Blink

Listen to this

and listen to this

before you read the rest of my post. I just heard this song on the radio and it has perfect timing in my life. I will be the first to say how fast life goes, especially now that I have children, but God has taught me this summer that I might not quite get that concept....until now. Some things have happened this summer to some friends and family to make this point all to clear. Not only are these stories of what is going on, but also prayer requests.

We were running late one morning to the swimming pool to drop Aidan off for swim team practice. Aidan hates being late! Today I was glad I was! We live about 4 miles from the pool and as we come over the hill in front of the pool there were many fire trucks, ambulances and state troopers. There had been an accident about 5 minute before that. A motor cycle and a truck/trailer. The truck was turning left into the swimming pool parking lot and the motorcycle was going straight. The gentleman on the motorcycle hit the trailer and was killed right in front of the swim team and coaches in the parking lot. This 22 year old man was going to be a father in a few months.

Brad's assistant cross country coach is a huge runner and triathlete along with his wife. They are members of our church and are actively involved there as well. They have children in high school and middle school. His wife was in a bike crash and sustained brain injury and is now re-learning to walk.

My grandma Regis (Mom's mom) is in her mid 70's is active walker, traveler, seamstress and retired nurse. Her and my grandfather split there time between Florida and Michigan. Overall she is in fantastic health and has an amazing amount of energy. (She has to for her 11th great grandchild was just born.) She got a cold this winter that turned into pneumonia. After round of antibiotics and returning to Michigan for the summer she started having short term memory loss. After doing some tests, they revealed that she may have had a minor stroke.

A close friend of our family, in fact we call her Georgia Grandma, is a loving wonderful women who has accepted our children as her own. Her middle daughter is on Brad's basketball team. Through all the hard time you go through as a coaches wife, she has been nothing but accepting, respectful and loving. I don't have enough words tell this wonderful lady how much she is meant to me in the last year. This summer she found a lump in her breast. It is cancer. She will have a mastectomy tomorrow, followed by chemo.

The summer was the 15th anniversary of the death of Brad's mother Carol. We were able to spend a couple hours on that day to drive around Brad's old stomping ground of Spartenburg and reminisce on memories of her and his brothers. We also just happened to find a letter Brad wrote to a friend about 6 months after his mom passed. For some reason it was never sent. He was a hurting and angry 16 year old. He knows how far he has come since that day and it is even more amazing to see it!

God is holding all these people in all these stories in His arms. Through all the good and bad times He never lets go. We just have to trust Him!

Feeling HOT, HOT, HOT

I don't remember a summer being more hot than this one. We have spent lots of time in and around water. Check out what we have been up to...

Hope you are staying cool in the hot summer sun!

THE beach!

Ahhhh the beach! I love going to the beach...especially with 15 teenagers tagging along (for a basketball camp) with their families, 100 degree temps and LOTS of people. Ok, so it was a week long fully expense paid trip and we really did have a blast. So many wonderful memories, however I would like some cooler temps. Is 80 to much to ask for?

Here is a view from one of our balconies.
A view from our other balcony. This resort had tons of pools, access to the beach and a water park to go with it.

Some of the girls on the team.

Some family shots. It was so bright and HOT...we should of taken these in the evening. O well, still cute!


On the beach where we spent most of our time.
Here are some shots of Brenna during the week.

Loving the waves...

Sweet sisters
Our little model.
2 holes in 1 back to back on our night out to go putt-putt.
Next up is Aidan...
He is part fish...
Oh how I love this boy!

The castle that didn't quite make it because of the tide coming in.

2 holes in 1 for Aidan too. Maybe we should invest in golf lessons? Maybe we should ask their Uncle Drew first!

Mommy made a shot.

Last but not least, Carsyn Joy

I love this pictureand this one...

Cheese!

The summer is flying by. Enjoy every minute you have!

Bye bye

To the beach we go...be back in 10 days!

