Update

Well, summer has officially begun! We are so excited! The kids are done with Nonny's for the next 2 1/2 months and I am done with everything resembling work! These last few weeks have been crazy. Next week we have a beach house with Karen & Robbie and their kids, so all four of us are excited about that. Today we went to the pool with them and planned out our week, it is fun just to think of having no where to be, or go besides the beach! I can't wait!!

Next Friday is Addison's 3rd birthday. It is very sad. She is just growing up so quickly. Next year she will go to school three days a week from 9-12. Seeing her with a little book bag will be the saddest thing ever :-) It truly is just amazing how quickly time passes. There are so many things I want to remember about each of them right now.

Here are a few pictures a month or two in the making. There is one recent one of Jack and Add, one of Edgar and I and our friends Carmen and Troy who came to visit from Texas, and one of me and some ladies from the firm at the South Magazine release party. Happy Summer to you all!!

Much to Thank the Good Lord For....

We went to a neighborhood party tonight..... It was a lot of fun. A band played.... The kids danced.... And as I was watching my two children dance and laugh in the cool air, I was also watching a disabled child.... My uncle who passed away gave his life to working with the retarded.... They have so much to offer. I can't even count the times we went with one of his dearest friends, Skipper to Six Flags.... Skipper and I would ride the Mine Train over and over.... He could never understand why each time we had to get out and get back in line again. Those memories are in the fore-front of my mind..... I need to devote more time to working with the less fortunate, and getting my kids to do the same.

Tonight as we lay down to sleep, we have so much to be thankful for. We are so blessed in so many ways, watching the innocence of three children dance together in the evening air is another one of His great blessings......................

First beach trip

This weekend we went on our first trip to the beach for the summer. It was so fun, although a little chilly, Addison got in the water anyway! She is a mess. It was also my grandfather's 90th birthday and the Arata's were down, so it was a fun weekend.

We are home today, Addison isn't feeling too well. She and I were snuggling on the couch earlier and I just felt so thankful. There was a time when I first had her that I was distant from her. I really struggled the first year of her life, and I often pray she will never remember those times. I am so thankful that today I am such a better mother, more attentive and selfless. I would give an arm and a leg to be with my babies and make them happy, and there was a time when that just wasn't the case. I was too worried about work or going to the gym.

Enjoy our summery pictures, we are all waiting on warmer weather!!

Easter

What an exciting Easter we had this year! The kids (well, Addison mostly) loved it! We were in Athens for Easter, and attended the Athens Egg Drop. This is where a helicopter flies over a field and drops 20,000 eggs. We just knew that we would get plenty! When we arrived, we were in shock over how many people where there. All of the eggs were literally gone in 10 seconds, and Addison got none! Thank goodness her sweet cousin showed her that some where under the stroller - so she did get a few! It was so fun, we can't wait to go back next year!

The Easter Bunny came to both the Arata's house in Athens and my mom's house. It was so fun for Addison. My birthday this year was very uneventful - we are saving everything up for next year. 30 will be hard on me I think - it marks a whole different part of your life.

The school year will be coming to an end soon and we are so looking forward to a summer spent by the pool. The kids won't be going to Nonny's during the summer, so she will really miss them.

I have written two articles for the new Savannah Magazine, "Something Blue" so please email me if you would like a copy of the April edition. Once you get the first one you can subscribe and have it sent to you directly - it is free for this first year. I am so excited about it and hope I become a regular contributor!

Enjoy the pictures and the Spring weather!

My little swimmers

Jackson is at the point now where I am more willing to go out on my days off. At first, we pretty much just stayed home on Thursdays and Fridays. But now, with him being a little easier to tote around and much more mobile, we go out often. One of our recently found favorite things to do is go to the pool. The YMCA here has an inside pool. Both kids love it and it really wears them out - which is a plus for Mommy!!

Jackson goes for a checkup in about a week. Let's all pray he has grown, because as of last time, although he weighed in only 2lbs short of Addison's current weight, he was only in teh 19% for height. Don't know where he gets that, there are no shorties in my family! I am going to end up with a tall thin little girl and a short cubby boy. Hee hee! Maybe there will be some football scholarships in his future! Oh well, at least he is cute :-)

Have a great weekend!

Runners we have become

I can blame it on Maggie. She was the original inspiration. Well, in sorts she was. I have always enjoyed running and have always wanted to really succeed at it. But something always came up. Until Maggie. She really inspired me to stay with it and she is the perfect example of the "can do" attitude.

Edgar ran as a child. He and his father were always doing races, so he was always an inspiration.

And lastly, I really want my children to grow up seeing a good example as far as health. Addison and Jack accompany me on my days off to the Y, and she knows I "work out". Now, when she plays pretend she often tells us she is "going to the Y to work out". I am glad, because I want her to exercise as she gets older. It helps so much with your heart, keeping it in good shape, and your mind, and even can help your immune system. And the most appealing part of exercise is that you can do it as a family. I LOVE taking walks with the kids and Edgar. We do so much talking. Because there is no TV, or phone, or anything to keep us from being in nature and enjoying one another's company.

So in short, we have become runners. And we love it. The picture is of my brothers and I and then Edgar and I on the Tybee race day. Nolan, my younger brother, ran it in an amazing 24 minutes!!

Next up is the Shamrock run, and then we are heading to Atlanta to do the Great Urban Race with Maggie and her husband. Hopefully we will be able to register for the Peachtree, although we hear it is really hard to get into. If you have never done a race, they are so fun - try it out sometime, even if you can't run and just walk - they are still so much fun!! Remember, it is good for your heart!!

Addison is a trip

Addison is now 2 1/2 and she is a riot. She keeps Edgar and I laughing pretty much all of the time. She gets fixated on things and does NOT forget. If Edgar or I make a promise, we better follow through.....

The other day we went to our friends house and Addison and Camryn played and played outside. After we left Addison informed us that she NEEDED a "har" like Camryn's. But it was going to be pink. Edgar said, "Maybe for your birthday". Well, I don't think her birthday can get here fast enough now. All she talks about is the pink "har" she is getting for her birthday. Two days ago was my brother's birthday. Addison asked if he wanted a pink "har".

Note to self: never say Maybe unless we plan on actually doing it. At this point, we have no choice ;-)

On another note, today is the 5 year anniversary of Edgar's dad passing. Although it has gotten easier each year, we still miss him so. We wish he had been able to meet Add and Jack. There is no doubt he would have thought Addison's sassy moments were funny and Jack's toothless/hairless face was the most precious he had seen.