Blueberry Picking

Our neighbor is once again sharing her blueberries with us and they are SO yummy!!  This is our second time picking them this year.  We've made muffins and syrup, I'm hoping to make blueberry cobbler soon.  We love having a bowl on our counter to eat whenever we want!  I love sweet summer time!!

Summer Surprise

We received a little tip off that our sweet friends Jude and Lincoln were in town for a very short period of time.  So of course we made arrangements to get to spend time with them.  Mrs. Erika brought them to the Y to surprise Caroline and Maggie.  Caroline was absolutely speechless!  It didn't take long for them to pick right up where they left off.  I am not sure who was more excited Caroline or Andy and I.  We love this sweet family so much and were so very thankful to spend time with them!

3rd Swim Meet

Tonight may have very well been my FAVORITE swim meet ever!!  There were only three teams at the meet and they were the three smallest teams in the league!  We were in and out in less than an hour!  Woo hoo!  The way the pool is set up, I was able to get some really great 'action' shots of Caroline.  I sure do love watching her swim!!  She makes it look easy!

Annual Amercan Flag Pictures

It's that time of year...time for our annual flag pictures!!  I love these pictures and I love watching our girls change each year!!  This years pictures did not disappoint!!

Happy sweet 16 to us!

Happy sweet 16 to us!!  If I have learned anything since that beautiful June day in 2003, it's that marriage isn't easy and each day/year truly is a gift!  We laugh because there have been times in our lives when we wondered if we would make it to the next year.  I am so thankful that we are both willing to do the hard stuff to help our marriage grow!  Marriage isn't easy...it requires going the extra mile and doing things that don't come naturally.  It is ONLY by God's grace and mercy that we get to celebrate 16 years together!  I pray that the Lord gives us many more years to celebrate!!

When thinking about what we wanted to do for our anniversary, I mentioned going to the beach, just the two of us.  (something we haven't done since we had kids)  Andy loved the idea!  Mom was more than willing to watch the girls and they were excited to spend the day with Granny.  We left home super early, dropped the girls off with mom and were on the beach by 10am.  It was cloudy and overcast, which was perfect for me!  There was a wonderful breeze all day.  We spent hours enjoying each other and the beach.  Andy read his football magazine and I took naps, all day!  We took a few walks but overall just enjoyed being together!  It truly was a gift!!

Once we left the beach, we took showers and putced around a few of our favorite beach stores.  We had dinner reservations at a yummy restaurant near Mom.  Mom actually gave us a gift certificate TWO Christmases ago that we have never used...so it was perfect!  My heart if full!  What a wonderful day!!

Lunch with Mrs. Cooper

We met Maggie's 4K teacher for lunch today.  At first Maggie was extremely shy and wouldn't say a whole lot to Mrs. Cooper.  However, it didn't take long for her to warm up! :-)  Lunch was yummy and by the end, Maggie was talking her ears off!

Second Swim Meet

Tonight about an hour before the swim meet it poured down rain!  Just perfect because it made the humidity rise drastically!  It was miserable when we first got there but thankfully it did cool down.  Caroline and the other kids on our team had a great night.  Caroline came in second in two very tight races.  The competition is good this year!! :-)  Maggie did well while we waited.  She and her friends played card games with a little help from Daddy. :-)

Cousin Tammy came to visit

My cousin Tammy, her husband Billy and her son Bobby from Arkansas came to the beach this week for vacation.  The girls and I headed down to the beach to spend the afternoon with them.  It was a gorgeous day and we were all so thankful to be there.  Maggie never got in the water but Caroline did.  She loved hanging out with Bobby and Mr. Billy.  At one point, there was a large something, some sort of fish we think, that jumped in the water in front of Caroline.  That kid FLEW out of the water.  We all got a good chuckle! :-)

Happy Father's Day Andy

We are so thankful for this guy right here!  He lives with a lot of little ladies and he does so well!  He serves us daily with a smile!  He sacrifices daily for me to be at home with the girls.  It's not easy being responsible for us but he makes it look effortlessly. His hard work and dedication to our family doesn't go unnoticed. 

