Summer's End

    It's official today is the last day of summer, not the season, but the end of summer break from school. Teacher inservice begins tomorrow and students start back next Monday. We have had so much fun this summer, that it's sad to see it end. Last Saturday, we took Rylee to see the Jackson Generals play. We had a blast, and she really got into the game.

      Thursday, Liz and I took Kade and Rylee to Kid's Play in Germantown and they had an absolute blast. I think they would have stayed all day if they didn't get hungry. We played for 2 1/2 hours and then headed next door to Mellow Mushroom for some awesome pizza. It's days like that that made our summer so fantastic! We did so many fun things this summer, and I am excited about all the new experiences Rylee had.

    I have so enjoyed spending every single day with this sweet girl. Even thought it is sad to see summer break end, I am super excited to begin a new school year. The more time I have to prepare, the more excited I get. I am now thrilled to be in Kindergarten, and I really look forward to what this year has in store for me. I know that I am exactly where God wants me to be at this moment and I couldn't be happier. This coming week will be a bit hard, sitting through inservice, missing my Ryles, but as soon as I meet "my babies" next week, everything will be so worth it! I love working with children, and I pray that God works through me to bless these babies as much as they will surely bless me! :)

Summer Fun & Venting

     Yesterday, we took Rylee to the Ripley Tomato Festival and it was an absolute blast! There were great booths to shop and browse, lots of great junk food, fun music, and carnival rides. The kids had a ball. They rode so many rides including their very first roller coaster: The Dragon Wagon. I can definitely see a trip to Six Flags in our future. ;)

    Today, after church, Mary and I took the girls to see Monster University. They had so much fun. First, we took them to Pizza Hut and they pigged out on pizza and were being super silly, which was fine considering we had the whole place to ourselves. Then we headed to the movies, and the girls got a chance to play some arcade games while waiting for the movie to start. Once the movie started, the girls were perfect. They laughed and commented on what was going on, but otherwise were quiet and still. I could not believe how well they behaved, they must have REALLY enjoyed the movie! I must say, Mary and I enjoyed the movie as well. It was super cute!

    I've been having a bit of a hard time lately. I've been having a lot of anxiety and stress, and just feeling like no one really cares. A lot of my relationships seem to be shifting and I don't really understand why, but it's left me feeling a bit off-kilter and like I just don't know my place anymore.
     One thing I have been stressing about is moving grades at school: I am going from 1st grade to kindergarten this year. When I student taught, I loved kindergarten and was actually hoping to be able to teach kindergarten after graduation, but I got a job in first grade instead.I love teaching young children, so I know I will still be so happy with my job, but it's a hard time to change grades with me having a maternity leave this fall and everything. Between moving classrooms, trying to gather materials for kindergarten, and beginning to think about how to write leave plans for a grade I've never taught before, I'm a bit stressed.
     I am also pretty sad about summer coming to an end. Much of these last 2 weeks of summer break will be spent working on preparing for the upcoming school year, and then school will be back in full swing and things will get crazy again. I love staying home with Rylee, and would adore being a stay at home parent while my kids are young. I am thankful for my job, and I do feel a great passion and calling for what I do, I just feel like I could always teach once my children are school-aged and older, but I can't get back these early childhood years with my girls. I would sacrifice all the money in the world for more time with them. I like to shop for my girls, but they could do without material things in exchange for more quality time with mommy. If only...
    I find myself having intense anxiety about Payton. Things like birth defects, stillbirths, and SIDS make pregnancy and infancy very frightening. I have to constantly put my trust in God and his protection. I also already am kind of freaking out about sending Payton to daycare at 7 weeks old. I had to leave Rylee with family twice a week to go to classes at U of M when she was 11 weeks old, and it about killed me. I don't know how I'm going to leave Payton in daycare full time so young...
     But even on my worst days, my little family makes me so incredibly happy. I love Ryan, Rylee, and Payton so very much. For some reason, I just don't stress about adding Payton to our family at all. I am nothing but excited about her upcoming arrival. I know there is bound to be some jealousy from Rylee at first, but she is a great kid and she is a great helper. She already loves her baby sister so much; I know she is going to be wonderful with her. I cannot wait to have both of my sweet girls in my arms!

