Boating

My family (my dad and his 3 brothers) finally bought a new boat! Our old boat was wonderful for many years but in the last few years it was very unreliable, would not go in reverse and was so loud and smelly it was embarrassing. After much research and visiting boat showrooms we decided on one an it was delivered this weekend. It is wonderful!!! Bryce's spur of the moment trip to Olive Branch started with me driving him up to the lake since my parents were there to pick up the boat. Since I drove all the way up there I decided to ride with them to pick up the new boat and go on the maiden voyage back to the lake house.

As soon as we docked my mom and aunts packed me a to-go BBQ sandwich and I drove back to Pensacola that night. Why did I drive back that night? To go boating the next day in Pensacola! We rented a pontoon boat with our friends the Aldridges and Kelly's brother Dan and his wife (friends of ours from college, I love how small the world is!) and their kids on the bay Sunday from 9-2. It was great! We were sad that Bryce had to miss it, but he decided being with Cappy and Papaw Ruff for an extra week was worth it. We couldn't believe how well the kids (4 ages 4 and under) did on the boat. We docked twice to play and eat so they had plenty of moving and playing time.

Even though the life jacket looks uncomfortable, she never complained about it! Best Friends CeCe and KateAfter a full morning of boating all the kids fell asleep on the ride back. CeCe fell asleep eating an oreo in my lap!

Last Day of VPK

Bryce's last day of preschool (VPK) was Friday. They had a fun day of bouncy houses, chips, cookies and water balloons. He said he is sad and happy about school being out for the summer. Sad because he will miss his friends and happy because he can spend more time with CeCe and me this summer! Aww! He has a busy summer ahead of him though. He is taking tennis lessons on Tuesday afternoons (and loves them already!), he will go to VBS at church, then 2 weeks of summer camp (4 days each week from 9-1) at his preschool. We have trips to the lake, Olive Branch, Nashville and Huntsville planned. He is actually in Olive Branch right now for a spur of the moment trip with Cappy and Papaw Ruff. He is having a blast swimming and jumping on the trampoline. We will meet back up with them at the lake this weekend. CeCe is pretty lost without him sometimes but I think she is enjoying being an only child just a little bit!

First day of VPK in August

Last Day of VPK in May

Busy Bryce

WoW! My 5 year old is growing up so much! Sniff, sniff. But I love the person he is becoming! Last week I was able to go to his school for Moms for Muffins. The kids served us muffins, gave us homemade gifts and we watched a video they had been working on all year. It was wonderful! Here we are before we left for school that morning. CeCe had to be in the picture with us!
Friday night Bryce lost his first tooth!! It had been loose since Easter and we finally pulled it Friday night. Cappy brought him a tooth fairy pillow that worked perfectly, the tooth fairy took the tooth and left $1 in it's place!

He's learned to snap loudly and can swing himself in the swing all by himself. He's also learned to climb to the top of a tall pole at school (if you can climb to the top, you are the bomb apparantly, all the boys have been busy practicing this) and he can climb to the top of our fence at home. Once this boy decides to learn how to do something.....watch out! He's going to practice until he gets it. I love that about him!

Today was the 4 year old recognition program. They sang about 8 songs and received a certificate. I'm so glad Cappy could be here to see it. She's wanted to come to all of his programs but this was probably the best one that she could have come to. Bryce was front and center (one perk of being short!) and he did all the songs and hand motions just right!

Showing Daddy his certificate

The best I could get of the two of them after the program. There were cookies and juice right behind us and they were way more interested in that than posing for me!

His wonderful teachers Mrs. Kathy and Mrs. Debbie

After the program Cappy took CeCe home for nap and I took Bryce to a fountain/splash area to play with some of the boys in his class.

Bryce and his buddies James and Connor

Elmo!

CeCe got to meet Elmo Thursday night. She was so excited!!

Napa/A Week with Cappy and Papaw Ruff

Anthony and I had a wonderful, amazing, restful, fun trip to Napa, CA last week! We went to some wineries, had delicious food, rode around in our rental convertible (unplanned but we actually really enjoyed it!), went to Muir Woods, zip lined through a redwood forest and got to see our friends Bob, Wendy and their new baby Case. It was so nice to get away for a while and we were blessed with amazing weather. The horrible weather back in the South had us worried (no one could get in touch with my sister for hours on Thurs. morning, but they are fine. Read her account of that day here). And hearing all of the horrible stories were heartbreaking. I wanted to get home and hug my babies, so thankful they and all of our family were safe. It is amazing to me that all of our family (hundreds of people) that live in AL and MS were safe and their homes were too. My friend Kelly lost a friend that day. A young girl that was supposed to be the maid of honor at her sister's wedding this Friday and graduate from the Univ. of AL the next day. Heartbreaking.

While we were soaking up the beautiful California sunshine, my parents and the kids were stuck inside for most of the week because of the non stop rain and storms.

Bryce and Cappy did some workbooks

Who knows what CeCe is doing here and why she doesn't have any clothes on!?! But she looks like she is enjoying it! Oh wait, that is Bryce under that blanket!!

The sun came out on Thursday!! Luckily I had packed their rain boots because my parents backyard was a swampy mess. You had to slurp through it to get to the trampoline.

Friday night when we got back in town we celebrated my birthday