Beachin'

Hello from the island!  Emma and I are in HHI this week visiting my college roommate, Erika.  We have invaded her space (and time) to enjoy friendship and fun.

Here are some instagram repeat highlights and other snaps from the trip so far!  During our time, Emma has braved up and will semi jump into the pool, will run into the ocean and play in the waves and loves being in the water when held (I forgot her swimmer)

Sunday, we were able to have breakfast with Emma's cousins, Katie and Derek.  Emma had a great time playing guessing games with them both and counting Katie's earrings!

Summer loving!

Greetings! We are having a great summer thus far! We have shopped, gone to Dollywood, pooled it and Saturday we went to a local zoo.  It was a ton of fun and so not a big time zoo!  You could feed the animals and they even have a lemur who squeezes from his cage to get food from you!

Sunday was my brother's birthday so we celebrated with a hotdog roast using mom's new fire pit!  We had a ton of fun, we swam, played bocce and ate tons!  We roasted hotdogs, biscuits, and marshmallows.

Out of order but I did a glow 5k on Friday night, it was linked a long with Relay for Life and we had a good time!

 Emma also had some summer photos done and I will post a few when I get them!

Emma and I are now in Hilton Head until the end of next week.  I'm thinking I'm crazy for keeping her away from home that long by myself, but my friends will help entertain her!

Always playing catchup...

Last week Emma and I enjoyed bible school.  I helped with the craft team and Emma enjoyed the 4-5 classroom!  She had some fantastic teachers and loved every night!

The craft was a cute little birdhouse made from pop bottles.  I thought they turned out super cute!

Here are her daily photos from the week.  (I'm almost halfway through this labor of love!) As you can see I didn't dress her too fancy on the painting nights (the benefits of helping with crafts!)

Sunday, Father's Day, was spent with Justin taking her to church (I felt really bad.)  Emma filled this out in children's church and I found it hilarious!

Of course we have pictures with all the big papas in her life...

Can't forget the papas in my life.

Sunday was pretty packed.  After church Emma attended a birthday party at a nearby farm and enjoyed that in the sweltering heat...

Emma and Quinncee

Baaaa!

Hay ride buddies

After the party we rushed home so Emma could spent sometime with her granddaddy.  Then she and I loaded up and headed to Pigeon Forge to the camper.  We had s'mores with papaw for Father's Day and then headed off to Dollywood Monday morning to meet up with a co-worker and her children.

I got super bold and got Emma on the scrambler.  It is one of my favorites and I thought she would like it.  Boy was I wrong! I have never prayed so hard for a ride to be over!!! 

Regardless we had a great time and I got a killer sunburn on my back (I apparently forgot sunblock on that area!)

When we headed back to the camper Emma took a dip in the pool, I was proud of her for going under the water mushroom!

Now we are back home, swimming and walking and finishing up some cleaning before leaving for a girls beach trip next week!

So close..

My summer break is one day away!  I have to survive some meetings and lunch tomorrow then I am a free woman until July in services!

Emma is officially finished!

Notice how Emma is still wearing some outfits from last year?  The girl hasn't grown and has saved me a ton in school clothes! 

This past week marked my maternal grandmother's 89th birthday!!!  To celebrate my mom, aunts, Emma and I took Mamaw out for dinner to celebrate.

This week we have bible school and I have cleaning to do, but I'm ready to get it finished and plan a beach trip!!

Behind and all confused!

So I have not been in a posting mood.  Most of you that read this follow me on FB or IG so It's just a bunch of repeat stuff!!  I also noticed my dates are a day off.  So you will see a date repeated when I figured it out I didn't want to go back and fix it!!

Ok to play catch up....Emma and I went to Greenville for Memorial Day weekend.  We found a lot of parks and just enjoyed time with my friends, Ashley and Erika.  Bryce graduated from 8th grade and Leighton from high school.  My youngest nephew, Garett, earned some smarty pants awards to finish up 6th grade!  Here's a nice long photo montage of all mentioned events!

Emma coloring while waiting on our food at The Runway Cafe, at a small airport in Greenville, she also enjoyed their playground.

The playground was themed with a runway and several airplane toy/jungle gym things!

Ashley has a park a few miles from her house and we make a few trips to it.  Emma loves playgrounds!

We wrapped up our last morning by going to watch some hot air balloons while we munched on breakfast.  Then we headed up the mountain and through the woods back home and enjoyed the pool! (which we have done several times over the past week)

I searched high and low for Emma a pink cowgirl hat.  Luckily The Children's place had them for $5.00!  Emma had to have a pink one to be like Sheriff Calli. 

One day Emma was being super silly and ended up in this crazy getup.  Princess Scuba Girl!

Being a teacher at my nephews' school has it's benefits.  I always help with 8th grade class night and this year I got to snap a practice photo of Bryce!  That  evening I had my assigned front row seat to see him walk across the stage!

(this was the best photo I got from his whole procession across, they all walked so fast!  My family was on the other side of the room and got some better shots!)

The next evening we beat the heat to see my oldest nephew graduate!  We celebrated with some Moondog Pizza afterward!  I have to admit I teared up twice during graduation!

(cool side story, There was a set of twins that were born a few months before Leighton that were in the same NICU as him in Roanoke that also graduated with him!)

Photobomb by my brother, Leighton's dad.  We are such the group of jokesters....

Garett finished up 6th grade with honors! He was super surprised to see his dad show up!  (lucky again for me to be at the same school and get to sneak to his awards too!!)

Bryce was also the SCA president and did the school announcements every morning and afternoon this school year,  I will miss getting to hear him over the PA system everyday.  This was his last official day of announcements!

The school year wraps up tomorrow and I finish up Monday.  I have the goal of getting my house spring cleaned all next week so I can enjoy my very short summer!!!  Emma's last day of daycare is also this week!

Welcome Summer!!!