These two little girls adore their daddy and so do I!  They look for any excuse to have a Daddy Daughter Date and pretty much think their Daddy hung the moon.  This weekend we celebrated all things that Daddy loves and hope and pray he realizes just how much we appreciate him!

In 2012, a friend told me about a super easy gift for her husband.  She bought the letters to spell DAD and had her daughter hold them.  We've continued this tradition and Andy looks forward to it every year.  Some years he will even ask "do you need me to bring home my frame?"  Here are this years pictures...

First Swim Meet of the Season

Summer Swim League is here and we are so excited!!  Both girls are practicing however, Caroline is the only one actually swimming in the meet today.  Today's meet includes all teams in the league and it's a long, somewhat overwhelming day for little swimmers.  The weather was gorgeous and our kids did well!  We're excited for the rest of the season!

Carline...first and last...

The very last day of school, Caroline and her classmates did a little play for the parents.  I got to school about an hour before school got out.  I thought I would go ahead and park in carline since folks were already starting to line up.  I thought it was a little ironic that I was this close to the front on the last day of elementary school...why you might ask?  The very first day of school,  was one of those parents.  I got to school extremely early because I couldn't wait to see my baby!  I remember I kept the car running the entire time because Maggie was only about 6 weeks old and I didn't want her to get too warm.  I called my friend Sage and we talked most of the time.  NEVER again did I get this close to the front...EVER!  :-)  Funny when things like this happen...sweet memories.

Breakfast date with my sweet C

Today I got to enjoy a Starbuck's date with my sweet C.  Maggie was at a birthday party for a friend.  This sweet girl is growing up so quickly.  I see everyday little ways that she is changing, maturing and growing into her own little personality.  In some ways I absolutely LOVE it!  She loves cooking!  She will make fun meals/treats for all of us.  She loves shopping for clothes and has a great little sense for fashion.

In some ways, it absolutely breaks my heart.  Her little sister isn't always fun to be with or play with.  Her words are often not very kind.  Her attitude can be negative.  I'm new to this season so I'm not really sure what to expect.

All I know to do is soak up every moment with her...good and not so good.  Pray that the Lord will lead Andy and I as we try to help shape her into the person she was created to be.  Being her Momma is a gift and today was an extra special gift!

Mags chilling at the pool

Pretty sure this kid is living her best life this summer!!

Summer Library Program

Today we enjoyed the first 2019 Summer Program at our local library!  Looking forward to a great lineup!

13 years without my sweet Daddy

It's crazy to think it's been 13 years since I said goodbye to my Daddy.  I miss his every single day!  There are so many things that I would love to tell him, especially things the girls do.  I know he would eat them up...

I'm really at a loss for words tonight...maybe more will come later.  But the main thing on my heart is that I miss him and I am so thankful for the years I had him!

So long sweet friend

Last night my family met Heather and Robert and several members of their family for a sweet send off.  These folks are leaving the good ole USA to serve our country for the next 3 years.  I will miss my sweet friend dearly but she is excited about the move.  I can't wait to hear all about their adventures!

The best of the best...

These three girls call themselves the three musketeers.  They have spent the last 4 years together and are so stinking cute!  Each of these girls will attend a different school next year.  Today was their last day together and I think the momma's are just as sad as the girls...maybe even a little more sad.  We have been so blessed...at least one of the three momma's was at an event.  She would gladly 'adopt' the other two and capture sweet moments to send to the others.  These girls have had playdates and sleepovers and never one ounce of trouble.  Always happy, always respectful!

The most exciting part of 4th grade for these girls was the opportunity to serve as safety patrols.  Let me tell you, these girls took it very seriously!  They loved every single minute of it!  Of course, I had to capture a first and last day of school picture with these girls in their belts!

Looking at this sweet picture reminds me that God is faithful.  He will continue to provide sweet friends for Caroline.  I pray for each of these girls as they enter the next phase and I pray that we truly do keep in touch!