"I Danced with Cinderella"

Getting my Ballerina Ready for Ballet

Hubby and his mini-me, Hanna

Two prissy girls.

Hanna and her BFF, Ju-Ju

Oops. Sorry Ms. Ballet Teacher

This is one of my family's VERY FAVORITE songs. Like everyone else we have been saddened by what happened to the Chapman family. My girls love to twirl around to this in our living room and even listen to it at night while they drift off to sleep.

On the note of dancing and princesses (Cinderella), my little dancing princess started her first day of ballet today. My oldest daughter took ballet for 2 years, then started playing soccer and fell in love with soccer. We have a rule where the kids can only do 1 activity per season (thanks Kevin Lehman), so she chose soccer. When Hanna (the youngest) was old enough she wanted to play soccer like her older sister. However, she played very differently than Ashley. Ashley is AWESOME at soccer. She is the kid the coaches want on their team. She is super fast and was actually nicknamed when she was 4 by a good friend of ours as "Super Star." We are HUGE soccer fans now because of Ashley. Well, last soccer season when Hanna played and the ball would come her way, I kid you not, she would run AWAY FROM THE BALL. No aggression whatsoever in this child. This summer comes and it is time to get ready to sign up for fall soccer. Hanna, for whatever reason I don't know, wants to sign up. I thought she would be more suited for a "prissy sport," so I suggested ballet. Nope, she would not have it. I tried and tried to convince her, but she was pretty set on wanting to play soccer. I guess maybe she didn't realize the object was to run to the ball and not away from it:) I told her we were going to try ballet until Christmas. If she didn't like it we could quit ballet and sign up for spring soccer. To be honest she really was not very excited about ballet until last week when I had been out shopping with my sister and I came home with her very own ballerina bag (being the youngest of 3 most of what she has is a hand-me-down). It was hers and all hers!!! This definitely put a pep in her step and she was been excited ever since.

Today was the big day. We decided which leotard and skirt she would wear. I pulled her sweet curls back into a bun, and off we went. She was precious in the ballet studio. I told my BFF, Tiff, that when my oldest was almost 5 I felt that he was so old and almost grown. But now that my baby is almost 5, I feel like she is still a baby. I feel like I can just rock her in my arms back and forth (in fact, I do). I still carry her to bed at night, rather than just walking along beside her. She looked so grown up today. I was so proud.

Just as much as my oldest daughter is me made over (aggression, personality, loves attention and people, the whole nine yards), Hanna is just as much my husband (reserved, shy, does not like attention called to himself at all, etc., etc). Thankfully my oldest son is a really good mixture of us. Jon (hubby) says that I have one that looks and acts like me (Ashley) and one who wants to be me (Hanna). Anyway, Jon and I were watching her dance and he waved at her. Her little eyes got big as if they were saying, "Please don't wave at me. Just go. Please stop." If that were Ashley, she would have been waving wildly and saying, "Hey Mom and Dad!!! Hey Ms. (ballet teacher) that is my mom and my dad, and they are this and that." The ballet teacher would have known everything about us by the end of class.

During the class I decided to sneak in a picture. Click, the flash goes off, and I hear Ms. ballet teacher say, "We are dancing." Oops!!! See what I mean, my hubby would have never done that!!!

After the class was over and the ballet teacher brought out her little ballerinas I ran and hugged Hanna Boo so tight. She whispered in my ear, "I think I want to take for a year." She LOVED it!!!! I told her we were going to put her in soccer. Nope, she is not having it. She rated the day a 10!! She had so much fun. To top the whole day off she is in there with her best bud, Ju-Ju. They had no idea they were going to be together and the surprise on their little faces when they saw one another was just precious!!! Three cheers for mom - Hip, Hip, Hooray! Hip, Hip, Hooray! Hip, Hip, Hooray!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside My Window...it is dark, as the sun has not come up yet because it is 6:00 a.m. I just saw my new neighbor, who I need to make some brownies and go and introduce myself to, pull in his driveway
I am thinking...about all the things that need to be done this week before we start school next week. Also I am thinking that when the sun starts to rise I am heading out for a long run.
I am thankful for...my family. God has blessed me so very much, truly more than I could ever think or imagine!!
From the kitchen...nothing is happening in there right now. The only thing on is my wonderful coffee pot. Two cups down, Two more to go:)
I am wearing...workout pants and a running T-shirt from a race I ran it. Sad that I didn't sleep in pajamas, but they are just as comfy.
I am creating...hopefully an organized homeschool closet; chicken salad sandwiches, fruit with dip, and chips and dip for an open house that I am hosting tomorrow.
I am going...to be pretty busy this week.
I am hoping...and praying through situations involving my extended family that really saddens my heart. I am hoping we will have a blessed week. I am also hoping that the house I am giving an open house for will sell. It is my former pastor's home and they really need for it to sell.
I am hearing...just the typing of my fingers on the keyboard. It is very, very quiet. Everyone is sleeping. I am ALWAYS the first one up in the mornings.
Around the house... it SOOO needs cleaning. We do try and rest on Sundays, so no chores for the kids or I, but boy on Monday morning can you tell it!!! As soon as everyone is up and at 'em we will be busy with cleaning up.
One of my favorite things...snuggling with my children. Since the Olympics have been on we have all been sitting down together to watch them, so we have had lots of snuggle time.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: The madness of go, go, go starts this week, but I would be lying if I said that I didn't love it - because I SO DO!!! Soccer practice Tues and Thurs., Ballet on Thurs., possibly signing Alec up for swim team, giving an open house on Tues., water slide field trip with our homeschool group on Friday, maybe take Alec to Fern Bank.

