Home.

We made it home. The girls were perfect. They handled the car ride wonderfully. The weather was awesome. We even got to watch a wild storm the night before we left. We had a great vacation. Honestly, I wouldn't have changed anything about it. I am so proud of my girls. I am also proud of my suburban. It has over 178,000 miles. We were so afraid that it would break down on the trip. It didn't. I am so blessed. I am so thankful for the wonderful weather, safe travel, good company, and a lifetime of memories. Here are some of my favorite photos.

Gulf Shores Continued....

Lastnight we took the girls to the new pier in Gulf Shores. It was beautiful. Luke is already planning on fishing off the pier next time we come to Gulf Shores. The girls definitely prefer the pool. But, they have had a lot of fun playing in the sand and looking for sea shells. Here are some more photos...

Gulf Shores Continued....

Gulf Shores

We drove to Clinton Mississippi Friday night. We stayed the night and then drove to the Jackson Zoo. The girls loved it. It was a pretty neat zoo. We got there when it opened, so we had the whole zoo to ourselves. We arrived in Gulf Shores yesterday afternoon. We unpacked and ate dinner. Then we went to the beach. Kinnison and Kimber were not impressed with the beach. They didn't like the sand or the ocean water. We hung out at the pool for a while. But, it was getting late and a little chilly. So, we came back to the condo. The girls were wild! I guess they were happy to be out of the car. We got up early this morning and went to the beach. The girls were a little weary at first, but they got over it. Kimber enjoyed stomping Daddy's sand castle and throwing sand. Kinnison loves everything about it. She said she was going to stay out until dark. She also asked us if we could move here, twice. I am so glad they are having fun. Here are some photos from our first two days. More to come!

Happy Birthday!

Today is Luke's 28th birthday!

Luke-

Thanks for being a wonderful husband and father! We love you very much! I am sorry you had to work today. But, we only have one more day and we will be leaving for the beach! I hope you are having a good day. Happy Birthday!

A Step Closer.

I passed the Praxis II! I still have to take the Praxis I though. The Praxis II is offered a limited amount of times during the year. I needed to pass it before next June, so I took it before I took the Praxis I. I will take the Praxis I sometime this fall. I thought I would feel relieved, but I don't. My summer classes are very time consuming and my fall classes are going to be horrible. I am taking four classes in the fall. I will have to attend two eight week classes at NWACC twice a week. I am not looking forward to that at all. It has been a long hard road. But, I feel like I am finally making some progress. Passing the Praxis II was a step in the right direction. It was probably the thing I was dreading the most. I will be done in May. Then I have to begin the NTL program. Wish me luck!

Independence Day.

I hope you all had a wonderful and safe Fourth of July.

We went to Branson and stayed on the lake. It was a lot of fun.

The kids didn't want to leave. I have too many photos to post,

so I will post a slideshow. Please ignore the blurry photos.

I am still learning my camera.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Helpers.

I had homework to do lastnight, so Luke took the girls with him to work in the garden. Normally they get bored. But, lastnight he decided to let them do something different. He let them play in the dirt.

This is what he brought home:

You should have seen the bath water!

Today we made cupcakes. Don't they look adorable! Thanks for the aprons, Gammy!