Abby's last swim meet of the year

It's no fun for a 5 year old to wake up at 6:45 on a Saturday morning, but this was Abby's last time to do that for a while. Today was her last swim meet and she did a great job. She has come a long way since the beginning of the season.....practicing in those frigid waters! That quickly ended. She swam hard today and I was very proud of her. She is a little competitor and next year she will be a very strong swimmer. Until next year......

From Vacation to Vacation Bible School

Yes, it is that time again....VBS and I hit the ground running as soon as I unpacked the suitcases and washed the clothes....off to the Saddle Ridge Ranch to decorate my room......
Now unfortunately I started this entry the week of VBS and now July 21 I am just now coming back to it......it is a well faded memory now, as we have been so busy this summer with fun fun fun.....undocumented fun at that. And I told myself I was going to blog everyday this summer....oh well.
VBS was a lot of fun for the kids.....myself and my kindergarten art partner.....well let's just say we have decided next year all crafts will be crafts where GLUE is NOT needed!
The message this year for VBS was an awesome one James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

The music and the bible verses were simple and fun and really stuck with the kids.
Olivia brought a school friend with her this year,the day they ask the kids if they wanted to accept Christ as their savior this sweet little girl raised her hand. Later that afternoon when I talked with her and Olivia about it (because I was thinking she had done this before) I asked her if she had been to VBS before and she said she had with another friend a couple of years ago, then I asked if she had asked Jesus into her heart before, she said, yes, but she had forgotten. At this point Olivia chimes in.....yah, I kept forgetting too until I got baptised! Out of the mouth of babes.....very interesting statement that had me thinking for days and I will leave it at that for now.

Now on to our next adventure of the summer!

Last day of fun in the sun

We weren't racing out to the beach this morning....the girls and myself were a little tired of that green stuff in the water. So we spent the day at the pool hanging out and being lazy. We didn't go to the beach until 7:00 pm. You would know the green stuff had finally gone away and the water was clear. We walked along the beach, tried to play volleyball with a beach ball. Olivia had been wanting to play all week but never remembered to bring a ball down to the beach. She loves elimination volleyball at school and she wanted to play volleyball on the beach, though the nets looked a little high. We took pictures and played in the sand. We stayed out until it was dark and walked back and got into the lazy river and floated the river until it was time for the pool to close 10:00.
So we made it a week with no oil.....thank the Lord the oil didn't make it to Destin while we were there. It is a beautiful place and we definitely want to come back. We were able to spend time together as a family and just relax and enjoy each others company...gotta love that!

We don't want to leave this place.....

Another great day in Destin......we ate a late breakfast at the Donut Hole then went and packed up our things for a day on the water. For Father's Day David wanted to rent a pontoon boat to cruise around in while we were here. Those 4 hours went too fast, next time we want it for the whole day. We went to Crab Island and just hung out and swam for a bit then headed off to find a deserted beach. There the girls found crabs and hermit crabs and tried to catch the fish that were too fast for them. The girls all took turns driving the boat. It was another great day. We ended the day eating dinner overlooking the beach at The Black Pearl where David and I celebrated our 10th anniversary!

Many more deposits in the memory bank today....

The Simpson's are still having fun in Florida. We didn't rush out to the beach today, we headed out later to the Splash Pad but it was closed for repair, so we headed to another pool. Emily is getting very good at staying afloat all on her own. We went back to float the lazy river and the girls signed up for pool games and all the other children's activities at the resort for the day.
But the best part of the day was heading further east to SandDestin. The Baytowne Wharf was a lot of fun for the girls. Olivia did a zip line across a lake, Abby bungee jumped(which Olivia then decided she wished she would have picked that to do)and Emme road the carousal. They fed the fish, danced with Daddy and ate snow crab and lobster for the first time. We had on the deck of this restaurant that had a band playing and the food was served in buckets. The buckets were full of fresh steamed seafood! We walked down a pier after dinner and then checked out some of the shops, got candy of course and bought a big seashell to remind us of our trip. Shortly after that the fireworks started. Mommy LOVES fireworks. Emily and Abby say they hurt their ears, but Emily really doesn't like them. Such a shame.....it was a great night and we had many nice people take pictures of us together, so we have great photos to remember the evening!

A great first day of fun.....

