Busy, Busy, Busy

**Don't forget to check out this page for your chance to win a $100 Visa gift card from Pop Secret!**

Wow!  It's been a crazy--WONDERFUL--week at our house.  Summer is rolling on and so are week.  We got so much accomplished this week and made a lot of strides with Lucy's PT/OT.   Our typical day looks like this:

MWT
8-9 Ella swim team
9-11 OT/PT
lunch
Ella tumbling on Wed.
2-4 tutoring

TR
8-9 Ella swim team
9:30-11 Swim Therapy for Lucy and swim stroke lessons for Ella
Afternoon school work

So, um, yeah.  We are really busy.  In between the scheduled activities we are getting in some play swimming time and play time around the house.  I am doing some deep cleaning around here and purging. Today Ella and I tackled the upstairs, including her bedroom.  As she was cleaning she said "Mom, I think I'd like a room makeover for my birthday."  After I held back my laughter I reminded her that she had a room makeover just two years ago.  What she really was trying to say was that she wanted to get rid of the doll house bookcase and she wants a grown up bookcase.

Luckily for her, I took a painting class last night with my girl Amanda and I am ready to do some cool projects around the house.  Have you heard of milk paint?  If not, check out the Miss Mustard Seed website and you can see what beautiful creations are about to happen in my house.

While we were cleaning today, Ella started emptying her piggy banks; she had three scattered around her room.  There was a lot of money piled up on her floor so I told her we would go to the bank and make a deposit to her savings account.  I was floored when we figured out how much she had saved!

A bit over $200.  I am so proud of her.  She is becoming such a young lady and we are enjoying so much time together this summer.  After our money adventures, we hit up one of the local antique shops in search of the perfect bookcase.  We didn't find one, but we had a nice lesson in rotary phones.

And never fear....Jack is still going strong.  We are potty training so if you don't hear from me every day, you will understand why.  Potty Training Book Camp 2013 is in full force!

Thankful Tonight

This what the summer we have longed for.  Tonight I am so very thankful.

AARGH...Pirates!

Ahoy Mateys!  We took the kids on a pirate cruise this trip to the beach and they had a blast.  Our friends the Hensleys joined us, along with my parents.  Lucy took up with the Ship Mate and helped her with all her "duties."  The pirate crew told stories, let them shoot water guns at each other and read maps looking for buried treasure. The girls loved getting to drive the ship but Jack was a little sleepy from his interrupted nap and clung to my hip most of the ride. The first picture below shows my Dad getting sprayed by the water cannon of a passing boat.  Good thing he was such a great sport about it!

While we were sailing the Bay, we met up with some dolphins who were really showing out.  There was  a baby dolphin swimming with its parent(s) and the grown up dolphins kept pushing the baby to the surface to breath.  It was really, really neat getting to see them so close to the boat. 

A Pirate Cruise wouldn't be complete without some fun pictures, right?

This one is my favorite.

After the cruise we rode over to Tacky Jack's for dinner but didn't stay too long after the wait was 1 hour and 45 minutes.  We ordered some appetizers and went down to listen to the live band.  Wouldn't you know that the first song they sang was Chicken Fried?  Everyone in my family had a great time singing and dancing.

The restaurant must support the Make A Wish Foundation and of course we had to stop for a picture!

This post wouldn't be complete without the pictures of the cutest captain around.

Our trip comes to an end today and we are all so sad.  We have had an amazing time and honestly just don't want to come home.  There is no doubt we will be leaving from this vacation relaxed, refreshed and rejuvenated...ready to take on the world!

**Please be sure to enter the sweepstakes for your chance to win an LG Easy Clean Oven Range.  Just go HERE and tell me your favorite messy recipe.

Another Beach Day

*The Pop Secret $100 Visa gift card is still up for grabs!  HERE

Warning: picture overload!!!  Needless to say we are having a blast on vacation.

Did you notice there was even a picture or two of me in the mix?  See, I did come on vacation!

Beach Day 1 and 2

Today I am feeling very blessed.  A week at the beach with 3 healthy children, a wonderful husband and my parents is all I could really ask for.  We are having a blast and Lucy is doing so well.  She is such an amazing girl.  Ella has boogie boarded all day long for two days and Jack has had a blast in the sand.

When we arrived at the beach on Monday afternoon, our condo had been double booked.  Long story short we luckily found a new place to stay.  We ended up at our favorite condo in all of Gulf Shores.  It is an awesome place with lots of activities for the kids.  There are arts and crafts every day, movies by the pool at night and 5 swimming pools.  The best part is that 3 of our very best friends are here this week with their families.  We couldn't have asked for a better mishap!

Today Ella stayed with her friend John Owen all day while Mom and I took Jack and Lucy to the outlet mall.  We also hit up the Shark's Mouth (Souvenir City) for the obligatory hermit crabs.  Ella and Mom are getting their nails done this afternoon while Jack naps and Lucy and I watch a movie.  I have waited for days like this for a very, very long time.

 

 

While we have been here I have run into 3 families who have been following this blog and Lucy's story for more than 2 years.  It is so awesome meeting people from Texas, Louisiana and all over who have been praying for Lucy's healing.  It is such an encouragement to remember that prayer can can do mighty, wonderful things.