Family Fun in Atlanta

While in Georgia we couldn't miss the chance to see the Holmes grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins!! Poppy, Mark & Alice have birthdays within about 10 days of each other so we got to have another fun birthday celebration for them. 

Big Canoe, GA trip

The Stegall family got together again this July 4th week and had lots of fun! There were mornings and afternoons at the various swimming pools and rock slide, a boat ride, hiking waterfalls, golf, good food, fireworks, birthday celebrations, fun times being together and enjoying how the kids like each other more every year. This was Sawyer's first time to meet his cousins and he seemed to fit in well. He's a great baby boy! Alice seemed to surprise everyone with how much she TALKS. It was so good to be together--

boy Stegall cousins

almost 2 year old cousins

Alice & rest of family on rock slide 

Closed Doors, Open Window

June was a tough month at our house.

I expected to return to work when Sawyer was three months old and that didn't happen. Because of some complications from his birth I have strict lifting restrictions and my company couldn't find a way to accommodate during my recovery. They asked me not to come back. I was very frustrated with the way they handled things. Mark's contract architecture work in DC ended the day I was "released" from my job on June 1st. Suddenly we felt totally uncertain about where to live, work, or how to spend our days.

After praying through a few weeks with closed doors all around us God opened an exciting door for Mark. He starts work next week with a small architecture office that wants to utilize his architecture and development degrees in a leadership role. The partners invited me to meet them before Mark accepted the job to show their interest in him and how much they care about family. I'm thrilled for Mark and the certainty that comes with knowing we'll be in the Columbia, Maryland area for years to come.

I've been doing physical therapy weekly for the last two months and will have surgery in early August for a hernia-type repair. It's tough to not feel comfortable holding my kiddos. The eight weeks following surgery will definitely teach me to rely on others since I will be restricted from any lifting over 10 pounds. I'm ready to move past this trying time and get back to feeling good with energy and ability to do the things I want and need to do for me and my family.

Alice Waterslide in Big Canoe, GA

We're having a good time on our Stegall family vacation. More pictures to follow.
Alice is a brave girl!!