August-December 2017

My goal is going to complete the blog updates from the last million years and attempt to stay in real time from now on.  Blogging is something I really like, but it is so hard to maintain that on a regular basis!  I don't mean to neglect it, but it isn't something I can just sit and do unless I plan a time to do it.  

So thankful for this man and his health.

Open heart surgery in August and he was up and moving soon after.

My best friend lost her dad in October to the same kind of heart issue that Dad had.

Every now and again I catch myself thinking about Dad and Roy and how thankful I am.

I started coaching my girl last May and we had competitions through December of 2017.

It was a long season and it was hard, but we had fun!

I think she's ready to do it again and I am gearing up to coach again!

Hayes plays soccer and Libby does cheer.

The girls color on the sidelines while we watch soccer.

It is lovely.

Last season our soccer team was terrible.

As in, we never won a game.

This season was awesome and we went undefeated!

Cheer comp season was similar to LAST soccer season.

We didn't win one single competition during regular season!

We still had a GREAT time!

In October 2017 we put our house on the market and got full asking price in 10 DAYS!

Fall Festival at Winston is always a good time!

Our BFF Kinsley!

Spencer's Drama

Let's all observe Spencer's dramatic flair.

I really enjoy how much enthusiasm she wakes up with daily.

I love that she's about as positive as I AM!

Her smiley face lights up every single face.

I am often told that she is the happiest child in the world.

I am just SO grateful that she is MINE!

SB 2017

We had a busy week planned for Spring Break 2017!

Monday was a great lunch courtesy of my mother in law at Mary Macs in Atlanta.

They have some of the best food ever!

I had the chicken friend chicken and the sweet rolls!

So yum!

We also had fun dodging the RAIN and the tornadoes!

Yikes!

Tuesday the tiny people went to play with BeBe and Papa for the day.

We cleaned out the garage AND sold some things online!

It was miraculous.

I was so excited to get that task done.

I love being able to trash things and donate them to people  who will actually USE them!

Wednesday was filled with more crazy weather.

We braved the rain and some more tornado warnings for playtime!

It was Hayes' bday celebration with his BFF Luke.

I'll post those pictures and that story later!

Thursday we went to have lunch with Pawpaw and tour the Delta Museum in Atlanta.

SO COOL!

There is an actual 747 we got to walk around in AND there are several airplanes on display.

We got to spend some time learning about the history of Delta.

Spencer is wild.

Hayes loves to learn.

And Elizabeth is a professional picture poser.

Friday  was our last day of break and I'm pretty sure we just laid low and worked in the yard!

Annnnnd, that's a wrap.

The wedding involved some climbing...

No groomsmen were harmed during the shooting of this photo.

Sheldon Cooper ladies and gents...

I'm raising Sheldon Cooper.

Lined them up first, then organized by color, then ate his favorites last.

He is my child.

Lord help us all.

Best looking crew out there.

We sat and waited in the rain for what felt like hours....

But I'm pretty sure it was more like 45 minutes-ish.

Kathryn didn't even know her dress would double as a blanket during such a time.

We were trying to keep warm and dry!

Luckily we had a beverage delivery service from the 'mens.'

They were troopers and did a great job that day!

I don't think anyone understands the magnitude of my worry from that day.

I was TERRIFIED that my children would ruin everything.

Throw a fit, run, cry, scream, you know... the works.

Worst thing that happened was that we had to keep them DRY long enough to get them to the wedding.

Also, Elizabeth filled her diaper with a lovely surprise about 2.5 seconds before go time.

She sported the dirty diaper for a stroll down the aisle.

Thankfully no one was close enough to notice!

Papa is the only one with legs long enough for this to be a game.

She tries it with the rest of us and it doesn't end well.

She usually falls backwards or makes me fall over.

We all danced.

Even this chick.

We should have a party.

The children went to visit my parents at the lake.

We should have had a party.

We didn't.

We did laundry.

We went shopping with my mother in law and our cousin.

The kids fished.

And tried out new specs.

Upside down.

Without pants on.

I got to drink Cheerwine and have cake!

We also took an adventure to the DMV and spent about 2 hours waiting before we got our license renewed. 

Rock.  On.  

Italian Cream Cake.

The End.

Piggies

We went to visit my Grandma Ouida this week.

Hayes and Elizabeth had a blast playing.

Elizabeth also had awesome hair.

She's searching for the Dum Dum pops here.

Sneaky kid...

Military Lounge

Today my family and I are volunteering at the Delta Military loung at the ATL airport. 

I am going to try not to cry all day while I think about it. 

And refrain from crying while I'm there. 

But I make no promises. 

I cannot wait to tell y'all all about it!

Facebook=Grown Up Show and Tell

Did y'all ever go with your parents to work when you were a kid?

I know that experience for my sisters and I was always an adventure.

And always embarrassing.  

Dad always had pictures of us on his desk that were at least 5-7 years old.  

So naturally our hair styles were awful and we had gap toothed grins.

But he was so proud.  

Often there were newspaper clippings, mostly of Kathryn, who was our softball star.

There is still a newspaper clipping of Kat on my grandparents fridge.  

Some things never change.

My dad displayed those photos with a huge smile on his face.

No doubt that he had a story for each picture and that he told that story to every person he met.

Bless them for having to listen... multiple times I'm sure....

Going to see those photos at the office and going to see him at the office was just another way he could participate in grown up show and tell.

It was always like being on parade.... and so embarrassing.

We always took a lap (or two) around the cubicle jungle to meet all his buddies.

They knew our life story.

We knew they worked with Dad and looked like nerds.

Now when we go to visit Dad at work there are photos of us, the kids, and our spouses (or soon to be spouses)...

Things change, but those photos remain.

Sometimes the old photos are still there... but we have new additions as well!

 

And thank goodness for the invention of Facebook.

Photo sharing at its finest.  

I can email a photo to Dad and he can print it out immediately for display.

I don't worry so much that those folks are seeing my gap toothed grin anymore.  

Thankfully, I haven't lost a tooth in a while.

I have also learned that hairstyles aren't such a huge issue.

But then again, I don't have giant 80s bangs anymore.  

I'm sure a good bit of Dad's colleagues have a Facebook and they see plenty of us that way.

Less pressure for the parade around his office that way...

Did I mention that it was embarrassing?

He leaves me speechless.

 Pawpaw brought him an airplane on Father's Day.
Hayes hadn't been feeling well, and this day was a stretch for him.
Poor kid has had one heck of a summer with sicknesses.
Plural. 
As in the whole month of June, sick.
Summer sicknesses are misery for all involved.

 But you would NEVER know that this kid is miserable.
He has a face that radiates joy.
His giggles could melt anyone's heart.

 He's just so tickled that he can't stop laughing!

 Look, he pretends to be shy.
Hilarious.

 I love his chubby hands.
I love his dimples too.
I am so sad he's growing up.

 Simply put, he's TOO big for his britches.