Flying High

The girls had the most amazing August that they could ahve asked for! They got to take their first airplane trip!! Well, it was Allie's 18th plane ride, but it was the first one that she would remember! She used to fly back and forth between Seattle and North Carolina every few months as a baby. The girls flew out of Raleigh with Heath's parents. They flew into Ft. Myers. They were so excited! The only problem was that Brianna has a fear of heights. She was sitting next to the window and would not let anyone look out! She quickly go fired from that seat! While in Ft Myers, the girls learned how to boogie board at the beach. They collected over 30 sand dollars and shells on the beach as well! It was an amazing trip!

Wedding Time

We have been anticipating the wedding of my friend Michelle (who was also Allie's teacher this year) to the love of her life, Luke! The girls were invited, so this made it very special. I decided to have a bit of fun and take them to get their nails done. When on a budget, where do you go to get your nails done? The beauty school of course!

After that, we had a day of beauty. The girls enjoyed getting their hair currled and getting beautiful! They had such a great time at the wedding. They even got to dance with the bride!

Slip-n-Slide

We had an amazing day last Thursday. It was much busier than our typical Thursdays in the summer. We began with tutoring at the library and then dropped a few things off at the school. We continued to our friend's house for a play date. After eating lunch, we took all of the kids outside for some fun with the slip-n-slide. I can say that my kids lead a sheltered life. I don't think that they had played on a slip-n-slide before today! As you can see, it was amazing! The girls had a blast!I just love the expression on each of the girls' faces as they just enjoy the moment. They teach me everyday to sit back and enjoy what God has given me!

Easter Egg Hunting in the Summer

Yep, the girls are going on an Easter Egg hunt today! I was given a pack of princess Easter eggs at the end of the school year. They are different shapes or have different images on them: princess, castle, magic wand, crown, etc. I told the girls that they are going to go on an Easter egg hunt. Then they are to write a story using the Easter eggs that they find . . . this should be fun! I will post more about the hunt after I have finished my coffee and we have begun the fun!

The Villages Alligator

In all of our years of visiting the Villages, we have never seen the alligator. Whlie we were enjoying our dinner at the Lighthouse, he finally decided to join us. . .

Fantastic Florida: The Villages

If you are over 55 and you want to have a great time, The Villages is for you. Well, you only have to be 55 to purchase there, but any age can visit! My parents have a house in the Villages that we visit each year. While there, we go to the square for live music and dancing, ride in the golf cart everywhere, eat frozen yogurt for lunch, go shopping, and most of all - go swimming!! This year my sister provided us with some "grab bags" of dares. She was surprised that we were willing to participate! The Village residents got a kick out of the mustaches that we were all wearing! Little know fact: Brianna wanted to sleep in her mustache!

Fantastic Florida: Sea World

Heath surprised us with a last minute addition to our trip. He wanted to take us to Sea World. Not only would this be the first time for the girls, but it was also my first time there! While at Sea World, we were able to pet the sting rays and the dolphins. We got the opportunity to feed the dolphins and the seals. And of course, we watched the Shamu show! The exhibits were amazing! We enjoyed them all - well most of us did. Bri was not excited to visit the sharks. She was worries that they were doing to eat us! All in all, it was another wonderful adventure!

Fantastic Florida: Our Stay

We were able to stay at the Gaylord Resort in Orlando for this amazing vacation. They upgraded us to an atrium view, which meant that from our room we could see all through the atrium. There were indoor rainforests, aligators, koi ponds, resturants, and much more! Outside, there was this amazing pool area for the kids. It was complete with water slides and movie theater. Since we were all exhausted from the great day at Disney, we decided to spend our second day at the resort. The girls were able to relax and play at the pool. After dinner, they got back into the pool so that they could watch that evening's movie! It was awesome!

Fantastic Florida: Disney

Well, we pulled it off! I still don't know how, but we were able to take our little family on an amazing Florida vacation this summer. First stop, Orlando! In Orlando, we went to Disney's Magic Kingdom for the day. This was the first time that the girls had ever been there. It was amazing! We found out that Allie loves roller coasters, while Brianna does not enjoy them at all! This was quickly determined after riding Thunder Mountain Railroad with Brianna. She refused to ride any more rides with me for the rest of the day! Allie, on the other hand, was overjoyed to ride Space Mountain multiple times with both Mommy and Daddy. That was a blast! We ended the day with a "snack" for the road. Allie had cotton candy while Bri had a lollipop. It was a day to remember!

Camp Mommy Rocks!

Yep, tooting my own horn - but I don't do this often! Bri and I have had a blast this week while Heath and Allie were away at camp. We went shopping, painted nails, went to the library (our favorite place for movies and music), had dinner at Sweetfrogs, went swimming, and crafted a lot! I think that my favorite was the crafting part. I am always up for a challenge, and I found one this week. I wanted to create the "Saige" look on a budget. (For those of you who don't know, Saige is the American Girl of the Year who just happens to look just like Allie!) I found her dress at our local consignment shop and her belt in Allie's things at home. The accessories were a bit more tricky . . . her purse was from a thrift store and the jewelry was hand-crafted by Brianna and myself. We were exhausted but very pleased with the finished products! Tomorrow we will make another Saige set for Bri. Allie will get the first set because it is part of her birthday presents.

Camp Time

Heath and Allie left for Camp Kids Jam today. They were so excited to be going back for a second year. Brianna doesn't feel left out because she knows that we can do all of the "fun" things at home while they are gone. Really fun things like go to breakfast at Waffle House, find projects at Michaels, go to the movies, and have ice cream for dinner! Let the fun begin!!

Off to an Adventure!

The girls never know where the summer will take them. So, yesterday I asked them to put on shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes. I packed a picnic lunch and we were off! We walked to our local park for a picnic and playground time! I told them that we would stay as long as they wanted to stay. The hardest part was the walking back home! At least we got freezer-pops upon arriving home!

Dance Competition

The girls always have fun at Nana and Papa's house. This year, they spent each evening practicing for a dance competition. There were three categories: Individual Dance, Group Dance, and Individual with Doll Dance. They had to rock-paper-scissors to see who would go first. Allie was the first to go and she was followed by Brianna. They did the group dance together and ended their program by dancing with their new American Girl Dolls. They got to wear costumes that Mary Beth and I wore as kids, so they were very excited!! The results were: Allie won the individual dance. Brianna won the group dance (I am not sure how this happened, but I was not a judge). The tied for the individual with doll dance! Great dancing everyone!

American Girl Summer

The girls have been saving their money since December so that they both could get another American Girl Doll. Well, they have more than they needed, so off to Atlanta we went. The timing was great because it was also Allie's birthday! The first stop we had was at the Varsity. After that, we went to the American Girl Store. Brianna was so worried that we would leave before she had time to pick the perfect doll! After going around and around the store for an hour, dolls were in hands, and we were ready to pay. At the end of the day, Allie came home with Saige and Brianna came home with Caroline.

Merry Christmas

We had the most amazing Christmas!  Both girls were part of our church's Christmas Eve Children's Choir.  This was such a moving event. 
Following that, my family spent the night for the first time.  They got to experience our family's Christmas traditions.  This was fun!  Santa brought the girls an x-box kinect.  The entire family has enjoyed this gift! 
Once the craze and excitement died down and the family went home, we packed up and went to Heath's parents house for our second Christmas.  This annual event is one that we look forward to.  It is when all of the cousins are together.  It is a few days of running, sugar, and laughter.  The girls cherish their time with their cousins.
So, while the rest of the world had a "winter break," we had back-to-back celebrations with our amazing families!

Merry Christmas!