beach trip 2012

We just got back from a week at the beach with our family, and the pictures say it all- we had a great time! The kids LOVED the beach, the water, and the sand...and they were at such a good age for it! I must say it was the most relaxing beach trip I have been on as a Mom. Me, Monique, all of the kids, and my parents were there the full week. Jared, Erinn, and David were able to stay until Wednesday. The boys squeezed in lots of golf, and the rest of us hung at the house and at the beach. Was so much fun!

We spent A LOT of time in the water! I still felt like they needed an adult in close vicinity, but they really did great with the waves and salt water. I had to make them take breaks so that I could sit for a minute!

They had sooooooo much fun with their cousins!!!

This picture was cute in theory, but the glare was just a little too bad and the kids couldn't open their eyes!

Goofy kids!! They played so well together all week. It was such a blessing!

Love these pics...have some from years past and they are always my favorite! 

We tried to coordinate the jumping- but this is all we got! Funny!

Braving the waves with Aunt Erinn!

We did have one "incident" where a wave completely took out me, Erinn, and the kids. It was so scary and we were lucky that the worst that happened was that my Ray Bans (my "two you" Christmas bonus! ha!) were lost! It scared all of us. I was really shocked and proud though that the kids were back in the water less than 10 minutes later and they didn't let it ruin the trip!

The fresh air seemed to relax Mac and he liked to snooze on the beach! Miss Mae was a little too busy to nap on the beach...that's a girl for you!

I love this sweet pic of all of the cousins in the matching bathing suits that SuSu and G gave them for Easter.

Elise loves to hold sweet Mae.

My Mom always gets the girls (me, Mo, Erinn, and herself) pj pants for the beach, and so Mo and I decided to continue the tradition and got the kids matching pjs as well.

Bennett reading to Mac.

Lila snuggling with Mae.

David turned bath time into fun time in the jacuzzi!

We are so grateful to my parents for the amazing trip! It was great to have such a long stretch of family time. We cherish all time together, but normally the visits are shorter, and I loved having the extended time with Mo, Mac, and Mae. It was especially nice to be together after losing Grandpa not too long ago.

I hope this is something that we can continue to do, because I know as the kids grow it will only get more and more fun for everyone...by next year Mac and Mae will be running on the beach as well!

seven

Happy Birthday to our beautiful seven year old!! 

We had a family birthday dinner- McAlister's, per Elise's request- with the Parnells and Legendres and then enjoyed cookie cake back at our house. I think she had a great day!! 

We've continued the celebrating with her cousins, aunts, and uncle this week during our family beach trip...pictures will be coming soon. Needed to post this long overdue birthday pic of our sweet little girl.....or young lady...:)

SEVEN!!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

I am a little behind in posting this, but didn't want to leave these pictures out! Unfortunately, Bennett was sick for the 4th, so he and I had a low key day at home. David and the girls took advantage of all of the fun things going on at our neighborhood club and had a fun filled day! It was kicked off with the annual parade, then a fun day spend at the pool, including diving for change and a water slide. Then they came home for a little rest before heading back up to the club for bingo! The girls had a great day with their Dad!!

first sleepover

Bennett has patiently waiting for his first sleepover, while watching the girls have them for a couple of years now (with close friends of mine), and while never complaining. But, I have to say he was very, very excited to have his friend Hale spend this night this week!

The girls have been in cheer camp with their friends Ella and Camille, and Kimberly and I had promised them a sleepover this week. Long story, but Kimberly ended up taking all of the girls and so David and I had it easy with just Bennett and Hale.

They were soooo well behaved, and cooperative! I think both were afraid that if they weren't this would be their last sleepover!

They were in bed and asleep by 8:45.....and slept until 8:30 the next morning! That is a record for Bennett..he is usually up by 6:30!

They were so good I even decided to take them to a celebratory lunch the next day before we picked up the girls at camp!

Our little boy is growing up!

a note

Dear Grandpa-

We miss you already. We all really miss you.

We were just at the pool and Bennett said, "I miss Grandpa. I wish I could go see him.", and I said, "I know, me too." And then he said, "I guess I have to wait until I get to Heaven, right?", and I said, "yes, but you can talk to him whenever you want. I do.".

Even though I have been trying to prepare myself for this day for a while I still (selfishly) was not ready. I am spending a lot of time being thankful, but I have to be honest and say that the waves of sadness hit and they are bigger than I imagined they would be.
Waves of memories have been coming too, though, especially when looking at pictures...and they are all good! Right now this is what I am thinking....
Thank you for stopping by my bus stop in your super cool (back then) Lincoln Town car on your way to work to tell me to have a good day at school. Thanks for later helping me learn to drive in that same car.
Thanks for coming to watch me play softball and dance.
Thanks for coming to pick me up from college- I can still remember the look on your face when we started moving shoe boxes. :)
Thanks for listening to us when we were only little kids, when we begged you to stop smoking after going to a D.A.R.E. program at school because we didn't want you to die.
Thanks for letting me and Mo play accountant, even with the Black Warriors and your special paper.
Thanks for always making me feel extra special.
Thanks for somehow knowing when I was a new Mom that I needed company. I'll never forget the happiness I would feel when that same Lincoln Town car would pull up in my driveway just in time to feed Elise or some hungry twins their baby food.

Thanks for loving David like you did, and for being his Grandpa too.

 And thanks for loving my kids, and for never forgetting their M&Ms. :)

Love you,
Nicole

goodbye

We lost our Grandpa this morning. It is so hard I don't even have the words right now. But, these memories above as well as millions of others are what we are feeling especially thankful for today. 

We love and miss you Grandpa Ray.