SNOW TUBING!!!!

We drove up to Winterplace Ski Resort with some of our best friends on Friday night, spent the night, and took the kids tubing on Saturday. It was an easy drive and the kids loved being able to stay in the hotel and swim in the indoor pool.
We tubed for 4hrs on Saturday morning. When we started out at 8:30 it was a chilly 23 degrees. But, when we finished up around 1:15 it had warmed up to about 42 degrees. The kids had a blast and didn't want to leave.

Walter was quite the dare devil and left Mommy and Daddy behind while he drug his tube up the "magic carpet" on his own to tube. Ann Elizabeth was fearless and was tubing down on her stomach. She of course wanted to know when we were going to go back so that she could snow board. OH MY!!!
It was great fun and definitely something we will do again as a family!

Snow Days of 2011

So it is the first of January and it has already snowed twice. This is our 2nd snow. Even though we love it and love having everyone at our house to sled down our hill, it will be nice to get back to a regular schedule around here. Daddy was even home with us the whole time, and that was really special. We were out of school for 3 days for this one. Not just because of the snow, but more because of the ice. The kids even forgot that they had been back to school after Christmas. We will get more this winter I am sure, but lets hope it is on the weekend.
Oh....and nothing like a little duck tape to tape up your sled because your Daddy broke it!!























DONE!!

Happy New Year's 2011

This year we spent NYE at home, just the 4 of us. It was great. The kids had a special count down at "midnight" (or 9 o'clock), and they had hot chocolate with New Years crackers and we had homemade boiled custard thanks to Walter's Mom. It was so fun. Needless to say we didn't make it until midnight, but the night was still really special!

Christmas Fun! 12/25/2010

This Christmas was really great. Once of the best that I can remember. We were home and had snow on Christmas night. It was wonderful! The kids really enjoyed it and truly understood the real meaning of Christmas. Christmas Eve we went to church at Carmel Baptist and had Walter's parents with us. It was great to be so relaxed on Christmas and have everyone together!

Christmas Eve at Carmel Baptist Church!







Kids dressed up in a natvity scene at church.


Sweet friends...Carson and Payton Ethridge


Brekfast with Santa at Del Frisco's


This guy sealed the deal this year...priceless!


Gigi & Boppy with the grandchildren
Ann Elizabeth-7, Jon Paul-4, Walter-4





Santa gift. Thank goodness it didn't start snowing until later that night!


Our sweet family!


SNOW!! It started on Christmas night and this is what we woke up to!















Me and my sweet hubby!!

Kiawah Marathon!

I did it!! 26.2 miles. Finally complete after training for 4 1/2 months. It felt great to complete it. Once I was finished I said that I would never do it again...however, I would love to do it again before I turn 35 and beat my time from this one!

Walter and the kids came and stood in the rain and cold for 5 1/2 hrs. They were at every turn and spectator spot cheering me. I couldn't have done it with out them!

Here is come....across the finish line. I actually finished in 5hrs and 10min chip time!

Us all after the race.

My gift from Walter and the kids when I was done!

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving was so fun this year. We had parties at the kids school and then traveled to Atlanta to be with W's parents. It was great to get together with family and friends and celebrate all that we have to be thankful for.

The kids brought their own "costumes" to wear for Thanksgiving dinner and they were a huge hit. They even gave all the guest a little lesson on all the fun facts that they had learned in school: pilgrims, food they ate, Indian's, Mayflower and Plymouth Rock. It was great and of course Walter and I were super proud.

A Little Jesus for my pocket

Today has been a day of trials for sure. I just found out that best friend is moving to Japan next year instead of back to the states, the kids were soooooo testing me on the way to school (and on the way home for that matter) and Little W had to sit in the "thinking chair at school (the comment from his teacher was..."we have had to use his name more today than we have all year.") What an exhausting day. Seems minor but with big W out of town it just escalates everything.

Then...this happened this afternoon.

Me: "Walter what do you have in your hand?"

W: "Baby Jesus."

Me: "Why are you carrying around baby Jesus from the nativity set?"

W: Because I love him and want him with me all the time."

I think that just took the icing on the cake and made all the memories of the bad behavior wash away. He is so sweet and has such a sweet heart.

Wouldn't it be great if we could fit Jesus in our pocket and carry him around with us? This really made me refocus and rethink that we need to be more in tune with Christ so that he is with us all the time. What would I do without him? Was me running late this morning Him preventing me from being in the wreck at the front of the neighborhood? What does He do all day that I don't even notice?

I want a little Jesus to put in my pocket and carry with me! Yes he is in my heart, but it would be so cool to have a mini one to have in my pocket to pull out on days like today!!!

My baby Girl is 7!!

Wow......7yrs have gone by so quickly. I cant believe that my sweet precious first born in now 7. She is such a joy. She loves the Lord. has a heart of gold and one of compassion. She is energetic, funny, silly, sassy, can hold a conversation with you like a 30yr old, reading chapter book in 1st grade, loving dance and cheer and makes friends like crazy. She memorizes bible verses in 1-2 days, aces all her spelling test, has lost her 5th tooth the night before her birthday and loves sleepovers with Mommy and Daddy. She is our pride and joy and one very determined little princess. We are so blessed to have her and have enjoyed every minute of the last 7yrs with her. She is such a joy and a pure blessing!!!