2nd post in July

2 more hours left in July and I am determined to have a 2nd post for this month...pretty pitiful blogging these days! We have had a busy month - a trip to Hilton Head, Steven went to camp for a week, then we went to Orlando last week for a few days. Hilton Head was fun but bittersweet since it was our DuBose vacation and the first one without Grandma in 30 years. Almost all of the cousins were there and we had 5 of her great-grandkids (4 and under) running around so it was pretty cute. Sadie and Eli had a blast and Sadie learned how to swim quite far (8 feet?) with no assistance. As her Daddy put it, it was "50% swimming, 50% drowning". My cousin is a pediatrician and married to an ER pediatrician, but despite the monkeys that I call my children, we did not need their services (thankfully). Grandma was dearly missed this year. One night my cousins and uncle cooked several of her recipes in her honor and my Mom gave out 5 or her pearl necklaces to her 5 granddaughters. I don't really think that once we get to heaven we have any interest in turning our gaze away from our Lord, however, she would have loved to get a peek at her ever-growing family and I know she would be honored in the fact that we all still love to be together. On a lighter note, Steven's parents decided to come to Hilton Head for the last couple days of our trip (they were first-timers) to see what the fuss is all about. It was great to have them there and I think they enjoyed seeing a little bit of this vacation they've heard about for years.
The day after we returned from Hilton Head Steven left for Jr. Boys Week at MTYC (Mountain Top Youth Camp). Sadly, I passed the baton this year on the job as a camp nurse (I have done it the past 3 years). Even though Steven thinks I am capable of way more than I can really do, it was the right decision I believe to pass on the job for now. My 2 kids would have been way to much to keep up with on that mountain for me to be able to do anything for the campers. My Mom spent the week with us, a little in Charlotte and a little at home, and it spoiled me to have her around for that long. It doesn't really count as a week of single parenting since I wasn't really alone with them, at all. We did go visit Steven at camp but kept a slight distance from him since he showers less than the 8 year olds while he's up there. Even though he reverts back to boyhood, it is nice to see him so relaxed and stress-free, away from the pressures of work.
As if we haven't taken enough vacation, we took yet one more last weekend to Orlando, through Steven's work. The trip was great, we got to take the kids to Disney and despite the almost 100 degree weather we had a blast. Sadie told Cinderella that "my daddy wanted to spin fast on the tea cup but he couldn't because he would fro up," the photographer actually laughed out loud at that one. I never thought I would wait in line for 30 minutes with 2 tired children to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse, but hey, your priorities really do change when you have kids. And her excitement at meeting these Disney employees dressed up in hot costumes was worth it all. Eli didn't think it was so great, however, the closer we got the more terrified he was. He was a trooper, though.
We are now home for a while, thankfully. I peeked out of the shower this morning to check on Eli to find him standing on the toilet, toothbrush in hand. He can climb onto the kitchen table and his new favorite thing to do is jump off the ottoman in the den landing squarely on his bottom. He is an ER visit waiting to happen, I hate to say it, but it's true. Sadie is hard at work taking care of her babies, animals, or anything she can feed and put to bed. She told Steven's boss on our trip that soon she's going to be 4 and a Mama. It is fun at our house, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Goodnight!

Happy Birthday to Me!

As the title suggests, I just had a birthday. Yesterday, in fact. Birthdays have changed a lot over my lifetime...I no longer count down the days with anticipated joy, wondering what great presents I will receive and who all will come to my party. It's a much smaller blip on my radar now as I've become an adult. That being said, I truly did have a wonderful birthday. We recently returned from a vacation in Dayton, Tennessee, with the Harrell family. We attended Skyland Bible Conference, a great family conference that Steven and his family have been to all of his life, and more than a decade now of mine. We had great speakers, the kids had a blast despite very little sleep, it was soooo exciting for them to wake up and be across the hall from not only Grandma and Grandpa, but also their cousins. 

While I was gone I was thrilled to hear that my new niece was born. Byron and Mandy had their 4th child, a little girl, last Monday night. Since we were out of town and I worked the weekend we got back, Monday was the first chance I had to go see her. She is absolutely beautiful and we had a sweet visit with the fam in Tega Cay. I then stopped by Julie's house on my way home (she had made me some fudge...yummy) and the kids enjoyed playing with hers while my Mom and I enjoyed visiting with Julie. I dropped Mom off and headed back to Pleasant Garden where my dear mother-in-law was making me a birthday dinner. A very elaborate one complete with balloons to decorate! Two of my friends came as well last night for a "TMI reunion" (we all met the summer of 1998 while working at a camp in Virginia called The Master's Inn...aka TMI). Joni and Kristen are dear to my heart and even though our lives keep us busy it is great to spend time with them every so often. We were way overdue. We put the kids to bed (except Sadie, of course) and watched "The Bachelorette" together, which was quite entertaining. It was great spending my birthday with friends!

Steven is a wondeful husband in so many ways but flowers and gifts are not necessarily his love language. So on my birthday yesterday I got 3 of the sweetest gifts. My first bouquet of flowers was from my Daddy at lunch, he picked them from his yard and they are so sweet. I got home and Steven, too, had gotten me a dozen roses, pink and white. Then a few minutes later Joni arrives and is also carrying a beautiful bouquet of brightly colored flowers. I felt hugely blessed and will never forget this birthday and the love that was shown to me, mostly in the little things. The Lord is good and I am so thankful for the family and friends that he has placed in my life.

Goodnight!