First Day of School

Okay, it's catch up time....here are the kiddos on their first days of school. Em started first grade and transitioned beautifully. She was such a great student in Kindergarten, and thus far has continued on in like fashion. Here she is on her first day in front of our new home and then with her teacher, Mrs. Buchholz!

Case began preschool (his first schooling ever) this year. He goes to a 2 day/wk. program at a local church. I was nervously praying for him all summer, as he's my kiddo who doesn't always take to transition so well. When the day arrived, he was SOOO excited that he kept asking when it would be time to leave. He was actually driving me BATTY so I set the timer in the kitchen for him. The sweet boy literally sat at watched the time tick by, ever-so-often calling out a time update for me. Needless to say he waltzed right into his classroom and the rest is history. Here he is on his first day (notice the totally Case pose) and then one with his teachers, Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Bailey.

Uncomfortable

so, we've moved. we jammed all that we could into one last summer as residents on our sacred island, sadly kissed my daddy (and for that matter an entire chapter of our lives) goodbye, and moved.

now, understand this...i am a moving expert. i moved a TON as a child. i welcomed it, made the best of it, embraced it, and often began to look forward to the next one. it always rang of clean slates, new friends, and yet another place to return to and claim a stake on.

this time...it's different. the change has been great for sure...family, an AWESOME church, returning to old friendships that are both fun and sharpening, etc. and just like always, the boxes were promptly unpacked in a matter of days (although at 34 I also FELT it like never before...sore back and dehydration...ugh). but that's when it all went south.

i am a type A (bold, underlined, and capitalized). so once the boxes were unpacked, i didn't know what to do. maybe it's because there's too much on the list that i want to see done and don't know where to begin? maybe it's because i'm not sure whether to connect with people, paint a room, or find an gym and instructing position? i don't know exactly why i was so stumped, overwhelmed, and paralyzed but, well, i was.

so, i opted to work in the yard. it seemed logical to me at the time. i knew that all the beds needed to be weeded, pruned, watered, treated, etc and unlike paint i couldn't go wrong. it's formulaic...pull weeds+water+treat=done. was it hot? yes....like as in wring out your shirt when your done, hot. and apparently, we have poison ivy in our yard....EVERYWHERE. So, by day 2 or 3 i was covered in rashes.

now, i've never had poison ivy before that i can remember...and after this bout, i think i would have remembered having had it before. it stinks! i was plumb UNCOMFORTABLE. i was itchy. i was hot in my long attire. and now i didn't know what to do with my time. to top it off, i finally went to the doctor for an eye issue i'd been battling unsuccessfully for about a month, only to determine that i was on the brink of blindness. okay, not really, but he did scare me...something about dead spots on my cornea and all....ugh! remedy? no contacts for two weeks and drops in the eye 4x/day. now, you may not know me but i am a sweater, and I don't mean clothing. i get DRENCHED quickly in heat and during activity. my nephew, Jack, would tell you its "unlady like to perspire", but that's just the way the good Lord made me. and not only that, but i sweat from my head. as a cheerleader at high school football games you could see steam coming off my head...true story. but i digress....

so, wearing glasses outside (which is where i wanted to be to work at the one thing i felt i COULD tackle...in the yard) was UNCOMFORTABLE. wearing glasses to run or work out is also UNCOMFORTABLE. are you seeing a theme.

yes, this transition and all that has come with it...the lack of routine, the physical ailments, etc...have made me UNCOMFORTABLE.

but thanks be to GOD for His timely word in my Bible reading one morning...that being uncomfortable is exactly where He has me and wants me. metaphorically, its like my time in the yard. He wants to weed out the idols, the lukewarmness, the bad habits and all in my heart. He wants to water it with this abundance of great teaching and community we've been blessed with. He wants to treat it with the fellowship of family and friends who care enough to walk the deep road with me. And, He wants to leave behind a remnant with which to begin to tend and grow anew. peeps, i need that. i've been in drought and overgrowth for quite a while now. blame it on the grieving process, the lack of a church home that we felt connected to, or just my plain ol' sin. but, i can tell you this....i will take being UNCOMFORTABLE any day of the week if it means further refinement for His use and glory. amen? AMEN and AMEN!

