Bachmanns in the Bahamas

We set sail for our Bahamas cruise Saturday afternoon and were all so excited to get away for a week to enjoy some sun and unplugged family time.

I think it took these two about 10 minutes to find the soft serve

It was such a treat to have a balcony!  You can see the Cooper River Bridge in the background.

And shortly after finding the ice cream, Dave and Preston changed and hit the water slides NONSTOP for the rest of the day.  Day two was not fantastic because it rained/stormed all day long while we were at sea, but we tried to make the best of it and played lots of indoor games.  Here are a few pictures from our trip.  It was so nice to enjoy a book and not have to worry about cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc

Preston was convinced it was just the church coffee that was bad . . but nope, it's all coffee that tastes terrible! LOL

Half Moon Cay was beautiful . . but unfortunately, our Target sunscreen did not work when the can was almost empty so Savannah and I were fried!

We had such a great trip!  The food was excellent, the service was fabulous and we managed to survive with access to the Internet on just one phone all week.  Memories made and rest received!

Summer Week 2 ~ VBS & Wake Forest

 

It has rained ALL week here in Charlotte.  I mean every day, all day!  The kids have been busy serving at VBS so at least they have had something to do in the morning.  Today we had an extra little adventure as we had scheduled a sunset tour of Wake Forest. Still, rain forecasted. . . 

We were a bit unlucky in that it did indeed rain during the entire evening so we didn't get the best feel for the campus, but honestly after the super boring presentation we could have gone home and skipped the tour.  We are pretty sure this one is off the list.  It was interesting to hear about Wake Forest, but for a lot of reasons, none of us feel like it would be a great fit for Savannah.

We did get to eat at a yummy BBQ place before the tour started and of course, these two sillies had to take some pictures.  The search continues for Savannah's college home . . we continue to pray for guidance and direction and for a super easy decision for our Gracie Bell!

Happy 14th Preston!!

It's always good to start your birthday with surprise Chick fil A chicken minis!!  Preston and Savannah were serving at VBS at church this week so it was a treat to enjoy CFA before heading out early to church.

And according to tradition, we have to make a trip to Chuck E Cheese every.single.year on Preston's actual birthday so of course this year was no exception!  We did our usual 30-minute play pass and ran around frantically to see how many points we could rack up . . . only this year the kids were focused on totally different things.  All Preston wanted to do was try to win spike balls from the claw machine (he managed to get four) and all Savannah wanted to do was take photos in the booth and a little jump rope. I must say my moment of glory was breaking the record on my favorite bean bag machine and seeing it go crazy. :)  It was another fun adventure for sure.

We then headed home for Preston's dinner of choice, more CFA, and gifts.  I have been waiting so long for him to open his big gift, a flight lesson!!  He was surprised and sooo excited.

All in all, it was a fun-filled day.  This kid keeps me on my toes and makes things interesting for us all.  He still loves soccer and all things outdoors, but mostly gaming.  He is smart, athletic, and slightly obsessed with his hair. LOL  Here's to another fun year watching him grow to be all that God has planned for him!

19 Years!!

Today Dave and I celebrated 19 years of marriage . . . nothing fancy, just some beautiful flowers and cards, exactly the way I like it!  We have certainly been through a lot together, but the storms have made us stronger for sure.  When I said "I do" I had no idea just how amazing this man was, but truly Dave is a gift from the Lord.  He loves us all uniquely even when we are less than loveable, he keeps the calm and is a constant encourager.  Here's to many many more years together and a super fun one ahead for sure!

Happy Father's Day to the BEST!!

There are no words to adequately describe how much this man means to our family.  He gives and gives without ever asking for anything in return . . . other than maybe some chocolate milk. :)  Dave leads us well and has the patience of Job.  He is an amazing blessing to each of us and he knows how to love us each uniquely.  I love listening to him talk about sports with Preston and German with Savannah.  It's been an adventure learning together how to be parents, but I'd say he's the better half of our team for sure!

Since we celebrate everything so close together this was the one cake we all agreed to share from Coldstore . . finally the free one that Savannah won!!

How Can it Be, She's SEVENTEEN?!

This amazing girl turned 17 while she was at camp this week!  It's such a gift to be able to watch her life unfold before my eyes.  Savannah has such a sweet spirit (laid back just like Dave), is amazingly smart, compassionate, and loves the Lord.  She is forgiving, organized, great with the latest trends, and always there when I need her.  We are headed into a super fun, maybe a bit stressful, year but I can't wait to see what God has planned for her as she journeys through her SENIOR year of high school.

Once she got back from camp and these two took showers, we met Dave at Cheesecake Factory for dinner.  It was fun watching her open gifts when we got home too.  Now we have officially kicked off celebration week at the Bachmann house.

 

Carmel Camp 2023

Savannah and Preston left Monday for student camp with our church in Crowder's Mountain.  Preston was a little unsure what to expect since this was his first year going with the student ministry and not Carmel Kidz, but Savannah assured him that he would have a blast.

And have a blast he did!  It was actually life-changing for him because he accepted Christ while he was there.  I have prayed for years that he would feel the Lord's call on his life and when he stepped off the bus his first words were "Mom, guess what??  I'm a believer!"  It was precious and a moment I'll never forget!

 

It was also a pretty big week for Savannah.  When she left she knew that they would continue the tradition with a special passing of the lantern ceremony from seniors to juniors, symbolizing that they are now the oldest and setting the example for the underclassmen . . . but what she didn't know is that her close friend Amy would be the one to pass the lantern to her.  She also was surprised when she was asked by the youth pastor to represent the entire junior class with a speech.  It was a huge honor that she wasn't expecting at all!  

Savannah gave her speech to everyone on behalf of the junior class

Both kids had an amazing time and were excited to kick off the summer with such a memorable week!  We are beyond grateful for our church and the leaders that continue to pour into them, love them, and point them to the Lord so well.

Date Night Escape

Dave and I took advantage of a kid-free night and went out to dinner in the grand town of Waxhaw.  Then we enjoyed attempting an escape room together.  We did not do so well, LOL, but we had a fantastic evening out! 

Last Days of 7th and 11th

I can hardly believe the kids are done with 7th and 11th grades!!  Preston is heading into his last year of middle school and Savannah is heading into her last year of high school.  CRAZY!  Thankfully I remembered to grab a picture of Savannah as she headed out for her last exam on Wednesday, but on Friday morning Preston sped away on his bike before I could get a photo . . and then hit his friend's pool after school so this was the best I could do for his picture (yes, we finally got the badminton net replaced so the boys are back to playing in the yard).  They both ended with all As and had a fantastic year!  Here's to a fun-filled summer with some much needed down time for us all!