May Milestones!!

Best day, best month!!!  Over 28,000 steps today (personal record in one day) and over 90 miles walked this month!!  Thank you Lord for good health, legs that work and a body that allows me to move!  

 

Fun in the Sun, day 7

The last full day has come and gone...happened so quickly!  However, it was a wonderful day!  It was a wee bit chilly on the beach but wonderful none the less!  We took one last golf cart selfie with Grace because she had to leave before lunch to get home for a rehearsal dinner tonight.  We weren't too happy with her having to leave early but she is an adult now so...we're just thankful for the time we had.  Caroline and I took a nice long 3 mile walk on the beach together.  I'm so grateful she asked me to join her.

Sadly Aunt Tomi Jean, Uncle Greg and Jack left late this afternoon as well.  So it's just us left to enjoy the house one more night.  After the beach, which I loved staying out until 5:00, we came to the house to pack up while TJ and her crew packed up the condo.  Once the van was loaded, we went on an evening golf cart ride.  We looked at houses and dreamed of owning several that we could never afford!

 Andy and those let me off about a mile from the house to allow me to reach my May goal...more on that in the next post!

Thanks Aunt Tomi Jean and Uncle Greg for another wonderful week!  We truly appreciate this gift and enjoy being with everyone...

Fun in the Sun, day 6

Happy birthday Aunt Tomi Jean!!!!!!  We are so thankful for you and so glad that we get to celebrate your birthday with you at the beach!!  It's been a fun day!!

This morning as we were working on breakfast, I looked at all the shoes by the front door!  So thankful for each pair of shoes and the person they belong to!!  Such a good mess to have!  Maggie helped Andy with breakfast!  Uncle Greg and Andy looked at several different options for next years trip!  If all works out, we hope to be back in a condo beside the rest of the family!  I think the guys have it under control!  

 We enjoyed sitting on the beach as well as swimming in the pool.  So thankful to have both options.  

While it was a gorgeous day on the beach, the waves were insane!!  Like they would knock us down, big kids included.  The current was extremely strong and I honestly never took my eyes off any kid.  We took several breaks in between swims.  

Tonight we went to Quigley's for Aunt Tomi Jean's birthday.  It was a wonderful meal and enjoyed by all!  They have the BEST spicy shrimp/fried green tomatoes appetizer.  Tomi Jean and I look forward to getting it every year!

 It's hard to believe that tomorrow is our last full day!  While we have missed Joy and Teresa tremendously, it has been a wonderful week!  So very thankful for family time!!

Happy Retirement Mr. Eddie

 It’s Mr. Eddie's last day in the office. While I won’t be there, I’m sure he’s still trying to clean off his desk and sort through the different piles. He’s most likely got a cup of coffee, smiling and laughing at the mess…as he’s always up for a joke or a good story! He has a servant heart and is truly the hands and feet of Jesus. He’s our Mr. Fix It, our electrician, our plumber, our carline King, our riser “setter upper”, our sound guy, and many more titles I know I’m forgetting. No matter what I asked him to do for the kindergarten, he never told me no! (He may have thought I was a wee bit crazy or my idea wasn’t as easy as I thought but he would just shake his head, smile and we’d get to work.)

One of my favorite quotes is “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Too late for that as the tears started flowing the day he told me he was retiring and ruined my Sunday nap!

So instead I’ll leave you with another quote “A truly great coworker is hard to find, difficult to part with and impossible to forget!” Thanks Mr. Eddie for being an amazing boss!! We made a great team! I’m so thankful for our time together at CBK and I will definitely smile at the memories we made. It’s hard to see you go and you’re definitely impossible to forget but I truly wish the best in the next chapter!! Enjoy your summer but be sure to set your alarm clock because I’ll be looking for you in carline on August 20!

Fun in the sun, day 5

We started the day with breakfast and a packed golf cart ride over to the condo to hit the beach.  I can't say enough about how amazing the weather has been this week!  Absolutely gorgeous!!  We've yet to truly get hot...Mags and I enjoyed jumping waves again today.  It's definitely my daily cardio. She and I have laughed a lot as we each took a beating from the waves.  OH how I am thankful for laughter!  Andy got time with each of the girls...he and Caroline took a walk on the beach while he and Maggie enjoyed some time in the ocean.  

