Are You Ready for some PICTURES?

Here is Ava at her first birthday party.

Can you believe the cake Teressa made????

Friends

Birthday Girl and Guys

Matt's brother Ollie's dog Maggie

My mom and Evie

The picture was snapped during my grandmother's 75th birthday party.

Cutie Patootie Number One, Buster Keaton

(Nicknames I have for Simon)

My grandmother and myself at her 75th celebration

My friend Kellie and Simon playing foosball inside the house we stayed in during our trip to Savannah, Georgia.

Kellie had planned to spend a week with us in Texas this summer, and we talked about taking my kids somewhere for part of the week - maybe San Antonio.  With out kitchen out of order this summer, I asked Kellie if instead of hanging out here we could spend time together in the  Southeast.  Matt drove back to Texas a week and a half before the kids and I drove back (with Matt's mom.)  Since Simon also asked to go to the beach this summer and Matt simply didn't have the vacation time, I asked Kellie if we could go to Savannah and stay with her aunt there.  Simon had sweetly asked to be "signed up for the beach" this summer and asked me to get a map and find the beach.

Kellie helped us grant that wish PLUS she had her niece and nephew that week so it worked out great for her to get to know my kids better and for me to spend time with Grace and Marcus.  

The above picture is of Grace and Evie-Grace.  Yes, this is INSIDE the house.  Certain parts of the house were VERY kid friendly.

Our little entourage!

I highly recommend traveling with a helpful 10 year old girl!  

She really enjoyed taking charge of Evie!

Marcus and Simon were a hoot together - they  both entertained themselves quite nicely.

On our way to Savannah we stopped in Atlanta and met our friend Jen (she's having a baby boy this summer!) for lunch at the mall across the street from where she works.

Jen and Kellie were both roommates of mine during college.

Kellie is in the states for a few weeks on deputation from her work in Afg.

We were in Savannah 3-4 days.  One day the kids practically lived in the swimming pool, another day we spent most of the day at St.Simon's island to satisfy Simon's beach needs, and we spent most of our other full day taking a tour of Savannah and exploring the city a bit.  The Savannah tour day and the beach day were both ended with time in the pool for everyone.  The pool was a great babysitter!  

Walking to the beach at St.Simon's.

Doesn't Kellie look beautiful?

So the pool was easy for me because Evie wasn't that into getting wet and Simon hardly left the steps.  After I bought him goggles he mostly just kept his head underwater which I figure is the first step towards swim-literacy.

Some parts of the house weren't too kid friendly .... I turned for a sec and here was Evie, almost at the water.  There were a couple of boats that could have taken us to some other islands, but we opted out of that and drove to St.Simon's.  I wasn't comfortable taking my little-non-swimmers on a 30 minute boat ride across the ocean!  The short ferry ride in Savannah kind of satisfied Simon's boat appetite, anyway!

During one of Evie's short spurts in the water.

Marcus - 8 years old and loving the water!

Full of excitement and joy

Yay!  The beach!  Someone signed us up for the beach!

Doing a happy dance ...

I was meant for the water ...

The temp of the water was perfect!

Simon was a little fish the whole day.

I bought him that swim-shirt that morning as we drove to the beach.  He had gotten a little red the day before, and I don't trust sunscreen at all.

I love this picture!

I remember when Grace was a little baby.

One specific memory is her Grandpa Terry giving her Sprite at a basketball game at Bryan College when she was a LITTLE thing.

Marcus will repeat certain phrases and it is really sweet and cute.  He has the greatest easygoing and happy disposition.  Two of his phrases we heard repeated a lot were:  "Pool's closed for Evie!"  (She didn't want to swim or was always asleep when we were swimming.)  Another catch phrase, "Simon got in trouble!"  (followed by a sweet laugh)  He thought Simon was very entertaining.  

Evie's favorite activities at the beach were:  carrying around my hat, not wearing her hat, playing with her stroller straps, sitting in her stroller drinking water, making friends with people ages 60+ and preferring them to us, and feeding us Cheez-its (and beware a breakdown if you refused a sweaty, sandy cheez-it being shoved in your mouth ...)

The aforementioned cheez-its.

One of Evie's favorite activities.

She wouldn't play with me in the sand with the shovel and pail; however, she took our shovel/pail to a lady who was in her 60s and they became the best of friends as they dug in the sand together.

While we were in South Carolina (earlier in our trip), I took Evie to a nursing home one day to visit my second cousin Donna who was admitted there a couple of weeks before.  Evie became fast friends with all of the residents there.  She would strut around the room and take her sippy cup to someone, walk away, then go take the sippy cup back and choose another person to give it to!

Donna passed away less than two weeks after we saw her.

A few years ago, Donna was teaching honors highschool English and then had to retire early because she would forget her lesson plans.  She was diagnosed with aphasia, and over the last couple of years she has lost the ability to drive and even talk - her language and communication skills were reduced to that of a little little child.  

I thought it was interesting that her doctor at Duke has 5 patients with aphasia and they were all former school teachers.

Donna was only in her 50s ...

Anyway, I'm glad I got lost in the country the morning of Steph's wedding but eventually found her nursing home.  We went to her private room at one point and spent about 20 min. just praying with her and singing hymns and talking to her about Jesus.  She seemed so frustrated that she can't talk.  I have hoped the last few years that God would show himself mighty on her behalf and completely heal her and that it would be a great testimony of His power, but that wasn't how it worked out so I'm still working out some of that in my mind.  

On our tour trolley in Savannah.

I had fun playing and fixing Grace's hair that morning and letting her borrow my favorite green necklace that she promised to take care of ...

Kellie was stuck on a seat with sweaty Evie ...

Marcus was  a great help with the stroller, and in the car he would help Simon buckle up his seatbelt.

Smores one night

The HUGE chocolate bar Kellie bought Simon in England at the Cadbury Factory.

Simon in Savannah while we waited for a ride at one point.

When Grace was around, it was so easy!

She was a great help and really loved Evie.

I guess you can tell Evie had fun.

This was on our ferry ride.

We returned to Matt's home after our long weekend in Savannah.  One day we went to Coolidge Park and rode the carousel and played in the water fountains.

Believe it or not, the day we had to drive back to Texas (last Monday) was the day our friends the Tysons were going to be in Chattanooga - also going to Coolidge Park.   Bummer!  We missed being able to see Elia, Jude, and little Timothy!

Graceful Evie Grace

If it is my hat, Evie will confiscate it and wear it.

If it is a hat primarily designed for her, she pretty much has nothing to do with it.

I'm glad I took Simon's goggles with us to the water park.

They increase his water-bravery.

One day I drove down to Cartersville to see my grandparents.

This is Simon in their backyard.

Grandma and Evie.

Coolidge Park with the walking bridge behind us.

Simon took this picture.  My grandfather was reading a biography on Andrew Jackson.

Evie discovered my lipstick one day. 

She had her feelings hurt when I told her it didn't look good all over her face.

Not only do I need to work on Evie's cosmetic skills, but I also need to work on her modesty.

One thing Evie does not need help with is holding a game-cube controller!

She loves to "play" Animal Crossing with Simon.  She bounces along to the music and has no idea she isn't really playing the game.

Simon thinks it is so cool that I know how to play Animal Crossing and can help him fish and pay off his house on there.

Simon showing Grandma his hurt leg.