Night Away ~ Part II

We woke up and of course headed right back for the pool for a little swim.  Then we went and had a visit with Michael's grandparents.  They are such sweet, godly people.  They really had quite a bit of influence in Michael's life.  They are growing older and more frail with every year so it was nice to spend some time with them.  Especially for the girls.  What great memories...

I love that Gram and Grampy are still holding hands!  They will be married 65 years on Christmas Day.

I was so thankful for the girls...they were so quiet and gentle.  They were constantly offering to help or get something for them.  Precious.  They could sense the need for a calm atmosphere. 

On a side note...My parents celebrated 39 years of marriage Saturday, August 4.  Happy anniversary to two people I love dearly.  Thank you for the example you have been to me and Michael.  I love you guys so much!!

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday ~ Date Night with Michael ~ July 6, 2012

So the girls were staying over at my parents house and right before I left work to pick them up my mom called and asked if they could keep them another night...I paused and said, "Yes, of course!".  It just so happened to be a Friday night so I am thinking DATE NIGHT!!  So I called my husband and asked him out.  We bounced around a few ideas and landed on going fishing.  He had mentioned recently that he would like to go and so off we went.  It was quite the evening.  

We arrived rather late.  Like almost six.  He was in a panic because his regular bait shop was closed.  We pressed on and with three minutes to spare we found another bait shop, purchased our shrimp and off we went.  

The place we chose you have to walk to.  Ok, you have to hike to.  Just keeping it real.  As we started the hike, I feel like something is on my legs.  I look down and they are covered in mosquitoes.  I scream out and my husband says run.  SIDE NOTE: they were NOT eating him since he had sprayed himself as he loaded the car before we left.  I take off running, which is an activity I don't normally participate in. I was covered in bites.  There was a ton of standing water thanks to tropical storm Debby.  It was bad.  On our way back he sprayed me with bug spray and it was much better.

So, have I mentioned that I don't really fish at all.  He does.  I don't.  

We arrive at the beach and get the hooks baited (is that what it is called?).  I cast it in and reel it in.  I cast again (patience is NOT my virtue) and as I start to reel it in again it becomes harder and harder.  I think I have a fish.  I do have a fish.  I panic and scream for Michael and he comes over to help me.  

The first catch of the day night.  It is a Jack (sp?) four pounds.  You don't eat Jack.  Supposedly they are fun to catch because they fight.  I would not know the difference :)  He is holding my catch as I don't enjoy touching the slimy fish.

Michael was so excited.  I think mainly because I had actually caught something and it happened all in the first five minutes.  

I bait my hook again and I am not lying...next cast I get another fish.  I was in total shock.  Michael was in even more shock (maybe even a tiny bit jealous).  I was excited.

See my second and final catch for the night.  Again, he is holding it.

We were only there for about two hours but Michael then went on to catch four more fish and a crab.  It was a fun night (don't tell Michael I said that or he will think that will be the date night of choice).  We came home and had leftovers and fell into bed.  

 So grateful for my hubby.  I love him more than I did the first time we ever went fishing.  He was the best catch ever!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday ~ First Disney Trip with the Little Ladies ~ A trip we will never forget!!

November 2007

Our trip started with a stop at one of our most favorite restaurants...Chevy's!!!  It was quite the eventful dinner with Michaela throwing up right after our special dinner arrived...not the way we planned for our little vacation to start.  I love Sophia's face in this picture!

The next morning we all woke up feeling much better and headed to Downtown Disney...one of our most favorites stops.

We ate at Rainforest Cafe

Daddy and Michaela rode the little train.  She loved it!

Then we took a picture with Michaela's favorite princess...Cinderella.  She had the hugest smile on her little face.  Meanwhile, Sophia is checking out the crowd :)

The next day we headed to Magic Kingdom.  I was nervous at how we would do since Michaela threw up again in the parking lot but we ended up having a very magical day!!

Sophia did not love waiting in line but she did like to be on her Daddy's shoulders.  Then she could people watch.

Michaela was quite the little ham.

I think she spotted a princess!!!

Sophia loves Disney popcorn...go figure.

Their first 3-D show

And finally...a little nap!!!!

How magical

Minnie's House which the girls LOVED!

