Beach Weekend

Here are a couple of pictures from a quick weekend away to Myrtle Beach in May. Rylie had a great time in the sand for the first time!

I'm back.....

ok--I know I am so behind on posting! But I am determined that Ryie will NOT be the 3rd child who doesn't get recorded--pictures, baby book, blog, etc. So, I am BACK!

Here is a teaser until I get the posts rolling.......

baby girl is ONE

Christmas time already???

I think this is my front runner right now....

Ok--I know it is still October but I LOVE Christmas time. One of my most favorite things about Christmas is Christmas cards. I just love seeing pictures and hearing updates about friends lives. Shutterfly ( http://www.shutterfly.com ) is a site that I have used for forever for photos, photobooks, and cards. They have so many fun designs that I always have trouble choosing! The cardstock is great quality and the printing is beautiful!


Here is the link to the Religious Christmas Cards.......after all Jesus is the Reason for the Season :)

www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationary/religious-christmas-cards

But they have lots of choices here too--

www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationary/christmas-cards


Right now they have a super 20% off sale going on, so if you are like me and are already in the Christmas Spirit (even though it is 89 degrees here today...ugh) you can go ahead and get started on your cards!!

www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationary

They also have really cute address labels, Thank You cards, and invitations for your holiday gatherings! Check it out!

Sassy's Wedding

Memorial Day weekend one of our good friends from China, Kelly Sasser, got married! We are so excited for her and Mark! In fact tehy were so popular, we couldn't even get a picture with them--ha ha!! It was SO fun to be able to celebrate with them and to see SO many people from China days that we have not seen in forever!

We also got to hang out with the Nolans and the Lovekamps, which is always a good time :)

Me and Susie

Billy, Matt, and Joe

And I had to include this one of Billy being Billy :)

Hope we get to see you guys again soon!

Rylie's Dedication

On Mothers Day, we had Rylie dedicated at our church. It was a special day and my mom was able to be there with us! We love dedicating our children to the Lord and, with the church family, commiting to raise them up in a Godly home. After all He gave them to us!

I also made my first smocked dress for her dedication. I had less than a week to make it, but it came together! I also learned A LOT :)--mostly what NOT to do next time!

My mom and Rylie

Mom and all the kids

Grandma Nellie's 90th Birthday!

Can you believe this BEAUTIFUL woman is 90??!

At the end of April Matt's family got together in Augusta to celebrate Grandma and her 90th birthday. Aunt Mari came in from florida with her daughter Moriah, and Matt's brother and his family came from Birmingham. We all gathered with LOTS of Augusta friends to celebrate!

I am so thankful that my kids have the opportunity to know this amazing woman! She is so caring, giving, and loving! She is fabulous example of a woman in love with the Lord! Matt and I were both blessed with wonderful grandmas, and we are so blessed to still have them in our lives!

Granma with Aunt Mari and Matt's mom--Kit

Grandma had 6 children, 12 grandchildren, and 5 GREATgrandchildren!

Here she is with two of her grandsons, and her 4 great-grandsons!

We love you so much Grandma and are so thankful you are in our lives!

sweet pics

So I thought I should post these sweet 9 months pics of Rylie before she turns 1! Where does the time go??

Daddy, can we please play Nerf?.....

........Is Rylie sleeping? Where is Mommy?

Those are the two things that must be taken care of to PLAY NERF (as the boys say)

The boys LOVE running around the house looking to get the stolen treasure from the other team, shooting each other a LOT along the way, and laughing it up :)

Am I the mom of boys or what??

Wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

My awesome boys

getting ready to attack

go get 'em boys!

And he's off...........

After he finished school in May, reid quickly got working on his goal for the summer--to ride his bike without training wheels!

I don't know if I said this on Everett's learning to ride a bike post, but my husband ROCKS at teaching kids to ride a bike!! Seriously, E was riding about 2 hours later, and Reid learned in just a couple days of short riding sessions! The three of them have a ball riding around the neighborhood now!

There you go...

a little help....

and he's off!

We are so proud of all the wonderful things you are learning and the amazing boy you are becoming!

K-4 Graduation

In May, Reid graduated from K-4! I can't believe how big he is getting!

He had a GREAT year with Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Dampier and learned so much.

We are so proud of you !

Ready to graduate!

receiving his certificate


So proud!

His WONDERFUL teachers Mrs. Williams (l) and Mrs. Dampier (r)

Easter

This was the first Easter we have been in Summerville since we moved here 4 years ago--kind of crazy! But we loved being at our church on Easter Sunday! Matt's parents came in for the weekend and the kids loved playing games and reading books with KK, while we worked in the yard and got a lot done!

We made Resurection Cookies and read the story from the Bible---I love celebrating Christ rising from the dead with my children!

Rylie's First Easter! She loved her Easter Basket!

sweet smile!

KK and Papa with the boys

Air and Space Museum

We went to visit my grandmother in Tulsa, Oklahoma for Spring Break last week. We had a great time!

It was kind of cold and rainy while we were there, so one day we went to the Air and Space Museum. The boys LOVED it! We have several friends who are pilots in the Air Force and the boys kept pretending like they were Mr. Jeremy and Mr. Aaron. It was so cute. I kept asking them to fly me to Hawaii to see Mr. Aaron's wife but it didn't happen....sigh

Anyway, here are some cute pictures from the day!

Flying the plane

In the cockpit

Astronaut Reid

Astronaut Everett

Everett's First Baseball game

Everett started machine pitch baseball this spring and LOVES it! He is having a good time playing with his friends and learning all about "real baseball" as he calls it. (he is comparing it to tee ball that he played last year)

Go Diamondbacks!

Snow!

Earlier this year we got a huge amount of snow for this area--6 inches! They haven't had that much snow here in 10 years--and Everett is quick to point out that he will be driving when we get that much again--if the pattern continues--scary!!

We all had such a great time playing in the snow and I think they stayed out there for 3 or 4 hours! And since we had lost power in the middle of the night before, and it stayed out all day--it was a cold house to come in to! But we all came in changed into dry clothes and went out to get lunch--and warm up--since i couldn't cook without power :)

So thankful that the kids got to experience snow, even though we live in Charleston!

Mommy and the boy's snowman

Reid and Daddy's snowman

Snowball fight!

Loving the snow!

Rylie all bundled up and ready to go!

Our house covered in snow!

Valentines Day

Rylie and her sock monkey. I LOVE the tutu!!

Happy kiddos!

We are so blessed!

New Years Eve

The boys and their sparklers on New Years Eve. We had a fake midnight at around 9ish..........

They loved it!

Christmas with Poppy

Rylie with Poppy--my dad--at Christmas. And Minnie Mouse her fun Christmas present!

The boys and Poppy

Christmas Eve

The whole family--minus Caroline and Rob

Four Generations of Women

Great Grandma, Grandma, and the kids
(not sure about Reid's face........)

My mom and grandma

Everett and his Nai Nai