Red, White and Cute!

Today we had these fun 4th of July pictures taken.  I smiled as I reflected on this day two years ago...this was the day we found out we were adding another member to our family.  For 3 solid years Caroline had been praying for a baby brother.  The day before Maggie was born, Caroline said "I might like to have a baby sister instead of a baby brother."  I have loved watching their bond grow!  They fight like cats and dogs but are thicker than thieves!  

Swim Meet #3

Caroline had her 3rd swim meet tonight.  Tonight's meet was for 5-8 years old and went really fast. The swimmers went against swimmers their own age vs being grouped with another age group.  Caroline had a great night!  We noticed tonight that somewhere towards the end Caroline turns on a turbo and finishes super strong.  In both the backstroke and breaststroke she was behind several others and came back pretty strong.  I'm especially proud of her breaststroke swim because tonight was the first night she has ever swam that in a competition.

Sister Fun

These two enjoyed a fun morning of movies and forts on Sissy's bed. 

Making Lemonade

We love to make Mema's homemade lemonade during the summer.  At just about any given time you will find a fresh pitcher of lemonade in our fridge.  Yesterday Andy went to pour himself a glass and realized not only were we out of lemonade, we were out of lemons to make more.  So Caroline and I picked up a bag of lemons at the store while we were out.  She decided that she would make the lemonade to surprise Andy.  I was so proud of her!  She knew exactly what to do.  When I tried to tell her something differently she woudl say "Daddy said..."  It was precious!

Dress UP Fun!

Today's dress up fun began when I asked Caroline to clean up her room.  She found the purple dress and thought Maggie woud look cute in it.  From there, she began trying on more and more outfits until Maggie had had enough.  So fun!!

Laundry Fun

These two, when they want to, play so well together and often times crack me up!  Today I asked Caroline to bring her laundry basket to the hallway to sort her clothes.  While I was grabbing some other laundry, she and Maggie did this.  Of course I grabbed my camera and the fun took on a whole new level!

And down she goes!!

disclaimer: no one was hurt and Maggie asked to "do it again!"

Happy 13th Anniversary

Today we celebrated our 13th anniversary.  We had great big plans but sadly, not a S.I.N.G.L.E babysitter was available...I tried literally 13 different people...this had to be the biggest vacation week there is. Instead, we enjoyed a nice dinner at home one the girls went to sleep.  Last night we watched our wedding video with Caroline.  It was a lot of fun.  We were reminded of the vows we took and the commitment we made to God to honor him in our marriage.  I looked at myself and listened as I spoke those words.  The vows were easy to speak then...oh what I would tell my 22 year old self.  Today, those vows would be so much harder because 13 years into, we know exactly what they mean...they are more than just words you speak now they are ACTION words that we both know the weight of...the loss of a parent, years of infertility, stuggles with jobs, struggles of parenting...the list goes on and on.  The last 13 years have not been easy and I can honestly say that there were times when it would have been easier to walk away than to fight.  However, I am SO thankful that we both chose to work on our differences, work on the struggles because there is NO ONE I would rather do this life with.  Marriage has made me a better person...I've learned to be more compassionate, I've learned to loves sacrafically...I've learned that this world isn't about me.  Oh my, if we only knew. :-)  I look forward to hopefully, Lord willing, MANY more years with my hubby.  I can only imagine what the Lord has in store for the next 13 and the next 13...

Our video brought our wedding day to life.  It was fun to see all the folks who loved us and were there to support us.  I especially LOVED seeing my daddy...hearing this voice...watching his mannerisms come to life.  I am a HUGE fan of pictures but boy of boy does video take on a whole new meaning now.  Tonight after dinner, Andy and I sat down and looked at our wedding album.  Such a beautiful day and thankful for the pictures that captured our day so well!

Happy Daddy Day!

Today we got to celebrate the special daddy's in our lives!  We were especially thankful to celebrate Andy with all of his favorite things.Caroline and Maggie adore their sweet Daddy and so do I.  I am thankful for the many ways that Andy loves our family!  Of course this was the best picture we could get this morning...oh sweet Maggie you are a mess my love!!

We had Andy, Mr. Andy and William over for dinner this evening.  It was a gorgeous day and the kids were able to play and eat outside.  They had a blast!

This father's day was especially hard for me and I am not sure why.  I really missed my daddy this year.  That's the crazy think about grief...sometimes things come and go and I smile and laugh and remember the good ole times.  Other times holidays come and I feel the enormous weight of the loss of my daddy.  My daddy was by no means perfect but boy oh boy do I miss him!

2nd swim meet

Today Caroline had her second swim meet.  Today's meet included ALL 6 teams in the summer swim league.  The meet started at 9 and finished around 1 or 1:15.  We were so thankful for the wonderful breeze that made sitting outside much nicer.  Because of Caroline's qualifying times, she raced in heats with other girls who were equal to or faster than her.  They challenged her to race her best.  Honestly she struggled...she was tired.  But she did really well and I think it was a good experience for her.  She is now competing with girls who are a year or two older than her and have a little more experience. :0)  We won't know the results from today's meet until sometime next week.

Sweet girls being silly

Oh Maggie!?!?!?!

This girl...she will have you laughing one minute and ready to pull your hair out the next!  She is full of life, lives it to the fullest and almost always has some sort of serious and funny expression going on.  While this season of life is exhausing, she is such a joy!

Red Wolves Game

Tonight we headed out to support our All for Autism friends as well as our local Red Wolves team.  It was HOT to say the least!  So hot you didn't want to eat anything and you went through water like crazy!  Maggie was her typical, busy almost 2 year old self.  However, she loved putting the peanut shells into the Power Ade bottle one at a time.  It kept her busy for quite some time.  We loved catching up with friends and family.  Such a great event for families.