Baseball and The 4th of July

Christopher with some of his buddies!

Christopher at first base

Kate and Belle

EG and Will

Will was so proud for hanging on

Christopher and Chase

Chimney Rock

Christopher jumping off chicken rock

Watching the fireworks

off the dock at Bama Park

golf cart parade

Alana and EG

EG and Anna Lynn

We had a fun holiday weekend starting out at the ball field with Christopher's first all-star game in Dadeville. We beat Auburn Orange in an exciting game after going into 2 extra innings. It was an awesome game with double plays and out of the park home runs you might see when you watch the pros.  The girls stayed home and watched the fireworks show in Opelika.

We spent the rest of the weekend at Lake Martin with family and good friends.  So relaxing and fun. We spent many afternoons on the tube, watched fireworks, grilled out, visited chimney rock and finally got to experience... Wilmarth Island.  (Chase a friend of  Christopher's  grandparent's place at the lake) It is the only inhabited island on Lake Martin and is so cool! Sunday  we got to spend time with my brother and sister in law and cousins. Check out the picture of Will above riding the tube with EG!  He had a rough ride and flew in the air but never let go of the tube.  Awesome shot.  Christopher and Chase had their turn and Grandaddy (my dad ) was finally able to throw them off.  I personally have no idea how they hold on as long as they do.

Monday our friends Matt and Alana and Christie and PJ came to join us for more food and fun. We started the day watching the golf cart parade at Bama Park which was a hoot.  Emma Grace and Kate got to hang out with some old friends... Anna Lynn and Abby Starr.  After lunch we took off in the boat and headed to Chimney Rock.  Christopher and Chase jumped off  "chicken rock".... where you jump if your too chicken to jump off the top.  After getting out of the boat traffic we had not gone far when we realized we were out of gas in the boat!  If you have to run out of gas.... chimney rock is the best place to do it.  The kids got the noodles out and floated in the water and we anchored the boat until our help arrived. Christie had her handy dandy radio so we could listen to some tunes and our captain Matt kept the boat anchored. We definitely made some memories!  We ended the day with some homemade peach ice cream! It was really good!

I am very thankful for the freedom I have been given and realize what a privilege it is to live in a country like ours where we are free to worship and live out what we believe. God is good! May we live everyday remembering the sacrifices that were made for us!

My Opelika All-Star

Christopher playing first base

watermelon! so good!

Being recognized out on the field before the game

EG joining in the fun!

The sky was so pretty after the game!

His sisters are very supportive!

We love you Christopher!

We are sooo proud of Christopher! He made All-stars this year and he has been really busy this summer preparing for their first game which is coming up this Friday.  It has been so fun to watch his practice games and his team prepare to represent Opelika in Dadeville this weekend. Here is some pictures from a practice game and social they had afterwards he had last week.  Can't wait to see them play this weekend!  Go Opelika Nationals and Go Christopher!

Birthday Fun!

Kate turned  9
  May 7

Emma Grace turns 12
May 21

Georgia turns 2!
June 8

Christopher turns 11!
June 14

Mom aka GG celebrates with all the grandchildren!
June 24

We  have been busy celebrating birthdays! In May and June we have had five birthdays to celebrate ending today with my mom.  Happy Birthday today mom!  We celebrated hers early on Wednesday night due to Christopher's busy All-Star baseball schedule.  Kate had a double birthday party with a friend, Mccall Rajan (who's birthday was 2 days after Kate's) at Sips and Strokes... so much fun!  Emma Grace had a fun slumber party with some of her besties! Georgia had an Elmo party with Elmo cupcakes! Christopher got to pick a place to go to lunch on his special day which ended up being Longhorns where he got a full rack of ribs and enjoyed everyone!   I think we have had enough cake to last for a while. It has been fun though!

Beach Fun

We just got back from a great trip to the beach.  My mom takes me and my brother and his family every year.  We look forward to it so much because we get to spend extended time with family and cousins, relax, and eat good food.  We go to Fort Morgan, near Gulf Shores, Al where we stay at the Martinique on the Gulf.  It is sooo nice. We stay in one of their houses walking distance from an awesome pool and the beach. We hardly ever leave the premises once we get there. We did go out to eat once for lunch at LuLu's, a must if you are in the area.  The food is great and the atmosphere is nothing but fun for the kids. We met my friend, Ginny Gaberlavage with her kids there. They happened to be down at the same time. It was fun to see them and catch up with Ginny while the kids hung out.
The same day we went to The Track where they have go carts, bumper boats. etc.  This is where Olivia, Emma Grace, and Christopher did the Sky Coaster! It was a thrill for sure!  After you are harnessed in, you are pulled up in the air where YOU have to pull a cord to be released. Gravity does the rest.  Christopher had the job of pulling the cord and I am so glad... I don't know that Emma Grace would have pulled it.  Emma Grace was saying her prayers all the way to the top so everyone could hear.  So typical of Emma Grace... she lets it all out.  Christopher wasted no time... he pulled the cord as soon as they reached the top!  They all loved it and wanted to do it again.  I am glad they could all do it together because if they had wanted me to do it I think I would have thrown up..  Kate and I watched and took pictures from below. 
I decided to take The Help to read while on the beach.  I know I am a little late on this one but I thought, better late than never.  I had heard so much talk about how good it was, I figured it would be...and it was. On our first trip to the beach I looked and Joy, my sister in law had brought the same book.  I saw several others there reading it as well, so I guess I wasn't as late as I thought.  Good book that I think every Southern girl needs to read.  The movie is coming out in August and I can't wait to see it.
Other highlights of our trip were our crab hunts at night and finding a pet turtle crossing the road. So cute.. I guess that is better than running into an alligator as there were signs up that warned not to feed the alligators on the same walk to the beach.  We have been going to the same place for 6 years and we have never seen one so hopefully they have migrated somewhere else for the summer.
This trip is also a time to reflect on the things that have happened over the past year.  I also realize how fast my kids are growing up remembering what they all looked like the year before when we were there.  They are all growing and changing so much.  I am very blessed and so thankful for them.  I am also thankful for the challenges in my life even though they are hard, I know that is God is "pruning" me and making me stronger and molding me to give me perseverance and character.  Still I admit it is no fun but I will be thankful anyway.  I am in God's hands and that gives me peace.  I am looking forward to what the next year will hold until the next trip to the beach, as I know so much changes in a year.... the kids will be another year older and I anticipate good things to come.  I think of this verse....I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11-13.  God is good and I know that down deep in my soul. That is where I find rest from all that overwhelms me.  Thanks for another great trip GG!

