Family Times

Our next summer excursion took us to Auburn, AL to spend some time with my sister's family and my mom! Visiting my sister and her family is always tops on Sam and Lily's list not only because they get to play with their cousins, but also they get to live the "farm life" for change.

They took a dip in the lake.

Lily really knows how to relax!

Sam showed his fishing skills!

We visited a friend's farm and had the chance to play with some newborn goats! Who knew goats could be so photogenic?!?!




Or kissable?!?!



After a few days in Opelika, we finished our week by staying with my mom for a few days.



I love taking pictures at my parents place. The old barns and big trees make for such a beautiful setting! While we were in Auburn, the kids got to spend time with their great aunt and great uncle! I love that they have that opportunity, because so many children their age do not have any "greats" to talk with and share their love!

Then we headed home, unpacked, repacked and headed to Lake Burton for a week. This story to come!

Lovin Summer~
Laurie

P.S. Random pic:

I like cows and this one really wanted me to take it's picture. It told me so! Moooo!

Our Buddy

On a very sad note, we lost our fifth family member, Bear, a couple of weeks ago. We believe Bear was 17 years old, but he was with us for 15 years! He followed me home while I was jogging back in 1996 and instantly became our "first child". So many fun times we shared with him...

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

He will be soooo very missed!

Sad~
Laurie

Alive and kickin'!

I feel that all I've been doing lately is apologizing for not updating the blog, but believe me when I say that the reason it doesn't get updated is because we're too busy doing stuff that I'll blog about! See?!!? It's a vicious cycle! We have been non-stop since May, but we've finally hit a lull and I'm able to sit back, breathe and soak it all in!

First of all, Miss Lily graduated from Pre-K! I'm happy, I'm sad...I don't know what I am!


But, she is so excited about starting kindergarten in August. Here's a snippet from her graduation ceremony. I love this song and it's even better being sung by such precious voices!!


Next, Sam has passed 3rd grade and is on his way into 4th! Yay, Sam!!! Oh, I forgot to mention one thing.............


Boo-yah! That's right -- straight A's, AGAIN! Let me point this out -- Sam has had straight A's every year since he's been in school! I know, I'm bragging (and I don't like braggers), but he has worked his little hiney off this year and I'm very proud of him!!! (And I'm gonna brag about it, dadgummit!)

Both kids had some fun End of Year parties! Here are a few pics:

Lily and her BFF, Claire!

Fun water slide!
Awesome, Glow in the Dark party! Man, the kids loved this!!!!
Glow in the Dark slime!

And the neighborhood tradition...the "Annual Squirting of the Kids" when they get off of the bus on the last day! So fun!



So, May was pretty much filled with end of year parties, graduations and celebrations. And the best part of it all is that SUMMER IS HERE!!! My favorite time of year!

Smiles~
Laurie

A picture is worth a thousand words..

Or in this case, two:

Whoopie Cushion



Yes, this is one of Lily's drawings from preschool. Hmmmmm........

"Proud" Mama~
Laurie

Happy Smells, Happy Memories

Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm one of those people that can hear a song, taste a food or smell a scent and I'm immediately taken back to a certain place or time. For example, play me some Beastie Boys and I'm taken back to 1987 driving my friend, Nicole and myself to school. I'm not sure if that cassette (Yes - cassette...at least I didn't say 8 track!) was stuck in my tape player, but I don't think any other music played in my car during that year. (Right, Nicole?!?!) Or, when I take a bite of a moist, homemade coconut cake, I am taken back to my grandmother's bright yellow kitchen, sitting around the table, listening to stories of the past!

So this morning when I walked out the front door, I was met with the smell that takes me to summer -- the beautiful scent of gardenias! (Yes, I ran back in and got my camera and proceeded to take pictures of these beautiful blooms while still in my jammies!) Ha!

This scent takes me back to Richardson, TX and the public pool. I don't know how many gardenia bushes were around that pool, but my memory says that this smell was abundant and marked the beginning of the fun, school-free season!

So, as I took Sam to the bus stop for his last Monday of 3rd grade, I breathed in this beautiful scent and began thinking of all of the fun days that lay ahead of us over the next few months!

Inhaling~
Laurie

One lucky gal!!!!

"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom."
~Henry Ward Beecher

...and I am lucky to have had some of the best "teachers" in my life!!!

My mom!!!

My sister!

My mother-in-law!

And I hope that all of their teachings help me in raising these precious ones...

Happy Mother's Day!!

Learning from the pros~
Laurie

Some Easter love!

As I continue my catching up, I move on to Easter.

I love Easter and the weather that comes along with it! I love how each Spring morning, when I open the doors, it's like a rebirth -- the perfect feeling to go along with the Easter season. You open the door and the fresh smells, the cool breeze and the beautiful birds awaken your senses and put you in a mindset to jump start your day! Just awesome!!

We participated in our church's Egg Hunt, just as we have in the past. But this year was a bit different. We had torrential downpours the day before, so everything was SOGGY! So how do you handle that? Like this --
It may have taken a little of the challenge out of the hunt; but it was still fun!


And you can see that both Lily Clare and Sam were very successful hunters!

Easter morning brought a beautiful sunrise and temperatures to allow for a sleeveless dress! I love Easter being a little later in the year, because you don't have to cover your pretty dress with a sweater!!





My brother and parents came over for Easter afternoon and we enjoyed a true Southern feast! We started it off with some pimento cheese and cream cheese and pepper jelly and crackers appetizers.
Then enjoyed ribs, barbeque, potatoes and baked beans and finished it all off with some yummy petit fours!

It was so good, y'all!

And this was my Easter season craft:

Take some egg shells, dirt and grass seed; add some water and God's beautiful sunshine and voila!

More to come~
Laurie