We're Back!

Hello to my few followers! Sorry for the delay in all of our posting but we have been consumed with track out and other activities! Let's see last we posted Andy & I had just returned from a relaxing vacation and it was the beginning of May! What have we been doing with ourselves?



We celebrated Mother's Day with a wonderful time! Church, Lunch, Nap, Strawberries! Then we were in full swing of the last month of school. Caden & his class put on their play The Odyssey. We signed the kids up for swimteam this summer. I don't think I had any idea how much time this was going to take! We are at the pool everyday it seems! But our little Marlin Maniacs are swimming like fish! Caden turned 8! Yes I did say 8! Wow he has grown up so fast! I love his personality...he is so kind and such a good friend. So for his birthday we took 11 of his friends to the movies to see Night at the Museum 2! Our dear friend and babysitter graduated from STMA...she is off to Cathloic U in the fall! Gran & PaPa came for a visit.

Susan & Maddie came to stay for a few days and loved splashing in the pool! We cooked out for Memorial Day & didn't send the kids to school! Bailey & George went to Pet Day at LES! My Cousin Michael got married in the mountians. Caden & Alli were in the wedding & Andy took the photos! We celebrated our 11th Anniversary! Alli graduated from Kindergarten! We spent a week at the beach! Aunt Debbie invited us to stay with her one night at the Embassy Suites Myrtle Beach! The kids had a blast in the water park and on the lazy river! Thanks Aunt Debbie!


We celebrated Jane's 60th birthday with dinner at Angus Barn. The kids got to go in the kitchen to decorated Gran's birthday cake. We also suprised her on Saturday with a party with her friends at their house! We have spent crazy days playing at the pool! Our first swim meet! Go Marlins! The four of us took off for a quick trip to The Great Wolf Lodge.


It was so much fun! We stopped by IKEA! We also got to meet our newest cousin Brayden & stay with Uncle Charles & Aunt Virgina! The kids love

playing with Ms. Grace their dog! Celebrated Father's Day with brunch and Sunset Slush! The kids and I gave Andy two suger gliders for Father's Day. I'll post more later on how ZuZu & Hatch are adjusting to our family! Granddaddy & YaYa were able to join us! Andy wanted us to work in the yard for his day so we planted, weeded & mowed! After we headed to Chargrill! Yummy! Smore's with friends! Swim Meets, Celebrated JVS's birthday, had some friends over for dinner. Shopping for school supplies. Now we have one more week before school starts! I can't believe it...it will be bitter sweet. I think they are so excited about the new school year! Alli is going to have the same teacher Caden had last year & Caden will have Mrs. Wood. We look forward to what this year will hold.

Romantic Getaway

Andy & I took a spontaneous trip...cruisin the Caribbean! We will celebrate our 11 year anniversary this May and my cousin is getting married that same day! Since we wouldn't be able to celebrate then we thought we would early. Our cruise took us to Key West, and Belize City. Thanks to the swine flu we didn't stop in Cozumel! We loved the Key Lime in Key West and we rode 4 wheelers and went cave exploring in Belize! The trip was extremely relaxing and knowing the kids were in good hands with YaYa, Granddaddy, Aunt Debbie & Uncle Jay it was a great vacation. In fact I am not sure the kids wanted us to come home! I can't believe it has been 11 years since Andy & I got married. Our life together is amazing his is my best friend! I love waking up next to him each day & I look forward to many more years together!

Spiritual Sisters

I feel truely blessed to have Rachel as my friend and neighbor! As I think back about what this past year has been like for her I am humbled at how she has handled and beaten breast cancer! Her hope was in Jesus! It would have been easy to be angry and mad at God but throughout this year Rachel chose joy!

She and I had a wonderful opportunity to attend Whole Woman Day at Providence... we felt like college students...with breaks in between sessions spent chatting in the courtyard. The speaker was Mary Kassian who I have done two of her Bible Studies and really got a lot out of them. I would encourage any of you to do them if you are in the market for a good summer study!

The following weekend I was able to go with my old Sunday School Class on their girl's getaway to Cherry Grove. A weekend away encouraging each other, laughing, sunning, shopping, sharing and eating! I learned a lot about Twilight which I have yet to read but plan too! Thank you to all of you ladies in Route 66...you are amazing women and I can't wait to see what God does through you in the women's ministry!

One last shout out to JVS! I love our quick phonecalls and chats...thank you for always having an ear to listen to me no matter what I am chatting about! God puts friends in your path sometimes for just a short while but there are few who will be around for the long haul! Thanks girls!

Hoppy Easter

We celebrated Easter at the beach down in Cherry Grove with the family. Uncle Dan & Aunt Brenda, YaYa & Granddaddy, Aunt Debbie & Uncle Jay and our crew of 4. It seems appropriate that we celebrate at the Sea Bunny! We did a little outlet shopping, went for a boat ride on the intercoastal and even had time to dye some eggs! The kids are still trying to figure out what a bunny, & eggs have to do with Jesus & the tomb! Me too! Some things we may never know! One thing we know for sure is that Christ did rise on the third day! What a comfort and blessing to know that our Lord loves us so much to send his son to earth to die for our sins. It is so humbling. I love hearing Caden & Alli tell the story...Alli refers to Mary as one of Jesus' best girl friends! Says she came to cry over his bones and he was gone! Love it! The kids also had Egg hunts at school before we left. Caden even read the Easter story to his class! (Just planting seeds in the public school!) Alli's teacher let her share her book of the Easter Story too! And it was the kids idea to share since "some kids might not know Jesus, mom!"

No Bugs in our Cornbeef!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Unfortunately, right before our trip to Florida we came down with the stomach bug! This is not fun on any basis but it also meant that we had to cancel our 8th annual St. Patrick's Day party. So not to let the bug get the best of us...we waited until after our trip and celebrated! It was such a fun time to spent with our friends the Hortons, Lords,Treichlers, & Shermans. The tradition continues....let us know if you want to come to the 9th!

babysitter...little mama

When we got off the plane Florida we headed to baggage claim and turned on our phones. To our surprise our ride, Rene, was not going to be able to pick us up...his daughter was in labor! No worries YaYa picked us up and after a quick nap and stop by a friends birthday party we were off to the hospital. We were able to see Amanda and celebrate the birth of a healthy little boy Kyle! The kids were so excited to see him and thought it was so funny that our old babysitter now has a baby! Alli will be ready to sit for Kyle in about five years!

Disney Daze!!!

Hello to my few readers! Sorry for the delay but honestly we have been out of town or preparing to go out of town or recovering from being out of town since my last post!

Disney...9 days...one family...tons of fun!

Best Meal : LeCellier - we liked it so much we ate there twice!

Best Character : Mad Hatter - breakfast at 1900 Park Fare

Best Roller Coaster: Rockin' Roller Coaster - the kids loved it so did we!

Best Ride : Toy Story Mania - well worth the 40 minute wait!

Best Surprise : Grand Marshals in Magic Kingdom Parade

Best Family Time : the entire trip!

I am taking a turn at digital scrapbooking with this trip so hopefully there will be some spreads to show you soon! It was certainly a trip to remember! We were also able to spend time with our friends the Treichlers and the Swopes who were in Disney at the same time!