Pool Time!

We knew when we decided to buy some land and build outside of a neighborhood that we would want to look into having a pool.  Ideally we wanted to have it installed during construction, but that didn't work out at the time.  The girls have been so excited, and it's hard to believe that the time is here! After a lot of research we decided to go with a fiberglass pool.  Watching the process has been fascinating... and a little distracting for kids who are supposed to be doing their schoolwork.

More dirt mounds to climb.  I sure will be glad to see them all disappear.  I'm so tired of mud.

Lesson learned.  Don't try to go around trucks parked in the middle of the driveway.  The dirt on the sides is super soft, and you will get stuck.

Didn't take long for these two to find a game to play in the pool even when they can't get in yet.

Distracted. :)

Another disaster avoided.  Well if you call not knocking down the fence an avoided disaster. 

Marc tried to pull it out, but they ended up having to call a tow truck.

Finding ways to enjoy the pool when it isn't chemically ready to get in and still too cold.

Finally. Sod. Thankfully we had some help installing it, but I was about to the point of just doing it myself. It has been a long time of dealing with a dog that comes in dirty/muddy every time she goes out.  And the kids can now play in the back yard rather than just the small front yard area that was sodded.

It is still hard to believe we are pool owners!

And we finished off the sod at the front of the house too!

February Wrap Up

Not much has been happening here. We managed to have a winter with no snow, but we still enjoy our fires.  Kayla found a way to get as close as she could to it.

We tried out an escape room which was so much fun.  We didn't quite make it out, but we were close!

We are so thankful to have this beautiful little piece of land here in Georgia.

A Little Getaway

Marc and I were going to try and get away for a weekend the first part of this year. When the opportunity to meet him in Florida after a business trip I jumped at the chance. I had never been to Clearwater Beach, but it is definitely a place I'd like to visit again. 

Getting there proved to be quite the challenge.  We booked my flight on Spirit, and Marc took my luggage down with him when he flew. Unfortunately we were delayed several hours and ended up having to rebook our dinner reservations too.  When you only have 48 hours for vacation, losing a few of them is no fun. 

I finally made it, and we were off to explore Tampa a bit before dinner. The walk along the water was beautiful.

Then we saw this guy.  It took us a minute to realize he was real.

We had dinner at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City.  It was started in 1905 and it is the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. We enjoyed the dancing show as well.

The next day was gorgeous, and we spent the whole day at the beach and walking to find some local seafood. We decided to rent a little cabana and chairs, and it was well worth our $40 investment.

Watching the dolphins.

Street corn. No words.

We enjoyed the evening walking the pier, checking out the vendors, and watching some of the entertainment.

We definitely should have reapplied sunscreen...

And we ended the evening with a gorgeous sunset.

Until next time Clearwater Beach.  I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Ear Piercing Time!

Brooke has been going back and forth for a while about getting her ears pierced. She was finally ready, so we stopped by the jewelry store I used to work at. She was so excited, but quite nervous too.

Unfortunately they were only able to do them one at a time today, so in hindsight we probably should have come back another day.

She was not happy when the first one was done.  We almost had to just take it out and try again in a few years because I wasn't sure she would let them do the 2nd one.

After about 30 minutes she decided to get it done.

But in the end, she was glad she went through with it.  She is already trying to decide which earrings to change them out to in a few weeks.

Wrapping Up January

Someone has a new found love for assembling furniture.

That's my llama lovin' Macy!

Brooke was spending the night with a friend, so we took these two to an escape room.  It was geared toward kids, and it was a little too easy for them.  We let them solve everything on their own, and they had a lot of fun.  Girls are like that. Easy doesn't always mean boring. :) They made it out with plenty of time to spare.

Celebrating Brooke

Brooke decided that she wanted to have her party at a local painting/art shop, and I'm always up for an easily planned party!

She wanted to have a galaxy themed party, so the owner at the store came up with a few ideas, sent me some pictures, and Brooke picked the one she liked best.  They turned out so cute!

