Vacation part 2

If there is one trip we love it has to be camping hands down.  Don, I, and the kids absolutely love everything about camping.  The tent, the camp fire, the lake, cooking out doors, s'mores, it's all so much fun.  So we try to camp at our usual primitive campground at Badin Lake 3 or 4 times a year especially through the fall and spring when the weather is nice.  So for our last camping trip before the fall we headed out for a Friday through Memorial day Monday trip to Badin Lake.  Since we are in the Uwharrie Mountains (err hills if you ask me) so close to Asheboro we purchased a zoo membership that we keep up each year.  It comes in handy because we visit the zoo often and even get into other zoo's and aquariums across the US for free too. The weather was a bit warm for my liking but not as bad as Labor day last year when I thought I was going to COOK but I was also 5 months pregnant.  The kids both enjoyed helping set up camp, cook, catch fireflies, go for walks, and most of all visit the zoo. I would say that camping has to be one of my favorite vacations.

VACATION Part 1

We have had the opportunity over the past few months to take a few fun vacations with the family.  In April my sister and her Fiancee' were headed to Gatlinburg, Tennessee and we got the opportunity to travel with them for part of the trip.  In May with my sister and her Fiancee' we took a fun trip camping at Badin Lake and going to the Asheboro Zoo.  Then some very good and generous friend of ours the Millers invited us to join them on their family trip to Myrtle Beach, SC over the week of the 4ht of July.  More about the other 2 trips later.  Lets catch up with our 1st trip in April to Tennessee.  We took this trip last year with just Laura and James and left the kids with my parents for a nice early anniversary getaway.  This year we decided the kids would love to go on the trip with us.  I think this may be an every year trip to check out different attractions in the area!!!

In Gatlinburg we took the kiddos to see the Aquarium, Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, they enjoyed the Mirror Maze several times, and we even fit in some put put golf which they seemed to really enjoy.  It was a nice long weekend getaway and you can't beat the mountain scenery. The weather was fantastic slightly warm days and cool nights.  It was a relief from the warmer spring weather we were already experiencing in NC.  The kids traveled well and really enjoyed the hotel stay.  I think that is their favorite part of any trip we go on.  The ask often to stay in a hotel I guess it must be a pretty cool thing for them.  The Aquarium in my opinion was the best part of the trip but ti could be that I really love penguins and they have some of the cutest penguins around!!!  We enjoyed the mirror maze several times because the kids wanted to keep doing it over and over and they will let you go as many times as you want on the same paid day.  The Ripley's Museum is pretty neat they have a lot of really interesting oddities all packed into one place.  You are surely guaranteed to not be bored.  Usually I am not a fan of mini golf mostly because I have ZERO hand eye coordination.  However, taking the little ones was A LOT of fun and they LOVED mini golf.  Which means I see a lot more bad golf playing in my future.  We ate at some really great place one of which was my favorite The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.   Who doesn't love Forrest Gump?  The restaurant was very touristy and kinda cheesy but since I really love the movie Forrest Gump I found it quite endearing.  The shrimp of course was VERY yummy.   Don and I actually laid in bed and watched Forrest Gump last night <3   Anyway, the trip was  lot of fun and the kids enjoyed it.

Ashlynn's 5th Birthday

I promise this is the last Ashlynn centered post for a while.  I promise I do love Hunter and Everett just as much.  The past few months seem to be so many changes for Ashy girl.  She has graduated preschool, lost her 1st tooth, had her 1st dance recital, and now my sweet girl turned 5 years old this month.

On July 12th at 10:45 am my sweet Ashlynn Eileen turned 5 years old.  Where did 5 years go?  It really does seem like we just brought her home in that adorable blue and white flower dress.

 It seems like yesterday we were teaching her how to walk and talk.  Then she turned into our very spirited very energetic tiny little girl.  Ashlynn is the life of any room she is in and I can't wait for see how our little ball of energy and creativity grows up over the years.  I can't help but wonder what kind of child, teen, and adult she will become.



Saturday July 14th we held a 5th birthday bash for our sweet girl and her little friend Cian who also had his 5th birthday close to Ashlynn's.  Hers was a Hello Kitty theme and Cian choose Avengers.  It was a fun outdoor play/pool party.  I love a summer birthday because you can't fail with a pool party!!!  The kids had so much fun with their family and friends.

