Catching up ... May

Lots of catching up to do, so I'll start with May ... swimming lessons, "Big Grannie" turned 93, and we had "Hoopla," which is my families annual gathering on Memorial Weekend. It was also the month when the Lord moved us in a new direction ... how? He blessed Brian with work after about 13 1/2 months. It happened in a day and he received the call on the way to Hoopla, dropped us off, drove to Alabama to interview, was hired on the spot and has been helping with the oil spill clean-up in Louisiana every day since. We are thrilled! And, while that calls for a lot of changes for our family, we are on an adventure with God and there is no better place to be!

This year Peyton moved into the stroke class and we were amazed at the changes in her skills and her confidence swimming. Wow!

Madison has always been a natural in the water ... takes after her mother. :)

Brianne and Grannie cheering the girls on on the last day of lessons.

"Big Grannie" at her 93rd birthday party ... eating at her favorite place, Luby's, where there is a lot of good diabetic choices and loving on the her great-grandchildren. One of many reasons I love that we homeschool is we get to be there for events like these that happen while everyone is in school. Thank you Lord for this calling!



Everyone's favorite activity at "Hoopla" is swimming ... lots of time spent in the pool.

'Course there is fishing, too, with Uncle Justin ...

Running from the waves at the boat dock ...

Uncle Justin "rocked" it with the cousins when he rented a wave runner and took them all on rides. Hours of great fun and adventure. Uncle Justin rocks!

Aunt Tracy got lots of her Brianne fix ... making sure no one is "pinching her neice!"

Annual cousin crazy picture ...

The favored event at "Hoopla Olympics" are always the water ones. So many pictures of this fun event it was too hard to pick them all out, so I settled on the kids favorite, which is pouring water in a jar on your head. Wonder why they love this one?

Seriously beautiful Daughters of the King ... it's amazing how fast they grow up. These are the girl cousins and, as you can tell, they are a tight-knit group.

And, we'll end May with a baby enthralled with a blue lollipop ... oh, that life's pleasures will always remain as simple as this!