Pony Camp

Poppy gave Emily and Ella-Kathryn two days at Pony Camp for their birthdays. They got to brush the horses, clean the horseshoes, take a tour of the stable, learn all about horses, saddle them, and then ride. The first day they rode on a pony with a lead, and then today they rode on a big horse alone. They had a BLAST! They loved going and especially going together.

Here is a picture of Emily all dressed and ready to go!

Happy 6th Birthday, Emily!

I can hardly believe I'm the mom of a 6 year old! Unbelievable. Not that it is about me, but it just puts it all in perspective for me. I can still remember lying in my bed pregnant, looking across the hall to that closet full of little tiny clothes, thinking are we really going to have a little person who will fit in those? Oh my!

We celebrated kind of mildly this year. I have to say that Em's birthday was not high on my list with 14 other people here visiting, saying goodbyes, packing, and all that comes with moving. It's not that SHE's not important, but I just kept putting off the planning. So, at the last minute I decided that our family would bring her gifts to the Boardwalk Bash on Friday night (her actual birthday) and that she could spend the night at Aunt Lala's along with her cousin, Ella-Kathryn. On Saturday Aunt Lala took the girls shopping, had their nails done, took them out to lunch, and to the pool. We met them there later for a pool party for Emily. She wanted Tinkerbell, a few friends, all of our family, and pizza. Easy peasy! So thankful she didn't need/want anything extravagant...as I probably couldn't have produced it this year. Ha!

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the pool party...

Ava, Halle, Emily, and Will eating pizza.

Maribel and Pete

Aunt Lala, Aunt Melanie, Ryan, Jack, and Gran

Case and Ella-Kathryn


We're planning on doing a little more celebrating with our family in Memphis once we arrive and get settled.

As for Emily...where to start? Emily is outgoing, dramatic, strong-willed, and stubborn (no idea where she gets it). She's organized, scheduled, diligent, and bright. She likes to lead, but still doesn't quite know how to do it appropriately and in the best manner that others will follow (i.e. she can be bossy). She likes to be in the know (i.e. nosy), helpful, and she always wants to be around people. She loves to read, swim, sing, do dance and gymnastics, go shopping and watch movies. She's 6 going on 16 in appearance, behavior and attitude. My oh my what will next year be like? Love that sweet girl! Happy Birthday, Em!

The Simpson

We've been enjoying the Simpsons (my sis and her fam) for the past 2 weeks or so. We've hit the beach, the Y, the pool, the boardwalk bash, and have had so much fun. We've only got a day or so left before they head out, and CLEARLY I'm going to need to take some more pictures than this. I'm pathetic, eh? But, here are few keepers for sure...

My nephew, Will, sporting the worker goggles and underware. Not a look many can get away with, right?

My nephew, Ryan asleep in the chair next to his momma. Poor fella...he was so tuckered out from a cold and benedryl.

And here's another of Will with a sweaty head at the boardwalk bash....it reminds me of those gnome/troll pencils that you would twist the hair on top! Ha!

Okay, hopefully more to come....

My two little loves...

I have to admit. Parenting has been a HUGE challenge for me this summer. I mean, I LOVE my children...but sometimes I've struggled in these days to truly LIKE them. Is that terrible? Just keepin' it real!

Anyway, I really believe that the struggle stems more from me....me being stressed from our current circumstances, not walking in the Spirit, and just being plum worn out. Yes, Emily and Case aren't completely without fault, but I feel that if only I could handle myself differently then we'd be that much closer to success, ya know?

Ah, in a perfect world!

Having said all that, here we are in one of our better moments. Watching the parade on the 4th....all squeezed together on Mommy's lap, me being the chair that we forgot to bring.

I do love my kiddos, and I even like them most of the time....I suppose its more about me not liking me. I'm just thankful that their memories are short, that the Lord's mercies are new each morning, and that I get to be their Mommy!

Saving the world one rat at time....

Our most interesting visitor this summer would most definitely be THE RAT!

