Jack's big day...12!!

Jackson turned 12 on July 31st.  We enjoyed celebrating all day long with him!  I put some tissue for him to break through on his birthday morning.  This treat was a big hit with the kids.

Birthday morning fun!

Here he comes!!

Breakfast of champions.

Simple m&m cupcakes on his actual birthday.

For breakfast he chose biscuits, french toast, eggs, and bacon.  And then he opened his presents from us.  He asked for a Lord of the Rings lego set.  He read the books this summer (with Andy's guidance) and loved them. He also got a signed copy of the Superman movie script which he saw at a local antique store.  He always has loved books and movies!

That night we had our annual tradition of taking him out to eat.  This year not only was it our own little family, but our three college friends from Atlanta (who are like family) went with us.  He chose Flip Burger for his special meal.  It was really fun and yummy, especially the Krispy Kreme and Nutella milkshakes for dessert!

Andy with our kids and our college "children"!

Sweet boys!

Later that weekend we had his party at the lake house.  We invited two families from Atlanta who we love dearly to come and spend the entire weekend.  We also invited cousins, grandparents, and a few close friends and our neighbors.  It was great fun!  The group was so large that we had "all hands on deck".  Some kids road jet skis with my brother, others went on the tubes and boat rides with my husband, and the ladies took a group to the pool, too.  We served burgers and chips and had a fishing theme for his cupcakes and decor.  He had a really wonderful time. (Pictures soon)

I cannot believe he is twelve!  One more year and we will have a teenager on our hands!  I have nothing new to say about this precious guy, only that we adore him and he brings us joy every day with his tender, servant heart.  I think he enjoyed his special celebrations and we enter another year with him praising God for the gift he is to us!

Jack's lake birthday party

Some of Jackson's favorite people!

Fun fishing-themed cupcakes: pretzels for the rod, with gummy fish tied to the ends, blue icing for water

So easy and inexpensive!

I used fishing lures and twine for decoration, along with more gummy fish

I tied the plastic utensils and napkins with twine and a single white life saver "preserver".

This year we celebrated Jack's birthday at the lake house again.  Jack invited his cousins,aunts, uncles, and grandparents, along with two families whom we love from Atlanta, and three friends from homeschool classes.  It was a great day with jet skis, boating, and swimming.  Poor little brother slipped in the bathroom and chipped his two front teeth and busted his lip, which added a little unwanted drama.  But we affectionately just knick-named him "Shark Tooth" for the weekend and Monday morning he went to the dentist and came out as good as new.  Jack really loved introducing his two new best friends, Jacob and Caleb, to his two best friends Wes and Will from Atlanta.  And we all had a blast spending the entire weekend with these two precious families at our lake house!  It was a treat and really fun.  I cannot believe Jack is 12!  One more year and teenager-hood will be officially here!  He is very responsible, tender, hard-working, and funny.  He is so much fun and I love him so dearly.  What a delight he is to have for a son!  I think he had a great birthday and felt very special.  We will treasure these parties and encourage them as long as he will continue to let us throw them for him.  His sweet childhood is fleeting!!

The countdown until school...

Wow, what a summer.  Our sweet helper Charissa left last Thursday after spending a month helping me with the kids.  Her last week we had two other visitors from our Atlanta youth group.  It was a fun week.  I haven't gotten out my camara a lot this summer, but here are a few other memories that I  captured.

We took our neighbor to the science center for a fun day.

Lydie learned to swim underwater recently.  She has to pop up for air, so she still can't hang out in the deep end.  But she is going under like a fish, a big improvement for her.  I still did not get her to swim lessons...maybe this winter at the YMCA?

The boys loved the high dive at the public pool in town.  The kids went with Charissa to the pool a lot this summer.  Good times.

This past weekend we hosted two families from Atlanta at our lakehouse for the weekend.  It was Jack's birthday.  So on Saturday we had other friends and family over for his party.  Such good memories!  I cannot believe my oldest son is 12 and going into middle school this year.  I am so proud of him.  He is an amazing kid.