We ended the night with Mickey Mouse

The rest of the vacation was filled with lots of POOL TIME

Although, it was a rough start it was a wonderful time together as a family.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to spend this time together as a family on our very first foursome vacation.  I'll never forget it!

Go Fish

We have actually been playing that game a lot lately but on Saturday Daddy took them to do the real thing.  I had a ladies activity at church that had me gone for almost the whole day so he loaded them up and they went on a little adventure.  

They packed sandwiches and then he took them to the Macedonia Store to pick out chips, a candy bar and a soda.  They thought they hit the jackpot (it's the little things).  Then they headed to the river.

They LOVED it!!

They all caught at least one little fish...success.

They didn't bring home the big one but they did come home with their heart full of BIG memories of a special day with daddy.

When It Rains It Pours

I don't think I ever shared the story about Michael's foot but that is what really started it all.  It was a month ago that he sliced his foot open on an oyster bed at the beach.  He had gone fishing for the afternoon/evening and when he came home he said he had cut his foot.  More like he sliced it open.  I won't share all the details or pictures but it was nasty and deep.  It was late on Friday night by the time he finally got home so he just went to the Dr. the next morning.  They gave him a tetanus shot and some antibiotics.  Ten days later he starts with the rash (see previous posts).  So on Wednesday Michaela starts complaining of a headache and a sore throat.  I started thinking this is not good.

Thursday we had a BIG surprise for the girls.  My sister and her family were in for 24 hours and the girls did not know.  I had decided to keep them home from school on Friday so they could spend it with their cousins.  The girls had finished their week of testing at school and were ready for a break so it worked perfectly.  By Thursday night Michaela was not feeling well at all.  Just a nasty cold but sometimes those are the worst.

We had an awesome time with Amy and her family.  They were really coming so my sister Amy could speak at a  Mother/Daughter banquet and my bro-in-law Dennis could preach at a church in Rincon, Georgia.  (Hi Wendy!!)  Rather then go straight there they spent the day with us on Friday and will swing back by tomorrow.  Dennis is going to preach for Michael tomorrow night and then they will leave on Monday.

So last night when we got home Sophia started sneezing.  I keep telling them to please share something else besides colds!!  She was one sick little girl today.  Miserable would describe her.  So we had a very calm day at the house.  Michael is no longer quarantined.  So he spent the day at the office and we stayed home ALL day.  And we...

read lots of books and...

played their new favorite game...Battleship!! (by the way just in case you are wondering it takes longer than candy land and chutes & ladders)...

and watched some movies!!

I am so ready for EVERYONE (and by that I mean...Mom, Dad, Michael Michaela and Sophia) to be healthy!!  There has just been lots of sickness/injuries/ weird stuff going on.  I just feel like when it rains it pours.  I am ready for it to dry up!  Please don't get me wrong.  I know none of this is life threatening but it just makes life challenging.

Here are my sweet ladies...just wanted to end on a happy note!

Joseph ~ Part II

After we got all ready at Gram's house we headed to the school.  The kids had to be there early so they had snacks set up for the parents while we waited.  The theme of the night was "Diamonds and Denim" so lots of people were decked out in western wear!  The girls both had their boots on.  They can't wear them to school so they just wear them every other waking moment.  I love their little boots.  Their principle had the cutest red boots on so she took a "shoe pic" with the girls.

Love this...We LOVE Mrs. Johnson.  She is such a sweet and godly woman.  We are blessed to know her!!

Here are the girls right before they headed in to get set up.  Each class wore a different color t shirt which represented Joseph's coat of many colors.  Very cute!

Both of the girls sang a little solo line in two different songs.  They were both so excited.  I am so grateful for people like Mrs. Whitfield who inspire our girls to use their gifts to bring glory to the Lord!!

After the program the school had a barbecue dinner and silent auction.  It was lots of fun!  The girls had a blast hanging out with their friends.  It was a nice night of fellowship.

Sophia was walking around taking pictures with my phone and one of the teachers took a picture of her. Love her Minnie Mouse Bow...thanks Auntie Mimi & Grammy!!

It was a great night filled with lots of great memories!!

Nurse Nancy

Let me first tell you how I thought this week was going to go...