Visit with Melissa

Well, my visit with my sister, Melissa, was great!!! It was drama-free, which made it even better. Sometimes we have visits together when I tell her I am glad she lives in Texas, and other times our visits are wonderful and I tell her I wish she was my next door neighbor. This visit was definitely one that I wished she was my next door neighbor. She has flown the coop and is headed back to Texas. Actually she left on Thursday morning, but I have been so exhausted from all the fun we had that I haven't taken the time to blog about it until now. Here is a recap.

They arrived on Monday and shortly after we gave our "hello hugs" and laughed a little while, the boys headed out to play golf. Melissa and I decided to take the kids to the park in my neighborhood. We had lots of fun. We then walked back to the house and had a "Make Your Own Pizza Night." It was so much fun. The kids really liked it. We gave Noelle the special plate, and so we all had to say something nice about her. After we went around the table telling her how special she was she raised her little hand and said, "I love all of you." So sweet. The boys got back and we hung out until bedtime.

The girls picked me a bouquet of flowers on our walk to the park. The flowers that are hand picked are always the most special ones to me.

Joseph-Scott played freeze on the way to the park. Melissa hollers freeze and then he freezes and does this move.

Why did these little chickens cross the road - to get to the park.

Ashley being "little mama" and pushing Noelle in the swings.

Sweet Joesph Scott swinging

Help, Melissa's stuck. She was climbing on the play set and the kids INSISTED she go through the tunnel. I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to wet my pants.

Hanna and Noelle posing as they walk down the slide

After getting home and being in the cool air conditioning we all became little pizza chefs.

Making their own pizzas. They slopped SO MUCH pizza sauce on their pizzas!!!

Ready to put them in the oven

The next day we got up and hung out awhile. Jon had a meeting at this coffee shop here in town that he couldn't cancel. After he got home we headed down to the park again to take the pictures I posted. After getting home we started making our tie-dyed shirts. So much fun!! I think Melissa had just as much fun making Joseph-Scott's as the other children did making theirs.

Hanna tie-dying her shirt - her creative juices are flowing.

I actually had to run out for a bit and pick up some towels I was having embroidered. I left at the perfect time -clean up time. Melissa got everything picked up and we all decided we needed to take a siesta. We headed down to our family room and put on cartoons. All of the adults, except Jon, napped, and all of the kids except Alec and Ash napped too. After waking up we headed out for Mexican. I have to say since moving to Texas, Melissa and Scott have become Mexican food snobs - like the great state of Texas is the only place for great Mexican. They really liked where we went though.

Melissa, Me, and Hanna right before making myself miserable on Chicken Fajita Nachos.

We got home and played a game of Dutch Blitz. This was actually a game I ordered for homeschooling, and when Melissa was going through my homeschooling stuff she saw it and went berserk. She said she LOVED this game, so she taught us how to play it ----- S0!MUCH!FUN!

Wednesday we decided to tag team babysitting with the guys. They headed out and had lunch together while we got ready. After they got back Melissa and I tackled shopping. I took her to one of my most favorite accessory stores. She was not really impressed, but I got 2 pair of earrings and a bracelet, and a ballet bag for Hanna. We went to a couple of other stores. She really loves the Shabby Chic look so we went to a thrift store - not my cup of tea, but we had a good time. That night Jon and Scott were going to see The Dark Knight, so Melissa and I took the children to church. All of the kids (except Alec) were so excited about wearing their tied-dyed shirts. Alec was not having any of it. He informed me he was too old to match other people and that is a little kid thing.

