Vacation 2013

The older I get, the more I value vacation time with my family. This year was extra special though because it's the first time that Addison went to the beach.  We ventured to Panama City for my little sister's graduation vacation and we all had a blast! I love that she got to spend an entire week with my mom, dad and sisters. She sure loves them so much! I think it is safe to say that everyone made some memories that will last a lifetime. I love that Madison would play in the floor with her, that Brittany would walk around singing, "We're going on a bear hunt, going on a bear hunt, to see what we can see, to see what we can see, We're goin' on a bear hunt, just Addy and Aunt B!" The "bear hunt" consisted of playing peek-a-boo with us and turning off the lights (Addison's new favorite thing) I love that Addison cuddled with her Mimi and played with her Papaw! 

Addison LOVED the water! Like to to point that I think I might try to see what age she can start swim lessons! At first she was a little scared of the ocean...which is to be expected, but the pool is a whole other story! She splashed and kicked and played all day long! I am so happy for her that she liked it and enjoyed herself! Mike and I had a ball too; even got to enjoy date night one night. We saw the Hangover 3. Hilarious by the way! And we also got to spend lots of quality time together. A relaxing vacation is just what the doctor ordered...literally!

First day at the beach...her daddy gave her a sucker to celebrate :)

Addy's first time seeing the ocean

First time with toes in the sand. She didn't know what to think at first, but by the end of the week she loved the sand!

Addison's first day at the beach

First time putting her little tooties in the water. Not such a fan at first, but like with the sand, she loved it by the end of the week!

The graduate and her boo

Mom and Aunt B

Addison's first dip in the pool. You can see the joy in her face in these pictures. LOVE it!

My little swimmer

Celebrating our first night of vacation...headed out for dinner. 

Check out this little stinker would ya?! She is TOO funny!

Addison's first time getting in the ocean. Believe it or not, this is the first day the water had any waves. The first couple days at the beach it was so still.

I love this picture!

My happy girl and my handsome hubby. Blessed for sure!

Playing in the sand 

Playing in the waves

I was attempting some pictures on the beach, but she wasn't having it. Luckily I got a few...

Walking with Mimi and Papaw on the beach

I love this one!

Family picture night...

Like the random man with a beer belly in this one?! HA!

Kisses from my girl

Dinner at the Shrimp Boat. Mike may or may not have eaten 54 pieces of sushi at this place.

Watching the seagulls. She loved them. Every time they'd go by she'd point and say, "That."

Mike was feeding the seagulls for Addy and she was having a ball. Check out all these birds.

Last night at the beach calls for more family pictures!

Wedding bells

Another "catch up post" my friends! This year I was so blessed to make a new friend at work. Not only is she an awesome teacher, but has also become a great friend of mine as well. She's not only been completing her KTIP teaching year, but planning a wedding for this month as well. When I met her last summer her wedding seemed SO far away, but now I can't believe I'm saying it's this month! So on the day of field day, yes field day, we had a wedding shower after school to celebrate the wedding of my dear friend, Ingrid. Please excuse the way I look in the following pictures...I'd been running, chasing, tagging, jump roping, volleyballing, face painting, tug-of-waring, etc, etc, etc, with 26 third graders!

 Ingrid, I'm so happy for your and Dylan! I know you're going to have a very happy life together and I'm blessed to be your friend!

Rub a dub dub

I am back and have some MAAAJJOORR catching up to do. With the end of the school year and all that goes along with that...parties, paperwork, you know...and then we hightailed it outa town the day after school let out for vacation, so I really haven't had time to even update you on what's going on with our life! The pictures that go along with this post absolutely make me smile from ear to ear. I am usually the one that gives Addison her bath just because I always have. No reason really, I just always have. Recently though whenever I would get home from work Mike would tell me that he went ahead and gave Addison her bath for the day in the big tub in our bathroom. I didn't really understand how this all worked until one night he told me he'd just show me....so here you have it....Addison's bath, Mike's way!

Fun and family

This past weekend we traveled to my mom and dad's house so that we could be with Madison for her last prom and just visit. We haven't been able to make it down to stay with them since Addison has been sick, but now that she is feeling better we wanted to go and spend some quality time with them. We got caught up in some sleep, I got a haircut, Mike went fishing in his new kayak, I ran to practice for the mini-marathon, went to the church I grew up going to, we ate dinner as a family and just had a great time together. I am so grateful for weekends like last weekend because I don't get to see my family as much as I'd like and being able to see them more than one day in a row is a blessing. It makes me look forward to summer break when I can travel to their house any time we have the chance!

Enjoying breakfast at Mimi and Papaw's house

Daddy was taking his new kayak out to fish and Addison loved watching him through the front window.

Getting ready to take a nap with Papaw, but first a little Yo Gabba Gabba.

Afternoon naps deserve a little shoulder ride 

Addy loves her Papaw. I actually think she looks like him in this picture.

I love spending so much quality time at my mom and dad's house. I never really got to spend a lot of quality time at my grandparent's houses and I want so bad for Addison to look back at the times she spent with her grandparents and have good memories. We're off to a good start :)

Mother's Day

Last year I kind of celebrated Mother's Day as a mommy because I was pregnant with Addison, but this year was totally different. I celebrated the fact that I am a Mommy to one amazing little girl. I could go on and on about how much better my life is because Addison is in it and how much being her Mommy makes me feel like I am doing what I was born to do, but I already to that on this blog! :) But seriously though, being a mom is amazing. I am so thankful for Addison and the fact that God allowed me to be her mommy. I don't know what I did to be able to get this privilege, but I am so thankful that I have it!

We also celebrated Mother's Day with my mommy as well. I can't tell you enough how great my mom is. If I could only be half of the mom to Addison that she is to be, then I have really done something in life. A lot of times I have to tell myself that I don't have to be as perfect as she was. I am sure she thinks that she made mistakes and that she would do things differently, but in my eyes, she is the perfect mom!       I know growing up that I looked up to my mom and wanted to be just like her, but now that I am a mom myself, I want to be like her even more. The sacrifices that she made for our family and for me in particular are so thoughtful and I am just so grateful for her. Maybe when Addison gets older she will look at me the way that I look at my mom...if so, I know that she'll adore me. Love you mom!

We celebrated the day at my mom and dad's house by getting up and going to church then having lunch at one of our favorite restaurants in Nicholasville. Afterwards Mike and I came home and had dinner together. I was completely spoiled by my husband because he got me a piece of jewelry from my favorite jeweler, wrote me the sweetest card, had dinner for me and just made the day a great day. He had went to get a bracelet for me with a ruby in it since that is Addison's birthstone, but David Yurman doesn't make anything with a ruby, so instead he got me a bracelet with blue topaz because we have a very blue eyed girl! In love it!

I am so grateful for my mother and for my daughter. The fact that Addison is my little girl makes not just one day out of the year Mother's Day, but every day is Mother's day because of her. I am sure counting my blessings!