Lately in Spring

Hullo everyone! Just wanted to drop in and say hi. We are indeed still around. Things just seem more low key around here. We've mostly kept to home (aside from 2 little trips) and enjoyed 2018 so far. Weekends have turned into my time to do most of my school work, unless I know there is a lot planned for a weekend. So though we do stay around more often, I feel like we have been out exploring our own area more and more. Spring does have a tendency to offer ALL the events and things to do.

I'll just share a few pictures from the past couple of months and let them to the updating :)

Sister Sunday :) I have begun this tradition of trying to capture the girls together everyday. They are just too stinkin' cute together. Also usually about to fall apart since right after church is nap time. 

Baby Logan was born on 3/1! We have 2 nephews now!

Visiting JoJo back in March at rehab. One of the sweetest women I've ever met. We didn't know it at the time but this was the last time we would get to see her. She and my grandma passed away to the Lord about a week apart. John and I are both thankful we got to have our grandmas as long as we did and that our girls got to know them. 

On a different note, the girls got a handmade swing set thanks to Grandpa! Ellie asks to swing just about everyday.

John and I took a week belated birthday trip tTho Blowing Rock, NC while my parents were with the kids. It was quick but much needed and so pretty there!

                                              Our humble cabin for the night.

  Dyeing Easter eggs together. Evie was more than happy to dump all the eggs into the dye cups lol

This picture was all the little grandbabies together as we got ready to leave for my grandmother's service. Our whole family (except some spouses and other great grands who stayed behind-including Ellie thanks to a stomach bug) was there together to honor her. I still can't believe she is gone sometimes. 

Evie with her eyes on the prize :) We did visit my parents church for an egg hunt before heading back to SC. Evie had no problem taking part!

Evie and Reid! Ready to ride!

 This picture pretty well sums up Easters at JoJos. Everyone gathered together in her house, eating before the big egg hunt. I love that we still went to her house to celebrate. She LOVED welcoming her family into her home. 

Easter girls!

   These are just snapshots of some of our favorite spots in the house right now. Cozy places to play, read and just be together. I set a little "library" for the girls on our loft and it's a great way access books which may otherwise fall to the bottom of the box. The toy/guest room is self explanatory for it's fun-ness. The girls are at such a good age though (almost 18 months and 4) they can honestly have fun almost anywhere with a little imagination. 

Ellie Turns 4!

Happy March!

I'm veering away from my normal kind of posts these days to just give a little glimpse into Ellie's 4th birthday celebration. We ended up having a small family party in S.C so I hope those who didn't get to celebrate with us will get to see our big girl in her birthday happiness!

Ellie's birthday was on a Friday (23rd) so we started the celebration with balloons in the morning!

I was off this day, so I had the great pleasure in taking cupcakes to Ellie's preschool to celebrate a little. They were Frozen ones of course and those kids were so sweet. No pictures to keep the privacy of the kids :)

That night we had our Frozen themed party with all the grandparents and her aunt and uncle.
At the start of the festivities, Ellie got a special visit from Elsa and Anna. She was a little shy about dancing with and interacting but she was also so excited and I think a little shocked. Evie on the other hand wanted to be in the middle of it all and was so curious.

After our princess guests left, we ate dinner, opened presents and then enjoyed cake and cupcakes. Ellie loves all her family and so enjoyed the party. I think tentatively next year we may give the friend party a try...I just wasn't brave enough this year haha.

Otherwise things are kind of quiet around here. School is steady and we are just enjoying each other on our time off.

Next time I'll do more pictures and updates but for now this momma is tired!

Happy March!

Christmas and New Year

*-+Happy New Year to all! I like the idea of the new year, not necessarily the idea of a new start but just the calm that is after the Christmas season but still having time off ;)

Here is a little about our month of December, holiday décor in home and what's to come in the new year...

December started with a trip to the tree lot for a little dinky tree for the girls ornaments on the loft. They liked it and I missed having a real tree for the past several years. We also had a snow weekend the next weekend. It didn't stick around but it was beautiful while it was coming down.

After we decorated...
             
                      
  
                 
 

  

John and I got to go to the ACC game in Charlotte...at least we saw them win that game.

We traveled to NC for my cousin Roxie's wedding and to celebrate Christmas with my family. It was a privilege to be a bridesmaid in the wedding party and to also have Christmas with my parents, aunt, uncle, brother, sister in law, grandma and little nephew!

The next weekend was already Christmas. We drove to see some special light displays here in Greenville and the girls met Santa for the first time. We just said Hi and took a picture, no reason to even bother trying to sit in the lap! Evie's babbling when she saw the lights was so stinkin cute. I'm so glad I got a video!

On Christmas Eve Eve (yes you read that right) we went to celebrate with John's parents, brother in law and sister. We had a great meal and of course fun with presents.

Christmas Eve was spent at church twice, once for service and once for Christmas Eve service. WE got such a treat at the 10:00 AM service when the choir, pianist, 3 violinist and 1 cellist played Handel's "Messiah". It was incredible.  That night I cooked my first festive meal for my own family and light candles and had a nicer than normal meal together.

Christmas Day came and so did Santa ;) After we opened Santa gifts and ate the traditional cinnamon rolls, we changed and went to JoJo's to see all our aunts, uncles and cousins. I ended up going and it worked out well. ( I was on call with work but never got called! yay!)

As we get into 2018, we look forward to another year with our family, having fun, taking trips, helping, serving and I will be going back to school. I said "never again" after nursing school but here we are. I start at Clemson University on Thursday to become a family nurse practitioner. Here's to hoping the next 2 years go smoothly as possible! I'm going part time at work, full time in school to get it over with ASAP ;) There are several reasons for this but mainly of course for my family.

Here's to productive, happy year!