Fun with Grandma!

Well last week, we had a nice visit with John's mom, a.k.a. "Grandma"! She came to visit for a few days and, as usual, truly entertained the kids! They go down into the basement and I'm not allowed to follow, so I never really know what goes on down there. Anyway, I decided to sneak a little peek and look what I found....



The kids had set up a restaurant for Grandma and had decorated it for a party. (By the way, it was Grandma's birthday and we had super fun celebrating it with her!) Grandma got all dolled up --with a princess skirt around her neck!?!? - very creative -- and played along! The kids loved it!

Happy Birthday, Grandma...we love you!

Chuckling~
Laurie

Summertime, Summertime, Sum-Sum-Summertime...

I can't tell you enough how much I love summer! More specifically summer vacation!!! We've just had a wonderful week at the beach and I've not quite adjusted back to my REAL life! Summer vacation means sand between my toes, salty air, sandy (happy) kids and a full week with my husband! Who could ask for anything better!??!

St. Simons Island is a beautiful place and we're making some wonderful memories with each visit. Every day was somewhat of a ritual: swim and play at the beach, swim and play at the pool at our rental house, go for a bike ride, eat dinner out, swim at the house, sleep, then start over again!

Here's a glimpse of our fun:

Lily Clare is ready for her day in the sun!

Sam is ready for his future GQ photo shoot!


We spent a day on Jekyll Island in our "secret" spot and this is what the beach looked like!! We were alone! Well, until some loud-mouth people showed up and sat about 10 yards away and proceeded to talk on their cell phones. (We picked up and moved away!!)



We had to do the typical beach pictures, but aren't they precious!??!




Here are the gorgeous people I was lucky enough to spend my week with!!!



That gooey thing in the shovel is a jellyfish Sam caught. Yuck!



Here are our other cool beach finds!



Well, the last day was full of rain. But alas, we can't let that get our vacation spirits down...we headed to the local bowling alley in Brunswick, GA! You would have thought we took the kids on a surprise trip to Disneyland! They were ecstatic and had a blast! This was the first time Lily bowled and she did great. John was kinda worried that she may win the game, but he kicked it up a notch and took the lead.





Fortunately for Lily, bowling shoes don't come in her size....



What a great week! And did you know, when you least expect it, you can meet some super-neat people!?!? We set up on the beach next to two cute families, the kids started playing together, the parents started talking and we made some wonderful new friends! The two other moms are fellow bloggers and we were so excited to get home and check out each others sites! How fun to make "beach" friends and we hope to see everyone again soon! (More than just blog stalking!)

So, an incredible vacation was achieved and some precious memories were made! Mission accomplished!

I love my life, my family and the blessed things that I get to do!

Still finding sand~
Laurie

P.S. I promise I was on the trip! :-) I just didn't get in any of the pictures. Here's one and it's not too good...

What is your "Cardboard Testimony"?

Being an avid "Blog Stalker", I come across a lot of different things. Here's something I saw that really made an impact. After watching this, my thoughts were:

1) How brave of these people to give these testimonies in front of their congregation!
2) Doesn't everyone have something like this to share?
3) What a "perfect" welcoming committee!

Take a look and see what you think!



Gracious~
Laurie

Friends, Fun and Fireworks!

Here's a little glimpse into our Fourth of July.

Our friends, Matt and Nicole, came to visit with their daughters, Logan and Ava. We actually didn't take too many pictures because we were in the pool the whole time. But we had a great time! Nicole and I have been friends since we were in elementary school and have kept in touch ever since. We're the kind of friends that may not see each other every day, but when we do get together, it's like it was when we were kids. SILLY! I'll dig up some old pictures and stories and post those at a later date!

But here are a few from the 4th...

Here are the kids eating some summer berries!



Unfortunately, the grill was having issues. John was sad...



Sam striking a pose with his sparkler.



Miss Liberty!




This week we are preparing for our trip to St. Simons Island. This place is wonderful! I love the fact that it is a perfect blend of the South - with the moss hanging from the trees and the low growing live oaks - mixed with the salty sea air, marsh lands and beautiful beaches! Here are a few of my favorite pics from our past trips.














Ready to soak up the sun~
Laurie

Happy Fourth of July!

We have a day of fun planned, but just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a Happy 4th! While we are celebrating our freedom in the comfort of our homes with our friends and family, take time to remember those brave men and women who are fighting for our freedoms!

Star Spangled Banner

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Proud to be an America~
Laurie