Fourth of July & Family Time

     This year, our fourth of July was almost as busy as Christmas, and we had a lot of fun. We started out by heading to my parents' house in Middle Tennessee to attend a Fourth of July celebration in Tracy City the weekend before the fourth.

     The celebration had a ferris wheel, bouncy houses, water slides, and all kinds of games and booths. The kids loved all the attractions. They played for a bit, and then we sat down to have dinner. After dinner, we browsed a few of the booths before heading over to the water to wait for the fireworks show to begin.

     Well, we waited and waited. The fireworks show was delayed so we ended up waiting for an hour for the show to begin, but once it started it was well worth it. It kept going and going and it seemed to get more beautiful with every shot. Rylee was intimidated by the loud sounds at first, but really loved the bright colors in the sky. After the show, we headed back to my parents' house to spend the night. The next morning, we went for a swim at a local lake. Then we headed home after lunch.

    Sunday night, we had our VBS wrap-up at Mary's Chapel, and there was supposed to be a fireworks show, but we had a scattered shower that lasted just long enough to cancel our show. So we headed back up to church on Wednesday night for Bible study and a fireworks show.

     Rylee still didn't care much for the noise, but was super excited about the fireworks. She just talked and talked, telling us everything that she saw. She is so observant and expressive, and I love to hear her talk about something that excites her.

     Thursday morning, we headed to Georgia. When we got there, we had a cook-out for the Fourth, then we just enjoyed the company. We were originally supposed to go to a fireworks show in their town, but it was canceled due to rain. However, the rain did let up for a while, and the neighbors decided to shoot some fireworks, so we watched from the porch. Rylee didn't seem to mind the sound at all this time. She has become a fireworks pro! :)

    The next morning, Paul took us on a golf cart ride. Rylee loved it! We saw 2 deer, some chipmunks, and various birds. Rylee was so excited about everything we saw. After our ride, we went to a local pizza place for lunch. They had a kid's combo that included a slice of pizza, an applesauce cup, and a drink. IT was like the combo was made for my picky eater! She ate her whole plate! When we got back from lunch, Rylee got a chance to pick fresh vegetables from Paul's garden. She loved the experience and seemed to be learning a lot about where we get different foods.

    After Rylee got up from her nap, we took her to the movies to see Epic in 3D. She loved it! She was completely still for the first half hour, then she started to seat hop, while still watching the movie. About halfway through the movie she lost her glasses and had to watch the rest of the movie without the 3D effects, but she still seemed to enjoy it. She talked about everything that happened in the movie the whole way back to Aunt Andrea and Uncle Phil's house.

    Saturday was our last day there. The boys headed to a gun show in Atlanta, and Aunt Andrea, Rylee, and I headed to a local toy store called Shenanigans. This toy store had it all, tons of toys, a pottery painting section, and an indoor play area! Rylee painted an owl for Payton's room, and then we headed to the back to play. Rylee slid, swung, played with a train table and doll houses, and jumped on a trampoline. She had a blast! Later, we went to dinner to pick up Ryan and hear about his day at the gun show and shooting range. Sunday we headed back home.

   Today, I really should've cleaned the house and gone grocery shopping, but instead I took Rylee to swim at Nonna's house because Mel and Austin are visiting this week. We had a lot of fun this morning, and now Rylee is napping. I feel like I could, too, but I won't. When she gets up, it will be time to get some things done... Fun, fun!

28-Week Dr. Update

    Today we went to the Dr. to check on Payton. She is doing well. Her heart rate is staying steady at 150 beats per minute. I had to take my yucky glucose test today. Thankfully, I passed and won't have to take another test! I gained 1 lb between this appointment and my last one, putting me at a total of +10 lbs. I am starting my 3rd trimester, so that means Dr. visits are becoming more frequent, and we are getting closer and closer to meeting Miss Payton!! She is a very active little girl so far during this pregnancy. I swear she never stops moving! I am also beginning to feel the joys of rib pain as she is starting to grow up into my rib cage. Another [not] fun pregnancy symptom I've been struggling with lately is roller coaster emotions. I cannot seem to keep them in check, but the people who love me will love me in spite of my craziness, right? :)