Independence Day!

My favorite holiday! You just can't beat what all comes with this holiday. The patriotism, good food, friends, family and the sand between your toes as you watch the FIREWORKS!!
The Case family joined us at our house for some hot dogs. Our hot dogs are done the South Carolina way.....grilled with hot dog chilli and coleslaw on top. Yummmm! And then we all went to the Surfside Beach pier for some fun in the water and a firework show.

Levi getting ready for the fireworks to begin.

Ede really enjoyed the firework show AND her root beer.

Me and Benjamin.

And some of the fireworks!

Isn't this one cool? I don't remember it looking that way, it's just crazy what a camera can capture.

H-O-M-E

Our home town.....Gaffney, SC

Home Sweet Home. We took a trip to Gaffney for a week.

We went to Charlotte, NC (which is only about an hour away from Gaffney) to go to Carowinds. My niece, nephew and mom came with us. My mom is behind the camera. :o)


Benjamin is scared of heights so he was only excited about the rides that stay grounded.

Ede was a different story. She wanted to ride everything!The Intimidator!Levi was tall enough to ride every ride in the park. Jeff went with him and this ride was the biggest hit. I rode it once and closed my eyes for half the ride. It was intimidating for sure!! The reason we made the trip. Jeff's dad was getting remarried.

Here are the Bride and Groom with the wedding party.

Greg and Brenda Blanton.Benjamin actually sneeked his way into the picture. He was not posed that way.

From left to right: Jeff, Greg, David(Jeff's brother), Benjamin and Levi.

The three most handsome are MINE!! Levi and GiGi, his Great Grandmother. We had to arrive early and wait for the festivities to begin.

When Ede falls asleep in public you can bet it is picture worthy.

Our Baby Girl Turns 3!

My beautiful Birthday girl! Or should I say Princess? She was Princess for the day and got her way all day long. Eden Rose is now 3 years old. I can't believe how time flies. We had a little outdoor water party and lots of fun!

She blew out her candles like a champ. The birthday girl and her mama. =o)

Nana D and Papa Scott sent the best gifts. Yes, that is a pink ball glove with a pink laced baseball. She is now "fashionable" when she plays ball with her brothers.

Ede now has a Caboodle! Every girl has to have a Caboodle.

The lip gloss.....
Happy Birthday Eden Rose Blanton!

Our "Staycation"

Jeff and I were starting to feel that our life was a little too mundane and we got a little anxious for a family outing. Our only obstacle was our budget. What could we do with a small amount of money? We decided to stay home but go without the luxury of our home. We went to Huntington Beach State Park to pitch our tent. We were very close to the ocean but I didn't want to get sand in my camera and so I missed out on the beach pictures. But here are a few of the things we did that I was able to snap a few shots of.

The kids, playing where Jeff and I had plans on sleeping. We will need a new one because this one ended up with a slow leak and we ended up sleeping on top of an air mattress that held no air. haha! Of course we had to build a fire since we did plan on eating while we were there. We had hobo dinners the first night and hot dogs the second night.

We saw several Alligators on our walk at the Fresh Water Lagoon.

No worries, we were not camping near these fellas.

And we had smores for dessert each night!

We had a great time and look forward to doing it again in the Fall.

It's a New Year!!

It's actually towards the end of the first month of the new year! How time does fly. This new year has brought many things our way. Jeff and I celebrated our 12th anniversary this month. It does not seem like 12 years have come and gone, but they have. We took some time to remember Ava this month as well. She would have turned 5 years old. My heart will never be whole without her. But she helped our family focus on what is important in our lives and she will always be a very important influence on our family. We can't wait for that day that we will hold her again. Levi, Ben and Ede continue growing and bringing us continual joy and laughter in our home.

I have started back to college. I am taking Spanish, Statistics, and American History. I can say one thing.......MY HUSBAND ROCKS!!! If it wasn't for him I could not/would not be able to do it. He helps me study, makes sure that some house work gets done on his day off from work and even lets me get out of the house by myself.

As the days tick on and on I am reminded, daily, of how blessed I am. Of how little I can do on my own, but that I am not alone. When I get tired, sad or afraid I know that what ever I need is in my reach. I have all that I need to succeed!

Bye, bye November…..Hello December!

 

November has come and gone.  We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We had some family and friends over for our Thanksgiving Feast.  We are so thankful for our family and friends.  Heavenly Father has blessed us with the closeness and love that we enjoy in our home.  With the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we have been able to get through hard times by drawing closer to our Savior and cherish the good times as we continually recognize that our blessings come from God.  As we continue to keep an eternal perspective we know that through the keys of the priesthood we will be blessed to have our family together for Time and All Eternity.  I can’t think of anything that I am more thankful for.

October is OVER??

Is October over already? I can't believe it. The kids had a happy Halloween. Levi was Batman, Benjamin was Robin and Eden Rose was Cat woman. We had Trunk or Treat at church on Friday the 29th, went to Broadway at the Beach for trick or treating on Saturday the 30th and then did trick or treating here in our neighborhood on Halloween night. There is plenty of candy here at my house. My mom came to visit for the long weekend. I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed the day after Halloween and was thankful to have her here to help me and Jeff with the kids that day. I haven't had any candy for two whole days!! I hope all the good stuff is gone by the time I feel like eating again. Life hasn't changed much for us lately. I call that a good thing. I am registered for four classes starting in January to continue my nursing degree. I know that starting in January 2011 it will be busy enough around here. I am blessed to have a very supportive husband, who is behind me all the way. He understands, as well as I do, that it is going to be a sacrifice for the whole family and is ready and willing to do more than his share. Until then, we will enjoy the upcoming holidays and the regular routines that we have for now. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!