Finally..the beach

Its New Year's Eve, our last day at the beach and it finally warmed up enough to venture out. This is the first time this winter that Myrtle Beach has had an average temperature day. We enjoyed a sea shell gathering contest, then a shuffleboard tournament. Emilee got some awesome shots of seagulls and pelicans that I will be 'borrowing' to make prints for my home. I saw Jennifer writing in the sand and went over to take a look, and her written message said it all - What a wonderful day, what a way to end this year, hoping for many more days at the beach in 2011!

Christmas traditions

Our family has been going to Myrtle beach after Christmas for years, its one of my favorite family traditions. And usually we escape the cold and its nice and warm and we get to spend some time on the beach. This year it snowed in VA and we drove through two states, and guess what, SC had as much as snow as we did! So no playing in the waves, but some time spent at the discount outlets and much time spent in the awesome indoor pool area of the place we're staying (we chickened out at camping, just too cold). We still wake up to the sun coming up over the ocean's horizon with the gulls flying, so life is good. Hopefully by Friday its actually supposed to warm up to 62 and we'll go seashell collecting :)New Year's Eve at the beach is always lots of fun...fireworks on the beach. Love family traditions

Merry Christmas

After counting down the days, the hours, the minutes, Christmas is here! Last night's Christmas Eve service at TRBC was wonderful, and set the mood for our Christmas season. This morning, Jennifer found out that Christmas is not scary (her words, she was a bit apprehensive last night). This morning when she opened her presents, she looked at me, and said, do I get to keep them? Yes, baby girl, its all yours, and our love as well. Taylor enjoyed Christmas in her new Taylor Swift t-shirt Emilee gave her last night, more fun at my parents house later today, but for now, we'll go apply the new press on glitter nails and have a nerf gun war :)

Oh Christmas Tree

A good friend posted on her blog about how her Christmas tree is special, not because its one of those perfectly beautiful trees that has a theme, but that its full of memories and meaning.

We have a tree like that, I have an ornament from every year since I've been married (and thats a lot!) and then years ago Tom started a tradition where the kids got me an ornament for my birthday every year because its the week before Christmas and add those in and then the ones the kids made and we have a tree full of memories too.

This year Emilee made me a special tree for our family room. I always wanted our tree in our family room but tradition dictates that it be in our living room and Emilee cannot stand to break a tradition. So to make us both happy, she got me a small tree and filled it full of ornaments that she hand made, its an art form called quilling. As usual, my pictures don't do justice to the subject, but I had to share some of my special ornaments from my first family room Christmas tree.

Christmas 2010

The Christmas season is officially upon us. We've decorated, we've shopped, we have not make Christmas cookies yet, but plans are to do this once the girls get out of school. Today we traveled to Sara and Chuck's to celebrate Christmas with them, and see how much Penny has grown and changed since Thanksgiving..and the answer to that is a lot! She laughed as Taylor danced for her, and just soaked in all the fun as we had a great meal prepared by Sara, who is reallly a great cook, accompanied by Chuck who holds his own in the kitchen and was assisted by Emilee who made the most delicious brownie cheese cake dessert (I feel like I need to walk 50 miles tomorrow after today). My parents came with us and we all had the nicest day ever. My post is pretty much just an excuse to post these adorable pictures of Penny, holding her was the best present ever.

Pilgrims and Indians

Today we had one pilgrim and one Indian represent our family in celebrating Thanksgiving as only elementary school children can. Jennifer's kindergarten class presented a little program for the parents as pilgrims and we enjoyed a really good meal of turkey, mac n'cheese, corn, dessert (a preview of whats to come this next week!). Taylor's first grade class all dressed as Indians and enjoyed a pizza party and had fun doing crafts such as weaving and other activities related to Indian lore. They know all about this as they visited a replica of an Indian village a few weeks ago and learned a lot about how native Americans lived many years ago. The school stuff is behind us, let the cooking and shopping begin.

Happy One Month, Penny!

Chuck had to work nights and Penny and Sara decided to come spend a few days with us. She turned one month old Nov.6th, she went to church with us on Sunday, and over to friends house afterword. This morning she's just chillin'. Chuck is off and came home too so we'll all celebrate Emilee's 18th birthday tomorrow together :) Life is good!

Happy Halloween

Taylor and Jennifer have never gone trick-or-treating. For that matter, neither has Emilee, really. We've been to church fall festivals and such, but living out where we do, we don't get trick-or-treaters nor do we really have anywhere to go. So this year, we had good friends invite us to come to their neighborhood to see what all this hoopla is about. Last year they and their neighbors averaged around 450-500 kids per house, and we just had to see this much fun. Off we went trick or treating, stopping by my parents house first, to show off the princess and cheerleading costumes and then off to trick-or-treat land! We walked all over that neighborhood, Taylor and her BFF, leading the way, and Jennifer and the cutest little boy ever, wearing his cheeseburger costume, following closely behind. Jennifer and Charlie finally just couldn't take another step so his mom and I headed back to candy headquarters while Taylor, Sofia and Emilee along with Sofia's mom finished up the task they'd started...to get more candy then they could ever imagine. What a fun filled night, thanks to friends who shared their neighborhood and their home so we might finally know why all those costumes and candy are in the stores!

Freedom 4/24

Saturday, Emilee and I completed a 5K for an organization that rescues young girls sold into sexual slavery in Thailand. Every minute, two little girls are forced into a world where they are exploited, often bought from families who have many children at home and the parents are told the girls have the opportunity to go into the city and make a living and send money home, not knowing their children will be made sexual slaves to an evil industry. Freedom 4/24 rescues the young girls and gives them the chance at a life and hope for the future. We were proud to participate in this event (www.runfortheirlives.net). I ran for a little girl named Khae. Next year the whole family will run!

