Day 2

Today was a pretty lazy, low key day.  The big girls helped prepare fresh fruit for breakfast.  After breakfast the adults played Jokers and Marbles, a fun game Lia and Stacey brought to the beach.  It was awesome...I might be asking for this for my birthday!  You can play as individuals or on a team.  The guys were on a team and the girls were on a team.  Let the record show that the girls won two rounds while the boys won the final round.  

After lunch we headed down to the beach for football and the polar bear plunge.  In the far background of this picture you can see the large crowd waiting to plunge into the water.  We thought we wanted to do that one year until we realized you had to pay $25 to do it.  So we started our own plunge.  We played a great game of football...Andy and I realized we are a wee bit out of shape...but we laughed a lot and had so much fun!

Our girls ready to take the plunge...you may notice one decided to sit this year out...

Maggie changed her mind at the last minute...

It's freezing they say...

And yet they are willing to go back in with Maggie.  Thanks Mrs. Lia for taking Maggie further than I wanted to go...

Back at the house, everyone showered and got warm.  Then they all took turns painting each others nails.  The girls enjoyed frozen pizza and fruit for dinner.  The adults enjoyed yummy, local pizza with a fresh salad!  It was delicious!!

 The big girls watched TV until almost midnight.  The younger two went to bed around 10:30 and were out!  The big girls came downstairs to help us ring in the new year!!  Shortly after midnight all was quiet in the house...not a creature was stirring...

So long 2020

Well 2020, you've taught us a lot...some things we hope to never use again and some things we hope we never forget.  You've made us dig deeper and work harder than ever before!  We've learned to smile under a mask even thought no one sees it.  Through all the changes and challenge's we have faced, we found comfort in (and still do) knowing that God is in control!  May we rest in HIM as we close this chapter and begin a new one!  2021, we're ready for you! 

Day 1

We had a slow start to the morning.  The girls enjoyed hanging out before breakfast.  After breakfast we headed to the Tanger Outlet stores for a little shopping.

We had an extremely late lunch around 3.  We all had some quiet time before heading down to the beach around 4:30.  There was a gorgeous moon on the rise that I wanted to see.  Sadly it was overcast and actually began to rain, which cut our time short.  I didn't see the moon but still enjoyed putting my feet in the sand.

Mags got tired of walking and her precious Daddy offered to bring her back...what a sweet man...better than me!

 Tonight was quiet.  The girls played games upstairs while the adults played games downstairs.  I am always torn about getting sleep and enjoying the moment.  It's almost midnight and I am still wide awake!

Annual New Years Beach Trip Begins

 We're here!  Let the fun begin...for 14 years Andy and I have spent New Years at the beach with friends.  It started with 3 families, grew to 6 families and now down to 2.  We look forward to this trip all year long.  So thankful to be here and look forward to the memories we will make! 

Christmas Cards

 I absolutely LOVE sending and receiving Christmas cards. I know that we live in a digital world but there is something about holding an actual card from a family.  I especially LOVE photo cards to see how much kids have grown from the year before.  But there is also something special about a traditional card with a friends hand written note inside.  It makes me giddy to check the mail between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

We hang the cards in our kitchen so that we can enjoy them during the Christmas season.  When we first got married, I would take them down and put them in a ziploc bag to store because I just didn't have the ability to throw them away. Then I had a genius idea. I put a whole punch in the top corner and put them on a circle ring binder clip.  Each morning at breakfast we flip to a new card and pray for that family.  That way we not only get to enjoy our friends throughout the year, we get to pray for them as well.  It never fails when I contact them to ask how we can be praying, there is typically something very specific going on in their life that they appreciate us praying over.  I hope that I never let go of this tradition...and I pray that as we become more and more digital, we never quit sending cards.

Mema's Birthday

 Yesterday was Mema's birthday.  I remember so many mornings going to Cracker Barrel to have breakfast/brunch to celebrate her big day.  As if this year wasn't odd enough, it felt really off not celebrating her.  So many years we hit the ground running on Christmas Eve and didn't stop until after Mema's birthday celebration.  This year was SO quiet with little to no 'extra' celebrations.  I pray that if we have learned nothing else, we have learned the value in being with people!

I posted this picture because this was another treasure we picked up when cleaning out Mema's house. Mema bought this at Hallmark when Caroline was really young, maybe 2 or 3.  The penguins dance and bell jingle.  She and Mema would sit and play with this over and over...they would both laugh like they had never seen it before.  This year as Maggie hit play over and over I longed for Mema to be here to share that fun with her.  She was a precious lady.  One we all loved so very much.  She had a way of making you feel like you were the absolute best thing ever!  May we also remember the legacy of what's important...it's not the gifts or the trips, it's time!  Time making memories with the ones we love. Happy Birthday in Heaven Mema, I know it's a sweet celebration!

Christmas Goodies

The girls and I worked this week to create a few of our favorite Christmas goodies!  We have lots of favorites and definitely don't need to keep them all for ourselves so we enjoy sharing with our neighbors!  The girls are wonderful helpers to have in the kitchen!   I am so very thankful for them and their help!  We may have overheated the white chocolate for the peppermint bark but Daddy to the rescue.  He bought the last bag they had...Oh how I hope that they will always have such sweet memories of our time together in the kitchen!

 

Merry Christmas 2020

The girls had a big plan...don't know all the details but I know it included them sleeping until 6:30.  At 5:45 I heard lots of giggles coming from Maggie's room.  The girls were trying hard to be quiet but they were over the top excited!  I walked into the den and said "Ho Ho Ho!"  The giggles stopped for a quick second...then I walked into Maggie's room and said it again.  This time they said "We were trying to be quiet..."  They immediately hopped out of bed and were ready!  Every Christmas I make the girls wait in the hallway before coming into the den.  Not sure what they were chatting about but it sure was cute!

The girls wanted to take their Razor's outside at 6:30.  However, they didn't last too long because it was FREEZING!!!!!!!

I made a photo book of Caroline's camp pictures.  She LOVED it!!

I got a rechargeable book lamp to use when camping so that I don't keep everyone awake reading!

Monkey Bread has become the Christmas morning favorite.  (sadly I completely forgot the fresh fruit this year...) We read the Christmas story from the Bible each Christmas morning at breakfast.  The last two years, Caroline has asked to read it. 

 The girls appeared to truly appreciate their gifts this year.  They spent the entire morning playing with their new things.  It was such a sweet morning.  Today is quiet.  We miss being with our families...we pray that things will be semi normal next year...but until then we will continue to give thanks for our many blessings!!  Most of all, I am thankful for Jesus.  Without him, my life would look completely different.  I am a sinner...I NEED a savior who can do for me what I can't do for myself.  His birth allows, death and resurrection makes this life possible...Happy Birthday Jesus!!