2017 vs. now

We started visiting the James Island County Splash Zone in 2016.  We tacked it on to our annual eye exam.  Andy took this picture of me and the girls our second year in 2017.  It has always been one of my absolute pictures of us.  This trip, he asked if he could take another one.  WOW so much has changed in since 2017...4 years makes a lot of difference!!
 

Swim Try Outs

 How in the world can we already have a kid old enough to try out for school sports???  Last night, Caroline participated in her first ever sports try outs.  She didn't appear nervous and was really excited!  They swam for the entire practice.  She came home excited and ready for fun.  I'm thinking how much our lives will change for the next 2 months with practice 4 days a week!  But I'm so happy for her to get to do something she really enjoys!! Let the fun begin!!

The last hurrah before school starts!

Our annual eye exams just happened to fall the week before school starts.  So it worked out perfectly that we had a camping trip planned for James Island County Park...it was our last hurrah before school starts.  We planned to stay 3 nights but Caroline had high school swim try outs and we had to come home a day early.  While I was really bummed, I think I will be excited tomorrow to wake up in my own bed, with the laundry almost done and using the day to prepare for Monday.  We made the very most of our time there.  It was very hot but I'm so thankful for the shade on our site and the awesome fan Mom and Archie gave us for Christmas.  It made a huge difference while outside. The one thing that I absolutely LOVE about camping is the fact that it gets us out of a rut...we aren't prone to fall into our daily routines...we made a point to explore and do things together.  It is a LOT of work but it really is a LOT of FUN!

Our eye exams were at 9 AM Thursday.  By 10 AM we were finished and heading back to the campground.  We had originally planned for Thursday to be a beach day but since we got back so soon, we decided to let it be our waterpark day.  We spent 6.5 hours at the park!  We went for about 2 hours, came back to the camper for lunch and then went back to stay until closing time!  

While there, we randomly ran into my cousin Leah's little girl Maya.  We enjoyed getting to hang out with her a little while.

This adventure is definitely an act of love for Andy.  He isn't a fan of waterparks, especially water slides.  Maggie kept him hopping!!  He got his fill for about 2 or 3 years!

In the past when we visit, the girls always get Dip N Dots for the ride home.  This year they were a midafternoon snack.

It's not a summer camping trip without boiled peanuts!

We were all in bed by 9 PM Thursday night.  Today, we set an alarm for 8 AM.  Today would be our beach day but also the day we needed to leave mid afternoon to get C home in time for swim tryouts.  We thought about doing a simple breakfast.  However, Caroline said we HAD to cook breakfast because we didn't yesterday because of the early eye appointments.  SO she offered to cook for us while we started packing up.  We felt like packing up at 85 degrees would be better than packing up at almost 100 degrees.  We had pancakes and sausage and she did amazing!  They were delicious!

We fell in love with Folly Beach when we visited last year.  We were excited to go back.  We were on the beach by 9:30.

We left the beach around 12.  We got back to the campsite and were pulling out by 1:30.  It was one of the hottest pack ups we have had in a long time.  We all got a super cold drink from the store for the ride home.  Not 30 minutes into the trip, both girls were out!!  I am always reminded how much camping takes out of them!  It was a quiet ride home!  Can't wait for the next trip!

 

Thoughts in my head and on my heart...

The last few months have been really tough.  I don't share much about my struggles on here, because it's mostly about the girls and our day to day stuff.   However, I want to put my thoughts into words to remember...and for those reading to know my life is far from perfect.  

Depression and anxiety run strong in my family. I have ALWAYS been a happy person, always saw the good in every situation and tried hard to fight depression from ever entering.  However, sometimes, no matter how hard we try, it can slowly seep in.  I noticed shortly after school got out that I wasn't quite myself.  Anything that didn't go as planned, anything that wasn't part of my routine, any bump in the road really set me off.  At first, I thought it was just being tired after a crazy busy school year.  I thought it was the added stress of taking a recertification class. I thought I just needed to take some time to transition into summer with the girls 24/7 and get use to being "graded" for assignments.  As the weeks went by, I found myself still feeling really down...tired and overall just unhappy.  I put on a smile when in a crowd but deep down it took a lot of effort to smile and be chipper.  I felt like everywhere I turned, somebody needed something from me.  And if they didn't get it, I had let them down.  That I had failed them in some way...that I failed as a mom, wife, friend, family member, etc.  One more thing to add to my list of not being enough.  Tears began to flow often...with the girls, with Andy, by myself...lots and lots of tears.  

This week, after what should have been a PERFECT time away, I began to slowly put my finger on it.  For whatever reason, I am battling a form of depression for the very first time in my life.  NO it isn't a stay in bed and sleep all day...it's life is overwhelming and it's a struggle to do day to day things with a happy and thankful heart.  It's feeling like I always let someone down...by my actions or my response.  It's that my children are struggling or misbehaving because I have failed them as a mother.  It's that I overlooked a simple detail that effected our family.  It's knowing that my staff or school need ONE MORE THING.  It's placing unrealistic expectations on Andy and being upset when they aren't met.  It isn't fun...for me or my family.  They never know which person they will get...heck, I never know which response I will give.  But I am praying that now that I have identified what's going on, that I can begin to slowly work through it.  Because this isn't me...

