Hannah's Vision Check-Up

We went to Vanderbilt on Friday for Hannah's vision check-up. This is something that we will do on a yearly basis because of the Diabetes. They just check her vision and she has 20/20--yeah! Then they check for Diabetic Retinopathy. They have to dilate her eyes to do this check.

High blood sugars can cause the blood vessels in her eyes to swell and burst. So, that's what they are looking for. If signs of the retinopathy begin to appear, they can do surgery now to fix the damage, but only if caught early on. If not, there is a risk of blindness.

Waiting 20 minutes for the drops to fully dilate her eyes.

Eyes Fully Dilated

Love the funky glasses!

Praise God, Hannah has no signs of Diabetic Retinopathy!!

Since her eyes had been dilated, she needed to wear some dark glasses to protect her eyes from the sun......Caleb had to have his own pair of special glasses, too :0)

My Cuties

We spent Thursday evening with Nanny Boo Boo. It was wonderful. Poppie has gone to New Mexico for the reunion with his brothers.

Couldn't resist these pics of Hannah and Caleb.

Lazy Days of Summer--Who said that?

Well, at the end of May we were so excited. School was done for the year. Co-op had ended.

We were free to enjoy the lazy days of summer!

Yeah! Right! We haven't had any yet and it's almost time for school to start back. ugh! But, it has been a fun summer. Here are the chronicles of the Gray family summer:

• Friends moved in next door
• Hi Speed Internet--occasionally, thanks to friends from next door. :0)
• Camp for Dakota
• Swim lessons for Hannah
• VBS for Mama, Hannah & Caleb
• Mama's quick trip to Texas to see Mima, Papaw and her brother.
• Beach Bag Book Club for Hannah
• Science Camp for Hannah
• Splash Pad--Water Park for Mama, Hannah & Caleb
• Christmas Tree upkeep--Dakota, Daddy, Mama
• Redoing the kids bathroom--Daddy, Mama, Dakota
• Prayer Meetings and get togethers with a special family
• Friends over to play--Hannah & Caleb
• Growing tomatoes and peppers in pots (raised garden beds did not get built)--Mama
• Nephews here to visit
• A. DeDe and boys here for a visit, again
• Adopted some Hermit Crabs
• Mama's teaching herself to knit
• Making Jam
• Blogging
• A Day At the Lake
• A Tea Party
• Potty Training Caleb
• TEACH Thank you card-making for Veterans
• Dakota's Fine Arts trip
• Daddy's been working 60-80 hour weeks all summer
• Fun nights at Nanny Boo Boo and Poppies, riding the tractor, 4-wheeler, and playing with trains, etc.

I must admit there have been a few lazy days in and around all of these things chronicled above, but what happened to the quiet, lazy days of summer from years past--where the kids complained of boredom and days by the pool and reading books and eating popsicles and playing outside were all that was done?

We are so blessed that we were able to do these things. So, I'm not complaining...just wondering if anyone else has noticed that the lazy days of summer are no more?

Showing the Cuz' the Morning Chicken Routine

Poor Landon fell in the mud walking out into the chicken yard from the coop--oops! Country life....what can I say?

See our fresh eggs? These are from the first week that they've actually been laying. They're tiny eggs, but you've got to start somewhere, right? ouch!

More Fun With The Cousins, A. DeDe....

And the neighbor girls on Saturday.

Fun With The Cousins.....

And a few of the neighbor girls!

This was Friday night while A. DeDe, Avery and Landon were here.

Daddy rigged up a new swing on a pulley system. The kids were all loving it. There were 8 kids here playing and having a blast....well, make that 10 counting Daddy and Dakota (yep, no proof that Dakota was here because he hides from the camera, believe me, though he was and was having a blast).....! hehehe!! :0)

Modeling Clay Sculptures