Now we are fully focused on getting ready for school.  I am still working a lot in my classroom.  The kids have uniforms and backpacks on the way.  Today we are buying shoes and socks.  And summer review work and reading are in progress.  In less than 2 weeks summer break will be over and we will be part of a school!  We are almost ready and so excited.  The kids met their teachers at an event called "Popsicles at the Playground", and I met my students.  That night made us all really excited for this year.

Lydie all ready for Popsicles at the Playground!

Life is about to change tremendously for us.  We cannot wait!

Sweet confirmation

I only have a moment, so I know I won't be able to write all that is on my mind.  But I wanted to document here what a joy this summer has been as I have been preparing for school.  Sometimes in life we pray and pray, and ultimately we just do not know with 100% certainty what to do.  So we do our best and step out in faith that God will see us through.  (And He does, of course.)  And sometimes we forget to pray or we act in selfishness or haste and make mistakes.  And those lead to consequences and difficulties.  BUT, sometimes, we pray and we know without a shadow of a doubt that God is pointing us in a certain direction.  I like those times.  And this teaching job was one of those.
God has confirmed that this is His will for me in so many huge ways this summer.  The biggest is the way he brought our lovely, sweet friend Charissa to stay with us this month.  We didn't even ask her to come, she asked if she could come and help.  And she has truly made this month wonderful for all of us.  I have been gone some days from 8-5 working in my classroom or at the school for meetings.  This time away would be such a disappointment for my children who have never had to deal with me working outside the home.  But Charissa has eased this burden for them by playing with them, taking them out for ice cream and swimming, and in so many other ways.  She has truly felt like a part of our family and we all love her so much.  My daughter tells her every day that she loves her.  I keep pinching myself.  The entire month of July she has/will be here...and I didn't even have to search for her!  God just brought her to us!  Can you believe it??

Lydie's new sidekick, the boys new friend, and my life saver!

Besides that enormous blessing, I am enjoying the preparation for the school year so much!  There really aren't words for how blessed and excited I feel.  I love the other teachers, many of whom are my age and stage.  (Women who are both my age and stage in life have been extremely hard for me to come by since I moved.)  Also, the staff challenges me with their passion for learning (and teaching).  I could write a book about all that I have learned.  This group of men and women are so godly, brilliant, and funny!  I love their company and really look forward to their friendship.  It feels amazing to be part of a team-this team.  God has fulfilled a deep desire for me by giving me these people!  And the anticipation of meeting the children is so exciting!  I cannot wait!
My husband and children are all so happy for me.  Well, Lydie is a little more self-centered, typical five year old.  But Charissa is doing a great job loving on her when I am gone.  But Andy and the boys have been amazingly supportive and excited about all that I am bringing home and talking about.  I have had to keep paper and pencil by the bed because I wake up at night with ideas or questions.  It's kind of crazy.
I am so excited for the adventure of another week.  Praying for discernment in the juggling of it all.  And praying prayers of gratitude for the wonderful things God has orchestrated for us.  Wow!

"And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you."

Psalm 9:10

The wonderful vacation (all pictures taken by my phone)

We seem to do so much better when we are thrown into things.  This trip to the beach was a wonderful week.  We played and rested, while enjoying the best beach weather ever!  The weather was in the 80s all week, with a couple of afternoon showers.  The seaweed was almost non existent.  And the water was beautiful.
We spent a lot of time with my brother's family.  My cousin's family was staying at the same resort, as well, and it was fun to run into them at the pool or beach.  And my parents came for a couple of days.  So the kids had so much fun with playmates. 

We enjoyed long hours on the beach and in the ocean, and many hours at the pools.  This resort has a water slide down on the sand, lots of pools, and a restaurant and bar right by the pool.  So really, you could spend an entire week and never get in your car.  There is also golf and tennis, which we said we were going to do.  But the kids love the water too much.  And now that we do not have a pool in the backyard I also wanted to take full advantage of it myself.

