Double Digits!

Lunch at SCE

It is hard to believe that our first born baby turned 10 years old this year!  This year Bennett's birthday fell on the second to last day of school, so we celebrated multiple times.  Being that she turned 10, we felt she was worth it!  First, Steve, Walker and I went to her school for a lunch date.  We snuck in Chick-fil-A and she got to show off her little brother to her friends.  I'm not sure who had more fun, Walker or Bennett.

On May 23rd, Bennett awoke to flowers from Walker, and presents from the rest of us.  She had a great day at school!  That night we attended the fun run at the Homewood Library, and then went out for dinner at SoHo Social.  Michelle and Louis joined us, and it was the perfect way to celebrate our big girl!

After we returned from our annual beach trip, we prepared for her 10th birthday party up at the lake.  We planned her meals, bought her birthday favors and got all packed up.  Bennett invited several of her friends to join us for an overnight there.

Thursday afternoon, they were all dropped off at our house.  Bennett elected to open her birthday presents first.  We then loaded up, and drove up to Mimi and Papa's.  As soon as we got there, they suited up while I put air in all of the floats.  Bennett chose some darling floats for her favors, and the girls had so much fun with them.

Ella, B, Juana Grace, Annie and Tate

B chose her own cookie cake decorations

That night, I made the girls cheese dip and tacos for dinner.  They quickly wanted to move to dessert, so we sang Bennett "Happy Birthday" and enjoyed some cookie cake.  Then the girls did each other's hair and make-up.  They went back outside and hunted for frogs, and chatted some more before coming back in to watch a movie.  I could tell they were starting to get tired (as was I), so I encouraged them to head upstairs after it concluded.  At first they started to chill, but then the giggling began.  I knew they were having fun, and I assumed they would eventually simmer down, so I hit the hay.  However, I awoke around midnight to them still awake and talking.  I had to tell them to go to sleep because like all sleepovers, I knew they would wake up with the sun.

sweetest group of girls

The next morning, they were fairly lazy which allowed me plenty of time to prepare their breakfast.  As soon as they refueled, they were ready to go swimming again.  They were also anxiously awaiting the arrival of Steve and Louis (who were coming up to put the waverunner in, and offer an additional set of eyes while we rode around).  When they arrived, there was lots of excitement!  They immediately began taking turns riding around, and tubing.

they kept asking to be sprayed....so I had to fulfill their wishes

After lunch and more water fun, we packed up and drove back to Birmingham.  The five girls had a great time together, and I had so much with them.  There was no drama, just lots of laughter, story telling and silliness.  Thank you girls for helping celebrate Bennett, she had a blast with you all!

Memorial Day 2017!

For the past several years, we have been packing up after school gets out and kicking off our summer at the beach!  All Star Baseball put a slight hiccup in our plans, but we drove down Friday, May 26th and stayed at the San Destin Hilton.  The afternoon arrival was perfect, so we hit the pool.  Walker was super excited to show off his swim skills, and he wore himself out!  He jumped off the side and swam to me over and over.  Finally his little eyes were red, and the kids were getting cold because the sun was setting.  So while everyone bathed, Steve ordered pizzas to be delivered to our room.  Then we had a picnic in our pajamas.  Since the kids were a little stir crazy, we decided to walk on the beach right before the sun went down.  Later that night, Steve and I enjoyed some wine on our balcony while the kids went to bed. A perfect start to our week at the beach!

The next day we met up with the Smiths and Jarmons and kicked off our vacation together.  We rented a house next to Leah's family beach house, so we were familiar with the location, had access to their great pool, and still close to the beach.  With 9 kids and 6 adults, the house was very full, but we made it work.  It was a perfect blend of families too, several good cooks, laid back, fun people and a friend for every child.

The beaches were not crowded as usual, the water was good, and the guys had great luck fishing all week.  They even caught enough pompono and whiting for us to fillet and cook one night!  All of the kids enjoyed throwing the line out, and reeling in whatever was on the hook.....which ended up being a lot of baby sharks.  They even caught a couple of them twice.

