2014 Birthday Season

We just finished up our family birthday season. We had some big ones this year. Big's came first! You turned 11 this year.

Next up was Ned's. She turned 60 this year and the sisters and I put together a little something special to mark the occasion. We surprised her with tickets to Blake Shelton and a weekend in Charlotte! It was so much fun!!!

That's our Blake just over her shoulder.

We finished up with Lil's who had her Golden Birthday. She turned 8 on the 8th!

Good Ole' Fashioned School Days

With all the craziness of the summer, I forgot that you were starting middle school. I guess I just wasn't expecting it to be such a big deal. But man oh man, was I wrong. You worry about girls now and your hair. You don't want me to embarrass you and you had your first dance which was beyond excruciating for me. You do all your homework mostly on your own these days and hardly ever ask me for help. But sometimes... at night... you still sneak in my bed and snuggle with me and then you forget that you're in middle school too. It's those little glimpses of the baby I once knew that melt me now. 

He may be too big for me most of the time, but you litle Lil' still think Daddy and I are the best thing ever. You snuggle anytime anybody wants to. You always think about everyone else first and you still sleep with mountains of stuffed animals every single night. You did start 2nd grade this year though so I know that freight train called time is moving on. But I'm hangin on tight to every second with you sweet baby girl.

The Summer of the Lion Pt. 2

Okay. So moving on into August. Our family enjoys every last drop of summer and we have been known to come back from vacation late the night before school starts. I don't care. I don't get this time back y'know. This summer was no exception. Except for the fact that we went BIG!

This September will be our 15th anniversary. You kids will realize one day that no matter how much you love somebody, marriage is a really hard thing. It's important to stay together and stick it out because there are only a handful of people in this world who stick with you through anything. It's usually the ones you are born with, give birth to and die with. If you are really lucky, sometimes you'll have people in between that refuse to give up on you too. But the lesson here is marry smart and marry well because you damn sure need somebody you can trust in this life. 

So with all that said, I'm proud of our 15th anniversary. Daddy and I have put our time in. We've reached a length of time together that garners some respect. I'm not gonnna lie and say it's all been roses but 15 years is solid and you can bet your ass I'm happy I've got your Daddy to dig into it with.

The first time I ever visited this place was when Daddy and I were just engaged. It was 16 years ago but that's not what's important. What IS important is that from the first moments my feet hit that dirt, my life was altered. Being here was like looking into the face of God himself. It is that beautiful. The beauty of the mountains leaks out into fiber of the place. The air, the sky, the rivers, the smell, the people. You get a sense that God surely took his time because it's that beautiful and for that reason, you know you are on hallowed ground. 

A dream came true for me 2 weeks ago. Taking my babies out there has always been something I wanted to do. Because I want you to know what's there. I want you to know that you've got to take care of it and I want you to feel what it does to you.

Montana...

Day before. You had no idea what was coming.

The Summer of the Lion Pt.1

What's that saying?? "In like a lion, out like a lamb." Not sure our summer this year can be described by such. This year it was definitely just straight up the summer of the lion.

First of all. Big finished 5th grade. That's right! No more elementary school. He walked right on out of there and never looked back. I tried to re-register him this year at his old school but no one was havin' it.

He did really, really well in elementary school and he made Principal's Honor Roll which means all A's the whole time he attended SPES. Daddy and I had no idea that was coming so it was a great surprise when they called his name.

We celebrated the first days of what we thought would be a long summer....

We kicked the first week off with basketball camp. No rest for the weary. Lil' hung out with whoever would take her and we all floated along just fine. The 2nd week we went on down to Edisto to eat as many tomato pies as we could and soak up all those fine sunsets. Oh and Daddy got a hole in one on Father's Day while Big, Gus, Chippie and Papa all looked on.

That 3rd week of summer was one that I really hope Big doesn't forget anytime soon. Remember I said that Big did really well in school this year? Well he did so well that his teacher nominated him for a Leadership Conference in Washington DC. It was a week away from us with People 2 People in a hotel all on his own. He was lucky enough to travel and stay with one friend from school but there were no parents and he saw quite simply everything!!!! We missed him every single second. I'm pretty sure he missed us his second from the last day there. 

You could tell the power was starting to get to his head here.

While Big was away, Lil had a fun week of cheer camp at my dear old Chapin Highschool. She got to spend the whole week with this little chicken who turned 5 and got herself one of them fancy dolls...

Ok, so now we are at July 4th. You still with me? See how quick that happens?? The 4th was spent in Chapin with our good friends and family. Lighting fireworks, eating and making merry. This holiday has become our Christmas in July.

After the 4th, we had some very, very special visitors come. It was definitely a summer to catch up, jump in and soak up. Our whole family from Arizona and New York came to visit.  There were millions of us all together. Aunts and uncles and kids. My Lord, the kids! Grandma and Grandpa. It was a wonderful week. One where you realize that no matter how far apart you are or how much time passes, it's always the same when you're together again. Your spot in the family is secure, no matter where you go.

Alright. So there were other visitors too. Ones that have been in your life so long they just start to feel like family. The ones that you don't know how to live without. The ones you need to see in order for the world you live in to keep on spinning in a calm and orderly manner. And they have kids or they are in the process of making kids that you just adore. You barely know them or you don't know them at all yet but you are just utterly and completely smitten already.

So this brings us to early August. You see what I mean? "The summer of the Lion" but I'm finished yet. Oh no, there's more to come. Next post....