Some of the other highlights of the week were mini golf, the water park, looking for crabs, fishing, and good food and shopping.  Andy and I enjoyed a date night on Thursday, while the kids spent the night with my brother's family.  And then on Friday we had his children over for the night and they went on a date.  Those nights were very special and sweet.

For our date we drove through Rosemary Beach and Seaside, and finally ate at a restaurant in Grayton Beach.  This area of Florida is spectacular.  So much beauty in the beaches, architecture, art, and city planning.  It was a feast for the eyes!  If you are ever in Grayton Beach, try Pandora restaurant.  It is not the most lovely in the decor, but the food was outstanding. 

On our night to keep all of the children, we took them out for pizza and mini golf.  We didn't get them in bed until after midnight.  Oops.  But isn't that the fun of being with your aunt and uncle??  One of my nieces was begging to go back to the condo and go to sleep before the night was over. :)

Although our trip went off without a hitch (except the night that my brother ran out of gas, but let's not count that night), we still came home with a hilarious memory.  We seem to be magnets for these types of things on trips.  Andy went out on the pier to fish one day.  He had the rare treat of seeing a very large manatee swimming around the pier, which is very unusual for this location.  All the people on the pier noticed, and many were amazed.  There was one family that began yelling, "Shark!  Shark!" down in the water, and running for shore.  They were of a different ethnicity and not quite able to say the "r" sound, just for extra perspective.  So Andy yelled, "No, no!  It's okay.  It's just a manatee."  The man looked dazed and confused and then began frantically yelling, "Sea monster!  Sea monster!", with the accent, remember.  His whole family ran out of the water in a jiffy.  It made Andy's day.

The boys are ocean lovers.  But this girl prefers the sand.

The beach on our first night while we were waiting for a table at Sharky's.

Sunset

The kids loved this water slide that was set up on the beach in front of the resort.

The bay by Boondock's restaurant.

My sweetheart

Greyce and Lydie- attached at the hip

More beautiful snapshots

Anna and Lydie

Our view on our date night of the sunset in the car on the way to Grayton Beach

All the girls hanging on Uncle Rick in the pool

Lydie finally discovered that she can swim with her head under the water.

The cousins and the kids the night we kept them before dinner.

And playing mini golf.  So fun!!

On our way home we marvelled at the fact that this vacation was completely unexpected and fell right into our laps.  It was such a gift, a treat!  And we came back a little tired from the traveling, but so refreshed.  It was the perfect way to begin July!  Praise the Lord for such sweet gifts!!

Heat

We can't escape it! The triple digit temps have made farming quite uncomfortable. Mostly Andy and the guys are suffering through it. But on Friday we all braved the elements to conquer the very prolific pea patch. Here are the sweaty kids afterwards. This picure was taken just before cold showers and gatorades.

Sweet and sweaty!

The high today is 105. So thankful for the ac and a day indoors. On the agenda: packing, laundry, canning veggies, and cleaning. Even though chili, soups, and sauces do not appeal to us now, we are trying to can tomatoes for when these things will be tasty in cooler weather. Fifty two quarts so far! It smells like summer goodness! Green beans will be tackled after vacation.

Bushels and bushels of tomatoes!

This is what happens when I leave Lydie in the kitchen alone with cookie batter!

But time for these things is dwindling with the approach of school just 7 weeks away! I have had THE BEST TIME preparing for my third grade class. I can hardly believe this unexpected journey the Lord is taking us on! But I am thrilled and so looking forward to the beginning of the school year. I got my class list last night and can now pray for these darlings by name. What a privilege! Next week offers...the pool, the ocean, reading, very little cooking and cleaning, cocktails with my husband and playing with my children. So excited and thankful! I plan on doing a lot of playing, reading, relaxing, laughing, and kissing. :) Yes, that is my agenda for next week!  I am really loving this summer season, even with the heat wave!



Indiana Jones/Harry Potter spy costume





Battleship is a good thing to do when avoiding the heat!



