Cruise to the Bahamas

January 20-24 was monumental for us.  Erik and I had the pleasure of joining my parents on a cruise to the Bahamas.  It was our first cruise and it lived up to every expectation I had!  We cruised on the ship Carnival Fantasy out of Charleston, South Carolina.  This was our ship:

 

We cruised to Nassau first.  This is what it was like:

Then we went to Freeport, Bahamas.

I've never seen such clear, blue water before.  Absolutely beautiful.  Just the sight of the beach brought tears to my eyes.

While we were on the ship, we met these lovely ladies:

We quickly formed a friendship with these ladies and it just made the whole vacation even better.

A HUGE thank you to my parents for taking us along for the ride.  We are so grateful!!!  And another HUGE thank you to Kimberle and Paige for staying with our girls so we could get away for this trip.  Without their help, we wouldn't have been to able relax and enjoy ourselves.  We knew they were in good hands.

Looking forward to our next cruise someday!

She got it!

Tuesday morning my children were bickering like crazy.  I warned them that if they didn't stop, they would not get any brownies when they got home from school.  Moments later, they were at it again.  I calmly stated that 3 out of the 4 would not get to have brownies.  Alyson asked which one would get some and Meghan said, "Duh!  Kelli!"

When the kids came home from school, they were all getting along so wonderfully.  They were all in a great mood and being helpful.  My heart was soaring!  I told them that because they had all changed their attitudes that they had earned back their brownie.  Everyone went to the kitchen and I heard Meghan state, "Momma's showing us grace!"

Wow!  She gets it!  She understands what grace means.  Getting what you don't deserve.  Ahhhh!!  This momma couldn't be any happier to know that that message has gotten through a 6 year old heart.

It's his birthday!

Today is my dad's 70th birthday!!  Oh my!  It just seems to weird to say that.  He definitely doesn'l look whatever I thought 70 was supposed to.

Love you, dad!!  Hope you have a fabulous day.  I love you!

Grateful

Gratefulness:  pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated.

I love that definition!  I am grateful for the people in my lives who offer me sound, godly advice.  People who listen to me when I'm upset, frustrated, happy or otherwise.

Thank to you those who pour into my life in big or small ways.  I am truly grateful for you.

I am looking forward to building on the friendships I already have and to the new ones that may begin!

May whoever reads this be blessed in this new year!

A Trip Home

Last week my family and I made a trip back to California to celebrate Erik's Great Aunt Doris' 100th birhday.  We were able to connect with a lot of family that we haven't seen in years.  It was great!  It made us all a little bit homesick.  The last picture is with Erik's sister, Tammy, and her family (Steve, Paige, and Rees) and Erik's dad (Al) and his wife (Sharon).

While we were there, we took the girls to Santa Cruz which is where Erik and I met and we showed them some of the things that we love about it!  We took them to Mission Springs Conference Center (which is where Erik and I met) and then into Santa Cruz to the Wharf and the Boardwalk.  Then we drove out to Davenport, CA to take a picture at the city sign.  And finally, to Natural Bridges, my favorite beach in the world!!!  It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever stepped foot on (not to mention the fact that this is where Erik brought a picnic dinner for me).  When I told the girls about that, Alyson replied, "Ahhhh, how romantic!"

Looking at the Boardwalk from the Wharf

 The Davenports in Davenport, California

 The conference center where we met

 Natural Bridges Beach

 Natural Bridges

Erik's dad and wife, Tammy and family, and our family

Hello! Have you missed me?

Goodness!!!  Where does the time go?  A whole month has flown by and I haven't even blogged once.  You'd think that now that all my kids are in school I'd have LOTS of time to blog several times a day.  A good friend of mine recently told me on the phone before hanging up to "put my feet up and relax" for her.

I have to admit that I was a little (and I mean very little) offended by that.  I guess she figured that since I have no kids home during the day, I don't have an office to go to work to, and my house is in perfect order (hahahaha!  If you know me or have been to my house lately, you'd know I don't really mean that last one) that I could just sit back and relax!!!

Well, the joke's on her.  Somehow, I remain very busy and rarely have a chance to sit on the couch and do nothing.  I did take one day a couple of weeks ago when it was raining to do that and it was great!  But then I got bored.  I don't do sitting around...alone...in quiet...alone...with nothing to do...alone...very well.

So I know you're dieing to know then what it is that is keeping a stay at home mom with no kids at home busy?

I can tell you!  Even though I don't go to a place of work everyday, I do work.  I type for Southern Reporting (depositions for lawyers), I substitute at my girls' school, I volunteer in my girls' classes, and I have this house to clean up, every single day.  I also do have the pleasure of getting to hang out at restaurants or coffee shops with very cool people when time allows (I often make the time for that).

There you have it!  That's how I stay busy!  Now, I've got to get off this computer and go clean!!!  Bye!

First Day of School

I know this is a little late in coming, but now that things have settled down some, I can put these thoughts down.  This school year is a special one for a couple of reasons.

1.  This is the year my last born starts kindergarten.  I am officially kid free during the days.  Weird.  Good, but still weird.

and...

2.  This is the ONLY year that ALL four girls will be in the same school.  In fact, it just may be a record at HEC to have all four kids from the same family under the roof at one time.  Who really knows though?

I have looked forward to this season for a while now, and here we are.  I feel as if I am being rewarded for 10 years of being home with my lovely daughters.  It has been worth every sacrifice to be home with them.  And now...

LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!!