Happy Halloween!!

This halloween was a little different.  The neighborhood was pretty quiet.  Not too many trick or treaters.  However, we still had fun with friends...once upon a time we use to have a fun little halloween party with friends prior to trick or treating...maybe next year I will bring it back.  It was a little warm which wasn't the greatest but we made it work.  Caroline enjoyed passing out candy with her friends.  Maggie enjoyed trick or treating with her friends.  Everybody was happy!

 

Halloween at Daddy Joe's

This particular trip is one of my favorite camping trips.  We reserve 2 quads (which is 4 campers per site) which make a perfect square with a shared grassy area in the middle.  This year we had 9 families join us.  Both girls have friends in the group that make the weekend just as enjoyable for them as it is for us.  

Unfortunately this year, while the weather forecast didn't show a lick of rain, we had lots of rain.  We had to set up in the rain.  We realized that we need a large, golf umbrella.  Thankfully the rain tapered off long enough for us to watch the high school football game on Rhett's big screen.  However, overnight, it began raining/misting again and didn't stop until lunchtime on Saturday.  Most of the Saturday activities were cancelled due to the rain.  We were lazy.  We pulled the fire pit under the awning and enjoyed the morning making breakfast, sipping coffee and reading.  

Mid day around 3:00 Maggie decided to enter the Halloween costume contest.  The other girls joined as well.  From there, it was time to trick or treat.  Caroline was a fairy with her friends.  Maggie was the witches' kitty cat.  

The kids love coming back for the candy auction/exchange.  The kids make one big pile and exchange their least favorite for someone elses least favorite who happens to be their favorite.  Everybody is happy when it 's over.

Then comes the chili buffet.  Several folks make large pots of chili, others brings sides, dessert, etc.  We enjoyed sitting around the campfire, watching college football and just being together.  So excited that we already have this trip booked for 2023! 

 

22 years ago...

22 years ago today, this handsome fella picked me up for our first date.  He showed up at 8:30am in his shiny new mustang.  (Compared to the 93 Geo Metro sitting in the yard, I knew this man was a keeper!  :-)  )  When I opened the door, he had the biggest smile and said "WOW, you look amazing!"  (He still is the first to compliment me.)  We headed to Columbia to see USC vs. Tennessee.  We picked up Pop Eyes Chicken and he hardly ate.  Me on the other hand could have finished the entire chicken dinner but didn't because I didn't want to seem like a piggy.   

We had club seats, thanks to his Daddy.  The only problem with our seats was that a rather large man sat beside me which made me practically lean on Andy the entire game.  After the game, we drove back home.  He asked if I would like to grab dinner before he took me home.  Absolutely since I was going home to an empty apartment and it would be the first time I stayed alone in the apartment.  We went to Red Lobster.  The joke 22 years later is that the man really impressed me with the $20 Lobster tail appetizer.  A few years later I learned it was only $4.95! :-)  Dinner was delicious.  After dinner, he asked if I wanted to watch a movie at my apartment.  So we headed to Blockbuster and rented the movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."  He left my apartment shortly before midnight.  It was a wonderful day. He said that he knew that night that I was the girl for him.  He told his momma that if I would have him, I was the girl he was gonna marry!

Just 2 days shy of 1 year on October 26, Andy closed on his first house.  Later that night, in the living room of his new place, he gave me a beautiful Bible.  On the inside it said "This is the only thing I want you to love more than me."  Attached to a white string was my engagement ring.  The ring my Uncle Bill gave my Aunt Shirley and later gave it to me when I graduated high school.  I called everyone I knew and of course, NOBODY was home.  I was so disappointed.  He blindfolded me and took me to our favorite little restaurant Michael's.  Inside, both of our families were waiting for us to celebrate together...I guess he was pretty sure I was gonna say yes.  

The next 21 years have been filled with lots of excitement, loss, celebrations, tragedy, milestones, heartbreak.  That sweet little couple that went on their first on October 28, 2000 had no clue what was in store for them.  Last week as I sat in Williams Brice stadium with my family, I was reminded of God's faithfulness!  He sure has done a lot in our lives.  I am grateful for this life that we have built.  I am thankful for his many blessings.  

