We headed to Franklin for our annual Halloween get together!
Jason’s aunt and uncle and my sister live in the same neighborhood, so we head their way to go trick or treating! Our costumes were pretty simple this year and can be used again, which is the way I like it!

Morgan was a hippy, Parker a Rock Star, Lily was a Titans player, Emery was a cat,
Lauren was a flapper, Bradley wore his UT basketball jersey and Elizabeth was a Titan, as well!

Emery was not in the mood for pictures!

Parker rocked it!The semi silly shot!

We had a blast being with our family. I am so glad to be close. The funniest thing last night was when Bradley gave crayons back to a lady. He was in it for the candy. He also asked every house where their dog was, even if they did not have one! Too funny!
We also were offered an “excellent merlot” at one house- the adults, not the kids! We didn’t partake, but quite interesting, none the less.

To say that I am back in reality is putting it mildly! I just left the girl’s school, after picking Emery up, with Parker having a complete meltdown because she wanted to go with me. Then, Bradley cried half the way home for Parker. Emery was upset because her take home book from her teacher is way below her “skillz” and she was not happy about it!

So, since Calgon can’t take me away, I am going to settle for some beach pics!

The highlights of the week:

• Date night with Jason- I must say that it is nice to go with family or friends to the beach because you have a built in babysitter. We traded off date nights with the Hales and it worked out well. We ate at Landry’s, which is one of my favorites! It did not disappoint
• Riding the waves. I spent hours riding the waves at Myrtle Beach as a kid, so I have a deep love of doing this and watching my kids starting to learn! The waves at MB are so much better than Orange Beach. So, I spent some time braving the cold water and caught some waves!
• Eating out every night! Such a blessing to not cook.
• Watching the kids play with their friends. The kids were so good this trip. They all played well together. Poor B, got tattled on, continually. It was like having 5 sisters, as opposed to 2. He didn’t stand a chance!
• Being with friends. The Hales have been such great friends to us since we moved here, almost 5 years ago. Our girls have been bff’s since they were 2. We have been in small group with them, watched Nathaniel come on staff at our church, walked through the early years with twins with them, had countless laughs and gone on trips together! We value their friendship and feel very blessed to share life with them. We also got to spend time with the Sullivans. They are a precious young, married couple who celebrated their first anniversary while at the beach! We were amazed that they chose to spend time with us old married people with 6 kids between us! We had a lot of laughs and fun with our friends!
• Sleeing with the door open to the balcony and hearing the waves crash. LOVED IT!
• Having quiet moments with the Lord, early in the morning, listening to His Creation.
• Going to Alligator Adventure with the kids. We saw a lot of alligators and crocodiles. We also saw snakes and “wiserds” as B calls them. Loved being with my family.

Here are a few pictures (we didn’t get any formal shots on the beach this trip because we waited to the last few days and it was cloudy or rainy. Live and learn.)

Fudruckers Stylin Hat!

This is the kids at Alligator Adventure- a reptile zoo. This is what most of our pictures
look like with B!

Group Dinner!
Me, catching a wave!

Putt Putt Extravaganza

Bradley and Reese chasing each other, which they did for hours!

A rare moment!

They found a tunnel and proceeded to inspect it!

Filling up holes with water- hours of entertainment!

Evan, Emery and Parker- catching waves

Recovering from catching waves!
Ryan playing in the sand!

I am a beach person, if you have failed to figure that out from reading my blog. The beach and the ocean have a way of relaxing me, reminding me of the Greatness of our Creator and refocusing my heart, like few other settings can. I love the sand, the waves, the time with family, the time away.

So, are you a beachy person? What place relaxes you?

I will be the first to admit that I can be a big scaredy cat.

I was traumatized by horror flicks in my early adolescence and it left me scarred! Much like Freddie Krueger, whom I would protect myself from at night by lining my bed with stuffed animals. Somehow, in my skewed, traumatized mind, they would protect me. I also went to bed at like 7:30 to make sure I was asleep before my parents went to bed. It was all in the name of self-preservation.

I remember wearing make-up for the first time, in sixth grade. My BFF’s Angela and Melissa got all gussied up to go see a movie. Never mind that her parents were taking us. We were smokin, I tell you, with our blue eyeshadow and Big Bangs. Fast Forward about an hour. I started crying during the previews. Seriously, I was hysterical.

