Camping in the mountains

This past weekend we went on our second family camping trip.  The first trip was with our H2H group back in April and it literally poured rain the ENTIRE weekend.  Our second experience was much better.  We camped at Elkmont in the Smokey Mountains with four other families.  The weather was pretty close to perfect, not too hot, and only a slight shower early Sunday morning.  The girls loved every minute of the weekend.  They played in the creek,  the mud, the river....they loved sleeping in the tent, they didn't even really complain as much as I did about the bathroom facilities.  I really enjoyed spending time with good friends around the campfire, picnic table and out hiking.

Bill has even decided that we are going to purchase our own tent after this last experience.  He says he would like for us to go camping on our own some.  I thought I would really only want to go in a group, but now I'm not so sure that we wouldn't enjoy it on our own as well.  (Since I got a job today, we might actually be able to go ahead and get a tent and try out camping this fall.)

In the group picture below starting in the back row from left to right...Ashley, Britt, Haley, Wendy, Annie, Ed, Cindy, Julia, Mike, Mike, Bill, Cindy.  Front row, Sam, Will, Braden, Rebecca, Laurel, Joanne, Donna, Allison and Lauren.  Some of these folks have been camping together for 12 years or longer.  They started back when we were in a small group together.  I am glad they invited us to go along with them this year.

Group picture

Part of our group campsite

Sitting around the picnic table

I like this picture because you can see the kids in the background playing in the stream.

Allison, Lauren, Will, Braden, Rebecca, Sam and Joanne

Allison playing in the stream

The group going on a hike

Sweet girls

Allison's walking stick she found for the hike

I love this boy!!!!

Annie, Ed, Wendy, Rebecca, Allison, Braden, Lauren and Haley

Allison and Julia

Braden, Will, Allison, Julia, Sam, Haley, Lauren and Annie (Rebecca and Laurel slipped out of the picture)

Playing in the river......it was FREEZING!!!

Julia and Lauren

Fun times  with great friends.  I am thankful to live near the beautiful Smokey Mountains and to have good friends to spend time with.  I am also thankful for my precious family and getting to make sweet memories with them.

As far as camping goes, I don't think this will be our last trip!  :)

Lauren Gets her Ears Pierced

Lauren has talked about getting her ears pierced quite often.  She always wanted to do it when she was older.  She would talk about how excited she was to get them pierced when she was older.  A few weeks ago, she decided she was older and ready to get them pierced.  We talked about when she would actually do it and then one day we were ready to take the big step.  We planned to go after her piano lesson on June 12.  The evening before, Lauren complained a little with an ear ache, and by the time she woke up Wednesday, she was in a lot of pain.  I called the Dr. as soon as the office opened and we got an appointment before her piano lesson.  Lauren had swimmer's ear.  We got an antibiotic steroid ear drop and went on the piano lesson.  After her lesson, Lauren just wanted to go home,  After another trip to the Dr. the next morning where Dr. Abby had to clean out a lot of wax and crud from her ear, we left with an oral antibiotic and headed back home.  For two days, Lauren just hung out on the couch.  Dr. Abby said swimmer's ear and bone pain were the two most painful things to endure.  I believe it because it takes a lot to get Lauren down.  But after a couple more days of antibiotics she started feeling better.  

We decided to wait until the 10 day round of antibiotics were finished before planning the ear piercing.

Finally, on Sunday, June 30 we planned to head to the mall after church and lunch to get those ears pierced.  Lauren was so sweet, she kept saying she was anxious.  Another girl was getting her ears pierced when we got there, so Lauren got to watch.  Luckily the other girl did not show any signs of discomfort during the piercing.  Lauren still would have backed out if I would have said OK.  But I convinced her to go ahead and get it done.  She was a brave little girl, and luckily they could pierce both at the same time using two people.  I think it shocked her and she had a bit of water in her eyes at the end, but she was NOT going to cry!  I love her bravery.

Just before getting her ears pierced.....no holes in those ears

I love how she is holding my hands in front of her...the two ladies getting ready to pierce

Right after the piercing....trying really hard to be brave

Even though this picture is blurry, I love her sweet smile....she was SO proud

Her little ear was red after the piercing

At home with sissy with her newly pierced ears

Look at my star earrings

Up close picture

My big girl is so proud of those earrings.  She picked small star shaped earrings.  She has to leave them in for 6 weeks.  She can change those earrings out for new ones just in time for the first day of 3rd grade.  I cannot believe my angel will be in 3rd grade in six more weeks.  I love you Lauren.  I'm so proud of the beautiful, brave young lady you are.

Our Fifth Year at Hilton Head

 It seems unbelievable that this was our fifth year to take the girls to the beach.  I can remember like it was yesterday, getting ready for that first trip.  I am so grateful to my wonderful parents for graciously sharing their time share points to take us to the beach each year.  I'm also so glad my brother chooses to go with us, too.  I can't imagine going to the beach without them!

This year was absolutely PERFECT.  I was really concerned about the weather because it was so rainy and cold this entire spring.  Last year when we went, a tropical storm came up the coast while we were there.  But this year, the weather could not have been any better.  The sky was bright blue every day we were there.  We only saw a few stray sprinkles the last evening we were there when we were going out to dinner.  I don't think it even got the ground wet.  The temperatures stayed in the low 80's and there was no humidity early in the week.  It did warm up a little toward the end of the week, but it was not miserable.  We spent every day going to the pool and the beach.  As I said earlier, it was perfect.

Uncle Bill always manages to capture some cute pictures the morning we leave

Traditional family picture before we leave

Including Uncle Bill in the pic

Our first time on the beach after the long drive over

Awwww, enjoying the ocean once again

Allison loves to dig!

Enjoying the pool...Allison jumping into the ring

Lauren jumping in

Family picture at the pool

A picture of the property.  We followed this path over the water to get from our room to the pool

Those girls could probably dig all the way to China.....so they say

Sleeping sweetly after a fun day in the sun

Love that sweet face

Daddy spent lots of time throwing the girls in the pool....who needs the gym when you are at the beach?

Throwing Lauren

The girls ready to ride to the beach...they love riding their bikes at the beach

The girls' beautiful sand castles

The girls enjoyed pool time in the mornings with no one else around

This floating thing is the life!!!!

Tossing Allison to me......oh no!

She's ok

Love this picture....Dad read his Bible to Lauren just about every day when we came in for lunch.  She loved sitting and listening to him read.

Uncle Bill cleaning off Lauren's toenail polish...How did she manage that royal treatment?

Hanging around in the ocean

Funny little Lauren....paddling around

Granny and her girls enjoying the pool

Enjoying the sand

The ocean provided some fun waves....

I love this picture I took of Brother!!!!!  Pretty good photography if I say so myself.

Playing in the waves

Trying to stay a float....

There is a big wave swelling right behind them...love how brother has a hold of Allison

Pure sweetness

More good photography from me!!

Uncle Bill and Lauren getting ready to swim through the swelling wave

They never get tired or bored at the beach

Lauren, Daddy and Allison

Sweet girl covered in sand

It's not a trip to the beach unless Daddy gets buried in the sand.  The girls had their turn getting buried, too.

The only bad thing about going to the beach during Memorial Day holiday, is your vacation is over early and you have the rest of the summer without the beach.  Maybe one day we might just get to take two beach trips in one summer.  Ahhhh, that's a nice dream.