 

Open House with Maggie

Tonight Maggie had open house at school.  She was so excited and proud of show me her work.  I'm sad that I didn't think to take a picture of their class pumpkin that they worked so hard on.  I loved her writing and her colorful bat.  SO thankful to be allowed back in the schools to actually see what they are doing!

 

Little House in the big woods!

 Tonight Maggie picked up the book Little House in the Big Woods.  She LOVED the book and was reading very well.  Out of curiosity I looked it up for AR purposes.  I was shocked to find that it was actually a 5th grade level book.  I was amazed that my girl who has always been below grade level in reading was reading two grades above her.  Regardless of whether or not she takes a test on it, I was super proud.  Now to stick with it!!  Way to go Mags!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Peep!

 Last Friday was Peep's birthday!  Andy was out of town for a Men's retreat.  So we invited her over for lunch today.  She went to church with us and came back for lunch.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch and time with her.  Thankful for another year to celebrate her!

Our First Family Gamecock Game!!!!!!!!

Back in May, I received an email about teacher appreciation at the Texas A&M game.  We could purchase 4 tickets cheaper than we could purchase 2 tickets.  We hopped right on that!!  It would be our first game with the entire family!  It was even better that Lia and Stacey could join us with their family!  We had a wonderful time.  We got there in plenty of time to grab an awesome tailgate spot.  Lia and I put together a wonderful spread!  The weather was great!  It was a wild and crazy night!  The crowd was pumped and the stadium was rocking!  Maggie wasn't 100% sure about how high we were sitting and the music was a little loud and the crowd was overwhelming but she hung in there. It was so much fun to share this night with our girls.  It will be after midnight before we get home but my heart is full!   

UPDATE:  We pulled in the driveway at 12:32 AM!  Y'all I truly don't remember the last time I stayed out that late...mercy percy, I got a feeling I'll be paying for this one all week!

 

Caroline's Spirit Week

It's homecoming week for Caroline.  Therefore the students are encouraged to dress up each day.  Caroline was ready!!  She really got into it.  It was a lot of fun to watch her figure out what she wanted to do.  I asked for some older clothes for generation day and my moms cousin gave her awesome outfits for Thursday and Friday.  So fun!!!

Meme Day: I probably should say something but it's none of my business!

Nerd day!  Suspenders borrowed from a teacher at school!

Her sweet daddy took her to Walmart at 8:00 to buy a tutu.  They didn't have some so she decided to make one herself for her and her friend Marissa.  There was GLITTER everywhere!!

Guess what!  She decided she didn't like it!  SO no tutu for Orange for Unity day...

Decades Day!

Senior Citizen day!

 So excited that she doesn't take herself too seriously and can participate and enjoy these days!!!!

Sweet Sisters

 Y'all it has been an action packed week!!  Like crazy busy, not home until late.  Well tonight Maggie had several units of Dreambox left.  Sadly I had NO clue what they were asking her to do.  Thankfully Caroline sat down beside her to help her figure it out.  She stayed with her until the end.  These are the moments that remind me deep down, they might just love each other...I didn't ask Caroline to help.  She saw us struggling and offered.  I had to capture the moment because it was just what my momma heart needed.

Happy birthday Charissa!!

 Charissa's birthday was in August.  I thought of several gift ideas but decided to take her to brunch at our favorite little place, which has almost become our birthday tradition.  Sadly, it took 2 months for us to find a time that worked for both of us.  If you have been around here long, you know at one point they lived in our neighborhood when the girls were younger.  Many mornings we would gather around my kitchen table at 5 am to share prayer concerns and pray together.  Even after they moved, she would still come over early in the mornings.  I often look at my table and think of the sweet time shared in the early morning hours while the house was still quite.  So many times a little one would wake up early and interrupt our time but we always picked right back up.  Today I was thankful to celebrate my sweet friend over brunch.  We loved her mug and have declared it's our new motto!!

