Alice Age 3 Picture Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books are the new way to preserve your memories. Create your own today.

good-byes have begun

Wednesday evening Karyn hosted us for a good-bye dinner with some of my close girl friends here. It was an honor and treat to be with these "girls" who have encouraged me, loved my me and the kids, shared their recipes and home-making ideas, prayed with and for me, taught me how and where to best enjoy fun things near us, brought meals, taken A&S when I need time, and been true friends. Alice and Sawyer's best friends come from this circle of moms too. We're counting on have a well-used bonus room with guests because they're all invited to Charleston!

A: Oooo, you look pretty. Where are you going?
me: A going-away dinner party with my friends.
A: Why aren't children coming?
me: It's just for my mama friends, no kids.
A: Oh, okay. Wait, will it be sad since you're going away?
me: Maybe a little.
A: Oh yeah, it's a party so it will be fun.

We have 2.5 weeks left in Maryland. Mark and I have lived in Maryland the longest in our marriage or dating years. We've gone from FL, to GA, to MA, to MD and soon SC. I've enjoyed living life with these and other friends here. Praying that more great folks are eager to accept us in our new home.

Happy 4th Birthday, Alice

Alice had such a fun birthday! We had a school friend, two neighborhood friends, a church friend and our Maryland grandparents to celebrate. Pin the Nose on Olaf was a hit, chocolate cupcakes with black raspberry-cream cheese icing, new sunglasses, her new Frozen book, tire swing rides, doll house play, riding her new scooter, balloons, and overall giddiness and joy ruled the day. Thanks to all the friends and family who make our smart, active, play-loving, singing, talkative little four-year-old feel really special with your calls, cards and gifts! She spices up every day :)

Faces of Sawyer, Age 2

Sawyer has a very expressive mouth and eyebrows. This morning we got the full range and breakfast so I kept taking photos. He's a cutie pie, even when he's mad. Enjoy what you might miss from the posed pictures where he says "cheese"---

happy morning

pouting

frustrated

saying something like the number "le-leven"

skeptical of Alice, who sits by him

excited, wants something (vitamins)

Sawyer-saurus GROWWWLLLL

taking it easy

Last Day of Three

Alice's first words this morning (while I was still in bed) were, "Mama, this is my last day being three." We got up, picked raspberries in our pjs in the field behind our house, and came home to make raspberry-chocolate chip scones and ham cups for breakfast. As we picked berries Alice sang, "I, I, I, I am the vine. You, you, you, you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing. . ." This is already a good last day with our three year old girl.

Party fun and celebrations officially begin tomorrow!

Father's Day 2014

For My Dad on Father's Day

**My dad is special because he's my dad.
**I think my dad is funny when he giggles.
**The best meal my dad makes is cereal.
**He looks like a curly man.
**Words that describe my dad:
     He likes his job. He helps me pick lettuce. He goes out to the water at the beach.
**My dad is the best at telling Blue stories.
**My favorite things to do with Dad are swim, play outside and play soccer.
**I know my dad loves me because he brought me to a Easter egg hunt. He reads me stories because he loves me. I like the way he takes me to school.

About me
My name is Alice. I am 3 years old. Today's date is June 15, 2014.

Alice drew LONG grass in a picture she had me label "Daddy likes to cut grass."

I sure love Alice & Sawyer's dad! Today I cut the grass to give him a break and we took him out to lunch with another family. Daddy is adored at our house and does a great job playing and engaging with the kids. They're excited EVERY DAY when he gets home from work.

My dad's been a great blessing in my life. I'm grateful for the ways God blessed me as a child (and now) with my dad and with a great partner to raise our little ones, Mark.

Selling and Buying almost complete

Our home we love so dearly is under contract after only 7 days on the market. It's passed home inspections, appraisals and other negotiations that lead towards selling our house on July 15th. We even got neighbors in the "messy house" next door that are great. . .so we hope they make friends with the couple that's buying our house.

 

We spent a whirlwind few days looking into neighborhoods throughout Mt. Pleasant and Charleston earlier this month. There were so many houses we liked in the West Ashley area and we're currently under contract on the house below. Looks like we'll be moving in on July 18th. If you're good friends with our family we sure hope you'll come visit--there's bonus room we'll fix up for you!

 

 

The steps of prepping our house to sell also brought a lot of sadness to leave the wonderful friends we have here. Sawyer's got his little buddies, Alice has her handful of sweet girls, I've got amazing godly kind encouraging friends at church and in my neighborhood, we'll miss the Macd's, and Mark's got some guys he'll miss too. I've started praying with Alice that we'll make new friends in Charleston soon after we arrive. God's blessed us here and can do it there too. . .and I'm counting on it!

B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore

Sawyer was in heaven on Thursday this week! We took our first trip to the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore and even took a 15 minute train ride as part of the adventure. Alice exclaimed, "This is AMAZING!" after her ride.  For train lovers this was a highlight: different type engines, dining cars, sleeping cars, mail cars, and much more in a beautiful historic roundhouse owned by the B&O Railroad. The Hobson boys and their mom Karyn were another highlight. Sawyer has three boys he talks about and "Gee Gee" is one of them.

Savage Fest 2014

Last year Alice rode "Brownie" the horse with fear and a strong grip on her mama's hand at Savage Fest. This year Alice hopped right up on Cherokee and Friendly (two rides this year). Sawyer hung back a little from the animals but enjoyed watching the fun. Savage Mill is near our house and we walked to Savage's main park last week to enjoy the neighborhood fun, bounce houses, petting zoo, local craftsmen and more.

Our big score was hand-carved wooden toys from Mr. Mike. Mark's grandfather used to make toys but we don't have any for our kids to enjoy, so we purchased some animals and trucks to create the same simple toy appreciation in our house that Mark learned at his grandparents'.