Dolphins and Sharks

We got to go on a dolphin cruise Sunday night with Captain Adam and Jamie Sanders.  The sunset was gorgeous, lots of dolphins jumping and we even got to pet a shark (who was then put back in the water by Captain Adam - to which Will was very concerned).  We had a great night enjoying God's beautiful creation!

We {heart} 30A

We had the best 4th of July week at a little place called Santa Rosa Beach - right on 30A in Florida.  We spent time at the beach and the pool and then the pool and the beach - in no particular order!  Unless we were napping you could find us at one of those spots.  Will is now swimming like a fish and Nate is independent with his swimmies, so it was a whole new ballgame for us this year, to which the big people were all very grateful for!  Will loved boogie boarding and Nate was just as content up on the beach building a sand castle.  Of course, it never fails that the pool is always the favorite! We found a favorite new restaurant that we could walk to from our house called Goatfeathers, to which the boys found hilarious. We watched a 4th of July parade in Seaside and that night got to watch fireworks on the beach. An ice cream truck and an ice cream mini-cooper (yep!) came around for a treat every day.  And the best part of the week is that we had no agenda.  Nothing we had to do but lots we wanted to do.  It was perfect.  I'd say we are now 30A fans!

Thank you, Mimi and Pops, for such a great week! And we hope Aunt Kerry and Uncle Robby can join us for the whole time next year.

{Little story: My friend Mary Catherine, who is my counterpart in the Alabama-West Florida Conference, stayed in the same neighborhood that we stayed in. Such a small world!  She was sweet enough to put her skills to work and take some incredible pictures for us. So fun to capture the memories!}

 

World Cup

We're sitting here cheering for Team USA this afternoon.  And I've got a boy who just doesn't understand why someone just can't kick it in the goal.  This 0-0 thing has him mystified.  Maybe it's the fact that he played 3 on 3 with other 4 year olds and no goalie for his first season of soccer. It was a free for all (but oh so cute!).  And he loved every second of it.  He just asked if he could play on the World Cup field one day.  We can all have goals, can't we?!  Here's #5 - his inaugural season, way before his World Cup days.

See You Later, Alligator!

Some very good friends of ours are moving away - not far, thankfully, but still "away."  We're pretty sad but have decided there is no good-bye.  So we're just saying, "See you later, alligator!"

We sent them off with a little party and the kiddos got some great playtime in.  We spotted them walking like this.  Melt my heart. 

 

Love how they just happened to color coordinate! 

 

When we told Will that Noah and Myah were moving he processed it for a minute and then got very serious and said, "Mommy, but where will they go for Easter?" and then "Who will Noah hunt eggs with?"  You see the Rickers are part of our Easter Family (check out the photo below) - and our Easter Celebration with our Easter Family is a very big deal.  So somehow we're going to have to get a permission slip for them to come back to celebrate with us every year.  Being a pastor of a church doesn't mean you have to be there on Easter Sunday, right!?  I know some girls who will help me scheme!

 

Adam, Rebecca, Noah, Myah and Leah - we love y'all and are praying for you every step along this path God has set before you.  We're just thankful we got to walk alongside of you these past 5 years.

See you later, alligators!

It's Summer Time!

Great Friends + Great Dunes = Summer Time Fun

We've come a long way!

It's now a yearly tradition to gather at the Herndon's for our Easter Sunday festivities - something we look forward to every year.  Not only do we get to eat an incredible lunch but we also have a super fun Easter egg hunt and even get a visit from a really cool Easter bunny.  I just want to point out that we have come a long, long way in our love for Mr. Bunny!

Will - 1 1/2 years old

Will - 4 1/2 years old

Not a Baby Anymore

I'm having a hard time with this.  And I mean a really hard time.  Like put a knife in my heart kind of hard.  But it is official:  my baby's not a baby anymore.  And he told me so.

