Thankful Thursday - Poppi's BIG Day!!

Today, I am thankful for my Dad! He turned 76 years 'young' on Sunday. We celebrated his big day by having hot Blueberry-Crunch Cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream at our home. What a wonderful celebration... Dad is such a great man!! I feel blessed that I have him in my life. To know my Daddy, is to love my Daddy!

Lilli loves you bunches, Poppi!

Good Man

Dad,

Every year, your birthday reminds me

how grateful I am that you are my father.

With all that’s going on in the world today,

I’m thankful I get to watch you,

to look up to you, being an example of a good man.

What a privilege it is to observe your strength,

your competence, and your kindness.

I am so blessed to be under your wing,

your protection, your care,

learning important life lessons from you.

If all fathers were like you,

the world would be a very different

and much better place.

Happy Birthday, Dad,

from your admiring daughter.

by Joanna Fuchs

Have a wonderful Thursday y'all... What are you thankful for today??

Wordless Wednesday - Cousins

Lilli with cousins Lainey & Caroline

Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!

PLAY BALL!!!

There’s nothing like spending quality time with good friends! We spent Monday evening with the Norris family at a baseball game. We had such a great time!! We are already planning a second trip before baseball season is over. Special thanks to my company for allowing us to use their box seats. We were really 'spoiled' sitting up close... right behind the Indian's dug-out!

We are so lucky to have a minor league baseball team in our little town… The Kinston Indians – affectionately called the “K-Tribe”! http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t485  Monday night was “Buck Night” and believe me, we had more than our share of $1 hotdogs, french fries & soda… and of course, what's a baseball game without popcorn & peanuts?!?!

The K-Tribe lost the game to the Winston-Salem Dash 7-3, but we still had a blast!!

Can’t wait to spend time with Catherine, Travis, Elizabeth and Rachel again… and we hope really soon!
Hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday! ((HUGS))

Friday's Photos: My Prima Ballerina

The website http://www.dictionary.reference.com/ defines a prima ballerina to be the following:

(noun) The leading woman dancer in a ballet company.

Yep, that's our girl.... except Lilli dances alone, pretending she has others dancing around her. What an imagination!! We are beginning dance lessons in the fall, so who knows?? Maybe one day Lilli will be a prima ballerina! She is poised and graceful...

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! ((HUGS))

Thankful Thursday ~ Sweet Mackenzie!

As your read in an earlier post, Lilli has a brand new cousin! Beautiful Mackenzie is only 3-1/2 weeks old! So precious!!!! We were thrilled to finally meet her last weekend when her Mommy (Danny's cousin, Ashley) came to town for a visit.

We are sooooo thankful for Mackenzie's life and the joy she has brought to our family! WHAT A BLESSING!!! God is so, so good! Lilli has a new cousin, as well as another cousin on the way... the closest cousin in age to Lilli on Danny's side of the family is 17, so this is BIG!!! Lilli was a little disappointed that Mackenzie couldn't play with her... but I told her, "Just wait sweet girl! Kenzie is going to be chasing you around in Great-Grandma Lillie's backyard before you know it!"

WE LOVE YOU ASHLEY & MACKENZIE!!!
It's Thankful Thursday... What are you thankful for today?

Wordless Wednesday - "All in All"

(pause the music at bottom of blog page)

Hope everyone has a blessed Wednesday! ((HUGS))

Fun with Aunt Chele & Unc John

Lilli can't get enough of her Uncle John & Aunt Chele! She has really loved going to their pool this summer.

She is finally jumping off the side of the pool now. Aunt Chele got her to do it last week and she hasn't stopped.

Lilli is at the age where she is acknowledging all of her fears, so it took some time for her to agree to jump.  If you'll remember, last year, "Lil' Miss Mighty Mouse" was jumping off the diving board... COMPLETELY FEARLESS!  Not this summer!! Like a normal 3 year old, Lilli's very quick to tell you if she's NOT going to do something... & jumping off the diving board is at the top of her list! Eventually she'll work up the nerve... but to be honest, I'm okay with her playing in the shallow end! :o)

Hope everyone has a glorious Tuesday... ((HUGS))

July 4th - Part 3 - FIREWORKS!!!!!!

Fireworks light up the sky all around our home...

Sparklers (my all-time favorite)

The remnants of our family fun!!!

Bug with her "Poppi" & Nana

Yeaaaaaaaayeee ~ MORE, MORE!!!

We had a great weekend... non-stop and full of fun! Lilli got to meet her brand new cousin Mackenzie on Saturday. I will try to get those photos posted this week. Mackenzie is so precious, so dainty... BUT would have NO PART of me holding her. Lilli was disappointed that she wasn't already walking & talking. I think she thought she was going to have an instant playmate. Maybe in a few years, sweet girl!

On Sunday, we went to the Splash Pad for a Family Party for Faith Fellowship. We are really enjoying going to Faith. So many kids Lilli age... and so much for me & Danny to enjoy too!! Lots of couples our age... so much going on that will help us grow spritually in our walk with God.  I think we are coming close to making our descision to join. It's such a wonderful church! Leaving First Presbyterian was a difficult move for me especially, but knowing that Lilli is getting what she needs at Faith has made our descision easier.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! ((HUGS))

July 4th Weekend -Part 2- Fun at Nana & Papa's

On July 4th we spent lots of time over at Nana and Papa's house during the day... Bubble blowing, sidewalk chalk and watering Nana's flowers was on Lilli's agenda, however, she ended up playing in the water fully clothed. She was laughing as hard as I have ever seen her laugh! Sooooooo much fun!! After all of that excitement, Papa and Danny grilled chicken to perfection and we had a wonderful dinner together...

I will try to post photos tomorrow or Sunday of the evening of the 4th. Nana and Papa came over to our house after dinner to enjoy some fireworks. We live in the county, so we actually set fireworks off in the driveway and also are able to sit outside & watch BIG fireworks being set off in the sky all around us. It's kind of cool, with exception to being eaten up by mosquitoes. Of course, we ARE sweet as sugar... so it's hard to keep them off of us! LOL :o)

Hope everyone has a blessed weekend! ((HUGS))