Weekend Summer Fun

I gave the kids the choice of several exciting activities to kick off the weekend on Friday morning . . . and we ended up at Sports Connection's arcade!  It was so much fun and we racked up quite the number of points that the kids decided to save and get a bigger prize next time we go.

We had been out on a Shipt shop earlier in the week and just happened to pass by this pirate-themed mini golf so the kids couldn't wait to take Dave today.  It was fun, but boy was it HOT!!!  We were drenched and ready to go home for lunch by the time we finished 18 holes.

BUT, of course, we made time to stop by Krispy Kreme to pick up donuts for good grades. :)

Summer is so much FUN!!!

First Pool Day of the Season

I cannot believe it's taken us a month to get to the pool this year! Today was finally the day . . . and thankfully the Marions were available to join us for an afternoon at the Y pool.  The kids had a blast playing together and are already talking about when we can go back. :)

Page Family Summer Birthday Celebration

Life has been so crazy for us lately . . . but thankfully we were able to find a day that we could meet up with Denny and his family in Elon to celebrate the summer birthdays.  So after church, we headed to Great Grandma's house to have lunch and enjoy some fun time with the Pages!

There were many laughs, as usual, and lots of time for the cousins to play together.  I love this age when they can just go outside and makeup games to play together. :)  It was a quick trip, but wonderful to see everyone.

Preston's Backyard Bash Party

We had a few of Preston's friends over for a backyard bash birthday party.  The intention was to have the boys play corn hole, basketball, Ninja warrior line, ping pong, soccer, etc and then at the end do water balloons after pizza and cookie cake.  However, the boys had other plans!

The pinata was a hit, no pun intended, and the boys loved getting candy to take home.  We were still finding packs of smarties days later.  Note to self, breakable candy is not good for pinatas!

Preston giving it a swing

 After some games outside and playing on the Wii inside, it was time for pizza and cookie cake

Then I had to get my two trusty helpers to help with filling water ballons

And then the fun began . . . 

 By the end of the party, the boys were SOAKED!  I texted all of the moms and told them to bring dry clothes and a towel because the water activities got a little out of hand.  oops! It was a fun party for a bunch of 10-year-old boys and I think the birthday boy was overjoyed with having so much fun with his closest friends.

Friday Funday

Today was an all-out errand day!  The kids only provided minimal whining, but I had to bribe them with some treats. :)  June has been so crazy that the list had gotten quite long with errands needing to be done and mystery shops too.  So, we combined 7 errands at South Park mall including getting our free slushies!  YUM!

After the marathon of errands, we had a dinner mystery shop at Jim n Nicks, which happened to be not far from Carowinds.  Had we know that dinner would end up taking over 2 hours we never would have suggested going to the park after dinner, but who knew!?  Being that its summer we held up our end of the deal and took the kids to Carowinds after dinner at around 8:30pm.  It is always nicer and cooler at dusk, but it really pushes bedtime.  We had a super fun time on the few rides we hit and then headed home for some much-needed rest!

Double Digits for Preston!!

Today was finally the day this little guy hit double digits!  After a month of celebrating so many things, today was HIS day!!  Of course, he wanted to start opening gifts as soon as he got out of bed. :) One of his favorites was the long-awaited laminator!

After opening most of his gifts, it was time to head to Camp Invention.  He has been a camper (and Savannah a counselor) all week and today was his last day.  When I went to pick him up, this is the loot he had collected.

Then it was straight to Chuck E Cheese, to keep our tradition alive.

We all had so much fun and enjoyed our 45 minutes of arcade free play.

Our next mode of celebration was of course dinner at Red Robin!  Dad met us there after work to enjoy some yummy burgers and of course the birthday song and free ice cream treat.  Can you tell Preston was enjoying himself?

Then it was back home to finish opening gifts and for some more yummy dessert and a birthday song.

This little peanut is such a delight to our family.  He is non-stop energy and entertainment.  He continues to question everything as a way of learning and can be quite the little worrier if the rules aren't being followed!  He is still passionate about playing soccer, loves a good book, is a beast on the Ninja warrior line, he can make a friend with just about anyone anywhere, and would probably live outside if he could.  His favorite subject is still math (and recess). Preston continues to live life at full speed with an amazingly generous heart for others.  I think he would follow Savannah to the end of the world so I'm thankful she still is content playing with him from time to time.  So, happy double digits buddy!  We love you so much!!

