Can we stay up all night?

A few months ago the kids asked Chad if they could stay up all night and watch movies. It was in the middle of the school the year so it wasn't a practical idea. He promised them one night during the summer they could stay up all night eat a bunch of junk food and watch movies. Well, last night was that night! I kept warning him that our kids would stay up pretty late if given the chance. I do not stay up late and have never been able to, so this was adventure was all him.

 

We made a big pallet on the floor!

Daddy of course joined in on the fun!

We had some cheese and crackers. 

I have strange people in my house. I do not eat cheese from a can.

  Ice cream!

I lost count on the number of movies they watched because of course I fell asleep on the couch and was sent to bed. Chad and I made bets on who would stay awake the longest. I thought for sure it would have been Sara. She crashed about 1:30. (In my defense she did not take a nap yesterday) Evan hung in there until 3:00!! He surprised us both! The kids loved every minute. This was honestly one of the things they were looking forward to the most this summer. 

A wet but fun 4th of July!

It was a wet and soggy 4th of July. We really thought the whole day was going to be a total wash but decided to make the best of it. It turned out to be a really fun day. The kids had a blast all day and did not let the rain bother them at all.  We started the day by watching a parade in Chad's home town of Colbert. Because of the weather the parade was really small this year. However the kids got loaded up with all the candy.

(Yes, I might make us coordinate our outfits )

 We then headed to a friend's lake house on Lake Hartwell. We spent the afternoon with half of the duck group. The kids had a blast swimming in the rain and jumping from the dock.

Evan was also the daring as usual, he decided he wanted to jump of the top of their double decker dock with some of the guys. Here is a video of my child showing he has no fear! You can't see how high it is but it was too high for me. He jumped at least 3 times. Daddy was waiting for him at the bottom and he was wearing a life jacket. He also had someone jumping with him. He loved every minute!

Thanks Jessica and Casey for a wonderful time, the kids are ready to come back. The kiddos had a blast playing with everyone, We were missing a couple of people who were working or at the beach, maybe we can see everyone soon!

First Day

We have been soaking up our summer break and enjoying every minute! The summer break goes by so fast and we only have a few more short weeks left until we are back in the daily grind. Here is a look into our first day of July 2013!

   We have a busy July, a trip to the beach, doctor's appointments, and back to work!

 Kiddos enjoying some breakfast!

Ignore my goofy grin, but I went on my usual run

 Pool days with crazy kids!

Spent the afternoon watching Law and Order Re-Runs

 The hubby went fishing with a friend and caught this!

A Trip to the Aquarium

This past Christmas we were given tickets to the Ga Aquarium. We have been holding on to them until we found a good day to go. Being that it's Spring Break we decided to make a trip yesterday.  It was a rainy cold day so we decided it was the perfect time. Apparently everyone else on Spring Break in the state of Georgia had the same great idea and it was packed. The kids had a fantastic time though. It took us a while to get through all the areas but both kids got to see what they wanted. Evan was all about the sharks and the alligator. Sara was dying to see the penguins. We were also able to see the 4D movie which the kids really enjoyed.

Here are some pictures from the day.

 Evan was able to touch a sting ray and LOVED it!

 A quick picture of the three of us!

The three of us in tunnel. You can't see all the fish but they were every where. I had a hard time fitting in here. Obviously there was no way Chad could fit :)

 One of the few pictures I got of the two of them.

 This was part of the tunnel we walked through.

 Waiting for the 4D movie!

 These amazed me! They were huge!

Our new friends, the pink penguin, and a tiger shark

 Thanks GiPa and GiGi for the tickets, we had a blast!!!

Side Note: We had a fantastic time, but I have to say the Tennessee aquarium is laid out in a much better way. The GA Aquarium has an unorganized design. We talked to a lady that worked there, she said the best time to visit was around 4:30-5:00 we will remember that for our next visit.

First Day

Yesterday was a long first day of April. Sara and I headed down to Emory for her eye check up. Her appointment was at 9:50 we left the doctor's office at  3:00. It made for a really long day.  She checked out fine, her prescription got changed a little and she will be not be coming out of glasses any time soon. Evan had a blast hanging out with Daddy's baseball team! Her are some pictures from the day!

