Tiffany's Fredericksburg bridal shower

Yesterday we had a bridal shower for my sister at a restaurant in Fredericksburg. It was lots of fun - there were some traditional games and prizes, as well as great company and a delicious lunch.

I wanted to share a few of the pictures.

Tiffany opening gifts...


...and posing with her ribbon bouquet.

I took a picture of my mom and Tiffany.

I also got a picture of Tiffany with some of her future in-laws. John's aunt, mom, and grandmother posed with the bride-to-be.

I posed with Tiffany and her friend (and one of her bridesmaids) Ali, who coordinated and helped give the shower. Tiffany and Ali have been friends since middle school.

Before we know it, Tiff and John's big day will be here. We're very excited for them!

A Fish in the Water

School is out, and swim lessons have started. P is loving his swim lessons this summer. He's having so much fun and is so eager to learn more that we've decided to sign him up for the rest of the sessions this summer. (C isn't loving his lessons so much. He says he's cold and begs to get out of the pool the entire time... and I'm in the pool with him!) I've even considered looking into an annual membership at the indoor and outdoor pools so that we can keep P in lessons year round at a discount.

P loves his teachers. He says his favorite part of swim lessons is "jumpin' in the water" and his only complaint is that "they haven't taught me to swim yet so I can be a Turtle". (Right now he's in the Guppy group, but when he's ready he'll move up to the Turtles.)

I couldn't get wonderful pictures because I was trying to stay away from the pool deck and the swim classes, but here are a few shots to give you an idea of how much fun P is having (and how much fun I have watching him swim)!

Celebrate! Good Times

The weekend we returned from Pigeon Forge was graduation weekend for our local high schools. Saturday night we headed back to Judge's Riverside Restaurant for a graduation party. The boys enjoyed hanging out by the river and P tried his hand at a game of horseshoes (with some assistance, of course!).

Daddy A snapped some photos of us hanging out by the water.

Then we headed to our friends' house for their annual Flag Day Fest! P made a flag to display and the boys had a great time with the sprinklers in the backyard. We were having so much fun we stayed out past the boys' bedtimes. For most of the party we were celebrating and not documenting events, but Daddy A took this picture of C with his phone just before we left.

I love it because it shows what a daredevil C is becoming... a careful daredevil, I guess, since he is wearing a helmet. It really captures his bravery. Take a bike built for an older, and therefore taller, child for a spin around a yard full of people after dark? Sure, why not? (I feel obligated to note, though, that C never got past the helmet-trying-on stage. His bed was calling.)

I love savoring these types of moments. I'm so glad that my boys are young enough to still think a party with Mom and Dad is tons of fun!

Dollywood!

When P finished school, the four of us headed to Dollywood for a vacation. Daddy A arranged everything for us, and it was great! We had four days away from home to spend some time as a family.

When we arrived Tuesday afternoon, we started our time in the park with P's favorite ride when we went last November - the VeggieTales rollercoaster.

C had to wait in the stroller, because he's still a little too short to ride. As soon as we were finished riding, we headed to the Country Fair section of the park for some rides that both boys could enjoy.

P and C loved "driving" cars on the electric track. We visited those more than once!

P was more than happy to pose for a photo with a car outside the ride. In fact, he requested this picture.

Our second day in the park (and first full day in Pigeon Forge) we started the day as soon as the park opened. The boys gave hugs and high fives to the "pay extra to cut in line" mascot for Dollywood.

P wanted to give Daredevil Falls a try. He was just barely tall enough to ride, and this is his new favorite ride at Dollywood!

The boys played in some water areas, rode some rides, and each won a stuffed octopus at the "water pistol game". By lunchtime, C was worn out!

Some good friends of ours met us at Dollywood. They have had season passes for multiple years, so they gave us some park tips. The kids scarfed down lunch and then fed the ducks while the adults ate at a slightly more leisurely pace.

Wednesday was a full day in the park, and Thursday we were back in the splash pad. This was C's favorite spot in the park.

Thursday afternoon we went swimming at our condo and had "Cow Chikin" for dinner. Friday we packed up, checked out, and went back to Dollywood for a few hours before heading home. All four of us had a blast!

preschool - the year in review

June 6th was P's last day of preschool. P has had a wonderful year, and our entire family has truly enjoyed our experiences with his school, and in particular, with his teachers, who have become our friends.

As I looked at his pictures from the last day of school, I decided to post some of the pictures we've taken throughout the school year. It was really neat for me to see how P has changed this year.

In October we hosted a Halloween party for P's class.


In December P and his class received a visit from Santa.

P shares a birthday with Dr. Seuss, and on his birthday the Cat in the Hat visited his classroom.

It was also Crazy Hat Day.

Look how much P and his classmates grew this year! Here he and his classmates are with Mrs. Heather on June 6th.

P has grown so much this year - not just in the physical ways you can see in these photos, but emotionally and academically as well. I am so proud of him!

Day Out with Thomas

The first Saturday in June, we headed to Tweetsie Railroad because our favorite little blue engine was visiting the park.

Several of the families from P's class arranged to go to the park together and spend the day. P also asked for permission to bring along one of his friends from church, Colby.

We arrived around nine and had tickets to ride the nine thirty train. While we waited for the train to pull out of the station so we could score good spots in line, we headed to jail for a photo op.



Before we knew it, it was our turn to ride Thomas. P snagged a seat with Colby, and his friend Quinn snagged a seat in my lap. (Quinn and his family are moving this summer... we sure are going to miss them, but we also know this is the right move for their family!) C sat with Daddy A.


We got comfortable and set off for a train ride through the wilderness. We ran into some trouble, but Thomas saved the day.

When we got to Diamond Lil's, P couldn't wait to introduce his friends from school to Miss Ruby, but it ended up being her day off. The boys still enjoyed the show, and were more than happy to meet the girls after their performance.

We had a blast with Thomas and with our friends!