YMCA fun with Tyler and Nori

We have enjoyed ours summer membership at the pool so much! Thankfully we live pretty closely to the pool and can hop over for an hour or two or an entire morning.  Several of our friends and neighbors are also members so it's fun to get to hang out with them while we are there.  Today we headed to the pool for one last swim with our friends Jill, John, Tyler and Nori.  We were pretty much the only folks there...with the exception of one or two other individuals.  The kids had a blast with the daddy's and the mommy's enjoyed hanging out.  As I said in an earlier post, we were so blessed with a FUN summer!!  SO thankful for the time spent with the kids, friends and family!   

Swim Lessons

We were SO VERY THANKFUL for Maggie to be able to take swim lessons this summer with Mrs. Barbara.  Mrs. Barbara began teaching Caroline the summer before she turned two.  She continued for the next 3 summers.  I truly believe this is half of the reason that Caroline is such a strong and confident swimmer.  I am a HUGE believer in children taking lessons at an early age...your child's safety is not something you can put a price tag on.  Maggie enjoyed her time with Mrs. Barbara so much!  She wasn't afraid to jump off the side of the pool and doesn't mind going under the water.  We have enjoyed a summer of swimming and look forward to lessons next summer with Mrs. Barbara!!

Sweet summertime sisters

What a fun summer we had!  The Lord was gracious in many ways!  It took us about 2 weeks to get use to all being together, sharing, etc but it was good!  I am thankful that even on the hard days the Lord has allowed me to enjoy these days with my girls.  It's been fun to watch them love each other and interact with each other on a totally different level.  They push each others buttons but love each other deeply!  Caroline was sad and tried hard to comfort Maggie when she got in trouble.  Maggie adores Caroline and wants to do ANYTHING sissy does.

Thank you Lord for the lazy days at home, days spent at the pool, vacations and day trips to the beach, trips to the water park, visits with family on the river, days spent in our PJ's, days spent with friends...what a blessing each day was!!!

Maggie was so sad to leave Caroline at school on Monday.  She asked several times, where's sissy?  She gets SO excited when we pick sissy up.  Love watching their love for each other grow every day!!  

Goodbye Sweet Lucy

A few months before Andy and I got married, my roommate moved out.  I was scared of staying by myself and thought a dog would help me through the nights...We drove to our local animal shelter.  As we pulled into the parking lot, we saw this beautiful dog in a kennel.  We KNEW!  This is the one.  We walked inside and immediately found this dogs place.  The dog was very skittish and wouldn't come out of the corner.  We learned she was a young momma and someone had just adopted her two puppies just hours before we got there.  They said she seemed lost and hadn't moved much since the puppies left.  Well that sealed the deal for us!  We wanted her but weren't really prepared to bring a puppy home that day.  We asked if we could come back the next day and pick her up and they said no, they didn't hold animals. So I filled out the paperwork, Andy went to the ATM to get cash to pay for her and we brought this sweet girl home on April 1, 2003.  

This sweet girl has loved our family well.  She was with me on those long, lonely nights when Andy worked 3rd shift.  She was my cuddle bug and my moms quiet friend when my daddy was in the hospital.  She gave me my first "mothers day" gift.  She loved and protected both of my babies when we brought them home, especially Caroline.  I honestly think she would have ripped someones arm off if they tried to mess with Caroline.  She was the most loving, gentle, caring companion.  

Two and a half years ago while we were out of town, we got a phone call around midnight from Tomi Jean.  She was with Lucy at the vet and things didn't look good.  It was determined Lucy had a severe heart issue.  They honestly weren't sure if she would make it through the night.  Tomi Jean and Greg took her home and watched her like a hawk until we returned.  Lucy made a miraculous come back.  The last few months, we realized that Lucy was going blind and deaf.  Her heart condition was getting worse but overall she was still a happy girl.

This past weekend while we were at the beach, we got a call from the kennel...our sweet girl was gone!  We were heartbroken to hear the news...but it sounds like she just peacefully went to sleep and for that we are very thankful.  Since returning home we realize just how much our life revolved around our oldest child. :0)  We miss her like crazy but we are so thankful she isn't suffering anymore.  Because she always enjoyed her time at Tomi Jean and Greg's and because all of their animals have burial spots, we decided to bury Lucy there.  It was a hard afternoon but also very sweet.  This is Caroline's first real experience with death and it was HARD!  But sadly it won't be her last so we really tried to help her through it... 

Her note to Lucy

She made a blanket to put in the box with Lucy...she said she wished a pillow would have fit because that's really what Lucy loved these days...sleeping on a pillow!

Uncle Greg made a box that was just the right size...it included her blanket, Caroline's note and some fresh flowers.

Uncle Greg's hole was just the right size for Lucy's box.  Uncle Greg was the only one who could talk during the "funeral" as I was a hot mess.  Caroline helped cover the grave.

We placed fresh flowers on our girls final resting place.