We then headed to the pool for Mags to play.  She and Andy headed up to the house around 3:00 and I stayed down at the beach until almost 5:30.  I love the beach in the late afternoons...the sun is typically lower and not as intense.  It was glorious!!  Andy and Tomi Jean left to visit cousins who live at the beach.  I came home showered and went on a golf cart ride with the girls.  Then we made tacos for dinner.  After dinner, Maggie requested a night swim.  

On the way back to the house, we saw the most amazing sunset.  It was worth the trip out.  It was so pretty it deserved it's on photo, not a portion of the collage.  I asked the girls for a night time pic as they are sharing a room...that doesn't happen often but Maggie is loving having her own room with her sister!

 

Fun in the sun, day 4

What a gorgeous day today was.  Uncle Greg got our tents set up with the help of Grace, Rachael and Caroline.  Then he cleared a path free of shells and built us steps.  He loves us so well!  

We enjoyed beach time, pool time and a yummy dinner out.  Mags and I jumped waves for almost an hour solid.  The last wave took me out...it dunked me under, I lost my hat and got a good sinus rinse! :-)  However, I can say I truly had a blast!  We sat on the beach a little longer. I laughed at her sitting with the towel on her face because she forgot her sunglasses at home.

Next up the pool.  Aunt Tomi Jean joined us.  The pool water was actually very nice.  I spent time in the pool with Mags, Andy and Tomi Jean.  Andy and Maggie had their special daddy/daughter date today.  Maggie made a list of all the places she wanted to go.  She was so excited!  I took them home on the golf cart and then came back to the pool with Tomi Jean.  I captured some pics of Caroline, Grace and  Rachael on boogie boards and then relaxed by the pool.  I finally started my beach read, 4 days in! :-)

Caroline adores Grace and is so thankful that she is here this year!  They have been thick as thieves in all the things.  I noticed these two heading to the pool at the same time.  So I grabbed my camera knowing it would be good!  

We all came in around 4:00 to get cleaned up for dinner at Frank's.  Caroline and I went and as always, it was delicious!  For our main meal, Caroline got lamb chops with mashed potatoes and I got bowl of soul, which was rice, black eyed peas, collard greens and fried chicken topped with comeback sauce.  Since we were celebrating Tomi Jean's birthday early, she was treated to dessert and a sparkling candle. She ordered mixed berry cobbler, then Jack ordered Caramel cake with ice cream and Grace ordered Cream Brulee...we passed all the dessert around and they were all amazing!

 We came home and once again, everyone was ready for bed.  We are so grateful for this time together as a family!  I don't take for granted what a generous gift it is!!  Already looking forward to day 5!

A major milestone, 150 days of 10,000 steps!!!!

Today marks 150 days of consistently walking 10,000 steps or more!!  This has been such a great investment in me and I feel better than I have in along time.  Again I couldn't do this without Andy's support and all the folks that walk with me throughout the day.  It's a lot more fun to walk with my people than walk by myself!!
 

Fun in the sun, day 3

It was another great day!  Andy and Caroline has their annual daddy daughter day which meant Uncle Greg and I were on breakfast duty.  I fried the bacon and made grits, he made his famous cheese biscuits!!  They are sooooo good!  (we won't even attempt to calculate weigh watcher points for that one...)  After breakfast we headed to the beach.  It was such a nice day.  We had a steady breeze, overcast most of the day with a little bit of sunshine here and there.  Mags LOVES the beach this year.  She has spent so much time jumping waves and skipping shells!  Once she started itching from the sand, we hit the pool.  The water was really nice, it was cool at first but became really comfortable once in.  After about 2 hours at the pool, Mags was ready to head back to the beach house.  Andy and Caroline were close and picked her up.  I then got to enjoy a few hours with Aunt Tomi Jean at the pool.  These two empty chairs aren't any fun...We are definitely are missing Joy and Teresa...stupid cancer and chemo are keeping them away.  It just isn't the same without them... :-( 

 We all headed in around 4 to get ready for dinner at Lee's Inlet Kitchen.  It was a delicious meal and truly one of the best seafood meals we've had out in quite a while.  After dinner, we were all pretty tired from the day. Our house was quiet by 9:30 and I don't plan to be too far behind!  