I share all of this because I covet your prayers.  I can't fight this on my own.  Andy and I had an honest conversation and he is ready to help me in any way that he can!  He bought me a journal (after I mentioned that it might help to write down what's going on in my head) to list my thoughts.  My hope is that when I'm feeling down, hearing lies in my head that I'm not enough, that I can fight those lies with truth.  I am ENOUGH.  God is enough!  I have SO MUCH to be thankful for and I want to live in a way that celebrates and appreciates all that I have!  I know that I won't wake up tomorrow 'healed' but OH how I pray that tomorrow is a little better than today!  That the next day is better than the day before.  I know from experience with loved ones that depression  is real!  It comes in many forms.  While we can't always prevent what happens, we can work to overcome it and that is what I plan to do!  

An unexpected trip to the beach

A few weeks ago Tomi Jean mentioned heading out of town for the week.  She checked several places but because it was the middle of summer, all beach places were booked.  So she decided to book a hotel in a city near by.  We weren't sure what we were gonna do but we were getting out of town.  Jack was going to meet up with his college roommate while we were there so we would find something to do during that time.  Last week, Tomi Jean's friend offered us her condo at the beach.  We changed plans quickly.  Sadly because Andy has taken so much time off, he was unable to go with us.  So Tomi Jean and I, along with the girls and Jack, headed to the beach with our cousins Joy and Teresa. The condo was amazing.  It had a pool just behind us.  The beach was about a 5 minute car ride and was centrally located to lots of beach stuff. 

I'd love to lie and say it was the perfect week away but sadly my girls behavior wasn't the best.  Caroline, yes my sweet Caroline, had a chip on her shoulders.  Maggie tried to 'be the center of attention' and disobey and complain.  We had several 'reality checks' and 'come to Jesus' moments.'  HOWEVER, all in all, it was a nice time away.  I am so grateful for Tomi Jean's friend allowing us to stay in her home.  I am thankful for Tomi Jean's generosity in allowing us to join them.  We ate lots of yummy seafood.  Sandwiches never tasted so good as they did after a day on the beach!

The pool hours were 9am-10pm.  We pretty much opened the pool every morning.  She was thrilled to go swimming and I was thankful I could allow the folks in the condo to sleep!

We went shopping one day.  No joke, this kid brings the party wherever she goes!

Caroline loved this shirt and offered to buy it for me until she realized it was $30! 

"Mama needs a raise!"

We stayed in the water!  They had a blast jumping waves.  They even created a game that was a lot like Simon Says.  Caroline would give a command depending on the wave.  Over, under or hit the deck.  Dive over the wave, dive under the wave or hit the deck aka bottom of the ocean.  Towards the end of the week, the ocean was a beast.  The waves were rough and the current was STRONG.  We had to take lots of breaks.

One day there was a LOT of seaweed in the ocean.  Maggie thought it made for a cute wig!

Dinner out after a long day on the beach.

One thing I will say for Maggie that I have noticed this summer, she can make a friend anywhere she goes!  She played with this little girl two days on the beach.  They had the best time!

If this kid wasn't in the ocean or walking on the beach, she had her nose in a book!

Nothing better than boiled peanuts on the beach!!

Our last morning at the pool!

Packing up and leaving the beach...

Maggie was asleep 10 minutes after we left the condo.  Caroline made it about 30 minutes before she said "I think I might take a little nap if you don't mind..."

Looking back at the pictures, I am so thankful we were able to get away.  It truly was a gift to spend 5 continuous days at the beach. We are in the final days of the girls summer break...we are trying to make every day count!

Reunited at the pool!

For the last 4 or 5 years, this crew has played at the Y together every summer.  Of course, last year, none of us joined the Y.  This year, Jill joined a different pool and Brenda didn't get here until the end of June.  (Brenda and her granddaughter were like Jill and I...if the pool was open, we were there!  Brenda lived and taught in PA but retired this year.) We looked at our schedule and decided today was the best day to meet and enjoy the pool together.  The kids had a blast.  Because the weather was overcast and cloudy, we practically had the pool to ourselves!  It was a fun day!!

 

YMCA Swim Team Pool Party

The YMCA does a large end of the year swim party the day after CHAMPS.  The weather was horrible.  It was thundering, lightening and raining.  So we ate, did awards and by the end the kids were able to get in the outdoor pool!  They were thrilled!  We enjoyed our first year swimming with the YMCA and look forward to being back next year!

 

CHAMPS!!!!

We LOVE summer swim league and we love the final event CHAMPS!  Unfortunately this year, we only had 3 swim meets instead of our normal 5-6. However, we were just extremely grateful to have SSL this year!!  The girls have enjoyed their fist year swimming with the YMCA.  They did great!!  We are so proud of them! 

All our girls placed for highest overall points in their age group.  We are always thankful for the odd years when Caroline and Catherine aren't competing in the same age group!

Maggie: 2nd place

Caroline: 1st place

Catherine: 1st place