Tuesday our babysitter for the rest of the week, Mackenzie, arrived to help us watch our kids.  We used her a couple of times at night so the adults could grab a kid-free dinner.  Both were fun nights where we were able to grab good meals!

With lots of sun and friends....it was a terrific week!

Date Night

Looking so grown up!

Sunset Swim!

naps on the beach are the best

Mackenzie and Walker

SCE Spirit Day

Leyton Waller and Preston

After spring break, everyone gets antsy and ready for school to end.  The longer days, the warmer weather and summer at our fingertips makes it hard for the kids to really focus on school.  So as the end of the school year gets within single digits, the kids get super excited for summer!  Spirit Day is always in the last week of school, and always a really fun day for the kids. Let's get this summer started!!

getting some air!

John Michael Graduates!

It is hard to believe that our little ring bearer, who was mad at us for the entire wedding reception because we didn't put the actual rings on his pillow for the wedding (I don't know why we didn't honestly), graduated college this weekend!  John Michael is all grown up!  Over the past 13 years, I have really enjoyed watching JM grow up (in height, maturity and age).

John Michael graduated from John Carroll Catholic High School, with his sights set on a IT degree from UAB.  He did great all through high school, so we didn't want to miss his big day.  Steve, Bennett and I attended the ceremony at Samford, and then we picked up the boys and met everyone at Cocina Superior for the celebratory dinner.

We are so proud of you John Michael!

4th Grade Wax Museum

The students of Shades Cahaba have something to look forward to every year....musicals (which are done by every other grade starting in Kindergarten), science fairs, special field trips, spirit day, winter festival and more.  This year for Bennett, she had wax museum.  This is where all of the 4th graders dress up and have to be VERY still while parents and other students come view them.

Each class took a different time period.  Bennett's class focused on the women's suffrage movement.... the decades long fight for women's equality and their ability to vote.  It is a great learning experience because the kids have to study their assigned time period, and then decide on who they want to dress up like.  Bennett and I went shopping and she found suitable clothes for her costume.

Walker and I came to the "museum" to see Bennett and her classmates.  They all looked great.  However, shortly after we left, one of her friends passed out.  She evidently locked her knees and stared into the lights for too long and just passed out.  Thankfully she was okay, but supposedly it happens to a child every year.

I look forward to Preston's year to see what time period he gets, and how he dresses up.

And the Littlest One Learns to Swim

tears from the first day

Last winter I enrolled Walker in swim lessons at the YMCA because I couldn't get him into the swim instructor that taught our other two children how to swim, Laura Canterbury.  Like I expected it would be, they were a complete waste.  Walker could hold onto a noodle and blow bubbles, but if an accident happened....he would sink like a rock.  I knew I needed to change that, so I called right after Christmas this year and got Walker signed up for swim lessons this spring.

Laura's two week class is brutal on the parents and the children for the first couple of days, but by the end of the first week, it improves.  Her tactic is to pry the child away from the parent, blow in their face and dunk them, and then let them go while instructing them to kick their legs.  She taps on their head and reminds them to breath, while grabbing their swim trunks and pulling up, so they don't sink.  It is amazing to watch them transform into little swimmers in just a few short days.  The lessons were after school, so Walker was already a little tired, but he was a trooper.  In fact, by the end of week one he was swimming several feet unassisted.

holding his head down and forcing him to look down (which keeps them horizontal in the pool)

Finally getting it and swimming!

The second week, he would jump in repeatedly off the side of the pool and swim to the steps all by himself over and over again while he waited for his turn to swim with Laura.  He took a breath a couple of times, but Laura thinks he needs to learn to kick stronger before he can adequately breath because he sort of sinks when he lifts his head.  However, this new found confidence it just what we all needed to kick off our summer!