Labor Day Weekend

 Headed to the beach for some fun in the ocean

 Lillian, Carly and their pet crab

 The Gang

 Simple Life

 Headed out for a day on the boat

 Joe and Lillian tubing

 Figure 8 Island

We spent Labor Day weekend with our friends, the Bedfords, at their beach house in Carolina Beach. It was an awesome, relaxing weekend. We had a day at the beach and a day on the boat. I really enjoyed exploring all the islands you can't see from land. North Carolina is such an awesome state. Sea life makes me a happy lady. 

Silly Goose

 "Mommy, my daughter and I loooove turtoise"

 lunching

reading books during her quiet time. I love hearing her improvise books she has memorized. Eavesdropping on her is quite entertaining.

Harrison has always been the super funny one, but I tell you what the competition is moving in. My little lady is a total riot. Now that HLP is gone all day, I am with her one on one so much more and she says the funniest things! 

Family Camp

 The kids taking communion

 Sunday Service by the Sea

 Lillian insisted upon holding her own hymnal and singing on her own

S'Mores! 

Last weekend the fam headed to Arapahoe, NC to Camp Don Lee for St. Mark's Family Camp. We got there Friday night (I slept in my van due to cockroach issues) and Saturday we canoed, swam, did archery, played games, relaxed, went on a hayride and ate delicious s'mores by the camp fire. Saturday night I did reside with my family in the bunks. Sunday we had service, went sailing and fishing and headed home. It was a lot of fun. Joe handled the shower shoe mandatory bath house very well and the kids ate it all up. We look forward to next year! 

Good times

 Don't mess with my Sissy

this picture is blurry, but makes my cheeks hurt from smiling so wide. This is Bissell Graves wrestling with my kids and two of his kids (Hugh and Mary Emma). I babysat for the Graves for well, forever, and they are definitely like my own family. They came over for dinner last week and before they left Bissell launched an impromptu wrestle session. It was a free for all! My kids were laughing so hard they could not breathe. Now I know why Bissell was nominated for teacher of the year in Wake County! Man, I love them...such good times. 

My Little Butterfly

 Lillian and her buddy Maggie Williams

 Headed to meet their new teachers 

 a little unsure at first, but she was happy by the time we left

 Ready for the Butterfly Class

and the second one is off...time to clean my house!

J.Y.Joyner "We are Family"

 Daddy walking him in 

 off he goes...

 Anna and I both sent our kids to kindergarten on the same day...we met at Target and compared notes after and hugged real hard...

 it's official

 I just had to make milk and cookies for after school. Harrison thought the milk bottle was especially "celebratory"

meeting his teacher and class at the end of the staggered entry week. could he look any happier?!?

Last week Harrison started kindergarten. It has been a great experience thus far. He was excited, not nervous at all, completely at ease and happy. He got Mrs. Wilkinson (my friend from church) and HLP knows her well. He knows several kids in his class and acted like he had been there 100 times. It is going to be a great year. I am so grateful to be at the school of our choice with our dream teacher. I just feel really lucky. I signed up to be the room mom and am looking forward to seeing the class in action. When I picked Harrison up on the first day he dramatically explained it was "awesome! but, I did not do ANY science experiments and I ran out ouf time to finish my lunch." 

Blessing of the backpacks

The Sunday before school started, our church held the blessing of the backpacks. School aged kids wore their backpacks and the congregation said a prayer for their school year. It was such a special morning and I savored seeing all those eager little kiddos bounce around with anticipation for school. 

Capital City BMX

Our newest adventure is the Capital City BMX track. Harrison has been twice and is totally into it. My heart goes in my throat when he goes around the big turns, but he can hang with the big kids. He definitely gets his coordination from Joe and NOT me. I think it is great that Harrison is up for trying anything and goes at it with great confidence. The boy adventures just keep coming!