Cherry picking

I found this great orchard in Blue Ridge that has U-Pick just about anything during the appropriate season. Mercier Orchards is AWESOME! We just had to go cherry picking last weekend. They are delicious. We are heading back to pick blueberries in a couple weeks and then apple picking in September. It is great because you don't have to pay to be there, just pay for your fruit (and some of their yummy homemade icecream and apple bread)!

Cousins visit

Our nieces were able to come for a visit for a week. We were so excited to be able to see them after almost 2 years. The kids were counting down the days until they could see there cousins.

Kaia is 5 going on 15. She reminded me almost everyday that she in now in 1st grade (she will be in August). Her and Aidan are 10 months apart and both enjoy being the "mommy and daddy" of the group. Kaia loves to talk and I mean TALK! If you ever want to know what is going on with her, her family, friends, the guy at the store last week, etc. she will let you know. She loves everything girly, but loves to run around with the boys. Brad and I along with the kids pray for Kaia everyday and that with all this transition happening in her life that God will protect her, keep her safe and that Kaia would always know that He loves her and cares for her.

Zoe just turned 3 yesterday. Her and Carsyn are 10 months apart as well. This girl loves to be loved! I would be fixing dinner or folding laundry and she would run up, wrap her arms around my legs and give you the biggest, tightest hug. She was always up to something (what 2/3 year old isn't). She loves adventures and reading books. She fit right in since our family is constantly going and we love to read. She is a smart girl and I can tell the ache of the transitions in her life. We pray that God will comfort and protect her and that she will always know that He loves her.

We were blessed to be able to have them stay for over a week at our house. I would have to say that our life stayed pretty much as on time and busy as it always is even having a 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 year old. Meal time and bathtime/bedtime took the longest. It wasn't long before everyone was knocked out and sleeping because of our long adventurous days. Even though I loved every minute of having kiddos running around all day, I sure did love around 8 pm, when all were asleep and I could lay down on the couch and rest.

Day 1

Since Aidan was still in school this week, we tryed to do something every morning and than have something to do with Aidan when we picked him up from school. Today was Amicolola Falls. I explained my expectations of all of them in the car and we did not have 1 problem with behavior or disobeying. Here are Brenna, Kaia, Carsyn and Zoe....

Zoe hiking...

They all climbed the first 175 by themselves. Old Aunt Angie wasn't about to climb the next 400. I don't think so!

All the girls....

Day 2

Strawberry picking...need I say more.....

We made some delicious frozen jam later that day and now I have about 20 jars of jam to last me the rest of the year. YummO
After picking Aidan up we were and explored by one of my favorite river spots in North Georgia. The kids enjoyed watching people play in the river and fish.

Day 3 was after school and with Uncle Brad. It was the 1 1/2 mile hike to the top of Sawnee Mountain in Cumming to the Indian seats. The kids did awesome and we did get a bit of rain on the way down. It was a nice way to cool off.
I finally got in one shot with everyone here at the top looking north.

Aidan and Kaia on top of the mountain.

Day 4

We went to Chestatee Nature Preserve outside Dahlonega. It is a an animal and nature preserve that has many awesome animals that the kids can see up close and personal. Totally beats driving to downtown Atl to the zoo.

This Emu was so friendly.

A beautiful Peacock coming to say hello.

Their favorite was the grizzle bear.

We had to stop at our family favorite fudge shop in downtown Dahlonega. Chocolate covered pretzels for all!Day 5 and 6

We went to Poole's Mill Park in Forsyth County. A beautiful 100 plus year old bridge is a great place to take pictures. We had so much fun we had to go back the next day.

Here are Kaia and Zoe...

My 3 babies....

All 5 of them...

My brother in law, Devin got here Friday afternoon just in time to go back to Poole's Mill on Saturday and do this.....
and this....
and look at this.....

and play this.........
and just hang out with his brother and all the kids.

We had an absolute blast!

We were so sad to see them go on Monday! We wish they lived closer so we could do this all the time, but for now we only hope that it is not as long to see them as last time!