More Camping

Last weekend we went camping at Smith Mt. Lake. Its not the beach, but I'd be OK with a lake front home for quick getaways. The weather was beautiful, the girls had such fun playing, even Slinky enjoyed the trip. S'mores ruled at night, and we even visited a pumpkin patch (but of course as usual, I forgot my camera).

Penny is growing up without me seeing her! She's now over two weeks old, I can't wait to hold her again. Sara and Chuck are supposed to come in for Em's 18th birthday on 11/09 - she'll be a whole month old by then, can't wait!

We visit Penny

Yesterday evening we got to meet Penny for the first time. She is just so perfect, I think she may be a strawberry blonde like her mom was when she was born, time will tell. It took us forever to get to the hospital - we'd gone to Sara and Chuck's to check on their animals for them and then we headed for Richmond but MapQuest messed us up and my sense of direction finished us off, but finally! we arrived and it was worth the drive! I can't really put into words how wonderful Penny is, and how proud I am of Sara in making sure she and Penny are both safe and healthy and a happy family. Chuck has spoiled her already as you'll see in the pictures - can't wait to visit her again!

Introducing...Penny Jean!

Yesterday I took Sara to her doctor's appt. She came out and said, they are admitting me! I got to help get her checked into the hospital. I was thinking, this is it, Sara is going to have this baby soon! And sure enough, she started having contractions...no one believed her for awhile but finally they listened and sure enough, Sara was ready to have her baby! So this evening my oldest daughter made me a grandmother, Tom is a grandpa, we couldn't be any prouder. Penny Jean is 7.1# and the cutest baby alive. More to follow, but here's a picture to get the party started :)

Introducing the ocean to Jennifer

We had not been to the beach all summer,so we had to just take one week end to show Jennifer the ocean. The weather is beautiful, and we now have another convert in the family, another little beach bum. We saw this beautiful little baby girl, a strawberry blonde who was just learning to walk, and I thought about Penny and how she's going to love the beach, her mom will make sure of that.

This place makes the world stop and all is right in the universe when you can put your toes in the sand...

Happy Birthday, Taylor!

Today was Taylor's big day, her 7th birthday, and she drug it out over several days to make it last. When Sara came home for her birthday, Taylor got presents from Chuck and Sara and my parents. Then yesterday, we took treats in to share with her class at school. Taylor decided that she just had to try out tent camping as she'd lived almost 7 yrs and had not lived that experience, so last night, Tom, Jennifer, Taylor and I went tent camping at Otter Creek on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We gave Taylor a new bike as she'd outgrown her old one (which Jennifer inherited). The camping trip was labeled a success and we'll definitely be doing that some more!

Then today, Taylor's best friends came and shared some good fun, and, of course, birthday cake and ice cream. Taylor is blessed with such awesome friends, and I am blessed that these friends come with such great moms. Taylor reported to Tom that while she and her friends played, "the moms just chatted and chatted". Everyone is so busy, it was such a treat to hang out with my two friends, I could've spent all evening with them, time does fly when you are having fun.

Tomorrow I go spend some time with Sara. She just found out she's got to be on 'bed rest' the remainder of her pregnancy. Penny is letting her know early on that she wants to control things (Sara was always kind of bossy so I expect Penny to give her a run for her money). I am taking DVD's, magazines, hopefully some comfort food, to make Sara's down time a little more bearable.

I am the luckiest mom in the world, I have such great girls, and can't wait to add another girl into this family to love. Hold on Penny, we're getting ready for you, can't wait to meet you!

Happy Birthday, Sara :)

Yesterday Sara turned 22, its a big deal for her, its her birthday...but its a big deal for me too because on August 29, twenty-two years ago I became a mom, and that is a very special day to me too. Sara was a happy, sunny baby, she's a happy, sunny person. Not everything goes her way (as that is life) but she always makes the best of whatever is happening and that is why she is good at whatever she does. And she will make a great mom. Chuck is going to be a great dad, too, both of them are naturals with children.

Emilee wanted to give Sara some sort of baby shower so we invited our family's females to a lunch..it was held at this neat old farmhouse that has been converted into a bakery/cafe. The setting was wonderful, the food good, the company so appreciated (the service not so great, but hey, we'll overlook that for now). Sara got some really nice things for Penny Jean, we celebrated her birthday Saturday night over pizza and cake and icecream.

Then on Sunday, we let Taylor have a bit of an accelerated birthday party because Sara and Chuck cannot come back in on her birthday. They gave her curlers for her hair, lip gloss, nail appliques and polish. Sara curled Taylor's hair and she wore them around for hours, wanting big loopy curls. It did not happen as dramatically as hoped for as we need to get some 'product' to help the curls stay in but this child is willing to go to any lengths for glamour and she so loved having Sara work on her hair.

Counting down the weeks til Penny Jean arrives. Taylor walked by Sara on Sunday, paused to talk to Penny, and said "someday, you will be beautiful"..we've already bought Penny an outfit to give her when we meet her, and we know she will be beautiful in it :)

First Day of School

Taylor and Jennifer's first day of school at Timberlake..

Our conversation on the way to school - The car is quiet which is very unusual -
Taylor says, sooo, I have to go to school...
me: um, yeah, for a long, long, time, years
silence...
Taylor, sighs and says to herself, "doggone it" - this kid just cracks me up

Jennifer was all excited to start, hope that feeling continues!