I ended up watching Splash with Melissa’s dad in the theater next door.

Pitiful.

Don’t get me started on my friend’s 8th grade sleepover. The Exorcist was the movie of the night.
I was in way over my head.

I totally just revisited my tortured mind of middle school with you and I am now remembering why.

I slept on the couch the last two nights.

No, my marriage is not on the rocks, or hurting.

In fact, because my hubs has been out of town the last two nights, I couldn’t sleep. In my bed.

Our current bedroom, without a bathroom or closet, is on the opposite side of the house, as the kids. So, I had run through all the scenarios of what would I do if….fire, break in, Freddie Krueger came and I convinced myself that running out the back door and breaking in the kids windows was not the best option for a good outcome of any of the above.

But, I did try to convince myself that I was a big scaredy cat and nothing was going to happen. I started in my bed both nights and it lasted about 5 minutes. Then, while on the couch, I heard all kinds of weird noises and needless to say, i got about 10 hours sleep combined.

Isn’t it crazy how our minds can play havoc with us? Create tension, drama, fear, where none exists? Here is a verse I have used to calm myself many a lonely night and have also taught the girls.

Psalm 91: 5

You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

(really all of Psalm 91)

Can I just say that it makes me smile to think that I have, in my will be new yard, a structure that can be called a barn. Granted, there will be no livestock living in “the barn,” but that is just a technicality, in my opinion. I am from south Mississippi and was raised in East Tennessee, so it is truly my right as a southern girl to have a barn in the back pasture!

Here are a few pics of our will be new backyard. We went over today to show Jason’s mom and were able to snap some pics!

This is the reason we are buying this house.

I am tired.

We are about to end the first full week of school and it has been a good one. This morning the girls were pretty slow moving, as were their parents. I forgot how much earlier we have to get up, be out the door and look presentable. I didn’t really forget, I just lived in denial for a little while!

Emery is doing fabulous. She has already insisted on walking in by herself, with Parker as an escort. She did not care for her mom or dad walking her in. Evidently, we already embarrass her! Just wait til I walk her in when she starts middle school. That will give her something to be embarrassed about!

Parker is adjusting to a full day at school. She has had a few meltdowns, but we understand. They work really hard at school, but she is loving having art class this year. She is all about her some crafts and drawing! She also brought home the biggest book from the Library today about “fish” (or oceanlife as it lists on the cover). Pretty sure we won’t finish it in a week.
Please pray for her. She has started sucking her thumb again. It crept back in and is now back full force. Bless her, I don’t think she can stop without permanent intervention. So she will probably be heading to the dentist soon.

We are continuing our Sonic happy hour tradition one time a week, after school. We are all ready for a pick me up by then!

Here are some of our family pictures from our time with a paid professional! (Allison, there is no one like you!) We found a photographer in Orange Beach who will give you an uncopyrighted disc with the pictures, so I am excited to get a lot framed. I highly recommend using a photographer if you want beach pictures. It takes the pressure off of you to get the right photo. We only had an hour and I would have preferred more candid, less posed pics, but we are pleased. I am also curious to see Jason work some magic with Photoshop, though.

Where it all started over 40 years ago

The whole gang- Mom, Dad, Kim, Kendall, Morgan, Lauren,
Jason, Kelly, Parker, Emery and Bradley

The Grandparents with their grandkids

Our offspring!

The Stews

Snaggletoothed! (She pulled another one the first day of vacation)

AHH, the backside…

Bradley did great for the pictures, and was soaking wet by the time we left!

Pure Emery grin!

This one will be framed

Our photographer put us laying down in the sand, which made us laugh, because
we are not posed picture people, if we can avoid it! I won’t tell you the things J was
whispering to me as the photographer was giving him directions! It was really funny!

My sweet sister’s family

Lord Help us when they are teenagers…

Okay, so I am a little behind on getting the beach pictures up, but I have been a tiny bit busy with the children STARTING SCHOOL.