With last week being very busy I thought this week would be much calmer.  My boss (who also is my father) was going to be gone all week.  That usually means I can really catch up in the office.  The girls had a calm week at school with nothing major going on and things were calm on the church front as well.  I planned on Bible Study on Monday night, nothing Tuesday night, church on Wednesday and nothing Thursday night.  I was going to take a WHOLE day off and maybe even sleep in one day.

So that is what I thought...now for my reality check...

My mom has been having some procedures done and has needed a little help here and there.  My dad is out of town as I mentioned so I have been going over to her house in the morning and afternoon.  Well the little help changed to potential medical emergency on Monday night.  So after getting my girls home, canceling Bible study and getting my family fed and settled for the night I headed to her house to stay with her in case we had to go to the ER.  She was ok through the night and we spent Tuesday morning at the Dr..  Everything is fine (Praise the Lord).  She just needs to really take it easy, no driving or anything major.

So I get her settled, pick up the girls from school go back and check on her one more time.  I am finally heading home Tuesday night with my girls and my hubby calls.  He was a little frantic and said that he is breaking out all over his body with these red bumps.  I immediately tell him to take Benadryl.  He was outside in the woods a lot on Monday so I think it probably has to do with that. We discuss what it might be and I decide to call some of our outdoorsy friends since clearly I would not know the first thing about poison ivy/oak.  I stay inside because of things like that!!  After talking with my good friend we decided it was not anything like that.  So he headed to Minute Clinic and they tell him it is a reaction to a medicine he is on for when he sliced his foot open two weeks ago on an oyster bed in the ocean (that is a whole different story).  He should be better in the morning.  If for some odd reason he is not better in the morning come back in. (I am thinking...no thank you, I don't want him go back if you could not figure it out the first time!)

I did not really buy the antibiotic reaction but we went with it.  After all I was so tired from my moms ordeal.

Note: this picture has nothing to do with the story.  I just love these two little ladies.

Wednesday morning he wakes up and it is much worse.  They are itching, painful, spreading, oozing, and crusting...yuck!! We call his primary care Dr. and they said to come in Thursday afternoon.  After a lot of personal research on the computer.  I think maybe my hubby has chickenpox, I call his mom to confirm he has had them and she announces that she does NOT think he has.  I panic and then quarantine my two little ladies and call the Dr back.  They now can get him in first thing Thursday morning (my how the schedule opens up)!  However, they kindly told me to park in the back and take him in through the back door.

When we got there they put him in this little room and told him not to touch anything or anyone.  I am thinking to myself...I just crawled out of bed with this guy...what do you think he has??

So we finally see the Dr. and they don't know what it is!??!?!?  They think it is some type of bacterial infection but are running lots of labs right now.  He is miserable, running a fever, itching like crazy and overall ready for this to be OVER.  I feel so bad for him.  Please pray for my mom and my sweet hubby!!

So here I am Thursday night and I am completely overwhelmed.  My house is a disaster.  I have more work than I did when I started the week.  My boss comes back on Monday (yikes).  The girls are exhausted.  Maybe next week, I'll have it together....

I think I should have been a nurse.

Just call me Nurse Nancy...my mom and husband do.

Super Saturday

This has been a great Saturday!  Why? You ask...because we had NOTHING pressing!  Other than about 12 loads of laundry I didn't do much on the home front and my girls just chilled.  My hubby worked outside on the lawn. The girls played outside which they love.  Then they played a bit inside  and watched a Disney classic.  We did do one fun project...I had got these little Miracle-Gro  kits for the girls at the end of summer last year on clearance for $5.00 and tucked them away for a rainy day.  Today was that day. It really poured all afternoon which made it so cozy.  The kits were fun, quick, and easy.  The girls did pretty much most of it and I just supervised.  It made very little mess except for when at the very end I knocked one of the little pots over.  The girls love that I was making the mess for once!  

Michaela choose the flower only one.  It is supposed to grow sunflowers, marigolds, and two colors of zinnia.

Sophia picked the vegetable one.  It is supposed to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers.

They patiently took turns.  Sophia went first.

Michaela's is in this cute little "terrarium."

So here is the deal...if they grow you will see pictures again.  If not, they will never appear on the blog again.  Let's just say I have not been blessed with a green thumb!!