The time of our life

Although it has rained for the past 48 hours since we got here, I am quickly remembering why vacation is so necessary.  It is nice just to get away from everything, enjoy time with one another and just to change up the surroundings.  I love the smell of salt water and the palm trees have always been a favorite of mine!  Karis says the trees look like they have "crazy hair."  Monday we spent the evening after we got here going to the grocery store, getting settled in, driving around the area, and catching the kids up on their sleep.  Yesterday we tried to go to the beach however everytime we would go it would start to rain.  So we hung out at the condo and watched movies and then after the kids napped were able to go to the beach for a few hours.  It was such a blast seeing the kids see the beach for the first time.  Brayden was a little scared at first and Karis ran towards the water saying, "MOM!  I have never seen this before!!!"  This is their first encounter with the beach...

The kids playing while we grilled out on the back porch...

The kids went swimming at our condo...

The kids loved getting to swim with their daddy!  Their eyes just lit up!

Kool-aid tongue

Just a glimpse of the beach...

Karis was making a recliner "just like daddy."

This morning the wind was blowing so hard that not only was it a red flag day but they weren't even letting anyone get in the ocean.  We actually tried to go we took advantage of the cloudy skies and went to the outlet malls where we found some great deals!  The storms are moving out this afternoon and it will be sunny skies for the rest of the week so we are so excited!  I have some beach pics that I will try to post later today if I get a chance.  

Shoutout to my SCS friends

I just want to give a quick shoutout to my Shelby County Schools teacher friends who are starting school today.  Yes they have been in inservice for a week but the kids come today and it is always a very hard/busy/stressful day.  I want you all to know that I am thinking of you today and praying that the Lord gives you strength, wisdom, and patience that you didn't even know you had.  I pray it goes smoothly and that it is overall a very successful day.  Hang in there...it will soon be over and all kinks will be worked out in time!  Remember the Father desires to hear your requests and longs to spend time with you.  I want to share with you something I read this morning that you might receive strength from also...

Psalm 91

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust.' Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.  He shall cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; his truth shall be your shield and buckle. 11 For He shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways.  14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver Him.  I will set him on high, because He has known My name.  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him.  I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation."

We are on our way!

Well we packed for vacation this morning before church and were loaded to the ceiling and we were off!  We headed over to church, then we had a meeting/lunch afterwards and quickly we were on the road by 1:oo this afternoon.  We traveled to Mobile where we are spending the night in a hotel to try to break up the drive with 2 little ones.  I must admit...the kids were INCREDIBLE on the drive over.  Not a whine, wimper or backtalk in 6 straight hours in the car.  They were both so excited and in great moods.  They laughed and sang alot and only napped for an hour....and we only stopped twice (one for gas and one for Karis to go potty). They did have a DVD player which helped but most of the time they weren't even watching it.

Karis snoozing in the car

I can't recall a time when the 4 of us have stayed in a hotel together.  We just don't do it much and if we do, it is a getaway for Jay and I and the kids are not with us.  They loved the idea that the two of them would have their own bed to share with one another (they have never slept together). Karis kept asking, "Are we going to stay in a building before we get to the beach?"  I kept telling her it was called a hotel but she continued to call it a building.  Brayden has finally grown up some and they have been getting along great!  They just played together for a long time before we headed them to bed.  The Lord has blessed us with great children and what a blessing from the Lord they are.

Can you tell by these grins that they were excited???

If you notice...even baby doll had a place to sleep tonight!

We are off to bed for the adventure to continue tomorrow.  We are about 2 hours from our destination so we will head to Destin in the morning.  We can't wait to see the kids reactions to the beach!  Karis went when she was about 9 months old and certainly doesn't remember it and Brayden has never been to the beach so tomorrow will have lots of stories I can imagine.

I don't think our condo has internet so don't know what blogging the next week will look like.  I might not post everyday but will try to find some internet in the week to give you a sneak peek of our week.  But no worries I will do some catching up when we return.  Until then....