I loved having Melissa and her kids at church with me that night. After church she was craving a peanut buster parfait, so we headed to DQ. No lie - we waited in line for 40 minutes. Their ice cream machine was broken, and bless their hearts they were working so hard and were so stressed out. They had this rude customer give them the "what for." I felt really bad for them. I would actually turn off my car while in the drive-thru because it is an SUV and literally sucks down a gallon of gas just idling. So I would turn it on and off since we had to wait so long. To tell you the truth the ice cream really was not good. All of that waiting for nothing - oh well!

Tie-dyed kids. Joseph-Scott wouldn't get in the picture.

Thursday morning came and we said our goodbyes. I miss them already and can't wait until we get to see them again. They actually headed to Scott's dad's house. Melissa informed me that Joseph-Scott was going around going Scott's dad's saying, "Chel, Chel, Chel." We had such a fun visit!!!

Melissa Thrasher Photography

My sister is a photographer and was so sweet to give us a free photo session while she was here. I was stoked (the rest of the family was not as happy as I was ESPECIALLY Alec)!!! She took 190+ pictures, but below are my very favorites! I think they turned out so well. She does an awesome job. They were all taken in the park in our subdivision which makes them all the more special. Check out her web site at www.melissathrasherphotography.com

I love how in these pictures Jon and I look like a newly-engaged couple rather than a couple who has been married for more than a decade.

Red Rover, Red Rover send Aunt Melissa Right Over

Wouldn't this picture make a great blue jean advertisement?

Nope, I don't have my high heels on. Melissa wanted us bare foot

Melissa was standing on a picnic table right above our heads. We were very scared because from this angle it literally looked like she was going to fall right on top of us.

I love this one because this is our family in our most natural element - playful and not posed. We were actually trying to get set up for a posed picture, but I liked this one much better than the posed one with the tire swing.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW...I see my sister's mini-van. YAY! She is in town from Dallas, TX..

I AM THINKING...how glad I am that my sister is here with us and how much fun we have had today.
FROM THE KITCHEN...dinner was "Make Your Own Pizza Night." The boys are playing golf (all but Joseph-Scott), and so we all made our own pizzas. The kids LOVED it. Noelle had the special plate tonight and she raised her hand to say something. I thought she was going to say something special about herself, but she didn't. She said, "I love all of you."

I AM CREATING...I really have the scrapbooking bug, as well as I want to sew my girls a couple of outfits before we leave for Disney World in a few weeks. However, we are about to start school, so not very much time anymore.

I AM GOING...to go and help Melissa get the mattresses to lay out for them. She's bein' a little bossy right now:)

I AM WEARING...jeans and my Minnie Marathon running shirt. My hair is in a pony tail high on my head and I have absolutely NO makeup on.

I AM READING...my Bible in a year. I am about to start reading lots of books with my chidlren for the upcoming school year. More details next week.

I AM HOPING...that we have a great visit with my sister and her family. My mom will get out of her funk and her ear will feel better. My dad will continue to be pleasant to be around.

I AM HEARING...Melissa coax Joseph-Scott into going upstairs. All 3 girls in the family room getting ready to watch a movie.

AROUND THE HOUSE...it is buzzing with activity, which I love. It was really clean today but after my sister got here it was time to have some FUN and who can really have a good time with a clean house?!?

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...my sister! I am 22 months older than she is, but I feel she is just as much apart of me as my legs are. Everything that has happened in our lives we have been right there together through LOTS of dysfunction. She is SOOO funny!!! She always lets me know what she is thinking (sometimes good but most of the time bad:), so I value her opinion greatly. She is so right when she tells everyone she is the cute and fun one!!!

FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF MY WEEK...making tie-died T-shirts with the kids tomorrow. My sister is going to take some photos of my family (she is a photographer and was so sweet to bring all of her photography "stuff"). Hopefully take a couple of walks around my neighborhood with my sister, if I can coax her into it. She is probably WAAAYYY too fun and cute for exercise. Mexican tomorrow night. Sneaking away to do some shopping. Church Wednesday night and lots and lots and lots of laughter!!! We also have a soccer party for Ash's soccer team to kick off the beginning of the week

HERE IS A PICTURE THOUGHT TO SHARE WITH YOU:

I would love to have one of Melissa and I, so I will post later. Both of us look AWFUL tonight, so no picture taking tonight!!!

A Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW...it is dark and the street lights are on...