It started last week.  He just decided he wanted to start pottying.  We weren't pushing it; really hadn't even talked about it.  He just made up his mind and there has been no looking back.  I guess I should be very thankful for that!

And then came Saturday.  We're laying in the bed and all of a sudden we hear the door creak open to Nate's room and then there he comes be-bopping out.  My boy who has never gotten out of bed by himself - ever (and he's been in a big boy bed since he was one - yes, one - should have been an indication that his independence would come too soon!).  He just decides it's time for him to do things on his own.  Sigh.

And then the cherry on top was last night as I started singing him "This Little Light of Mine" - a song we've sung almost every day since he was born.  He looked at me very serious and said in his cute little 2 year old talk, "Mommy, I not a baby anymore."  And the tears they did flow (on the inside in front of him but for real behind closed doors!).  Now in his defense he did see my hurt and then proceeded to dance and sing it until I finally got the frog out of my throat and could join along. 

I knew it would come.  But I just wasn't prepared.  And I have a feeling he'll always be my little baby (shhhhh....don't tell!). 

My "big boy" has some opinions, my oh my.  Yep, those are mittens - in March.  And sunglasses - inside.  And no pants - to show off the Buzz Lightyear underwear of course.  He's a mess and I love him to pieces!

Super Friends

We've got a soccer player in the house (never thought I'd say those words!).  Will had his very first soccer game yesterday - and loved every minute of it!  My boy was all over the place.  He even scored the first goal of the game (although it was for the other team!). But he did score one for his team, too.  I'm not so good at this soccer mom thing just yet. I mean, I put the shin guards on the outside of his socks. Who knew?!  I can tell you about some softball, basketball, tennis, etc. but I know not the first thing about soccer.  Lots to learn.  And then I walk away with no action shots of my boy.  However, I did get one with him and two of his best buds, which is fitting since he's playing for team Super Friends.

Super Friends in action next week - promise!

The Race is On!

We got to hang out with the Bearden's in Albany this weekend.  We count down the days whenever we know we are about to see them.  The boys think Baby Jake is the coolest - and Uncle Buck and Aunt Jana are pretty cool, too.  I mean she was the one crawling around the yard like a dinosaur the day before our race!  Jana and I got to run the Snicker's 1/2 marathon together.  And we had our groupies greet us along the way (well, not my two little ones - Buck, Jake, Brian and my dad were our biggest fans!).  I always wish I could freeze the clock and extend our visits.  So wish we lived closer!

Our groupies.

Love my boys.

Can't get enough of Baby Jake.

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

Seven kids (well, minus the cutie referee that can't talk yet!) screaming at the top of their lungs "FOOTBALL."  That was our super, Super Bowl Party - too fun!  And, yeah, that's mine in the middle in the red, the one that refused to wear anything but his Georgia football jersey.  Needless to say, his daddy was proud!

Loving Some Snickers!

Last year I ran the Snicker's 1/2 marathon in Albany in March. So I found it ironic that I do all that work and it's my boy that gets featured on their website.  Apparently he has no problem with being featured for eating a Snicker's bar instead of running!  Check him out at www.albanymarathon.com - and if you are a runner this is such a fun (and flat!) race.

We're going to get Shamu!

It's no secret around these parts that we love Shamu.  It's also no secret that I have a 4 year old with a very active imagination.  So here's his latest idea:

Daddy, Let's go to Sea World in mommy's car and pick up Shamu and bring him back to the Epworth pool and drop him in the pool so he can make a giant splash. 

He was serious – very serious.  Epworth, get ready.  If we can get Shamu in mommy's car he's coming your way!

SHAMU

+

MOMMY'S CAR

(gotta be clean for Shamu, ya' know!)

+

EPWORTH POOL 

(minus the kids, of course!)

=

ONE HAPPY LITTLE BOY

Brian thinks his idea isn't so far fetched  

Happy New Year!

We're running full blast into 2011. Looking forward to a great year.

Happy New Year!