Beach Trip 2009

Our summer would not be complete without our annual trip to the beach. This is a week we look forward to all year. All five of us LOVE the beach! Some of the highlights of our trip to Florida this year were visiting the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, an afternoon of putt putt golf, enjoying yummy seafood, playing at the pool, collecting shells at the beach, and soaking up as much sun and surf as we could.

Fireworks, Friends, Family and Fun

July 4th is one of our favorite days! Each summer we enjoy the 4th of July by spending the day with family and friends. Swimming, boating, tubing, a low country boil (yum) and fireworks were all a part of this July 4th. What a wonderful day to celebrate our Country and our Freedom.

Summer Fun in 2009

We had a wonderful summer as the kids were off of school. A lot of our time was spent playing, enjoying the pool, baseball games, riding bikes, swimming, and visiting the lake. Summer is such a fun time of no schedules, new adventures and family time. Here are a few of our favorite pictures from Summer 2009.

May Birthday Celebration

My brother and I share the same birthday month. Since my brother lives nearby now we were able to celebrate our birthdays together this year. We enjoyed a fun and yummy meal at the Japanese restaurant. After that Mom had an incredible cake for us. It was a great evening with family! For me it was another reminder of how blessed I am!

Preschool Graudation for Emma and Wilson

Emma and Wilson were so excited about preschool graduation this May. Both of their teachers had a wonderful ceremony. The teachers talked about each student and presented them with a diploma and a special award that described what made each student one of a kind. Emma was presented with the "Always a Good Friend" award and Wilson was presented with the "Future Artist" award. I was so proud of their accomplishments. I have to say I surprised myself though...I thought preschool graduation was no big deal......but it was. I teared up at both Emma and Wilson's ceremonies. I think I realized just how fast they are both growing up and that next year they begin a new chapter in their lives...kindergarten..and I will miss this precious preschool. Our kids have all gone through preschool there and it has been a wonderful experience for all of them. We have been so blessed by their wonderful teachers these past years. It has been a place full of love and a place where they grew socially, academically, and most importantly, spiritually. We look forward to what lies ahead as they enter elementary school in the fall and we look back and thank God for how He blessed us there.

Showtime

Each May the kids have a special evening at their preschool--the Spring Music Program and Art Show. The kids start the evening by performing spring music. Emma and Wilson's classes sang together this year. Emma loved every second of performing. She was singing and doing the hand motions and smiling the entire time. Wilson was not quite as enthusiastic about performing in front of all of the parents and grandparents. I don't think he sang one word---but we did see a few toe taps during one song. :) After the music program we visited both of their classrooms and saw their gorgeous art displayed. The kids loved showing it off! They both worked very hard making lots of great art projects.

Celebrating our Moms

We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with family on Mother's Day. We have a tradition that I so love! Every Mother's Day we meet for lunch at Eric's Aunt and Uncle's house. His entire family comes and all of us that are married in to the family invite our family too. This year my Mom, Step Dad, brother, and Uncle joined us. The food was wonderful as always----the chocolate fountain is always a HUGE hit with me (and the kids). Then the kids enjoyed the kiddie pool with their cousins. This is a great way to celebrate our moms. What a blessing it is to be a MOM!! I have the most precious kids in the world!