I AM THINKING...that I feel really yucky from eating the snickers, coke, and GA Mud Fudge Blizzard - YUCK!

FROM THE KITCHEN...dinner was chicken enchiladas tonight which we have been eating on for 3 nights now. I had to go and show a house and on the way got a snickers and Coke. On the way home Jon and I shared a GA Mud Fudge Blizzard.

I AM CREATING...well, I have finally ordered ALL of my homeschooling material. I am creating window treatments for my kids' rooms and I am making memory boards for their rooms also.

I AM GOING...to go upstairs and get ready for bed.

I AM WEARING...black pants, dress shirt with green and black in it. Funky black earrings and a black bracelet. I had to go into the office today and show one of our houses tonight.

I AM READING...my Bible in a year. "True Prosperity" by James Robinson.

I AM HOPING...that the couple I showed the house to tonight will buy it.

I AM HEARING...Hanna say, "I love you Mommy." Jon saying, "Let's go upstairs and say prayers." Ashley saying, "But Dad, I'm not done."

AROUND THE HOUSE...we are going to get everyone in the bed.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...summer nights. I love the smell of a great summer night even when it is hot outside. It reminds me of being a kid.

FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF MY WEEK...I hope to get a solid contract on the house I showed tonight. We are certainly saying our prayers and trusting the LORD with the rest. Alec and I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday. Going to the pool a couple of days this week. Hopefully finish window treatments and memory boards for my kids and maybe, just maybe paint my bathroom.

HERE IS A PICTURE THOUGHT TO SHARE WITH YOU:

Hanna and Ashley at the Ballerina Birthday Party

Nanna Bites

In our house we have something called "Nanna Bites." I don't know how long ago it was that it started, but I know it has been around since my oldest child was little. This saying is in honor of my mom. Whenever she takes a bite of anything it is always a big bite. So whenever anyone takes a big bite of whatever it is we are eating we call them "Nanna Bites." On Friday Jon took the children to breakfast and Hanna brought part of her chicken biscuit home. She was finishing it up and I asked her if I could have a small bite. I took my bite and then gave it back to her. She looked at the chicken biscuit and said, "Mom, you took a BANANA bite." So sweet!!!!

A Week in Review

This week has been a great week. We've had the best of both worlds -our times of busyness and boredom. Here is the play-by-play of our week.

Monday- We spent most of the day at the pool. It was great. I love those lazy summer days by the pool.

Tuesday- We spent the entire day at home. It was so nice! I feel like I have been entertaining the children all summer, and I have been itching to be crafty. So I started sewing and I got several things accomplished that I have actually been wanting to do for months.

Wednesday- The girls both had to have their teeth cleaned. We spent most of the morning at the dentist's office. It was a treat because Jon went with us. We then went to Upscale Pizza, a new pizza place that Truett Cathy (owner of Chick-fil-A) has started. Guess what? Mr. Cathy was there. He was having what looked like a meeting with these 2 guys. When we were leaving I went up to him and told him how much we enjoyed it and that we really appreciated all that he stood for. He stood up and said, "Oh you are such a nice lady. It looks like you have got some angels with you." He then gave each of the children a light-up key chain with his name on it. He told me, "Instead of just Eat More Chicken that it is now Eat More Chicken and Pizza." I told him we definitely couldn't go wrong there and thanked him for his time. What a great man of integrity! Jon told the children they had better be thankful for their mom (who doesn't mind imposing or asking things other people, AKA Jon, wouldn't ask). He said that if he was the only one with them that he would have just let them look at Mr. Cathy through the window. I must say I have to thank my mom for that boldness in me (although I DO NOT have boldness in other areas). Then we went and had our "Book Day." We spent a good while at Barnes and Nobles and each of the children got to pick out a book. They were very excited. We came home. I actually snuck in a nap, then we went to church for July Jamboree.

Thursday - I had to go into the office to handle some business for Jon. Truett's was having a customer appreciation week and they had a water slide, sand art, limbo, hula hoop contest, so after dinner we took off and went there. It was a lot of fun. Ash won the hula hoop contest and we were all so proud.

Friday - Jon took the kids out to breakfast so I had the house to myself for a little while - n.i.c.e. We went to the pool with my dear friend Tiffani (sorry Tiff I don't know how to do the link thing yet:). We had a wonderful time! Again, we talked about everything from A to Z and then realized what a small world it is from people we know in our past. Tiffani and her family are extremely close and dear to my heart, and we always have a great time when we are together. We went to my in-laws that night for dinner and cooked out hamburgers. Great fun!