Fun in the sun, day 2

It was a glorious first full day at the beach!  I started the day with a 5 mile walk.  Uncle Greg joined me for about 3  miles and the others I did on my own because I woke up early.  Then we came back to the house for breakfast, which Andy always does such a wonderful job!!  We finally made it down to the beach around 11 and it was wonderful.  There was a great breeze which always makes the beach more enjoyable.  

We came home to enjoy puzzles, baking and card games.  Andy grilled chicken to go along with green beans and crock pot mac n cheese.  The older kids got in the hot tub, after Mags feel asleep.  After the hot tub we stayed up until just a little bit ago finishing our first puzzle.  You know I must be enjoying myself because I never voluntarily stay up this late!! :-)

 

It's DeBordieu time!!

We are on beach time and it is wonderful! We met at our favorite pre check in place Biquit for lunch.  It was delicious!!!!!  Then we walked around the Hammock Shops and played Corn Hole until time to check in.

We got checked in and unloaded before a horrific storm came.  I went to make sure the car doors were closed and windows rolled up.  I took two steps out of the garage and lightening struct.  I just KNEW I was moments away from meeting Jesus!  The storm was brutal but thankfully it moved along quickly!!  Andy and I went to grab our Walmart Grocery pick up.  

Once home we worked on dinner, enjoyed cake and putting our vacay puzzle together.  We didn't stay up too late tonight because everyone was pretty tired.  Looking forward to a great week!!

 

Congratulations Billy and Lori!!

 Tonight our sweet neighbors 'eloped' in their front yard.  It was a beautiful ceremony.  These friends have lived in front of us for about 13 years.  A few weeks ago, Lori said she needed to talk with me and Andy together.  I got really nervous because I was scared they were moving or that something else was wrong...thankfully all was well, they just wanted to know if Andy would be willing to officiate their wedding.  He was honored to be a part of it.  With the exception of their children and each of their sisters, we were the only other folks in attendance.  It was such a privilege.  I also told her I would have been really upset if I found out after the fact!! :-)  We love them, we are praying for them and wish them the very best!!

Our Terrific Kid

Our sweet Maggie was chosen as this quarters terrific kid!  She has WORKED so very hard to get to this point.  It hasn't been easy but it has been worth it!  We've all had a few temper tantrums, meltdowns, tears and happy dances along the way.  Mrs. Smith has played a major role in this!  We knew that we 'wanted' Maggie to have Mrs. Smith, what we didn't know was that Maggie 'needed' Mrs. Smith.  She had high expectations for Maggie and never let Maggie settle for less...she pushed Maggie to do her best but never let her feel inadequate.  Mrs. Smith kept Maggie every Tuesday for an extra hour to help her in areas where she was struggling.  It was amazing how much she grew in those short few months.  Maggie showed SO MUCH improvement!!  Now if Mrs. Smith would just move to 5th grade, we would be so grateful!!!!!

We are also very grateful for these two ladies!  Mrs. Amy and Mrs. Cribb have been wonderful leaders at both schools.  Mrs. Amy has taken a personal interest in Maggie's schooling and has watched over her placement.  What a gift! 

She was so excited to be done!

She requested the pink drink from Starbucks as her celebration treat!

 

I highly recommend carpooling!!!!

This year we were in a two family morning carpool and a 4 family afternoon carpool.  I took Maggie and Ava to school on Wednesday and Thursday and every other Friday.  Ava's mom took on Monday and Tuesday and every other Friday.  It was glorious!!!!!  It gave me a little extra time at home to sit with Caroline before going to work.

