Back to School 2009

Showing off their new backpacks stuffed full of supplies!



Lydia's first day of Kindergarten. Standing in line with her teacher.



Lydia's new locker. Lydia's school cubbie.



Ready to start the day and NO tears from Lydia or Mom or Dad!!!




Caleb is ready for 8th grade at the Jr. High. He had no idea we took this picture!



Levi started 5th grade at the Middle School. "No picture of me either, Dad!"


Wow! 3 kids in 3 different schools this year! I think it's going to be a full-time job running carpools and keeping everyone's schedules straight. We have 2 days down and everyone is off to a great start. The boys were ready to go back and Lydia is excited about Kindergarten. I've had a child home with me for 14 years straight so my house is about to become way too quiet. Although I've already been a lunch volunteer both days at her school and I have to sub 3 days this week, so I think I'll stay pretty busy. I've got a to-do list a mile long of projects around the house just in case I get bored!

I love writing on my blog so I'm hoping to do a bloggy make-over soon and update a little more often than once a month! So, stay tuned for a new look coming Fall 2009!

A Quick Hello!

I just looked at my blog for the first time in a few weeks and I'm wondering where are all my slideshows????? I checked slide.com and they are still saved there but for some weird reason they are not showing up on my blog. Who knows! Computers drive me crazy sometimes and my cute computer guy (Mark!) just happens to be busy for awhile and can't seem to get to my piddly little blog! Maybe it will fix itself, so please check back soon!

Our summer has been full of fun but very busy and it is flying by way too fast! The kids start school on August 13 and are begging to get their school supplies already. Here's a few things we're keeping busy with this summer:

***Mark & Caleb's World Changers Mission Trip
***Mark & Levi's Centri-Kid Church Camp
***Levi's Scout Day Camp
***Lydia & Levi's gymnastics classes
***Lydia's cheerleading camp
***Vacation Bible School
***Babysitting Cousins Ellie & Macie
***Eating boxes of popsicles in the hot afternoons
***Catching fireflies at night with neighbor friends
***Learning to do tricks and flips on Lydia's new trampoline
***Mom constantly doing laundry and packing someone to head out on their next adventure!!!

I'm looking forward to school starting soon--that's when this Mom's vacation starts! Woohoo!

Happy Birthday Lydia!

Lydia turned 5 last week and we had a teddy bear tea party in her honor. She invited 15 little girlfriends and they came in cute little summer dresses with their teddy bears and favorite stuffed animals. Lydia picked the menu which was peanut butter sandwich shapes, cheese cubes, goldfish crackers, cupcakes and a chocolate fountain for extra fun! We had strawberry tea to drink! It was lots of fun! It's hard to believe our baby girl is 5-she says she's a whole hand now! She's turned 5, had her shots and is all ready for Kindergarten in August. Just wish her Mama was! Enjoy our photos of our afternoon at tea!

Family Beach Trip 2009

For several years now, my parents have taken our family and my 2 brothers' families to the beach near Destin, FL. It's always such a fun week and no one ever wants to come back home. Between all the cameras of the different families we usually have hundreds of pictures, but I tried to pick out just a few of our favorites to share. People ask us if we have a photographer come to the beach to take the more formal pictures and we never have. Mark just brings his tri-pod, sets the timer on our little camera and runs like crazy to jump in the picture before it snaps! We always get some great smiles tho watching him try to make it in time. And some funny looks from people walking by! Thanks for enduring our little beach photo shoot!

Paradise!

We're back home after spending 8 beautiful days at Waterscape Resort in Ft. Walton Beach, FL with my family! We were all trying to figure out a way we could stay there all summer! We had a great time and I'll post some fun pictures soon, but for now I'm unloading sandy suitcases, doing laundry and repacking the boys who head off to camp this weekend!

17 Years and Counting!

Mark and I are celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary today, officially at 3 o'clock. I laugh as I write the time because Mark and I always argue over the time of our wedding. He swears it was at 2 o'clock! One year I had to dig through boxes and pull out the invitation to prove it to him! We sent the kids to Nana and Papaw's house last night for a sleepover, then we went to dinner and shopping at some of our favorite stores without kids! Today, we spent the day running errands together for our upcoming beach trip and grilling supper. We're about to eat a chocolate-covered fruit bouquet the kids gave us, then we'll watch our wedding video with the kids before bed. They love to watch it so they can die laughing at the way we all look! Lydia's been looking at our wedding album and I hear she was wearing my veil today at Nana's house since my dress is still there!

We are so thankful for 17 years together. Our marriage is not perfect, and we have our good days and bad days just like any other couple. But, we feel so blessed to have each other and 3 healthy, happy kids. This is something we do not take for granted and we owe all the glory to God for giving us all these years together. We know Satan is attacking Christian marriages and families like crazy and we are not immune from his attacks. It is our daily prayer that God would bind Satan from our home and that Jesus would be honored in all that we do. We pray the same for you and your home.

Happy Anniversary, Mark! I love being your wife and can't wait for 17 hundred more years together!

Happy Mother's Day!

This is adorable! Pause my music playlist below then watch this little guy!





He's right! If it weren't for our "Mamaw's" we wouldn't be on this earth! It's been a fun Mother's Day weekend for me. I got to see Caleb perform 3 nights in "Cinderella", watch Levi set a new record for himself at his track meet with a 6 minute 20 second mile run and then we had lunch today with my mom and dinner with Mark's mom! The highlight for me as a mom tho was yesterday in Target with Lydia. She had to go to the restroom so I opened the stall door to check on her as she was finishing and as I peeked in she was lifting her foot to flush the toilet with her shoe and not with her hand! Praise the Lord! I have never told her to do that; I guess kids really do learn by watching what Mom and Dad do!

I am so blessed to be called "MOM" by my 3 favorite children on earth! The pay is little, but the reward is priceless! Happy Mother's Day!