Saturday - That morning I spent some good cuddle time with my girls watching cartoons. I then sat down with Alec and looked at his new book with him. Boy do I love that boy and his love for history. It is a book on WWII. I then watched a little Abbott and Costello with him. He's not really a cuddler, but I sneak in what I can to always let him know how much I love him and how important he is to me. I then sewed a window treatment for his room. The girls did crafts and Ash made me a necklace. We had a birthday party to go to and I so wanted Ash to know how much I loved the necklace. So, being somewhat of a fashion diva myself, I actually pulled it off. I wore a black shirt, the yellow necklace, and a yellow band thing in my hair with it pulled back. She was so excited that I was wearing it. We then went to the birthday party. It was a great party. It was a ballerina theme and all of the girls were to dress up. They painted the girls' faces with swans and the boys with frogs. They gave the girls fairy wings and a tutu. A real ballerina that dances with the Atlanta Ballet was there and she lead some dances for the girls. She was very nice and, of course, I just had to know what she thought about the show "So You Think You Can Dance?" She and I talked about her perspective on the show. When I told Jon this he just grinned and shook his head. The party was great. As I was coming home my in-laws had my niece at the park in our subdivision, so the girls and I stopped and visited for a little bit. The children stayed at the park with them and I came home and put dinner in the oven and turned on my Michael Buble CD. Alec came in and he and I had a great time dancing to "Everything." That night I had to go to the grocery store and get some Tylenol. I ran into some old friends, The Poole's, and enjoyed catching up with them. I so love their oldest daughter. She is so precious and I really miss seeing her. At times I really do wish we were all still apart of one another's lives. She has turned into such a beautiful young woman, and I hate the fact that I am missing out on her growing up.

Sunday - I got up this morning and ran 6.2 miles before church, and I actually made it on time for Sunday School. Church was really good. Our church body confirmed our new pastor with 100% vote today. It was a good day. I am so excited about what God is going to do in our church. We have certainly had our ups and downs throughout the years. Last week we had an after-church fellowship meal and our pastor's wife (who is precious by the way) made this AMAZING blueberry delight cake. Jon was absolutely smitten with this cake. He certainly let both Dan and Ann know how much he loved it. After the service day Jon went up to Pastor Dan and told him,"You know Dan I was really on the fence about you, but after your wife made that cake I knew I had to vote for you." He cracks me UP!!!! After all they do say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!!!! We came home and ate lunch. I took a nap in my favorite napping spot and now I am blogging. God is good all the time!!!!

FOR TODAY

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW...the sun is shining and it is HOT BABY, HOT BABY, HOT BABY, HOT -as my Hanna says.

I AM THINKING...that I need to go do my new workout DVD.

FROM THE KITCHEN...it is leftovers - AGAIN!

I AM CREATING...well, I am trying to order all of my homeschooling material.

I AM GOING...to hopefully have lunch with an old friend this week.

I AM WEARING...my coverup from the pool.

I AM READING...no longer "The Shack" by William Young, as I have come across some things that contradict my faith and I have decided not to read it anymore. "True Prosperity" by James Robinson. My Bible in a year.

I AM HOPING...that everything goes well for our real estate business and that everything will work out with our bank.

I AM HEARING...Hanna and Ashley playing "friends" in the family room.

AROUND THE HOUSE...it is CLEAN and it is oh so nice! The exercise equipment in our family room is finally moved, and I love the way my chairs look. It is such a warm and inviting room.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...lazy Sunday afternoons. Yesterday, I have to say, was as perfect as they get. We had a great meal after church, then came home. I took a great nap while it rained. My house is clean. Dinner was already cooked. Jon took the kids out for awhile, so I got the whole house to myself. We all watched a movie together.

FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF MY WEEK...tomorrow to stay at the house, dentist appointments for the children and book day on Wednesday, lunch with an old friend on Thursday, and maybe some swimming to wrap up the week.

Celebrating Stay-at-Home Moms

I have a friend, Candis (below in the pink) that is a mother of 2, her oldest being 4, who has been dreaming of the day she would become a stay-at-home mom. This has been an issue that has been bathed in much prayer. Well, guess what? A few months ago she told us that God had answered her prayers and she was going to get to be a stay-at-home mom. Of course, we were all ecstatic for her and rejoicing with her like crazy. When the time came for her to give her 2-week notice we decided this called for a CELEBRATION. Saturday night 4 of us girls went to Bugaboo Creek (one of Candis' favorite places to eat) to celebrate stay-at-home moms. All 4 of us are now stay-at-home moms. I am telling you, we had a BLAST!!! I know the Bugaboo Creek staff was probably ready to kick us out. We stayed for about 4 hours. Time sure does fly when you're having fun. We talked about everything from A to Z. We laughed so hard our bellies hurt, we encouraged one another, we listened to one one another without having to say, "hold on a second", we talked about past mistakes and failures, we listened to one another's advice. It was GREAT! We all go to church together and see one another fairly often, but there is something about being together outside of church that really helps to form bonds. I think this is something we will definitely try to start doing once a month. I felt so refreshed after being with these ladies. Thanks girls for such a great night and praise the LORD that Candis is having the opportunity and privilege to serve the LORD by serving her family at home.

