4th of July

The last week of June was as busy as usual.  We had no childcare plans so they stayed with Drew all week. 

Thursday afternoon Drew and the kids headed to Charlotte to see GrandBob and Suzette.  They ate pizza and spaghetti for dinner that night.  Lindy beat her personal record of eating two bowls of spaghetti.  On Friday Drew, Will and Bob went downtown to Discovery Place.  Apparently, Lindy did not want to go so instead she went to Suzette’s knitting circle.  Apparently she wowed the crowds of women. 

Thursday night I loaded Aiden up and he and I headed to Mooresville to my parents’.  Aiden and Sadie got lots of wrestling in over the next few days.  Mom and I got up Friday and headed to Ikea.  We spent a few (maybe more like 4-5) hours there and then headed back to Mooresville and continued the shopping.  I got some much needed stuff so it was great. 

Saturday around lunchtime Drew and the kids came over to my parents’.  Drew hung out for a little bit and then Drew headed home.  The kids and I got to go visit my neighbors in high school when we lived in Asheboro.  David was in my class and Margaret was a year younger than him.  I was friends with both but have stayed in touch with Margaret.  It was fun though because I got to see both – and even their little sister who was about 6 when we were in high school and is now getting married this fall!  Margaret has a new baby so I got to hold and love on him.  It was great to catch up with them!

Saturday night we grilled out, did pop its and sparklers and watched the fireworks being shot off all around us.  We walked to my parents’ dock but we couldn’t see very well.  We walked to one of their neighbor’s docks and we saw a lot of fireworks.  Next time we go there on the 4th of July we are going to make Papa take us out on the boat, even if it’s just to the end of the cove.

Sunday the kids, dog and I headed home.  It was a fun weekend for all.

Lindy’s new obsession is picking up the cat.  For some odd reason, he is letting her!
 
She came to me one day and said, “Special Delivery”
Aiden and his sis, Sadie.  Wrestle buddies.
They swam for a bit but it was kind of chilly so they didn’t stay in long.


Lindy’s patriotic star hairdo.  Yes!  I did that!!
4th of July kids!

Me and Baby Griggs!  SO cute!
The kids and Katherine.  I will always think of her as a little girl, about the age of the kids.
Pop-its in action

Sparklers!






We got home to watch the Women’s World Cup game.  (An amazing game!)  Somehow we all ended up on the couch.  Well, everyone except Jack. 

Last Sunday at Faith UMC

We got home late Saturday night from Destin, played with the pup, unpacked the bare necessities and headed to bed.   Sunday morning we woke up early for our last day at Faith UMC.  Drew has been the pastor there for 5 years.  The past 5 years have had some ups and downs but we have made some lasting friendships at this church and we will miss many people. 

They surprised us by making a video from pictures of the last 5 years.  I had been fine until they started up the video.  They didn’t warn me at all!  So then I lost it!  I pulled it together – finally – and was able to enjoy the rest of the service and the potluck lunch afterwards.  The video had lots of pictures of the kids when they were young.  This church has really watched our kids grow up.  5 years at this time in their lives is big.

We will miss our friends – but we aren’t going far – so we expect to still see them!

Some pictures of our last Sunday.  I didn’t get pics with a lot of people but here are a few.

Ms. Phyllis – the kids’ Sunday School teacher for 3 years and children’s church teacher for 5 years.
Dylan – the kids’ good buddy
Mr. Cory – resident high flyer of the kids.  Lindy loves when he picks her up and throws her in the air! 
Beautiful Juliana – she cried more than I did that day.  She’s so sweet!

The kids got to sing one last song with the Flickers of Faith.  It was a super cute song, too.
Lindy added some cool moves to the song!

Lindy with Ms. Amy – their choir director
Daddy’s last children’s church at Faith
Sister Bonnie and Brother Frank
Saying a blessing and giving us a super nice going away present
Ms. Betsy!  Partly responsible for the video.  But she did come sit with me after I started boo hooing! 
Ms. Bec and Mr. Wayne – always been so great with the kids.  They gave them an art set which has kept them very busy since they got it!

Ms. Linda -  We have a special connection to her.  She used to rock Will sometimes in the NICU when we weren’t there.  She volunteers at the NICU.  She was the volunteer who walked us out of the NICU when we took Will home.  She helped us carry all our stuff and helped us get it into the car. 
Ms. Amy and Mr. Paul – choir director and drum.  Lindy used to play Mr. Paul’s belly like a drum set.  He was much too kind to her.
Mr. Donald – one of Lindy’s top favorites at this church.  Always so sweet with her and she just always gravitated to him.

Ms. Betty – an old friend of Grandbob’s.  We missed the troublemaker, Mr. Bill.

