Mother's Day My Way

Life has been SO crazy lately!  So for Mother's Day I had no interest in going out to eat.  We went to church, did a few Shipt shops that I enjoy doing and then went for a family walk on the Greenway.  It was such a true JOY not being rushed out the door to get to church.  It was a delight doing everything I wanted to do without any complaining.  I requested grilled burgers for dinner and Savannah added macaroni and cheese, baked beans and fries (reheated).  Ahh, just the way I like things, simple!

Dave & the kids showered me with super special and thoughtful gifts including a peanut butter jar scooper spoon!!!  I also got a phone holder for my car and a new fitbit band.  Just the perfect gifts with all my favorite people.   

To top off my day, Preston gave me this sweet card.  Although Mother's Day is hard for me (even now 9 years later) it was enjoyed to the fullest and filled with love!!!

Preston's Field Day

So somehow I managed to get a sub job again this year for Preston's field day!  Although I was in "charge" of another third grade class I still had ample opportunity to see him in action.

His speed in jump rope was quite impressive.  Another teacher texted me a video and asked "what in the world are you feeding your child?" :)

It was a super fun day with perfect weather.  I'm so thankful he still enjoys me being involved at school because I LOVE being in the know and seeing him in action with his friends.

PSE Annual Gallery Walk

Tonight was PSE's annual gallery walk.  Each child has a piece of art work on display and parents can purchase these masterpieces with a small donation to the school's fine arts department. Preston was thrilled to bring his art home, but his favorite part was watching the school's jump rope team.  They were amazing!

Lemonade for a Cause

These two little guys were super excited to have a Saturday afternoon lemonade stand!  Their school has been collecting money for an adoption fund and they gladly donated all of their proceeds (over $20) to the cause.  Patrick's mom sent the assistant principal this picture and that led to their appearance on the school's WE ROCK announcements first thing Monday morning.

Easter Sunday

It was so strange being on a cruise boat for Easter Sunday morning.  Quite unconventional for sure!  

Thankfully, the Easter bunny still came to our house and the kids were able to find their baskets when we arrived home from Charleston.  Happy to celebrate the Risen Savior any place we are!

The "Littles"

After sorting through my pictures from the cruise I realized that I had a TON of photos just of Ashley and Preston, who we affectionately called "the littles" all week. :)

Even starting on the first day, the two of them were best buddies, content to hang out together. 

They played at the slides together, enjoyed ice-cream together, plotted about going to the candy store together, relaxed together, ate together, etc.  The littles spent almost every awake moment together for an entire week!

I wondered mid week how long it would last . . . like would they be so annoyed with each other by the end of the week?? But nope, they had a blast from day one through seven!  I'm so so thankful for their friendship and how much they enjoy each other!

Crusin' the Bahamas

We left Charlotte on Sunday, April 14 for the adventure we have talked about and anticipated for months . . . a week long cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate Grammy & Papa's 50th wedding anniversary!

We left the hotel in Charleston Monday morning and headed straight to the port.  It wasn't long before we were all settled in and beginning to enjoy life on the ship

The kids couldn't wait for the temperature to warm up, they hit the water slides right away.

The bigger kids checked out the mini golf on the top level.

But it wasn't long after we set sail that the water fun began for everyone.

Our first stop was Freeport.  We opted to do the beach excursion, which turned out to be our only beach day so we were super thankful we did it!

Before the shuttle left for the beach, we explored the shops at port and all got color changing rings.

And then came the crystal blue waters.  It was awesome.  We enjoyed the afternoon in the shade of an umbrella watching the kiddos play in the ocean.

Then it was back on board for our first gala night dinner.

Watching the sunset was amazing!

We enjoyed lots of on board events, from watching karaoke to a craft morning to many nightly shows, there was always something to do!

It didn't take Savannah long to realize that she could combine two of her favorites for breakfast.  She would take a croissant and eat out the middle part, only to fill it with the daily soft serve ice cream.

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Our next port was Nasseau.  We did a walking tour which was fabulous!  We learned so much about the history and culture of the land.  

We even found a touch of home on Charlotte Street!

Here is the Queen's Staircase, which was dug by slaves.

Silly dad at one of the nightly shows.  This was the night Savannah's poor eating caught up with her and we skipped dinner and the show to give her tummy a break.  Unfortunately, the seas were quite rocky and we had to skip our last port of call at Half Moon Cay . . but we made the most of another day at sea.

On our last night, as we headed back to Charleston, we took some family pictures.

Preston enjoyed one last ice cream cone before disembarking Sunday morning.

This was such a fun adventure.  We had a blast enjoying time together as a family and made so many special memories.  HUGE thanks to Grammy and Papa for providing such a wonderful experience.  I'd say our first cruise was a hit!!