Mere & Mimi

When Dad blessed us with a week of his timeshare, we knew we'd like to find some place near Ft. Lauderdale so that we could visit with Joe's Grandma (Mere) & his favorite Aunt Mimi.

We were thrilled that it worked out we could do just that!

Alathea & Abigail both loved Mere & Mimi. Alathea spent the night in Mere's room and Abi even learned to say their names by the end of the week. The girls also loved Mimi's cats and Mere dog, Monique.

We spent the first two days in Florida at Mere's house, eating way too much delicious food and going swimming at Mimi's pool. Then once at Pompano Beach they came up for dinner and some more swimming.

Mid-week we headed back to Ft. Lauderdale and spent the day with Mere at Flamingo Gardens. Alathea was thrilled to see her favorite animals- flamingos. We saw lots of animals native to Florida and took a fun train ride around the gardens.

Just a picture of Mere I just love. Doesn't she look amazing! 

You'd never guess she is 84!

I hope I age that well!

Here we are back at Mere's house. Mimi & Joe had a good ol' dance party with the girls. 

It was fun to watch :)

The last two days we also spent at Mere's and of course headed back to the pool (Alathea's favorite place!). We were blessed to have such a wonderful visit!

Pompano Beach

Our little family of four headed south a bit over a week ago, for a 12 hour drive and 10 day trip in sunny, south Florida! We stayed part of the time with Joe's wonderful Grandma (Mere) and Aunt Mimi who live in Ft. Lauderdale. And the other time was 20 min north at the lovely Pompano Beach:

Happy beach girl

Our seven days at Pompano were spent at the beach!! It was a "resort" (well, actually a timeshare resort that my Dad blessed us with!). which meant lots of amenities, but also plenty of people. We've been spoiled with the secluded NC beaches of late!

But one thing that Florida beaches have on NC beaches is the gorgeous water color! It was warm, calm and crystal clear. My photos barely capture the amazing color.

Our baby beach bum

There was lots and lots of sand castles being built. The beach really is the ultimate playground for kids! They were happy as can be for hours with a bucket and shovel!

We also spent LOTS of time in the ocean. The was the first time we've taken the kids all the way in! It was so inviting and the beach was so hot, so we put floats on the kids and headed in for a swim quite often. Abigail, being her independent self, always wanted to float by herself.  It must have been quite the sight seeing a "baby" floating by herself in the ocean. We always kept her in sight :) I have no pics of the ocean because we all four went in together..oh well!

This was the view from our balcony.

Joe with his favorite Aunt Mimi.   

Our family in Pompano

This was part of the resort we stayed at. It was across the street from the beach. 

Another part of the resort was on the beach, and we spent most of the day there.

Back on the beach after dinner. My favorite time at the beach.

Mere came up for a yummy seafood dinner one night.

We must have seen 50 iguana's this week! Seriously!

The most awesome seafood restaurant. We cooked most of the week, but went out for one incredible lunch and dinner at this ocean front beach restaurant.

Love my girls

Such silly girls. They kept doing this on the beach.

Love them so.

And they love their Daddy so!

Dancing together

Pompano Beach

Hello Handsome!

(BTW, anytime Joe is on vacation he never shaves...I think it looks cute)

Shell (or "treasure") hunting was a nightly activity

We spent as much time at the pool as we did at the beach.

Alathea was serioulsy a fish! We must have taken her to the pool 3x a day!

One month ago she would barely put her face in the water. We bought her these pink arm floaties and she started to think she could "swim". By the end of the week she took these off and could swim a good 20+ feet underwater by herself! It was quite the transfermation. I think the newness of learning how to swim made her almost addicted to the pool!

Well, that was the Pompano Beach part of the trip! Sweet family times!

Next up is the Mere & Mimi times...

7 Amazing Years

It is truly hard to believe that I was just 17 when I met you...fresh out of high school, my first week of college, with huge dreams of missions and nursing, and definitely not even a thought of marriage being right around the corner. But then I met you. And my life has changed forever. You always said that God writes far better love stories than we ever could...and how true that is! While I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd be married at 19 and moving far away from my family and friends, when I met you it was the easiest and happiest decision of my life! Thank you for being the most amazing husband to me. You truly are the man of my dreams in every way. And now seven years and two kids later, somehow I love you even more! God has been so good to us!

The morning of our wedding, just hours before I became your wife,

 I read this and wrote 7/27/02 beside it (how true it is!):

"Many, O Lord my God,

are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us

no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them,

they would be too many to declare."

Psalm 40:5

Happy 7 Year Anniversary, My Love!!

Silly Girls

I'm still trying to get just one great picture of the girls together... seemingly always without success. This day at the pool I never got my perfect shot, but I did capture the sweet silliness between our two little ladies. Alathea truly has a way of making Abigail laugh (and cry) hysterically like no other person!!!

 I just love watching them together...

I think she was telling Abi "I'm gonna eat you" or something like that :)

We've absolutely loved watching these two girls grow as friends. 

It's one of the sweetest things ever.