Maybe she does love me...

 Today is an eLearning day thanks to Hurricane Ian.  The girls are working on their Chromebooks...Google Meets, independent work, assignments, etc.  Maggie's work is a little less formal.  She meets twice in the morning and once in the afternoon.  Caroline is on her regular bell schedule and gets her regularly scheduled lunch period.  I was working on something in the kitchen when she began looking through the freezer.  She found what she wanted and went to work.  About 20 minutes later, she brings this to me.  She made enough for both of us.  

It was pretty special!  These last two weeks have been pretty rough between the two of us.  Not fun for my always easy going kid...no matter what I said, it wasn't right or she looked at me like a fool...like how am I smart enough to make it to 41 without her. :-)  Anyway I took this as a nice gesture and I was grateful!  I have a feeling I'm in for a fun few years having no idea if I'm doing anything right...  

Region

Due to the threat of inclement weather, Caroline's regional meet that was scheduled for this Saturday was moved to tonight.  Caroline was awesome!!  She dropped 10.01 seconds on her 200 IM for a personal record of 3:17.01 and earning 1 point for her team!!  While that doesn't sound like much, for a swimmer that is HUGE!  So proud of her!  Her second year of High School swim has been a great one.  She has shown leadership qualities for her school.  Can't wait to see what next year brings!

Caroline's school project

When we returned from camping on Sunday, I took Caroline shopping for supplies for a major project she had due today.  She knew what she wanted/needed.  I wasn't exactly sure what her plan was but she was very confident.  I think she did great!  I was impressed that she made her vision a reality!  Good job kid!
 

Camping at Lakewood

This weekend we were blessed to camp at Lakewood for Caroline's Coastal Swim Meet.  We love any chance we get to camp there.  We had a really large site which was really nice.  Caroline and I enjoyed a walk on the beach while Mags helped to make our dinner Friday night.  Nachos are always the easiest for the first night.  We were all pretty tired and didn't stay up too late.  

Sunrise for Saturday was 7:05.  Since I knew I was already going to have to be up at 7:00, I set my alarm for 6:40 so that I could see the sunrise.  Maggie heard me getting ready and asked if she could go with me.  It was her first beach sunrise that she remembers.  She caught me taking pictures of her and asked if she could take a picture of me...it's not that often that I have a picture of me enjoying one of my favorite things!!  I thought she did great! 

After the swim meet, Caroline was done with people.  It typically takes her an hour or two to recoup.  She had some homework to do as well.  So Mags and I ate lunch with her and then headed to the pool.  Let me be clear, Mags was the only one in the water!  

After the pool, we cleaned up.  Mr. Ron and Mrs. Peggy were coming by for dinner.  Mr. Ron is Andy's former boss turned friend.  He was by far the best boss Andy ever had.  The two of them worked well together.  Before kids, we loved attending company dinners together or going on trips together.  They are precious people!  They also let us store our camper on their property which saves us a tremendous amount of money each month. We have maintained our friendship but sadly just don't get to see them very often.  They are enjoying retired life and traveling.  So when we all realized we would all be at the beach at the same time, we made plans to enjoy dinner together.  It was a wonderful evening.  My only regret is that I didn't get any pictures with them.

Sunday morning we planned to sleep in and have a slow morning getting on the road.  We like to be on the road by 10:30 so that we can tune in to our service at church.  My sweet Mags woke me up at 6:45 and said "Can we see the sunrise again today?"  How can I say no to that?  SO we enjoyed another beautiful sunrise and then about an hour at the park while the rest of our crew slept.  

 Once back at the camper, the real fun began...packing, cleaning and hooking up.  It wasn't too bad and we had a safe trip home.  As always, after taking a camping trip, we can't wait for the next one!!

Coastal Invite

 What a gorgeous day for a 6 hour swim meet!  The campus at Coastal Carolina provided a ton of shade for parents to enjoy!  It almost got chilly!  Such a gift!  Caroline had a great day of swimming.  Mags was lucky to find another little sister to play with it.  Mrs. Charissa saved the day bringing a game for the girls to play together.  Then they got to enjoy sitting in the shade drawing.  It definitely made the day go by quickly!

Way to go Mags!!

 Our Maggie girl is WORKING SO HARD this year!  It's been a tough year of transition and as a former 3rd grade teacher, I know just how hard 3rd grade is.  But she is doing her best and giving it her all!!  In 3 years she has NEVER done this well on a spelling test with this many words.  But here she is rocking it!!!  Way to go Mags!  I see the effort you are putting into your work and I am SO proud of YOU!

Back to Sumter

Tonight was the longest swim meet on a school night that we have ever had!  Andy timed and was exhausted.  Both girls fell asleep on the way home.  Maggie's such a good sport.  She loves drawing and that keeps her entertained for hours.  She did ask to get her feet wet a few times.  And if you have to be out late at night, at least you get to enjoy a gorgeous sunset!! 

Soccer Saturday

 Maggie had her first soccer game of the season today.  She did great.  We have learned that she doesn't do well when 'assigned' a certain spot because she doesn't leave that spot.  However, when she runs the field, she actually goes after the ball!  She really enjoys playing soccer and I'm so thankful!  Maybe this will be her thing!

First Middle School Football Game

Caroline and her friends attended their first middle school football game tonight!  They had a pep rally at school that got them pumped up.  They had fun 'cheering' for their time!!  Bridget and I manned the APT table trying to encourage families to join.  We had 2 parents sign up! :-)  Oh well, we will keep trying!  