Just for fun here are some of our family favorites of Preston's verbiage:

Don't put that in the disposable! (disposal)
Can I spray some air refreshener? (refresher)
Aren't you supposed to put the flour in the shifter? (sifter)

TBC as my memory serves . .

15 Years Together!

It's hard to believe that today we celebrate 15 years of marriage!!  Sometimes it seems like just yesterday I was in the midst of wedding planning, and then other times I realize how thankful I am that I've had Dave by my side for FIFTEEN years.  We've been through a lot together and there is no doubt that we are stronger as a team.  So although we didn't do anything huge to celebrate, it was nice just being home together.  Here's to many, many more years together!!

Father's Day 2019 *GUEST BLOGGER*

Hi, this is Savannah here and I will be your guest blogger today. Enjoy!

Above is Preston holding his World of Coke polar bear keychain and Dad holding his gift from Preston, another keychain. Preston actually made it with a 3D printer at school, and it was Clemson, so I will admit that it was pretty awesome.😆

Just not as awesome as my gift, which while not pictured is super amazing.😏 I got him this really cool shirt that talks about how amazing I am and how proud he is of me. And he actually wore it, which is good.😁

And of course, Preston decides today is a perfect day to put the new pieces on the American Ninja Warrior line, so he and Dad while working unsupervised unhooked the whole thing from the crank. And guess who gets to try and fix it? Yup, yours truly. Okay, and with a little help, I rose to the occasion. Just letting you know people, pictures lie. Never trust what you see.😒

This picture is kinda strange, I'll admit, but a photo opp is a photo opp, even if it's only made for one person's head. I'm sure you can tell that we went to Baskin Robbins, so no complaints from me!😂

Preston looks pretty realistic in this photo with the face and everything. Maybe he should be a sailor for Halloween... Just sayin!😊

All in all, it was a pretty great Father's day, for me at least, and I definitely enjoyed the ice cream at the end.👍

I hope you guys have enjoyed this special edition post written by me. Sorry, but I don't have any plans on coming back soon.✋

Mom here . . . I just wanted to add that we have one amazing daddy-o!  He puts in 100% at work and then comes home and pitches right in.  We are SO thankful for the way he loves, leads, and serves our family.  Huge thanks to my guest blogger today . . . it's tough keeping this crazy thing updated!

We Officially Have a TEENAGER in the House!

We decided to stay overnight in downtown Atlanta, GA to start Savannah's birthday celebration.  We woke up this morning and officially had a teenager.  Where does time go?!?  We let Savannah chose the activity for the day and she wanted to go to World of Coke.  I ended up buying the tickets on eBay at the last minute and the seller actually delivered them to our hotel before we arrived. :)

World of Coke was super fun for everyone!

Guess that flavor wasn't a hit! :)

One last "real" American coke drink before leaving to head home.

When we arrived home I had planned a surprise for Savannah.  This yard card was waiting for her and she loved it!

This is SO Preston, always trying to be the clown of the family and photo bomb.

Once we got our luggage in she was excited to open her gifts.

Yet another photobomb . . . 

Then it was out to dinner at her restaurant of choice, Red Robin

They shared the birthday sundae before heading home for MORE dessert!

We are so thankful for this amazing girl the Lord blessed us with.  There are so many ways that we are just alike.  We share the love of organizing and shopping, and we both love games and quiet houses.  However, there are certain ways in which we could not be more opposite.  Savannah is super laid back, quiet, an introvert, and thinks there is nothing better than a good book.  She detests exercise and is pretty much always "go with the flow".  She has a few friends she holds dear and doesn't get caught up in the drama at school or in keeping up with the Jones.  I love her confidence, determination, and the way she still enjoys playing with her brother occasionally.  It's hard to believe she is a teenager already, but I can't wait to see what God has planned for her!

50th Anniversary Surprise

Today Dave's parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!  

We have been planning since last summer to surprise Grammy with a special dinner visit to Atlanta on their actual anniversary.  They took us on an amazing cruise for a week over Spring break to celebrate, but this was SO much fun being able to keep the secret for so long and honor them tonight.  Papa did a fabulous job getting her to the restaurant and when she walked in we all yelled "surprise".  She stood there almost in shock!  

What a yummy dinner and a fun way to celebrate with them!  We all went out for frozen yogurt afterward too!