Holden Beach 2018

We were so happy to go back to Holden Beach this year for the first time in a few years! Sherry and Cliff rented a house and thankfully, given our current moving situation, we were able to go for the entire week!!! But not before Susan, Haleigh, and Mom threw us a going away party to send us off to Florida right! The pictures don't do it justice. All of Justin's favorite foods were there including pecan bars, country ham biscuits, spinach salad and lots of new yummy things like a lemon pound cake that Haleigh made and a delicious pasta salad. Mom and Dad cut out no less than 50 tiny martians to put on toothpicks for pigs in a blanket. I can just see them now...that's a labor of love! And there was Mars punch it was red (the red planet...I see what you did there) with lime halves that looked like moons. After a wonderful lunch the kids swam and it was a perfect afternoon that we'll always remember! I'm so grateful to have all these wonderful women in my family!

We almost picked up another rider leaving Susan's. Jack and Emmett are smitten with one another and Emmett wouldn't get out of the car for Mimi or his mama. Love that stinker!

Then we were off to Holden. Look how grown the cousins are getting! Luke went to prom this year and is driving!!! 

 We wished happy 35th birthday to Justin and 42nd to Shannon with Jojo's special ice-cream cake. Granna nailed the recipe!

Some highlights for us were learning lots of new games! I've never learned to play chess and so Daddy taught Jack and me to play. Sassy and Pops came down for several days. It was great to spend quality time with them! 

Jack was very sneaky with his "chest" playing and would give sheepish grins when he made illegal moves. And he loved his bishops!

 

Shannon and her crowd made it for the first weekend. Julianne was the most favorite person ever! Jack and Ella couldn't get enough. After they left Ella told us she had a dream that Julianne came back to play.

The kids tried mozzarella sticks for the first time! Tasty and full to stretch! Of course we also had three or so shrimp burgers from Provisions and fried fish and scallops from the Seafood Hut in Callabash. We stopped by the Christmas shop after, one of my absolute favorite places! The kids called in the Halloween shop b/c there was one small room of great Halloween decorations! I could stay there all day!

The kids got so good at swimming this week. They were in the pool at least twice a day every day. We had one good beach day too. Fireworks, scrabble tournaments, putt putt and scoops rounded out a perfect week.

Poor Ella, the bugs loved her!

The Scoop got a makeover and the ice-cream is all homemade! Ella got butter pecan (her favorite!)

We tried a new Italian ice spot too just down the road from "the house" that we stayed at. Ella insisted on calling the beach house, "the house" and made me pinkie promise (before telling me that we were promising) to stay at the house for the rest of our lives. Haha. 

Lots and lots and lots of pool time with Granna! 

They all tried to pile on "Mina-Kina" the pegasus (we're in a rhyming phase) and Granna slid right off. :)

 

Jack is so good at putt putt and really enjoys it. Sweet Ella not so much but she had a great attitude and pretended to be a zoo keeper feeding all the animals. 

 It was a fantastic vacation and we wish we could have had the entire extended family but I know Jo and Pawpaw were happy we could keep the tradition going. Looking forward to going back next year!

Bye-Bye Preschool!

Jack graduated from preschool on May 30th. School has been wonderful this year! I hope to post more pictures of all the field trips and great friends he and Ella have made. The graduation was held in the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and they had refreshments after. The kids sang all these wonderful songs. One by one, the pew full of teachers started to tear up and it spread through the parents. It was a very sweet performance. One song in particular, Jack loves, "I close my eyes and I can see a world that's waiting up for me that I call my own, through the door that I've been before, it feels like home...they can say I'm crazy, we can live in the world we decide. Cause every night that I'm asleep a million dreams fill my head a million dreams for the world we're going to make!" That's a winner for sure!

Daddy ran by party city and picked up a balloon bouquet for Jack before the ceremony. 

In the fellowship hall, the teachers hung cameos of the students. It was so cool how they looked so much like the profiles of the kids. I can pick Jack out of these without any questions! Look at that front curl!

 I had a sweet outfit picked out for Jack, chino shorts and a button down with collar. He put it on and pouted and pouted. I finally gave in and told him to put on what he wanted so he ended up being the only kid in a scuba diver shirt without a collar (palm to the forehead). But he was happy so...shrug.

Above is Teller and below is Mason, two of Jack's besties!

And sweet Mrs. Kathleen. How we adored her this year. Even since school has gotten out, Jack has asked me to tell her things, like he saw a tadpole and wanted her to know he saw one b/c she taught him about tadpoles this year. So sweet. She definitely left her mark on his heart!

And we can't forget about Jack's absolute favorite preschooler, Ellie. This sweet girl has the biggest smile, best laugh, and kindest heart. We will miss her terribly!

 Afterwards we let him plan the afternoon. He wanted Taco Boy (Moes but somehow we ended up at TB) and Jeni's ice-cream! Then we went to the pool. Great day all around! And in a few short months we'll have a kindergartner!

It's a Wonderful Life

It isn't often that we have family pictures taken. The time to prepare, the money, facing insecurities in front of a camera...it can be taxing, but the photographs are cherished forever. We had the pleasure of having Tickled Blue take our pictures a few weeks ago. Just before Ella's birthday. Sherry and Cliff were down for the weekend and the weather was beautiful. Here are a few moments in time.

 I wanted to be sure to capture Ella at this age. She is so beautiful and on the cusp of being a big girl. She was such a good sport as the sun set and the weather got cooler. I love the two below, the girls and the guys.

Handsome Archie men.

I love this laugh of Jack's. He's done it since he was a baby. Mouth wide open and eyes squeezed shut. I love it. 

Dancing with Daddy under the gazebo. 

It's so funny trying to act "casual." There is nothing casual about it. Like we would be standing in the streets of Charleston, hands clasped, having a group conversation. LOL. But the pictures are very cute.

Be still my heart.

My sweet baby girl.

 She is spunky and loving and has a rhythm all her own. She sings and dances, ("watch my dance moves") and she brings such energy to every day. She is a born leader and instills a certain confidence in her brother. Ella has given me the gift of self-discovery and I love every moment shared with this precious girl.