Fun Night Out!

 

Preston's soccer team was so excited to go to a Charlotte FC game tonight.  The team manager organized all of the tickets together and the boys had a blast!  Apparently, they watched "some" soccer but enjoyed throwing popcorn and hanging out the most. LOL

Savannah and I were thankful to have a quiet night at home. We went shopping, had TCBY treats, and watched a movie in our jammies. ;)

Best of Friends through Thick and Thin

 

I love that these teenage boys aren't too big for a lemonade stand!  And what's even better is the friendship they share . . . all neighborhood kids that walk/bike/run to and from school together.  There are certainly rough days, but man they have the best of times. :)

And these girls are a sweet, sweet group too!  They have been friends since they were in the womb (via their mamas) and have continued to share the most special friendship over the years, even through a Singapore stint for one!  Representing three different school systems and a variety of interests they still have the common bond of sisters in Christ, attending church together weekly.  What a blessing it was to have them over for pizza, games, and a movie night.  There was so much laughter and joy!!!

Spring Break In Tennessee

Savannah decided that instead of getting her wisdom teeth out over spring break, she preferred to do a college tour at the University of Tennessee.  So we rescheduled her surgery and made plans to venture to Knoxville with a side trip to Dollywood!

It is a long way to Knoxville, but wow the campus was beautiful.  We were impressed with their business school for sure and enjoyed the tour.

Afterward we were able to meet up with my college roommate (and bridesmaid) Brandy.  It was a joy to meet her son, Charlie, and to catch up with her over icecream in the downtown area.

We enjoyed dining outside and walking around downtown before walking back to our hotel for the night.

Then bright and early we hit the road for Dollywood

Savannah and I opted for a few more leisurely rides, while the boys were thrilled with the big coasters!

Of course, we all enjoyed the cinnamon bread

And grabbed a quick picture before heading back to Charlotte.  We were so thankful for the beautiful weather and a fun, safe trip.  It was a quick trip but a fun adventure for the week of Spring break.  Now I think we are all ready to finish the school year strong.

He Is Risen!

We enjoyed Easter in Charlotte this year.  The morning started with serving together as a family in preschool at church

Once we arrived home the kids searched for their baskets and were super excited to find Carowinds passes!!

So after lunch and a family picture, we decided to put the passes to use and enjoy the beautiful day at Carowinds!

 

It was a super fun day just enjoying time with the family!  

So thankful that we do indeed serve a risen Savior.

Charleston Cooper River Bridge run Madness

We took the kids out of school early on Friday to try to miss some of the traffic and get to Charleston in plenty of time for dinner.  Unfortunately, the traffic was a bloody nightmare the entire way and a trip that is usually 3 hours took 4 long hours!!!  We (ok, I was) were so frustrated by the time we arrived but we still made it to Hyman's for dinner so Savannah could enjoy her favorite, Chicken and Waffles!

It was super windy on Saturday, so Dave wasn't very happy with his time but he still did great!  We were able to see him run by and then enjoyed the race festivities in the park . . . where Preston was encouraged by a volunteer to get as many little bites as he could.  He ended up with 50 packs!  Insane!

We were excited they had the usual CPI chair and a photo booth to continue our traditions!

After walking around the market and downtown, we went through part of the College of Charleston so Savannah could say she *toured* it.  A quick stop by the bookstore for the sticker was next and we hit the road home.  We were hoping that traffic coming back would be much better, even though they were calling for rain, but it actually was WORSE!!!  There was an accident on our side of 26 and it appeared that the highway was shut down!  We rerouted and finally got back on (after a gas stop in the middle of nowhere with pumps that weren't working and practically everyone paying cash) only to discover that the ramp to 77 was closed. . . which took another 15 miles to reroute for that.  The trip home took 4.5 hours!  I think I said maybe a million times I'm never going to Charleston again!!!!

Speedy Gonzales

 

At first, Preston was disappointed that he didn't make the last cut for the school soccer team . . but then he quickly realized he really enjoys running track!  They have had three meets so far and two times he made the point sheet for the school!  We knew he was fast, but it's so much fun to watch him get faster and faster as he practices each week.  Currently, he is representing in the 100m, 400 relay, and 800 relay. At the last meet all three earned his team points even though the team came up short overall.  

It's pretty impressive that he has never run before and even as a 7th grader is earning points for the team, beating out 8th graders!

We'll see how the season ends up but he definitely loves being a part of the school team (and being able to wear the JMR hoodie and ride the bus to meets LOL).  Now for us spectators, wow, the events take forever . . . but I've found that I like being able to participate as a parent helper to make the time go faster and get an up-close view of the runners. :)

Celebrating a Variety of Things

 

Preston had his final ball for Cotillion at Providence Country Club this week and Savannah was an assistant for the class.  It was fun to see them dressed up and know that they were having a blast over a five-course dinner.  So for Preston, it was a celebration of the end of Cotillion lessons. ;)

We found out this week that our lightening fast kid also made the track team for the school.  Maybe it was his 6:04 mile that put him over the top?!  He is SOOO excited to be on the team and have the chance to work on his running skills . . and of course to get the hoodie with his name. LOL  

It was also discovered that Savannah's class rank at school qualified her to be a Junior Marshall for graduation this year.  I know deep down she is thrilled (and celebrating too) but it will cause a slight hiccup in her camp week for church.  We'll have to figure out the details later, but where there is a will, there is a way!

And just for fun, I'm celebrating that Preston is willing to help me out around the house.  He's quite handy and is becoming a pro at fixing things . . but I think these cabinets are beyond repair at this point.  I'm feeling a kitchen remodel coming soon!