In the afternoons, I picked up on Tuesday's and one Friday a month.  It was amazing!!!!!! I've saved so much time running errands, cleaning house, cooking dinner, etc.  I highly recommend it and Maggie loves riding with the other families.  :-)

 

Freshman Powderpuff

The freshman class played their very first powderpuff game tonight and lost to the sophomore class.  Caroline sadly didn't participate because the game was originally scheduled during her life guard training class.  However, she did purchase the shirts and paint the numbers on them.  It was a fun night and she hopes next year she gets to participate. :-)

Caroline took a picture with her Freshman Admin, Ms. Moore.  Ms. Moore has been amazing and supported this class so much throughout the year.  She will certainly be missed by the freshman class.

 

Lifeguard Certified

 These two spent the weekend together AND are officially lifeguard certified!!  I feel safer around water with these two!!

Spring Sports Awards

 Today was the spring sports awards ceremony.  The picture includes all JV and Varsity teams.  It's been a great year and Caroline has learned so much!  We're already looking forward to next season!

Abby's graduation!

Our sweet friend Abby graduated high school today! She is the first of Caroline's friends who has graduated.  She cried which is very unusual for her.  She rarely cries at anything.  As a momma it's hard to watch her enter the phase where she will be saying goodbye to so many friends over the next two years...I remember being in her shoes not knowing what the future held for my friendships as my friends moved on.  But she rebounded quickly and was all smiles for pictures!!  Abby we are SO PROUD of you and can't wait to see what the future holds!!!!! 

 

Dinner with Tammy, Bobby and Billy

 My cousin Tammy and her family travel from Arkansas to South Carolina to vacation at the beach.  They choose SC beaches so that they can visit with family.  We look forward to this visit every year!  They drove straight from the interstate to the restaurant.  It was a sweet evening and I'm so thankful for our time together!!  Such a gift!

Celebrating Uncle Ronnie

Today we celebrated the life of my sweet Uncle Ronnie.  He was a gentle soul who made those around him feel special.  It was a beautiful ceremony!  Afterwards, we went back to Aunt Carolyn's to enjoy memories, lots of laughs, lots of tears and a yummy lunch!  It was a great time to be with family during this difficult time!

 

Starbucks and Frozen Jr.

Starbucks had buy one get one free for Mother's Day.  Caroline agreed to get our drinks while I got ready.  It was a fun treat!  She got us the largest size they make!! :-)  I've never had a drink so large!

Caroline, Braedan, Amelia and I went to see our friends at the Little Theatre in Frozen Jr.  Maggie was supposed to go with us but at the last minute feel completely apart and decided to stay at home with Andy. It was a great show and we loved seeing so many of our friends on the stage!  It was a great way to spend Mother's Day with my oldest!!

 

Mother's Day Camping

We enjoyed our second annual Mother's Day camping trip with friends!  It was wonderful!  The company, the food, the entertainment!  My family served me well.  

Friday night we had about 2 hours of nice weather before the rain moved in.  We finished cooking dinner just as the rain started. We ate inside and then Maggie and I played games while we waited.  Caroline laid down and didn't wake up until 7:30 the next morning...guess she need that 13 hours of sleep!

Saturday's weather was lovely!  I managed to walk almost 8 miles throughout the day.  We went to the pool, rode the golf cart around, and played "Would you Rather."  The kids tried to decide which thing I would rather do.  Turns out we know each other really well.  The only two questions we missed were doughnuts over chocolate and live in the country vs. the city.  The girls said I never eat doughnuts but I always steal a piece of their chocolate.  I don't eat whole doughnuts cause I can't stop with one...they assume that even though I grew up in the country, that I prefer city life...nope, take me back to the country any day!!

One of our favorite things about this weekend is our group dinner on Saturday night.  Our taco bar is amazing and beats any Mexican restaurant!  The kids finished the night with a movie after dark...

 So thankful for this tradition and look forward to next years trip already!!!

Early Mother's Day Gift

 I received an early Mother's Day gift from Caroline and Gabe.  I love the pot!!  I don't know anything about the flower in it but I love the sweet thought!!