Sweet Summertime!

Yeah for SUMMER!!!! The end of a school year is always crazy busy, and this year is no exception.  We have so many fun things to do this summer and we are super excited.  My phone was getting pretty full of pictures of our recent happenings, so I thought I better share a few of them.

A couple of weekends ago, J was able to officiate the wedding of our precious friend Anne.  She was in our student ministry in Pelahatchie and it is always nice to go "home" to Shiloh!

Ella Kate and J have been quite busy because they have planted not one, but two gardens in our back yard.  EK is OBSESSED with checking the garden multiple times a day just to monitor the progress.  Hoping for a successful crop!!!

I cried when I opened my order from Baby Be Blessed.  Ella Kate got the doll of the right for Christmas one year, and I knew that sweet Emma would need one too.  So, before we even started our paperwork, I ordered the doll.  It came in this week!!!!  I love that scripture is on each doll and the ladies that make these, pray over each one.  I just can't wait to take that sweet doll to China when we go get Emma.  (a dress is being made for the doll so she doesn't have to remain unclothed!!)

We have been doing a lot of swinging on the front porch and on our swing set.  These two LOVE it!! Growing up, my cousins and sisters and I would play this amazing game called "Grand Canyon" on the big swing at my grandparents house.  We would spend hours on the swing trying to figure out how we would get across the Grand Canyon because our cable car/trolley type thing stopped mid way across the canyon.  Creative, right?  Anyway, it is one of my favorite memories from when I was young, so EK and I have been playing it daily.  It just makes my heart smile!

And speaking of sweet memories, this week marked the 8th anniversary of my Papaw Jones passing away, and the 2nd anniversary of my Mamaw Porter passing away.  I always get super emotional. 

 Ella Kate never knew Papaw Jones but she speaks of Mamaw Porter quite frequently.  While we were cleaning up all of Walker's party decorations, my precious baby girl said, "Mommy, I want to send these balloons up to Heaven since Mamaw couldn't be here today." I lost it, and we went outside and sent all those balloons on their way.  

We got the chance to go hang out with the Braddy's at their church's crawfish boil on Sunday afternoon.  J jokingly said "this is what it must feel like to be a church member!"  It was a different feeling for sure to not have all the pastoral duties, but it was super nice to just get to hang out with great friends and just play together as a family!

We went for a play date on Tuesday with some friends to the park in Sumrall.  It was a beautiful day and we had the park all to ourselves.  These two fair-skinned boogers LOVED playing in the water.  I see many return trips this summer in our future.

Have a GREAT Thursday!!!!

Take Me Out to the Birthday

What a GREAT day we had! We got to celebrate our sweet Walker's 1st birthday and it was super fun!  We went with the baseball theme and with the help of Pinterest, I really like how all the decorations came together.

Thank you to The Cookie Mama for making the precious baseball cookies!!! And behind the cookies...my favorite baseball themed item at the party!!! Little plastic baseball hats for our homemade ice cream!!! I am OBSESSED with how cute they are!!!

                                

We have been so spoiled this weekend to have so much of our family with us!  Ella Kate did a bit of entertaining until Walker woke up from his nap.

 One of my favorite things that we did for Ella Kate's 1st birthday was to have all of her party guests write her a note with their hope/prayer for her when she turns 18.  I put the cards away in her special box that I will give her when she turns 18.  I obviously wanted to do this again for Walker.  The cards are so special and the one that Ella Kate wrote to him is just precious.  Not that I am wishing the time away, but how sweet will it be when he reads what his big sister wrote one day!!!

 That's right Walker! You throw that baseball with your LEFT hand!!!! 

 Both of my kids would love nothing more than to live with their 2 grandmothers!!! They would both ditch me in a second to go with Kay Kay and Nana!!!

 Walker got so many fun gifts and we are so thankful for the generosity that was shown to our little man.   The golf cart was a big hit and EK had fun pushing him all around the house...and then when he went to sleep, I found her sitting in it playing.

 (Dora photo bomb)

 My kid loves some ice cream!

 Our precious friends the Parsons came to celebrate Walker's day.  The day I went into labor with Walker, they came and picked up EK since our family had to drive in to town.  They are such special friends and we are so thankful for them. I do not know what we would do without them!!!

 Ella Kate was so glad to see Robert today...and we all were thankful for Robert's engineering abilities as he put together the tons of pieces that were needed for the golf cart!

 Happy little boy with Kay Kay and G

 These guys are some of the first people that saw Walker when we was born.  If Walker can grow up to be like these guys, I will be one proud mama.  So very thankful to have such Godly young men around to be such positive examples for my kids.

I think Papaw likes having a boy around!

 EK was thrilled that Will and Warren came to the party.  There are no words for how much we love their family.  I think I will just have to lay in front of the moving truck so they can't move to Florida.

 Our birthday cupcake today was not quite as messy as the red velvet, but I think he still enjoyed it!

 Happy Birthday Walker! 

Ella Kate Takes The Stage

Last night was Ella Kate's dance recital.  She has been so very excited about wearing her sparkly costume and I have pretty much dreamed about my little girl's first recital since I was about 15! It was quite the busy week with the last few days of preschool wrapping up, birthday party prep for Walker's party, and J going to Columbus to do marriage counseling for a couple he is marrying this summer so adding in extra ballet practices every day just seemed like FUN!!!!  When Friday night rolled around, this little girl was ready to perform!!!!

She LOVED getting to dance around with her sweet friends Enley and Leah!

 One of EK's favorite ballet poses is the curtsy, so ever time I tried to take a picture, this is what I got.

 Her ballet number was to a cute little song called "Pretty Little Costume."  They were too precious!

 And her tap number was to "Jesus, Jesus, I Love You."  They were so sweet singing and EK cracked me up because each time she left the stage, she had the biggest smile on her face and waved like Miss America after crowning.  Quite the turn around from her 2 year old preschool program where she sat and cried in the chair the whole performance!!!

 Ella Kate had a rather large cheering section as well and she was so tickled to get to see everyone!  A huge thank you to Nana and Pop, Aunt Haley, Kay Kay and G, and Papaw and Aunt Carolyn for coming down to watch EK dance.  We are so grateful to have such amazing families that support us!!!

EK was thrilled with all the treats she received for doing such a good job.  

 

 We love our little ballerina!!!