Finding critters in the sand.

Having a blast!

About to head to the beach to do some crab hunting.

Watch out fingers!

EG and Olivia

Sky Coaster

Christopher and Sam- good buddies

Shaving cream war

Good food!

Getting ready to do some wave jumping!

Uncle Harry and Christopher

Turtle friend they found crossing the road

The whole gang!

Nantahala Trip with The Cannons

It has been a while, but life is pretty busy around here. We have officially wrapped up summer with this trip to North Carolina. It was a blast! We went with Will and Melissa Cannon and their family who we have known since Emma Grace and Christopher were babies. We actually have a picture of the their girls and EG and Christopher together with pacifiers in their mouths. It is fun to look back at now that they are all getting older. Needless to say Melissa and I have been friends for that long as well and so it was easy to all go together and fun to spend time together out of town.

We stayed in cabins in Whittier, North Carolina called Sunset Farms. It was perfect nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains and not to far from the river which is the reason we were there. Lots of memories were made to include driving in crazy Atlanta traffic on the way up which was a Friday afternoon, to experiencing the Nantahala River (some for the first time). EG and Carley went down in a double ducky which is a smaller boat with room for two paddlers. Christopher went down in a double ducky as well but spent most of the time solo. Tanner and Tatum got in with him at different times but were quick to get back in the raft because the water was freezing! The raft was full of all the adults, Tanner, Tatum, Kate and Ava James. We all managed it down the river without falling out until we got to the last rapid which is also the most challenging. EG and Carley were brave and went down in their ducky first. They were so brave that they threw their paddles above their heads like they were riding a roller coaster and when the big rapids hit they went under and out of the boat. It was great! Of course they were rescued with ropes and pulled safely to the shore. One of the first things you learn when paddling is to never take your paddle out of the water. It throws your balance off. It did make for a great show as we watched from the side and took pictures though. Fun times!

When we were done at the river, we came back to our cabins and the kids took a dip in the hot tub to warm up. We relaxed there for while and then got ready to go eat. We found by accident while looking for another restaurant, a brewery in downtown Sylva (about 20 min from Whittier) called Sapphire Brewery. It was perfect for us. They had live music and outside seating. The food was good and it was a great ending to a fun day.

Sunday morning we packed up and headed home but the fun was not over. We stopped for lunch at a highly recommended restaurant on the way home called The Dillard House in Franklin, North Carolina and got there right when it was opening. We walked in with no wait. There is no looking through a menu to figure out what you want to order, the waiters just started bringing out food and setting it on the table. There was fried chicken, baked chicken, ham, country fried steak with gravy, and probably about 10 different vegetables. There was peach short cake with fresh peaches for dessert. We all enjoyed it and were more than satisfied. I highly encourage you to try it if you are ever in that area.

Beach with GG

We recently got home from a week at the beach with my mom, aka GG. She takes me and my family and my brother and his family every year. I think this was our 6th year at the same place in Fort Morgan, Al called the Martinique. It is a really cool place that is like a big neighborhood on the beach. Each beach house has its own golf cart to cruise around in or to go back and forth from the pool or beach. It was a relaxing time to just get away from the daily routine and spend time with family and cousins.

We experienced some effects of the oil spill with tar balls on the beach, so we spent less time on the beach and more time at the pool. Some days were better than others, so we did get some crab hunting in. Will, Sam, and Kate stayed busy for hours at a time looking for frogs and building a "frog mansion" with sand and rocks. It was pretty impressive. We did some shopping at the Wharf and the boys went fishing off the pier in Gulf Shores. We ate some good food at the house where each family took turns cooking a meal and we also enjoyed going out to eat at The Hang Out (for Carley's birthday) and Lu Lu's for lunch one day. They both have great food and a fun atmosphere. The night we went to The Hang Out, Emma Grace and Carley got picked to participate in a contest to find 5 cherries with their hands behind their backs from a pie of whipped cream. It was hilarious to watch. We watched movies, played games, rode bikes, and Uncle Harry taught the kids how to do the pretzel!
We were all introduced to P90X which is a DVD workout you do for 90 days by this crazy guy named Tony Horton. Harry and Joy have been doing it for like 56 days and Harry though it would be great if we all did it. The kids even did it with us. I was sore for days!