Saturday, July 30, 2011

Waving Good Bye

Lots of thinking and probably over thinking about the new school year. It is fast approaching (August 15th) and I am preparing myself for the changes. Really I think all of the changes appear more daunting to me than they do to either of the girls. It makes my heart a little sad to think that they will no longer be in the same school. But, perhaps this will now be a chance for both of them to grow and flourish as their own little people. 


When I think about the changes, two photos come to mind. A picture of Lily as she headed off to Kindergarten for the first day of school and one of Shelly going to Kindergarten as she boarded the school bus and turned around to wave goodbye. The common thread between these two images, they were both waving good bye to me and I have never been good with good byes. But, here we go again...getting ready to say good bye and good luck to them both and hoping that they have are ready for all that lies ahead of them.



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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Cheer Camp

Shelly participated in a two day cheer camp at her school and she had sooooooo much fun!!!! Here is a little performance that the girls did for the parents at the end of the camp. So cute.


Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Random

Things that I am thinking about currently:


It is sooo hot outside! We are even avoiding the pool because of the temps. I guess I shouldn't complain...soon enough it will be chilly and I will be longing for the hot weather.


I am thinking and praying for my aunt who is in the hospital and not feeling well.


Shelly is in Cheer Camp and loving it. It is only a two day camp for the girls who will cheer in the fall. She is definitely spreading her wings and embracing her own activities. It's fun to see her enjoying it. Here she is performing the motions for a cheer she learned today at camp:






Lily is becoming quite the little chef. She whipped up a batch of peanut butter cookies the other night and they were very yummy. I was glad she was able to stir up the batter without any trouble...stirring cookie batter is not my thing.


I am constantly washing beach towels. There is always a batch of them waiting to be tended to in our house.


Lily is doing really well with her piano lessons. She is a diligent student and practices daily without me asking her to do it.


I am stressing about the transportation situation for the girls and school. They both need to be in the same place (school or home) at the same time. I think I have the mornings taken care of, but not so confident about the afternoons. I am praying this is easily, quickly, and happily resolved...just not sure how that is going to happen.


I'm planning to order some new ring supplies and get back to my little Etsy shop soon.


The girls both had a great dentist visit the other day. That always makes me smile to know that they are brushing and flossing well (although I think they need to floss more frequently).


I started the year by painting my nails frequently and now my nails are chipping and splitting and I am now I am irritated about the situation. I am allowing my nails to heal and keeping the polish off of them for now.


My dad recently had a corneal transplant and is doing well. I am so glad that the surgery went well. He is a trooper!!!!


I can't believe that in just 19 days the girls will be back at school. Wow---the summer has flown by and I am not eager to see them go. They, on the other hand, are eager to get back to their school schedule.


OK, enough about me and my inner thoughts...Here are two very random photos:



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Shelly hanging out in Ikea


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A favorite photo and place of mine---Lily at about 5 months old at Duck In in Virginia Beach

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

College Road Trip

We went with my niece and sister to visit her college and check out her dorm room. We loved the whole experience and were so glad that Krissy allowed us to join her. From the bookstore to the dining hall we felt like we covered all of the college bases. Then it was on to Northern Virginia for some shopping at Ikea and Potomac Mills. Fun, fun time with my sis and niece.

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The Dorm

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Inside the room

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Walking the campus


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Shopping at Ikea


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Potomac Mills


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Rest Stop in VA
Virginia is for Lovers

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Swimming Fun

The girls had friends over the other day and they decided to put on a synchronized swimming performance for us. It was soooo cute. They took about 2 hours to perfect it. Once complete, they wanted to video tape their show. So, click here to go to Lily's blog and see what they came up with. Summer time = Swimming Fun!


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Swim practice


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Action starting for the routine


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Lunch break for the performers

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Lockers, and Halls, and More---

Today we went with friends to visit the middle school, again. We wandered the halls, learned about the teachers, saw the locker room, tried out the locker combinations, and started feeling at home in this new school environment. 



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We are lucky to have a really terrific 8th grader (the co-captain of the cheerleading squad!) to take us on the school tour. The girls all had a great time together...laughing and being silly. We made it a full day with a relaxing lunch afterward. A nice intro into a whole new world for all of us.


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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Pedi Time

The girls and I got a pedicure the other day. We all chose bright neon colors for our toes and asked them to paint flowers on our big toes. A good pedicure is a great way to begin the week!

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Lily getting her pedicure


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Shelly enjoying the massage chair


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Time to dry the nails

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Green=Shelly, Blue=Lily, Pink=Mommy

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Wedding

I was cleaning out, tossing away, and decluttering my set of book shelves in the den the other day. While in the process of getting rid of an old set of encyclopedias, a stack of reader's digest books, and various knick knacks, I came across a little photo box with pictures from our wedding. It had been several years since I looked at these pictures. So, the girls and I stopped amidst the books and clutter to take a walk down memory lane. 



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The Wedding Party
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John, me, and Sylvia (John's mom)
I think I was in the middle of talking!

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Mom, John, Me, and Dad



I showed them my dress, the cake, and the church. They made me smile and laugh. I loved that day. It was a perfect October evening in Virginia Beach. A fun day to remember while cleaning and purging in my den almost 13 years later.


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Our beach theme wedding cake...complete with edible shells
I think John was in the middle of talking for this one

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Me and my dress with the bouquet of flowers that my nieces and nephews gave me as they entered the church


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The church in the evening light

Friday, July 15, 2011

Update Post

I haven't been quite as good at updating the blog this summer. So, here are a few of the things going on around here:


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I made corn on the cob the other night and Lily and John loved it. I have to admit it may have only been the 2nd time I've made corn on the cob! 

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Sweet Daisy is so fun to photograph. We have lots of Daisy pictures.


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Wow, it rained. We really need the rain. So it was nice to see it one Friday afternoon.

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At the vet's office

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The girls (all three of them) at the vet

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Right before getting her shot!


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Love these two in their orange

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Lots of swimming time

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Posing!


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Aunt Stacy and Uncle Pat came for a visit. Stacy and Lily are heading down the slide.

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Pat and Stacy and the moon

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An almost full moon...photo by Lily

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Dinner out after seeing Soul Surfer

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Wings!

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Silly girls after dinner

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Very silly girls after dinner

And, that pretty much sums up the last few days/weeks!