Stay-at-Home moms celebrating life!

Me and Tiffani

Candis and Lori

Indiana Jones Birthday Party

Saturday we celebrated Alec's birthday with his friends. He had an Indiana Jones birthday. In our subdivision we have a pavilion and a park, so since all of my children have summer birthdays, this is where we always celebrate them with our families and friends. It works out great because I always have a clean house after the party. Earlier in the day I headed down to the park to arrange a treasure hunt. After all, Indiana Jones hunted for treasures, so I thought these kids should to. I have to admit I had been kind-of dreading it. This southern heat is HOT! I really didn't want to try and have to be creative in it, but that's a mother's love for your right? Much to my surprise I had so much fun getting this together. Most of these boys are between 10 and 12 so I really wanted it to be somewhat of a challenge. I would just giggle to myself as I would put out the clues. Most of the clues would tell them to take so many steps in whatever direction and then they would be given another clue that would tell them the general area they could find the clue. For example, one of the clues said, "This clue is sure to LIGHT your way," and the clue was hidden under a light. I must say I was really pretty proud of myself:) We are at the end of the treasure hunt and the kids are anxious to find the treasure. I am hyping it up about the treasure being near. This is so TYPICAL me - we can't find the treasure. I am not kidding you. I could not find it at all. Several of the adults were looking with me. I described to them I had marked out a place for it so that I would not lose it. I decided to get the last clue from one of the boys and then retrace the steps myself. Badabing Badaboom I found it. So I started playing the hot/cold game to try to get the kids to find it. Here it is Alec's birthday and the very last person in the world he would want to find the treasure (which had $5 in it) did - Ashley, his sister. She was ecstatic!!! He was mad!! I believe if I would have let him he would have wrestled her to the ground to steal the treasure from her, just like Indiana Jones.

He did have a great party though. He got a lot of cool gifts he would never have thought to ask for. My dad got him a boom box, and he has so enjoyed jamming in his room. He got a fishing pole and all the fixins' to go with it from my mom and stepdad that he couldn't wait to cast out and catch a fish in the pond. The funniest gift he got was from his GiGi and Granddaddy. He got a box of Club crackers and some Easy Cheese. The boy was so happy!!!

The Birthday Boy

Treasure Hunters

Hidden Treasure

Alec and I hanging out listening to his new boom box

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

Me and My 2 Favorite Girls in the Whole Wide World and their American Girl dolls

Thursday night I took my 2 very favorite girls in the whole wide world, along with some other moms and their girls, to see the Kit Kittredge movie. My girls were so excited about doing this. My Hanna would ask me everyday, "How many more days until we see the Kit movie?" First of all, no boys were allowed, so it was fun just to be with a whole bunch of girls of all ages. I must say this has to go down into one of my all-time favorite movies! It was great. I would definitely see it again, whether with my girls, my girlfriends, or my hubby. It takes place during the Great Depression. I am a history nut anyway, but I love hearing about this time period. I can listen to my grandparents talk about this time period for hours. This movie made me laugh, it made me cry - it was just all-in-all wonderful. It was amazing as to how relative things were to today's times, but it also made me realize what people back then actually gave up -not just their cars, furniture, homes, time with their family, but also their pride. Oh, the movie was SOOOO good. To put the icing on the cake, I had the privilege of seeing it with my daughters, their friends, and my friends (the other moms). This is definitely the best American Girl movie I have seen, one we will definitely buy and see over and over again when it comes on DVD. I am so grateful my girls have such good Godly friends who come from Godly families. I pray as they age they will always make wise choices in their friendships and chose friendships that will encourage them in their faith and hold them accountable. I pray also that my girls will be the kind of friend that build others up, encourage others in their faith, pray for their friends and hold their friends accountable to the truth of God's word. I am so blessed to be a mom. I absolutely love it!

