Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Colin is our budding photographer and seems to have quite an eye for "the" picture.  We ventured out early this morning for our annual tour of the pier and he asked to take a picture with my camera...below is what he captured! 
The pier tour always involves a shark sighting or two.  The children were all on watch but only a few caught a quick glimpse of the lone shark we spotted swimming about the surf.
The pier pose....
and when all sharks were behind us, we took up some time inside at the arcade...
a few tickets and a handful of prizes later, we were on our way to the beach for the day.
The most precious moment that I get on the beach to date is having Maddox crawl into my lap and take a nap as I listen to the waves crash - pure delight.  Of course, after the beach nap and many waves being ridden, it is home to the pool.
The backyard pool is an added plus to our week....the best of both worlds really!
Nothing says awesome like P's hair when he comes out of the water - no gel needed!
Our one evening out is also our picture night....the children love this night!  Ha!  They love the night out, the pictures, well, not as much.
However, they do humor me and let me snap a few to document our family time at the beach.  
It is important to note at this point that really these are the only clothes my children have worn all.week.long.  We put on bathing suits in the morning, shower in the late afternoon and change into the comfiest, warmest pajamas for the evening.  That is it.  Bathing suits + PJs = great day at the beach!
Drew and Paige....Drew just graduated from college, recently got engaged and will begin her nursing career in the upcoming months!  Paige will be a sophomore at College of Charleston and keeps us all entertained with her college life!  
And the whole crew....with the "five-bombing" nephew and brother-in-law....story is that Ryan is the  Clemson influence among this crew and he was taking the picture....the "five-bomb" is for Carolina beating Clemson FIVE years in a row in football - OUCH.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Water Park Adventure 2014

Wild, Water and Wheels
 Our crew was all smiles as we entered the water park for our 2014 sliding adventure...
 Pryce conquered the Dark Hole and was all smiles upon his pool entry...
 Jay-man and James got a not-so-surprising soaking after a whirlwind tour through the waterfall....
 Colin, thankfully, is still a kid at heart when it comes to the waterslide....
 And our wee little miss was all smiles when she came flying down on her daddy's lap....
 MK went solo!  No more double tubes for this brave girl!
 And we convinced Drew to join us this year....have you ever seen someone slide while holding onto their tube/mat AND their shoes at the same time???  Talent at its best.
 It was a great day for slipping and sliding!  So thankful to have the opportunity to share one of my favorite childhood pastimes with my kiddos!

Monday, June 9, 2014

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
Over a year ago, our hearts stirred and we felt a string pulling us to adopt again yet there were many ropes pulling us away.
After all, we had four children; zero dollars for adoption; a child facing orthodontics and surgery in the next year; a house we were outgrowing; certain family members who wouldn't understand; and, honestly, we were quite content.
Yet, that string kept tugging at our hearts until one day we both agreed to pray for guidance and direction.  We literally said, "Lord, we are giving this to you.  If it is your will for us to adopt once more, show us; make your path clear for our family....open doors wide or slam them shut."
And, He did.
Fifteen months later, I look into the face of this baby girl, our baby girl, and I am so thankful that we listened and trusted.  

  

Garden City 2014: The Beginning

Our annual Garden City beach trip brings on a lot of excited children....
 I love that they look forward to this one week at the beach all.year.long.....
 the beach is one part, but the memories they make with family is the best part....
 our first day at the beach was filled with huge waves for boogie boarding, low tide for skim boarding....
 a bit of sand for castle building, lots of wind for frisbee throwing, food for every type of palate....
 giggles, jumping waves, singing....
 the much anticipated ice cream man....
 swimming in the pool, water balloons, ample sunlight...
and we topped it off with a late afternoon nap at the beach.  Perfect start to our week!