Look at Betsy

Oh dear!

 What in the world has Betsy been eating?

 Too many cookies, for sure...

 Sheer delight!

 And attention from everyone in the house!

 Yet, no one tried to steal her thunder.

 Do these pictures spark any memories?

 A ride to bed on daddy's shoulders ~ what more could a little girl want.

Here's What's New

~Happy Summer~

So sorry to leave you hanging on the goings on of our clan.  Summer is here and in full swing.  In my head, I've written many posts!  In my head those posts are about the last week of school - "field trips" with my little ones, birthday celebrations with my big two, the sweet secretary at the elementary school and "orange ya glad it's summer" , Field Day...

 

 

...and then more about Memorial Day Weekend at the lake with extended family, a first ski, a boat ride and dinner with fabulous friends who have three girls who match up with ours, a sewing project for a friend, the beginnings of swim team, a Barons game, a family obsession with the Braves, a small group dinner for Frank's office, running household errands with four children, another relaxing weekend at the lake, and now Vacation Bible School.









You can tell we've been a bit busy and the details of those events will likely remain in my head. 

The reality is:  I am lucky if I sit down at the computer long enough to respond to an e-mail and when I sit down for longer than that I better be paying bills.  Furthermore, my camera hasn't been documenting the way it should.  Maybe I will be better.  But then again, maybe I won't.

I am however LOVING summer and the time I am spending with my family.

As for blogging and documenting our life I have to say thank goodness for Frank's phone!

Last night, Mary Frances and Stephen had their first swim meet of the year last night.  It was a friendly competition against the LJCC which is just over the hill from our house.  It was one of those meets where when lining up my children might have known their competitors either from school or church and I could chat with moms from the other team as I was helping with the meet.  It was a relaxed, fun way to start off our season of swimming.

I know it isn't good to be proud, but last night I was really proud of both of my children.  They both competed in three events and were willing to stick around to see if Coach Paige needed help with the relays. 

 

5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

The countdown to the last day of school is on.  We are winding down and it sure feels good. 

I've found myself quite weepy this week.  I'm not sure why the end of the school year can have that affect on me. 

A fun family night with a Crawfish Dinner ~

We are loving eating dinner on our porch at the table from Point Clear {and watching the Braves} ~

My children are loving time with no after school activities!

 

Made Her Day

It's the little things in life that bring joy to life!



A Little Bit Stronger

Walker is taking swimming lessons.  If any of you saw me at the pool last summer you know that this has the potential of being a HUGE challenge.  We are taking lessons from a friend who others affectionately call the "swim whisperer" - you know kinda like the "horse whisperer".  She is awesome and has been great for teaching my children to swim.  There are lots of ways to teach a child to swim, and she is the approach we need. 

Yesterday was Day 3 which is typically the break through day.  Two years ago this was not true for us.  Walker screamed everyday for the entire two weeks even though he was capable of swimming when his head was in the water.

Thankfully this year is different!  Tuesday Walker resisted, cried, screamed, ran, and manipulated in an effort not to swim.  Though by the end of the class, he had a smile on his face and was actually looking forward to going back.  He woke up yesterday telling me he was going to be more brave at swimming.  And he was...

My sweet Walker is getting a little stronger and a little braver each day.

He even was happily willing to race...

Thank goodness for that smile...

I am so happy that you are a little bit stronger* and braver!

And as an aside, isn't this back yard lovely!



*I know the song is about a break up but everytime I hear it, I think it could apply to so many areas in life.  



Like Puppies

My next door neighbor is the mother of four children, and she is a pediatrician.  To me, this puts her in the category of being wise with little ones.  Once, when chit chatting in the front yard, she made the comment that young children sleep like puppies.  Those words stuck with me because it is so true.

Before crawling into my own bed Monday evening, I heard cries from upstairs.  I found this little one wide awake and terribly frustrated.  She was in bed with Mary Frances and Stephen yet I think she felt like the little one in Roll Over. Stephen was using her as a pillow.  While she loves the idea of sleeping with her siblings, I think she prefers to sleep alone.  As I covered her in her own bed she sighed as if to say, "I've got it all to myself".



I didn't snap a picture of the before, because I just wanted everyone to go back to sleep.  I did, however, run back downstairs to grab my camera to remember how my children love to sleep.

Together!



On the floor!

A Big Thank You

I saved the best part of my Mother's Day Weekend...

Thank you to my father, my Uncle Frank, my brother Bill, and my Yankee Cousins*

{Maggie, Leah, and Dillon}

Thank you for letting me have this table to place in my home.  I'm not sure if you will ever know how much it means to me.  As I wiped away the final reminders of Katrina, I cried.  As I cut flowers to put in a vase I cried.  As I asked the children to please set the table, I cried.  As I thanked Frank for fitting it in his father's car, I cried.  As I passed food, I cried.  As I write this post, I cry!

These tears are a mixture of happiness and sadness all at once.  Happiness that I get to continue the legacy of serving meals to family and friends around this table yet extreme sadness that I don't get to do that at Point Clear.

There is no way to know how many hundreds of meals have been served around this table, but I feel blessed to get to continue the legacy. 

To my extended family, I hope that one day we can all sit around this table again.

 

*sorry, please take no offense to the term!