It all began when I opened the kitchen trashcan (yes, you read that correctly), and saw movement. Out JUMP a RAT! Instead of closing the trashcan or doing anything logical to solve our problem, I ran away and screamed like a little girl. Chad promptly ignored me because he says, "I always hear screaming downstairs". Thanks for that! Fortunately, we still live with my Dad and HE came running. The next SEVERAL days were filled with rat catching escapades. It began with Dad making this homemade rat trap, which required lying on the floor, waiting for the rat to make noise, and then trapping him. I guess Chad decided to join him for moral support? Not sure, but I know it went on until 3 a.m. and there was no prisoner in the morning.

Poppy then blocked off all cabinet spaces that appeared "open" in the kitchen. So, logically the rat then next appeared in his bathroom. After closing off those, the rat then showed up in the pantry. At this point we added rat traps, real ones, no longer caring to be humane to this ridiculous creature:)

Well, all seemed quiet in the house for a day or so....so we assumed the rat had moved on.

Then one night I went to bed, Dad went to bed, and Chad stayed up working in the family room. I got a call on my cell phone, after having been asleep, and it was Chad. In hushed tones he said, "hey, I'm in the family room and I have the rat cornered." WHAT? Is this a dream? No, perhaps a nightmare, but not a dream.

So, I do what any good, tired wife does...I got up, opened the door, rolled my eyes and sighed heavily, and then proceeded to help Chad capture he and Dad's nemesis. The rat was cornered under a bookshelf that was near the back porch door. Chad got a flashlight and corned him in its beam. I remembered that Dad had said that if we could ever get it to run out the door that would be the best option. I also remembered that he said that they don't run across open expanses, but rather will stick along the wall. So, we proceeded to build a corral from the bookshelf to the back porch door...using the moving boxes and tubs that were stacked on the wall all ready for our move to Memphis in 2 weeks. Once the corral was constructed, Chad poked and prodded the rat with a rake and out he flew....down the corral, out on the porch, and out the back door! It worked! After a high five and a little clean-up of boxes, we were all able to sleep more soundly.

I think the thing that gets me the most, and there is so much material here to choose from, is that the thing was living with us for a whole week and we didn't even know it. Ick! Maybe it wasn't the same fella...I asked Dad if he thought it was and he said, "I don't know, Karen, I didn't ask his name." ha! Even so, to think of that gives me the heebie jeebies. Ya know? Alas, all is safe in the world now!

The Crenshaws

We've had the privilege of having some of our dearest friends and family here with us this summer. Chad's sister, Erin, and her family came at the end of June and I have NOTHING to show for it in terms of pictures! Ugh! Why do I do that? Here is the only one I can find, and fortunately Erin took some as well and posted them on her blog, so check them out too!

I can't begin to say enough about this family and what they mean to us. They aren't just in our lives because of being family....they are some of our best friends. They challenge us, love us, and sharpen us and we are so thankful to be able to walk this life with them.

Thank you for taking the time and resources to come see us this summer, Crenshaws! We loved having you and feel so blessed to have had that time with you. Can't wait to do daily life with you in Memphis VERY SOON!

My three favorite peeps...

So, I've not done a great job of keeping up this summer AT ALL! So this will be my attempt to cover our summer all in one sitting. Be sure and check out all the new posts, as I'll do them all separately for my own benefit:)

Here are my three favorite peeps in a few of our rare moments of downtime this summer. They're all so nice and brown, eh?

4th of July

We've had such a busy summer...lots of visitors, packing, working, etc....etc! We've been enjoying each day for what it offers, but it is quickly coming to a close. Only 10 more days of family, beach, pool, and this beautiful island. Then we're off to our new home (which I still haven't see with my own eyes...ha!).

Anyway, here are a few shots of our time at the parade with Gran and Lala. It was a gorgeous night for fireworks and a parade.

So it's been a LONG time since I've posted anything health related, eh? My journey hasn't halted, but I just neglected to write about it on here.