The day started and ended with fun. David and Abby were up early waiting for the rest of us to get up so we could go to the beach. They were at the beach by 9:30 and Emily and I were down there by 10:30. It was a beautiful sunny day and we had a blast on the beach. The white sand and green water is a fantastic contrast to the brown waters and sand of Galveston that we are used to. The current and winds were very strong today so you could only go waist deep in the water. David is the only one that cares to go further out.
We came back for lunch and a nap for David and Abby. Later we headed down to the pool and lazy river, which is very nice and a lot of fun. After dinner we drove into Destin to check it out and had to make a stop a one of the touristy beach shops. The money that nana gave the girls for the trip has been burning a whole in their pockets. Olivia had already talked to Allison after they got back from their trip to Florida and had gotten the scoop on where to shop and what to buy. So Olivia had a list and was ready to shop. The girls got t-shirts and postcards. Olivia got a necklace, Emily got a flip flop zipper pull with her name on it and Abby got a live hermit crab!!!( Of course, that is so Abby)....though apparently she is sharing it with her sister. Of course they have already names the hermit crab and her name is Audrey.....such a pretty name to give to a crab! Then we walked along the boardwalk at HaborWalk and had a great evening. We LOVE this place.

Let the vacation begin..........

We made it to Okaloosa Island today....finally after driving through rain on and off the entire time and several little traffic delays. It rained pretty much the rest of the evening, even started hailing as soon as we took off for WalMart to buy our groceries. David and the girls were so excited to see the beach they took off in the rain to see it while I unpacked. The rain stopped long enough for them to actually play in the water and then go check out the Lazy River.
Everyone loves the condo and we are looking forward to lots of good times while we are here. Let's hope the oil doesn't show up on our beach. We haven't bothered to check the news to see where it is today. We planned this trip last minute (6 days before we were to leave and then of course two days later they say the oil will be in Pensacola Friday. What are the odds? So to arrive to rain was also a bit disappointing. Let's also hope the rain stops along with no oil on shore!!!
I will attempt to blog everyday so we will remember this vacation ten years from now! This is our first family vacation with just our family.....let's see how long it takes before we are bored and wishing the rest of our families were here?

Olivia's Last Day of Third Grade

Today was Olivia's last day of school. I let her sleep until 7:35 and woke her up to a video camera recording her first words of the morning on her last day of school! Of course I forgot to take a picture except for the one a snapped on my phone as she got out of the car.
The girls and I went and had lunch with her on her last day and we were very late getting there. Fortunately there was no recess today so she had extra time too eat. She didn't want me to leave when lunch was over. As we were throwing our trash away she had her arms around my waist hugging me the whole way through the cafeteria. My first thought was I hope these days last forever. That is the days when she is not afraid to hug her mother at school! Some days it is crazy and she asks me to come eat lunch with her.....I never want to say no because I know one day she will stop asking.
Olivia had a great teacher this year. Her dad and I LOVE Ms. Alexander. She was the perfect teacher for Olivia. Olivia grew by leaps and bounds this year. Making straight A's and really loving school. She loves to read and write. She loves science and art. It has been a joy to drop my child off at school each day, I know she is in a great environment surrounded by teachers that care. I pray the same for next year!
As I was cleaning out Olivia's backpack this evening I came across some papers she was working on these last few days. One was a page were she was to complete the phrase.....there were 20, I will only highlight my favorites.
I like to eat at......Texas Roadhouse....(we do enjoy that place, the girls love the peanuts and dancing waitstaff.
In my free time I like to .......play
I am really good at.....drawing and school
It bothers me when .....my sisters wake me up
Five years from now, I will.....be in 8Th grade
What I want most in the world is.....an IPhone...(keep wanting girl, why couldn't that have been world peace!)
My favorite person is.....God and Jesus
The best thing about me is......all of things. (I would say she has plenty of self esteem!)
Well I guess that is it for 3rd grade. It has been a good year!