All the girls with their American Girl Dolls

Sunshine Festival

My nephews and sister-in-law (all of us ran)

5K Crew


Family of runners

Alec (in the black) and I (in the red) about to cross the finish line.

Jon coming in strong.

The girl is FAST -she's already finished!!!

Hanna and I (2 prissy girls- notice we are both running in skirt/dress)

This was our July 4 race, and it was my son's first 5K. They also had a 1 mile fun run, so we let the girls run in it. Both of my nephews also ran in the fun run. We were kind-of towards the back of the crowd, and the lady was giving instructions as to what the course was. I really was not paying attention because I thought we would just follow the crowd. Ashley said, "Mom, I don't know what the course is." I told her, "Sweety, it's fine. We will just follow the crowd." Ash said emphatically, "No mom, I don't want to follow the crowd. I want to win." Boy, and she just about did!!! She took off in a mad dash. I ran back with Hanna. I eventually lost sight of Ashley because Hanna and I couldn't keep up. She ended up finishing the mile in 7:40 - Wow! She is only 7 years old. She is going to be tough competition for us when she gets to start running the 5K.

Running with Hanna was precious though. She was a little overwhelmed by all of the people at first, so she and I ran holding hands. She got really tuckered out towards the end, and I would tell her it was okay if we walked, that other people were walking. She wouldn't walk. She wouldn't quit. She kept going, and going, and going, - just like the Energizer Bunny. She finished in around 13 minutes. The girls both got medals, so they were really excited.

Next was Alec's big moment in his first 5K. Jon, of course, was way ahead in the crowd, trying to do his personal best. Alec was nervous and I just kept reassuring him his nerves were normal. He actually started out a little ahead of me, but was having a tough time navigating us through the crowds, so I got ahead of him and led the way. During the last leg of the race he would say, "Mama, I'm tired. I feel like I am going to throw up." His competitive mother would tell him, "Throw up after you cross the finish line. We have to keep going, pushing forward. Every second counts." His goal was 29 minutes. He completed it in 27:36. I was so proud of him. Competitive as I am, I did let him go ahead of me at the end so he could cross the finish line before me. It was a really special day that I will always remember. Unfortunately, none of his placed in our age group. I was okay with that because I had really already won - I got to run with my son in his first race!!!

I have to say that as far as the after-race snacks, this one was the best one yet - even better than Disney as far as the snacks. They had the normal bananas, oranges, cookies, muffins, water, etc. BUT, they also had Chick-fil-A sandwiches, Starbucks (yes, I said Starbucks) coffee. It was wonderful. All-in-all, The Sunshine Festival 5K/Fun Run was a BLAST!!

I'm Baaaacccckkkkk

Jon playing "beach golf" while waiting for fireworks

Blowing out his Candles

Soaking up the Sun

Beach Babes!

I really did anticipate blogging about our beach vacation sooner than this, but I have been swamped since we got home. Needless to say we had a GREAT time. St. Simons is one of our all-time favorite places. It poses lots of memories for us. So here goes the play-by-play of our vacation.

First of all, is it just my family or is there anyone else out there who has a tough time getting out of the house for a trip?!?. Our plans were to leave our home around 10:00 a.m. Well, 12:00 p.m rolls around we are finally leaving. I have to be honest, I was really ill. We finally got off and once we were on the interstate good we played our traditional "truck game". It is so fun!!! It is just a silly game my hubby made up a couple of years ago, and we all LOVE it. We always play boys versus girls. Girls won!!! Once we got to St. Simons my sister-in-law and nephews came over to my in-law's condo and we all hung out. The boys spent the night and, of course, the kids went to bed WAYYY past my bedtime.

Day 2 - My sweet boy turned 11. He had been anticipating his birthday and was so very excited. He had been counting down the days, and the day was finally here. I actually woke up early this morning and got out of the condo before everyone woke up. I went to the beach and took my Bible with me. I had some good time with Jesus out there and then I walked along the beach. I got back to the condo and it was buzzing with lots of activity. Alec was so excited about his gifts. He still likes toys, which I am so glad for. I know a day is coming, a lot sooner than I want, that he will no longer ask for toys and will probably want clothes, electronics, etc., but my boy loves Legos and action figures, which makes his mom smile. The 5 of us headed to beach and loved every minute of it. It was fairly crowded. Ashley was all about digging up dirt in the ocean and finding seashells. Hanna played some in the water, but loved building sandcastles. Alec actually enjoyed both. We stayed for quite a while. This is the first time EVER in our marriage that my hubby and I actually laid out on the beach to get some sun. He loves the beach, but more so in the morning and the evening. I love the beach ALL THE TIME. Going to the beach is one of my favorite childhood memories. I think that is where my love for the beach comes from. When I was a little girl my dad would take us to the beach and we would get on floats and ride the waves into shore. We would have to rate the waves - either baby, daddy, papa, or great papa waves. My dad would stay out there in the water with us for hours upon hours. Then we would walk along the beach and hop in different hotels' swimming pools. We called it pool hopping. Sounds redneck I know, but when I think about those times it brings a smile to my face. Daddy was what I like to call a "great vacation dad." Anyway . . . . enough down memory lane and back to our trip. That evening we had ice cream and cake and celebrated Alec's birthday with his cousins and grandparents. We had to get to bed much earlier this night because we had to be up early to run in a race the next morning.