When I began, I intended to lose 61 lbs., get healthy and strong, and gradually implement changes that would affect my family in a positive way as well. I also knew that I needed goals outside of just seeing numbers going down on the scale, though. So, I challenged myself to get certified to teach group fitness classes, run a 1/2 marathon, lift more weights, run faster, do more pushups (or atleast one...ha!), etc. Having a wide variety of goals helped to remind me that it was about the big picture rather than just about being skinnier, ya know?

So, where am I now? Well, in terms of numbers I've lost 40 lbs., I can actually do several pushups, I'm challenging myself to run faster for longer, etc. I'm also back to investigating more about nutrition...what things are better to buy organically (i.e. that are cleaner), what additional healthy changes I can make by removing certain food and adding in others, etc. I'm teaching aqua aerobics now, and love it. I look forward to teaching other classes in the near future too. I'm in a boot camp style group training, just trying to spice it up a bit and trick my body into pushing itself past what's comfortable and expected.

Having said all that, I thought it might be fun to you to see a picture from when I started....when I was at my heaviest (and saddest, I might add), and then a current one of me in process. It pains me to look at the "before" picture. Why did no one tell me I looked like someone had inflated me to be a balloon in the Macy's Day parade? Ugh! I just can't believe it. Anyway, here goes...

Oh to be "Young"...

So, our dear friends the Youngs were here for a visit this week. Marilyn and I went to college together at UNC-Chapel Hill, but really became close after college when we roomed together. I can hardly believe that was 12 years ago. Oh my!

Marilyn blesses me. She is hilarious, easy-going, and incredibly wise. We have so many similar ideas and interests...it's just so life-giving to be around her.

I have LOVED getting to know her precious children, Tucker and Hannah. They are bright, funny, beautiful children and my kiddos said, "I miss them already" as they drove down the block. Tonight at dinner they Emily prayed for them to come back too! It's such sweetness to have your kiddos love those that you love!!!

So, here are a few shots of our week. We get another night with them and the bonus of having Matt here as well. Can't wait!

Pensive bike rider Case

Case, Tucker, Emily, and Hannah watching a movie (our attempt at a chill night). Notice the blank stares on our boys and the DRAMA on the faces of the chicas! Hilarious and VERY telling!

Our bathing beauties....mine is the brown one! Ha!

Em, Case, and Tucker in the tide pool finding fish and hermit crabs. Good times!

Case, Tucker, Hannah, and Emily enjoying some Shake's Frozen Custard, care of Poppy!

Grrrrrr..

So, we said goodbye to our dear friends, Leslie and Andrew (affectionately known as Tiger to my children b/c he growls and chases them (see picture below)). They have been such a joy to do life with, and will sorely be missed both here on the island and just in our daily life.

Here are a few shots from our time at B.J.'s for their goodbye dinner....

Endings...

Oh, I really do NOT like endings. I can see more and more how God never really intended for us to love endings, hence eternity! As the school year ends we are saying goodbye to quite a few friends that are moving, and also to people at school that we won't see next year since we are moving. Very sad!

Anyway, today was Emily's end of the year party. They played in the water outside, had pizza, Poppy came and served ice cream, and then they handed out awards. They were thoughtful awards, meant to encourage and spotlight each child. Emily was given the "Little Einstein" award alongside her buddy Luke, a friend she first met in preschool. The award was given in honor of Emily and Luke's smart little brains. I'm so thankful for her intelligence, but more importantly...I'm so proud of how hard she works, her love of learning, and her ability to not take it all so seriously. I hope she continues to strike that beautiful balance in the many years of school that lie ahead!

Emily receiving her award from Mrs. Robbins....

Seriously, I wasn't kidding people...

I grabbed a quick shower yesterday and when I came out it was suspiciously quiet in the house. I noticed that Em's door was closed. When I opened it, I found Emily in her reading chair and Case at the craft table. Both were intensely working with a marker and piece of paper. When I inquired about what they were up to, they both PROUDLY displayed the following and started spurting out stories of how the other person hurt their feelings! Oh my! Pray for me!! Ha!

My charming lunch date....