 

Easter

We enjoyed a wonderful Easter lunch with at my sister's house. We gathered at her house for lunch with my mom and my brother in laws parents. We had a yummy lunch! After lunch the kids went outside for an egg hunt. 

We are on Spring Break this week and we are looking forward to a week off and spending time together. 

Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Happy Birthday!

This weekend was spent celebrating Chad's birthday. He is now 31!! We were able to spend time with both sides of his family.  We tried out the new Green Egg and Chad even got in some turkey hunting.

 One of Chad's cakes!

Happy Birthday to my fantastic husband. You are my best friend and I love you dearly!  You are a fantastic father to our kids! Happy Birthday! I can't wait to spend many more with you!

This picture sums up our life! As close to perfect as it gets!

Yay!! A Green Egg!

A few years ago Chad meet some pretty awesome guys and started duck hunting with them. Most of them have been friends for years but they have welcomed Chad and I into their Duck Clan (as I call it). There are about 16 of us together including the fantastic ladies! Some are married. other couples will be shortly. We have quickly become very close friends over the past couple of years. We have spent a week at the beach together, watched two couples get married, and have watched two welcomed their first child. Chad and I have become really close to this group and truly consider them our closest friends.

When someone gets married or has a special event, we normally pitch in and buy them a A Big Green Egg. Well, this past weekend it was Chad's turn! They completely surprised Chad and I both! The group pitched in got Chad A Green Egg and a stand. It was combination gift for his upcoming birthday, and to thank for him for a past duck hunting trip.

Chad was totally surprised and super excited. He can't wait to try it out this weekend! Now we need some ideas for recipes.

Thanks again to the group!! We truly love all of you and cherish our friendship.

A Fantastic Challenge!!

If you haven't heard or seen on Facebook this past Sunday I finally completed my first Half Marathon!!! I am super excited and proud of myself! Sunday morning my fantastic husband got up at 4:00 am and escorted me to Atlanta to participate in the Publix Half Marathon. I finished in 2:34 which exceeded my expectations! I just wanted to finish the race but was super exited with my time.

It was by far the hardest but most thrilling thing I have ever accomplished. I never played sports in  school, and never really felt apart of anything as far as athletics. This journey was all mine and I had to prove to myself that I could do this. I have worked so hard to get to this point. I have given up many Saturday and Sunday mornings and there were many 4:30 AM runs before work. I started the journey for health reasons but continued for the pure joy of it. I have over come foot surgery, and learned to deal with Asthma and running.  I have been told I was nuts, crazy, insane, amazing, and inspirational.. People have asked my "why?" I don't have a simple answer for that question,  I have many reasons that I could write an entire post on. I set a goal and accomplished it.  This race was hard but fun at the same time. It was challenging but well worth it.

I have to thank my wonderful husband who got up at 4:00 AM to cheer me on. He has also stood by me as I have been out running. He has watched our kiddos on numerous occasions so I could get in one more run. Chad has been one of my biggest supporters and I love you dearly!

Amber: My long time BFF She is the one who got me running to start with. I blame her for this addiction weekly. She has been there cheering me on, listening to me complain, and offering suggestions along the way. I can't wait for us to be able to run together next year!  I still greatly appreciate your post! If you missed it you can catch it here

Priscilla: You have been my long run partner. On those long cold days you have pushed me along and we have froze together!

 This is a blurry picture from my phone. But it is proof of my crossing the finish line. If you look closely I am smiling!

With my medal!

My dad and step-mom surprised me with a Congrats sign on the door!

I have also been asked if I an up for another one? The answer to that is YES!!! I already have some planned out. 2014 will be the year of running! After Amber has Ms. Amelia we will have a blast with the Diva Dash and then the "Big One" November 2014 we will plan on a Full Marathon. Yes 26.1. If you thought I was crazy just wait! 

Thanks for all the congrats and cheers!