Let me just say, that I adore being at the beach. I knew going into it that it was NOT ABOUT ME and what I wanted to do, so much as, being with my kids. They are a handful right now, with the added Bman factor. He requires one on one, while around large bodies of water, which leaves the other parent with the girls. So, there was not much of us just sitting by the pool or the ocean. Although, I did a little more of that than Jason did. He was so amazing to watch. The girls are finally old enough to get IN the ocean and RIDE some little crests of water called waves! They were by no means large and at times looked like the lake! Even Bradley was catching some waves. So, we had a great time and were EXHAUSTED by the end of the day. But, we made some great MEMORIES.

So, here are some highlights:

Can’t wait to go back!

In honor of Father’s Day, I agreed to let J buzz Bradley’s hair. Bless him, he gets so sweaty and hot that his hair was usually sticking to his head and later, all over the place. I like my little man to look like a little man and I knew this cut would make him look more like a big boy! That is hard when it is your baby!

Not to mention that the last time we went to get his hair cut, he screamed, kicked and threw his sippy cup at our hair stylist. Fun times, let me tell you.

So, tonight was the night. We put on Barney, added the high chair, with some fruit snacks and we were off. Of course, being the tech savvy guy that he is, Jason, streamed the cutting of the hair, LIVE, for all his buds to watch! Cheap entertainment, at its best!

So, without further ado, I give you a photo recap!

Not having a clue what is about to happen

Checking out the gear

Let the cutting begin!

Aww, look at that cute mullet

And this is what happened…

when he saw this in his chair! It’s okay, I have cried before too, when
I saw that much hair cut off!

I just downloaded 392 photos from our camera. They are only from the month of May! I am going to share some pics from all the many activities we had in May! But, to save us all a little bit of sanity, I am going to break it up into 2 parts!

SOCCER MATCH
This is Emery’s first time to play and it has been pretty good!
She shows some potential, but usually once a game asks to come out or has a
minor breakdown. Not totally sure what to do with her sometimes!

MOTHER’S DAY SHRIMP BOIL
My parents came in town for Mother’s Day and we decided to stay home and have a
good ole southern Shrimp Boil. It is so yummy and easy!
Jason is getting really good at cooking this dish!

The cousins playing in the yard

How amazing does that look??

BRIDGING TO BROWNIES
Parker was in a daisy troop at school and she bridged to Brownies.
It is really a great chance for her to continue to get to know her friends at
school and she enjoys it!
Parker and Ms. Kimberly

RIDING IN MY CAR
This is just funny to me! Bradley riding in a Barbie Jeep, wearing a
Princess helmet! Poor guy.
Jason has informed me that it is time to buy more gender neutral gear!

THE BIG PINK CAST
This was her the night it happened. At least she matches!

We go back next week and are praying it comes off for good!

School Consignment Sale
The school has a sale the last week of school and I was able to get a lot of clothes for
the girls. Some still had the tags on it! I got GAP stain shield pants, brand new, for $2!
So fun!

My Models (also my new short do in the background)

The girls jumping up and down! Emery was so excited to put on some new duds!

PARKER’S KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION
They focus a lot on the Fruit of the Spirit in Kindergarten at Parker’s school.
Their shirts say Got Fruit? on the front and Galatians 5:22-23 on the back.
She held the sign for love, as they sang a song about the Fruit of the Spirit.

My little Graduate!

Parker and her teacher, Mrs. B
She was such a blessing to Parker and our family this past year.
She is truly an amazing woman of God and a great teacher!

Some of her cronies!

We had a lot of milestones this past month. I am so thankful for each one.

We did it! We put the house on the market. We found out that our house has about 2o0 more square feet than we thought, which is always a good thing! No wonder those houses that are smaller seemed really small!

I am glad to be on this side of getting the house ready. I still have a few more projects to finish up, but it is officially open for buyers!

On a side note, I was putting Emery to bed tonight and I prayed for her teachers. I prayed for the possible teachers and said something along the lines of, ” God, we know that Emery will be with the teacher you have planned for her and that will encourage and teach her…..”

After we finish she says, but how does God know and how will we know who God has planned to be my teacher. I begin to go into how God has a plan for her life and how He has a purpose for her and she cuts me off and says, “But we don’t have that Bible that says who Emery’s teacher will be.”

Uuhh, yep that’s true!