My Beautiful Ballerina

I know my posts seem to be very Ashlynn centered lately.  It is because she is going through so many changes lately.  I promise soon Everett and Hunter will get their own posts.

My little lady has been taking dance this past year and she has loved every moment.  We hesitated putting Ashlynn in dance classes because of what dance has become.  Look around the music today is tasteless and rather trashy not to mention clothing.  Look at Dance Moms on Lifetime it shows what costumes look like, makeup and music.  I did not want my little girl in a half dressed with caked on make up dancing to inappropriate music.  I am raising Ashlynn to know what modesty and tastefulness are and how to be a lady.  We have witnessed other dance companies and costumes and were uncomfortable with the whole idea of dance.  That is until we found Heaven's Footprints.  I could go on and on about Heaven's Footprints and Angela.  I love that she runs a Christian based business.  She teaches her girls about dance, about giving back to others, and about the love of Christ.  The costumes are modest, the music is modest, and the dancing is absolutely BEAUTIFUL.  Ashlynn has grown so much in a year and not only does her dance techniques show but so does her maturity.  I promise anyone looking for a professional dance studio to teach your little one to dance Heaven's Footprints is the place for you.

Last month the dance season came to an end and the Heaven's Footprints dancers put on a fabulous dance recital.  I could not be more proud of all the girls and how wonderful they did but I am most proud of my little buggie and how beautifully she danced. 

My Baby Graduates Preschool

I know I am LATE with this one, but better late than never is my philosophy.   Remember this post about how overwhelmed I was feeling the night before my sweet girl graduated preschool.  I am sitting here crying rereading that post.  I am having a hard time with my oldest growing up, but for now back to preschool graduation.

It was such a bittersweet day getting my little lady and Everett up for school and getting them ready.  I took them to school ran some errands, purchased the whole class lunch and then showed up at lunch time for a special afternoon with the little graduates.  I read them "Oh the Places You'll Go" and talked with them for a little while.  I watched as they ate lunch and played with Hunter which they were all super excited about being in their class.  Then they sang the backwards ABC song to me which was so CUTE.  I went outside with them for their last recess and then that was the end of the day.

That evening we returned for the graduation ceremony which was beautiful.  They had them in tiny graduation caps and gowns.  Where they received their own tiny diplomas and then told what they wanted to be when they grow up.  Of course Ashlynn wants to be a princess when she grows up.  They sang super cute songs in their tye-dye shirts and then ended the program with a nice little reception for the preschoolers and their families.   It was so exciting and so sad to watch my little lady walk across that stage and say goodbye to such a big chapter in her life.  3 years of preschool flew by and I can only imagine how fast 13 years old school is going to go.

I will leave you with pictures of my beautiful graduate.

In 6 months...

Six months is a relatively short period of time in a persons life, then again it feels like a long time.  I suppose it all depends on what you are doing in life.  In 6 months you can accomplish a lot of things.  I read somewhere that an adult can walk across the US twice in 6 months, you can hike  good portion of the Appalachian Trail, you can loose significant weight, grow a tomato fully, you can fully climb Mt. Everest possibly twice, you can get a grasp of basics a new language, take a class, make a huge quilt and so much more. 

One half a year is already passed us by, where did the time go?  Think in 6 more months it will be 2013 and I will be planning a 1st birthday party, celebrating a 4th and 6th birthday.  CRAZY.    To me the biggest thing you can do in 6 months is watch a baby grow.  It is especially grand to watch a miracle baby thrive and grow.

Hunter has made it through half of his 1st year in life.  Our sweet boy in 6 months has survived a polyhydramosis, a dangerous birth, a major case of jaundice,  bilirubin levels so high he should have major brain damage, and feeding issues.  However, those are the past and Hunter is a fighter who has overcome those obstacles.  Even better than what he has overcome is what he can do now.

Hunter was sitting up unassisted and getting into sitting position by himself before 6 months.
Hunter can crawl
Hunter has 2 teeth
Hunter is trying is hardest to pull up and with help getting to standing position Hunter can stand  on his own.
Hunter can hold his own bottle
Hunter is sleeping for 6-7 hour periods
Hunter is eating food
Hunter is rolling over both ways

I am so proud of my big boy and I cannot wait to see what the next 6 months of life will bring.