Second Grade Scholar

Somehow we blinked and our big girl is ready for second grade!!!  She was ALL smiles this morning.  We are thankful that she has the same teacher as last year!  Another reason we love Montessori.  Our prayer for her this year is that she continues to built confidence in herself AND is a bright light for Jesus!  No signs this morning but this sweet girls still wants to be a horse trainer and veterinarian.

So thankful for these sweet ladies who LOVE and encourage Caroline to be her very best!!!

Beach Weekend

This weekend we made a last minute getaway to the beach.  Last year we went to the beach the day before school started and had a blast!  We decided to try that again this year.  However, when the opportunity came to spend the entire weekend before school started at the beach, we jumped right on it!  The house where we stayed was gorgeous and on the ocean!!  There is NOTHING like waking up to see the ocean right out the back door.  That NEVER gets old!  

We were thankful to check in shortly after lunch.  We got everyone settled and got our swimsuits on and headed to the beach. It was a gorgeous afternoon.  The heat of the day was leaving and there were very few people on the beach.  The girls, big and small, had a fabulous time!  Grace was a super trooper in letting the girls build drip castles on her legs!!  The first trip to the beach in May, Maggie wasn't having the beach.  This trip she was literally running into the waves!!!  She was fearless!!

Friday night Andy grilled burgers and hot dogs.  We watched the Olympics and headed to bed pretty early.  Saturday morning we lounged around, ate breakfast and headed to the beach.  The girls played and played...they played in the sand, built castles, looked for shells, took walks, it was wonderful!  The weather could NOT have been any prettier!  We headed in for lunch and naps and rest time.  Later that afternoon we showered for shopping and dinner.

Maggie never has been and still isn't a great pack n play sleeper.  Last night around midnight we decided just to put her in the bed with us.  However, she was up at the crack of dawn ready for the day.  While I wasn't too thrilled about waking up on our last day of summer vacation so early, the Lord greeted me with this amazing ocean front view of the sunrise!!!!  There is SOMETHING about a wide open, big, beautiful sunrise that stirs my soul...reminds me that HIS mercies are NEW each morning...thank you Lord!

We were slow moving this morning.  We started with a trip to the pool.  Caroline was thrilled, Maggie not so much.  We also had our small group friends coming to hang with us for the day.  So we headed back to the house to meet our friends.We were not on the beach 5 minutes when Caroline, Maggie AND Grace got stung by jellyfish!!  It was pitiful!  Grace took the hardest string when she dove into the wave,,,it got her neck and around her mouth.  It was awful!  Maggie and Caroline got stung on their ankles...we got everyone treated.  The big girls headed back out to the ocean while Maggie stayed inside for a much needed nap.  The weather was gorgeous!!!  The kids enjoyed playing with each other.  It was SO nice that we NONE wanted to leave the beach...but sadly we had to...school starts tomorrow...

no vacation is complete without a morning walk with Uncle Greg!!

Caroline found 3 little starfish which was a huge hit!!!!

We were so excited that Mema came down to see the ocean.  We are so thankful for the progress that she has made over the last 4 months!  She is a fighter!!!!

This weekend at the beach was so much fun and a much needed getaway.  It was the best way to end summer vacation....we started the summer at the beach and ended the summer at the beach!  What a blessing!!!!!!

Maggie's 2K teacher visits

One of the things that I LOVE about our preschool is that the teachers visit each of their students at home.  It allows the teacher and the students to interact on the student's turf and makes going into a new classroom so much easier!  Today Maggie's 2k teacher stopped by to say hello.  She brought several books which made Maggie extremely happy!  We are excited about this upcoming year!!  It's going to be a new adventure with us all being out of the house 5 days a week...here's to a new year!

Summer of Fun with Rue Helen

We spent the last 6 consecutive summer with Rue Helen and Ruthie as Maggie calls them.  It has been so much fun!  These girls and their parents have been a true blessing in our lives.  I'm technically the babysitter...however, I'm actually more like the taxi driver.  These girls not only take care of themselves, they entertain and love my girls even when they are crazy!  They play games with them even when they might not want to.  They laugh, they use their imagination, they treat each other respectably,  They model for Caroline how to treat siblings. (Yes Ruth even though I give you a hard time, I know you love Helen!!!!!)  They model good cleaning habits.  (Which isn't Caroline's strong point.)  I am sure there were moments they wanted to tell the little kid to back off but they didn't.  They brought her right along beside them.  She thought she was just as big as they were!!! They encouraged her at swim team and cheered her on in swim competitions.  They played little girl stuff with Maggie...they read books in the car.  They sat in the car while I ran errands.  (Thank you Lord!!!  Errands are so much easier when you don't have to get everyone out of the car!!!!)

I can't say enough about the gift that these girls are.  And it's not just the girls...their parents are pretty awesome too!  Thank you Ruth, Helen, Devin and Keith for the wonderful memories!!  We love you guys and are thankful for the way you love our family!!