Such sweet friends Brooke has from school!

They also made these cute jars that hold an electronic tea light candle.

We had a super fun time celebrating this girl!

Happy 9th Birthday, Brooke!

This girl was so excited to finally be celebrating her birthday! She basically starts talking about her next birthday on January 6th. ha! It's hard to believe this sweet girl is entering her last year in single digits!

Gifts are definitely one of her love languages. Right behind sugar. :) She gets so excited, and her facial expressions show it.

This year she asked to go to Build a Bear for her birthday.  I'm happy to squeeze in all of the little girl things I can, because I know these days are numbered.

And of course, no birthday for Brooke would be complete without a stop at Sweet Tomato for her favorite "salad." Noodles, raisins, carrots, and cheese.  I just don't understand, but she gobbles this up every time.

She was so patient waiting for this fit bit from Nini. Her sisters received one for their birthdays last spring, and she has been wanting one ever since. I know she is going to enjoy wearing this.  Competitions are her thing - as long as she is winning that is.  So I foresee some steps challenges in our future.

A few of your favorites:

food - pizza and pasta

movie - The Greatest Showman

TV show - Jesse

sweet treat - rocky road

subject in school - history

Brooke, 

You are full of life, and always on the go. You wake up excited for the day, and you are non-stop until your head hits the pillow at night. You are full of life and live in the extremes. :) You are a smart girl, and you have enjoyed reading more this year. It has been my JOY to have you in my class at school this year.  To watch you with your friends, to see how you interact with with other teachers, and to hear your ideas as we are learning has been such a privilege to me. Being your mom is one of my greatest joys in life. Love you always and forever. 

~Mama

Things I Learned (or relearned) in 2018 - by Marc

1. My wife is so smart.

2. An Irish carpenter named Sam is always going to say “It’s alright, that’ll be no problem” no matter how big my mess-up is.

3. Measure twice, order a front door once. (and see thing I learned directly above)

4. A totaled minivan in the woods apparently falls into the category of being another man’s treasure.

5. When you live in the woods and a neighbor’s dog runs up to you with a stick in its mouth, don’t assume it’s a stick. It could be a deer leg.

6. A 1000-gallon green propane tank can be used to convince a certain 8-yr-old that World War 2 submarine relics can somehow wash ashore in Georgia.

7. The absolute best time to talk to kids is right before their bedtime, because they will share all sorts of stuff to avoid bedtime.

8. Driveway and asphalt contractors have to be the most interesting people group.

9. It sure was bittersweet selling our house that we built six years ago. It was certainly not our plan, but now we see God’s hand in all of it.

10. Monsoon season is not the best time to start building a house (unless it’s a houseboat).

11. When you pray for a mid-June contract on your existing house, it is best to make sure that your new house is farther along than just drywall in mid-June.

12. My wife sure can make a house a home.

13. Multiple color temperatures for LEDs were invented to annoy me. They are quite effective at that.

14. Our kids are remarkably patient and understanding. I can learn a lot from them.

15. Anything that I’ve accomplished in life is the result of nothing more than God’s direction and provision.

16. We live near senior citizen roosters. We know that because they take a nap every afternoon, and then they crow at 3pm every day.

17. My wife gives everything she’s got during the school year. So, when school breaks come along, she’s gonna be sick.

18. People who live in the woods are some of the nicest people! (and no HOA required)

19. If you are painting your house exterior white, for instance, don’t do it until all of the red mud on the ground is covered.

20. When you ask your happy go-lucky but sick daughter how she’s feeling on a scale of 1 to 10, subtracting at least 2 from her assessment is appropriate.

21. If I need something organized, I should ask Kayla to help. If I need to laugh, I should ask Macy to help. If I need something squished, I should ask Brooke to help.

22. All these years later, frogs in the woods are still really loud at night in the summer.

23. Ain’t nobody got an immediate use for an extra seven cubic yards of concrete that were over-ordered.