Another Kindergarten Graduate

Today was Abby's big day as she graduated from Kindergarten. She looked so adorable in her white cap and gown. I remember Olivia's graduation like it were yesterday. The program was the same as when Olivia graduated. They sang I Am A Promise and did their high kicks (which really weren't too high) and had a blast doing it. I had been asking Abby for weeks, "are you practicing I Am A Promise in music?" She said no and I was sad thinking they didn't do that anymore. Then last week she came home all excited telling me they were practicing the song and kicking!
Of course like I always seem to have....camera problems. My camera battery went dead right after the I am a promise song...I was hacked to say the least, then my dad suggested to use the video camera to take still, which we did, only to discover when I went to upload them the card was full and the pictures were not taken. So no walking across the stage or family pictures afterwards! Thank goodness a friend snapped one picture for me! Sorry Abby, but I think there was a reason for this....what do you think JeanAnn?
This has been a crazy kindergarten year for my little August baby. Momma has worried and stressed over too many silly things I am sure. I need to take your daddy's laid back approach, he is helping me get there. God knows what is best for you little girl and I am trusting Him to guide me through your future,always choosing what is best for you.
You are a very bright little girl full of talent, with a smile that is sweeter than anything on this earth. You catch on to things when you want to catch on and you always want to do good and make E's! You love drawing and are so creative! I am amazed at all the things you make and how you pay such attention to detail when you make these things. You care for others and think of others and that shows as you are always making cards and letters for those you love. You are a sweet little girl and I am so thankful God allowed me to be your mother. I love you Abigail Victoria.....even though some days you can't remember what your middle name is!

Olivia's Premiere

What started in February with an audition came to a close tonight with Olivia's stage premiere at church in the children's choir spring musical Under God's See in 3-D! It was an exciting night for her and her family. We were blessed to have many family members come see her. Her Nana and Poppy, my Aunt Linda from Washington, PawPaw, Aunt Paula and the boys, Aunt Kim, Jaci and Jenna and Aunt Ruth and Natalie and of course Olivia's bff...Melissa.
Olivia wasn't nervous at all today. And seeing her up on stage in front of all those people, she was her same ole self. David said no one in his family (except maybe Rebecca) would have had enough courage at 8 to get up there and perform. My family either! I do believe she is a natural. We are blessed to be apart of a church that provides opportunities like this to our children.
I was one proud momma tonight sitting out there in the audience.

another busy day......

We celebrated CFBC's 40th anniversary and building dedication this morning at church then this afternoon we went to the carnival at the church. We arrived the last hour of the carnival because Emily had her end of the year program at Trinity. She was so excited about this program. She had been talking about it all week. When we were walking up to the gym she said, "momma I am so excited about singing up there" and I replied I am so excited about getting to hear you sing. Her class sang Archy Archy, and she wore her rain boots and Mickey Mouse raincoat. She was excited that her Nana and Poppy came to hear her sing as well. Then off to the church for the carnival.....lines were long and the heat was extreme but fortunately we only had to endure for one hour! We came home to discover our ac is broken and we had a fairly major leak in the attic. The water was dripping from the ceiling. When David saw it he was getting ready to go upstairs and put the girls to sleep. He said y'all don't come over here this is fixing to fall......well....that is all they needed to hear. They saw the wet ceiling and two of them (try to guess who) started freaking out, crying and having a mini melt down. The two drama princesses were Abby and Olivia. Emily could care less. Of course this totally derailed bed time. Once daddy figured out the problem, we told them he had fixed it and everything was okay so they could go to bed. They all cheered for daddy and finally went to sleep! Isn't it amazing how easily their world can be rocked and over some of the strangest things.
Oh one more story about the day.....this afternoon when I was getting Emily dressed for her program she looked at the dress and said this is not my size. I said yes it is, it says 4, she then said "what is the T for" I told her it was for Toddler, her reply "I am a toddler" Yes you are, I said, to which she responded, "I am a mess too"! Wonder who she heard that from!?

Abby's first swim meet

Abby had her first swim meet today......in the rain! Well it didn't start raining until the end but it was still very cloudy and very cool. Poor thing was shivering the whole time. She did very good though and loved every minute of it. She swam three races and can't wait for the next one! Hopefully the sun will be out next week. No pictures this time....didn't want to drag my camera out in the rainy weather!

Abby's Last Softball game

Today was Abby's last softball game of the season. I finally brought the camera out to the game to take some action shots.....though I am not too sure how much action I actually caught.Softball for 6 and unders can be a bit slow! And most of the girls are out there playing in the dirt, Abby included, though by the end of the season she had gotten much better. Abby had a great game. She did hit the ball both times at bat and got on base. I think she enjoyed softball, especially playing with her cousin and having her uncle coach her and daddy helped as well. Abby was a very cute Ladybug and I think she will want to play again.