Friends!

The past several weeks we have had flashbacks to what it felt like to be in Chattanooga shortly after we were married.  We had always felt, and still feel, that Chattanooga is where we were called to be, to develop our careers, to start a family and to give us roots.   That does not mean that has always been an easy decision and that we don’t long to be close to family.   But in the early months of our marriage while we clung to each other there were some lonely nights and weekends filled with tears of not having friends (my tears and Jimmy praying his new wife would get ahold of herself)!.  We needed a support network and couples to connect with and have been blessed to have found that over the years!  God is so good.   

While I would still love to have family close (and are so blessed that my brother, sister in law and sweet niece Ellie are so close), we have a very strong group of friends that are like family to us.  Some we see more frequent than others, some we see at random times and reconnect, and some we email and text to encourage each other.      

This week was filled with laughter with friends!    We enjoyed Sunday with the Smith family.   What was a few hours of catching up over lunch and cookies turned into an entire afternoon filled with laughter, sharing and dinner!     Thanks Jonathan and Nicole for such a blessed day together! 

Gracie and Maggie, we pray that as you go through life you are able to have friends that will walk with you through the various journey of life, some will come for a time and others for a lifetime.    Enjoy each moment and what each relationship represents, what you can give to it and what you receive from it.   

Sunday pic!

Sunday pic!

Sweet girls!  (yes it was raining again...) 

Other thoughts and moments to capture: 

When Maggie can be as ornery as possible she can also melt my heart.  Like when we were snuggled in bed Sunday night she said “you are so beautiful” and “I will love you so much”

Gracie has had a week of adjustment to a new scheduled filed with working her mind  (academics) rather than her body (gymnastics).  We have struggled to get into the routine and how to encourage her to learn.   Jimmy asked me this week “how do we do this with her?  I am sure this was how you were”.   He possibly is right and unfortunately my only advice was “I turned out okay”.   We are praying for patience and direction as we work with her.   She is sweet and smart and wants to have it all perfect, so when she struggles with a concept or word she wants to quit rather than work through ti.  

Ahhh, the emotions of a 2nd grader.  

---as Maggie erased a dry erase art, Gracie said “the world has ended” with large tears 

---after being upset over doing her math work and a poor attitude that dictated she lost the privilege of watching a Little House, she responded “you made me act this way”.   It was a good lesson for her....she is fully responsible for her own behavior.  She can and will have feelings, she can and should verbalize those in an appropriate manner, but she will not act out and scream!    

Happy Birthday Mac and Paisley!   We enjoyed their 2nd birthday party today. 

Water balloon fight!  

Daddy nailed her!  We enjoyed the afternoon! 

We had a very special visitor(s) tonight!    The girls were excited to see Ellie crawl!   We had missed her and her Mama and Daddy too). 

Growing Up--The Start of School!

It always seems the school year starts before I have fully grasped that my babies are growing up.    I am reminded often what one of my former manager/ mentor told me when Gracie was born and I cling to it some days, “don’t try to freeze time, enjoy the time you have but embrace each stage for the joy it is”.   So this week as Gracie started 2nd Grace, we officially documented Maggie starting PreK, and Maggie stopping sucking her fingers I reflected on this.    While I have loved each stage, there is nothing better to us than watching them grow and develop into the young ladies that God created!   Each age has its struggles but they are so far outweighed by the joy that comes with each.   Nothing warms our hearts as their parents than to watch them skip!   Jimmy always says he knows they are happy and content when the skip and I believe he is right.  

Night before school...Gracie gave Maggie a pedi!  

Love these sisters!

Second Grade

And for kicks....Gracie First Day of 1st Grade!

Gracie First Day of Kindergarten! 

First Days!  (Maggie did not have an official move to PreK so we created one!)

Love the larger than life smile!  AND this is after several days of not sucking her fingers!

This Daddy adores his daughters! 

Waiting in the hall before class!

G's teacher, Ms. Henry!   We are going to have a great year!

Mommy and Daddy with Gracie before class.  She was so excited! 

Love these two and the special bond they have!   Three years in a row in the same class!    Can you tell they are two peas in a pod?

They are precious!  

Ready for the 1st day!    Check out those smiles! 

