First week of school triumphs!

Getting some "Silly" out before the first day!

Awesome! With some love, fun, & lots of prayers Madeline and Luke made it through their first week back to school...Yahoo! They both are in awe of their teachers and talk of them daily. Madeline was disappointed to learn that going to school "everyday" did not include Saturday and Sunday. I am thrilled that they are seeming to thrive for the socialization and learning that First Baptist Preschool is providing. Bobby and I are very proud!

Madeline with Ms. Dawn

Luke with Ms. Ada

Inside all day?

Don't know about you all, but around here a lot of cookin' and bakin' goin' on! Not sure if we are going to fit through the front door when it is all over and done.

Sweet anticipation!

We have been having a ball! When we woke up this morning, we decided it was a day for Canovas Cuban coladas. When we found out they were open, we were all up and going out in the rain for coffee! Back at home with full tummies, we put our jammies back on and at 3:16 pm we are all still in them! Chick pea soup, grilled cheeses, and cookies later we are feeling full...very full!

The Breakers 2008

Bobby is a member of the Florida Bar Association and this happens to come with 4 in state meetings and 1 out of state meeting annually. Prior to children, Bobby and I went to all the meetings. Now that Madeline and Luke are a little older, we are going to more meetings. The Real Property, Probate, & Trust Law (RPPTL) Section of the Bar do not fool around when planning these meetings. By this I mean that we get to go to some very nice places. The big meeting is at The Breakers Hotel in West Palm Beach. Let me just say that they do not slack in anyway at this wonderful and beautiful Hotel. If you sneeze, they are there with a tissue! May I also say that it is a scary thing when your 4 and 3 year old ask you when you will be going back to the Breakers. Hate to break their delicate hearts, but this is a luxury that only comes once a year!

This year was exceptionally great because the entire family was able to go. This is a rare occurrence because some family live in Virginia. We had a great time!

Bobby, Luke, Madeline, & Katrina
Lukie Luke in his canoe
Kiddie Pool (or a little slice of Heaven)
Thank you Granddaddy for the Cabana!
Luke & Katrina running around the splash pad at the Zoo

Heartland Tri

Finally, a sense of accomplishment! And to think that I almost backed out on it. Bobby and I, along with several friends competed and completed the 2008 Heartland Triathlon...yahoo! We had a great time, rain(lots and lots of it)and all! Thank you to all of our spectators who endured the heat and downpour, all in the name of cheering us on! You guys rock!

Seriously, my knee gives me such a fit that I wasn't going to do it this year. I am grateful to have finished it and also to have shaved off some time from the very 1st tri that I completed last year. I have been having issues with my knee for a couple of years now. Only the end of last year did it actually start swelling on me. It is now August and after lots of pain and many Doctor's visits has it been discovered, through a good friend of ours, that we are looking at Arthritis. Yeah! I can't tell you how pleased I am to now know what it is that is causing such a snafu in my exercising regimen. Currently, I am not to run and my friend is rehabbing my knee with ultra sound and icing along with massage. Because of the swelling, I also have acquired a Baker's Cyst(pocket of fluid). This too is fixable. Ryan tells me that as long as I run, he will probably always have to be a part of my schedule... oh the things we do to feel good!

Whoops!

Already "butter-fingers!" Nothing like previewing a blog prior to posting. Enjoy the double take of the BBQ men!

4th of July fun

We had a ball on the 4th of July this year! David and Heidi Stephens invited us to come and share the day with them and their family and friends on the water. David's family has a beautiful home on Lake Jackson and it was a gorgeous day to play in the lake. We also had some rain, but that didn't stop the festivities and did cool things off a bit! Enjoy the pictures.

Women's Conference

Back in June (OK, I fibbed), I went to a women's conference at BFC here in Sebring with my Mother-in-Law and a dear friend Heather J. Clark. This is the 2nd women's conference that I have attended at BFC and it again was wonderful! The women at this church do a phenomenal job of putting on a production and the speakers are truly captivating. I am always refreshed and feel renewed after a day of listening to the older and wiser women talking to me about "Mama-ing." Not that I live in doubt of this skill, but there are those days when all I do cry out to Jesus for help.

And after our conference, Heather and I were able to continue our day with some shopping and a great meal. Our Husbands are too kind! Heather and I have known each other since high school, but didn't truly bond until that first year in college in '93. Our Daddies grew up together as well, so we have a long bond between our families. Our children are now growing up together and it is so neat to me! Speaking of growing up, Heather and I are also growing. It is so awesome that she and I are walking through our lives growing together and with our families in Christ. We are very appreciative of these times we get to talk and grow together!

And this is what a "blogging slacker" looks like...

Hold on to your seats my friends, I am looking to catch you all up on my blogging going all the way back to July! Your bottoms may be numb, and my fingers are apologizing to you. Take care and enjoy!

The way they are

Madeline & Luke love to watch this video so much that I had to blog it...The Stephens are quite the dancers!

We are still here!

Oh my! Time does certainly fly when you are having fun! I have so much to catch up on with my blogging and I promise to do so soon! I have a list going to be able to keep all the thoughts in my head somewhere else as to not forget them! I hope this little note finds you all well and happy. Take care!