 

Celebrating Caroline's 14th birthday

Somehow we blinked and we now have a 14 year old!!  Time truly is a thief but what a gift it has been to have her as our daughter.  She's growing up right before our eyes.  Sometimes it hard to let go but we trust the Lord will guide her each step of the way.  She's making many decisions on her own.  While it's hard watching her make decisions that will ultimately be hard lessons, I know that our job is to walk her through each step.  (Please know we are still involved but decisions that won't cause immediate harm or put anyone in danger is what I am referring to...when to do homework, why you are up at 10PM finishing a project, etc.)  She's a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders.  We're thankful we have a front row seat!!!

Tonight we got to celebrate her with her friends!  Because of the craziness of our weekends with swim meets, tonight was the only night to get together.  I knew we wouldn't be able to have anything at the house because of being out of town.  So Caroline wanted to eat Mexican.  What started as only inviting 10 people turned into 13 plus C.  Oddly enough every single person was able to come!  Our girl is LOVED!  We enjoyed getting to meet many of her friends that we had only heard of.  She and her friends Ariel and Brielle also share a bday with her.  She was a morning baby and they were evening babies.  So we celebrated them as well with cake and a sombrero.  

Left to Right, back row: Maryssa, Olivia, Abby, Josie, Catherine, McCall, Amelia, Caroline

Left to Right, front row: Brielle, Ariel, Alayna, and Kylie

 

Camping at Ebenezer Park

With Caroline's swim meet in Rock Hill this weekend, we decided to try a new campground that was on our list.  Ebenezer Park in York County.  We enjoyed our time there.  The campground is cute and quiet.  Lots of shade.  Right on the water.  Very affordable.  I don't know that I would opt to go there for a weekend if I intended to entertain myself at the park the whole time.  Maybe if we had paddleboards or kayaks or could swim in the lake it would be different.  But the girls enjoyed the boardwalk, the playground and the basketball courts.  We were thankful for a safe place to rest instead of so much traveling in one day.  We were thankful for our electric skillet to cook breakfast inside since it was pouring down rain outside.  The rain didn't make it a great weekend for being outside but I did enjoy the rain on the camper.  We were thankful for the time we had outside.  We enjoyed walks on the boardwalk and time on the basketball court.  All and all it was a great weekend!!!

 

Celebrating our two September birthdays!!

 After today's swim meet, we decided to go out to dinner to celebrate Andy and Caroline's birthday.  Thankfully the rain stopped long enough for us to go to dinner, hit Plato's closet afterwards and get back to the camper without getting wet.  Caroline was exhausted but thankfully perked up after she ate some dinner.  She saw several of her swim friends eating dinner there as well.  She was very thankful that she didn't have to drive home.  :-)  Andy decided to surprise the girls with a trip to Plato's Closet, their favorite.  So he plugged the address into his phone.  I said be sure to turn the volume all the way down or it will tell them where you are going.  He did.  However as soon as he hit start it said 'starting route to Plato's Closet.'  Y'all I laughed until I cried!!!!  Everybody found something they liked...once back at the camper we made walking banana pudding.  

Upstate Invite Swim Meet

 Today Caroline had one of the largest meets of the season in Fort Mill.  It's a beautiful aquatics center but unfortunately it can't house everyone inside.  Nor would we want to stay in there the entire 6-7 hours.  There are lots of places to put chairs outside but unfortunately it's been raining all day.  Thankfully they found places for all the swimmers inside in different rooms but not parents.  Due to the conditions they decided to show the meet on YouTube.  So Andy dropped Caroline off at the aquatics center while Mags and I stayed at the camper.  It gave me an opportunity to clean out the cabinets which I never want to do when we're camping.  We did make it in time to watch her last event.  She had a great day and we were extremely thankful for the camper!!

Fun with Friends

Once Caroline finished her room, she and Braedan hung out.  Maggie has had Zoe and Mica at the house all day.  Late in the afternoon they headed over to Zoe and Mica's house.  It's been a fun day for everyone.  

Braedan and Caroline have birthdays two years and 1 day apart.  They decided to bake themselves a cake from scratch.  My only requirement was that they had to clean up their entire mess, dishes and all.  They did!  And they loved their cake so much they didn't even share!

The girls enjoyed hanging out in their fort!

 

Caroline rearranged her room!

Caroline woke up today and decided it was a good day to rearrange her room...not on my list of things to do but she was hard at it.  So my clean living room soon looked like a giant yard sale. I have to admit she spent a lot of time working, going through, organizing, etc.  I was very proud of her!  I think it turned out great and she is super excited about it.  

 

Soccer Lights

The days are getting shorter...while I'm excited for cooler days, I am not excited about it getting darker earlier.  However, I think our backyard lights are gonna help the kids enjoy being outside a little longer.  Maybe it will help all of us enjoy being outside a little later in the dark.

Go Gamecocks!!

Tonight we enjoyed watching the Carolina Gamecocks with our friends.  It was a great game but the company and fellowship was even better.  So thankful for sweet friends!

 

Friday Night Soccer

 Maggie and I enjoyed a lovely night at her soccer practice.  There was a little chill in the air as the sun was setting.  I love that she has taken an interest in soccer and gives it her all. 

Caroline's wearing make up...

Hard to believe this kid is wearing make up regularly now...she was pretty heavy in the beginning but I think she is beginning to realize that less is more when you have an already beautiful complexion.  I get glances of my baby that is no longer a baby...she is growing up to a gorgeous young lady!  She is learning all sorts of tricks for her hair...my Pinterest boards/feeds are clogged with hair tips. :-)