Jr. High!!

The week has finally come.  Isabella was promoted to Jr. High!!  She has been so excited for this & is loving it so far! She started off with a pool party & it was fun to do carpool with a car full of sweet girls.  The schedule is very full for her this summer.  Here are a few photos:

She's been promoted!

After her first pool party with friends!

First Sunday at Jr. High

Celebrating Life

As I mentioned in a previous blog, last week was my mom's birthday, however, we all celebrated this week as a family.

Dad & Mom with 5 of 8 grandkids.

We just did 7 candles....one for each decade!

Love you Mom!

Celebrations!

This post is full of fun celebrations!  I love to tell a story with pictures...okay, & I love words too, so here is an update of recent celebrations this week...

A trip to the Botanic Gardens this week with my girls, including my niece Nicole.  She is the photographer of this picture! 

I sure love this lady.  It has been fun to be there on the day she was born & watch her grow into the beautiful woman of the Lord she is today.  It was great to catch up with her! 

One of my favorite flowers...Hydrangeas!

So its random, but yes, we celebrated Phillip Phillips winning American Idol this week!  The girls made signs for fun, like the tv audience does.  They were even "autographed" on the back!  

Wednesday night (our actual anniversary), Avery planned a sunset cruise in his boat on the Mississippi River .  It was the first time I had been out in the boat & first time on the MS River too (in a small boat.)  Here is my guide with the skyline of Memphis in the background. 

We had a picnic on the sandy shore & watched the sunset.   

Eat, Shop, & Stay!  We had another anniversary celebration Friday night at a local shopping center.  Everything thing was in walking distance, so we parked once & walked to dinner, shopping, & back to the hotel.  As I like to call it, very New York feel!

Today I will go to church & spend time with friends & family.  I will celebrate this day too. Celebrate the small things in your day!

Fourteen Years

Today is my 14th wedding anniversary.  14 years...hard to believe. It has been quite an amazing journey (sounds like something the bachelorette would say!).  It is hard to put so much down in words on this special day, so I'll just share some random pictures of us during the years.  I will just say I am thankful for another day, another year that this man still loves me!

Also, a very, happy birthday to my special mom!!  We will be celebrating soon & will post more about that later.  I love you Mom!  You do read my blog, don't you?? :)

Here is another photo gallery!!

Cruise 2005

Bogota, Colombia 2009

Mexico 2005

Cruise 2008

1994...back in our single days

1999

Mexico 2008

Graceland 1999

1999

Cruise 2010

New York NY 2002

NC 2000 (pregnant with Isabella)

1998

Las Vegas 2004

NC 

Colorado 1999 (our first anniversary)

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing

Today was Brook's first ballet recital!  It was such a beautiful, worshipful event.  Each group performed a dance that relates to a certain country.  Brook's country was Russia.  Each group has been praying for a girl from that country.  Brook is blessed to be trained by quite an accomplished dancer with some prestigious awards.  Brook enjoyed herself & did a great job.  It was a great Saturday with family!

Ready to go!

Roses from Aunt Lynn

Papaw & Mamie from NC were able to come (&Faith too, just didn't get her in this picture)

Here is Isabella, Faith, & Brook swimming in our pool pre-recital

Brook with her teacher, Miss Deborah 

With our sweet, good friends! 

With our little dancer  

Our house is smelling sweet thanks to all of Brook's flowers from her recitals this week!

Beautiful Girl, Beautiful Music

Brook began taking piano lessons this year for the first time, & has done great.  She has enjoyed learning something new & often I hear her on the keyboard throughout the day just playing.  My dad is an amazing pianist, so he has even helped Brook on several occasions with her music pieces.  Brook had her first recital last night & she was so calm & collected! We are thankful for this opportunity & will continue this endeavor for her.  

Grandad helping Brook last fall

Performing her masterpiece!

Flowers from Papa

Love my girls!

Brook got a special delivery today from grandparents in North Carolina!

Mothers in my life

I am so blessed to be a mom to my sweet girls.  I am thankful for this cherished opportunity.

I am grateful for a mom who loves me, cares for me, & prays for me.

I am grateful for grandmothers who I was blessed to know & love, & enjoy.  I am thankful for the Godly legacies they have passed on to my parents.  I am blessed to have known them & for their prayers on my behalf. I miss these women... a lot.  What I would give to just give them a hug.

I am thankful for a mother-in-law who has been an outstanding, strong woman for my husband.  I am thankful for her love & encouragement towards me.

I am blessed to have a sister & sister-in-laws who are great moms.

I am thankful for the example of some dear friends who have also taught me so much about being a mom that honors the Lord, her husband, & her children.

Thank you to these ladies.  I love you & I love my girls.  It is a high calling. May I be faithful to these gifts that God has bestowed upon me & guide them to the one who created them & loves them more than I can fathom.

Happy Mother's Day!