Whew...what a busy summer!

We have seriously had a busy summer!!  I finally made time today to edit these photos so I could post them.

On the 15th of July we celebrated 62 years of this handsome fellow...

He's been such a blessing to me and our family.  We praise our Heavenly Father that He has brought Daddy through so much in those sixty-two years.  We're thankful Daddy is still with us and is fairly healthy and still as grumpy as ever!

We had a small party, grilled hamburgers and didn't eat cake because we all assumed the other person was going to make it.  My sister bought two cakes a few days later and we gathered together again to sing 'Happy Birthday' and continue the celebration.

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When we weren't swimming or partying with friends we've been reading.  I signed the kids up for the Summer Reading Program at our local library at the beginning of June.  This year there was also an Adult Summer Reading Program and I was excited to join.  It was a reading bingo that you filled in as you completed your books.  For every bingo completed you were entered into a drawing to win some really cool prizes.  I completed two bingo's but didn't think I would have a chance of winning the grand prize since everyone from the Westminster, Walhalla and Senecas libraries were all entered.

We attended the Medal Ceremony that closed the kids summer reading program.  It was such a hot day and it was so crowded but I don't think the kids noticed at all.  There was a bouncy house and a bouncy slide which Hannah & Sam loved.  The local fire department set up a sprinkler for the kids to run through and there were free snowcones.  It was so sweet watching Hannah & then Sam walk up to collect their medals and certificates during the medal ceremony.  You could see how proud they were!

 We didn't stay for the Adult Summer Reading party because we had a birthday party to attend.  I wish we had stayed for a little while though because...

I won the GRAND PRIZE baby!!!  

I'm still shocked...and still looking for someone to buy it because I don't really want it and I don't really need it.

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I've never thought of summer as a beautiful season until this year.  I love the clear blue of pools, the fresh clearness of the river and the bright and beautiful colors of my Moss Roses.  About four or five roses will bloom every day and there's such a beautiful variety of colors.  It's always exciting to see what colors are going to be on display for the day.

Summer Fun Continues...

 Lunch with Granny & Aunt Bonnie then Cars 2 - 3D}

Swimming @ High Falls with Granny & Aunt Bonnie.

The kids dressed up like cows from head to hoof and got FREE lunch at Chick-fil-A on Cow Appreciation Day.

 Hannah is still a mother hen to her chickens.  Here she's holding "Mr. FluffyFeathers"

Emily kindly took the kids for a ride on Misty.

We've been to several family weddings this summer.  Most of my pictures are on the laptop so hopefully I'll upload them soon.  Here is my favorite of Uncle Dave and Hannah at one of the weddings.

The past few Saturday evenings we've enjoyed a local, free, outdoor Bluegrass Concert.  My Dad is always there!

4th Festivites

...the Earle family...hamburgers & hotdogs...pasta salad...homemade snow cones...swimming...music..."Corn Hole"....laughing...water gun fights...watching fireworks at the Waffle House...chocolate pie...

(I have pictures of our family watching the fireworks but the MacBook is being very uncooperative at the moment.  Maybe I'll get them uploaded in the next few days.)

Summer Fun

It's no secret that summer is not my favorite season.  The extreme heat, the miserable humidity, the bugs, the snakes.  Ugh.  

I have to admit there are a few things I like about summer...no sicknesses to deal with, the smell of sunscreen, the smell of food cooking on the grill, the sound of kids splashing into a pool, watermelons, summer gardens and the river.

We've enjoyed a little (or in some cases, a lot) of each of these over the past month and it's been great!  Warning:  picture overload!

{ Our Garden }

our tomatoes...

the beginnings of a watermelon

 

 

 

 

 

 

a somewhat blurry picture of the same watermelon a week or so later

 

 

Hannah has really enjoyed making home made chocolate chip cookies.  Thanks for the aprons Lindsay!!

Sorry to our neighbors who are probably wondering if my children ever wear clothes.  They enjoy playing in the sprinklers and there's just no point in messing up a ton of clothes.

{ Earle's Ford }

...we've been taking the kids to Earle's Ford about once a week and they love it!  It's such a beautiful place to swim...

Happy Summer to you All!!!

10 & 30

" I have now been married ten years.  I know what it is to live entirely for and with what I love best on earth.  I hold myself supremely blest - blest beyond what language can express; because I am my husband's life as fully as he is mine.  No woman was ever nearer to her mate than I am:  ever more absolutely bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.  I know no weariness of my { Bobby' } society:  he knows none of mine... "
-Jane Eyre

Nothing more needs to be said.  Bobby & I have now been married for 10 years and I cannot imagine any one else in this world that I would rather be with.  It is truly a joy and an honor to be Bobby's wife.  I most definitely am supremely blest. 

-Heather-
. . . . . . . . . .

On the 22nd I turned 30.  It was such a sweet day full of fun.  Bobby & the kids let me sleep late.  Then we headed to OSP for my surprise birthday party.  I knew we were going to be grilling out with my parents & my sister but I didn't know Bobby had planned a party!
June, who has made all of Hannah's birthday cakes, made a cake for my special day.  It was beautiful and so delicious!
I want to thank all of my family & friends who joined us to celebrate.

Here are just a few of my favorite pictures from my party.

Opening presents...the kids really wanted to help.

Panama City - Conclusion

I've got a lot of catching up to do so this is going to be really brief.

The last few days of our beach trip were spent doctoring Sammy {who got a cold & fever} and celebrating our 10th anniversary.  Because we had been on two trips and had one more to go, Bobby & I decided to postpone going out for our anniversary.  We did, however, return to the Candy Maker for more truffles.  

Our trip was so fun and we were so sad to return home.  Hannah is already planning for us to go back next year!

   

Is there anything better than chocolate?

Panama City Beach - Part 2

Here are more pictures of our adventures in Panama City.  We have free wireless access in our hotel and it's super fast.  I'm going to take advantage of it and get all of our pictures posted before we head home!

We've spent most of our time in the pool.  It's so much easier than going down to the beach (which I love to look at from a distance but the sand getting every where is bugging the neat freak within!). 

Sam walks right up to the edge of the pool and jumps right in!

Silly Sammy Slick goes splash!

 He also enjoys Bobby throwing him into the air.

 Let's not forget Hannah...while wearing goggles she'll put her face under the water and swim around.

 

 We have been to the beach a few times.  It's just so windy, which in turn makes it too cold to get in the water too much.  We've been down three or four times to make sand castles and look for shells.

We've made some new friends.  Madison is 5 y/o like Hannah and they have really enjoyed playing together.  Her mom, Kim, and I have enjoyed chatting while the kids are playing.  This evening Bobby had some school work to do, so Kim & I took the kids to the 'Candy Maker' for a sweet treat.  There is a huge shopping center here with every store you can imagine!  We spent the most time in the Candy Maker {with four girls you can imagine we were a bit indecisive.  Sammy immediately knew what he wanted!}

Yesterday Madison caught a starfish and all of the kids took turns holding it.

We are having so much fun!  It's nice just being able to spend the entire day with Bobby.  We swim, relax, eat, swim some more, eat some more.  It's such a hard life but someone has to do it!