Siblings in the summertime

So, Case has joined the ranks of being on Emily's "I'm not happy with you" list! Ha! I'm surprised it took him this long to be added. I'll tell you, though....this does NOT bode well for us as the summer (a.k.a spend every waking moment together for 2 months) is upon us. Recently they've been AT EACH OTHER! I have GOT to spend a few minutes preparing for the days ahead, both in prayer and preparation, so that we can look back and see this time as a blessing rather than a stress. I don't want to be one of those moms who is dying for school to start and dreading its ending. I want to be looking forward to summer as precious time together with one another, ya know? Any ideas and suggestions???

Bird Island

So on Saturday we went out with Poppy on the boat. We rode for about 30-45 minutes out to this place called Bird Island (no, not where Clifford the Big Red Dog lives....although, when I assured Em that there could be more than one Bird Island she said, "Well, you just never know. We'll have to look around for him". Ha!)

Anyway, once we anchored the boat we explores tons of pools of water, hunted for sand dollars, played bocce ball, and walked the island. It was a GLORIOUS day!!! I will SOOOO miss living here, in paradise!

Mommy and Daddy's self-portrait....yes, we are wearing suits:) Ha!

Our little sunlover, Em!

Muscle man, Case!

Em playing Bocce Ball.

Case playing Bocce Ball.

Poppy, Case, Daddy, and Em playing Bocce Ball.

Friday nights...

It's that time of year....when we head down to The Boardwalk Bash on Friday nights. Free popcorn, dollar drafts, and a live music. We get to see lot of friends, feed the turtles and fish in the pond, and sometimes even happen upon other fun things like pirates, RC boat races on the pond, etc. It's a great time at the end of the week, and heck...I get out of cooking! Yay!

Em rockin' the night away.

Em and Case were perched on this bench watching the RC boats zoom around the pond.

My handsome little devil.

Daddy and Emily lounging.

Jesus Loves Me....

We have just come to the end of another year of AWANA. This year Emily was in Sparks and Case was in Cubbies for a second year (all of that is based on age and grade).

We have been SOOO blessed by this program, and in particular by their teachers. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the program....it kind of reminds me of a Christian version of Scouts. They have vests to display patches, jewels, and other rewards they earn for learning Scripture. They study a lesson at home each week and then review it several different ways during the weekly meeting...songs, stories, games, etc.

Em is such a diligent student, and was so motivated to earn jewels that she finished her whole book half way through the year. As a result, she spent the second half of the year reviewing it. She got a special reward for having done both.

Even though this was Case's second year as a Cubbie, it was a different book. I saw SUCH a HUGE difference in his ability and desire to learn from last year to this year. He looked forward to the book work, memorized verses so readily and with ease, and was one of Miss Tammy's stars in regards to behavior in her ALL BOY class (God bless that woman)!

They both have LOVED going. I initially did it b/c we didn't have a church home here, and therefore they weren't getting Sunday School teaching of any kind. Now that we are moving to a place where we know we'll have a church, will we still pursue being in an AWANA club? I don't know...but I know that my children have learned such valuable lessons and have had a blast. They most certainly know the fundamentals of the gospel in a more solidified way, and know that Jesus LOVES them! I've seen this overflow out of them as Em has shared her faith with friends, and as Case has quoted a lesson he learned from scripture in the midst of an argument with his sister saying, "Emily, the Bible says we shouldn't hurt others back when they hurt us." (Yes, that truly did happen over Spring Break...Chad and I couldn't stop laughing!).

Anyway, here are a few pictures from our AWANA closing night program and party....

Emily with her her fellow Sparks (I'll try to post the video of them singing their songs soon too).

Case with his second year ribbon award (not sure about that silly face.)

Case opted to NOT take a plate, but instead double fisted goodies w/ a soda tucked under the arm (like father, like son eh? Again with the goofy grin???).

My two little piggies. When asked what their favorite part of AWANA each week was, they both would reply snack-time. What a surprise!

And just thought I'd throw this one in for a good laugh. Case asked me, "Mom, why do you and Daddy always take pictures of us. Can't I take one of you?" And my new answer to his question would be....well, just look at that picture and you'll know. Ha!