Yes, this OCD Mommy let her daughter go to school in this outfit!    With the help of  Jimmy I am really working at this! 

When did she turn 13?  She looks so grown up here! 

Lord, as we approach this school year we pray for guidance and wisdom in our approach with Gracie and Maggie.  We pray for your grace (and theirs) when we don’t seem to get it right.  We ask for your favor showered with laughter and smiles even when the weeks get rough, we all get tired and we have less patience shown than we should.   We pray blessings over this year and each one of us as we grow in your and together as a family.  ~ Amen!

Maggie has continued to surprise us with how well she adapts and is flexible to change.   Monday night was the night we quit (well Maggie quit) sucking her fingers!   We were braced for the worse, but put the nasty stuff on her fingers and put her to bed.   She did say a few times “but I really want to suck them”, but settled and did great.   She does not need the stuff for nap and wakes up once each night as she is learning to put herself to back to sleep.  We are so proud of her! 

She fell asleep without sucking her fingers and did fabulous! 

Friday we celebrated Jimmy’s 37th birthday!   Nothing better than a Publix chocolate cake!   The girls woke up asking for cake for breakfast! It was sweet.   Happy Birthday love, I am blessed by each year we get to celebrate life together! 

Blowing out the candles requires lots of help and is serious business!  

Summer Wrap Up!

We have soaked up the week with the girls back home, although that does not mean it was a quiet one.   We loved on Grammy and Papa before they left Sunday and we enjoyed a small group pool party and Ms. Martha and Mr. Matt’s house.  We are so blessed by special friendships as we watch our kids grow.    And it gave us the itch for a pool..... (Aunt J don’t get too excited), but just think we will enjoy friends that have one! 

Silly faces with Papa!   She gets some of her spunk from him! 

The girls!   

Gracie, Emma and Maggie at the pool!   These girls are growing so fast!  

Gracie floating like a teenager!   Ahh, I love those moments in the sun too! 

Summer camp friends!  So blessed by Ms. Angela and Mr. Ernie who put so much into the summer! 

I had a full week of work.  I had my team to Chattanooga (5 are in Nashville and 2 in Knoxville) for a meeting, lunch and fun team building!  I am blessed to be leading a team that has so much energy and works diligently to execute.   It was a well deserved day for them.   I then spent Tuesday through Thursday in Nashville with the team.  

Crazy sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's bed while Mommy traveled! 

Friday was a big day in our house!  We try each year to each take a day off with Gracie (and will with Maggie too) right before schools starts to just have some special time.  Friday Jimmy took off.  It was also desk day, meaning when we take the school supplies in and meet her teacher.   We really like Ms. Henry and are praying for her as she leads Gracie’s 2nd Grade class.  

Class of 2024 really?  

Desk day done!   Ready for next week! 

The weekend we spent in Cincinnati which included lots of special moments!   We visited with Gjysh and KK and Aunt Bek and her family, we were privileged to be a part of my cousin Emily’s wedding as she married Keith, and we were blessed to stay at the Great Wolf Lodge which is an indoor water park.  We had a great time and are looking forward to when we can go back!  We had been promising the girls we would wrap up summer there before school.  It was a full and memorable weekend to say the least! 

Playing with Daddy before lunch! 

Trying to stay entertained!

Hanging out with Eli at Aunt Bek's house before the wedding. 

Gjysh is loving all the snuggles! 

Ready for the wedding.   Maggie asked before we left is she was going to be the flower girl.  Ha! 

KK, Maggie, Gjysh and Gracie waiting for the wedding to start. 

Gracie LOVED the wedding and watched every detail.  

My girl and me!  

I sure love this man!  So blessed to have married you almost 12 years ago! 

I can't seem to get a picture without Maggie making a face! 

Me with Levi and Maggie.  She loves the babies! 

Time to hit the water park! 

So tired after the first few hours of playing in the water!   We all took naps.

Love this little look!

Maggie was hesitant at first, but then warmed up.  She thought she was on a roller coaster! 

Same pose and look after going down the slide!  

Sisters! 

First full day at the water park in the books and we had two tired girls (and parents).  

Gracie had great arm strength.  The first time she did this she was hesitant, but then did it several times after and loved it. 

Changed and ready to go home!   

Lots of sweets at the water park! 

so tired!