First Day of School! 1st, 3rd and 4th, Oh My!

How did we get here so fast?  

Just a year ago, it was Jackson's first day of Kindergarten.  

I'm pretty sure we've been going at warp speed ever since.

7am.  Not late!  Go us!  Ready for their first day of school.

It was cloudy and overcast, but the rain stayed away, so we were dry going into school.

These two were all smiles and eager to get back to seeing their friends every day.

Ms. Garner was very happy to welcome Lila into her classroom.  Love this teacher!

Lila found her seat right away.

Cameron found the class mascot--surprisingly, she didn't try to take him home with us.

Within a few minutes, all of Lila's girls were there.  It's going to be such a fun year for them.

Fourth grade was a little more subdued.  And a lot less parents were taking pictures!  Jackson may have tried to hide under his desk.

This is the first year that Blake and J are in the same class.  I'm so happy--he's a good, smart, well behaved kid and I know they will enjoy hanging out together.

This is all of their friends that we could find!  One was doing the morning announcements, one was eating breakfast in the cafeteria and two were running way late.  

Cami found her friend Genevieve, though, and ran up to give her a big hug.  Gigi said, "I am so excited to go to school!" Then Cami said, "I'm super duper excited to go to school!"
Too cute for words.

Madison was also having a great first day of 3rd grade.  She loves seeing her sweet friend Zumiya...

and always enjoys seeing Aliya at school, too.

After we dropped off the kids, little Missy and I came home to bake our cake.

She happily helped with every single step, from mixing eggs, to adding the water and oil.  Her most favorite task, though, was cleaning the beaters.

In no time at all, the big kids were out of school and ready to dive into their back-to-school cake. They told us all about their day and we shared the yummy dessert.  Success!

Last Week of Summer

 Jackson had been playing flag football all summer with the Warriors.  He missed the two playoff games while we were in Florida, but we made it back just in time for him to play in the championship.

The Warriors won big again!  36-6!  Jackson threw a couple touchdowns, and intercepted two passes as well.  It's always fun to win and they got another big trophy to add to their collection.

#12 and his loyal fan club

Jackson and Yusuf--the dynamic duo.  Since they started playing together last summer, these two are 28-0-1.  The only tie was when Yusuf was out with a toe injury.  They are a force!

We also had other things to check off our list.  Miss Lila got her first real haircut.  So pretty!

A couple days before school started, we went to Meet the Teacher.  Lauren, Lila and Madison--three Bees and Ms. Garner.  So much fun!

Jackson had Ms. Garner when he was in 1st grade, when he wasn't nearly as tall as her!  He loved her and we just thought she was one of the very best teachers we'd ever seen.  She's been waiting to teach his little sister and it's finally official.  We are so happy for Miss Lila.

Jackson got Mrs. Gorski for math and science and Ms. Fulbright for writing and ELA.
They are polar opposites when it comes to personality, but he likes them both.  Always a good thing when the teacher says, "Jackson, I've heard so many great things about you from lots of teachers."  He just smiled really big.  I have a feeling it's going to be a fantastic year.

Baby Love for JP

9 days ago we showered one of my very best friends with love for he second baby boy.  We were all hoping that she would still be pregnant for the shower, because her first son came early.  

Alas, she made it to the 20th!  No one ever guessed that she would still be pregnant today.  Baby JP is very cozy, but today is his birthday--I cannot wait to meet him!

I hosted the shower at my house this time and we had a good group of Jenny's best friends.

Big Brother Dylan was here for all the fun, too!

It was the perfect afternoon to make this mama feel loved.

We feasted on all sorts of salads...

and then served Lyndsie's cookies as the dessert.  They were so precious and delicious, too!

Happy Birthday, John Page Webb!  You are already so very loved.

A few days later, I finally got to hold sweet JP.

He's so precious!

He even opened his eyes for me, too.  Love those baby blues.

Goodbye Santa Rosa Beach!

A few more of my favorite beach photos before we get to the sad part.

My snaggle-tooth girls!  

They loved their new beach dresses and couldn't resist a mini-photo session.

When did Baby Lila get so grown up?!

And now, for the sad part.  It was finally time to leave.  And of course, it was a gorgeous day.
With sun!

We can come back next year, though!

How could we not return to this little slice of heaven?

We had another successful road trip home.  We made it to Vicksburg, Mississippi and had dinner overlooking the Mississippi River.   A cool spot and it was a good time for all.  Everyone slept well that night and we were on the road by 9am the next morning.

These headphones are pretty cool!  This girl thought she was so grown up. She took a nap...

and so did Bubba.  Even big boys give out every now and then.

Goodbye, our precious Florida!  We love you!

Florida- Fun Friday

 It happened--Friday happened.  Boo!  We did NOT want to leave the beach! Every year we start to dread the end of the trip.  I guess that's how you know it's been an awesome vacation.

We made so many great memories and really enjoyed being together.

The sun wasn't out, but we could get back in the water.  Hooray!

Presley found the treasure of the day--a shark tooth!

I got to spend some time with my sweet girl.  She's grown SO much since her first trip to the beach.

She still loves it just as much.  Maybe more.

Cameron finally came around to liking the beach...of course, on the last day:)

Mermaid Cami was loving the beach life with her favorite cousin.

All of us were getting sad about leaving the beach.  We love Florida!
This is the kids' attempt at spelling out Florida.

2016 Beach Trip

Let's do a kid pyramid!  We should have perched Cami on the top!

The parents were not to be outdone--we rocked our own pyramid, too.  Bam!

We finally got to take our family beach photos.  I love them!

These people are my world.

JWH - Age 9.  He's our energizer bunny and has got such a fantastic smile.

MRR - Age 8.  Our performer, with too-die-for dimples.

LGH - Age 6.  Our sweet soul with a heart of gold. 

CNH - Age 2 1/2.  Our comedian, constant entertainer and stinker!

Even though this rascal can try my patience on any day, I couldn't love her more.

We have the best laughs together!

I love it that these four are becoming friends, too.  Most of the time, they even like each other!  And even when they are fighting, I know they still love one another.

The Beach--our Happy Place!

We simply couldn't leave Florida without dinner at the Back Porch in Destin.  It's so good!

Cameron had declined a nap that afternoon, so she was still snoozing on her daddy's shoulder when we sat down. My angel baby.

We got seated at a prime table, overlooking the beach.  Such a gorgeous view!  For our last night, we feasted.  Crab claws, oysters, fried cheese, and fried pickles, and those were just the appetizers on our table!  Most of us had fish or crab for dinner, except for my non-seafood-loving-son, who stuck with chicken fingers.  One day he will learn!  It was the perfect ending to a wonderful week.