back to school!

Off to a great start for our little pre-k kiddies and big boy 2nd grader!

 

thirteen years

 together since we were kids.

no regrets.

thankful beyond words that you are the one who has my heart.

love you long time.

a good day to be a little girl.

like most mornings, ellie sneaks in and takes over kyle's empty spot.

getting ready for our day of fun.

you can't have a girlie day without a pedi... and matching blue polish.

tea time.

we've got to make this a tradition. so much fun!

"swing me just two times, then watch what i can do."

pink sugar cookies, please.

and what better way to end a day? a date with daddy, of course. italian food and pottery painting on the agenda.

is there really a better feeling than seeing your husband spend time with your little girl?

her anticiptating the date all week? him opening the door for her as they head out for their night together? 

me knowing that he is taking the time and preparing her heart for what to look for in a man someday.

this is what it's about, people. good stuff.  

toes in the sand

this picture is a favorite for several reasons:

1. Kyle took it.

2. If I had to pick one picture out of the few I took that sums up vacation for the kids, this would be it.

3. It captures the essence of kids and their love for swimming pools. All three longed for the pool, not the ocean. Silly rabbits.

4. It gives you an idea of how great this place is. Over behind Hayes is our cottage with the purple chairs... just steps away from the pool. And on the other side, the beach. This place was probably the oldest around and some aspects definitely showed the wear, but you just can't beat the view. 

5. You can see some scratches on Hayes' chest. A reminder of a crash with an oncoming biker earlier that morning that brought our family bike ride to a halt. It wasn't pretty. But it was a little bit funny. After the fact, of course. :)

6. His crack is probably showing on the other side. What is it with these boys and keeping their pants up?

7. I love this kid.

***

Fifteen hours in the car ain't so bad when you are headed south to make memories in the sand. We enjoyed having Daddy all to ourselves for seven days, exploring the little beach towns from Pensacola to Panama City Beach and deciding that we BELONG there. Oh wait, that's just me.

We could not have asked for a more pleasant time in the car with the kids. Daddy surprised them at one of our many potty breaks at Walmart with a new
DS of their own. Their little faces lit up when he told them to each pick a color. Smart man. Knows how to buy himself some peace and quiet. :)

After our first day of driving, we woke up in Birmingham and headed to the children's muesum. The kids had a blast running around and exploring.
Now who's the smart mama with the idea to get them all worn out for the tail end of the car ride?

We also got to meet up with Drew, Liz and the boys AND Matt, Dion and the girls.
Talk about cherries on top!

You'll notice a good amount of pics of this cutie patoot. There's a reason for that. If there was a trip trooper trophy to give out, Ellie would win it.

She was always up for everything, having fun with whatever we did. She was my beach buddy and I can't wait for more walks in the sand with my girl.

That first picture may sum up vacation for the kids, but this one sums it up for me.

happy father's day!

We couldn't ask for a better Dad to lead our family. Your sacrifices, we'll never be able to repay you.

We can only learn from you. Learn how to work hard, help others and walk in the way of Christ. 

We're really too young to truly understand how good we've got it, but Mom tells us... we got it good. :)

We love you!

***

This was too cute to not add...

moonlit

I spent the weekend with Kyle on his small town ER shift. He may be blaming me for the busy Friday night

(which never happens... He finally got to bed at 3 am.), but I think he enjoyed having a buddy to explore all the sights with the remainder of the weekend.

I forgot my camera. Boo. So the iphone pics will have to do.

Breakfast in his lovely room, which doubles as a sleep study room during the week. Not too bad.

Highlight was having to walk down the hall to an empty patient room to shower. :)

We found plenty of places to fish. If only that pager would stop going off.

 

We ate dinner at the two fine dining establishments in town.

Nothing on the schedule. Bliss.

Lots of relaxing, reading and driving through some of God's beautiful country.

We also met some cows... lots, actually. And when's the last time you rented a movie from the one gas station in town?

Sure was a nice change of pace. 

Thanks babe for letting me tag along.

welcome summer!

Our start to summer didn't go exactly as planned.
Plans were to drop Hayes off at school for his last day, join him in the afternoon while he had outside fun with his school friends.
Instead we headed to the pediatrician and then to Walgreen's to pick up meds for strep throat. Poor guy.
He was devastated to miss school. However, our summer treasure chest, along with some ibuprofen, helped bring a smile to his face. :)

I loved this. The first paper was written at the beginning of first grade. The second paper, at the end.
You can also tell that he still really isn't a fan of coloring. The boy would rather be drawing. :)