Mr. Jeff – pianist at the church and the candy man.  He gave all the kids a candy treat on each holiday.
Ms. Jean – one of the sweetest people ever. 

Mr. Bernie and Ms. Pat.  Pat was the choir director and Bernie was PPRC chairman.  We loved to joke and pick with Pat.  She and Lindy shared a love of pirates for awhile.
And Ms. Martha.  The awesome Ms. Martha.  The church couldn’t make it without her and we couldn’t either.  She was always there to help us out and watch the kids.   She can run circles around us and we just tried to keep up!  We’ll miss seeing her every week but we will see her – often!
Goodbye Faith UMC.  Keep in touch!!

2015 Destin, Florida vacation

I made it to Kidz Bop on Saturday evening but things went downhill from there.  The pain from my surgery really kicked in and I wasn’t able to do much walking without serious pain.  I was supposed to go to Raleigh for work meetings on Tuesday and on Monday I knew there was no way I could go.  Drew was also headed to Annual Conference on Wednesday.  The original plan was for Mimo to come watch the kids while I was in Raleigh and Drew was at Lake Junaluska.  Turns out Mimo got to watch me and the kids while Drew was at Lake Junaluska.  I finally turned a corner on Thursday and was able to walk!  Yay!  It was just in the nick of time as we were leaving for vacation on Friday.

Mimo got the car loaded up and she drove us to Hickory to meet up with Drew.  Drew left Lake Junaluska and met us in Hickory.  Drew got in with us and Mimo drove Drew’s car back to our house.  Mimo was super helpful that week taking care of us and then she offered to stay at our house and puppy/cat/house sit till Tuesday.  Thank you Mimo!  When she left on Tuesday we had another puppy/cat/house sitter come stay with Jack and Aidan.

We left Hickory and started the trip to Destin.  We were vacationing with my parents, my sister and her family and her best friend, Shelly, her boyfriend, Chris, and two of his kids, Abby and Eric.  We headed out and made it to Atlanta near dinnertime and we stopped at the Varsity for dinner.  The first time for Will, Lindy and me.  It was yummy!  We headed on and spent the night in Columbus, GA.  We got up Saturday morning and did our last minute beach shopping at Walmart and Sam’s and then explored a bit in Columbus.  Turns out Columbus is a cool town and we want to go back.  We headed out from there and hit Eufaula, AL right at lunchtime.  We’ve been driving through there for years and have always wanted to stop at the Cajun Corner.  We finally did it this year!  We stopped and had a yummy lunch and headed to Destin.  We got there right in time to get in the house. 

We started the week by celebrating Father’s Day on Sunday.  It was nice to spend the day with my dad and Drew and the kids.  The kids had made gifts for him at school so I brought those with us.  The kids and I are lucky to have such good dads in our lives.

We spent the week playing with cousins on the beach and in the pool.  We had good weather most of the time.  We had a few pop up showers towards the end of the week.  One in particular broke the tent. 

We ate good, each couple cooked dinner one night and then we did a joint night.  We also ate dinner out one night. 

Different people in the house went out for different activities.  Drew played golf one day – although he didn’t enjoy it.   My mom, sister, nieces, Shelly, Eric, Abby and the kids and I all went on a Seashell Cruise on Tuesday afternoon.   This is the third time we’ve done it.  We had the same captain as we had two years ago.   The past two years we’ve come home with buckets of seashells.  This year we didn’t.  This year we saw tons of dolphins super up close.  I think Lindy may have even seen them.  They were pretty fun to watch.  We all found some seashells but not many.   It was a fun outing.  I did a little shopping and Drew took Will to play putt putt two times. 

Will mainly spent the week playing with Rylee and Eric.  They played a lot of hide and seek around the house.   Lindy spent most of her free time overdosing on screen time.  Obviously rules are much relaxed on vacation.  

Destin did not disappoint this year.  Good weather and fun times with family!  Thanks Mom and Dad for the trip!

Sunday was Father’s Day and I brought the treats that the kids made in school for Drew. 
Papa and the grandkids.
Look at that white sand!
Will loved the calm waters and just laying around on the boogie boards. 

Waiting to leave on our seashell cruise.  We sailed on the Sand Dollar.

Super close dolphins we saw!
Captain Jesse was helping the kids at first.
Of course we had family picture night.  Everyone – especially Drew – had a great time.


Love this picture of them!L
Love this picture with my mom and sister!
There were a few nights of LCR.
Rylee won the first night and Lee won the second night.  It was rigged.  Two Beavers winning?!  ha ha
Most meals were eaten on the deck.  Perfect for the kids.
Will tried his hand at boogie boarding too and had a few big spills.  After the 3rd one, he was done!  Here is one ride – before he flipped over his board!