"Brayden, where are you going???" (for you Lolli and Stephanie)

This is a conversation that we have laughed at over and over again.  It is actually a conversation that my brother Matt started with Brayden last week and have repeated it about 100 times.  It has taken some repetition for him to figure out where he is going.

It goes like this:

Matt:So Brayden where are you going next week?

Brayden: Ballgame.

Matt: Oh, I thought you were going to the beach?

Brayden: OH! BEACH!

Matt:So Brayden where are you going next week?

Brayden: Ballgame.

And it continues over and over again!

Happy Birthday to Lolli (video)

This is an ATTEMPT at getting the kids to sing on cue for the camera.  Of course they sang it before and after but couldn't catch it on film.  However it is pretty funny and "kid" typical.  Enjoy!

Happy 4th Birthday Thomas!

Tonight we celebrated Thomas Clark's 4th birthday!  They set up some "boonbounces" in the gym at Longview Heights and the kids just ran wild and played.  They had a great time and I think Thomas would vouch that it was a success!

Mary Taylor and her daddy

The train...the kids loved this.  You can go in either side and in the middle there is a slide.  Some kids we didn't see the whole time because they stayed in here the whole time!

Karis and Kendall

Mattie (my friend Elizabeth's daughter)

All the kids about to DEVOUR some cupcakes!

The birthday boy Thomas blowing out his candles (immediately before eating 4 cupcakes)!

Brayden enjoying himself some icing

Drew and Brayden

It was fun!  Happy Birthday Thomas!

Block Party

This morning we went to our church block party at an apartment complex in our area and the kids had a blast as well as met some new friends.  Here is Karis and Brayden on the "boonbounce" as Brayden calls it.

Ellie at the craft table

Mrs. Teresa doing tattoos

Ethan after getting his tattoo

Karis seems to be proud of hers :)

Karis showing me how to "hula hoop"

Mrs. Teresa watching Brayden while I help Sissy with a game

Karis shooting a water balloon at daddy :)

Kids playing a water balloon game

Nice hat sissy!

Our block party was very successful, but hot!  We hope to see some of our new friends at church tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Mom!

I have spent the last few minutes trying to upload a video (and pictures from today) and nothing is working tonight!  So I am going to quit trying for now and try again tomorrow morning before we leave for church/vacation.  

Mom I had a video (kids weren't cooperating too much) for you for your birthday but obviously can't get it up for some reason.  So instead, imagine us singing to you, 

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear M0---M, Happy Birthday to you!"

You are always so selfless and serving/taking care of everyone around you and putting others before yourself.  You deserve a great day and we wish we could be with you on your birthday!  We want you to know that we appreciate you and love you so much.  Your deeds don't go unnoticed and you are so very special to us!

We love you Lolli!

8-8-08

Pretty safe to say nobody reading this will live to see this exact combination again!

Today's random adventures

Our day began with lots of fun when the Morris kids came over while their mom (Rachel) went to a conference.  My kids loved waking up to having friends over...wow...what fun!  They played for most of the day and even Mari-Morgan and Mrs. Paige came over too to join in.   

Drew and Brayden

Kendall and Karis playing dress up

What a cute little grin...

Little Jack was putting on a concert for us...

After the Morris kids left, we had to go to Memphis to get Brayden's second allergy shot.  Friday afternoon....5:00 p.m....Poplar Avenue....not a good combination!  But we survived and got home in time to play outside for a while and even ride the tractor with daddy!

The kids wearing daddy's hats...

Then it was dinner time, bath time and then we all hopped on the couch (Jay in his recliner of course) to watch a movie.  Movie of choice tonight...Charlotte's Web.  I have never seen it before tonight and it was really cute!  I had quite the company during the movie...

Long, busy day...we will all sleep great tonight! 

OH...and I almost forgot (not really...how could I?)...we leave for vacation in less than 48 hours!!!!!!