Monday, June 30, 2008
Tale of a Photo Shoot
Last month, Brenda Herring shared her expertise with us, and I found myself having to choose between some wonderful portraits. I do not recall ever being so happy with pictures of all of us. This particular one was especially created for my blog profile photo. 
We even managed to get the littlest lad smiling! (Sorry about the leveled cranium. I somehow did that with my scanner. I suppose I could fix it, but I am feeling a bit lazy right now. :-)
I love this one with the fingers in the mouth. It is so "baby." I also love the chubby legs and feet. Baby feet are a weakness of mine - especially curled up little toes. :-) They are one of the most adorable things on the planet! 
Brenda also snapped Seth's 2nd Grade photo. Sigh. . . Is he really that old?! Shocker of all shockers - he recently informed me that he misses school! I almost fell off the couch in disbelief.Back to the photos, not only were we given some beautiful portraits, but we had a blast taking them! Aaron was especially hilarious as he went out of his way to get the attention of the babies who when crammed in one spot with 15 other people would rather pull hair, swing their legs, and drool. Thank you, Brenda and Aaron, for coming to IN, and thanks, Mom Castle, for paying all the fees and a "down payment" on our portraits. It is even more fun to choose photos when your MIL has partially paid for them. :-)
Enjoy the photos.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
My moment to shine. . .
Little did I know that a short trip to Spartanburg would land my name in the newspaper (the "news" section - not the police report)! Along with other thinking Americans, we attended an event sponsored by Americans for Prosperity which seeks to inform people of the truth concerning global warming and other environmental agendas. We were given T-shirts and supper (A tasty one - I might add!), listened to an informative speech but due to wind conditions, we missed out on the hot air balloon rides. Actually, we is rather liberal! I would not have even touched the balloon. Adventure seeking/fearless Ethan was longing for that opportunity! Instead, he had to settle for dipping his toes and fingers in a fountain.
Below you can find the few lines regarding the Castle clan. . . Troy and Martha Castle of Greer attended the AFP event with their three children, hoping for a balloon ride, but mostly absorbing the message. The Castles described themselves as conservative in their political beliefs. They're for less government control and less government spending.
"An organization like this gives this side of the issue a voice in Washington," Troy Castle said.
"An organization like this gives this side of the issue a voice in Washington," Troy Castle said.
I was rather disappointed that my, "If Al Gore is for it, I am against it" quote did not make it in Spartanburg ink! Oh, well. . . I guess I should be happy that Troy's good quote made newspaper history.
For all the Cincinnatians that read my blog, the tour is headed to Eden Park this weekend. It is a great event to attend, and you can discover more info and register at this site.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Blog? What blog?
Oh, yes, I do have a blog,don't I?!Hmmmm. . .I'll try to remember that and post soon. :-)
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Tale of a Trip
The Castle Mobile hit the road around 11:30 on Wednesday (May 21st) and headed North of the Mason Dixon. (Ahhh. . .I'm feelin' my roots! :-)
It was the first time the littlest lad was out of SC. He looks thrilled to be in KY, doesn't he?! :-)
And he was even more thrilled with his carseat!
Thursday (May 22nd) found us at the Creation Museum, and what a great time we had! I was so moved and boosted in my faith!
We were accompanied by our good friend - "Uncle" Kevin Moser.
On Friday (May 23rd), we (the boys and I. Troy was with Andy P.) were treated to a picnic lunch at the Cincinnati Zoo. Mmmm-mm. My Aunt Joan also fixes the best picnics!!! Her specialties to me were fresh pineapple and Busken cookies. (Which I shared with none other than me, myself, and I!) We were surprised and excited to see our old neighbors (Dorcas and Blake Bishop) in the Cat House!
That evening, we descended upon the "Old Homestead" in Glendale and reconnected with my family. And, yes, I was picked on by Greg! :-)
My youngest brother, David, was finally able to meet his new nephew.
Jared (Leslie's son) and Ethan seemed to again enjoy each other's company.
On Saturday (May 24th), Paul (oldest brother), Nancy and Breanne dropped by my Grandma's (where we were staying). Wow! How many times have we sat on those steps for a snapshot?!
Grandma Sampson and four of her five great grandchildren. (Silas is thrilled to be in this picture!)Saturday evening, we headed to Shelbyville where we stayed with David and Jamie Spivey.
Sunday (May 25th) was the big day for the boys to spend time with their extended family, and they loved every minute of it!
Memorial Day found us attending a reunion on the Castle side. I believe there were some old geezers in attendance. :-) (Inside joke for the Castles)
After the meal, Seth was preferring to live on the basketball court,
and Ethan was feeling a bit more at home in the sand.
Picture Day was Tuesday (May27th), and Brenda Herring graced us with her skills. We all had a great time. We have some of Silas smiling! I even had a special one done for the blog. :-)
A memorial service for Mary Hall (Troy's paternal grandmother) took place on Wednesday (May 28th). Some of the little guys recited Psalm 23,
and some of the big brothers sang a song. It was a sweet time, and I feel as though I know Troy's grandma much better!
After the service, Troy's Dad treated a ton of us to Great Times in Indy. I was more than happy to eat tons of pizza, and all the grandkids had a blast using the tokens from Grandpa. I am sure it is a night my kids will not soon forget!
We hit the road again on Thursday (May 29th) and connected with our great friends - the Manleys! Sigh. . .We miss them so much! I love this picture of Camden. Isn't he the cutest?!
And during our trip I actually succeeded in getting some snapshots of the baby's smile! Uncle Trint's tickling is doing the magic!
Janelle Manley has the knack, too!The process of cramming everything back into the van again fell my duty on Friday (May30th). We said our goodbyes, and headed South with two sad boys who thought it would be a great idea to live on the same street as their cousins. :-)
Sarah, Marcia, and Lanee, I am so sorry it did not work out for us to be together! I had every intention of making it happen. . . You know how it can be on trips though! Some mornings I had to stay put to let the baby sleep.
Minus some annoying construction, and Troy and I almost falling asleep at the wheel, we made it home without any hitches.
"And does it ever feel good!"
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