Not good-bye, but until next time

We have been blessed with some amazing friends.  Truly amazing. I don't know how we would do life without them.  We see each other weekly, and share meals together. They are as close to us as they can be without being family.  We have known the Dorminy family since the early days of our marriage.  And by early days I mean just a couple months after we were married we were in the same Sunday School class.  And it turns out that we lived in the same apartment complex for the first year of our marriage.  

We then walked the road of having babies together.  Our kids are very close in age, and I remember playdates when we each only had one daughter. There are so many memories tied to this precious family.  When we found out they might be moving to North Carolina I think we were in disbelief for quite a while.  Then reality hit, but I know that this is not the end, only a change.  It still is hard to believe we aren't sitting under Josh's teaching as we had for the last 13+ years, but we are grateful to the Lord for bringing these precious people into our lives 15 years ago. 

 

These kids are awesome, and I love each one of them dearly.   We pretty much take over a restaurant when we all get together

We were missing one special lady who was working this night.

This was probably the most drawn out good-bye ever recorded.  Every time we had a "good-bye" there was one more time that we would run into each other.  But this was really their final good-bye. Sweet, sweet friends. 

Tears have been shed, but I know this is not the end of a precious friendship.  Distance can't break these relationships.  And besides, we will have all of eternity to spend together!

Sleep. We love it.

Birthday Adventures

For my birthday this year Marc and the girls surprised me with a trip to the apple orchards and tubing in Blue Ridge. We were there for the first "You Pick" day of the season, and as an added bonus they were offering peaches for picking as well.  Those peaches were amazing!

Poor thing is missing too many teeth to eat apples easily.  She kept asking us to start a bite for her. Good thing I just adore this little thing!

When then made the short drive for some tubing.  Rain threatened to change our plans, but a little drive west gave us some clear skies. 

The water was FREEZING, and sweet Macy offered to give up here tube with a bottom for mine with no bottom.  It made a huge difference. 

We had such a great time relaxing on the river and at times we laughed harder than we have laughed in a long time.  Some stories aren't meant to be shared on a blog. 

We had a wonderful family day and I cherish all of these special times I get to spend with my crew.

First Day of School 2016

After an amazing, relaxing summer we have arrived at the start of another school year.  My 6th and 1st grader were excited.  My 4th grader, on the other hand, enjoys her summer break from school.

Entering MIDDLE SCHOOL!

Kayla, you are going to have an amazing time in 6th grade.  I am so proud of how independent and thorough you are with your schoolwork.  You are going to grow and learn in so many ways this year, and I can't wait to take this journey with you.

My baby is in 1st grade!

 

Brooke, you are just loving school, and you are so excited to have Mrs. Nellie as an assistant and math teacher.  You catch on quickly to new ideas, and you are doing wonderful in school.  You are such a great reader, and I can't wait to see what all you discover this year from your love of learning.

 

My 4th grader has moved past primary grades and into upper elementary. Where does time go? 

Macy, you are a bright star in the classroom even if there are many other places you would rather be.  Your love of reading excites me, and I'm thrilled to be able to take this homeschooling journey with you.

Time is truly flying, but I cherish each day I have with these girls.  Homeschooling is not easy, but for us it has brought our family so much closer.  There is no one else I'd rather spend my days with than these precious sisters and their daddy. 

 

Celebrating the first day of school with some ice-cream!

 

Projects

It's no secret that we like projects at our house.  Some of us like the more than others (but I'll refrain from mentioning which male in the family likes projects the most.) The project we tackled this summer (and by we I mean I found the idea on Pinterest and my husband went about creating it) was a light fixture to go about the pool table in the basement. The basement is still a work in progress, but we are definitely enjoying it. This was Marc's mock up version of the fixture.

And with some blood, sweat, and heavy lifting this is the finished product.  I absolutely love it!