Day 3 - We ran in race and had a great time (refer to Sunshine Festival for more details). We went back to the condo and everyone but the men and my mother-in-law headed to the pool. We had some great "sister" talks while there and the kids loved playing. I have to say my sister-in-law, Holly, is great. She truly is more of a big sister to me than a sister-in-law. Everyone needs to have a Holly in their life. She is really an amazing person and I have so much admiration and respect for her. My other sister-in-law, Amy, had to leave the pool early to go and make her much-anticipated grits and greens. We had an awesome dinner that night and then headed to the beach to watch the fireworks. The tide was in so it was super crowded and the wind was so fierce that sand kept getting in our eyes. The fireworks were great though.

Day 4- My hubby asked me out for a lunch date, so I was DELIGHTED about that. We went to Mullet Bay, just the 2 of us, and ate on the deck. It was a great time. I always love the times when I have all of his attention all to myself! After we got back to the condo the girls and I packed up and met Holly at the pool, while Alec and Jon and the rest of the family played cards. When we got back to the condo we started up Trivia Pursuit. I am ashamed to say that the only category I did well in was Entertainment! I did get one question right about the United Nations. Amy really impressed me with her Trivia Pursuit skills. She is really, really good. I kept asking her, "Where do you get this stuff from?" It was boys versus girls and girls won. It was such a long game though, and when I realized the girls did not need my brain unless there was an Entertainment category I would drift into the living room and visit with my in-laws.

Day 5-We left around lunch so it was home again, home again, jiggity jig. I always say, "I sure do love to go, but I sure love to come home too."

Sorry to bore anyone with the details of my trip. This blogging thing is serving as a journal for me, so I like to be specific, so I can go back one day and relive memories. One other thing that I want to etch into my memory is during our vacation I got to sneak in a few cat naps. During my cat naps both of my sweet girls would come and give me a kiss on my cheek as I was sleeping. What a precious memory - one of my favorites!

A Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW...the neighbor's grass has been cut (yes, I know I am anal about this)...

I AM THINKING...that I am really sleepy.

FROM THE KITCHEN...dinner was enchiladas tonight and it is still there waiting for my hubby when he gets here.

I AM CREATING...well, I have finally started to get my thoughts organized with what homeschool material I am ordering. My "not having to think" month of June is over.

I AM GOING...to go upstairs and watch TV with my kids.

I AM WEARING...my coverup from the pool.

I AM READING...still "The Shack" by William Young, and it is WONDERFUL. Also my Bible and "True Prosperity" by James Robinson. Oh, and our new "Runner's World" magazine came in the mail today. Also catalogues for homeschooling material.

I AM HOPING...that I can figure out how to get my oldest 2 to STOP fighting excessively.

I AM HEARING...the dryer. There's lots of laundry from vacation.

AROUND THE HOUSE...the laundry is currently being washed and dried from vacation. The rest of the house is pretty straight. The exercise equipment in our family room will be moved to the garage this week - hip! hip! hooray!

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...GREAT friends. I truly love my girlfriends that I am really close to and feel "safe with. There truly is nothing like great friends.

FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF MY WEEK...swimming at "Mama Chick's", American Girl movie on Thursday, my sons' birthday party on Saturday, and Saturday night a girls' night out to celebrate a friend being blessed to become a stay-at-home mom.

HERE IS A PICTURE THOUGHT TO SHARE WITH YOU:

Silly Hanna playing in my accessories

TTFN- TaTa For Now

To the world of blogging, to the computer period, to my cell phone,TTFN- ta ta for now. We are headed off to St. Simons this morning. I can't wait!!!! I will blog about our trip when we get home. Please pray for traveling mercies and a hedge of protection over me and my family while we are down there. I hope and pray everyone out there in blogging world has a very safe and happy 4th of July!