Kreepy Hollow

Caroline and her friends, Marissa and Olivia, wanted to go to a Haunted House.  I do a lot of things but haunted houses are not one of them!!  I don't need to pay anyone to scary me...I find enough things in life on my own!  Andy, being the awesome dad that he is and his willingness to enjoy this sort of torture, agreed to take them.  The only thing was, tonight was the only night they could go.  Thankfully everyone was able to go.  We made sure that the Mom's knew that I was NOT going...it would be Andy only.  So off they went, Andy and 3 teenage girls.  It sounded like it was quite the adventure.  I'm not sure the girls knew what they were getting into and at times were willing to take the emergency exit BUT they made it through.  Andy said there were times when all three girls were clinging to his shirt!!  But they made and to hear them tell it, they can't wait to go back next year!

 

Maggie's last soccer game!

Tonight Maggie had her last soccer game.  This season hasn't been to hot.  Her coach was really sweet I just believe that maybe she was in over her head.  Maggie only got to play 2 games because we were out of town 2 weekends and the coach was unable to attend 3 games and one got cancelled because of weather.  So while it wasn't great, we are thankful for the fun she had.  HUGE mom fail this afternoon.  We have all been confused about when games were.  I showed up at the game an hour early! HAHA.  So she got to enjoy an extra hour of fun at the park! :-)

 

The desk is complete!

 Uncle Ed didn't think it would happen this quickly but it did!!  Maggie's desk is complete and in her room.  She LOVES it!!!  The running joke is how long it will take to get covered in junk!!  She is so proud and I am so happy for her!!

Learning to work together

 As I've said before, I had brothers.  We would have our moments but goodness gracious I do not remember the constant yuckiness like these girls have.  Comments that could be kept to themselves 99% of the time.  Sometimes I truly think they find a way to disagree even if they truly don't disagree at all.  Anyway, tonight at dinner it was decided that they would now wash the dishes after dinner each night.  They will continue to do the dishes until they can learning to work/live together in a kind way.  Who knows if this will work but mercy percy, I hope something clicks.  And each time we find ourselves here, I pray a little harder that they will grow up to love each other.  I pray that they will always be there for each other and that this is just a season...

Resting in carline

 I loved every single minute of fall break but y'all this momma is TIRED!  I borrowed Maggie's unicorn that happened to still be in the car.  It made a wonderful pillow.  I see an early bedtime in our future!

Visiting Jake and Lauren

We finished the last of our Fall Break with our dear friends Jake and Lauren in Roanoke, Virginia.  Jake and Lauren left us in November to begin planting a church in their hometown.  While we didn't want to lose them, we knew the Lord was calling them!  Roanoke was about a 3 hour trip from Richmond.  We had beautiful roads and were there in no time.  We arrived shortly after lunch.  We hung out at their house until their youngest Claire woke up.  Once she woke up we headed to the Mast General store downtown.  The kids loved the candy and toy section.  They enjoyed a bag of popcorn as well.  Claire loved holding Maggie's hand and Maggie loved "being in charge" of someone younger that her.  After the Mast General store, we headed to the famous Roanoke Star.  It was really cool.  They tell us the next time we come we will go at night so that we can see it lit up.  The best part of playing tourist was that we got to all pile into their van.  We shared lots of laughs!!

The city of Roanoke behind us.

Then we headed back to their house to enjoy hamburgers for dinner.  We chatted with Jake while he cooked dinner and the kids played outside.  It was a gorgeous evening!!  It was so much fun watching our girls play with their kids.  Even the big kid acted like a little kid! 

And if our time with them Saturday afternoon/evening wasn't enough, we were able to worship with them on Sunday morning at their church.  We were so sad to see them leave GS but it was precious to see their congregations in the early stages of church planting.  Oh how I pray that the Lord will continue to bless their church plant.

 It was a whirlwind of a week and a long ride home but what an amazing week we had.  We were blessed in so many ways.  I am so grateful for the memories we made this week!!  Now to unpack, wash clothes and get ready for school tomorrow!