Holden Beach...Day 4

Another day, another photo op! :)

This morning was the annual family pictures. Ummmm...lets just say the getting ready part didn't go real smoothly. In any case, we all made it out to the beach, in the requested attire, all children present and accounted for and we were just in time for The Emilia Drama Show! Woot!






I know, she looks happy in those, right? Well, how about this one...


Or this one...


Or this one...


Oh well! The beauty of digital cameras is that I can take all of these pictures (and the other 50 that aren't posted here) just to get the 2 or 3 good ones. I love that!

After lunch the kids all started painting the bird houses gramma bought for them. They were all talking about which birds were going to live in their birdhouses and debating whether theirs was a bird house or a bird feeder. But the main focus and the awesome results were some super cool bird houses!




Emilia took her painting job VERY seriously. She was all concentration. AND she worked on painting her bird house for about an hour and a half...without a break. And she threw another tantrum when I made her stop to let the "first" coat dry.



As if bird houses weren't enough fun in one day, we also went out for ice cream (a treat from uncle Paul--Thanks, Paul!)



And when we got home, Emilia helped me wash the dishes. I'd say all that makes it a great day!

Successful Morning

Anytime I can get a picture that shows everyone's face and most of us look happy, I consider the photo shoot to be a success. I've had to learn to lower my standards...a lot...and I have to be reminded that I've lowered my standards...a lot...(hahahaha!) but all things considered, I'm very happy with these!

Holden Beach...Day 2

Today was bright and sunshiny and BEAUTIFUL!

The boys started the day with a trip to the ball park to play some baseball. You can't go too long without playing, you know. Your body starts to self-destruct if you don't play often enough...or something.

After they were back, they couldn't run fast enough to get to the beach!


Daniel did some fishing


Emilia jumped a bunch of waves! This is the first year she could do this by herself and, boy, has she been LOVIN' IT!!


I had to put this picture on here because it is such an Emilia pose--poppin' that little hip out to the side.


Surfing...preschool style.


Audra found some more shells to add to her collection.


This is Matthew. He was sooo funny because everytime he saw me with my camera up and pointed in his general direction he would stop what he was doing and stand there, like this, with a cheezer on his face. And he'd stand there. And he'd smile. And stand there. I had to actually tell him he could stop before he'd go on playing!! This kid is every photographer's DREAM COME TRUE!!


Micah, Justin and Josiah boogie boarding on the waves


Boogie boarding...preschool style.



Little Miss "No Fear of the Ocean" heading out to see what treasures she can find


Boogie boarding...toddler style.


The kids, playing on the beach


DIGGING!!

Justin, Micah and Josiah riding some more waves



My four little beach babes


Micah and Audra playing on the beach


Josiah celebrating another fun day of sun at the beach!

Holden Beach...Day 1

Waiting for the cousins (and the afterthoughts drivers aunt and uncle) to arrive


Yay! At the beach!


Josiah got right to the digging...


Emilia giving the ocean her cute pucker lip


And then giving it the stare down


Micah is just happy to be at the beach again!


Justin and Daniel jumping the waves


Matthew helping Josiah with the digging project


Audra, another member of the "happy to be at the beach" crew


And now all are sleeping to prepare for more sun and fun tomorrow!!

This Season

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to uproot. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build. A time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to mourn and a time to dance.." Ecc. 3:1-4

There's more times listed in those verses, as you may know. But I think wise King Solomon forgot one:
a time for craziness and chaos and a time for order.

This is a time of craziness and chaos for me.

There has been sooo much going on here, from family issues to my grandma having surgery to finishing school and baseball. I am exhausted.

So many times recently I've thought the words of Jeff Probst (do you watch Survivor?) after a tribe loses a challenge: "I've got nothing for ya." And I think of one of the competitors this past season, Matt, who at one point said, "God has literally been carrying me these last few days."

Yup. I'm there.

The good news is that tomorrow we leave for a week at the beach. Oh yes, I could definitely use a week at the beach!

But first I have to pack.
And Josiah has (I think) another double header tonight--assuming it doesn't get rained out...because I love loading all four kids and water bottles and snacks and toys and equipment up to go to the ballpark for an inning and a half.
And we have to load the car with all of our stuff for the beach.
And if I want to come home alive, I have to, have to, HAVE TO remember the tripod.
And I have to remember to unplug all of our electronics so that when we come back nothing has been fried from an electrical surge.

BUT--if I focus on being at the week for a beach (yup, that's what I said. But you know what I mean...) I just might make it through the next 24 hours.

Chaos.

A time of order is coming.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Happy Friday!

Heeeeeey, Pitcher!

JOSIAH WAS THE STARTING PITCHER TONIGHT!!!!

I'm so excited about that, if you can't tell. See, none of the baseball teams here really rotate players. The positions are decided by the coach during the month of practices before the games start. (There are no practices after games start). Most of Josiah's practices were rained out and all but two that they did have were while we were at the beach at the beginning of April. So, he's been playing outfield this season. Almost every game he asks his coach if he can play in the infield. He even had me ask after one game because he thought it might help.

At the end of the last game Josiah's team was losing by a lot, so much that they couldn't make it up in the last inning (they have a 7 run rule) so Josiah's coach put him in as pitcher. I don't think he really did much that game, but whatever he did must have impressed his coach because today he started as pitcher!

AND they were playing the best team in the league tonight!

But really, the most exciting part of all of this was HOW AWESOME Josiah did out there. He was AMAZING! He made the first out in the first three innings. Caught 2 pop flies, knocked down every ball that came to him and wow-ed us all. After the game as his teammates were gathering for their talk, I heard a couple of them say, "Josiah gets the game ball!" "Dude, you were awesome!"

It was so much fun to watch him get to do something that he's been waiting and waiting to try and then be so great at it!

IT WAS AWESOME!

HE was awesome!

It was BY FAR the most exciting game of the season.

Here is Josiah after making the throw to 1st for the first out of the game.


Catching a line drive


Ready to go and yelling at the batter, a favorite part of the game


Laughing with his teammates and having a blast!

"Pirate Jo"

The boys have been taking drama class on Tuesdays this year. They have looked forward to it every week and yesterday they ended the school year by performing a play called, "Pirate Jo." For the privacy of the other students, I can't post the video of the play online but if you'd want I can make a DVD to send you. Just let me know!

Here is the crew that was able to make it to the performance. We took up more than a whole row!


Here are the boys before we went in and had their make-up done. Who knew pirates were such cuties? :)



"Pirate Jo, as mean as can be!

Feared by everyone across the sea!

She's in charge of this pirate ship,

so we are having a lousy trip!"



And because you can never have too many pictures... (hahahahaha!)