shot ...

I mean, really.

Do you see Will's sweet smile?

And you know Jacob's smiling inside that helmet.

Don't know what they are laughing about.

But love the fact that they are such good buddies.

Getting toward the end of the day.

How can I tell?

Dirt around the mouth.

A sure sign that some real ridin' has been goin' on.

100% B.O.Y.

Love it.

I have just enough of my dad in me to really cringe at this shot.

We had really heavy rains a couple of days before.

The ground was still mushy.

That equals a muddy mess on tires.

Nothing the 3.99 carwash couldn't take care of!

This is how we roll ... :)