Kenessaw Mountain Hike, Downhill

Memorial Day 2015

Tyler and I (with kids) were invited to BBQ with a family here in the ward. So we celebrated with my family during the afternoon with a walk up Kenessaw Mt. Followed by pizza. 

Luckily Papa got us tickets to drive up the mountain so we were not tired when we reached the top.

 We found the highest point on the mountain. A rock big enough for just one. Guess mom was feeling a little competitive and played "king of the mountain."

Much to Caroline's dismay, we did not take the bus back down but enjoyed the walk. (Caroline reached out for the bus as it drove away and whinned "Nooooooo!")

We found a rock to climb up. I don't really like the picture of me jumping off, but August expression compared to mine was amusing. Maddie is so dang cute jumping too. Caroline I think just slid off. 

It was fun. Topher climbed every rock on the way down and I think August may have smiled once. And even Caroline enjoyed the walk down, mostly.

Tortoise, Sharks and Sheephead

School ended on Thursday, May 21. We kicked the summer off by sending Tyler, Papa, Maddie and Topher to Savannah to fish on Papa's boat.

While getting the boat ready they played with a tortoise. 

The first shark they brought on the boat was "green" as my dad says. It stressed Maddie Mae out a bit.

They had pretty good shark fishing, nothing too big for Maddie Mae's sake. 

Sometime during the day they got off the boat and walked around an island.

 After the island they enjoyed sheephead fishing. 

It was a fun memory-making day. 

As for the end of school and beginning of summer -

Summer is always a fun time to spend with family. I hope we can see as many of you as possible. Preferably at the beach :) 

And come August, I now have a third grader (I actually can remember that far back which makes me feel like Topher is getting old) and a Kindergartner (the cutest)!

Five

Five is a big number. It takes all the fingers on one hand. 

Five means you are big enough to go to school. Five means you will learn to read, write, add, and subtract. Five means school shopping, picking out clothes, shoes, a bookbag and a lunch box. Five means you will make friends on your own. It means you will be too big for me to be with you all the time. Five is exciting for five-year-olds and kind of sad for their moms. 

Maddie Mae celebrated her fifth birthday this year. 

In two months she will be off to school. I know how exciting it will be for her, but I will miss her. What a special little girl she is. She is so spunky, energetic, outgoing, sassy, sweet and smart.

So greatful five years ago you joined our family! 

May 2010 - 0

May 2011 - 1

 May 2012 - 2

 May 2013 - 3

May 2014 - 4

May 2015 - 5

Happy Birthday Maddie Mae. I love my five-year-old!

"Street" Chalk

Tyler would blame me for this because he hated getting dirty; but I am thinking it is the artist in their genes?

One

One. 

My baby turned one this month. How fast time went by and how much has changed. 

Starting in September of 2013 I wasn't sure we would have a little baby to celebrate a birthday with. For seven more months I held off on naming the little person. I didn't shop. I just waited to see if he would make it. I am so blessed that he did. 

One year ago this stubborn and resilient little person made it here. Completely healthy and perfect.

It seems that time speeds up when you most want it to slow down. Newborns only last a couple months. Babies only last a year. What a precious year the first one is.

While I no longer have a baby, I have an amusing, curious, assertive, active, quiet and confident toddler. Some where around 9 months you begin to see their personalities come out. August is just down right amusing. He almost never "talks" but he smirks and teases. 

We celebrated his birthday a day early this year so Topher and Tyler could go on the father and son camp out. For some reason Tyler didn't want to take August! Maybe in a few more years. 

 This is August on his actual birthday - too busy to take a picture.

Happy Birthday!