The infirmary is still open

What a week it has been. With James sick over the weekend and home from school on Monday, and Trip home the rest of the week, it has been a blur of a week for us all. Beth has managed to stay home with the boys and telecommute, and Bert has been a big help at night getting everyone to bed. Hardy teamwork! Both Sara and Adrianna have been dragging a little too. We're hoping that this fever bug moves on, and Spring arrives soon.

Barn construction begins next week!

At long last, the Hardy Ranch will begin contruction on the horse barn. The site pad has been prepped, Beth has filed the zoning compliance application and the neighborhood association has approved the plan (what a joke!). Two dump trucks full of gravel and rock dust were delivered yesterday, and a load of lumber was delivered today.

It seems as though our dream of having large animals who eat all of our money (and then deposit it on the grounds) and monopolize our lives will be coming true over the next several months. Check back often to see pictures of the progress, and wish us luck!

Trip's turn to be sick

Trip likes being sick "because I don't have to go to school. I get to watch a bunch of TV and movies and video games. Mommy took me to the library to get new books. I have the 'fevuh' but I will not take a nap. But I'm so tired - that's my nap. I miss James and Sara."

Day 2 of Trip staying home from school. It is 11:05am and he's STILL asleep, on the floor...(don't ask...)

James is sick today

Here is just a snippet of the conversation James and I had today. He is home from school, sick with a fever:

"I can't go to school today, because I'm sick. But I can go to school tomorrow, because my fever is going to be good... I think. I can hear your heart beeping, Mommy. I'm sad Tyson's heart stopped beeping. I like when he gets out of the bath because he would run wild to my room and then back to your room. I can't think of anymore things to say...press save."

Bert lectures at Virginia Commonwealth University

Bert taught a class Saturday for VCU’s Executive Masters in Information Systems program. This is an accelerated program for working professionals which results in a Master's Degree in Information Systems. The program is one of only 2 offered in the state. The course is “Enterprise Systems” and this particular class was “The Package Evaluation Process.” Bert lectured on systems selection methodologies and best practices. He also participated in a panel Q&A on the topic along with the CIO from Media General (Richmond Times-Dispatch) and Interbake Foods (Girl Scout cookies).

A former colleague of Bert’s, Wayne Puglisi, CIO of CF Sauer Company (of Duke's mayonnaise fame), works regularly with the class and talked Bert into giving up his Saturday to participate. Bert was happy to comply, filling the young skulls full of mush with his superior wisdom.

Dr. Richard Redmond, Chairman of the Department of Information Systems said that this type of interaction with the business community is the most popular aspect of this program. He was grateful for everyone’s participation and was hopeful that Bert would return in the future to enlighten his students!

Bert can now put "Associate Professor" on his resume!

View Bert's presentation:

Sara wins as runner-up in RES spelling bee!

Sara represented the fifth grade in the spelling bee at Randolph Elementary School on February 20. She won runner-up and her friend, Georgie, won first place! If Sara couldn't win first place, she was glad that her friend did. She was a great sport and shook Georgie's hand immediately and congratulated her. Check out the posting on the RES website. It even includes a poem Sara wrote!

The top two winners from each school move on to the county-wide competition. (Sara represented RES in that last year as well!) Sadly, the entry fee increased so dramatically that the Elementary schools decided they would not compete county-wide this year. While Sara was disappointed, she's ready to start preparing for next year's competition where she hopes to do well again as a Middle School student. In fact, RES gave each winner a dictionary so they can get busy!

Bert and the boys have a big weekend!

The boys had a good time at home while the girls were at the beach. They had a big 2-day bonfire fueled by all of the wood that the recent storm blew down. The boys helped Bert work in the yard, work on the shed, work in the garage, etc. And Bert made them a new toy hand gun out of scrap wood. Later, they all took a ride in Jeb Stuart's 1960 Mercedes 190 convertible that he is restoring.

Meals consisted of Cap’n Crunch and pizza and they got to eat in the TV room because that is the rule for "boy boy" time. In the evenings, they watched Brain Bug, Men in Black and Johnny Quest. The boys got to stay up late and sleep in the big bed with Bert. Saturday night at about 11:30 as Trip was finally running out of steam and drifting off to sleep, his last words were "this day just keeps getting better and better!"

Girls' weekend at Corolla is a hit!

Beth and the girls enjoyed a weekend alone at Corolla. Adrianna brought her friend, Anna, and Colleen Warner and her 2 girls (Olivia and Mary Lib) joined us as well. Sara and Olivia are good buddies. The weather was beautiful and sunny, although quite cold! We went to the Whalehead Club for a picnic. The girls had a great time running over the bridge, climbing the trees and running out to the gazebo over the sound. Met a photographer from the Currituck Advance (a weekly paper) and expect that the girls will have a front page photo in this week's edition - seriously!

Colleen helped Beth paint one of the bedrooms a beautiful blue. And then she made the kids Krispy Kreme sundaes - egads! Somehow, Beth was able to abstain. We will enjoy our last morning here and then head home after lunch to see how Bert and the boys managed without us!

Garden Shed is Open

Bert recently built a new garden shed for Beth. We put the old wood from the deck to good use. Shed is 8' x 12' and consists of 4 posts framed out with walls of old deck wood. The roof is tin to make it look very rustic... kinda like a barn. Nice shelves inside with all of the outdoor tools hanging on the wall.

Oilville Country Club

The Oilville Country Club (OCC) has added a state-of-the-art short game practice center including this sand bunker with real sand! Shown in the background is OCC member James Hardy who helped with the design and construction. James believes the new sand bunker will be a great addition to the OCC. "I think that this solidifies the OCC's reputation as the best club in Fox Downs," says James. "Plus, Trip and I can build sand castles in it."

OCC's management just hopes that Tink does not take too much of a liking to it though...

Tyson Hardy - 1998-2008

Tyson passed away on January 23, 2008. He left us peacefully in the wee hours of the morning. He simply went to sleep in his favorite spot and just never woke up. We buried him up on the sunny hill by the two cedar trees. We can even see his resting place from the house. The boys seem mildly sullen and confused about it. Bert, Beth and girls took it pretty hard. Tyson was a good boy, a loving dog and we'll sorely miss him. Rosie is "the dog of the house" now. She has big paws to fill!

Share your special Tyson memory by adding a comment to this blog.

Hardy Happenings Blog Launches

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oilville VA - The Hardy Happenings blog launches today as a new communication tool to update, educate and entertain friends and family (any anyone else who might happen to stumble upon it) about news and happenings regarding the Hardy family. It will provide plenty of opportunities to reconnect with others, report on individual and team accomplishments, and share information - sometimes within the own core Hardy family itself! Shameless boasting is expected to occur as well.

The blog will be a collaborative effort involving all Hardy family members, regardless of ability, age, or size. Training will commence later this week and active participation in the blog will be a major consideration in performance reviews.

All kidding aside, we hope you will enjoy our blog. There's so much fun, growth and love in our house that we must capture it for posterity, lest we forget what's really important in life.