Roomie Reunion 2011

We've known each other since 1997 and have changed quite a lot since those early days on our freshman hall. We went "potluck" as freshmen at Furman and all found each other. We lived together for the next 4 years and still get together every year- now with husbands and families! We meet up Memorial Day weekends in different spots- this year we chose Moncks Corner, SC where Louise is from and had a blast on the lake. Later this Fall, we'll meet up at Furman for our 10 year reunion. Hard to believe! Enjoy the photos.

Weeze, Grizz, Martha & Cush





We had SO much fun on the lake and on the boat!

Trip to Charleston and Fort Sumter

Finding little friends....and not being scared of them!

Loving some sister time right on a really cool lake!

That is the face of fun!

5 years.

It has taken me a few days to process that my first-born is 5 and all that turning 5 means (already I'm crying and I've typed like 20 words; I thought if I waited a few days I'd be over this....). For me, turning 5 meant that I got a Strawberry Shortcake bike, doll and cake- my mom is amazing; the cake had pink coconut hair!

For Piper, 5 has been a big deal. She walked a little taller last week when she got to take mini-cupcakes to school. She really understood what having a birthday meant and she made sure we knew she understood. So she planned her own birthday party- "Piper's Carnival"- complete with stuffed animal petting zoo and our dog on a leash. But for me, 5 also means kindergarten, moving out of the baby section and into the big girl clothes, more responsibility for her in her daily routine, me giving her the space she needs- even when that space doesn't include me helping her.

However, she is still my little girl and in no way, am I going to rush the growing up process because that seems to be moving along quickly on its own. She still does need me to help her and she still uses words wrong all of the time and likes for me to get under the covers with her to read her stories. She still gets restless and bored even when we're trying to have a "grown-up team time" and would rather go look at toy trains in the Christmas shop. I'm so thankful that although she is 5, she will always be my kid and I will always be her mom. So enjoy these pictures as we look back at the years Piper has been with us.

We had NO idea the joy we were waiting for: (p.s. I'd like to think that this is at the end of my pregnancy but I'm pretty sure it's not...)

It's so cool to look at a picture and realize that THIS is one of those moments my life changed forever:

Piper, you are forever making us laugh and cry all at the same time by the way you live your life with such purity, simplicity and joy. You are a learner even at 5 and challenge me to think about why I do what I do and say what I say but also to just enjoy being where I am.



On her 5th birthday at tea:

What a beautiful little lady you are turning out to be. Dad and I are so proud of you and so excited about all of the years to come and what the Lord has for you. Happy Birthday, Pi.

Grandparents & Gardens.

Our kids are so blessed with great grandparents on both sides! They love our kids so well and our girls feel at home with both of them (and really never want to leave either of their houses b/c it's so fun there....not to mention all of the fun treats and marshmallow cereal and Lily snack and chocolate and play time, etc, etc). These pictures are from a weekend my parents came to visit.

Also, it's garden time, which is a lot of fun and A LOT of work.
So far we have planted for the spring:
radish
carrots
sugar snap peas
cabbage
yellow and red onions
buttercrunch lettuce
red lettuce
broccoli
spinach

We are excited about the season ahead. We'll plant for summer in a couple of weeks

Our newly planted garden, a couple of months ago.

Thinning (a.k.a throwing away) radish plants. Well, I am....everyone else is watching.

Piper's Perspective.

I love getting to see the world through these eyes of my kids. Sometimes I get down on the floor just to see what everything looks like from way down there. Phil swears he remembers the very first time he could see the top of the kitchen counter.

So Piper got a camera for Christmas and it has been so fun to see what she likes to take pictures of and what sticks out to her as "important" or "noteworthy".......we'll work on technique, framing the picture, lighting and getting the objects in focus some other time.


Close-up of our pup.

Sister.

Mom trying to fix the computer.

Us wasting energy. Oops.

I wish I could have put all of the faces of Daddy up. Very funny.

I swear she wasn't there for long by herself.

Best friend, Bunny.

Woodstove.

Just tall enough to see the counter!

Todd.

Caught. She's not supposed to be behind the tree.

And, of course, the self-portrait.

I'm excited to see how their perspectives change over the years.

Our future soccer star....

For all of our family who loves videos! Here are a bunch of Piper's 1st "soccer" practice. It's at this indoor place, Grey Eagle Arena, in Black Mtn. At Smart Start soccer, the soccer players (that's what the coach calls them and I love it!) learn basic skills like trapping, dribbling, stretching, etc. Please, enjoy! And if you ever wanted to know what I looked like doing anything athletic as a child, then this will give you great insight into my life.....Piper looks just like me.

"Warming up":


My personal fav....jumping jacks:


Drills:


Piper's very favorite thing....the Spirit Tunnel- notice how she gets through twice:

Outside again. Finally.

I wrote this a couple of weeks ago when it was sunny......now, the rain is here, but these pictures give me hope that warmer weather will come soon. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa Cushing for these cut outfits!

You can tell spring is coming by the brighter green peeking through our decaying leaves, the eager crocus popping up all over, a stirring of the birds and squirrels and the sound of the girls running and screaming outside. They are so very happy and so am I.

"Are you all going to the Drum Circle?"

Phil was out of town so the girls and I hit the town.....that used to mean something different to me, but now it means lots of ruffles, lemonade and ice cream with two girls under 5. It was a really fun IDEA. This was our plan...

We were going to get dressed up (that's a VERY pink skirt I am wearing), then, go out to eat at a sit down restaurant, do a little shopping, come back and build a fort and then, play games (Piper was in charge of those).


We did that. However, there were a few glitches. Lily screamed the whole way to dinner, saying, "Ow, ow, ow." I really thought I had to take her to the ER, but it ended up that's how she deals with being woken up sometimes. Great.

Dinner was fun- minus the fact that I never thought through how you actually do dinner with 2 little kids that cannot be left at the table alone. Piper went to the bathroom no less than 67 times that night and EVERY time, we all went. The booth was also large enough to sit at least a party of 12 which was hilarious for my girls but not for me when trying to wrangle them and the sharp knives from their hands.

A side note from dinner....on one of our many trips to the potty, a waitress asked me if we were dressed up to go to the drum circle. For those of you not familiar with this Asheville experience, it is a HUGE drum circle with a lot of hippy-like people dancing in a frenzied manner. I said, "No. We just dress like this." Then, followed the awkward silence and uncomfortable shifting around.

Shopping....we went to 2 different stores and still did not find the perfect prize. We settled for something lesser (why have I not learned this lesson).....and I STILL hear about it.

We arrived home to Aunt Anne and THIS gift (pictured below). She saved the day and night, which was an amazing glimpse into the future fun I have with my girls. They are great dates and I hope for many, many more Nights Out with my girls.

P.S. We finished the fort and games in the morning....who said Girls' Night couldn't last until the morning?