Memorial Day Weekend Shenanigans

This weekend was jammed packed with activities.  We went strawberry picking and fed some goats on the farm:

Then made brownies topped with ice cream and strawberries:

We went to the East Roswell Park splashpad to cool off:

The next day, we went camping in a tent for the first time:

This lake was so much fun, we could have spent days here just playing in the water, hanging out by the firepit, and spending time as a family.  We will definitely do this again soon!!

We visited the Tocoa Falls waterfall and discovered a geocache before heading towards our timeshare where we spent the afternoon hanging out at the pool, discovering new paths, and more geocaching.

For dinner we went to the cupboard cafe for some southern cooking before closing out the night with a movie. 

I love these moments with my family and it was a nice opportunity to get away before starting all our summer activities.  I love seeing their faces light up when discovering new things and when they are enjoying themselves.  It's a good trip when your five year old says she wants to go camping again!!  Next up is Camp All American!!

Kindergarten 2015..here we come ready or not!

Yes, life continues to pass us by whether we are ready for it or not.  A few weeks ago we had Kindergarten registration for EV.  Although Jimmy and I have mixed feelings, it was really neat to see all of EV's friends from different parts of her short life all come together to embark on this new beginning together.  We saw friends from her old new, current school, ballet class, church, and the neighborhood.  And although it makes me sad to see her grow up, it also makes me glad to see that she will be surrounded by friends who love her.  I was also so proud to see her embrace her new surrounding with confidence and excitement. We took a ride on a school bus and seeing her sit in that big seat next to one of her friends made me feel so emotional.  She looks too small to be riding a school bus by herself, but she stands tall and ready.  I will never be completely ready to let EV go into the world.  My only hope and prayer is that we've done everything we can to prepare and equip her to face all the challenges she will face.  And most importantly, she will know that we are here to help her, support her, and love her every step of the way.

EV you are shy but confident.  You take your time and like to observe before you engage anyone or anything.  You are determined and competitive.  I know that you will conquer any challenge you face because you are not one to give up or do something half-heartedly.  We love you so much and we are so proud of you.  You amaze me everyday by how beautiful you are in the inside.  You are so compassionate, forgiving, and loving. You are my favorite girl and you will always be.  Love you sooo much!!

Break a leg --or so the saying goes

EV has been taking ballet this past year and we absolutely love this ballet school.  First, it's not broken into mini sessions where you potentially could have a different instructor or different classmate every several weeks.  It's also at our church so the focus isn't necessarily about dancing for the sake of dancing but dancing for the purpose of glorifying God.  And they have a large recital at the end.  This recital is exciting because they get to dress up, perform on a large stage, and receive tons of accolades for their hard work throughout the year.  EV has been looking forward to this all year but man is it hard work (not just for the kids but the parents too).  EV is now at an age where she has practices, performances, and games.  For a kid that is actually very shy, she loves being on stage and in front of a lot of people.  She said her favorite part of the recital was dancing.  She had the biggest smile on her face and she had a great time. 

At the end of it all, I was sad that it was over.  I appreciate her teachers, the friends she made this year, and all the fun she had learning how to dance.  We can't wait to do it all again next year!