Back to school

With no time to spare
after returning from the shore,
it was Meet the Teacher day for both girls.
The anticipation for this school year
was especially high,
since the girls are together
at Walnut Grove for the first time.
Oh my mama heart,
looking at my baby girl
getting settled in her kinder classroom.

And then, before we knew it,
we were sprinkling jitter glitter
under their pillows
and prepping for the first day
of kindergarten and third grade.

Other than Lexi opening the school door
on her toe,
these sisters were all smiles
as we dropped them off.
Ryleigh's biggest concern
was finding her crayon box
and, much to our surprise,
she didn't even look up
as we left the classroom.
In third grade now,
Lexi knows the drill
and was anxious to get started
on a new school year.
Both girls have a number of friends in their class,
and have some great kiddos
they were eager to get to know better.
So as we said our last goodbyes,
it was with an overwhelming feeling
of happiness and excitement for them.

Sending your youngest
off to big kid school
is bound to pull at your heartstrings
a bit, though,
so I was very grateful
for a morning spent with dear friends
to ward off any tears on my part.
Here's to a fantastic year
of learning and growing!

Beach Bums

We are so grateful for the days spent
at the beach in Lavallette,
for our visit back in Sparta,
and for our quick overnight to the Big Apple in August.
Enjoying the last few weeks of summer
with extended family and old friends
was the perfect way to bid the season goodbye.
We packed in the fun, with highlights including
Lexi's first time surfing at Grandpa's beach,
celebrating Nanny and Grandpa's 50th Anniversary,
boogie boarding with grandparents, cousins and buddies,
catching a fish from the bay,
visiting the Point Pleasant Boardwalk,
and exploring New York City.

Rosemary Beach

After the longest car ride of our lives,
(during which we watched just about
every episode of Little House on the Prairie,
much to Vic's delight)
we couldn't have been more excited to
arrive in Rosemary Beach.
While it was only our second visit
to this gem of a beach town,
it has become one of our happiest places.
We filled the week with lots of sun, sand,
surf, seashells and 4th of July activities.
This year our visit overlapped with
that of some friends and neighbors,
which made it all the more sweet.
Thanks for a wonderful week, 30A!

Summer

Many of the people, places and moments
that made summer so sweet.

All Stars

We had such a fun experience
during the All Star softball season.

Lexi had fantastic coaches
in Josh and Mark.
She learned a ton and
made a bunch of new friends,
and we enjoyed the company
of all the families in the stands.

The games were HOT,

often double headers,
back to back on both Saturdays
and Sundays.
And as it turns out,
we actually all missed it once
the summer season ended!

We're really excited to be
with the same group again this fall...
and this time Vic is out on the field
as one of the assistant coaches.
Let's go Thunder Bunnies.