Dear LouLou

Please do not quit playing with Little People. You are almost six, almost in school. And when you outgrow them I will have to put them away for my grandchildren. Like your crib, Josh's wooden trains, and Jack's favorite board books. So please, just a little longer...

I need a break from this growing-up stuff!

"Lousy" weekend (but not really)

We embarked on another exciting weekend last Friday.  As we were waiting for a much anticipated visit from friends, my sister-in-law called and said her girls had head lice and that Lydie needed to be checked since she had spent the night at their house.  With fear and dread, I looked...and sure enough.  So as I hopped in the car to go to town and get all the proper "equipment", I passed our friends on the long country road.

Because Lydie and our friend (who is like an adopted grandfather to her) had been so looking forward to seeing one another, and the rest of us were excited too, and they had traveled three hours from Atlanta, they stayed.  (I felt like such a terrible host...can you imagine?)  They spent the better part of Friday visiting with us while I picked lice and nits out of Lydie's hair.  The men grilled out a great dinner and Andy gave them a tour of our farm. 



Hardest working man I know, ready for the tour of the farm.



I was so thankful that God prepared me for this weekend of "nit-picking".  That previous week I had gotten news that someone close to my cousin was faced with a son's suicide attempt.  And I had spent an entire night almost 10:00-4:30 praying for someone else I love who was facing a frightening temptation.  So I found myself, although wishing I didn't have to deal with head lice, very thankful for being a Mom and that beautiful daughter who needed my help.  Gratefulness changes one's perspective, and I was thankful.



Tomatoes, almost ready!

Saturday morning Teresa took some beautiful pictures (all the pictures on this post are hers) of our farm while the men picked okra.  (Farm work doesn't stop when we have visitors, unfortunately!)  And I spent the following twelve hours picking more nits and sanitizing the house!  Everyone except for Lydie and I went on an all day canoe trip, which was really fun for them!  I was so thankful they had planned this trip (and could get out of the buggy house!).  They had dinner out.

Baby watermelon

Bees- a farmer's best friend

Sunday morning we discovered that everyone was still lice-free...except for me!  So everyone went to church except me.  I stayed and listened to a beautiful sermon on-line and some wonderful praise music.  Just wrapped my hair up in a towel and enjoyed the solitude.  And after lunch, they all returned home so we could say good-bye to our friends.  Then Andy spent the next 5 or 6 hours proving again that he truly meant it when he said, "I do!" to our wedding vows.  He sat and picked bugs and eggs out of my hair.  YUCK!  And our dear college friend who is working for us this summer made dinner for us.  The weekend really turned out to not be so lousy after all, but how could I resist the title?

Yesterday we were all lice-free.  Praise God.  Life goes on as usual.  And the blessings overflow.  Lydie is swimming with a friend.  The boys and I are going to lunch and a movie today-just us.  We also found out this morning that my parents rented a beach condo for us to enjoy next week and I am forcing my husband to leave the farm in the hands of our college and high school employees for a week.  This blessing has put me on cloud nine for the day.  A whole week off for the hardest working man I know- thank you, Jesus!  And the vacation that the kids begged for and I thought impossible has fallen into our laps.  What a gift from the Father (and my Dad)!  Plans for today: enjoy the sweetness of our first watermelons, cut sunflowers from the garden for the house, spend a great day with just my boys, and praise God all day long!

Flying

The days are flying by so quickly this summer! Between farm work and my parents moving to a new house, we have been busy at work.  In fact, we still haven't written our annual fun "Summer Bucket List".  Maybe next week...

Excited boys when I dropped them off at camp

But we still have had time for good fun.  The boys went to camp last weekend and had a blast.  And Lydie spent the night with her cousin and went to vbs.  And we seem to always have a neighbor or high school/college friend around here.  So I think the kids are having a good summer.

Lydie after VBS with cousins and friend

Here are a few pictures from a morning when the boys made produce deliveries with Andy and I was here alone with Lydie.  We sewed a dress for her bear and had a tea party.  It was good, girlie fun.

Father's day was quiet.  My Mom and Dad wanted to just rest after moving.  Andy's parents were at his brother's house.  And Andy wanted to have lunch out and then a quiet day here.  We made him breakfast in bed, went to church, ate out, and just played around.  The children adore my husband, and I cannot describe how blessed I feel to have him as their Dad.  He is fun, kind, and wise.  He truly enjoys time with them, and listens and responds so lovingly to them.  They have no idea what a treasure he is.  And every year of my life I am enjoying and becoming more thankful for my sweet Daddy.  Funny, generous, and full of spunk.  I love him to pieces.  Spending more time with him this past year since we moved back to Alabama has been one of the biggest highlights of living here.  So thankful for Andy and Dad!

Work and play

My amazing best friend had the children come to her house from Tuesday until Friday the other week.  What a gift for my kids to spend almost four days with their best friends.  She went all out and took them to the pool, Monkey Joes, and tennis camp.  But mostly they loved just playing at her house with their buddies.  While they were gone, I had some time to help my parents prepare for moving into their new house, complete some projects around here, and have a lot of date time with my husband.  It was so amazing.

Good-bye, white house!

That week we closed on our house in Atlanta, which was actually a relief and not sad, see...

No more mortgage!

I took Lizzie to the lake house for the weekend and the kids went home with Andy. What an adventure...my keys did not fit and I had to break in, it rained every day which caused us to only get our swimsuits wet once- from rain! We almost got attacked by crazy birds and got locked out of the pool, only to finally get in,take off our cover-ups, and get rained on! But we still had a blast. Plenty of fun conversation, sweet encouragement and support, and good wine. How can you not have fun when you are with your best friend??

Jack is working 5 hours a day, 3 days a week with Andy. So proud of him as he works so hard and is so thankful for the time with his Dad and his first opportunity to make his own money. I love who he is becoming.

We are all putting in some long hours on the farm.  Poor Josh, poison ivy on his face and very infected bug bite last week.  The downfalls of being outside a lot, I guess.  We are trying to make it fun for the kids, but mostly just hoping they learn the value of hard work.  I am so immensely proud of them and all they are learning!

Today the boys went with Andy to deliver produce.  Lydie and I are here alone.  Because I am desperately behind on laundry and housework, we are have an all day Disney-channel fun fest.  I figure we have logged in enough outdoor hours to merit a whole day of cartoons! :) 

Ahhh...Summer Break Begins!

We finished school last Tuesday.  Our schedule was set for June 1st as our last day.  But the boys were determined and doubled, even tripled, their lessons in order to finish over a week early. Along with all the schoolwork, we had standardized tests.  But they decided they would be done by Tuesday, May 22nd.  And after a handful of eight hour school days, they finished!  Wouldn't it be nice if we would tap into that determination every day!

So Wednesday was our first day of summer break.  Because it had been two weeks+ since I had been to the store, and because we were celebrating, here was our dinner that night:



really healthy



For summer fun so far, we have gone to a pool party (our first time in the pool this year), attended our neighbor's graduation, went to the library and joined the summer reading club, went to the lakehouse for Memorial day weekend, and met some friends for slushies and mini golf.

Then we turned our farm office/school room into a play room.  I am wasting no time getting into a new frame of mind around here.  No more need for a school room at home!  It's very overwhelming and so exciting.  It probably drives my husband crazy, but this house is so small, I am always rearranging to find the best use of space.  I have about 15 summer projects lined up for May/June.  I am not sure how I found so much to do in a 9 room house!  I love house projects. The high school/college guys who help at the farm will help me occasionally.  Like last week, they helped me move Andy's office stuff to another building on the property.  Love having them around to help, hang out with the kids, and eat dinner with us every now and then.  Especially our friend from Atlanta, Caleb, who is here for the summer.  Here is a picture of the guys with Andy and our boys:

The boys at Danny's graduation

We went to the lake for Memorial day weekend with my Mom, Dad, and brother's family.  But this is the only picture I took:

Next week we are going to make our summer bucket list.  Let the summer fun begin!